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nothing much to see in Hampton

Posted in around the UK, Fun Stuff, It's my life, things to do in London, Travel, tagged garricks temple to shakespeare, hampton, outdoor activities on the river thames, sailing on the river thames on October 20, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Whilst working for the client in Shepperton the family took her out for lunch on the Sunday so I had an extra hour for my break.

One of my policies when working in a new area is to not only explore the area I’m in, but where possible to explore further afield….so with this in mind I hopped onto the train and went to explore Hampton.

things to see in Hampton

I was expecting to find some interesting ‘things to see’ and although the older buildings are really attractive, it’s mostly suburbia and a HUGE reservoir/water works dominates the scene. Makes sense since the River Thames is nearby, but it didn’t add to the atmosphere!!

I had checked google maps before setting out and the Thames looked quite close to the station…..it wasn’t!! LOL So near yet so far, the river was mostly hidden behind the reservoir. After 30 minutes of walking I finally reached a stretch of the river I could actually access.

sailing at Hampton

I love the river and any opportunity to explore different sections is welcomed, and so I did. I came across Garrick’s Temple to Shakespeare and suddenly I realised that in fact I had walked this stretch a number of times in the past (when we lived in Twickenham).

Garrick’s Temple to Shakespeare in Hampton

By now my time was running out and as the trains only run once an hour to Shepperton I decided to rest there a while and phoned my sister (in South Africa) for her birthday. 🙂 15 years ago at much the same time I was saying happy birthday to her in person in Dublin

rowing on the River Thames at Hampton

I had a lovely view of the river and managed to capture a few scenes of people going by on skiffs and canal boats.

a canal boat goes by along the River Thames

I also noticed what looked like a little cruiser type boat on the opposite bank that looked like it had sunk….

my ship has sunk in Hampton

Then it was back to the station. On my way, and noticed a row of three houses on the High Street named: River View Cottages….uhm, yes well…..at the time they were built they probably had a view of the river, but that is no longer the case. If they stood on stilts and stretched their necks while standing on on the roof they might still have a glimpse ‘view’ of the river.

So Hampton was a bit of a disappointment, but at least I’ve been there and done that…no need to return. Sorry Hampton. Although I haven’t anything more to add…this history board could add a little interest. The dates of these places always fascinates me.

Hampton Ferry & Molesey Hurst

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Broken by the job…..

Posted in around the UK, It's my life, lifestyle, Travel, tagged health facts, health warnings, my life as a carer, travel and my job, travelling around the uk, work and health, work and travelling in the united kingdom, working as a carer on October 19, 2016| Leave a Comment »

I was recently working at a position in Shepperton

Old Shepperton

…..lovely lady, light cooking, not much to do in terms of housework, and not much by way of shopping…..but and this is a BIG BUT….it was a killer from a physical aspect and I eventually felt like I was broken. Every joint in my body was aching, my shoulders were aching – even my toes and feet were aching. The reason for this is mobility and lack thereof: I had to mobilise and transfer the lady up to 25 times a day….okay so the agency said she has a ‘Sara Steady’ to move her around, but what they didn’t mention is that even with wheels, the weight of moving her around the house, hauling the frame over the ledges between rooms, manoeuvering the frame into position countless times a day and the morning and afternoon and evening manual handling of a 9.5 stone lady who is semi-paralysed on the left hand side is excruciatingly exhausting and after 4.5 days I felt broken.

This type of role is not new, I’ve been in loads of similar positions before where there is a lot of manual handling and sheer physical graft. The training staff at the annual M&H sessions always say…oh, just do this, or just do that. They use us, the trainees….able bodied persons who instinctively assist and aren’t a dead weight, as the ‘dummy’ for demonstrating. Okay so fine. But although they always say ‘we realise it’s different when you’re on the job’, seldom is our physical health given too much consideration when placing us at assignments. We are given all sorts of tips and ideas to use to help our clients mobilise, which is all well and good if the client is unwilling or unable to position themselves or move themselves into a position that is suitable for us to then use that idea or tip. Many are unable to shift ‘first one leg, then the other’ because they are a) semi-paralysed bearing the full weight of their bodies, or b) too heavy from not getting any exercise due to their particular disability (obviously not their fault) or c) refuse to have the Carer use a strap/belt to lift them, preferring instead to ‘please can I use your arm’. If you say no, we’ve been trained to do it this or that way, they get into a sulk and then you find that they ‘don’t like you, or you’re not suitable’ = black mark against your name. Either that or you get the same old story ‘the last girl didn’t mind’ or managed alright. Hmmmm.

I’ve been doing this ‘job’ for the last 14 years. In that time, amongst all the other manual handling positions I’ve had to manage, I’ve had to push a client up a hill in a wheelchair because his son wanted his father to ‘go shopping with you so he can choose what he wants’ giving little thought to the fact that pushing a dead-weight and groceries up a hill in a wheelchair is extremely difficult and hard on the body of a Carer who weighs less than the client, wheelchair and groceries put together!!! In that instance it was Wembley Hill.

