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Wassailing down the Thames on a Sunday afternoon

Posted in Fun Stuff, Historical, interesting things that happen in London, It's my life, things to do in London, tagged annual events in london, things to see and do in london, wassailing an annual event, wassailing the thames on January 15, 2013| 3 Comments »

me and the Green Man

yes! You read that right…..I went Wassailing down the Thames on a Sunday afternoon!! The Twelfth Night of Christmas festivities are held annually on the 6th January, and this year (also the first year) I got to hear about it!
So yesterday (January 6th) was one of the highlights of my London life to date!! I have lived in this city for 11 years now and it was only 2 weeks ago that I learned about the custom of wassailing. I received an email from a friend of mine inviting me to join him and his crew on the Trinity Tide as they carried the Holly (Green) Man from St Katherine’s Pier along the Thames to Bankside. I joined the cutter and crew at the pier at 1.45pm and my excitement knew no bounds; to be a passenger on the Trinity Tide had been a dream of mine since November 2010 when I first saw it in the Lord Mayor’s Show 🙂

the beautiful Trinity Tide

My daughter who was to be the official photographer and I set off really early and made our way to Tower Hill…thankfully the trains were running just fine and we made it in good time 🙂 We stopped off at Costa Coffee for a last-minute order (by text…gotta love social mobility) of 5 hot coffees; white please!! 🙂 I was guessing the crew were in need of urgent refreshment after rowing on what was a cold and grey day, from Deptford to Tower Bridge. Then down to the pier it was…I was still stressing big time about ‘am I in the right place?’ & ‘where were we landing?’ and sent a panic stricken text to Joe to make sure I had the right place. Daft!!!

me on my phone 🙂

When we arrived at the pier, there was no Green Man to be seen; my nerves were skittering about and almost overwhelmed my excitement. Then suddenly I saw the Trinity Tide as she rounded the bend

twelfth night festivities the trinity tide

the Trinity Tide arrives in good time

and a few seconds later I saw the Green Man making his way down the walkway to the pontoon!! Hooray!! I was in the right place at the right time! This does not happen often 🙂 The Green Man looked absolutely splendid decked out in his greenery and the face painting was extraordinary! The Holly Man ‘brings in the green’ and ‘wassails’ or toasts the people, the River Thames and the Globe – an old tradition encouraging good growth.

the extraordinary Holly (Green) Man arrives

The cutter pulled up alongside the pontoon and quick as a flash before anyone could change their minds I was on and seated. Try to pry me off now and see how far you get!!! 🙂

the trinity tide and the twelfth night festivities

safely ensconced and looking as pleased as punch

Within a very short space of time we were off…..the piper in the bow,

settled in for the trip; the piper in the bow of the Trinity Tide

the oarsman ready to row, the jolly green man standing as we go, one of the Mummers to wave and say hello; wassail the boats, then me in the VIP seat ( 🙂 ) and Joe standing at the stern to guide us safely along the river with nautical expressions like: easy as you go, or keep it even lads and even the odd ‘heave’.

looking ever so tiny against the huge structure of Tower Bridge, the Trinity Tide is on her way

Ohmygosh…what fun!!! I was truly in my element, grinning from ear-to-ear like a cheshire cat. I could scarcely believe my luck.
What an experience…..I can recommend it to anyone….although I am not sure that you would be able to go in the Trinity Tide, but you can sure take a ferry along the river. The views of the city are marvellous and although the tide was out and the water so low I could probably have walked along the river (kidding!), it was just amazing to sail beneath the bridges and see the buildings along the embankments from that perspective.

the underbelly of London Bridge, thankfully not falling down that day.

The Cap’n and his crew hailed and cheered the Green Man and the Trinity Tide and even 3 Days in London got 3 cheers….what fun!!
We made exceptionally good time, those blokes sure know how to row….and before we knew it, and way too soon for me, we arrived at Bankside.

the Green man arrives at Bankside…let the festivities begin!!!

And an extra bonus….because we were so early we (the rowers not me!!) rowed almost to Waterloo Bridge and then back down again, all the while the Mummer and Green Man wassailing along the Thames.
We landed safely on the beach (Churchill would have been proud), where we were met by a group of Mummers and others.

twelfth night festivities mummers at bankside

The Mummers waiting to greet the Green Man

Quick as a flash the Green Man was gone and I didn’t even have time to say goodbye 🙂 I climbed out the boat with huge reluctance! The embankment was lined with revellers and spectators there to see the arrival of the Green Man from the Thames, watch the Mummers and join in with the celebrations and Twelfth Night festivities.
Their costumes were just brilliant and the characters enchanting! I said goodbye to the Trinity Tide and crew and all too soon they made their way back along the Thames to Deptford.

the trinity tide leaves for her return voyage to deptford

goodbye Trinity Tide; bon voyage and thank you

The play was in full swing by the time I found myself a good vantage point and although I could not see very well or hear much of what was going on, the bits that I did get to see and hear were uproariously funny. At the end of the play, cakes are distributed – a bean and a pea hidden in two of them. Those who find them are hailed King and Queen for the day and crowned with ceremony. The little cakes were duly handed out and King Bean and Queen Pea were identified, they were crowned and the whole jolly group set off with revellers and spectators trailing behind to the George Inn for the next bit of the tradition. I ran like mad through the back streets (it’s really useful knowing my way around!) to get to the George Inn before the crowd as I really wanted to record them arriving….which they did with great noise, pomp and ceremony!! What a brilliant experience.

the Holly (Green) Man arrives at the George Inn, Southwark amidst much noise and ceremony

I can highly recommend that you put the 6 January 2015 into your diary and head on over to Bankside for next year’s festivities. Snippets of information in this blog are from this site; do visit it, it’s brilliant.

If you would like to join me on twitter where I post information about London I would be delighted. I am also on facebook and if you have any photos you would like to share of your London experiences, why not join the growing community of people who love London. Thanks for dropping by and reading this blog, I also blog about London at 3 days in London. So if you are in London for 3 days….or perhaps more, do feel free to visit the website for some ideas on places to visit and things to do and I wish you a wonderful stay.

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living history #London2012 & the biggest sporting event in the world!!

Posted in Fun Stuff, Historical, interesting things that happen in London, It's my life, things to do in London, Travel, tagged kew gardens olympic torch relay, london 2012 olympic games, olympic torch relay richmond on July 25, 2012| 8 Comments »

London 2012

#London2012 and I am here!!! Thrilled to be part of what is the cremé de la cremé of sporting events, one of the most amazing events in sports. I am living a part of history that for some folks (me included) is a once in a lifetime opportunity. We live history every single day, some impacts on us and much doesn’t….depending on where it happens and what happens and whether or not we are involved in some way.

My personal history was written the day the company I was working for back in South Africa went into liquidation…little did I know just how much that was going to change my life; the radical shift that was pending…and I didn’t even know. My only concern on the day was…”let me into the building I have work to do…don’t have time for this BS!!” (they did and I got on with my job 🙂 ), my next concern was whether or not I would get another job….those were the days of the new South Africa where to be Old/er, White, Man/Woman was not conducive to getting a job and then the worry about the mortgage popped into my head.

