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Down on the farm…working and travelling

Posted in around the UK, It's my life, Travel on April 17, 2016| Leave a Comment »

I’m, very fortunate that in my line of work I get to travel all over the UK…it’s a great benefit and as I realised recently, one of the main reasons I continue to do what I do. There are other reasons of course, but getting to see different parts of the country is definitely a plus. I get to work in hamlets, villages or towns that I would likely never have visited otherwise…..one of which that springs to mind is Midhurst! One of the most extraordinary discoveries ever.

Midhurst Castle

I am currently working on a farm in Kent. It’s a ‘tenant’ farm and part of a massive estate that belongs to the Archbishop of Canterbury. How awesome is that. To my delight I learned a few days ago that the farm borders The Pilgrim’s Way between Winchester and Canterbury.

The Pilgrim’s Way – Winchester to Canterbury

This is not the first farm I’ve worked on since 2008 when I joined my current agency, and on thinking about it I realised this is in fact the 7th farm I’ve worked on. Now before you get the wrong idea…I don’t hoe the ground, plant potatoes, or feed the pigs, although I do occasionally feed chickens…and collect their eggs, which is such an amazing experience. I’m not sure why, but collecting fresh, still warm eggs from the nest in the early morning has such a timeless feel to it.

fresh farm eggs that taste like eggs

No, I work as a Carer for the elderly and that is where my attention lies. However, I do get time off…usually two hours in the afternoon, and that is when I explore the surrounding area at every possible opportunity. I discover some of the most amazing places. The history of this country sometimes overwhelms me with it’s incredible twists and turns.

On one such excursion this week I had to travel to a little village called Brastead,

Brastead – since AD 773

passing through an even smaller village called Sundridge to get there.

Sundridge Kent

Enroute I saw a most extraordinary house; The Old Hall. I stopped to take photos and find out a little more. On investigation, the house; medieval in origin, was built during the 15th century at a time when Richard III was on the throne!!! How mind-blowing is that! There’s not a whole lot of information on the internet about the house but certainly sufficient to induce a sense of wonder that a wooden house that was built round about 1485…folks, that’s over 500 years ago, is still standing.

Old Hall, Sundridge

Apparently it was bought and restored in 1929 and during excavations/restoration they discovered a brick hearth in the middle of the main hall. Excerpt: “On taking up the brick flooring of the hall the original earth floor was reached, and there were discovered the remains of the ancient central hearth, roughly in the form of a circle, paved with irregularly-shaped stones. Close by was found a heap of ashes, which had been brushed aside and trodden into a compact mass.” It’s a Grade II listed building, bought in 1923 by a Thomas Munn of Hampstead and restored in 1929. Parish records show that between 1650 to 1700 there were 13 births, 2 christenings and 2 marriages in Sundridge.

I’ll write a little more about the two villages shortly, both of which are charming. In fact Brastead has a history that dates back to AD773. Sundridge overlooks the River Darent on the North Downs.

River Darent

Back in 2011 I started walking the route Chaucer’s pilgrimage to Canterbury took him, and although I have yet to do the full route, to my delight, from time to time I come across stretches of the Pilgrim’s Way, this time between Winchester and Canterbury. I managed a short walk along the route that crosses Chevening Estate (which belongs to the Archbishop as mentioned earlier).

a short stretch of the Pilgrim’s Way

It has been a delightful assignment, the little lady I’m caring for is very sweet, the peace and tranquillity on the farm has been sublime….so much so that it makes me want to stay forever…or at least be here on holiday. 🙂

It’s been marvellous to fling back the sash windows early morning to listen to the birds waken and watch the sun rise. It reminds me of another time and place when I was caring for an elderly gentleman in Newton-Ferrers – also a wonderful person and someone I still remember with great fondness. At that time I wrote a poem that seems to fit this place too albeit not with a river or boats nearby. IMAG2598 - Kent April2016

Most mornings and some evenings depending on the weather, I have ventured outdoors to photograph either the sunrise or the sunset. Some days when I waken at 6:30am, as I open the curtains I am left gasping at the sheer beauty of the sunrise, and thus dashing outdoors in my gown and slippers…hair asunder, to capture the splendour of a new day. IMAG2587 - Kent April2016 And at night the sun sets over the North Downs casting long shadows and highlighting the verdant green fields. Stunning. IMAG2952 - Kent April2016

A few days ago I discovered a gap in the hedge, so now I can slip quietly through the garden, through the hedge and into the fields without having to traipse along the lane in my pyjamas and slippers. So far I haven’t met anyone else…probably a good thing or I may well be writing this from behind HM four walls. LOL

the gap in the hedge….just high enough to crouch through

It’s very quiet here and we are quite literally in the middle of wide open fields and country lanes. Occasionally if the wind is blowing from the south (apparently, according to the locals) I can hear the roar of the traffic on the M25. For the rest of the day, beyond the normal household sounds and the constant mumble and grumble of my client in the background (she gabbles to herself and reads out loud all day), the only sounds I hear are the pheasants, the birds on the feeder and the mumble of the Aga cooker.

Although it’s really quiet and sometimes too quiet, especially at night, I enjoy the peace and seldom get lonely. IMAG2970 - Kent April2016

As I write, if I look to my right, I have a view of the farmyard and the wonderful red-brick barns and buildings. IMAG2582 - Kent April2016 There’s as oast-house cluster a stones-throw away that makes a most charming scene at night with the lights shining from the windows. That’s another perk of the countryside, you can leave your curtains open at night and enjoy the darkness, the sky a canopy of twinkling stars on a clear night. IMAG2586 - Kent April2016

Talking of which, a few nights ago I got to watch the ISS craft fly overhead….amazing stuff! It’s very bright and moves at an incredible speed. Very exciting. I waved of course to our Tim, but I doubt he saw me LOL.

I have just two days left now before heading home. I’m booked to return in July and shall look forward to that.

