Neil Hopcroft

A digital misfit

So long, so very long, so long since I’ve seen my hometown

The plan, as it currently stands, is that I will be finishing work at Nokia 26th May – one year after my contract date. After which I will fly back to England and spend a few weeks driving around, eating roast beef and talking to people in shops.

There are a few things that could change that plan

– I’m talking to some guys in Finland about the possibility of a job over there, no details yet, but I suspect they would like for me to start asap if we can work something out.
– my current office might offer me an extension for three or four weeks, to run to the end of my visa, but that is now unlikely (due, as far as I can tell, to a paperwork problem), I’m not prepared to sign for another year whatever they offer me (nearly…if it was stupid large money I’d probably go for it, but I can’t see that happening)
evilmattikinz and the marvelousmrchip are heading Oz-wards, so I might join them for a week or two of frivolity over there, before flying back via Tokyo.

Of course, I’ll post here once this kind-of-plan has actually turned into a plan, with a few more specifics.

Is there anything happening on the weekend 29th May? Is it worth coming back for? Maybe I’ll stay here for a few days and relax (and clean the flat) before coming home…?

Let me know if you’d like me to come visit when I get back to the UK…


18 comments

  1. I don’t know of anything especially significant around May 29th… but we’d certainly all love to see you at some time here in Oxenford!

    If you’re having a big craving for roast dinners, it might be nice if we all arranged to go for one together – a nice big Sunday lunch or something. I know we could acquire the appropriate type of food at The Mitre, but I expect we could ferret out somewhere a bit nicer / more atmospheric than that if you’re up for the basic plan. Perhaps somewhere with a carvery, or something?

    • Yeah, if we could drag a bunch of oxford people to a pub for lunch that’d be cool, my first choice would be to go out into the countryside somewhere, but I’m not sure I know of good places to go… lets figure out details later.

      • Actually, thinking about it, there are a few decent pubs in Woodstock which do that sort of thing. Anna has a car these days, and likes going for drives, so she might be persuaded to play. It’s a Mini though, so no chance of squeezing loads of people into it! But I guess you would presumably have wheels if you were around, since it sounds like that’s how you would get here.

        Anyway, as you say, details to be ironed out once we know for sure you’re heading this way, and when you’re doing it.

        • I’ve still got my Laguna (I’ve left it with the lovely ), but if you can pursuade Anna to come along too that would be lovely, and anyone else who’d be interested of course….not that I’m really that much in touch with anyone any more…

          • not that I’m really that much in touch with anyone any more…

            They still love you though, Neil! Cat, and I were talking recently how you would be back from Japan before too long.

            Things don’t change in Oxford as fast as you think, anyway – you will find things (and people) much as you left them I think.

    • I don’t think I can get back in time to get there, saturday night might be worthwhile, but I’ve just found an 80s electro night here on that saturday, so I might stay here for that then fly back monday or something.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.