Then I had a stroke of genius….I would visit my sister in Ireland 🙂 What a great idea…. I didn’t have to ask for leave..I would be free to go on holiday for as long as I liked! So I booked my ticket and the rest is ‘history!’…..and here I am living in what is the greatest city in the world and just about to be part of one of the most momentous events of this year…and we have had quite a few! I bought/ordered tickets for my daughter and myself and thankfully we were awarded tickets for 2 events; one at the Olympic Stadium and one at Excel.

london 2012, olympic games london, oliver golding

Oliver Golding, just before they lit the flame for his section of the relay…up close and personal

The buildup was initially slow, but over the last few months the excitement has mounted and when the Olympic Flame landed in the UK on 28th May, we really got into the swing of things as it travelled around the country, drawing ever greater crowds to watch it go by! And yesterday it travelled through my home town!!! Hooray.

I was so excited the night before that I hardly slept!!! I went to bed at about 1.30am; the adrenaline racing through my body & my mind popping about all over the place. I finally fell asleep only to wake at 5am. Unable to go back to sleep, I got up, had a cup of tea and a biscuit then dressed and ready to go by 6:48. I kissed my daughter goodbye. She is usually out the door well before me (I don’t do mornings) and by 7:12am I was at Kew Gardens….no-one else was there. I thought for sure I had the wrong place. I quickly got onto twitter (via my brand new wonderful little mobile computer (aka a phone) and saw tweets about the traffic being interrupted and that they would be handing out maps and info at Kew Station…so I whizzed over got myself a much need cup of coffee and waited. They got there at just on 8am and map in hand I strode back up the road to the gates…..the Marshalls had just arrived and were amazed to see someone already there. LOL I was in the right place, at the right time…okay, well still a tad too early!

london 2012, olympic games london, kew gardens, olympic torch relay

Kew Gardens gates…..open at 9.30am 🙂

Then while I sat and waited an old gent joined me on the bench and we chatted awhile. I was too excited to sit still for long so made my excuses and off I went to hang around in front of the gates in the hope they may opened them sooner….they didn’t!

Finally they opened the gates……..and I was in. By then the crowd has grown as more and more folks arrived. My friend Peter joined me and we set off, taking photos along the way to find a good spot.

london 2012, olympic games london, kew gardens, olympic torch relay, anjula wilson

Anjula Wilson – at Kew Gardens after her stint carrying the Olympic Torch in the relay

Yesterday was seriously awesome…to see the Olympic Torch from such close proximity. No barriers, no policing, just UK citizens and visitors enjoying what is a momentous occasion. To see a flame that has travelled not only across our country but from another land, with a history that goes back aeons…this is a must see. Personally, despite all the hiccups, all the negativity and all the problems we have had…I think we should be proud to hosting this amazing event. #London2012 I am so grateful that I am here to experience it.

One of the advantages of being up that early was that I got to see the river with the morning sunrise. I have photgrpahed this particular scene hundreds of times, but this was the first time so early in the morning…..I guess I am going to ‘have to do mornings’ 🙂

london 2012, olympic games london, kew gardens, olympic torch relay, twickenham bridge

early morning at Twickenham Bridge

After the Torch had left, we meandered about exploring the gardens and having a look at the new David Nash exhibition and walking around the Treetop Walkway which is seriously cool. After an hour or so we headed over to Twickenham for tea and cupcakes, then strolled along the Thames pathway to Richmond and finally to the station at 5.45pm. What a brilliant day.

I have posted some photos of the Olympic torch and Kew Gardens on my facebook page.

Just found this new post with a brilliant photo of the Olympic Rings at Kew Gardens

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a nautical London tale

Posted in Fun Stuff, Historical, interesting things that happen in London, It's my life, Travel, tagged admiral of the port boat challenge, admiral of the port challenge race, river thames events, trinity house history, trinity tide, what to see in london on May 18, 2012| Leave a Comment »

admiral of the port boat challenge london, london traditions, boats races in london

Big Ben and with minutes to go till 7pm the boats head out

Admiral of the Port Challenge Race 2012. Just over a week ago I received and invitation from a friend of mine whom I met via Twitter to attend this historical race. To say that I was thrilled would be an understatement…I love this history of the city and anything to do with events in the City gets me all excited…..needless to say I accepted.

Admiral of the Port Challenge Race 2012

Monday 14^th May at 7.00pm

The course will be from

The Palace of Westminster

the Westminster Boating Base,

a distance of 1.33 statute miles

The event is open to all Watermen’s four oared cutters in full livery regalia with canopies

carrying the coxswain and two passengers.

Trinity Tide heading out

“Our boat, which is the Trinity House Cutter “Trinity Tide”, will be the beautiful white cutter with the green canopy”.

(Trinity Tide is one of the few Thames Waterman Cutters that will end up taking part in the Round Canvey Island race later in the year.)

And so, Monday afternoon saw me set off, all dressed up for the Champagne reception that would follow the race, with butterflies in my tummy and delighted to be heading into London central.

When I arrived at just after 5.30pm I noticed a number of small water-craft tied up alongside Westminster Pier and headed on down to have a look around. It was really interesting to see the boats up close and there was an excited buzz of chatter and laughter as the rowers and passengers milled about either putting the bits and pieces together or just catching up.

attaching/installing the flag….no doubt there is a technical term for this 🙂

It was really interesting watching the oarsman setting up the canopy and the seating area, the different flags, the oars and all the bits and bobs (which I am sure all have professional names 😉 ) and in no time at all it was ‘all aboard’ and off they went into the middle of the river to catch the fast flowing tide and a race to the finish line.

the boats gathering and heading to the start: Westminster Bridge

I had met up with Joe and his wife Jan, and as a guest of theirs had been invited to the champagne reception after the race. The plan was for us to see the competitors set off and then race up the stairs of Westminster Bridge, dash across the road and hail the first taxi that came along, then make a mad dash (or as fast as London traffic will allow) to the venue for the finish and the reception.

one quick photo as I dash up the stairs

So as soon at the boats got to the bridge, we ran along the pier, along the Embankment, up the stairs, hesitated briefly at the traffic lights, ignored the red signal, checked for traffic…none…and ran across the road….dashed along the sidewalk and lo and behold there was a cab…almost as if it had been waiting. We hailed madly, checked that he could go our way, jumped in breathlessly laughing and urged yer man the cabbie to race to the finish line. It all felt very 007’ish and my heart was racing with excitement (or exertion)!! 😉

We got to the pier (finish line) in good time to watch the boats arrive; very exciting to watch that!!!

there in the distance you can catch a glimpse of the boats. at this point I switched over to video, so no stills of the boats coming in…. (p.s. the boats in the foreground were not in the race)

Then for the champagne…hmmm yum.

champagne 🙂

I was very impressed with the food provided and a great evening was had by all. But…..my curiosity was piqued! I wanted to know more about this race, so yesterday I sat down and did a bit of research and this is what I found:

“Admiral of the Port’s Challenge
This race was inaugurated by the Lord Mayor to mark his dual role of Admiral of the Port of London. It is contested by traditional Thames Waterman’s Cutters.
The Thames Waterman’s Cutter is 34 feet long with a beam of 4 feet, 6 inches. In keeping with the concept of traditional rowing, it has fixed seats for up to six rowers and room for a cox and passengers. It is also simply adapted to the role of Ceremonial Livery barge with extra seating for passengers under a stern canopy. In this form the Cutter closely resembles the decorated craft often seen in historical scenes of the Thames in earlier centuries.
This event is raced from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Boating Base, a distance of 1.33 statute miles. The rules require that the Cutters are rowed by four oars, must be rigged with their ceremonial canopies and flags, and must carry two passengers.
Such is the growth in popularity of Cutter racing (there are now more than 25 on the River) the race is often subject to a “staggered start”. The Cutters are set off in waves so their crews are not only racing against those in their starting rank, but also against the clock, as the winners are the crew that record the fastest time over the course.” for more on that click here.

