Travel Plans

I phoned Mum yesterday to discover she won twenty quid at bingo last week and to tell her we've booked our tickets to Manchester for the end of November. I'm trying to forget just how cold it's likely to be over there in December but it certainly can't be as bad as the Genting Highlands were last December when we went with numerous kids in tow. I managed to sustain a nasty case of sunburn on my neck and catch a chill all on the same day. The problem up there is that there's no heating whatsoever, so on an overcast day (and we suffered three of them) you retreat to the hotel room to freeze. The kids, by the way, thought all this was wonderful, something in the way of a great adventure.

Noi actually bought for me a long sleeved sweater when we were there which probably saved my life. The only occasion I've had to wear it since was during the TOK presentations this year in the Staff Lounge in the boarding school in which the air-conditioning reaches a manic phase about forty-five minutes after it's switched on.

There are those who claim to miss the winter. They are mad.