Trip To London

29 July 2011, Kuala Lumpur – During the month of July 2011, my chess blog was a little quiet as I was away visiting my son in the United Kingdom. As he was due to graduate on the 20th July 2011, the whole family decided to join him there. Even then, my son had bought me a sim card for a 1 GB data plan for my iPad for 10 Sterling Pounds and had one or two posts made while on the move in the U.K.

None of my family members had been to the U.K. and my wife in particular who had been planning to visit the U.K. for the past 30 years, finally got her golden chance. She did get a few chances to do some training in the U.K. but due to various reasons such as the outbreak of SARS disease and office problems, she never got her wish fulfilled.

So when our son won the opportunity to study in Coventry at Warwick University in 2007/2008, we decided to plan and save for that golden event – his graduation ceremony.

Pix 1. By Brighton Pier on first day out, 17 July 2011.

Pix 2. A view of the Brighton beach from the pier.

Pix 3. Stonehenge, somewhere north of Southampton. It was blustery and cold to the bone.

Pix 4. Our accommodation for five nights, Wychnor Park Country Club in Staffordshire (just north of Birmingham city).

Pix 5. Managed to visit one full day in London and visited Trafalgar Square where the National Gallery is located.

Pix 6. Just across Trafalgar Square was Whitehall and 10 Downing Street. We took some pictures by the front gate of Downing Street.

Pix 7. Big Ben (clock tower in background) and daughter pretending to capture it by her hands thro’ another camera on hand. A red London double decker bus passing by.

Pix 8. The Eye of London was in the background with my family in the foreground.

Pix 9. The whole family with Syukri in black robe on graduation day.

Pix 10. Syukri with other Malaysians in their black robe.

Pix 11. We had a whole day to travel north to Leeds to visit my old university, University of Leeds, to walk down memory lane with the family.

Pix 12. Down to Manchester City and the boys wanted to see the Red Devils football stadium and we went there to buy some souvenirs of the Manchester United team.

Pix 13. On the last day before leaving Wychnor Park Country Club, a farewell family photo by the signature signpost.