Serpentine's Travel Diary Thingo-Whatsit

[factotum]

Sounding like things are going well, Serps--congrats! Don't worry about the strange sunny weather, by the way, it'll probably be raining by the middle of next week. (That's the fun thing about the British weather--if you don't like whatever weather conditions you have, just wait a day or two and it'll all be different! ).

[Serpentine]

Yet another update!

[Lady Moreta]

You sound like you're having fun though - even if money is being a nuisance.

Also, Serpy dear, your photo links are broken from the one "Qwaz and my place" onward. My techie husband had a look (and looked it up, he's geeky like that) and he thinks the problem is that you copied/pasted the link from somewhere that has curly quotation marks in it - and that's breaking the links. The images are still viewable if you erase everything before the 'tinyurl' bit when it opens...

Thought you might like to know.

[Serpentine]

Blarg. Yeah, the quotation marks were making it behave very oddly indeed before. I'll go fix it

edit: Hokay, should be alright now.

[factotum]

Pssst...the link to the "Dungeon" game picture is still broken!

Sounds awesome, Serps. Shame you're still struggling to find a long-term job, though...all the luck from me to you! (This may not be a good thing considering how bad my luck usually is, but it's well meant).

[Thufir]

Spoilered for wankery.

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I went for a walk down to shore (you can’t go to the beach without touching the sea…), looked back at all those Playgrounders, and was filled with wuv. I loved being all the way over the other side of the world; I loved that we were having a picnic on the beach and building a sandcastle; I loved how much of a part of the group I felt; I’ve said it before, but I love how there was a whole mass of people who were My Sort Of People – and by extension, that there were bunches of My Sort Of People all over the world, even if I hadn’t met them yet; and at that moment I loved every one of those sandy nerds. Even if things haven’t panned out quite like I hoped them to, just these meet-ups alone have made my trip more than worthwhile. So thanks for that, guys.

N'awww. *Huggles*

Instead, we went to --Lime--‘s favourite restaurant for dinner just the two of us.

How does Lime have a favourite restaurant in Newcastle?

Thufir's Meet-Up photos. (may not be viewable by everyone. If Thufir were to give me a link that anyone could use, I'd be appreciative)

I've made that album public. I think that should work.

[--Lime--]

How does Lime have a favourite restaurant in Newcastle?

I've been to Newcastle quite a few times before, so I've eaten at several places in the city. When I first went to this place, the food was quite honestly the best I'd ever had in a restaurant anywhere, never mind in Newcastle. This is sadly no longer true - they've changed the menu format and now have far more emphasis on the "bar" part of "bar and restaurant" than before - but though it was different to when I was last there several years ago, it was still good.

[GrlumpTheElder]

Good to hear you had such a good time after we left . Good write up of the meet up too

[Serpentine]

Hokay, so. We're looking at the beginning of the end, here.
The job search has been a bust, so I'm going to cut my losses, head home, find work there, earn lots and lots of money and then go travelling again. In the meanwhilst, I've got to get from here to there.
I've still yet to negotiate with my dad on the subject of a loan, but I'm intending to borrow enough to let me do some things before I leave (and have some left over for when I get to Australia), and my mum is offering to give me some money specifically for that purpose (I don't know yet how much; I may have to pick a specific thing I want to do first).
So. I'll be leaving Newcastle at the end of August. Here is my wishlist of things I wanna do before I leave:

- See the White Horse.
- Walk to some ruins out in the country somewhere and have a picnic while I explore them.
- Actually go into a castle.
- Hang out with GrlumpTheElder.
- Meet Heliomance.
- Go clubbing with Nameless and Malfunctioned.
- See a henge or stone circle - doesn't have to be Stonehenge, which I hear you can't actually get close up to anyway.

I think that's the main stuff, and I'm well aware I probably won't even get to do half of them. But I'm happy to touch down with people on my way, and to have company for some or all of it. So that's my plan thus far, if anyone would like to be a part of it.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Go to the Rollright Stones! Midlands, border of Oxfordshire and Warwickshire. You can go right up and touch them. Only the King's Men and the King Stone has a fence around it, the Whispering Knights, the big circle, has no fence. You can walk along just inside the circle. It's kinda amazing. I can post pictures of my family at the Rollright Stones if you want!

Edit: Sorry, the King's Men are the ones you can walk around.

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The Whispering Knights


The King Stone


The King's Men

[Serpentine]

It's definitely a maybe! 'specially if I can get a hold of that episode of Doctor Who before I go...

[factotum]

Hokay, so. We're looking at the beginning of the end, here.
The job search has been a bust, so I'm going to cut my losses, head home, find work there, earn lots and lots of money and then go travelling again.

[Tasroth]

*snip*
- Actually go into a castle.
*snip*

I'm pretty sure this one can be arranged.