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” – Saint Augustine

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Traveling in style and luxury for Mother’s Day

Posted in around the UK, family and relationships, Fun Stuff, Travel, tagged belmond british pullman, bucket list travel, mothers day, train journeys united kingdom on March 20, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Combine plush carpets, soft lighting, deep comfortable chairs, velvet curtains, fine china, cucumber sandwiches, scones with strawberry jam, lashings of clotted cream and pots of tea served by waiters in smart suits, with a train journey and what do you get?…….Belmond British Pullman, sister train to the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, for Mother’s Day!!

Just two days before Mother’s Day (after much secrecy and veiled hints) my daughter gave me a posh white, gold trimmed envelope. With impatient fingers and excited eagerness I pulled it open to reveal tickets for Afternoon Tea on Belmond British Pullman Orient Express for Mother’s Day!! Whoop whoop! IMAG1890 - mothers day 2016 One of my dream journeys, I had previously, with my daughter, watched the Orient Express roll into Broadstairs Station on a couple of occasions – to the wide-eyed envy of the seaside town’s residents.

A whoosh of smoke and a flurry of brakes squealing on the tracks, this marvellous beast pulled into the station and disgorged it’s passengers onto the platform some months ago. With shrieks of delight and screams of laughter the ladies in exotic attire and gentleman in suits spilled from the carriages to the sounds of the welcoming oom pah pah Big Brass Band – okay only three brasses 😉 and the shouts of the stewards.

Accompanied by glasses of champagne they quaffed fresh oysters and chatted nineteen to the dozen as the music played loudly, cameras flashed and stewards kept a watchful eye on their wayward charges.

Then to the shrill piercing scream of the Guards whistle the passengers of the Orient Express headed back to their chosen carriages, soon to be swallowed up and off they went with a chuff chuff chuff of the engine, black smoke puffing skywards as the residents of Broadstairs cheered and waved…..

And now it was our turn! After seeing that lot at Broadstairs I was ever so keen to add that to my bucket list and cross it off as soon as possible LOL.

IMAG1894 - mothers day 2016 My daughter who is a genius at planning surprises and arranging things she knows I’d like to do, bought tickets for a trip on this elegant train from Victoria Station to Paddock Wood.

IMAG1879 - mothers day 2016

We set off real early on the HS1 to Kings Cross and with a quick trip on the tube to Victoria Station we were there well early! In fact there were only 2 other couples there that early. 🙂

That soon changed and at 2pm on the dot the Pullman offices opened and with excitement mounting we traipsed along the red carpet to the check in desk! BY now there were a whole lot more people, and there was a real buzz of excitement. IMAG1885 - mothers day 2016 Outside, a band made up of 3 delightful ladies, entertained the waiting guests with tunes from the 40’s. Soon we were all swinging along to familiar tunes! How splendid.

In no time at all we were invited to board and excitedly made our way to our designated carriage; Cygnus. IMAG1912 - mothers day 2016

Ohmygosh!!! What a marvellous experience. The interior of the carriages are beautifully decorated with plush read velvet curtains swept back with a gold loop, each table set with fine china and a single rose in an elegant glass vase accommodated 2 guests apiece. The exquisitely embroidered high-back armchairs invited us to lean back, relax and chill out! LOL Frankly, I loved that chair and I can quite see why folks with posh houses like them so much….very inviting, they enfold you within a cocoon of comfort.

On the dot of 2.45pm we felt the train ever so gently start moving…..hoorah we were on our way.
No sooner had we pulled out of Victoria Station than our dedicated waiters were on hand with pots of tea, and delicate freshly made quiches, sandwiches and delicacies that melt on the tongue. The scones and jam with cream were delicious, closely followed by sweet delights. We ate and ate and ate and drank copious cups of tea, all the while relaxing, chatting desultorily and viewing the passing scenery. Sublime!

We soon reached the end of the track where we waited a short while for the engine to move forward and then we were off again on our return journey to London Victoria, arriving way too soon for my liking. IMAG1954 - mothers day 2016

Although the weather outside was frightful, we were snug and warm in our cosy carriage, IMAG1926 - mothers day 2016

gently swaying along the tracks, the sounds of laughter and conversation just a few feet away but totally unobstrusive. It turns out our carriage has a famous history….she was part of the Winston Churchill’s funeral train in 1965 as well as used in the special Festival of Britain in 1951. I bought myself a British Pullman mug…a souvenir to be used in the future when I travel around the United Kingdom in my motor-home. 🙂

In all a fantastic way to spend Mother’s Day and I can highly recommend it as a treat.

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I am a British Citizen

Posted in around the UK, family and relationships, It's my life, tagged archbishops palace maidstone, british citizenship, not just a granny, palaces of england, travel in the UK on February 29, 2016| 6 Comments »

Yes! It’s done. I am now a fully-fledged British Citizen. Last week Thursday I met up with my daughter at Ashford International and from there we made out way to Maidstone and the Archbishop’s Palace….wow, I had no idea the venue was so amazing! and the history. I was like a tourist going from room to room and photographing everything….almost, but not quite forgetting the reason we were there. IMAG1660 - maidstone

We arrived about 4 hours before the time of the ceremony so had a bit of an explore first and then looked for somewhere to eat….we found the superb D’Lishious – a new Milkshake & Dessert Parlour in the historic Corn Exchange.

By then we were fairly famished so decided to go for something substantial. Well, what can I say…..D’Lishious really lived up to it’s name. My daughter ordered a pancake with nutella and strawberries with ice-cream and cream while I ordered a waffle with banana, nutella, bits of toffee with ice-cream and cream. The portions were truly substantial and absolutely delicious, freshly made and more than met our expectations.

After satiating our bellies we headed back into the town centre and from there to the palace. Along the way we passed the fabulous Maidstone Carriage Museum…located in the 14th century palace stables. Although it was closed; it’s seasonal, I for one am going back when it’s open. The building itself is amazing and of course we took loads of photos. IMAG1652 - maidstone

The Archbishop’s Palace was just across the road, so that’s where we headed. The palace is a stunning building with a fantastic history dating back to the 7th & 8th century, thankfully saved from demolition in 1887, it is now a Grade I listed building. IMAG1662 - maidstone Needless to say we had to explore the area, so since we still had about an hour and a half before the ceremony we walked along the riverside of the palace and onto a nearby footbridge for a better view…oh my gosh it’s gorgeous. IMAG1680 - maidstone And what a location!! We stopped briefly at the College of All Saint’s founded in 1395 by Archbishop Courtenay and admired the nearby Church of All Saints; chock a block with history.