I also did some research on Trinity House and the reason for that is coz Joe and his team row the ‘Trinity Tide’ which belongs to Trinity House.

“Henry VIII and Pilotage
It is often stated that the origins of Trinity House date back to a charitable guild of sea Samaritans established by Archbishop Stephen Langton in the 12th Century. The first official record is the grant of a Royal Charter by Henry VIII in 1514 to a fraternity of mariners called the Guild of the Holy Trinity, .. “so that they might regulate the pilotage of ships in the King’s streams”. At the time of inception, this charitable Guild owned a great hall and almshouses, close to the Naval Dockyard at Deptford on the River Thames. In 1604 James I conferred on Trinity House rights concerning compulsory pilotage of shipping and the exclusive right to license pilots in the River Thames. Until our responsibility for District Pilotage was transferred to Port and Harbour Authorities under the 1987 Pilotage Act, we were Pilotage Authority for London and over 40 other Districts, including the major ports of Southampton and Harwich.
Today the Corporation is comprised of a fraternity of approximately 300 Brethren drawn from the Royal and Merchant Navies and leading figures in the shipping industry. Its Master since 1969 was the Duke of Edinburgh, the longest serving Master in Trinity House history. He was succeeded in 2011 by HRH The Princess Royal.” and for more about Trinity House, click here.

So there you have it, another exciting day in the life of a Londoner, and once again I am reminded of just how much there is to see and do in this marvellous city.

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Weobley revisited and the Hereford poop machine

Posted in around the UK, family and relationships, Fun Stuff, Historical, It's my life, tagged black and white villages of the UK, bollards of london, dragon and flagon pub tours london, hidden london, historical villages of the UK, history of london, street bollards, weobley on May 12, 2012| 4 Comments »

the Weobley poop machine

And that of course would be the dog!!! I have nicknamed him the Hereford poop machine and for good reason. I am not really partial to dogs, I can take them or leave them…preferrable the latter, but as it turns out this little dog has won a spot in my heart…albeit only a tiny spot! 🙂
When the agency initially phoned me about the job, I was keen until I heard about the dog….and then I had pause for thought. As it turned out of course I accepted and here I am. This is my 2nd stint at this particular position and so far I am enjoying it as much as I did the first time. When I arrived I received a raptuous welcome from the dog that really made me smile and feel kinda special….ahhh how sweet, he remembered me and was thrilled to see me. Ha! A few days later my illusions were shattered when a friend came to visit….she got as raptuous a welcome…..so it wasnt my scintillating personality then!!!
However, be that as it may, the dawg has taken quite a shine to me…probably coz I take him for frequent walks. He sits under my chair when I am working and at my feet when watching TV. Sweet! He has cottoned on to the routine for when we are about to go for a walk….of course I daren’t use the word ‘walk’ in his presence and usually say something like ‘ I’ll take himself out for a stroll’…hahahaha. So now when he sees me walk upstairs and come back down with my black jacket over my arm, he starts getting hyper and the tail goes mad….wagging so violently that his bottom end moves from side to side. I then sit down on the chair to change my shoes and put my trainers on and at that stage is when I start talking to him! Ok, so don’t raise your eyebrows like that….I have to build the anticipation of the walk ahead you know. I say things like ‘yes, you know we’re going for a walk don’t you?!’ or someother nonensical stuff like that and the little dog sits and watches me intently, cocking his head from side to side as I talk, his bright button eyes never leaving my face, just waiting for me to get up and then he is off like a rocket to the scullery bouncing around like a puppy despite his considerable 11years+. Then when I pick up the lead…omgosh! He goes ballistic and it’s all I can do to stop him jumping up into my arms. Hysterical. And thats where the poop machine comes into it, and that is the bit of my job I do not appreciate….being the pooper-scooper!!! blergh!! I have to take at least 3 bags along each time and wonder why he can’t just squat once and get it over with.
As we walk I have to wonder why it is that we walk 10 feet and he lifts his leg, walk another 10 feet and he lifts his leg, this goes on right through the whole walk. Lady dogs are far more polite and sensible and squat once and thats it! However, I do enjoy the walks, although it’s unclear who is taking whom for the walk…..I get a lot of brisk exercise as he rushes about, sniffing here, sniffing there and bolting along like we have a train to catch, and when we head for home it’s all I can do to keep on my feet!!

One of the walks we make is out the village past the village hall along what is known as a ‘country road’; 7ft high hedges, fields of crops or orchards on either side, birds flitting about overgrown grassy fields and twittering for all kingdom to hear, wild flowers scattered like bright jewels alongside the hedgerows and overall this, amazing peace and quiet. Have you ever stood and listened to the quiet? It’s palpable here. The contrast between here and home is very apparent in that here I see the occassional car, peak-hour traffic

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

peak-hour traffic

whereas at home the traffic flies past, a never-ending roar of about a thousand cars an hour. Here there isn’t even a stop street or yield sign, never mind a traffic light. Another route takes us along a narrow little lane with a small stream on one side and a field of crops on the other, the blue sky stretches to the horizon filled with fluffy white clouds that tower up like puffs of cotton wool, a field of sheep and the blissful peace.

fluffy white clouds in blue skies

I am totally in love with this little village. The first time I came I took hundreds of photos so it’s not like I missed anything, but I can tell you that I have been hard put to not take just as many photos again.

weobley herefordshire, black and white villages of the uk, historical villages of the uk, king charles I

The Throne, where King Charles I slept on 5th September 1645

The history of the village is just amazing, and the one house that used to be the Unicorn Inn, now known as ‘The Throne’, is where King Charles I slept 5th September 1645 on his way to London , where he eventually lost his head. The thought that King Charles I actually walked (okay probably rode his horse is more like it) in the same place where I was walking is just thrilling beyond words. I am dying to knock on the door of this rambling, ramshackle, ancient building, now called ‘The Throne’, and ask if I can have a look around. I can just imagine the rickety staircases, and low doors, and wooden beamed rooms filled with history. Imagine living in a house like that!!! I have had a chance to have a closer look at the construction of the houses too and it’s incredible to see the ancient wooden pegs knocked into the struts holding them to the main frame of the house.

