We were up around 8:00 a.m. to see Toby off to work, then spent a relaxing morning with Keri and the kids, playing in the playroom. After all 3 had had a nap, we set off on our short drive to Frilsham to Dusty and Fiona’s home. On the way we stopped into the pub in Yattendon for lunch before descending on Dusty. We literally dumped our stuff and climbed into Dusty’s car to go and pick up Catherine from the train station in Pangbourne. Had a lovely afternoon sitting in Dusty’s conservatory drinking tea, chatting with Dusty and Catherine, and looking at pictures of their new villa in Greece which is currently under construction. It is being built on the Island of Kefalonia on the cliffside over looking the ocean. Dusty said he told the architect: “I want a ‘wow’ factor”, and I think he has certainly achieved that. The windows, pool, and patio will literally look out over the azure blue Mediterranean Sea. Beautiful, bliss!
Catherine, interestingly, is doing a part-time masters in public policy at Bristol University. She is currently working in a crown corp situation working on innovative business and education – all very interesting. Listening to her talking is like living on another planet, makes our life in Canada feel very mundane. Business executives use Twitter to “impress” their bosses with all the work they are doing, departments have virtual islands set up in Second Life; and no product should take longer than 5 months from ‘design’ to ‘market’ otherwise it misses its mark. She feels that she is in a ‘niche’ group of grads who are being cultivated and educated by government as the ‘country’s’ future civil servant leaders. She envisages she has no option but to do her PhD upon completion of her masters – it’ just expected in her environment. Sounds a lot like Jacky and John’s son Dave who is currently seconded to the Cabinet Office after just completing his PhD. In many ways it seems Canada is like a country cousin to England, so far as progression for the future is concerned anyway.
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