IMAG1693 - maidstone

Finally it was time for us to register our presence and so we entered the building. I literally bounced up the steps with excitement and met at the top by one of the staff my name was ticked off the list and a red carnation pinned to my lapel. The reason for the carnation is to easily identify the soon to be new citizens from their guests.

Then it was into the Solar Room ….wow, the history. The Solar – The 14th century Great Chamber of the Archbishop’s Palace, the main timbers dating from 1325 making this the oldest part of the original palace still standing. Much of the rafters have been repaired or replaced.

IMAG1705 - maidstone

We settled down as much as possible and were greeted by various members of staff and moderators. A lovely lady by the name of Amanda spent a few minutes with us explaining the process and procedures and then suddenly it was time for our rehearsal and off we went. The room where the ceremony was held was lined with chairs, new citizens one side and guests the other.

We entered the room to applause from the guests and with a buzz of excitement took our seats, and so the ceremony began. IMAG1699 - maidstone In no time at all we had stood to declare our names and swear allegiance to Queen and Country. IMAG1700 - maidstone I felt totally bemused and as my daughter said, I looked a bit shell-shocked….I was in a state of disbelief. After all these years, finally I had applied and before I even had time to think about it, it was all done and dusted!! IMG-20160225-WA0026 I got my certificate, posed for photos with a representative of The Queen as well as a representative of Kent County Council and then we all, in good old British tradition, retired for tea and cake 🙂

So yes, I am now a bona fide British Citizen…..it’s been 4 days and I still wake up in the morning and go “omg I’m a British Citizen”. It feels quite surreal and although I don’t feel differently, my head is still trying to wrap itself around the fact that in the space of no time at all, I went from being a South African citizen to a British Citizen. IMAG1721 Who would have known when I bounced through Johannesburg International Airport on the 8th October 2001 for a 4 month holiday in Ireland, that I would less than 15 years later be the citizen of a different country…..but so it is. And I am thrilled beyond words. I am a British Citizen!!

a gift from my daughter when we got home that evening 🙂

More about the history of the Archbishop’s Palace.

Located on the River Medway, the site was given to Archbishop Langton in 1207 as a resting place for Archbishops on their way from London to Canterbury. work on the current building was ordered by Archbishop Ufford in 1348 and by the end of the 14th century it was expanded by Archbishop Courtenay, and again enlarged and improved by Archbishop Morton in 1486. Ultimately it was given to Henry VIII who granted the palace to Sir Thomas Wyatt. Subsequently forfeited to the Crown in 1554 following the rebellion led by his son Thomas Wyatt the younger against Mary I and then given to Sir John Astley by Elizabeth I.

The Archbishop’s Palace on the River Medway in Maidstone

It was subsequently bequeathed to various members of the Astley family and finally sold to the Marsham family who finally sold the palace. It has also been used as a Territorial Army medical school.

Here’s a link for the carriage museum in Maidstone if you would like to visit

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Work and travelling the United Kingdom

Posted in around the UK, Castles of UK and Ireland, Historical, It's my life, Travel, tagged baby boomers, memories are made of this, notjustagranny, photography, travel in the UK, villages and towns of the uk, visit england on February 22, 2016| Leave a Comment »

On the cusp of my Naturalisation as a British Citizen I have stopped to take stock of the places I have been in my life as a Carer since 2007.

IMG-20160213-WA0014 IMG-20160213-WA0015

The places have been as varied as the clients. I have travelled far and wide in the UK; the places shown here do not include the many many other countries, cities, towns and places where I have been on holiday, since I arrived in 2001.

One of the benefits of my job as I’ve mentioned before is that I get to travel around the country…not just in England but Scotland and occasionally Wales too. Since 2007 I’ve travelled east, south, north and west of the UK with the current agency.

Cities I have worked in

In that time I’ve pretty much been to nearly every county in England (21 at last count), and 3 in Scotland and over the border, then out again, but never yet worked in Wales. I’ve yet to work in Northern Ireland although I have been on holiday. I haven’t included in my list the countries/counties/places I’ve been to on holiday that would just be too long…..but those listed below are all the places I have been since 2007. I’ve created a video out of some of the photos I’ve captured in the last 8 years+, albeit not all the places I’ve been to; I’ve worked for almost 300 clients, so that would be a tad too much!!

London! I always jump at the chance to work in my favourite city

At my current assignment I’m working in East Sussex, not for the first time, but in a new place. I was chatting to my client just yesterday while we were sharing travel stories (she’s also quite well travelled), and just for fun I had a look at the map of Britain and listed all the counties I had either worked in, or travelled to during the course of my job…..i.e. some clients enjoys driving so we get to travel far and wide. Needless to say I do the driving 😉

seaside towns I have been to and worked in

I’ve worked on farms and been to villages so small that they don’t even have a Post Office never mind a traffic light or stop street, where the evening traffic jam is sheep going home! I’ve worked in numerous towns, and quite a few cities…namely London of course…I always jump at the chance to work in London although I’m not sure why since my breaks are so short I seldom get time to do much exploring…but still it’s a constant thrill to me to wake up in the city that never sleeps. (most areas I’ve worked in London were with the first agency I worked for).

farms I have worked on…as a Carer 😉

So, heading round the country, these are the counties I have worked in and travelled to:
ENGLAND
Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Hampshire Oxfordshire, Surrey, West Sussex, East Sussex, Kent and Greater London
SCOTLAND
Inverness-shire, Fife and Ross-shire and Cromartyshire

working in Scotland

On studying the map, I have noticed that there are still quite a few counties to go, particularly in the Midlands…I’m guessing I need to ask for more assignments up that way!! Perhaps I’ll see you there 😉

seaside towns I have worked in or visited while working

One of the most advantageous aspects of this job of mine is that I go to places I would probably never have considered, simply because they’re not on the ‘Visit England’ tourist trail so to speak. However, these places invariably have a fascinating history and if you visit the one thing you will find in every hamlet, village, town or city…..the church!

