International Finance Comes Through!

The folks at International Finance at Brunel have “certified me” as being eligible for loans sufficient for Maria and me to go to London this fall! Woo Hoo! Although we still need to raise approximately $20,000.00 to pay the bills back home, with luck -- and if we can rent the house – we are definitely going!

Needless to say, we are very excited. We are probably going to wait until we get there to find a place to live, because we will rely on our friend Nigel, a retired London police officer and now a Blue Badge tour guide for advice. If anybody knows the good neighborhoods of London – and the bad ones! – it’s Nigel! We’re very lucky to know this generous and knowledgeable gentleman, indeed!

For those of you in the area, we are having two yard sales: On Saturday, August 6, at 848 Dabney Drive in Henderson, and on August 20, at 114 Wilcox Street in Warrenton. We are also contemplating a private art sale for liquidating some of our 50-piece art collection: if anybody is interested in any art, please contact us immediately. This collection includes mostly signed, numbered lithographs and serigraphs, many by our favorite artist, Phillipe Noyer.  Most are professionally framed, double-matted, and quite beautiful. We also have an original Winslow Homer woodcut and works from many other artists, including Terry Redlin, Carlos Impaglia, and Michael Ward. For you history buffs, we have a beautifully framed scarf and (an unframed) catalogue from the 1876 Philadelphia World Exposition. And if you’re into music, we have a beautiful Carl Dorr (Austrian) baby grand piano (early 1900’s) that has the most beautiful low tones I have ever heard, a museum piece valued at over $40,000.00 that can be yours for a lot less than that.

Still waiting for our visas, but I am told that’s a formality now that we have had our biometrics done. We fly out September 11, arriving at Heathrow September 12 ready to start our new adventure! Classes begin for me on September 23, so we’ll have time to get acclimated before the real work starts for me. Speaking of work, Maria cannot have a UK job, but she is an accomplished genealogist, and has several clients she will be working with while we’re in London, using the resources of the British Library and various other sources readily available to her there. Anybody want to know more about their family tree? Her rates are cheaper than subscribing to all the family history sites, and she does all the work for you! Contact her on Facebook at Maria Hurst if you’re interested!

Anybody have any old Oyster cards left over? Donations are always welcome! Thanks to all our friends and former “London trippers” who have already donated their left-over British Pounds and Oyster Cards. We really appreciate it! More later, and cheers!