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

ancient architecture

The Manor House is the oldest remaining house in the village and predates Tudor! Imagine! So instead of taking loads of photos of the houses I have concentrated on photos of the fields and flowers and just a few repeats of the architecture…… 🙂

The Manor – probably built pre-Tudor

I also explored the remains of the castle (built in the early 1200’s by Walter de Lacy), walked along the top of the mound and walked through the remains of the moat.

the remains of the moat of the castle

So this 2nd stint in Weobley has been good, just the long days kill me. I don’t mind staying up till 11.30pm, in fact I seldom get to bed before 1am in London, but then I get to sleep till 9am the next day….here I only get to bed by 11.30pm and have to be up at 7am the next morning, in fact the sun comes up so early that by 6am I am usually awake. Also sitting around and being confined to the house most of the day is quite tiring. The routine is the same every day and the same thing happens at the same time with very little variation. The pace is very slow and for someone who is used to heading through the day at fullspeed…it’s amazing how tiring it is. But I do enjoy the peacefulness of the area and the lady is lovely. I am not sure though that I will be back since it takes such a long time to get here…6 hours travelling in all. We shall have to see.
One of the other things that I love is how friendly the villagers are, never in London would you walk past someone on the way to the store and have them say ‘good-morning’ as you walk by. It’s great. it’s been raining a lot in England lately and we had a deluge the first few days I was here and the flowers and leaves were hung with drops of water that look like diamonds.

diamond drops

Everything is so lush and beautiful. We have also had lots and lots of bluebells growing in the gardens which are all open plan so it’s been a treat to see them in clumps everywhere.

Hyacinthoides non-scripta (formerly Endymion non-scriptus or Scilla non-scripta) is a bulbous perennial plant, found in Atlantic areas from north-western Spain to the British Isles

bluebells; Hyacinthoides non-scripta (formerly Endymion non-scriptus or Scilla non-scripta) is a bulbous perennial plant, found in Atlantic areas from north-western Spain to the British Isles (ref wikipedia)

I was quite concerned I may miss them as I never did get to go to Kew last month, but I plan a trip for when I get back and before I whizz off again for the next job…thankfully that will be in zone 3 of London and only an hour or so from home. What that means is that I will have internet reception and hopefully get to do some work online, one of the things I have missed a lot in Weobley….zero internet reception and very little phone connection. I usually have to hang out the upstairs window to get reception.
So with just four days left till I head on home, I will continue to enjoy the quiet and the walks and the company. The lady, who is 94, used to play snooker when she was younger, is a great fan of the game and so we have been watching the snooker finals with Ronnie O’Sullivan and Ali Carter amongst others…and I have become quite the addict myself!! hahaha. That said it’s a real bother that after the snooker is finished the TV goes off and except for Eggheads which we watch religiously every day, and I know know a lot of useless information…. So I have missed most of the programmes I usually enjoy and that is one of the things I shall make the most of when I get back home…. and as I write, that is only 4.5 days away. Hooray!!!! (that was then and of course as I write now….I am already home).

The train journey through the English countryside is a real treat, so beautiful and the yellow fields of rape seed plants stretch to the horizon,

rape seed fields

a wonderful contrast to the green fields dotted with sheep or horses. The rivers are full to the brim, thick brown water racing along, ignoring the corners and just swamping the banks as they go.

River Usk coming round the corner into Newport, Wales

Many of the fields are still under water but what can be seen is lush and green, in so many variations you could not imagine that one colour could have so many different shades. The rain has lifted now and the sky is a fabulous blue with puffs of white cloud piled high, marvellous.

fields swamped with water

and here I am back in London, and besides the level of noise, one of the first things I have noticed is that my headache is back! Well now? There’s a thing. I didnt have one headache whilst I was away and within 12 hours of being back in London I have a headache. Hmmm. Is it the pollution perhaps or the noise levels? Although I take Vogel’s ‘oat drops’ at night to help me sleep (they knock me out), I am sure the constant noise of traffic outside my window doesn’t help (we have a major thoroughfare about 10 yards from my window). I was also very aware of the pollution as we came back into the city perimeter, the sky looks brown and grey. Urgh! And again it was brought home quite forcefully the mad rush and calamitious nature of the city. People are so rude, pushing and shoving; the sheer level of aggression which you get so used to when here all the time that you eventually don’t notice it, and within 10 minutes of getting off the train I was feeling so aggro! Grrr.

And then to top it all, I waited 25 minutes for the bus (after a 4.5 hour journey, this is not what I wish to do with my time), and then a bus-ride that normally takes about 10 minutes took over 20 to get from the station to my stop. My god! I am going to write to Boris Johnson and suggest he gets the buses sorted. I can’t even begin to imagine how bloody awful it’s going to be with the Olympics. And now of course the drivers et al are threatening to strike unless they get and extra £500 for the period. Come on people, you have a job, just do it. I haven’t had an increase in salary for over three years now and they are bitching about having to drive extra people.

Anyhow, that’s enough of that….I will put #grumpygranny back in her box for now and save that particular rant for another blog. 🙂 🙂
Some great and fun news is that I went on my 5th and final Dragon and Flagon Pub Tour last night and whoooo hoooo I got my badge! I have now been inducted into the Order of the Dragon and am officially a Dragon! Harhar!

dragon and flagon pub tour, pub tours of london, history of london

me and Vic – our erstwhile pub-tour guide. I got my badge in front of The Monument

And what a fun night it was too. Vic is such a terrific tour guide. I got to see the first church that was re-built by Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of 1666, a narrow cobbled road that slopes downhill with a gutter that runs down the middle – designed to allow the effluent of the ancient city to run off into the river!! ewwwww!!!

Lovat Lane – where the old surface is barely the width of a plague cart’s wheelbase and the gutter still runs down the middle carrying effluent to the river

imagine how vile the air must have been, visited the site of the entrance to (oops cant remember now) from the “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askeban” movie, had a Bailey’s on ice in a pub closely associated with Lewis Carroll (he of Alice in Wonderland fame), visited my favourite pub of all time, saw the last of the ancient city bollards – made from the tube of a captured French cannon,

bollards of london, hidden london, street bollards, history of london

on the banks of the Thames this old bollard is made from an old cannon from a 18th century warship

we re-visited the site where Samuel Pepys stood as he watched London burning in 1666 and did a whole lot of ‘shard spotting’ (the building is looking brilliant now and it’s almost unbelievable how high it is).

The Shard, designed by the international architect, Renzo Piano

super cool. The evening ended off at a pub I had wanted to visit, have walked past a number of times and never gone in; awesome…..and then home (1.5hours journey time????), never let it be said that London is a small city….. and then a catch up with my delightful daughter whom I have not seen for 2 weeks and finally to bed at 1am.
I am home!

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the day the Dragon kissed St George

Posted in Fun Stuff, Historical, interesting things that happen in London, It's my life, tagged leadenhall market, morris men dancers, patron saint of england, St Georges Day on April 23, 2012| Leave a Comment »

st georges day, leadenhall market st george, morris dancers

St George and the Dragon

One of the bonuses of coming to live in the UK was discovering that not only did I share a birthday with Shakespeare but my birthday falls on the same day as the Patron Saint of England; St Georges day…..all those years and who knew?? 🙂

In the past I have endeavoured to be in another country on my birthday but since I am London bound this year I decided to investigate ‘what’s on in the city’ and head out to participate. To my delight I discovered that one of my favourite places in the City of London; Leadenhall Market was hosting a celebration of the day with Morris Men dancers and attempting to set a new World Record for the greatest number of people to toast St George…..how could I resist.