Last year I was at a position where I had to wheel someone who weighed 12 stone across a deep pile carpet in a hoist. The family just didn’t ‘get it’ when I said it was too heavy and after a few others choice situations at that particular assignment, they lodged a complaint about me…nice one, kill myself on the job and invite a complaint. More recently I was working, again with a hoist, and as I slipped my arm beneath the client’s leg to pull the sling strap through I twisted my wrist…I thought I had broken it. Fortunately I hadn’t, but it hurt like hell. But I didn’t give up, I strapped my wrist up, paid more attention to how I was using my hands and carried on till the end of the assignment…..that’s what you do. The alternative is quitting and losing pay and the agency usually don’t have any other assignments for you, as well as which they don’t always take kindly to their Carers quitting. Fortunately I was working with a double up carer and not on my own so at no stage was the client’s safety compromised. When I got home after that particular assignment I went to A&E and had x-rays done, and although nothing was broken it seems I damaged a ligament?? And that only heals with time.

I’ve had to lift heavy legs off and onto beds more times than I care to remember, allow a disabled person to grip my elbow while they raise themselves up coz even if you had a mobility belt/strap, they don’t have the proper bed, the right equipment or the strength to manoeuvre and due to their weight you can’t get the belt positioned properly under their body. Moving a 9 stone plus disabled person whether in a wheelchair, in a hoist, on a Sara Steady or using a slide sheet is exceptionally strenuous on your joints and body in general and eventually takes it’s toll….hence the damaged ligament!

14 years later and I am broken.

After 10 days at this last assignment I caved in, I reached a point where I could barely lift my arms and walking was agony….my poor toes were sore!! Since I really didn’t want to compromise my health any further or the safety of my client, I phoned the agency and asked to be replaced. Thankfully I got through to someone who was understanding (not always the case), and within two days I was handing over to someone new and on my way home. The family weren’t quite so understanding. The next time I hear the words “but the last Carer managed alright” I think I’ll spit!!!!

We do not come out of an Ikea flat-pack!

The bugger of it is that I’m heading towards my mid-60’s and won’t be able to manage these ‘heavy’ assignments for much longer…ergo my income will drop, which means I’ll have to work more days each month and my lifestyle will be reduced as a result – I currently work between 14-21 days per month; on duty 22 hours a day, of which 7-8 hours is for sleep, and my ‘weekends’ are the days I’m home….once on an assignment, it’s exceptionally rare to get more than 2 hours a day off. Some months I get a 3 or 4 day weekend. It’s not as if we Carers earn a load of money anyway, but once you start taking on the lighter roles, the daily rate drops, the number of assignments are fewer and so the process, like my body, gets broken.

I left the job just on 6 days ago now and I’m still aching…..darn!! LOL or not. Maybe I’ll do a Forrest Gump……I hear Orkney is quite lovely!! 🙂

On the plus side I got to explore another area of the UK and although the new part of the town itself wasn’t brilliant, the old town was quaint and pretty

Old Shepperton

and to my joy the River Thames was nearby; I managed to walk there a couple of times during my breaks which was a real bonus.

The River Thames at Shepperton

River Thames and Shepperton Lock

There’s always a plus side 🙂

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Smugglers Tunnels in Broadstairs

Posted in around the UK, Fun Stuff, Historical, It's my life, seaside towns of Britain, Travel, tagged Bleak House Broadstairs, Charles Dickens in Broadstairs, Cream Tea at Bleak House, David Copperfield Charles Dickens, history of Broadstairs, Smugglers Tunnels in Broadstairs on October 18, 2016| 1 Comment »

My daughter and I went to Bleak House on Saturday afternoon for a Cream Tea and to tour the Smugglers Tunnels beneath the house…Bleak House was once known as Fort House and Broadstairs was a hotbed of smuggling with many notorious smugglers once captured, being deported to Australia.

smugglers tunnels and afternoon tea at Bleak House

If you wake at midnight and hear a horse’s feet, Don’t go drawing back the blind, or looking in the street…

In 1723 Daniel Defoe wrote of a visit “Broadstairs is a small fishing village of 300 souls, of which 27 follow the occupation of fishing…” You can surmise therefore that the rest were gainfully ’employed’ in other businesses…..in fact, beneath much of Broadstairs is a warren of smugglers tunnels, mostly closed off now. Oh how I’d love to have access to those tunnels 🙂

afternoon tea and smugglers tunnels at bleak house

This chap had been ‘redcapped’ for being an informer, as lucrative a business as smuggling, with the possibility of a £500 reward for information.

‘Redcapping’ – A Revenue Spy who broke the smuggler’s unwritten law were dealt with in different ways. The Informer would be staked out on the beach at low tide with a RED LANTERN by his head. The smugglers would then watch to see that the spy was not released till the lantern had gone out.

Broadstairs is located on the east coast of Kent on what is/was known as the Isle of Thanet; an island 2 miles out to sea – the water separating the island from the mainland known as the Watsum Channel. After the channel silted up, the land which includes Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate is now part of Kent County.

The Romans considered the Watsum Channel very important and built forts at Reculver and Richborough to protect it. In 449 The Vikings (after which the little bay is now named), under Hengist, landed at Thanet, rowed up the Watsum Channel and attacked Canterbury.

Broadstairs is just filled to the brim with history. Since Roman times and the Vikings Broadstairs has seen the likes of Wellington’s troops camped out and Napoleon’s Standard was presented here in 1815 after the British won the Battle of Waterloo. Charles Dickens lived in Broadstairs on numerous occasions and one of the most well-known is Bleak House where he wrote much of David Copperfield. As part of the tour we were able to visit the study where he sat and wrote while gazing out the windows across the English Channel.

the desk where Charles dickens sat and wrote David Copperfield

Previously known as Fort House, Bleak House, as it looks now, was remodelled in 1911. We’ve been there a number of times for Cream Tea but this time we decided to explore the smugglers caves beneath. Absolutely awesome. I’m guessing that since the land is chalk it was pretty easy to tunnel away and create the caves and Smuggler’s tunnels. The chalk cliffs extends all the way from the Thames estuary as far as the White Cliffs of Dover and thence to the Isle of Wight.

smugglers tunnels and a cream tea at Bleak House

The Cream Tea (which is what we normally have) is delicious and the scones are fresh and yummy. I can recommend a visit to Bleak House for tea and do be sure to include the tour of the tunnels and Dickens’ study…at £4 per person for the tour, it’s a steal 😉 Although you can order the Cream Tea on a whim…NB if you wish to partake of the Afternoon Tea at Bleak House you would need to book in advance.

