Friday 3 July

Has rained overnight so cooler this morning.

We do our own thing again.

I lug backpack and a huge tote bag to the nearest post office (about 20min away) and send home a 10.5kg box home! Costs 139 pounds - ie over $NZ280!

I walk on to Victoria station, tube to Waterloo with one change and surface train out to Hampton Court and make my way to Hampton Court House School. This school looks old (old buildings) but is private and new. It caters for the kids of the rich who can't fit into other schools. As I stand waiting for the man I have come to meet I see some appalling behaviour from kids and poor parenting (there is a link here, right?). Richard James takes me for a walk around the school grounds and buildings and then we make our way to the Kings Arms for lunch. After speaking with him (part of my sabbatical project) I make my way back into London (a teacher from Girls' High is on the train) and back to the hotel.

Meanwhile, Tina has had a little relax in the morning and then walks to the tour office where she goes on a half day trip to Windsor Castle and Runnymeade (signing of Magna Carter). Great trip except the elderly tour guide gets the timing/sequence all wrong and they are stuck in traffic. What took them 40 minutes to cruise out takes 3 HOURS to cover LESS distance coming back. They arrive over 2 hours later than scheduled. Driver is furious as he misses out on an evening job. Tina is going to make a complaint - imagine if we were going to Phantom tonight! She is steaming when she returns. The driver was nice - he drops her close by the hotel as it is on his way.

She did have a good trip. She bought me a tie!! Is anyone keeping count?

The weather got hot in the afternoon.

We have a meal in our room and Tina catches up on some tennis.