So we're back in Newark, the historic Nottinghamshire market town that we've been visiting regularly (and documenting) for many years.

The Air Astana flight from Nur-Sultan to London was significantly more enjoyable than the KL-Almaty leg, and the airline rose dramatically in our estimation (from "OK" to "really pretty good").

The Heathrow experience seems to have improved as well (we'd avoided Heathrow since 2014, having got so fed up with the quality of the interchange there).

And our newly reacquired British passports made it easy to get in. Doing Immigration with NZ passports usually involves delay and/or interrogation (although you count yourself lucky, when you see what others are going through). But the massive delay last year at Birmingham was one of the reasons we decided to renew our paperwork, Brexit notwithstanding.

If you're arriving too late to journey on, the Premier Inn at Heathrow is thoroughly recommendable. You can reach it via a walkway from Terminal 4, so you don't even need to go outside; it's reasonably priced; and the rooms are well designed, comfortable, quiet, and big enough to accommodate your luggage trolley (a highly convenient practice that is allowed, even encouraged, at this establishment).


The tube ride from Heathrow to King's Cross station was hot and crowded. (Given that it's an airport service, you'd think someone would by now have thought of making some provision for luggage storage...) But at GBP 3.10 offpeak, it's not exactly expensive.

Finally, the train from King's Cross to Newark. You perhaps wouldn't describe the ride as smooth, but the service was fast and efficient.


The weather is due to break, but has been splendid so far. The blossom is running riot, and the birdsong is so piercingly sweet it sounds as though these little feathered guys all have microphones.

It's beautiful here.