deceassed the 12 of May 1570 – Grinstead

Reading the epitaphs and headstones, you gain a fascinating insight to the history of the area. I’ve even been into a church where there are marks on the entrance where knights of yore used to sharpen their swords!!! Mind-blowing. You will learn the often times extraordinary history of the area…sometimes stretching back as far as pre-Norman times.

castles I have seen on my travels

It is my goal to buy a motor-home within the next few years…by my 65th birthday in fact, and I plan to travel the width and breadth, and length of this country…visiting outlying islands, historic cathedrals, ancient villages, quirky pubs and the furtherest points of the island; north, south, east and west. motor home
Initially I had planned on buying a campervan…those cute little symbols of the 60’s, but since I will be spending a lot of time travelling and living in the motor, I prefer something I can actually stand up in…so the search is on.
caravan Once I find what I am looking for, I shall be off. I plan to travel and work, work and travel. Mostly in the spring, summer and autumn months and in winter I shall head to Europe. What a plan!!! 🙂 Why not come along with me and see all the wonderful things I shall see.
If you have any suggestions of quirky traditions or places you think I should add to my list, then please leave a comment and I’ll add them to my itinerary.

As mentioned earlier I have been to almost 300 different places in the UK. Since that would be way too many to upload, I’ve made a short video of some of the lovely villages and places I have been.

Have a fab day.

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Bexhill-on-Sea & British Citizenship

Posted in around the UK, family and relationships, Fun Stuff, It's my life, Travel, tagged bexhill on sea, british citizenship, not just a granny, travel in the UK on February 18, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Just a day before I left for my current assignment a letter was being processed by the home office that was to change the course of my life.
I arrived in Bexhill-on-Sea on Thursday last week,

mural at the station

a place I had not yet been to and discovered to my surprise, that after saying there wasn’t much to write home about, in fact Bexhill-on-Sea has links to the Battle of Waterloo and in fact in 1804 it was chosen as an infantry depot, as well as which it is the ‘Birthplace of British Motor Racing’, and it’s now the place where, to my utter joy and massive relief, I received the news contained in that letter from the home office….my application to be become a British Citizen had been approved. Hoooorayyy!! and I have no doubt… bexhill on sea
I literally screamed when my daughter sent me the news. My only disappointment is that I wasn’t at home when the news arrived, it would have been so much fun to share the moment and excitement with her, but I’m not complaining…the news came 4 months sooner than I had anticipated and that alone is a massive thrill.
So next week I shall be swearing my allegiance to Queen and Country…I can’t wait! Once I have my certificate to say I am a bona-vide British Citizen (I get it on the same day) then I’ll be able to apply for my little red book….my passport – to freedom!! IMG-20160213-WA0014 That aspect is so exciting I cannot even begin to express what it means, except to say that being able to just jump on a ferry and cross to France is beyond amazing. No more stress of having to book appointments and apply for a Schengen visa, to pay for a lawyer to give me a letter to say I am who I am (£85!!) for 25 minutes of his time…I should have an income like that!! And then to make another appointment to collect the visa and meanwhile unable to work or having to cut short an assignment in order to collect it. Being self-employed is great and I love the freedom of it, however it’s very difficult to organise things where you have no control over the schedules/dates made by officialdom.
But all of that will come to an end shortly and I will have to freedom to visit all those places I so very much want to go to. I know there are some countries where as a British Citizen you have to apply for a visa, however, I’m not planning on going there, so it’s a moot point.
Meanwhile, I’m really enjoying my stay in Bexhill. Although there really isn’t much to do, I’ve been able to slip out early in the mornings to watch the occasional sunrise or just enjoy it from the balcony, I’ve taken a few walks along the promenade and spent some time just gazing out to sea. PhotoGrid_1455559692555

My client is lovely, so very sweet and has an interesting history linked to travel so she regales me with stories of places she has been; Middle East and Africa in particular. In some places they were some of the first European’s to go there and that was in the 40’s & 50’s – not that long ago! They were in construction…in case you wondered 😉
I mentioned in my latest video (see below) that she has the beginnings of dementia and this of course is quite a challenge. Her short-term memory is non-existent and she has great difficulty retaining information heard even a minute before. I’ll tell her something and in her very next sentence she’ll say ‘wait a minute….’ And the information I have just given her is asked about in a slightly different way, or she’ll say ‘what about this or that’. There’s no point at all in saying ‘but I just told you’ or ‘don’t you remember’ or anything similar, because no, she doesn’t. Try picture a bucket with holes in the bottom…pour water in and it runs straight through…well that’s how words are for someone with dementia…they just seep straight through. You can of course remind her of things like an appointment or a visit or outing….but be prepared to remind her over and over again…yet she can remember with clarity her days as a nanny for a titled family….even down to the child’s age and the colour of the uniform she wore…nearly 65 years ago!! But 10 minutes ago….nope it’s gone. Dementia is such a disturbing disease, for all concerned. At least she’s enjoyed my meals!!! After the resounding ‘most unsatisfactory’ judgement by the previous lady I cared for, it’s been a welcome reprisal of my cooking skills. LOL. IMAG1117 To be fair I’d say at least 96% of my clients like my cooking…..but now and then we get someone who considers they have a discerning palate and find my meals unsatisfactory. Thank goodness this doesn’t bother me, I know I cook nice meals. 😉
Bexhill-on-Sea is a lovely seaside town, quite large…certainly larger than I thought it would be with lots of Victorian and Edwardian architecture. The promenade is one of the longest I’ve ever seen. PhotoGrid_1455472278047 The views out to sea are far and flat. Perfect for a sunrise and sunset. What does surprise me though is that they haven’t built any wind-farms out to sea!! It seems the perfect place really…no shipping to speak of and it doesn’t seem to be on a migratory route for birds.

amazing sunrises

To the left and up the coast is Dover and to the right and down the coast is Beachy Head…in fact many of my sunset photos features this distinctive outcrop……of course Beachy Head has quite a notorious history; sadly it’s a magnet for people who wish to commit suicide and many have been only too successful.