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Happy 15th Anniversary

Posted in around the UK, family and relationships, Fun Stuff, It's my life, Travel, tagged becoming a citizen of the uk, happy 15th anniversary, life and living in the uk, relocating to the uk, seeing the queen at windsor, travelling in the uk on October 8, 2016| Leave a Comment »

15 years ago today I left South Africa…..never to look back as it turns out.

the current South African flag; no longer a colony but still part of the Commonwealth

My departure came about in quite a convoluted way and as they say; ‘the planets were aligned’. A number of major life events occurred within a short space of a few months and I then found myself on a plane heading to the northern hemisphere.

Travel to make something happen

June (sometime) 2001: the company I was working for went into liquidation because the two owners had a falling out. The liquidators kept me on to help collect outstanding monies (after all that was my job), besides which I turned up at the offices every day even though the company was in liquidation; so seeing my determination….I had another 3 months of work.

July 2001: sometime round about now my sister who was living in Ireland at the time said she’d love for someone to fly over and join her and hubby to celebrate a milestone birthday ; 30 years of age!! Of course I volunteered….for sure! 🙂

August 15th 2001: my daughter attained her ‘coming of age’ – 21 years and you get the ‘Key of Life’ in SA and officially; your freedom! Technically you’re an adult from 18 when you qualify for a drivers license. We had a wonderful party for her on a boat in Cape Town harbour with bells, balloons, a band (her Dad who is a musician sang to her) and a smashing meal.

September 30th 2001: the liquidators signed off on the rest of the debt and I was free to go.

October 2nd 2001: Ailing carrier Swissair has run out of cash and suspended all its flights “indefinitely”. wtf???? I’m due to fly on the 8th!!! So began the fight to get on a plane to Europe regardless.

October 8th 2001: passport to freedom in my hand, I bounced my way through customs, thrilled, excited and terrified in equal measure to be flying to Europe….with SA Airways!

October 9th 2001: I landed first in Zurich in-transit to London, then after flying and crying across Europe I landed at London City Airport at which stage the terror set in – how would I get to Heathrow? But I did….first a bus and then tube on the Piccadilly Line to Heathrow and thus to Dublin Airport – happy birthday to Caroline….it was awesome that I could arrive in Ireland on her special day 🙂

Caroline and Ewart

The timeline of events and what happened first and which decisions were made when are lost in the mists of time….but from a date perspective….the above is more or less what happened when. In the meanwhile, between being retrenched from my job, making the decision to fly to Ireland and wondering what to do with my house, I scurried about collecting the necessary paperwork for my visitors visa, sold my car to my daughter, started sorting out my belongings and getting rid of much stuff, making the heartbreaking decision to have my kitties adopted (a friend took 4 of them, one had to be put to sleep due to a nasty virus that was eating her up 😦 ), making my flight bookings with SwissAir, only for them to go run out of cash at the time, subsequently visiting the airport and refusing to leave till they booked me onto another flight (finally after much persistence they got me onto SA Airways), then deciding what to take and what not…..I was heading into the NH winter (and it was as cold and wet as they said it would be),

having fun in the snow in London

going into work everyday for three months knowing that once I finished for the liquidators that was it…no job to come back to. Finally it was all systems go and my daughter took over the house and car, moved all my belongings lock stock and barrel into storage (and it was still there till May this year hahaha)

a household reduced to a few boxes

all my possessions…

kitties settled into new home, job finished, suitcase packed, visa entered, passport stamped…I was on my way.

irish blessing st patrick jonathan swift gullivers travels

may the sun shine warm on your face, may the wind be always at your back

I cannot tell you how excited I was.

The flight was as full as it could be. I’m sure they had some folks stacked in the hold!!! LOL

After a long flight we landed safe and sound in Zurich. I bought a pastry and hot chocolate, sent a postcard and made my way to the boarding gate for the next leg of my journey.

I’m very interested in and keen on WW2 history. As we flew from Zurich to London I looked out at the blue skies and remembered all the air-battles that had taken place in that airspace, of all the people who died in the skies and countries below…of the people who fought for their freedom from all parties involved…and cried and cried, just about all the way to London….I was overwhelmed!

Finally we landed at City of London airport and after making my way to the tube as we came out of the underground at Hounslow I looked out the window of the train and very clearly in my head I said “Oh! I could live here!”. The chimney pots reminded me of Mary Poppins…only my most favourite film of all time…..I fell in love with a city.

Keep Calm and Rule Britannia

Next leg of the journey was finding my way to Aer Lingus for the flight to Ireland. By now I was exhausted and so excited I could barely contain myself.

St Patrick's Day cupcakes...Guiness flavour!!

St Patricks’s Day cupcakes – Guinness flavour!!!

Finally we lifted off and I had my first real glimpse of London and the River Thames. Little did I realise that just on 9 years later I would be totally besotted with the city and the river that runs through it.