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Leadenhall Market decked out with the English flag for St George's day

I set off relatively early and made my way along streets, not paved with gold but splattered with rain…yes you guessed…it was the wettest and coldest 23rd April in something like 26 years….why!!!!!!! LOL Ah well this is London after all 🙂 So I arrived at the venue and meandered about taking photos and then discovered that the 12noon dancing was in fact at 1.15 pm so I decided to visit the Bank of England instead. Maybe get a loan from yer man….Melvyn! hahahaha. Seriously though the Bank’s museum is a brilliant place and I managed to lift the gold bar…shame you don’t get to keep it if you pick up, but there you go, win some; lose some!

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The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street - The Bank of England

It’s really interesting to read about the beginnings of the banking system in the UK and how bonnie Prince Charlie bankrupted some banks by not paying back his loans… tut, tut. Thankfully our present Monarch has more bucks in the bank and seems to be quite comfortably well off. ‘what! what!’ Now it’s the Politicians who seem intent on bankrupting the country, never mind the banks. But I digress…..

So after the museum visit I set off once again through the streets of London back to Leadenhall Market and along the way I visited the Heart of the City, the Royal Exchange, St Mary Woolnoth Church (The church’s site has been used for worship for at least 2,000 years), Pope’s head Alley, the site of Lloyd’s Coffee House 1691-1785, Mitsubishi trust House (has the most amazing sculptures above the entrance), the Crosse Keys Pub (A plaque on the front of this pub recalls that a famous coaching inn, called the Crosse Keys, stood near this site) and thence to Leadenhall Market and behold the Morris Dancers!

: Heart of the City

: The Royal Exchange

: St Mary Woolnoth Church

: Pope’s Head Alley

: Site of Lloyd’s Coffee House

: Mitsubishi Trust House

: The Crosse Keys Pub

: Roof of Leadenhall Market

: Morris Men dancers

Morris dance is a form of English folk dance usually accompanied by music. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers. Implements such as sticks, swords, handkerchiefs and bells may also be wielded by the dancers. In a small number of dances for one or two men, steps are performed near and across a pair of clay tobacco pipes laid across each other on the floor.
Claims that English records, dating back to 1448, mention the morris dance are open to dispute. There is no mention of “morris” dancing earlier than the late 15th century, although early records such as Bishops’ “Visitation Articles” mention sword dancing, guising and other dancing activities as well as mumming plays.

Most entertaining and I was delighted to finally get to see a performance. Then it was time for the World Record! A toast to St George

“I see you stand like
greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start.

The game’s afoot:
Follow your spirit,
and upon this charge

Cry ‘God for Harry,
England and St George!”

Shakespeare, Henry V, Act III, scene 1.

And I believe that a new World Record was set 🙂 hee hee and I was a part of it! Loud cheers followed this lusty outburst.

Just before I left I decided to buy a red rosebeing sold by some chaps in fancy dress……one of whom was St George. When I mentioned that it was my birthday, he said ‘go on! give us a kiss’, and so the Dragon kissed St George 🙂

St George circa 2012

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warbling in Weobley

Posted in around the UK, Historical, It's my life, tagged black and white villages, herefordshire, historic villages in the uk, villages in the uk, weobley on April 22, 2012| 8 Comments »

Ok so it’s not me doing the warbling…that honour goes to the birds; literally 🙂

At time of writing, here I am in a little village called Weobley (pronounced Webbley) in the middle of the country in the county of Herefordshire. And I am working as a Carer….never say never eh!!! So you may ask: ‘what are you doing working as a carer again?’….and well you might ask! What am I doing working as a Carer again? Last year in August when I quit the job it was with the intention of not working as a carer again!! I wanted to work in an office and bring my skills up to date. I managed to find a job fairly easily (hmmm…perhaps too easily) but because I knew of the company through someone else I felt fairly confident that it would be a great position. And so it turned out to be except for one very important aspect…..the boss!!! He was of the mind that it was not only acceptable but traditional to shout at the employee (me)….. really?

Well as you can imagine I did not take very kindly to that and within 3 months I resigned. Anyhow he (the boss) and I had a meeting and he asked why I had resigned so I told him…I don’t like the way you speak to me. Simples!!! So things settled for a bit and they asked me to stay on till after Xmas (this being November) and in a moment of insanity I agreed. Yeah, yeah, yeah take my temperature why don’t you!! The shouting settled for a bit until one day after a particularly stressful day I told him that he was a bit bullish (subtle terminology for ‘you are a bully’) and we ended up having a spat….. anyhow he took it on the chin, and away we went. The the shouting escalated again and when I challenged him on it (and challenge him I did), he was of the mind that he was stressed and blah blah blah and that if I could not handle it then I should resign….so I did. Resignation #2! Again after a couple of weeks of looking for a suitable person and not finding anyone they asked me to stay on and again I did (ok this time a phychologist would be in order). However it did not last long and I finally resigned for the 3rd and final time when I found myself listening to him berate me for a totally arbitrary issue, and I found myself picturing what it would be like to smash his head in with the mug I was holding in my hand. They found someone else to take the crap and I left on 3rd April…just short of 7 months at the job.

Hmmm, now what to do? I am of the mind that if what he says is true, and shouting and being bullied is the norm in the office environment in the UK….then I want nothing of it. Back to the caring then!

And here I am…as I write I am in a little village called Weobley that has a fantastic history dating back to mediaeval times with some fabulous houses built in 1422 and 1561 and so on. Right up my alley so to speak. This position has reminded me of all the things I loved about being a carer and all the things I disliked about being a carer. Fortunately the lady is a delight and despite my misgivings about the dog (he is actually very sweet and has taken a shine to me – follows me around the house). I am enjoying this particlar job. Fortunately it is only a 5 day position and not 2weeks which seriously kills me, especially if the client is full of doodah!!

I love the adventure of going to new places in the UK and I get to see amazing little villages I would not otherwise, and get paid for being there. I love the discoveries I make and if the job is pleasant I love what I do. The thing I dislike about the caring is being stuck indoors for 22 hours a day unless the client likes going out. I chaff at the bit of being unable to go out for walks, of being unable to go to bed when I am tired and the assumption by the client that it is ok to ‘demand’ without a ‘please’ in front. It’s not the easiest of jobs, but the one thing I do appreciate is that they are mostly short-term and if you land up with a client that is rude you can request to be withdrawn. Benefit!! What I dislike… is being away from home, of not sleeping in my own bed and having my things around me. The benefit this time though is that I have a home to go back to. 🙂 and I have my delightful daughter there too.

So Weobley, established in the 7th century, has a fascinating history as well as the archaeological remains of what was a castle, probably built by one ‘de lacy….he of many castles in Ireland as well. I have had a fab time meandering the streets of the village and photographing the numerous houses that still exist from the dark ages ( 😉 ) and walking the dog. Unlike at home where there is a constant stream and cacophony of traffic, I hardly ever heard a car, slept like a log and in the mornings when I woke, it was to the sound of sheep baaing and birds warbling.

