Time is ticking by — it’s time for some reconnaissance!
To that end Dee has booked us into a hotel in London for the Easter long weekend (6th – 9th April). We’ll be staying at the Hilton Docklands, which is close to where we might want to live and work and thus will give a good feel for the area: people, places and atmosphere. Possibly we can even check out some flats for rent, to check what kind of standard you get for the money. It’s a bit expensive there, but no more so than in Edinburgh. Whilst we could no doubt get a cheaper place just a little further out, I think we want both the “inner city experience” and to avoid the Underground as much as possible — especially as everyone warns us of Met-sickness, the particular and peculiar afflication of commuters that includes symptoms such as frequent coughing and sneezing, loss of energy and (here’s the kicker) blackened mucus. Ew, no thanks. So the less time spent on the train system the better (although only hermit crabs can avoid it altogether).
Anyway, hopefully we can catch up with Hippy and Mal, and maybe Renée too since Sheila mentioned she’s arriving in London today (could be off to Coventry for work by April, but that’s where Dee’s Dad is from so we might want to visit anyway — if not on this trip then on another).
In other news I got another update from work: apparently the reference to “a relocation package” simply means that nobody will pay for the move, not that it isn’t possible within the organisation. This is fine — I wouldn’t expect the company to pay relocation expenses unless they were requesting it — but it was definitely confusing. Seems a bit more positive now, as the Greater Evil’s stated that such a move sounded “plausible” … and although they couldn’t give any definite direction or timescale, they did promise to go back and ask again.
We may be out of here soon after all? (Finger’s crossed, but not holding my breath either.)