London from the air

A passion that has taken me into nooks and crannies, along streets so full of history you can barely walk 3 steps without being amazed and participating in historical events the like of which I had never even imagined; I’ve spent more than 3 Days in London 😉

And then finally we flew over the Irish sea and so to Dublin. Seeing my sister and her hubby at the airport was thrilling, and so emotional…we cried enough tears of joy to refill the River Liffey should it ever run dry.

river liffey penny farthing bridge dublin ireland

the Penny Farthing Bridge and River Liffey, Dublin, Ireland

And thereafter history was made. I adored Ireland. I stayed with my sister and her husband and we had the most amazing time, travelling everywhere.

having fun with Caroline & Ewart – in those days I could still climb walls!!

I swear we visited just about every county in the south of Ireland bar a few which I visited on the next 8 trips to Ireland over the next few years….till they eventually went back to South Africa.

a trip up Table Mountain South Africa – me and the kid sister

a trip up Table Mountain South Africa – me and the outlaw

Winter was as cold and wet as they had said it would be, and as miserable as I had not imagined. I was due to fly back to South Africa on the 4th December. We went for dinner at BLT in Dublin. I cried and cried and said “I don’t want to go back! I don’t want to leave!” IMG-20141203-WA0005

So I didn’t 🙂 I just didn’t go back. Instead I spent another two months loving Ireland and making the decision that I wanted to live forever and ever in the Northern Hemisphere. I wasn’t able to work in Ireland so instead just before my visa ran out I flew back across the pond to London, acquired the necessary paperwork to apply for my ancestral visa and after two weeks flew back to South Africa, finalised the sale of my house, and flew back to Ireland on the 22nd April 2002.

And I’m still here!!! I’m now a British Citizen, settled more than happily into my new persona and celebrating still my freedom.

at my citizenship ceremony in Maidstone 25.02.2016

I love this country, I could never live anywhere else. I’ve achieved three of my dreams; visiting Venice, a birthday in Paris and seeing the White Cliffs of Dover (once I got my UK Passport). I’ve celebrated my 50th (Paris) and my 60th since I’ve been here (helicopter flight over London – gift from my daughter), travelled to the USA 3 times and Europe a great number of times, attended the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, seen the Queen in Windsor on her 90th birthday and for the last 6 years at Trooping the Colour in London, attended Kate & William’s wedding (as a spectator), been to the London 2012 Olympics, flown over London in a helicopter, travelled the length and breadth of the UK, been to more villages, towns and cities and castles than I can remember, attended numerous traditional and annual events in the city, and thanks to my friend Joe been a passenger on the Trinity Tide

me on the Trinity Tide for the Green man event in January

and amongst all of that…..my daughter joined me here in 2003! Best gift ever.

me and Cémanthe

Happy 15th anniversary to me!

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Life’s a beach…..

Posted in around the UK, family and relationships, It's my life, lifestyle, seaside towns of Britain, Travel, tagged lifes a beach, living around the uk, living in broadstairs, seaside towns of Britain, viking bay in broadstairs, visit england on October 6, 2016| 1 Comment »

Two years ago my daughter up sticks and moved to Broadstairs. I’d heard of the place but never been there.

Broadstairs – a seaside town in Kent

My heart wrenched when I left London – I rent a room from her for the times I’m not working, so I had a choice of finding somewhere in London to live or continuing our previous arrangement. Saying goodbye to London and the River Thames was really hard.

view of the Thames from Twickenham Bridge…I loved this view

I had many. many happy memories of our time in Twickenham/Richmond and spent so many hours walking alongside, photographing and just staring at the Thames that I could live another life, it is a truly beautiful area and stretch of my favourite river.

I camped out in an empty house for two days after she left on the 4th, but finally my time ran out and 2 years ago today, with suitcases and bags in hand (travel lightly you say!! How???), struggling to drag and carrying my load along the sidewalk and across roads to the station, I finally arrived at Broadstairs; 3 train journeys and 3 hours later.

my luggage – from St Margarets to Broadstairs

What an amazing place…….and that beach!!!! Our lives are spent walking along that….

a view of the bay from the cliff top

The house is a tiny, charming little place, a home where we’ve since acquired a kitty by the name of Elsie, a rescue cat, who after months of lots of TLC has settled in like she always lived there!

Elsie waiting for her adopted Mama to come home LOL

Elsie on the windowsill catching the breeze 🙂

The town a treasure trove of history and places to explore……

a delightful seaside shop in Broadstairs

Bleak House, Broadstairs

this is Bob the Boat…..so named coz it’s cute and bobs about in the water. 😉

colourful beach huts in Broadstairs

Viking Bay – Broadstairs

scenes of Broadstairs and Viking Bay

…..but the best thing about living in Broadstairs are the sunrise and sunset.

