Frank's stag do

Started out with a day at the beach. Cricket, beers, parasailing, land-surfing and a few more 'adventure' sports involving a fast 4WD...

This look says: "What could possibly go wrong?"

At Ascott Accident and Emergency:

As if tearing the ligament off his acromioclavicular joint would keep a good man down. Here's Frank living it up large with his sling, jester outfit and bevvy of drunken babes:

Engagement Party

Thanks to everyone for coming. Sorry we didn't have more time to spend with everyone individually, but we did have a great time and it was wonderful to see you.

Also, you can't necessarily see it from the photos, but there was a whole lot of work and organisation going on backstage - so thanks again to Mum and Dad and the family for all their effort!

PHOTO REQUEST: Ordinarily we'd have lots of photos, because I'd be behind the camera. Please let me know if you took any pictures, because we'd love to get copies!

Home again!

Back in New Zealand after more than 24 hours travelling. Very tired and jetlagged, but with perfect weather and our family and friends, we can't complain!

Anna in Mum and Dad's fernery.

Having a quiet beer and a sandwich at M&D's. Not a bad view, eh?

Narrowneck Beach, on a rare day off from our being social butterflies. Nothing like New Zealand for swimming in your undies!

Auckland Harbour, from North Head.

London Snow!

Location scouting

Went for a nice bike ride around Putney Bridge with Andy on Sunday, to look at some locations for Andy's next film (about a homeless kid).

Andy contemplating a nice underpass:

Can you spare some cutter, me brothers?

Tourists again

Caught up on some London sight-seeing this weekend, as part of a farewell for one of the York girls: went to Tower Bridge (which, to be honest, is more interesting from outside) , the London Dungeon (a bit lame, but fun for the kids), saw a few film locations (such as Bridget Jones' apartment), ate our first roasted chestnuts, did some beach-combing on a small stretch of Thames 'beach' and... fed a squirrel by hand!

A nice view of the Tower of London:

A London "beach":

Ratties in the London Dungeon:

And the piece de la resistance, my real-time video of the opening of London Bridge (snore):

Dublin - Day 2

Started the day with a tram ride out to Kilmainham Gaol, which is a little off the beaten track. The Gaol provides a fascinating insight into Dublin’s social history and Ireland’s political history…

First built in 1796, it served as an often-over-crowded prison for all kinds of lawbreakers, including children arrested for petty theft. It was a major processing point for deportation to Australia, and later held many of the most famous people involved in the campaign for Irish independence. The leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising were held and executed here, and the last prisoner was Eamon de Valera:

The main entrance, above which were performed hundreds of public hangings

Where the Easter Rising prisoners were held

Used in a million films, including In the Name of the Father

Where the Easter Rising prisoners were executed by firing squad

The Four Courts, location of the Supreme Court, High Court, and Central Criminal Court of the Republic of Ireland. Seized during the Easter Rising in 1916, they survived the bombardment by British artillery but were gutted in the Irish Civil War 1922.

Christ Church Cathedral (The Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity), the elder of the city's two mediæval cathedrals.

Dating back to 1198, The Brazen Head is Ireland's oldest pub and a favourite haunt for James Joyce (yeah, that guy). Went and had a nice lunch and a few drinks. Tried Guinness with blackcurrant (nice, but be careful not to overdo it or it’ll become sickly) and had a Jameson’s while watching a traditional Irish folk band.

The Spire of Dublin, known locally as the Millennium Spire. Standing at 120 metres high, this spike of burnished steel has a base only 3 metres wide and narrows to a point at the top. The site is considered the centre of Dublin and was occupied by a statue of Nelson – until it was blown up by the IRA in 1966.

Dublin - Day 1

Our whirlwind weekend tour of Dublin began with an evening flight on Ryanair – Ireland’s budget airline. I have to say it was horrible – not the budget aspect, but the fact that throughout the flight the staff relentlessly shilled for money (buy food, drinks, duty free, lotto cards, bus tickets blah blah blah!) via an over-loud and shrill overhead speaker.

Stepped out of the plane into the same weather we had in London – cold, very windy, and a touch drizzly. Guess the Irish Sea doesn’t make that big a difference. Caught a bus to our hostel and checked in.

Got up bright and early the next morning – had our complimentary muffin and cup of tea – and struck out on foot for a day of sight-seeing:

Custom House - architecturally the most important building in Dublin – which was gutted by the IRA during the Irish Civil War of 1921-1922.

The River Liffey

Random graffiti (there is a whole lot of it about – mostly political)

Trinity College is a large walled off area in the centre of the city. After entering through a small cloister, it opens up into a wonderful courtyard surrounded by grey stone buildings of vintage appearance. We enjoyed a visit to the Library museum that houses the Book of Kells (a lavishly ornate illustrated manuscript from AD 800) and the breathtaking Long Room (a 65m long double height library of 200,000 antique books). The Long Room is truly the Mecca for secular humanists, and I only wish I could have taken photos there because it was very moving. Instead you’ll just have to enjoy a couple of pictures from the surrounding grounds:

Parliament Square

The Pomodoro sculpture in front of the Berkeley library

Next we struck out for the National Museum of Archaeology. It was a little disappointing, but we got a nice overview of the early history of Ireland – Neolithic, Celtic, Viking, Norman etc (with a random Egyptology section thrown in!). Circumnavigating the block we passed the National Gallery, Government Buildings, Oscar Wilde memorial and Huguenot cemetery – but alas could not find Bram Stoker’s house.

Had a nice little lunch – Shamrock-shaped ciabattas – then ambled through St Stephens Green and down Grafton Street (the main shopping drag), past the impressive Bank of Ireland, through the Temple Bar area and ending up at Dublin Castle:

Grafton Street

Molly Malone statue by Jeanne Rynhart. Known colloquially as The Tart With The Cart, The Dish With The Fish, The Dolly with the Trolley, The Flirt in the Skirt or The Trollop With The Scallops.!

In Dublin's fair city,
where the girls are so pretty,
I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone,
As she wheeled her wheel-barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, “Cockles and mussels, alive alive oh!"

More graffiti. Well... not really.

Dublin Castle was the seat of British rule in Ireland until 1922. Most of the building dates from eighteenth century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John (indeed we visited a damp medieval excavation under one of the towers).

My Goodness My Guinness! The Guinness Storehouse exhibition at the St James’s Gate Brewery.