Writing this from Gate 40 Heathrow Terminal 3 waiting on the flight to Hong Kong. 7.5 hours into a 2 day journey, so far so good.

Everywhere seems to be several degrees warmer than I’d like but the trains and tube got me to Heathrow nice and early, then Premium Economy checkin meant I jumped the queues.

Through the departure checks and duty free smellies and decided to treat myself to the Qantas Lounge to avoid the crowds. Well worth fifty of your English pounds for buffets, bar, recharge points, showers and lack of children.

Now waiting to begin the longest leg, 12.5 hours to Hong Kong. Feeling tired so hoping to get some sleep.

Last bit of sightseeing today, got around Hull’s most popular museum The Deep at last (first time visit in it’s 20th year)

Enjoyed watching the penguins and the impressive nurse shark tank, but was round it in an hour and wasn’t engaged by a lot of the exhibits.

It’s lunchtime in mid-October and I’m sat in a beer garden in short sleeves ordering a burger and a beer. In Hull! Almost surreal.

Turned into Dad when the waiter tried to explain how I can order by scanning the QR code then entering a certain string – Nay Lad, tha’ll be ordering normally thanks. Brain’s on holiday, that’s beyond me.

After this I’m off to The Deep to check out the fish before meeting up with my cuz for a pint and a catchup.

Final chore of closing the UK bank account is now done so it’s now about final catchups and packing for the return leg Thursday.

Today was about revisiting old haunts to see how Leeds has changed in recent years, and I’m pleased to report that it’s in a much healthier state than Hull.

Some lovely new shopping centres have been built and the rest of the CBD is busy with fewer empty shops, though House of Fraser was having a Closing Down sale.

Still Reyt Yorkshire though!

Had a lovely meal at ASK with Sissyface and her family tonight. Lovely catching up with them and seeing my neice and nephew be cheeky and funny.

First trip to see City in 4 years, and enjoying the matchday experience. Programme full of cliche-heavy interviews and adverts, terrible coffee and freezing cold concrete stadium.

20 minute delay to kickoff because the crossbars are 2″ too high so the goalline technology needed recalibrating.

Currently half time and City are 1-0 down thanks to a basic defensive blunder giving away a penalty.

Second go at haddock and chips on this stay and it won’t be the last! With bonus curry sauce!

Had chance to wander round the fair (masked up, during the quiet period on a sunny midweek afternoon) for the first time in 11 years. I enjoy the history, sketchy artwork and blatant copywrite theft more than the idea of going on them, to be honest.

Enough of the thrill rides – here’s a Hull institution I remember from being a kid! Pattie butty with lots of salt and vinegar, yum!

By far the busiest stall was the good old bingo.

Only spent £8 and that was on brandy snap and licorice. If I hadn’t eaten prior I would have been tempted to try this out – Yorkshire pudding wrap! Whatever next!

Would have liked to visit on a night when the lights and crowds would make it the proper Fair experience, but not to be this time. Maybe in another 11 years…

Even with the Covid isolation so far I have managed a few masked-up brief excursions and get a feel for what’s going on around Hull :-

Men’s fashion – in the shops at least – is pretty dull and uninspiring, monochromatic and plain.

Gilets seem to be very popular, perhaps people are subconscuously thinking they’re wearing bullet-proof vests?

Hull city centre seems to be a mixture of prosperous newer shopping centres offset by a dying high street full of boarded up buildings.

Walked past a group of striking bus drivers shouting “scab” at passing busses felt like a film set for a 1970s drama, very odd.

The roads feel very narrow and crowded compared with New Zealand, but nothing new there.

So much in the media about the cost of living crisis, how to save money, feeding and warming the elderly – well done David Cameron, you f#cked Britain up royally, hope you’re sleeping well at night.

Hull folk are still lovely, thankfully. Chatty, friendly, matter of fact and funny, even if our accent is comical. Urr nurr!

That second red line on the Day 2 test has certainly put a spanner in the works. I had a nice 4 page printed itinerary covering every step of the journeys and what I intended to do while here, and some of that’s now out of the window.

Six grand and 4 days of travel to spend 2 weeks in a back garden in Yorkshire, not what I’d hoped to achieve with the break!

The first couple of days were fine, chance to recharge the batteries after the travel, blasting through a book (Nick Frost’s autobiography) in the sunshine while keeping my distance from The Oldies.

They’re both jabbed up and boosted but haven’t previously had Covid so I was hoping not to be bringing it to them after all the hard word of the past couple of years. Dad’s had man flu for a couple of weeks so he could do without Covid being added to the list.

24 hours after I found out they tested themselves – Mam was clear but Dad’s came back as a weak positive, suggesting the Man Flu might actually have been Covid that slipped through the testing (it’s a slippery bastard). No point keeping a distance once we learned that.

The isolation is more painful in all of us needing to keep away from Sissyface and family until things calm down, including not being able to attend a gig to see Jason Manford tonight.

I’m getting a few chores and some shopping done (masked up and at quiet times, or online) to ensure I’ve not wasted the time. Just hoping to get back to a single line on the tests for next week so we can do a little sightseeing before I head back.