Now we don’t always get to see either of these due to the inclement UK weather, but every now and then a real charmer puts on a display like no other. Winter is the best time of year to watch the sunrise (for me that is) coz it comes up later and I’m not an early bird…although I have been known to drag on my clothes, eyes still sticky with sleep, teeth unbrushed, grab the keys and dash along to the esplanade….sans my first cup of tea!!! which is a miracle, but some days the miracle is happening on the horizon.

sunrise over Viking Bay, Broadstairs

We’ve watched many a sunrise and quite a few sunsets since moving to Broadstairs. We’ve watched calm days when the water is so still you feel you could walk across it and other where the wind lashed the waves into a fury as they lash out and crash against the harbour wall.

sunset over Viking Bay, Broadstairs

Viking Bay and the beach that ‘belongs’ to Broadstairs certainly is in my opinion the most beautiful of all the beaches/bays in the area, is a constant gift of beauty. It is the first thing I head over to when I get home and usually the last thing I wander over to look at before I leave on my next assignment. It is a constant draw and even when we’re home, we walk along the esplanade just about every day.

beautiful Viking Bay, Broadstairs

I have explored the streets and museums, eaten at the tearooms and restaurants, walked this way and that along the coast; either northwestwards to Margate or south to Ramsgate. It is the start and end point of my practice Camino walks and has been like a cosy blanket in my memory when I am working away and longing for my bed and the familiarity of the streets.

wish you were here….

Now, two years later, I can’t imagine living anywhere else. It has become home……just in time for my daughter to up sticks and move again LOL At the moment she is house-hunting with a plan to buy her own home. I guess in the foreseeable future I will be landing somewhere else to watch the sunrise and sunset….who knows where?

So long as there is a beach 🙂 Life is after all……a beach!!

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We are the architects of our own destruction

Posted in around the UK, news from around the world, tagged deforestation and the zika virus, nestle bottling water, on-one wants your old clothes, orangutans will be extinct in 10 years, plastic pollution in the oceans, pollution of the planet, recycling, recycling trash, the second hand clothes industry on September 9, 2016| Leave a Comment »

After reading this article on recycling clothes and the ‘fast-food’ fashion industry I’m reminded of all the other ‘trash’ we dispose of so readily without much or in fact ANY thought to the effects we are having on this planet and our environment. It’s like we’re all walking around in this little bubble of “oh that doesn’t affect me” or “what can my little bit do?” or “it’s someone else’s problem, not mine”.

And yet, this is the only planet we have. We’re decimating forests at a rate of acres per minute, discarding tons of unwanted goods every year, dispose of tons of uneaten food, unworn/wanted clothes – Excerpt: “They’ve been bleached, dyed, printed on, scoured in chemical baths.” Those chemicals can leach from the textiles and — in improperly sealed landfills — into groundwater. Burning the items in incinerators can release those toxins into the air.” We reject our phones and computers annually in favour of the latest Apple/ iPhone model (And weirdly, we admire these large corporations for their innovative products!). We inject millions of tons of plastic into the rivers, lakes, seas and oceans on a daily basis, and slowly but surely we are causing the extinction of one species after another.

This ‘trash’ is building up. It’s producing potent greenhouse gas methane as it degrades. It’s polluting the oceans. The fish are becoming polluted with plastic particles. Over five trillion pieces of plastic are floating in our oceans. We eat those fish….what’s left of them. Our air is so polluted we can’t see the stars at nights, in some countries they can’t see the sun during the day! We eat the food that comes out the ground, ground polluted by chemicals from our trash and of course the chemicals deliberately introduced by spraying.

The volume of plastic pieces, largely deriving from products such as food and drink packaging and clothing, was calculated from data taken from 24 expeditions over a six-year period to 2013. The research, published in the journal PLOS One, is the first study to look at plastics of all sizes in the world’s oceans.

Corporations like Nestlé come under constant attack by the protest organisations that highlight how they (Nestlé) are buying up fresh water lakes and rivers and bottling the ‘fresh’ water and selling it to us in ‘single use’ bottles…plastic bottles. – Nestle: Bottling water in drought-hit California – And we sign the petitions and vent our anger on the relevant pages, but do we stop buying the bottled water?

And yet, corporations continue to manufacture short-lived items; clothing, food, computers, phones, plastic (anything that can be made from plastic), and we….continue to buy, buy, buy and buy some more…..and the corporations and their share-holders are getting wealthier by the minute/day and we, the sheep, the ‘I want’ generations, the ‘I deserve it sectors’ are buying, buying, buying…and contracting all manner of different cancers, and birth-defects and ailments on an unprecedented scale.

We’re unable to ‘resist’ the latest fashion….no matter what it is, and slowly but surely we are killing this planet, and killing ourselves.

We are the architects of our own destruction.

Clothes – http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/no-one-wants-your-old-clothes/ar-AAim8tF#image=5

Oceans – https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/dec/10/full-scale-plastic-worlds-oceans-revealed-first-time-pollution

Water – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36161580

Species – http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/orangutans-extinction-population-borneo-reasons-palm-oil-hunting-deforestation-rainforest-a7199366.html

Deforestation – Zika Virus – http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/where-did-zika-virus-come-and-why-it-problem-brazil/ deforestation followed by agriculture and regrowth of low-lying vegetation provided a much more suitable environment for the malaria mosquito carrier than pristine forest.

Perhaps it’s time for US the population of this planet to take more responsibility….if we don’t buy, they can’t sell.

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The Great Thames Row

Posted in around the UK, interesting things that happen in London, Uncategorized, tagged #165challenge, paralympic sports, River Thames London, rowing, rowing on the thames, the great thames row on September 2, 2016| Leave a Comment »

On Saturday 17th September 2016, Naomi Riches (London 2012 Paralympic Gold Medallist) will start her latest challenge – to set a new Guinness World Record as the fastest woman to row down the River Thames in a single scull… 165 miles from Lechlade to Gravesend Royal Pier.

