Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Teddy, once was lost then was found
We knew we were back in England when just around the corner in Meadvale Road, W5 1NS, just behind the Brentham Sports Club, home to the Fred Perry Cafe, a number of trees lining the street had pinned to them computer generated posters inside plastic protective sheets announcing the safe return of Teddy, a cat previously notified as missing. What makes this so English is that, rather than it being just a notice, there was a full status report. Teddy a brown Abyssinian, neutered and micro-chipped, whose portrait featured prominently on the original poster, went missing on Wednesday 5th of August, with local residents being implored to check their garages and sheds for sightings. In the update, pasted over the “Lost” heading of the original, we were relieved to learn that Teddy was found, coming “home at 2.00am on Monday morning – skinny as a rake. He wolfed down three and a half pouches of his favourite food and is now sleeping happily”. We assumed that Teddy was either having a very long sleep after wolfing down his favourite food at 2.00am, or his relieved family was out before daylight updating the notices.
In another diversion, we have succumbed to the advertising in a travel agent’s window and have booked seven nights in the Greek Island of Zakinthos from 27 August. With almost straight faces we could claim that this will allow us to escape the variable weather of London and acclimatize to blue skies, sandy beaches and warm days before we head to Barbados in September to join Fleur. We’ve always said it was a tough life.

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