We went on a walk around Pete’s home village of North Ferriby. The pictures are here. In 1937, wooden planks belonging to an ancient boat were discovered by a local man on the shore of the Humber at North Ferriby. Originally estimated to date from 1300 BC, newer estimates using radiocarbon dating have placed the boats between the years 1890 BC to 1700 BC, in the Bronze Age. The Ferriby boats are the earliest known boats found in Europe. Learn more about them here.

Here is some information on North Ferriby during World War II.

‘Tis the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness (John Keats’ poem, “To Autumn”). I have added an album of pictures taken while walking around Hibaldstow in late September (and also included some of Redbourne and one of North Kelsey). The name ‘Hibaldstow’ comes from Old English Hygebald+stow, for “holy place where St. Hygebald is buried”. An interesting anecdote about the village is that in 1866, during the rebuilding of the church chancel, a Saxon-era sarcophagus was found, containing the skeleton of a powerfully built man. It is presumed to be that of Saint Hybald, a 7th century missionary. Creepy!
Read all about Hibaldstow here and here.

News on the job front: I didn’t get the Glasgow job so i’m still looking.

So the interview went OK, I think. I’ll hear from them in the next few days. The day after the interview I took some photos of Glasgow University campus. Here is one of Natalie outside where one of the worlds greatest physicists, Lord Kelvin lived,

who you can learn all about here.
Then we drove back to Hibaldstow via Edinburgh. Sorry we didn’t look people up - we just zipped through! Pics are in the gallery.
Hopefully this website loads a bit faster now, I fixed a php problem.

We’re going up to Glasgow today as I have a job interview at Glasgow University Physics department for a four year research fellowship. There’s me and four other people. We each give a talk and then are interviewed - this takes all day. I’m a little bit nervous! I will take photos of the trip and let you know how it went in a few days.

We’ve arrived safe and well in Hibaldstow. The journey went surprisingly well, considering just how many stages could have gone wrong. Neither bags nor sanity were lost . Of course, I photo-documented the journey and the fruits of my labour will appear soon. We saw Chicago, Manhatten and the Isle of Man from the air. In London we took the kids to Hamleys toy shop and bought lunch at Selfridges. The ever-suffering Vic met us with Goblin at Kings Cross station for which we are grateful. Natalie went to see platform 9 3/4 as promised. My mother met us at Doncaster station and helped with the kids while we hired a Peugeot Partner to take the bags to Hibaldstow.
The day after we arrived we didn’t feel like unpacking, so we went to Lincoln to buy Kate a mobile phone. All evidence is in the gallery.

Yesterday we finally sold the car - and for only $200 less than we bought it for. I’d like to say the packing is almost done, but that would be a lie. This will be the last post for a while as I am about to pack the computer up in a box and take it to the post office.
Au revoir….

Kate said goodbye to Main Street Veterinary Hospital today. Kerry unfortunately refused our quite reasonable suggestion to relocate the practice across the Atlantic. So we are now both gainfully unemployed. Scunthorpe job centre here we come!
She is sad to leave such a great job with wonderful people. Please keep in touch!
Pete has been performing the menial tasks - cleaning, packing and increasingly deparate attempts to sell the van.

Our travel plans are thus:

Night at airport hotel at OKC.
Southwest flight to Newark via Chicago.
Night at airport hotel in Newark.
Virgin Atlantic flight to London Heathrow.
Night in Bayswater (central London).
Meet Goblin and his eternally suffering chaperone Vic at Kings Cross station.
Take Natalie to platform 9 3/4 after our bags have been put in the guard van.
Take train to Doncaster.
Rent Transit van to move our 12 bags to Hibaldstow.
Sleep.

Photos will follow…

I’ve added some Grand Canyon photos to the gallery. There are lots more to come. I also managed to activate the slideshow function, just look to the bottom on the album screen and select ’slideshow’. We’re going to bed now as we have to get up at 4 in the morning to take Goblin to Will Rogers airport for his trip home.

Kate and I spent much of today configuring the website. I’ve removed the test album and added one full of snaps from around Norman. Needless to say this will be added to. Additionally, I’ll put some albums up from our travels around the US. We’ve packed six cases now (of a possible eight). All we have to do is cram the remaining two cases with the half of our belongings that are not already packed. Goblin is becoming re-acquainted with his box as he will be airborne in less than 36 hours.

I installed Gallery successfully and have put up a test album should anyone wish to peruse. Just click Gallery on the left. I’m still playing around with the themes. Eventually there will be seamless navigation throughout the site.

We have managed to sell most of our stuff now. Just the car left really.

We’ve been packing cases, weighing them, repacking them, weighing them etc.. until they are all just under the 70lb weight limit. The cat departs on Tuesday and our good friend Vic (girlfriend of Maynard on the left) will pick him up from Gatwick.