Beachy Head in the distance

I managed to persuade my lady to go out for a walk today…this has been quite a challenge as she doesn’t like the cold. But it was such a lovely afternoon that I insisted we make the most of it…and no surprise, she enjoyed it. We walked along the promenade to the café and stopped there for a cup of coffee. The sun’s rays were delicious. We’ve had some brilliant conversations and she thinks I’m a lovely companion….this is quite important really as I do try to make sure that my client’s experience are good and one of my daily challenges is to make them laugh….silly jokes, quirky comments, compliments, daft observations…anything to raise a laugh. But like the cooking, some people just do not take to it….however that’s more about them than me.
Later this afternoon I went down to the seafront to take photos of the sunset – just spectacular.

a beautiful sunset

The day started out very grey and misty, but oh my word, what a splendid end. The beaches are mostly covered with pebbles, not my favourite type of beach, but it is ever so colourful and interesting and I always enjoy uncovering some of the more unusual of these and discovering those fossils hidden within. The tides are fascinating to watch, and as with the river in London; The Thames, I find watching the incoming and outgoing tides quite amazing to see. PhotoGrid_1455539834205 I saw a motor-home similar to the model I want to buy for myself in 4 years’ time… I quizzed the owner about how comfortable it is to live in for an extended period, how spacious it may be within, how easy to drive, packing space, sleeping space, if light on fuel? It seems to be good from his account. I’m thinking something a wee bit bigger would be good for me. I shall keep looking. Most importantly I have to be able to stand up in it and have space for my computer and a stereo!! Oh and my helicopter camera.
Well that’s it for this catch up….within the next 7 days I shall finally after 14.5 years be a bona-vide British Citizen….Long Live The Queen. Hip hip hooray!!

the Archbishop’s Palace where I shall swear allegiance to Queen & Country 🙂

Keep your eye on this blog….I am going places; why not come along with me 😉 IMG-20160213-WA0019

and in case you missed today’s video

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A Sunday walk to Ramsgate

Posted in around the UK, Fun Stuff, It's my life, Travel, tagged ramsgate, seaside towns of the uk, travel in the UK, vlogging, youtube vlogging on February 8, 2016| 1 Comment »

One of the advantages of living in Broadstairs is the accessibility to the sea. We also live within walking distance to Ramsgate.

the Broadstairs clock tower on the way to Ramsgate

My daughter and I often walk along the beach at low tide to Ramsgate Harbour, sometimes it takes a lot longer than others, depending on the day and the weather. If it’s a good day it takes at least an hour…it’s such a photogenic walk that we can’t help but stop to take photos.

Yesterday we woke to a day of blue skies and sunshine, albeit very windy so decided to make the most of us both being home on the same day and no rain, and walk to Ramsgate, where we planned to have toasted cheese and tomato sandwiches at one of her favourite cafes.

The tide was high so unfortunately we could only walk part of the way along the beach walk…which is a shame really as that’s part of the fun. There have been many storms alongside a raging sea, waves crashing against the side of the esplanade which was just thrilling. IMAG2153 - walk to ramsgate Finally at Dumpton Gap we climbed to the cliff-top and made the rest of our walk with a somewhat different view of the seas; a churned up brown expanse of raging waves. IMAG4912 - walk to ramsgate

Further along and just past the King George VI Memorial Park we walked back down the steps to the Marina Esplanade and so the harbour. It’s such a beautiful little harbour with plenty of quirky and lovely boats and lots of quirky little shops and restaurants along the esplanade. 2015.11.08 (37) - walk to ramsgate

Just before you reach the funfair and harbour you pass the entrance to the WW2 tunnels. I’ve yet to explore them fully but I have been into the museum which is just within the entrance. Besides the charming harbour, the WW2 tunnels IMAG4936 - walk to ramsgate and the quirky architecture, Ramsgate has many links to the royal family and Charles Dickens. Princess Victoria convalesced at Albion House in Ramsgate for 6 months while recovering from a serious bout of typhoid. 2015.11.08 (22) - walk to ramsgate 2015.11.08 (23) - walk to ramsgate Besides that Ramsgate Harbour has the unique distinction of being the only harbour in the United Kingdom awarded the right to call itself a Royal Harbour; bestowed by King George IV as a thank you for the hospitality shown by the people of Ramsgate when he used the harbour to depart and return with the Royal Yacht Squadron in 1821. IMAG4837 - walk to ramsgate

Ramsgate was a chief embarkation point both during the Napoleonic Wars and for the Dunkirk evacuation ‘Operation Dynamo’ in 1940, due to its proximity to mainland Europe. I was lucky enough to attend the Operation Dynamo 75th anniversary event of Little Ships that sailed across the English Channel to Dunkirk for the weekend.

We so enjoyed our sandwiches(although they’re not as good as mine 😉 ) at Rileys, a café my daughter frequents rather frequently…they do serve the most delicious hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows. Afterwards we went for a bit of shopping and then caught the bus back to Broadstairs. I do so enjoy these excursions with my daughter. I spend so much time away from home, and of course I’ll be moving on soon as will she, her further south, me west (at least I think Rochester is west), so these times are really precious.

Royal Ramsgate Harbour – magical at night

I recorded a bit of our walk to give you a glimpse of Ramsgate. Excuse the wind….it’s been seriously windy the last few days as you’re probably aware and currently we are experiencing the fury of storm Imogen.

Here is the video.

