In the conservatory devoted to palms. 

Flowers in the temperate climate flora room. 

An empty ice skating rink in front of the main conservatory at Kew Gardens 

A close up of one of Marianne North's Botanical paintings. 

Tory in the Marianne North Gallery at Key Gardens. 

Can I please start!!!! 

Christmas lunch - yum!! 

Tory hard at work making Christmas lunch for two. 

Walking in Clapham Common on Christmas Day. 

Christmas is nearly here...

It is the 13th of December today and while the days race by, I have little in the way of good news to report. My assorted UK visa applications have finally been submitted and hopefully with some level of harassment the approval process will not be too slow.

My parents, Catherine and the kids left for Paris last Friday and by all accounts are having a great time there. My parents return to London tomorrow and will spend the weekend in London staying with my brother Richard and Stuart who arrive in London on Friday from Sydney via a few days with my sister Jane in Japan. All four will then commence their Christmas holiday in Italy.

Tory arrives from Dublin on the evening of the 18th and will stay with me in London until the 2nd. I am currently staying with family friends, the Stones, but will be moving to a friend of Tory's Clapham townhouse which is being vacated for the Xmas/New Year break. It is a bit sad that Tory has to spend her Christmas leave in London with me (instead of with me in some exotic continental location) because I will be without a passport, but she appears to be quite positive about the situation.

Not much else to report. My job search has taken longer than hoped for and will be slowed further by the Christmas break. Still, I have a few irons in the fire that are keeping me short haired and shaving.

All the best,
Doug.