Follow her challenge on Twitter

#165challenge

For more about this challenge http://www.thegreatthamesrow.org/

River Thames 01.01.2011 a misty overcast day

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Have passport; will travel

Posted in around the UK, Camino 2016, family and relationships, Fun Stuff, It's my life, Travel, tagged british passport, buen camino, Caminho Portugués, Camino de Santiago, have passport will travel, santiago de compostela, the way, walk the portuguese camino, walking the camino on May 25, 2016| 4 Comments »

Just a few months ago I became a British Citizen. In fact today is the 3rd monthaversary of my citizenship ceremony.

at my citizenship ceremony in Maidstone

I have a list of ‘things to do once I have my passport’ and one of those is the Camino. I wasn’t really sure which section I wanted to do but since I have always wanted to visit Portugal, when I discovered that one of the routes is from Porto I decided to make that the route I would take.

I can’t quite make up my mind whether to walk it all in one go, or rather break it up into 2 stages. So in September of this year I plan to walk the Camino from Porto to Santiago or maybe just the first stage. It will all depend on how I feel at the time LOL

I have completed part of Chaucer’s route to Canterbury and in order to practice for the Camino I am going to continue the journey and complete it before I leave for Porto (hopefully; time being an issue).

My passion is London and the history of the city, and I have explored and visited many of the areas where Chaucer lived and worked,

a wooden structure depicts the Algate house Chaucer lived in

and on one of my recent work assignments I discovered part of the ‘pilgrims way’ and immediately set out to walk the section nearest to where I was working.

The Pilgrim’s Way – Winchester to Canterbury

I am a 61 year-old single parent of a most wonderful daughter aged 35+. Born in South Africa, I crossed the seas in October 2001 to visit my sister and her hubby who were living in Ireland at the time. I loved Ireland and after deciding that London was where I wanted to live, I returned to SA poste-haste to obtain my ancestral visa (my grandfather had the good sense to be born in Wandsworth) and never looked back…..after living and working in the UK for the past 15 years I recently obtained my British Citizenship and relevant passport and hope to put it to good use.

Since getting my passport on 30 March I’ve been from Dover to Calais, specifically so that I could see the White Cliffs of Dover.

My daughter and I went to Paris on 24 April for lunch (courtesy of her and my sisters Sue & Caroline – thanks guys, it was amazing)

Paris for lunch

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My next trip is to Brussels in July to spend a few days with my friend Valy,

and of course I’ve been to South Africa, but since I used both my passports, it only semi counts as a trip post UK passport 😉

The Cape

Gauteng

It has been my dream for some years now to walk the Camino as well as spending a few days to explore Santiago. My father (deceased 2015) has cycled the Camino a few times, the last being in 2015 a few months before he died at the age of 85…although he didn’t complete the route due to deteriorating health. One of my younger sisters was with him at the time and they managed to fit in a visit to my brother and family in Hungary…..I’m going to visit them in Budapest for a few days before my #Camino2016. kevin & timi and family

I have lived in the UK for 15 years now and have travelled extensively both in the UK and in Europe and 3 times to the USA. Prior to my departure in 2001 I travelled extensively in South Africa, and during the 6 months I lived in Ireland between October 2001 and March 2002 we travelled all over the island and then some….I’ve been to just about every county.

I plan to buy a motor-home in 2021 and start travelling the length and breadth of the UK with occasional trips to the Continent. It’s so easy it would be a shame not to.

heading for the sun and surf…suitcase following close behind

I look forward to meeting fellow pilgrims in September.

Here is an extract from the site http://santiago-compostela.net/

Walking the Camino

Walking the Camino is not difficult – most of the stages are fairly flat on good paths. The main difficulty is that few of us have walked continuously for 10, 20 or 30 days. You learn more about your feet than you would ever have thought possible!

Origins of the pilgrimage

The history of the Camino de Santiago goes back at the beginning of the 9th century (year 814) moment of the discovery of the tomb of the evangelical apostle of the Iberian Peninsula. Since this discovery, Santiago de Compostela becomes a peregrination point of the entire European continent.

The Way was defined then by the net of Roman routes that joined the neuralgic points of the Peninsula. The impressive human flow that from very soon went towards Galicia made quickly appear lots of hospitals, churches, monasteries, abbeys and towns around the route. During the 14th century the pilgrimage began to decay, fact brought by the wars, the epidemics and the natural catastrophes.

The recovery of the route begins at the end of the 19th century, but it is during the last quarter of the 20th century when the authentic contemporary resurge of the peregrination takes place. There is no doubt that the social, tourist, cultural or sport components have had a great importance in the “jacobea” revitalization but we cannot forget that the route has gained its prestige thanks to its spiritual value.

Buen Camino 🙂

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St George and the Dragon at Dover Castle

Posted in around the UK, Camino 2016, Castles of UK and Ireland, Fun Stuff, Historical, It's my life, Travel, tagged castles of the uk, Dover Castle, festivals of england, patron saint of england, places to visit in the uk, St George and the dragon festival at Dover Castle. St Georges Day, St Georges Day, things to do in england, travel the uk, visit england on May 21, 2016| Leave a Comment »

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Dover Castle and St George’s Day 2016

Having my birthday on the same day as St George’s Day certainly opens it up for attending amazing events. No less this year. Since I wasn’t in the mood for the long train journey to London to watch the Morris Dancers at Leadenhall Market, or attend the St George’s Day Festival at Trafalgar Square, (as well as which I’ve done that before a few times), I decided instead to head over to Dover Castle for the St George’s Day Festival. It also helped that I have an English Heritage membership 😉 20160423_154929 - 23.04.16 Dover Castle & Road Trip

Dover is not too far from Broadstairs by train, so early on the morning of Saturday 23^rd I hopped onto the train and made my way there. I’ve visited the castle before and ohmyword, it is extraordinary. England’s biggest castle, the size of the place leaves you breathless, both with wonder and physically! It takes a good few hours to explore all the nooks and crannies and walk the perimeter. And there is so much to see.