I am of course now back home. There was no internet reception in the area which I found unsurprising and totally annoying. However, it has given me a chance to catch up on stuff and now that I am home again, I can get back online and do what I need to do. Of course the plan is to build my business to the point where I not longer have to go away as a carer, but can go away on holiday….to explore and discover new villages and places at my own pace.

I took hundreds of photos as you can imagine (you know I do!) and have made a video for your enjoyment. Weobley

Here is a wee bit of history of the village:

Weobley is a picture postcard village surrounded by glorious countryside, in the county of Herefordshire, renowned for its stunning black and white timber framed houses, and buildings some of which date back to the 1400’s. The village has an interesting history with Saxon origins, an ancient 12th Century church with an impressive 14th Century Tower, and spire that graces the skyline. At the southern end of the village stands a link with Medieval times at Weobley Castle.
Weobley is one of the best-preserved Tudor villages in the country, with many beautiful timber framed buildings.

When Wibba created a clearing in the woods (a ley) here in the 6th Century, little did he think that his name would still be attached to the village 1500 years later. His father, Cridda, was King of Mercia and held a hill fort not far away at Credenhill (Cridda’s hill).

In Weobley many aspects of 1500 years of British history are represented. From its Saxon origins, through the Norman Conquest to the medieval period, the Civil War, and the agricultural revolution. Here you will discover the remains of an 11th Century castle, a 12th Century Church and many houses from the14th Century onwards.

In 2008 Weobley appeared in the top fifty of the Times Newspaper’s best places to live in England.

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3 Days in London and being published

Posted in Historical, It's my life, things to do in London, Travel, tagged 3 days in london, discovering the treasures of london, guildhall london, st pauls cathedral, what to do in london on April 10, 2012| 4 Comments »

So wow!! most exciting news this morning. My 2nd kindle ‘book’ has been approved!!! whoo hoo &lt:-P party my 1st itinerary is up and online!!!!!!

2 years ago I started a journey that has seen me delve into the streets and lanes of London discovering her history, beautiful buildings and relics of the past and along the way I have uncovered her secrets; a Roman amphitheatre 20 feet below street level, the site where Samuel Pepys was born, the site where Dick Whittington (of nursery rhyme fame) and 4 times Mayor of London had his house and the church that he founded,

dick whittington mayor of london, hidden london, things to do and see in london

Whittington House on the site where Dick Whittington had his house in 1423 and the church that he founded in the background

the crow’s nest of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s boat Quest in an ancient crypt,

all hallows by the tower church, shackletons crows nest, crypts of london, 3 days in london, what to see in london

the crow's nest from Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship Quest

and spent a very happy time in one of London’s oldest remaining churches, parts of which remain from 1123!!! I mean seriously….how could I not get passionate about this city. I have spent up to 8 hours at a stretch wandering the streets, lanes and roads of the City of London, the City of Westminster and many more besides, never mind the parks and gardens in the suburbs, not all at one go of course!! 🙂

3 days in london, guildhall london, things to do and see in london

Guildhall in the City of London

The 3 Days in London journey all began when I was chatting to a twitter friend on my @notjustagranny profile a couple of years ago. She mentioned that she and her hubby would have a 6 hour layover at Heathrow and were keen to pop into London for that time and could I suggest something for them to do. So I set about creating an itinerary called 6 hours in London and sent it on. As it turned out they didn’t make the trip into London but an idea was born.

From there, and with the encouragement of my daughter I set up a business called 3 Days in London and started blogging. It made perfect sense since London had become a passion of mine and it was very easy to blog and talk about all the marvellous places and things to see and do in this city.

I have since taken folks on bespoke guided tours and have now created 3 itineraries for 3 Days in London that will take you on a step by step guide through 3 different areas of London, that incorporates all the top attractions

St Paul’s Cathedral; a marvel of architecture

as well as many other places folks miss out on altogether….the hidden treasures of London. I have also seen numerous visitors with maps in their hands looking not only puzzled but lost as they try to figure out how to get from here to there. It’s not easy getting around a foreign city by map and I am sure many precious hours are lost, by being lost! Not that I believe you can ever get lost……you just get to a place that you do not recognise. But being a visitor it must be quite disconcerting not having a clue of where you are and how to get to where you wish to go. I know, I’ve had that experience in the foreign cities I have visited.

However, that aside I have also been stopped by a great number of foreign visitors desperately trying to find out how to get to ‘wherever’ and without a clue of which direction to go in. Fortunately for me I almost know the city like the palm of my hand and can walk many routes in my sleep. 🙂 almost!!

So the itineraries have been in the pipeline for some time and although they kinda stalled due to lack of confidence, last week I set off with a friend I met via facebook to walk the 3rd itinerary in the series to test if the directions were good and how long it would take from start to finish. I designated him as tour guide, no point me being the guide as I know the route by heart, and off we went. What a great day we had (a different blog to follow about that) and although we made various detours along the way (we are both incredibly curious and nosy…..) he proclaimed the itinerary good to go…..eg we didn’t get lost and the directions were good. He also got to see parts of London, that despite being a born Londoner, he had never seen before! Excellent, just what they were designed to do.

And so with my heart in my mouth I gave the go-ahead for the first itinerary to go online! and here it is, duly approved by Amazon and now my 2nd upload to kindle: West End itinerary

In case you were not aware, the 1st upload was the book I wrote about a little girl named Fanny Elizabeth Stokes who died in 1893 aged 7.

And now a different story has begun. Wish me bon voyage 🙂

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uncovering London’s secrets

Posted in Historical, interesting things that happen in London, things to do in London, tagged dragon and flagon london pub tours on January 29, 2012| 8 Comments »

If there was one thing in life I wish I could do, it would be to convert my passion for London into fairy dust so that I could sprinkle it onto everyone 🙂 I really, really love this city. There are so many layers to this city that it would take several lifetimes to uncover them all. Fortunately we are able to uncover many of them…by joining tours. Of course there is no guarantee that the guide will be any good, but every now and then you join a tour that turns out to be a real treat. I have been on a great number of tours in the city, some guides are great and some are just plain boring. But last night I had the good fortune to join a Pub Tour with Vic Norman of Dragon and Flagon Pub Tours.

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I connected with Vic last year already through my page 3 Days in London. Although Pub Tours are not generally my kinda tour, for some reason Vic’s tours appealed to me. His tours take in some of the most historical pubs in London in some of the most intruiging areas of London.

Last night I joined his Jar & Marbles tour from Holborn station. The first pub we visited was an ancient, tiny pub down a winding alleyway. From there we went to an 18oo’s Gin Palace, then a pub that started life as a pub called ‘The Dog and Duck’ in 1783 just over the road from one of the most famous museums in the world. We visited a pub where a Queen of England stored her husband’s favourite foods when he was in hospital and after one more stop a pub that I can only call ‘drop dead gorgeous’. I never thought I would call a pub drop dead gorgeous but OMWord… I was almost drooling! It is just so beautiful; lofty ceilings that look like the inside of a cathedral, a three-cornered stove and in the cellar the remains of a 15th century pub.