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A visit to Dover Castle

Posted in around the UK, Castles of UK and Ireland, It's my life, Travel, tagged Dover Castle, English Heritage, exploring castles of england, history of england, not just a granny on February 6, 2016| 4 Comments »

After living in the UK for nigh on 15 years and Broadstairs for 18 months, I have finally visited Dover Castle. I acquired a membership card for English Heritage last year and making the most of the many venues I can visit. IMAG0753 - dover castle

I made a recording of the trip, however, due to it being an extremely windy day and especially right on the top of the hill, it was too windy to do much exterior recording, but I managed a little bit and also some of the interior…although for some reason I found myself whispering LOL. I’m really not sure why, but the interior just leant itself to talking quietly. Scroll down to see the video…. 20160206_143454 - dover castle

Dover Castle – the Great Tower at Dover Castle was
built to entertain Europe’s most powerful pilgrims on
their was to Thomas Becket’s shrine at Canterbury
Cathedral. 20160206_140417 - dover castle

The keep was built between 1181-1188 by Henry II.
The building of the great medieval stone castle atop
the White Cliffs started in the 1160’s. At the castle’s
heart stands the Great Tower, a place designed for
royal ceremony and a symbol of kingly power guarding
the gateway to the realm.

Dover Castle was garrisoned uninterruptedly until 1958.

English Heritage have done a fantastic job of restoring and recreating the Great Tower as it may have been in Henry’s day. The Great Hall and the bedroom are astounding. It must have been super cool to live there in medieval times, albeit very dark and cold.

Besides the great tower I also visited the ramparts, the medieval tunnels…amazing, the Princess of Wales Museum and the Saxon Church and Roman lighthouse.

Dover Castle is wayyyyyy bigger than I thought and it’s a brilliant place to explore. I am definitely going to visit again….hopefully on a less windy day. The views are astounding and the moat is awesome. 20160206_150632 - dover castle There is no way anyone would have been able to attack very easily. 20160206_151043 - dover castle

I superb day out. I can highly recommend a visit and do set aside at least 5-6 hours to explore the various tunnels and within the great tower. 20160206_150031 - dover castle

Dover Castle, the key to England for over mine centuries, this mighty fortress of Dover Castle displays at it’s core a dazzling evocation of a medieval royal palace. There are also secret wartime tunnels to explore.

I made a bit of a video of my visit…please excuse the whispering at some points LOL I’m really not sure why I felt the need to whisper, but the environment leant itself to speaking softly. There’s also quite a bit of wind noise…sorry 😉

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Home; Broadstairs

Posted in around the UK, family and relationships, It's my life, tagged broadstairs, charles dickens, duke of wellington, seaside towns of the uk, waterloo 200 on February 5, 2016| Leave a Comment »

So yesterday I spoke briefly about home, and of course that would currently be Broadstairs, a stunning seaside town in Kent and certainly one of the prettiest places I have ever lived. We moved here in October 2014 and although I wasn’t at first really that keen to move so far from London, as soon as I visited for the first time I just fell in love with this little town. IMAG2644 Going back to the 1500’s there is loads of history linked to Broadstairs – namely Charles Dickens who lived in Broadstairs a number of times and stayed at the Royal Albion Hotel, where my daughter and I frequently have tea and pastries when I come home after my last job, IMAG2027 as well as which, what is now known as Bleak House, IMAG5691 and the Duke of Wellington who apparently had barracks in the town for his soldiers during the war against Napoleon in Belgium. A few months ago in June of 2015 Broadstairs played a leading role in the Waterloo 200 commemorations. After the battle at Waterloo, once Napoleon’s standard had been captured, some of his troops sailed across the channel with the standard intent on reaching London. They were tossed about by tide and winds and landed on the beach in Viking Bay in Broadstairs. There was a reenactment in Broadstairs with the New Waterloo Despatch delivered by boat, reported to the Constable on duty and thence to London by coach…..very exciting it was.

Charles Dickens played a very big part in the history of Broadstairs and each year there is a Dickens week when the locals get togged out in Victorian gear and meander about town, if you didn’t know better, you’d think you had fallen down the rabbit hole. There’s a fair and walks and talks galore – good fun and last year I participated, albeit briefly by dressing up in a Victorian swimsuit (I didn’t go into the sea), and somehow I acquired a baby much to the amusement of my daughter. I had to give both the outfit and the baby back after play!! 😉 I would have been happy to keep both 🙂

2015.06.17 afternoon tea at Bleak House (2)

2015.06.17 afternoon tea at Bleak House (31)

2015.06.17 afternoon tea at Bleak House (5)

So continuing on my mission to ‘vlog’ today’s video is a combination video of places in Broadstairs linked to Dickens or named for one of his books. There are loads of places, roads and lanes all named for either places or characters from his books, but in order to keep the video short I have only touched on a few. Below is The Old Curiosity Shop where we often go for tea and cake…the carrot cake is delicious. There’s an old well in the shop that contains two skeletons at the bottom……visitors who didn’t pay their bill perhaps? 2015.05.26 (16)

I had to make a combined video from yesterday and today’s since I ran out of space on my tablet as I reached Bleak House.

So here it is; video blog #2 Home; Broadstairs

…rule #1 when recording….make sure you have enough space in the memory! Hah!

05.02.2016 – #3 finishing what I started

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getting back on the horse…..

Posted in around the UK, family and relationships, Holidays, interesting things that happen in London, It's my life, Travel, tagged 3 days in london, broadstairs in kent, canterbury in kent, new year fireworks in london, travel in the UK on January 5, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Hello dear lovely people.

weobley, herefordshire, black and white villages of the uk, historical villages of the uk

not the horse I am on…but you get the picture 😉

Just dropping by to let you know that after much deliberation, soul-searching and missing London desperately….I have reactivated 3 Days in London…I’m back….In mind and spirit if not body 😉

another of my favourite quotes

That’s still difficult and although I do manage the odd day/s here and there, largely I am working and because I now have to travel all the way to Broadstairs between jobs, and since it is criminally expensive to travel by train to London for a day…I can’t spend as much time in the city as I would like. But, there we go. Broadstairs is gorgeous and I am loving the fresh sea air and walks on the beach with my chica, (who I might add is looking so much happier and healthier and less stressed since she has moved there….3 months already can you believe!!!),

beautiful sunset on the beach at Broadstairs….that is Cémanthe in the distance

and the extraordinary sunrises I get to see; they’re something else (altho that won’t last for long coz the days are getting longer and the sun is rising earlier and soon it will arise before I am prepared to!!! LOL). Hence the reason winter is one of my favourite seasons…..it’s the only time of the year I get to watch a sunrise. 7/8am is way more reasonable than 4am!!!

