The Grand Cafe

I know what you mean…I lived in very central London for 11years, up to my mid 30’s or so….I loved it at the time and there was no better place to be for me at the time and the creative circles I was in…and still so in the few years after I moved overseas and used to go back and catch up etc….but same thing, over time, some of the inherent attraction waned…and I could see it was an even harder place to live and exist….Just don’t think I’d have the energy now, let alone cope with the expenses….!
And unlike when I lived there in the inevitable London ’bubble’, in subsequent trips back to Blighty I discovered a new found respect and love for cities like Liverpool….

Think they say Sydney is now the 2nd most expensive city to live in in the world, which is mad….But at the same time, I always try to remind myself just how relatively easy we have things in AU/NZ and the quality of life that is achievable……Having said that also, recently read a good BBC article about how the ‘Australian Dream’ has evaporated for the younger generations……

I’m sure…!
I’ve always had a bit of an itch for NZ actually….Great thing about being a resident here (and even easier as a soon to be citizen) is that we can settle there without any visa restrictions….Whether we ever will I don’t know….These jumps seem to get harder as you age, which annoys me to find myself saying…!:flushed:

SC

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Sydney has become incredibly expensive to live. Went out the other night and paid $29 for a hamburger the size of scone and handful of chips. House red was $15 (a small) glass.

Re Liverpool I’ve not been there but as a huge Beatles fan feel I’m going to have to get there soon.

While I still enjoy travel the romance is now missing and I’m glad to be back home. Sad hey.

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Liverpool is frikin brilliant. Really like it.
I started going regularly as have a MINI parts supplier there who became a friend….
The city has made a really good example of regeneration, has a real vibrancy……
I really like the Scousers too.

I knew I was somewhere different on the planet when I first got off the train and all the women were walking around with hair rollers in their hair on Friday afternoon ahead of the night on the town…! :grinning: :tada:

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Hi Mike. I’ve read Sarum, but not London yet. I don’t read much fiction these days, but Sarum was certainly interesting.

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I would but I’d keep reminding him of what I did. :grin:

Here’s Miss Mike at Sarum in 2014. I’ve this as a large photo/acoustic panel in the music room.

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That’s so cool, Mike. Nice pic. Thanks for sharing …

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Oh joy….

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Least Wednesday is only going to be 36🤣

Been damn hot and sticky here as well.

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Last time I saw you, you looked just a tad older than 36 Pete. Low fourties’?

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Just a tad. :rofl::rofl:

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I bought a thermometer kit to follow our outside temperatures as we are in a bit of a microclimate where we live - close to the offical gauge at the airport, but on the side of the northwest facing hill that gets the full sun. We hit about 31°C yesterday in the shade, about 4° above the offical temperature. Mrs Mike has the heat pump on cooling, which fortunately the solar covers until about 6;30, when the sun has moved out west quite a bit.

Pools a warm 30° too.

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Had a lot of fun this afternoon.
Spent the afternoon in the Cabin listening to music that I received for my Birthday and at Christmas.
I also received by building permit to start construction on my Jazz Club.
Made decent progress completing one eighth of the construction in an afternoon :wink:


…& the last thing built was the Drum Kit & Riser😊

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Might see if I can get you to work on my building. :grin:

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I swim every morning down at our local pool and I’m amazed by the number of people that don’t turn up if it’s raining. Really, are they worried they’ll get wet.

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Tis a bit odd………you would rarely swim outdoors in the UK😂

I love it when it’s raining. When I finished my laps I just floated around on my back with rain hitting my face. It’s just so peaceful.

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Quite a few locally swim daily. I’m not that committed but take a dip every week or two.

Willy.

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When I was at my boarding school, they built an outdoor swimming pool (unheated :frowning: ). I was, at one point, school swimming captain. I asked one of the house masters if a few of us could go swimming one evening. He said no. I asked why not. He said because it was raining. He was a prat of the first water, though.

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