The group were lovely and I feel like I made a few new friends; Vic Norman the tour guide, entertaining and friendly, took a real interest in his group and mingled well with everyone…some of the people on the tour had already done 3 of his other tours 🙂 A good recommendation I would say. Mike, a lovely guy with whom I had some great, albeit short conversations about records (of the vinyl kind) and movies (of the Bedknobs and Broomsticks kind). Amy and Steve, a delightful couple who joined the tour with a friend of theirs Catherine who is a Blue Badge Guide in Tunbridge Wells. Chris, a Swedish, Irish, Englishman! An expert on the secrets of a good brew! I had a taste of his; Norman Conquest and although I am not a beer drinker (normally) I found it quite palatable. There were a couple of other folks in the group and what was really lovely is that we mixed and mingled, the dynamics of the group changed as we walked and conversations ebbed and flowed as we walked the streets of this marvellous city.

I was amazed to discover that despite my many 8hour walks around London, there are still streets that I have not yet walked along! Can’t imagine that now could you! 🙂 One of the streets we meandered along was Lamb’s Conduit Passage. I bet your’e thinking of little white lambs, bounding about….well, no you’de be wrong! In 1577 William Lamb, a clothworker by trade but musician by profession, repaired at his own expense of £1500 the old conduit, or water duct, which fed water to Smithfield, from a spring at Holborn. Neat huh! “The street was named after William Lambe in recognition of the £1,500 he gave for the rebuilding of the Holborn Conduit in 1564”.

In all a fab evening (Friday) and I am now booked onto the next pub tour for 24th Feb, where we will be visiting some even older and in some cases notorious pubs.

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an invitation to Guildhall

Posted in Historical, It's my life, things to in London, tagged 600th anniversary of the guildhall, guildhall london, london 1000 years of history on December 6, 2011| Leave a Comment »

an invitation to the Guildhall

whoo hoo!!! I was lucky enough to secure an invitation to attend a lecture at the Guildhall in City of London for a lecture by Dr Simon Thurley and the launch of the book: ‘London 1000 years: treasures from the collections of the City of London’, in celebration of the 600th Anniversary of Guildhall. Imagine!!! 600 years of history! The building encompasses parts of the original building that date back another 200 years, years both calm and turbulent.

Guildhall is a fascinating building and the oldest secular building in the city, it has survived fire and 2 world wars, albeit not unscathed. The facade of the building is beautiful and as you walk into Guildhall Yard the ornate exterior gives you a taste of what lies within. The area is redolent with history and the Lord Mayor’s Show starts from here where the Lord Mayor swears allegiance to the city in a ceremony that dates back to 1189 with the first Lord Mayor Henry Fitz Ailwin.

the first Lord Mayor of London - Henry Fitz Ailwen

Needless to say, heading off into the City after work was a thrill and I was agog with anticipation wishing the day away. An invitation to the Guildhall!!!! never in my life. The interior of the building is so gorgeous and filled to the brim with statues and memorials and relics of the past and I never tire of visiting. The courtyard is enclosed by more modern buildings, an ancient church St Lawrence Jewry

St Lawrence Jewry

and other ancient buildings and the piece de resistance is what lies beneath!!! A Roman Amphitheatre discovered some years ago.

As part of the launch for the book (which I bought needless to say!) they displayed some of the amazing treasures that are housed in the Guildhall. One of which was the original London Magna Carta dates from 1297 and Edward I. Awesome to stand in front of that document that is hundreds of years old. There was a letter from John Keats to Fanny Brawne as well as other amazing documents and poignant letters.

It felt kinda weird sitting amongst the Aldermen of the City and to be no more than 20 feet away from the Lord Mayor. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening and of course loved the lecture which was filled with history. After the canapes

food from the 15th century - freshly made 🙂

I went walkabout through the city to Bank Station and just enjoyed the quiet streets and the sights of the buildings lit up like beacons in the dark.

Royal Exchange

London is such a beautiful city.

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10 years = 3652 days. 87648hours. 5258880 minutes.

Posted in around the UK, Castles of UK and Ireland, family and relationships, Fun Stuff, Historical, Holidays, Inspiration, It's my life, Travel, tagged life changing events, world travel on October 8, 2011| 3 Comments »

Heading off to the airport, bursting with excitement, my bags packed; 1 rucksack and a backpack, my stomach swirled and whirled with a mix of excitement and terror.

The journey to get to this point had been fraught with loss, anxiety, fear, hard work, worry, excitement and the thrill of setting off on an adventure to lands unknown…..loss of a job, giving up my home, fear of the unknown, the anxiety of leaving my daughter on her own (how daft am I), fear of being in foreign countries, worry of what to do when I got there, and how to get to where I had to go – the future spread before me and I had no idea of the adventures that lay ahead.

10 years ago today; 8th October 2001 = (3652 days, 87648 hours, 5258880 minutes ago) I left South Africa. The first time ever I was leaving the shores of my country of birth, I was flying across continents and seas over to Ireland to visit my little sister and to celebrate her 30th birthday with her which was the following day (and also the day I arrived in Ireland).

3 months before this day, I had come to a fork in the road of my life. The company I was working for had gone into liquidation in July, my daughter had attained the age of 21 in August (we had a fab party for that), and my sister who was living in Ireland at the time, as mentioned was due a landmark birthday in October and wanted someone from the family to join her. So, since I would have no job from the end of that September, it made perfect sense for me to go. There had of course been many forks in the road and I had gone on many a new journey in the preceeding 46years, but this was the first time I would be travelling overseas.

Getting to the point of departure was a journey of it’s own. I had to obtain a visa, arrange for my house to be sold, worry about where my daughter was to live, sell my car, pack my belongings into storage, find the money to live on while I was away and pay the bills, fight with the airline that went into liquidation 3 weeks before I was due to depart (think Swissair), talk myself onto a packed flight with South African Airways, and spare a thought or two about what I would do for a job on my return……little did I know. (and as I write those four words: ‘little did I know’ I am overwhelmed with emotion).

One of the most incredible things about being human, with a logical memory and perception is that….we can look back on events that change our lives and be amazed at the sheer wonder of it all.

My wonderful family; daughter Cémanthe, sister’s Sue & Joanne, nieces and nephews all came to see me off at the airport. I literally bounced through the airport, both terrified and excited beyond words, so much so that I could not contain myself and as I bounced along towards Customs I jumped up and down like a kangaroo, laughing and crying at the same time.

The flight was long, and overcrowded and tiring. I arrived in Zurich the next morning, absolutely terrified at finding my way to my next flight. In the event I did and as we flew over Europe I was in tears; tears of excitement, of joy, of wonder, of fear and the overiding thought was that in these very skies the 2nd WW had been fought. As a 2nd WW aficianado it was so emotional to think of those people who had lived through that time.

Next stop was London City airport. How foreign then, how familiar now. Finding my way to the tube; a time of confusion and fear. Trying to convert Rands to Pounds, thank goodness they spoke English. First a bus ride and finally onto the Piccadilly line and I was on my way, one more leg and I would be in Ireland!!! Hooray. I thrilled at the novelty of riding on a train underground, amazed that this was possible, amused at the people around me, the changing faces, the foreign languages, the suitcases and the fact that I, me, was there too! I felt as if I was in a dream.