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The Constables Gate, Dover Castle. constructed 1220-1227

The blurb promised an action-packed knight vs dragon festival. It didn’t disappoint. Starting at 10am the events ranged from horsemanship, swordsmanship and medieval music,

medieval musicians

to a mock up village with craftsmen and women going about their medieval business. We were treated to live cooking demonstrations, archery, swordsmanship displays, medieval music and jesters plying their trade.

St George’s Day festival at Dover Castle

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St George’s Day festival at Dover Castle

I got there really early and made my way into the castle grounds, this time approaching from the top of the cliffs via bus, rather than walking up like I did the previous visit (insane idea). Have you any idea just how high those cliffs are? You can see France from the top…hello!!!!

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across the English channel to France

A cluster of medieval tents were set up here and there, and the villagers were chatting to visitors and demonstrating their trade and crafts. A colourful medley of sounds and colours – although I’m sure it smelt a lot more fragrant than it did during medieval times.

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…medieval streets were most certainly not paved with gold!

The costumes were beautifully done, flags flapping gaily in the ever present wind – which at times can almost blow you off your feet. 20160423_123748 - 23.04.16 Dover Castle & Road Trip High above the castle keep, the flag of England with the cross of St George flapped wildly in the wind alongside the Union Jack.

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St George’s Day Festival at Dover Castle

I meandered here and there, exploring the interior and precincts of the castle enjoying the different displays before settling down at the west end of the green to watch the displays of swordsmanship as knights in their armour valiantly fought one another. They are marvellous, although it does look awfully tiring.

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the knight’s fight

Afterwards I made my way to the jester’s encampment for what was to be an hour of sheer and unadulterated fun and silliness. Whoever they were, they were fantastic. A lot of the quips were definitely aimed at the older generation, but the visuals and tricks appealed to all ages…I was laughing so much at one stage I could barely hold the camera still as I was recording.

St George’s Day festival at Dover Castle

Then the coup de grace and finale; a titan battle between St George on his sturdy mount

St George on his trusty steed

and the fearsome dragon!!! LOL – right???!!!

St George’s Day festival at Dover Castle

This epic display filled the spectator stands (wet grass) as we waited breathlessly while St George fought off the evil Black Knight on his stallion….

The Black Knight and St George do battle

….before tackling the effervescent dragon. St George is his eagerness to slay the dragon raced up to the horrible green creature intent on murder!! His not so sturdy mount objected to the sudden halt, skidded on the wet grass, and reared up so high that St George’s rump met the ground with a thump!!

St George lands on his rump with a thump!

The horse was retired, and on foot St George raced after the dragon, his armour rattling, wielding his mighty sword to rescue the virgin, and slayed the fearsome creature. Hoorah! The battle was won.

…and so the dragon is slewed!!! LOL

The weather as usual managed to provide 4 seasons in one day and we had a mix of sunshine, howling gales, a shower of rain and heavy black clouds that hung menacingly over the castle….threatening to lash down but not quite getting there. All we needed was a smattering of snow (not unheard of) and hail and we would have had a typical spring day in the UK. LOL

looming dark clouds

and rain

sunshine

In all a brilliant day and superb way to celebrate my birthday. Thanks St George 😉 nice to have you on board.

I can highly recommend a visit to Dover Castle. It is by far one of the most awesome castles I have visited to date. Mind you, to be fair, most of the castles I have visited are amazing…..all in their own special way.

Dover Castle…how cool is that moat!

Constable’s Gate – constructed 1220-1227

fab view of the harbour

the knights preparing to fight

medieval foods

don’t be naughty…you’ll end up in the stocks

the knights fight

St George’s AirBnB

St George on his valiant steed

remains of a Roman Lighthouse (Pharos) and the Saxon church; St Mary de Castro

the jester

window inside the chapel

Visit Dover Castle

St George is the Patron Saint of England

The horses used during the events were Atkinson’s Action Horses

You can reach Dover Castle via car, on foot (if you have the oomph to climb the hill), by bus from the city centre. The station is Dover Priory

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Happy 90th Birthday Queen Elizabeth II

Posted in around the UK, Fun Stuff, Historical, It's my life, Palaces and castles in UK, tagged changing the guard windsor castle, Cindy's travels, happy birthday Queen Elizabeth II, not just a granny, Queen Elizabeth II, queen's 90th birthday beacons lit, the queen goes walkabout in windsor, the queen's 90th birthday on April 22, 2016| 1 Comment »

I went to Windsor to see The Queen! 🙂 Yesterday was Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday, and as soon as I discovered she was due to do a walkabout in Windsor I made my way there double quick. Well not quite….I slept over in London at the YHA the night before 😉

Chelsea Bridge and the Albert Bridge in the distance

I set off for London on the 18:57 train to Victoria Station, slept over at the Earls Court YHA, up and about by 6am on Thursday….and by 07:38 I arrived in Windsor. Thrilling stuff.

