dawesberry adventures my view of the big family adventure.

Here we are in England, just about an hour south of London at the home of Helen (mum of Jophace - steve's godson) and her daughter Angelina. They were here yesterday and the night I got here but now we have the house to ourselves, with beds and evrathing! I’m quite sleepy most of the time, but I think I’m getting over the jet lag. Megan on the other hand seems not to have missed a beat, and is off acting like any pommy teenager, gone to the pub with Ange on the first night here, train to Brighton with Tahli yesterday. normal shmormal, not fair! The van is cool, though it’s a slow ride. People seem to ride on our tail a fair bit. But I haven’t fully experienced the life in it cuz of Helen’s fine hospitality and open home. We might go down to Brighton tonight to watch the game between Brazil and France – that’s where Helen has gone, to her manfriend’s place. If not, we’ll hang around here and watch at a pub again. Or maybe John Robson will have us over again to eat a lovely meal and occupy all his best livingroom furniture like we did last night. England is still in the running for the Cup, so there are lots of cars with the English flag running around. It will be quite the scene at the pubs and about the village today/tonight. They are pretty serious about the whole thing here. Its been fun following it, but I don’t think I’ll make a lifelong habit of following it so closely. So, we are in a village called Forest Row. Its quite foresty, and it gives me instant like of the place. There is a main-ish road so close to the front of the house… I guess that its so close for horse and wagon many years ago, so it wasn’t so speedy then. But actually, its not bothersome. I hardly notice it while in the house. And what a cute little house. Its one of those terrace houses, so there are 4 of them all stuck together in a row, with 4 gardens side by side. I quite like how Helen has done hers. 3 stories. Small. Modern. Noice. Its summertime (nothing like oz summer- its about the same temperature in Mullum (winter) as it is here); the garden is just as you’d expect an English back terrace garden to be, sweet flowers covering the edges, and decorating the frames of archways. Helen said to feel free to bring the sofa cushions out and have a nice day out there, which I did, soaking up the sun in English garden bliss. Ok, so here is the best thing: paths. The place seems to have no end to paths. There is the EXCELLENT rule about everyone having right to pass through land, so there are short fences, but also, with the fences are helpful steps to climb over the fence, so you can go everywhere and nobody can come out with their gun saying that you are trespassing! What a difference it makes to your freedom to enjoy the outdoors! I don’t think it allows one to go straight into others backyards, but any paddock/field is open. Driving to John’s yesterday, I saw so many paths through the forests. Mullumbimby is really lacking in this aspect of living out in the country. Steve says that maybe we can get a movement going to create this same rule in oz, because oz has the same base of government. Well, that’s not how he said it, that’s my lame attempt at saying it. But anyway, the English made aussie law, so maybe we can get this going, and make access to the countryside the norm. Being in this village makes me miss Fairfax. I still like Fairfax the best.