Thursday, June 14, 2007

Here I am

I’M HERE. I’VE ARRIVED. I’M ON MY WAY TO MANCHESTER.

The flight was fine, although it was cold. I woke in the night and grumbled to one of the staff and he said it was because we were so high that the air con units outside the ‘plane had got ice on. I didn’t want to hear that; so had my extremities. Anyway I rearranged my complimentary blanket (I got warmed up a bit from the electrical sparks caused by peeling nylon blanket off my pure wool jumper) and went back to sleep.

Since I landed I’ve been making lots of tut tutting noises about how expensive everything is (£1.20 for a bottle of water!) I pottered about Paddington (that Heathrow Express is fab, but so it should be for £15 for a single 15 minute journey). Right, okay, that’s the last time I do that; no more mentioning the cost of living here.

It felt very weird leaving the apartment last night. I felt like I was doing something naughty and I’m quite law abiding normally. It was my first time on an international flight from the new airport in Bangkok, and I had nobody to say ‘no, no there’s no time for shopping…’ so I had a bit of look about but it was all a bit disappointingly Dior, Cartier, Chanel, Mont Blanc etc and even at duty free prices they are impossibly expensive. (And I know Terminal 4 at Heathrow has a Mulberry shop, and I’m saving myself for that on the way home, but shhh, don’t tell Husband.)

So I’m on a train now going up to Manchester, looking out the window at the red brick railway bridges, wild flowers and elderflower trees and thinking about how much I miss rural views. I do love the English countryside, but I think I might be in danger of rhapsodizing … nostalgia is a wonderful thing.

8 comments:

Jen said...

Smiling for you and the wild flowers... there's something nice about the thought of you being 'home'.

:)

Jenny Beattie said...

Hi Jen, Thank you honey. I'm rather fond of railway ... edges? You know, the edges of railways. Lots of interesting things to see, and lovely wild plants. I once saw a field full of old red telephone boxes from a train. It seemed terribly sad - a telephone box graveyard!

sheepish said...

Have a good time in England, enjoy all the things you miss and ignore the things you don't. I am studiously ignoring all the reviews about Carolines book as I want to approach it with an open mind, but I must say it's getting harder to do as everyone is writing about it. Have to wait a bit longer for my copy. Say hello to Caroline for me if you wouldn't mind.

Unknown said...

You reminded me of the shell shock coming back but I am so jealous you are at the launch and I'm not....I would be there except for the little fact of going to Venice tomorrow morning with my husband.....enjoy and I want a full report with photos please :-)

Unknown said...

p.s. I am not taking my computer to Venice and I'm not sure I can cope......I know you will understand :-)

Jon M said...

Hi JJ, It was good to meet you at the launch last night, I owe you a drink! :-)

Jenny Beattie said...

Hi Sheepish, sorry you weren't there last night. Yes, I know what you mean about wanting to make you're own mind up. I'm now looking forward to reading it again. I'm sorry I didn't send your regards to Caroline, but I didn't see your message until I got back.

Hi Liz, I was sorry you weren't able to come, but Venice with your husband sounds gorgeous. Well, see my pics in the next posting. Crappy camera, I'm afraid, but I did my best.

Oh dear, I so understand the problem of being laptop free (look, I'm not laptop free!!!) but it really made me laugh. I hope you find other things to occupy you. (When I landed and logged on, I'd got 17 emails which was almost worth being out of touch for a few hours!)

Hi Jon, it was great to meet you too. And the drink? Hey don't leave the country will you, til you've bought me back a coke? Oh bugger, I'm leaving the country! Next time then: yours or my book launch.

Jon M said...

Deal on the coke..no that sounds wrong...but you know what I mean!