The Queen: A full-scale replica of the GWR Achilles built in 1894. No examples of these locomotives survive and were withdrawn from service in 1912. This model is located on the platform of the station at Windsor Central

The reason I got there so early was to ensure I found a good space at the front…these events fill up pretty darn quick, but to my surprise there were only about 40 people ahead of me! I wandered about for a bit, checking out this spot and that, and then finally made my decision: it had to be facing the castle and it had to be in shade and I was hoping Her Majesty would walk down my side of the road….

Not yet much of a crowd, but a few stalwarts were there as well as a group (the ladies in pink with the big pink 90 balloon) from Cardiff, who apparently left their city at 6am

I settled in and quickly made friends with the people around me. We chatted and swopped stories, where we were from and why we were there etc. We also had a very entertaining couple of hours people watching.

See the lady directly in the middle with the British Flag glasses! She held court and entertained the crowds….an American lady, she was loud, forward and hilarious!!

One of the first people I saw was Carol Kirkwood doing a piece to camera for the BBC News

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our lass Carol Kirkwood doing a piece to camera for BBC News with a Town Crier watching on – this was at 07:46 in the morning 😉

and then Terry Hutt; one of The Queen’s lifelong fans. When I saw Terry’s outfit I realised I need to up my game…. LOL

Terry Hutt; the Royal family’s bigest fan! For more about Terry read http://theduchessdiary.com/2015/05/6-things-to-know-about-terry-hutt-the-royal-family-biggest-fan-royal-baby-lindo-wing/

As the crowds swelled and the time drew near the level of excitement escalated. Suddenly we saw Joey!!! The horse from the play War Horse. That was an added thrill to the day.

Joey; War Horse joins the celebrations

Then just before 11am the Coldstream Guards arrived for Changing the Guard in the castle grounds.

The Coldstream Guards – Changing the Guard at Windsor Castle

They marched them up the hill, then marched them down again…..to just beyond the gates where they made themselves comfortable and played some stunning pieces of music…they really are very good.

they marched them up the hill…..

then marched them down again…..

Then at 12noon and without further ado Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II arrived in her smashing Bentley and stopped just before the welcome party. After being greeted by the Mayor(ess) and assembled guests, to my absolute delight I saw that Her Majesty was walking down our side of the road!!! OMG!!! Hoorah.

The Queen and Prince Philip arrive in the Bentley

andddd there she is 🙂 on my side of the road Hoorah!

Then I started praying that she wouldn’t do her zag before she got to where we were standing, which would have given me the zig!!!

But she didn’t and I did get to see her – from just two feet away. If I wasn’t filming I swear I would have swooned with sheer excitement…..but you can’t interrupt a good opportunity to film The Queen by passing out in the street. LOL

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Looking fresh and sprightly in spring green – I loved her hat!!!

However, I did almost lose my footing….as she got near the crowd behind swooped forward and I was nearly knocked off my feet, almost dropping my camera in the process…the barrier suddenly felt very flimsy as it swayed with the weight of the crowd. It was a little bit scary, and I wasn’t impressed with that at all. However, we managed and my word the roar of excitement when she arrived…fantastic.

the crowd surges forward….

She looked absolutely stunning in her spring green outfit with a perfect hat perched on top of those lovely grey curls, a gorgeous smile on her face for the whole time. Amazing woman.

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Her Majesty; Queen Elizabeth II born this day in 1926 at 21 Bruton Street in Mayfair

As soon as she made her zag to the opposite side of the road,

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The Queen makes her zag and away she goes to the opposite side of the road

my companion (someone I got chatting to whilst waiting), and I ran down the side alleys to the Guildhall hoping to spot the birthday girl before she left on her ride around the city. While at the Guildhall she met other people who were 90…how cool is that! Mind you, in comparison to some of my clients, many of whom are a lot younger than HM, she is blooming marvellous and certainly very sprightly.We were in luck, the crowds hadn’t yet swelled to bursting point and I had a great view of the steps where she was due to walk down to her open-topped car.

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Standing in their open-top car they set off for the car route through the city

We were all amazed to see The Queen and Prince Philip actually standing in the car as they set off. They waved and smiled as the car pulled out and then we ran helter-skelter to the back entrance of the castle, again ahead of the crowds and had a fab view of them returning. They had by that stage sat down in the car, but I still managed one final photograph…..

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arriving back at Windsor Castle by a rear entrance

What a splendid day. I have seen the Queen a number of times, but always from afar. Usually at Trooping the Colour or other such events, and once we saw her up close and personal in Cape Town the last time she visit South Africa in the 1990’s. At that time she also went walkabout, but did her zag just three people before she reached where we were standing and I remember how devastated I was then that I hadn’t got to shake her hand…she still used to shake the hands of people in the crowd in those days….but sadly I didn’t and although I didn’t get to shake her this time either, she was so close I could have kissed her!!

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Wishing Her Majesty a wonderful 9oth year, and Long May She Reign!!

20160421_132536 - HB QEII 21.04.2016 God save our gracious Queen!
Long live our noble Queen!
God save the Queen!
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save the Queen.

Other people I got to see on the day

After the event I went walkabout myself and had the luck of seeing the band returning to base

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Then it was a quick trip back to Broadstairs (3.5 hours!!) to watch one of 1,000 beacons lit in the U.K. and around the world in honour of her birthday.

The Queen lit hers at Windsor Castle at 7p.m.

The first beacon to be lit by The Queen at Windsor Castle

In all a fantastic day……I guess I am a confirmed Monarchist…and a Royalist. Fact: I love The Queen. She has been the one constant in an ever changing world. She is a great example of a good Monarch. I just read this terrific article you may enjoy. 20160421_133700 - HB QEII 21.04.2016