Then suddenly we left the underground and I saw the houses of London for the first time and I was smitten. I often tell this story because it was life changing: as we left the tunnel I looked up and saw the houses and the chimneys that reminded me of Mary Poppins, and I fell in love. A love that has never waned, grown stronger and as I said to someone today…..if I had felt as much passion for my husband as what I feel for London….I would probably still be married!!! (and no offence to anyone who is happily married, but I shudder at the thought 🙂 ), imagine all that I would have missed out on if I had not been single. It still amazes me today that all my life I never expressed an interest in even visiting London and now it has become my home and I can’t imagine wanting to live anywhere else in the world.

The next surprise was Heathrow. A LOT smaller than I had anticipated from the stories I had heard and then suddenly we were airborne and my excitement knew no bounds. The patchwork fields below me looked enchanting, then the Irish Sea spread before me and my excitement escalated, then suddenly the coast of Ireland started to appear!! And as we came in to land, I heard gaellic for the first time, realised why Ireland is called the ’emerald isle’ and whoa……there below me I could see a castle! A real genuine castle, castle. Alice in Wonderland had nothing on this!!

At the time I arrived Ireland they were in the midst of an outbreak of foot & mouth disease and we had to walk through a special fluid to clean our shoes. That was quite symbolic for me as I felt like I was starting with a clean slate. (I know, I know, but it makes sense to me!). The Customs man waved me through, but I stopped and asked him to stamp my passport…..duh!!! My third stamp in 24 hours. Meeting up with my beloved sister and brother-in-law was out of this world. The joy I felt at being there, seeing them again was beyond words. My head was buzzing with all the new experiences I was having.

The next 24 hours were just beyond description….and I never went home!

Since that day I have travelled the length and breadth of Ireland, visited and stayed in hundreds of villages, dozens of towns and many cities of England, Scotland & Wales, visited dozens of islands and 2 continents, been to America (3 times), Venice, Verona and Sirmione, Paris and Versailles, Amsterdam & Gouda, Bruges & Damme, Gibraltar and been on a cruise to the Bahamas. I have explored medieaval forts and towers, meandered through Castles, Abbeys, Cathedrals, Churches, world-famous Universities and two Roman amphitheatre’s. Walked on a Roman road in the crypt of a church, visited many other crypts and a 5,000 year old burial mound, the sites of significant historical battles, a medieaval Tower and Palaces, seen the Queen of England (a live one!), walked in the footsteps of a beloved Princess, Winston Churchill, Christopher Wren, Oscar Wilde, Chaucer, Charles Dickens, Shakespeare, Thomas Hardy, Kings and Queens, Dukes and Duchesses, and watched the Royal Wedding of a future King and Queen from close proximity on The Mall in London. I have participated in and watched ancient parades and ceremonies, waded barefoot in the Irish Sea, the English Channel, the Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic ocean on the other side of the world, seen the Crown jewels of England, the crow’s nest of Shackleton’s ship, and sat on the seat where Alexander Pope rested and Walter Raleigh planned his round the world trips. Seen the Atlas mountains, the Swiss Alps, the Sahara desert, and the Grand Canyon from the air, walked on fire, tramped along jurassic cliffs and historic tunnels, clambered through caves and grottos, travelled on planes, trains, boats and a barge, the Eurostar, a limosine and a horse & carriage in New York, in a soft-top Cadillac in Paris, a riverboat steamer, a ferry in Ireland, a gondola in Venice and a ship across the Caribbean sea, walked across historical bridges, been rock-wall climbing, para-sailing, climbed a 60′ pole and then bungeed off, had a white christmas, built a snowman in Hyde Park, and went sledding at Alexander Palace, had a cruise on the Seine and rowed on the Thames, been to the top of the Empire State Building, St Paul’s Cathedral, and the Eiffel Tower, heard the bells of Big Ben in London, St Marks Cathedral in Venice, Westminster Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Southwark Cathedral and St Paul’s in London, St David’s in Wales, the Notre Dame in Paris, and listened to the sirens of WW2. Stood on the most central spot of New York, Paris, London and Dublin, I’ve seen amazing sunsets in 8 countries and many more counties, and very few sunrises in any!! I have seen world-famous paintings by VanGogh, Monet, Van Dyck, Gainsborough, Rubens and others, ancient pottery and artefacts 1,000’s of years BC, medieval art and dwellings, stood on the spot where artists like Bellini, Canneletto, Carravagio, Titian and Tintoretto stood as they splashed their paint onto church walls in Italy that still stand today. I’ve walked through the red-light district of Amsterdam, along the decking of Horatio Nelson’s ship, through the house where Shakespeare was born, the Tower where Sir Walter Raleigh was incarcerated, seen the bed where Queen Mary was born, sat on the couch where Keats lay dying, had tea in a cafe where Princess Diana once did, walked up steps that have seen the feet of Saint Patrick, pilgrims, monks, and travellers of old, walked through ancient Monasteries and woodlands, a Masonic Temple, stood on the Meridian line and the spot where 3 English Queens were beheaded. I’ve seen red deer, hares and foxes, painted ladies and for the first time heard a robin, a cuckoo and a blackbird sing. I have eaten key lime pie and conch fritters in America, crepes in France, pizza in Italy, chocolate in Belgium, cheese in Amsterdam, soda bread in Ireland, Cornish ice-cream and fish and chips with mushy peas in quintessential English seaside resorts.

In these 10years I have become an aunty again for the 4th time, a great-aunt 3 times over, been to 3 weddings and one funeral (non family), lost a dearly beloved (almost) father-in-law, travelled to South Africa as a ‘visitor’ 5 times, slept in airports in 3 countries I haven’t visited, started a business and learned about MLM, internet marketing, spread betting (still haven’t figured it out), learned about personal development, the universe and being in your flow, listened to world-famous speakers and bullshitters, been on courses that have altered my perceptions and learned about values and beliefs, read ancient manuscripts and The Book of Kells, had my daughter join me in London for a holiday and end up staying 🙂 made many new friends and lost a few, fell in and out of love and almost moved to America, lived in cottages, apartments, flats, houses, mansions, a loft, a boat and a gypsy caravan (none of which were my own) and slept in a tent on The Mall. I’ve learned how to use a mobile phone, send text messages, use a phone in a foreign country (Italy), edit photos on my computer, to blog and to tweet, written 2 books, had 3 poems and a book of photos published, I have stood up in front of a room full of people and done a presentation and yet just 10 years ago my sister in Ireland had to coach me on how overcome my fear and to speak to people I didn’t know 🙂 Now I can and do speak to anyone, anywhere, anytime.

From one rucksack and a backpack when I left my home shores, I have during the last 10 years accumulated so much that I now have 12 suitcases, 30 boxes filled to the brim, a chest of drawers, a rebounder, books by the dozen and mementoes galore, a postcard collection to rival any other and so much stuff that I now need a storage unit to store it all. And in my heart I have stored some of the most amazing sights, sounds, memories and experiences.

I have done more in the last 10 years than I did in the preceeding 46, and as I write I marvel at the journey it took to reach this anniversary, and dream with anticipation of the possible journeys that still lie ahead.

I am one of the luckiest people in the world. Long may the journey and the adventures continue.

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