Photos taken during my vacation in England (21-27 June 2003).

I stayed with my friend Terry Collier and his family in Tollesbury.

Of course, we made a couple of trips into the city of London.

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Day One I arrive late in the afternoon on a Saturday. After meeting Terry for the first time in person, his wife Carol, and his two daughters, Anabel and Rosie, I have just enough time for a quick shower and change before we all walk over to a neighbor's house for the midsummer night's eve party. Adding to the festivities was a little rain and a loud series of fireworks - Rosie had to cover her ears.
Note: I brought a pair of Spongebob Squarepants dolls from the US for the girls - the cartoon was playing on cable in the UK but you couldn't find the toys at the time.
Day Two I gave my camera a rest. Terry and I ran some errands in nearby Colchester including locating a AC adaptor for my laptop and camera. Then, Terry and family took me to a local establishment to enjoy the typical English Sunday meal which concluded with some tasty spotted dick. The rest of the day was filled with several games of billiards and foosball with Terry, a tour of Tollesbury and other lazy Sunday activities.
Day Three I took over 1/3 of my photos on this day. Terry and I went to London taking an early morning train. It takes about 1.5 hours from the house to the local train station to downtown London. This was my first trip to London. We had great weather. Highlights of the exhausting but totally enjoyable day: the Tower of London, a city sightseeing tour on an open double-decker bus, lunch in Chinatown, souvenir shopping in Piccadilly Circus, climbing the lions in Trafalgar Square (well Terry did, I took the photos) and another sightseeing tour by boat on the Thames river. That evening, we were greeted by Carol with a home-cooked meal.
Note: We came across a little market where a vendor had a table displayed with colorful little toys. They were maleable so you could make shapes and faces with them. I bought one, and Terry bought a pair for Rosie and Anabel. Next morning, shortly after getting their gifts, Rosie decides to bite hers. There was a bit of a scare until Terry and I realized we had wasted a few pounds on balloons filled flour.
Day Four We spent most of the day around the house taking it easy. An outdoor furniture set had arrived, so I helped Terry put it together. To keep Anabel and Rosie out the way of a contractor installing some carpet in Terry's comic room, I "made" robot costumes out of the furniture boxes for the girls. We ended the day with some take-out pizza and beer, and a few more games of billards and foosball.
Day Five Terry showed me his office in Rainham, and then we stopped by his favorite comic shop to pick up his standing order from the past few months. Then, we drove into the city, parking near Westminster Abbey, which we toured (pictures not allowed). Terry claimed it was his first time inside. Next, we walked to the the London Eye. The 30 minute ride - a single rotation of the wheel - was well worth it as the weather and seeing was good. To save time, we took a taxi to the Tate Modern. The general collections are free to visit. I took several photos before I was approached by security to put the camera away. Terry and I left a few minutes before closing and headed across the Millenium Bridge towards St Paul's Cathedral, but it was already closed to tourists for the day. We refreshed a bit with a couple of pints at a bar across the way, then took a taxi back to Terry's car and drove back to Tollesbury. The evening ended with Terry and I opening several boxes of toys and comics I had shipped to him over the past two years.
Note: I snapped one of my favorite photos of the trip - the Big Ben clock tower - while hanging out the window of the car as Terry drove. The day had started with clouds and even a little drizzling, but by the time of this photo, the London sky was a perfect blue.
Day Six Terry, Carol and I are invited by one of their neighbors, Jack, to join him on his motor boat for a tour of Tollesbury Marina and Blackwater River. The waters were choppy, and at one point while Terry was driving, I almost got thrown from the boat, but all in all, a lot of fun. Afterwards, we had a nice lunch of fish & chips. Terry joined me for some souvenir shopping, and then we hit the pub. I also tried my first Wimpy burger. That night, we exercised the new outdoor furniture, while Terry started up the barbie for the first time that summer.
Day Seven Terry and I spent a few hours in Colchester strolling high street as I looked for the perfect gift for Isabel - a Paddington Bear. We met up with Terry's family and some friends at the sailing club for dinner. Afterwards, I joined Terry, his father and a couple of friends at the lodge where we played darts over a few pints. Terry and I concluded the night be setting up the walls and shelves of his comic room.
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Afterword I left very early the next to catch my flight back home. My feet had a dozen blisters from all the walking. I had not gotten more than four hours sleep a night because of the late nights as well as the early rising birds and sun and little girls. I probably was still a little drunk. But it was worth it. I was tired but very relaxed. Terry and Carol treated me like family and his daughters were adorable. I had the best vacation of my life.
A Word About Pixies At the base of a tree in Terry's front yard, there were some patches of missing bark which formed the shape of a miniature doorway. Anabel and Rosie imagined little pixies were living inside and their parents indulged them. Terry had collected bits and pieces - the kind that say a bird could scavage - from which he could made a little door, window, fence, etc. He was showing me his work in the garage keeping it hidden from his daughters. I was with him when he bought a few (overpriced) pixie figurines (no credit cards accepted at the shop). He finished the actual construction of the pixie home the day after I left. Anabel and Rosie discovered it almost right away.