sunrise in Viking Bay, Broadstairs

So, here’s the thing, I have started up/continued with 3 Days in London. Partly inspired by the 3DIL App…after ignoring it for 3 months and not updating it or anything, the downloads increased by nearly 2,000 to in excess of 4,500 downloads….. so, as you can imagine, when I saw that, I was like WOW…okay so I can’t let these people down and since the ‘business’ is not yet viable to sell, I have decided to activate things again and just get on with it. You may have noticed a lot more activity lately on the twitter profile and I have opened a new instagram account for 3daysinlondon as well as which I am back on my facebook page….I am however going to try and avoid the 2014 burn-out due to my obsession with the city.

one of my favourite views, upstream from Tower Bridge

“Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.” — Samuel Johnson

I spent a lot of the latter part of 2014 deliberating and after an intense coaching session on the 3rd January, with my wonderful daughter (who is a qualified coach), I am now moving forward with more deliberation and focus. I also discovered that I have in fact achieved my life’s goal….”to have a roof over my head while I travel”. Only it isn’t quite in the form/way that I meant when I said it……as in “I would like to have a camper-van and travel to different parts of the country for/at my leisure”, the goal has manifested itself in my job…wherein I get to travel to different parts of the country and I always have a roof over my head while working!!! Go figure! LOL so back to the drawing board on that and I shall have to advise the universe of exactly what it is that I want/would like (it doesn’t do to be demanding….I’ll ask nicely).

a mobile home = a roof over my head while I travel

So after the coaching session, I’ve now given myself 5 years in which to build 3 Days in London up into a viable business and that’s where my focus will be….besides working, of which I will be doing a lot in the next year or so. I turn 60 this year and the sudden realisation that I am nearing retirement age (urgh! how did that happen so quickly) gave me a kick up the proverbial *** to start saving…which means I have to work more …blergh!!! That means I don’t get to as many events as I would like or spend anywhere near as much time in the city as I would love….but you can’t have it all…..so for now I have made my peace with life as it is and just making the most of wherever I am.

wish you were here….

I’ve also had to give up my membership of the Historic Royal Palaces and Kew Gardens, which is terribly sad, but seems no point paying for something that I am not going to be able to visit for the foreseeable future…..I shall save the money instead.

beautiful Hampton Court Palace

In other news, I have been growing my hair now for the last two years and it is now unbelievably… down to my waist!! The intention is to donate it to charity for wigs for people who have lost theirs during cancer treatment. I’ll be setting up a justgiving link to go with the donation as you wouldn’t believe it but women who have lost their hair only get a synthetic wig from the NHS which I suppose is reasonable as they are expensive….did you know that a real hair wig costs anything between £200 – £2,000….which is extraordinary. So the plan is to have it cut while I am in London in Feb, as it is now driving me nuts and gets hooked on everything. And don’t even talk to me about washing it….lordy what a mission that is.

Besides that, we went to Canterbury 🙂 Yayyyy!!! Entered via the West Gate (or was it North?) and finally I have visited one of the cities in the UK that I was so desperate to see. It turned out to be so very different to what I was expecting and ever so fascinating with seriously old houses. I will write on that shortly.

The Moat Tearooms on the right….a 15th century house

I also managed to get up to London for the 2015 New Year fireworks and although I didn’t have my usual front row seat due to himself Boris J introducing a fee #booBoris and me being the stubborn person I am refusing to pay for something that was free before and quite frankly in my humble opinion as a Londoner (well not officially right now…but still….) I should be able to go for free…..I did however, get a spot on Horse Guards and although I couldn’t see what was happening in the lower regions of the London Eye, I get to see the wonderful display above. My gosh, they certainly are a sight to see. More on that later.

fabulous spectacle – New Year in London

So in the world of Cindy, all is well. I’m back in Essex with a client I visited last year…..and more on that later too 😉 or else this will end up a book instead of a blog.

from Essex (work) to Kent (home)

See y’all 🙂

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From Richmond to Broadstairs

Posted in around the UK, family and relationships, It's my life, Travel, tagged london to broadstairs, memories are made of this, places of the uk, towns of the uk, travel in the UK, Twickenham on January 2, 2015| 5 Comments »

I guess it had to happen someday…moving away from London.

when a man is tired of London……

Yes, we’ve moved….okay technically we moved nearly 3 months ago, but what with one thing and another I haven’t had time to sit down a write about it. So after living in the area; 4 years for her and 3 years for me, my daughter decided to move from Richmond to Broadstairs….

Broadstairs – a seaside town in Kent

Here’s the thing. My daughter wanted to have a change of scenery, to get away from the noise and hustle and bustle, pollution and grime of the big city…or as they called it in the ‘olden days’ – the ‘big smoke’. We may not have much smoke by way of coal and wood fires these days, but the emmissions from cars, trucks and vans more than makes up for that!! It always gives me a start when returning from a trip overseas to fly in over London and see the levels of pollution…..urgh, we live in that! So I was totally sympathetic to her wanting to get out of it. She had been longing to move to the countryside/seaside for ever such a long time, to escape to peace and quiet, but I suspect she held off so long because of me…knowing how much I loved London and because we really were, despite the freezing cold house in winter and noisy upstairs tennants, very happy in our little house in Richmond. But, as they say, all good things must come to an end and so the decision was made.