[The Succubus]

Hokay, so. We're looking at the beginning of the end, here.
The job search has been a bust, so I'm going to cut my losses, head home, find work there, earn lots and lots of money and then go travelling again. In the meanwhilst, I've got to get from here to there.
I've still yet to negotiate with my dad on the subject of a loan, but I'm intending to borrow enough to let me do some things before I leave (and have some left over for when I get to Australia), and my mum is offering to give me some money specifically for that purpose (I don't know yet how much; I may have to pick a specific thing I want to do first).
So. I'll be leaving Newcastle at the end of August. Here is my wishlist of things I wanna do before I leave:

- See the White Horse.
- Walk to some ruins out in the country somewhere and have a picnic while I explore them.
- Actually go into a castle.
- Hang out with GrlumpTheElder.
- Meet Heliomance.
- Go clubbing with Nameless and Malfunctioned.
- See a henge or stone circle - doesn't have to be Stonehenge, which I hear you can't actually get close up to anyway.

I think that's the main stuff, and I'm well aware I probably won't even get to do half of them. But I'm happy to touch down with people on my way, and to have company for some or all of it. So that's my plan thus far, if anyone would like to be a part of it.

Reading all that, the first thing that springs to mind is "SW England". There's quite a few old castles and stone circles down that way, it wouldn't be far for Helio to travel and Koorly would be close as well.

You'll probably need to go to London if you're looking to meet those notorious slackers Mal & Nameless - you could also go to the Tower of London if you want to explore a castle too. =)

[Serpentine]

So. Here is the plan thusfar, such as it is.

I'll stop working up to a week before I leave Newcastle, which will most likely be within a few days either side of the start of September. Thufir may come with. We'll go down to Leeds to say hello to Totally Guy, and meet up with GrlumpTheElder. I need to find out how Grlump is heading south (sorry Lumpy, I ran out of phone credit), but I like his idea of joining up for the trip downwise.
Depending on how flexible he is journey-wise, we might be able to drop by Derby to say hello to Strawberries and Cream, and have a look at the Rollright Stones.
If we can find somewhere to stay, we may stay in Sussex for up to a week visiting castles and the like. Then we might be able to stay with friends of my mum's in Newberry, which is the closest contact I have to the Uffington Horse, which I'm determined to see before I go.
My mum seems particularly insistent that I'd love Bath, so I'd like to stay there for a couple of days, maybe in a B&B or somesuch. Then to London, where I/we will stay... somewhere, and force Nameless and Malfunctioned to meet me whether they want to or not. Then I'll get the plane and head back to Australia.

None of this is set in stone, mind.

I has a map:

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[GrlumpTheElder]

I need to find out how Grlump is heading south (sorry Lumpy, I ran out of phone credit), but I like his idea of joining up for the trip downwise.

Most likely National Express Coach from Bradford (cheapest option)

Depending on how flexible he is journey-wise, we might be able to drop by Derby to say hello to Strawberries and Cream, and have a look at the Rollright Stones.

Readthat as the Rolling Stones and got excited!

I has a map:

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I like the map

[Serpentine]

So how flexible are you? Could we, for example, take a couple of days to get down there?

Also/alternatively: Guy, you wouldn't want to go for a visit to Strawberries', would you?

[GrlumpTheElder]

So how flexible are you? Could we, for example, take a couple of days to get down there?

Also/alternatively: Guy, you wouldn't want to go for a visit to Strawberries', would you?

Unfortunatly not as flexible as I would like to be[/innuendo]
Can‘t leave Braford before the morning of the 30th Aug, and need to be back for the 1st Sept... How is that for you?

[Serpentine]

What sort of time on the 1st? I think it should be manageable, though.

[Totally Guy]

As a self centred individual I'd visit Strawberries if there was more in it for me. If we could make a day trip of it, visit an attraction or something I'd be in. What's good in or around Derby?

As you know I work weekdays so I'd need it to be on a weekend.

[The Succubus]

Also worth remembering - it's a Bank Holiday weekend on the 25th-27th. Could be a good opportunity to do something.

[Serpentine]

That's pushing it too far forward for me - and I haven't even got the money from dad yet, so I can't buy the plane tickets! (is there a polite way to nudge someone who's doing you a big favour? )

As a self centred individual I'd visit Strawberries if there was more in it for me. If we could make a day trip of it, visit an attraction or something I'd be in. What's good in or around Derby?

As you know I work weekdays so I'd need it to be on a weekend.

Ah, unless there's something there you'd particularly like to see, don't worry about it. I was just wondering.

[The Succubus]

Sorry, should have been a little clearer - it's the weekend 25-27th of August, so it's either just before you set off from Newcastle or on your journey south.

