Preparations

4th March, 1992
16th May, 1992
2nd June, 1992
29th July, 1992
31st July, 1992
3rd August, 1992
14th August, 1992

4th March 1992

Preparations photograph

Rosemary immersed in Preparations


Drop Cap t seems very early to start this diary in March when we don't leave until the end of August, but I thought I would record our organisational progress up to this point.

Drop Cap e began at the beginning of January, visiting the travel agent with our requirements to see if they could help us with self catering arrangements in Britain. It seemed so difficult that we decided to do all that ourselves, and very enjoyable we found it. We first made up a comprehensive itinerary to see where we wanted our self catering bases. Then, utilising the books of listings obtained from the British Tourist Authority, we picked several places in each centre which appeared to have accommodation in our price range (about 150 pounds a week) and sent off 30 odd letters. To our amazement we started getting replies within a week, and were able to choose the offers which appealed most. Having made the choices we were then faced with the technical problem of paying deposits in sterling. Luckily Chris Phillipps came to the rescue, offering us the use of her UK cheque account. Accordingly, we transferred $2000 to her account in Yorkshire, (820 pounds owing to a rotten exchange rate) and then we wrote a dozen cheques for deposits, thus securing ourselves a caravan near Inverness, B & B s on the Isles of Lewis and Skye, a cottage for two in the Trossachs (Lochearnhead), a cottage near Lake Windermere, a B & B in Chester, a caravan in Stourport (in the same place as we stayed in last time), a cottage in Lavenham, (East Anglia), a caravan in Sussex (near Brighton and Arundel), a farm cottage near Bath, and a chalet in a caravan park in Devon, near the Cornish border and Dartmoor. We decided to book B & Bs in Edinburgh, Durham and York, which we only want for short periods (2-3 days) just before we need them from Britain. These places are cities and choc-a-block with tourist accommodation so we should have no problems. We have listings for these areas.


Drop Cap e had intended to stopover in Hawaii on the way home but the airline schedules made it very difficult without long waits in LA etc so we decided to have an extra three days in UK and spend the last 5 days at Winchester at Stratton House of which we all have such good memories. So we wrote to the landlady and got a very nice letter back saying that since we had stayed there before, a deposit would not be necessary. So now, we only need to pay for all this by July. We have opened a cheque account at the National Westminster Bank in Stourport and the inheritance money will go there so we should have a cheque book shortly with which we can pay these bills.

Drop Cap he Travel Agent (with a bit of prodding) has organised air travel - Malaysian Airlines via Singapore and KL, a 4 night hotel package in London with 3 day travel card, theatre tickets and a few other goodies, a hired Ford Escort for 83 days and travel insurance. We come home Air New Zealand via LA. The only things yet to arrange are train tickets (sleepers) from London to Inverness and the Scottish Ferries in the Islands. We are getting what Caledonian MacBrayne (the ferry company) call an "Island Hopscotch" deal - Ullapool to Stornaway, Tarbet to Uig, Armadale to Mallaig) at a discount price.

So, that's where we are in March. I'll write more when we have it all paid for and fully organised.


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16th May, 1992
Drop Cap ell, we have not yet paid for it but there are some changes and progress to report. Firstly, we have booked and paid for our Island Hopscotch deal. We received our tickets one month ago. We received also a letter from British Rail explaining that they could not book a sleeper so far ahead but that they would contact us nearer the date. (I'll believe THAT when it happens) We will phone them at the end of July when we send cheques for all our accommodation. Our cheque account is finalised, as is the inheritance money and we have two cheque books and service cards which guarantee cheques as well as allow withdrawals from ATM's. Today we visited the Travel Agent again because we had decided to try to change our flight from a round world via LA (which we would rather avoid altogether, following the recent rioting there) to a straight out return via Qantas direct (one stop) to and from Heathrow. This proved no hassle (amazing!) and so we have cancelled our former flight plans and have a confirmed booking at much the same cost with Qantas. Hooray! That's what I wanted all along. It seems that it is much easier and cheaper to make bookings rather closer to the date you want to fly than we have done so far. Toni (the agent) has also promised to try and arrange "Phantom of the Opera" tickets for us (theatre tickets are part of our London deal) Hope she can, I don't want any other musical, though there may be some good plays on in London at that time.

Drop Capy fixed deposit matures on 2nd June, so we will be paying for all at this end early in June, then sending cheques for all the accommodation in July. I'll write more then.
2nd June, 1992
Drop Cap oday is finance day! My fixed deposit matured with $780 interest so we paid it into my cheque account and sallied forth to the Travel Agent. It is amazing that I felt so blase about writing a cheque for eight and a half thousand dollars! However, we have now paid for everything arranged by the Agent and all we have to do now (apart from collecting all the vouchers, tickets, etc) is pay for our accommodation in Britain and arrange our train journey London - Inverness, buy some traveller's cheques and departure tax and go! Mac arranged his international driving permit today also, his former one from last time has expired.

Drop Cap oni was not able to organise "Phantom" tickets because the deal is that you ring the theatre the night before to check ticket availability and take your chance. Obviously we will still try for the "Phantom" but if not, I'm sure there is something else on in London that we will enjoy, preferably with a well-known face or two in the cast. Wait and see.


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29th July, 1992
Drop Cap ell, the time is running out! This time next month we will be in Inverness! I can't believe that all these months have passed so quickly. We picked up all our tickets and vouchers two weeks ago and are now in possession of air tickets, (although we still don't know where we stop, Singapore or Bangkok) hotel vouchers, travel card vouchers, theatre vouchers & car hire vouchers, insurance and baggage labels.
29th July, 1992 (contd)
Drop Cap he theatre ticket vouchers are a bit of a disappointment as they offer not a choice of anything on in London as we had thought, but a choice among several participating theatres and the "Phantom" is not one of them. "Buddy" and "Starlight Express" are, along with a lot of other rock musicals but they do not interest us. The list is five months old, however, and there might be something more appealing by now. A couple of the plays looked good.

Drop Cap o, everything is arranged, EXCEPT the train to Inverness. We still have not heard from British Rail. I think we have decided to give them till the end of this week, then call the bank in Stourport to see if the cheque has been presented. If so, Mac will write again to BR as he feels that, over the phone, they won't be able to find our letters. Time is, however, getting short. We LEAVE in 25 days! I'll write again when we hear.
31st July, 1992
Drop Cap ur wedding anniversary! 23 days to D-day (departure) and still no word from British Rail!! What to do?



3rd August, 1992
Drop Cap onight we lost patience and telephoned our bank in Stourport about the cheque we sent to BR. They told us that the cheque had not been presented so we rang BR. Surprisingly enough they had all the details at their fingertips (in a computer). They had sent back our cheque on 29th June because it was 25 pounds short. We had not received it, so rang the bank again and stopped it. So we got it all together at BR. We can pick up the tickets at Euston and will send them a cheque tomorrow for the correct amount. So that is everything at last!
14th August, 1992
Drop Cap e rang Euston tonight to see if they had received our cheque. They had, the tickets were made out, ready for collection at Euston on our arrival. So that's alright.

Drop Cap ow, with just about a week to go, all we have to do is confirm our flights on Thursday, finish the washing, stock the freezer, clean the house, have dinner with Anne and Chris on Saturday night, have my hair done on Saturday morning, pack, do last minute washing, pack, get to the airport, panic and go!!!

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