Its mid June and we have been in England for just over a week, well recovered from any jet lag – long haul with Singapore Airlines from NZ up to the UK, just works so well. So we are set up in rural northern Essex, staying with friends whom we have known for 6 decades, and a beautiful part of the country. It lacks the hills, fells, dales and mountains of the north of England, Scotland and Wales, but it has its own charm and buckets of history.
But our primary mission is to catch up with family and friends, and with the family in mind we spend the weekend in Shepherds Bush, West London with son Mike, daughter in law Christina, granddaughter Amelie and newest edition – grandson Aiden!! Now nearly 7 months old, Aiden Alexander Harland arrived just a few days after we left the UK, last November. Very much on the move now- round & around, backwards and on seeing his sister toys – forwards, Aiden is gorgeous, super cuddly and a very solid little chap.
Coming back here to Essex, this year, it does feel like a bit of a second home, county of my birth and education but that was last century. We greet the neighbours of our Essex friends, and chat about what we have all been doing, not much mention of the imminent UK General Election, but inevitably the cold start to June is a hot topic of conversation. In 2023 when we arrived in the UK in June it was about 30c, this year its struggling to get to 13c!! So warm clothes and layers are the order of the day, i even have to wear “long trousers”!! But warmer weather is forecast, and frankly with cuddles from grandchildren, who cares – family first!!
Next week we head to rural North Dorset and then the following week to Deal on the Kent Coast and the Walmer landing site of Julius Caesar, when he came to Britain for the first time – yes “buckets of history” in our 2024 Tour.h
So its a temporary farewell to rural Essex – how lovely to live at ‘Cobblers Green”? Our local pub, The Compasses Inn at Littley Green for their own in house brewed beer and homemade steak & kidney pies – quite delicious. And the surrounding countryside, mainly cereal crops – a few fields of broad beans and rapeseed, but impressive military fields of wheat and slightly more advanced fields of barley. Indeed its a green and pleasant, if currently a slightly unseasonably chilly, land.
Travels with My Wife 
Thank you Pete for your excellent report, as usual well written!
We stayed with a Marsh colleague and his wife, Eric & Vicky Keable in 1996 where they lived somewhere in the vicinity of Birch Green, Layer Breton and Layer De La Haye cant recall exact address. Also went to Colchester, Mersea Island, Maldon, Constables The Mill (another cant recall exactly where) and more.
We had a great time at Noosa and Ashmore, rather cold late afternoons, nights and early mornings in fact way colder than here but so sunny, clear skies and warm days, able to swim comfortably at Noosa. All in all, seems prosperous enough albeit the overall Austr economy has headwinds, not so obvious at Noosa and with warren & Trish, Noosa and Gold Coast in good nick, the country towns we visited out of Noosa pretty quiet and not looking well off, admittedly rather superficial observations.
Back here, gusty winds, now colder than a few days ago, had been heavy rain but the warmth obvious in the plant and lawn growth. Currently dry but grey and rain threatening.
No other news of note, big Super Rugby final Blues v Chiefs at Eden Park this Sat night.
Best, take care, Bret.
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