[Serpentine]

To reiterate, the plan plus a calendar:
I'll stop working up to a week before I leave Newcastle, which will most likely be within a few days either side of the start of September. Thufir may come with. We'll go down to Leeds to say hello to Totally Guy, and meet up with GrlumpTheElder. I need to find out how Grlump is heading south (sorry Lumpy, I ran out of phone credit), but I like his idea of joining up for the trip downwise.
Depending on how flexible he is journey-wise, we might be able to drop by Derby to say hello to Strawberries and Cream, and have a look at the Rollright Stones.
If we can find somewhere to stay, we may stay in Sussex for up to a week visiting castles and the like. Then we might be able to stay with friends of my mum's in Newberry, which is the closest contact I have to the Uffington Horse, which I'm determined to see before I go.
My mum seems particularly insistent that I'd love Bath, so I'd like to stay there for a couple of days, maybe in a B&B or somesuch. Then to London, where I/we will stay... somewhere, and force Nameless and Malfunctioned to meet me whether they want to or not. Then I'll get the plane and head back to Australia.

None of this is set in stone, mind.

I has a map:

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And a calendar:

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(Mon 13/8: National Express ticket sale ends)
Mon 20/8:
Tues 21/8:
Wed 22/8:
Thurs 23/8:
Fri 24/8: Digital staff going out?
Sat 25/8:
Sun 26/8:
Mon 27/8: FiftyEyedFred in Sussex
Tues 28/8:
Wed 29/8: Grlump arrives in Bradford doing Morris Dancing - I can come watch?
Thurs 30/8: Grlump can leave Bradford
Fri 31/8:
Sat 1/9: Grlump must be in Sussex
Sun 2/9:
Mon 3/9:
Tues 4/9:
Wed 5/9:
Thurs 6/9:
Fri 7/9: Grlump leaves for France (the bastard)
Sat 8/9:
Sun 9/9:
Mon 10/9:
Tues 11/9:
Wed 12/9:
Thurs 13/9:
Fri 14/9:
Sat 15/9:
Sun 16/9:
Mon 17/9:
Tues 18/9:
Wed 19/9:
Thurs 20/9:
Fri 21/9: Family event in Sawtell

Any more dates I should note down for planning purposes?

[The Succubus]

Hmmmm, if you're planning on going to Bath, there's a direct line that runs from Reading to Bath and Reading is only one stop down the line from Newbury. So that would probably be the best and cheapest opportunity to get over there. Not sure if that helps with the planning. =)

[GrlumpTheElder]

Aha, I've got the Internet back again!!!

What sort of time on the 1st? I think it should be manageable, though.

Technically need to be in London for the evening, but the parents may be wanting to do something in London prior to that, sorry I can't be more precise at the moment... As soon as I know I'll let you know (internet permitting)

Also, have you got credit yet? (don't mean to sound pushy)

[Serpentine]

Yes! And with free texts!

[GrlumpTheElder]

Awesome. I‘ll drop you a text with my movements in soon.

[Serpentine]

Right, working stuff out some more.
I'd say Thufir and I would be heading down to Bradford on the 28th or 29th. It'd be nice to see Totally Guy if he's up for it.

We will leave on the 30th or the 31st. We can get down to Sussex in one day, including a quick visit to Derby. For the first leg we'd have a choice:
Bus: leave Bradford at 7.40am, get to Derby at 10.50am. No change-overs. 14.40gbp.
Train: leave Bradford at 10.05am, get to Derby at 12.19pm. Two change-overs, 14gbp. (or 9.04am-11.19am, two change-overs, 17gbp)

Then it's bus down to Hastings, leaving at 1.25pm, arriving at 8.35pm, for 25.60gbp. I'd be happy to break that leg up - probably overnight - if the other two were willing, and there was somewhere to go, though. Especially if there's anyone down that way who'd like to say goodbye.

I think it's gonna be too tricky to see the Rollright Stones on that trip down, so I think for that part of it I'd like to stop in Wiltshire on the way to Bath. It's near the Uffington Horse which I wanna see anyway, and it's actually where Stonehenge is (I thought it was further north for some reason), and there's a whole mess of other interesting stuff around there too.

At the end I intend to stay in London for a couple of days before I get the plane out of there somewhere around the 13th or 14th of September (think I've got the flight picked, but I'm not sure whether a 1 1/2 hour wait in Kuala Lumpur will be enough to ensure I get the next flight, or if I should get the one with a 4+ hour wait).

Any expressions of interest for hanging out, or assistance finding cheap (ideally cheap as free) accommodation anywhere, are most welcome.

[The Succubus]

Well, I can meet up on pretty much any weekend between now and when you leave - I only have 1 day's holiday left though, so I'm going to save that for the 13th/14th so I can see you off at the airport.

My flat is available if you need a sofa to sleep on and there's the Giant Room-Hogging Airbed from the Newcastle meet if you pick up any strays on your journey.