New Plymouth Monday 23rd July

23 July 2007

I couldn’t get the Internet connection working, so I’m sitting here at 5.25pm waiting for the motelier to come and see if he can get me operational.

Finally got a shower this morning. It was a nice one too. Breakfast was Weetbix, Vogels toast and Marmite – sitting at a servery type thing. There’s only one chair high enough so it meant I was sitting in the ‘comfortable chair’ with my chin practically resting on the breakfast bar.

We had a phone call from Diana Gibbons at Puke Ariki (combined Information Centre/Museum/Library) and she arranged to meet us there at 10am. We left here at ten to and managed to walk there on time. Just as well we found out where it was yesterday.

We met up with Diana and Bill (?) and some other members behind the scenes. Diana showed us around. It used to be the New Plymouth War Memorial Hall which has been converted into the library/archives and is joined by an ‘air bridge’ to a newer(?) building which houses the museum. We were given a cup of tea in the staff room and shown the storage room, which used to be the auditorium and stage of the War Memorial Hall.

The motelier couldn’t get the Internet working either, and I’ve just spent the last hour trying to get the stupid thing operational, without success, so I guess I won’t be blogging this holiday, which is a blow. I won’t be checking my emails on my computer either.

After being shown around Puke Ariki we decided that we were getting hungry so we went on a search for some food. Puke Ariki’s café is expensive so we went to a local food mall. Bought a Chicken Turkish fold and a hot chocolate each from McFarlanes. D.C. paid.

Then we bought a new Lotto ticket since the old one was no good - $12.00 each. Since we’d just been looking at newspaper clippings we bought the Fish and Chips wrapped in newspaper $3.00 Instant Kiwis each. D.C. won $5.00 by scratching three lots of chips. If she’d scratched that on my one she would have won $20. Well, $5.00 is better than nothing.

Then we went and bought some shoes. I wanted a pair of ankle boots and struck a bargain. Kumps were having an end of season sale and a pair that had been too small for them to get rid of and had originally been about $200 had been reduced to $59.99 and I got them for $49.99. Also got some leather restorer $9.50 and leather carer $12.50. D.C. bought a pair, which were 'slightly' more expensive too.

Back to Puke Ariki and we had a look around the museum, before having another talk to Bill and finding out where Uncle Fred would have lived. Two of the places where his houses would have been have gone. One is a parking area the other part of a larger shop. His shop may still be there, but will have been changed out of sight. We also saw where his house was in Sentry Hill – Mountain Road. There’s been a few changes there.

Back to the Bella Vista motel to have the fight with the Internet and then we went on a hunt for something to eat. Because it’s Monday nothing’s open, so we did the 20 minute walk to Cobb & Co. Then we had to wait 20 minutes because they were full. Nice meal though (apricot stuffed chicken $19.90 and a Cobb loaf between us and D.C. had a Lemon Lime and Bitters and I had a ginger beer) and a nice trainee waitress.

20 minute walk home again, short heavy shower at one point, in the dark. Nearly got picked up by some guy cruising. He tooted and we ignored him and then he must have seen that we were too old for him. The clock chimed 8.00pm as we were walking home.

Came home fought the computer again. Typed this up and now I’m going to go to bed to nurse my dripping nose. *grumble, grumble*

I’ve just remembered two things so I am going to type them up now. Especially since one of them I’ve forgotten since Saturday morning.

When I finally woke up in the Auckland X-Base I woke up from a dream. Something happened with D.C. and I, which I’ve forgotten, but then Mrs Slocombe and Miss Brahms were awake, while Mr Rumbold and Mr Humphries were asleep. They awoke Mr Rumbold, but had less success with Mr Humphries. “It’s all right, Mother,” he says, still asleep. “It’s only the librarian. I’ll just see her out.” Mr Rumbold is astounded. “Her?” he mutters.

So here I am dreaming about “Are You Being Served?” when I’m wearing Thunderbirds PJs! Well, actually I’m wearing Warehouse track suit pants and a Warehouse turtle neck skivvy that I’ve decorated with a Thunderbirds transfer that I printed off on my computer (Virgil Tracy, of course). Still no Thunderbirds dreams.

We saw some UFOs tonight, as we were walking to Cobb & Co in the dark. A couple of white objects were flying in the sky. They appeared to have outstretched wings like aeroplanes, but were dipping and diving at impossible angles for aeroplanes. The nearest I could think of were kites. Then we decided that they were gulls and lights from the waterfront were reflecting their white underbellys. At that point they became IFOs.

Lights out at 10.00pm.