We’ve been away for 6 months now and I have to say I’m feeling a tad homesick, if only for the sunshine, the cooling sea breezes and the intense sense of light (not to mention our many dear friends and family), for God knows, there’s little of that here in the depths of an English winter. It’s gloomy most days, and that’s just the weather.

And let’s not mention the B Word. There have been enough near misses with the family over Christmas. Let’s just say BEST OF LUCK BRITAIN. Cause you’re gonna need it!

We’ve had a fantastic time over the past 5 or so weeks, catching up with loads of family and friends. It’s been brilliant and a great counter (distraction) to the ‘homesickness’.

Talking of sickness, it was perhaps inevitable that I’d succumb to a bout of flu, despite having a flu shot before leaving Sydney. I’ve had this for a over a week now whilst Ants has been free of anything, lucky sod! So yesterday, I thought I’d take myself off to the local Medical Centre to get myself checked out and perhaps get issued with a heavy-duty prescription to really knock things out. But turning up at 7.55am – opening time 8am and still pitch-dark mind you – there was already a queue of perhaps 40-50 people, all coughing and spluttering away in the cold gloom. It was a terrifying sight. After waiting for an hour to be ‘checked in’ we were told that as we weren’t local and registered, we couldn’t be processed and were directed to two Health Centres where the current ‘sign in and wait’ time for non-residents in this part of South London (Clapham and Beckenham Junctions) was between 1 and 4 hours. I might just get better by myself.