Richmond Riverside

After many weekends away and trips to various seaside towns, some that made her go ooooo and others that generated a blergh…….a trip to Broadstairs yielded a delightful little house in a quiet street in a quaint seaside town….and her heart was stolen….she was sold …so to speak. I got a whatsapp message with images of the house and a ‘should I go for it’….yes, of course you should…..if it’s what you want then for sure go for it. And so she did, put the offer in and a few days or so later I got another whatsapp image…..’I got it!!!’ I was thrilled for her and devastated for me…although I think that’s probably quite a strong word as I had more or less by then, due to previous circumstances mentioned, decided to quit London and the business of London and move away. So this was actually ideal timing.

Viking Bay – Broadstairs

We had a final breakfast at our favourite café in St Margarets; La Creperie Bretonne

our favourite breakfast place in St Margarets

Boxes were obtained, sorting began and soon our possessions were being whittled down and packed into what one hoped would be a few boxes…hah!!! Never underestimate the volume of stuff one collects over the years. However, I did a massive purge and all the personal development tapes, dvd’s, videos and boxes of books that I very foolishly wasted my money on in 2007/2008 took a hike….in other words, I destroyed the lot!!! Yes, I spent hours ripping up tapes, tearing books into shreds and destroying cds and dvds. I know this seems like a wilful act of destruction, but my feelings about this invasive industry still run very high. I am still smarting at the pervasive and underhand tactics they use to get you to sign up to their very expensive courses and I’m still paying the price; emotionally, mentally and financially. They sell you on the idea that by doing their course, your life will change….well it did, but not for the better…..especially financially. (and yes, I have written the book!) LOL But I digress….

: cd’s from the supposed Success University

: dvd’s etc that I wasted my money on 😦

So finally after much packing and dumping and selling and heart-wrenching decisions, we were packed up and ready to go…..and at the beginning of October (yes, I know, it’s taken that long) the van (please note the word ‘van’) arrived to collect all our boxes and things to begin the long trek to Broadstairs. It’s 80 miles…..and a very long 80 miles too may I add. We’re now closer to Belgium and France than we are to London!!! Go figure!! hahaha.

beneath the clouds is Belgium – sunset in Viking Bay

Anyway, getting back to the ‘van’, my lovely daughter had moved any number of times in her life, but never a major move besides one some years ago that we would rather consign to the annuls of history along with the jerk who was her husband at the time, and she had acquired quite a lot of furniture and household stuff in the four years we lived at Richmond. So when she got a ‘man-with-a-van’ and his wife in to give her an estimate of volume and cost, both she and they totally underestimated the amount of stuff there was…..and lo and behold the van, when it arrived on moving day, was too small. However, I am very good at puzzles, and did make a really good effort to squeeze everything in, I heaved and moved and shoved and jiggled and juggled boxes and furniture, and managed, much to the amazement of the van man and his sidekick, to get so much stuff in to the van that they were well impressed. In fact I quite simply put them to shame. I did in the process end up with a body covered in bruises and bloodied arms and shins. I looked like I had been to war! They should have paid me for doing their job. Hah!! But unfortunately she had to quickly scout around and order another van to collate and take with her the rest of the stuff left over. We ended up with a truck that cost as much again as the first quote and was that big it could have easily managed the whole bleeding lot. But, since much was already packed in the van and they had a few days ago given her the option to cancel, we felt we had to just go with what we had…and I wasn’t of a mind to unpack the bloody van again.

So everything in and away we went, barring some of my stuff……I hung onto the house as long as I could and since we had paid rent up to a certain date, I was determined to do as much in London as I could before I had to go. Crikey, it’s a long way….not to Tipperary but to Broadstairs. We finally made it and then there was unpacking to do. Firstly, I got stuck in and offloaded the van in double quick time, they really should have paid me….and very foolishly I didn’t get them to take the boxes upstairs, but had them pile the darn things in the dining area. Urgh!!! Stupid. Then they tried to get the bed bases up the stairs…..hmmmmm, yes, well….bearing in mind it was an old house, the people were not only thinner but shorter in ‘those’ days and as it turned out the damn staircase was too narrow and turned at too sharp an angle to allow us to get the bases past the first few steps. Bleeding heck…now what? So the mattress went up and (please don’t tell the landlord) but we took the bannister off the wall the next day and tried again…still to no avail, and to this day they are still stacked in the dining area…..but the boxes…..yes the boxes. Hmmm.

Now you might ask, where was my daughter while all this was happening…..well she, poor baby, had just come out of surgery after having a heart monitor stuck into her breastbone and was incapacitated. So Mama, did her thing….I’ve also had years of practice after having moved house on an average of about once every 6 months before she was born and 14 times in the 21 years after that, I had plenty of experience.

Once the vans were unpacked we set out to explore and have a very welcome cup of tea. Broadstairs is an absolute delight.

colourful beach huts in Broadstairs

Quirky shops, narrow roads, a rumbunctious pub, all sorts of fantastical items that have washed up onto the beach over the years, fantastic views, long stretches of secluded beaches, unobstructed views of the sunrise over the sea, a history that goes as far back as the Vikings and probably further, hence the name Viking Bay, a chapel that dates from the early 1600’s, little tea shops and home to the Charles Dickens Museum and Bleak House!!! Yes, yer man Charles Dickens used to summer in Broadstairs. Some of his books were written there and of course ‘Bleak House’….sitting for all the world bold as brass on the clifftop.

Bleak House, Broadstairs

Marvelous. Once I had my girl settled in as much as could be, I headed back to London for my great London walkabout and my goodbye London excursions. Sadly I didn’t get to do or even see everything I wanted but I did a heck of a lot.

my luggage – from St Margarets to Broadstairs

Once I finally cut the strings that bound me to London I hopped on a train with 2 large, very large suitcases, (one suitcase handle broke before I had gone 10 feet along the pavement to the station) and a reusable bag of groceries…..and made my sorry way to Broadstairs.

First to Clapham Junction, then to Broadstairs and a cab to the house. Not at all sure how I did that journey, but it seems I must have managed because I did eventually get to my destination. Mind you the staff on South West Trains were ever so helpful and the Train Conductor helped me on and off with all my bags, bless him.

And so to Broadstairs.

Viking Bay – Broadstairs

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