Bassendean Train Station

I headed off for the Perth Model Railway Show this morning and decided to go by train. The Bassendean station has been upgraded and prettied up in the last few years.

I got to the train station just as a train was pulling in so I figured I would take my time and didn’t bother to run. I’m glad I didn’t. I’ve not really seen the Bassendean station since they’ve done it up. There was some incredible art work decorating it now. So I had plenty of time to take some photos.

This is some art work that I found at the station. I was really impressed and I hope the photos do it justice. It was all in one long plaque and quite impressive.

This one's my favourite.

I couldn't get far enough back to take the whole row (I would have ended up on the track !), but this is another set behind the seats.

Not bad for a small railway station.

Madeleine
Monday, 2 June 2008

Not Sure !!!

I’m not sure if I’ve done something smart or stupid here. I’ve booked myself into a hostel in Singapore for a couple of nights on the way to the UK. I thought I would save myself some money. Their private rooms are totally booked already, so I figured I’d better get in quick or I would be sleeping on the streets. So I said I didn’t mind share accommodation. I was thinking of the old youth hostels I used to stay in when I was in my early 20’s.

Well, Summer Tavern have dormitories. Kewl. 4, maybe 6 people, I can handle that. Well, I’m looking at more like 20 people. Probably most of them young. What have i gotten myself into. Possibly one of the experiences of my life. Whether it will be a good one or a bad one is yet to be seen, and I won’t know for another 4 months.

I will definitely have something to write about when I get there. I suspect good or bad, I will get lots of laughs from this one for years to come. Potentially good party story for years to come.

Bathroom

Dormitory

Madeleine

Saturday, 31 May 2008

Bad timing !!

Well I’ve just realised what bad timing my trip is. I’ve been checking out hotel prices for that time and comparing them to other times.

One hotel, for the 1^st – 3^rd September “average rates” are SGD$67 (AUD$51; USD$49; GBP24) per night.

For the 27^th – 29^th September “average rates” are SGD$245. (AUD$188; USD$179; GBP90) per night.

This grand prix stuff is obviously important to lots of people. This also means there will be millions and millions of people all there at the same time. Could be incredibly exciting, or an incredible pain in the backside. Everything will be dearer.

Costs more to be a single in a hotel. I do know that. The price I’m being quoted is much cheaper for the whole stay than per night but it is shared accommodation, like a hostel. Can I cope with heaps of young people being up and down all night? That’s the question. The place I’m looking at has no single rooms available and I suspect that this will be the case with most hotels in Singapore during that time.

I guess this is where sleeping tablets come in handy.

I looked at going a few days later but that means I’m pushing it to get to Miniatura in Birmingham on the 4^th and 5^th October. I will need a couple of days in Oxford before Birmingham to recuperate from the flight, time differences etc. I don’t want to jump off the airplane in London, travel to Oxford, and then to Birmingham without a break in the middle.

Damn!! I do hate it when a plan does not come together.

Madeleine

Saturday, 31 May 2008

Done !!

Well I’ve done the dastardly deed !! I’ve booked my tickets to the UK. Now I’m into panic stations about how much money I’m spending !! I know in my head it will all be fine, but part of me is scared of spending all that money. With insurance it will be costing me over $3000, and the part of me that scrimped for so many years, finds that kind of figure frightening.

However, at this stage, I will be leaving Perth on the 27^th September and spending a couple of nights in Singapore to break up the flight. I’ve found a kewl place to stay in Singapore, not your standard hotel – check it out.

I arrive in London on the 30^th September at about 6 a.m. That’s the time I need to check with M&K. I’m hoping they will be picking me up from London to go to Oxford, but both of them are working and that’s an awful time of the day to pick someone up at an airport.

So, I’ve sent them an email and waiting for their response.

Excited and scared !! Quite a combination.

Madeleine

Friday, 30 May 2008

PS

Damn. I’ve just checked the hostel I want to stay at and they ask: are you am making reservations during F1 Grand Prix. Duh! I’ve not idea what the F1 Grand Prix is. So we do a search, and find out that, yes I will be there during that time. Damn !! So I’ve sent them an email to find out whether that will affect prices and/or availability of the rooms.

Madeleine

Group D'OH!!

Names have been changed to protect the guilty!!)

A bit of explaining to start things.

The front door of our building (the one on the street) is an exit only door. The main door everyone uses is at the side of the building. We have a small car park, so normally staff park in the car park at the end of the road. Not far, except when it’s raining, which it was tonight. Sarah was parked in the work car park; Eloise, Jenny and I were parked at the end of the road.

Four of us left work at the same time tonight. Sarah only works part time and isn’t comfortable putting on the alarm. Jenny said she would turn on the alarm and lock the door behind Sarah, and then she, Eloise and I would run down the hall to the front door. Save a bit of walking in the rain. Eloise and I went down the hall and left Sarah and Jenny to do the door. We opened the door and waited for Jenny. She dashed down the hall, and by the time she got to us, the alarm was screaming. Jenny raced out the door, and without stopping, turned around and started to run back the way she came. A running UTurn !! It was great to watch. She didn’t even miss a stride.

At the same time as she did her turn around, Eloise remembered that there was a keypad right next to where we were standing.

Eloise turned off the alarm, reset it and we locked up and went home.

Group D’OH!!

We all knew there was a keypad at that door. But we are all so used to using the other one, we forgot that the dash down the hall was totally unnecessary !!

We had a good laugh at ourselves. A laugh is a great way to finish just before an extra long weekend.

Madeleine

Wednesday, 28 May 2008

Flights of Fancy

I was looking up at a helicopter and thinking about the water bomber helicopters and wondering if they had ever had an accident, let go their water in the wrong place wrong time.

Imagine standing outside, just watching the helicopter flying to some bush fire, minding your own busines and suddenly, water pours from the sky !!

Birdy birdy in the sky

Why you do dat in my eye?

I’m a big girl I don’t cry

Gee I’m glad that cows don’t fly.

Don’t ask me where the old poem came from. Just came into my mind at the same time as the thoughts about the helicopter.

Madeleine
Wednesday 21 May 2008

Walking Again

Rainy weather here in Perth today. I manage to duck out between showers to take the little Ally Dawg for a quick walk. One of the good things about rain in Perth is that it tends to come in short, sharp showers. I wore my nice warm jacket, and off we went. I did tell her it might be a short walk, but somehow I don’t think she listened to me.

Another lovely sunset. I do love dark clouds with the sun behind them.

You also never know what you will see on these short walks. Which is why I usually take my camera. Today, in the middle of the park, I spotted this.

I’m sure the postie didn’t put this junk mail in this mail box. Tickled my sense of the ridiculous. Why not just put your junk mail in the bin??

Madeleine

Saturday, 24 May 2008