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a day trip to Hastings…part 2

Posted in around the UK, Castles of UK and Ireland, Historical, Palaces and castles in UK, seaside towns of Britain, Travel, tagged 1066 story, Hastings and the 1066 story, hastings castle, history of britain, kings of england, William the Conqueror on November 27, 2016| Leave a Comment »

The 1066 story includes the Norman Castle built in Hastings by order of William, Duke of Normandy aka William the Conqueror after the Battle of Hastings….ironically fought at a place now called Battle and not at Hastings per se. So it was vitally important that we visited the castle. After our visit to the East Cliff, it was off on a jaunt across town to see the ruins of the marvellous Hastings Castle on the West Cliff. Heading more or less straight across town, I took her along a route I had used before, a pathway and steps that took us past the blue house and so to the top of the cliff. The architecture and houses along the way are a delight.

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a walk through Hastings from the East Cliff to the West Cliff

We meandered past some marvellous places that set the juices flowing with house-envy and stopped often to admire the view. After a relatively easy walk we reached the top of the cliff and so to the castle.

the view from West Cliff across Hastings towards East Cliff – thats my sister on the ground 😉

Originally a wooden tower built on top of a man-made mound or motte surrounded by an outer courtyard or bailey, Hastings castle was typical of the Norman motte and baily castle that would become a common fixture across England following the conquest. Subsequent to his victory at the Battle of Hastings, and after being crowned on Christmas Day 1066, William issued orders that Hastings Castle was to be rebuilt in stone.

1066 country, william the conqueror and hastings castle

the 1066 story and William the Conqueror. Hastings

The ruins we see today are less than half of the original structure that remained after the savage storms of the 13th century when the harbour was destroyed and large parts of the castle fell into the sea. There is enough to leave you in awe of what there once was. It was a mighty fortress that saw the Kings and Queens of Britain visit on many occasions.

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scenes of Hastings Castle. Much of the original castle fell away when the cliffs collapsed

The chapel is in a far better state of repair, so to speak and you can wander and wonder amongst the ruins. I love to just stand still and imagine the scenes of yesteryear with Kings and Queens arriving for once est or another…Knights, Priests, Lords, Ladies, Hand-Maidens, Servants and Serfs…..what a melee it must have been.

scenes of the ruined chapel at Hastings Castle; The Collegiate Church at St-Mary-in-the-Castle was built in about 1075

One of the things I love most is to run my hand over the stones and flint of these ancient places and try to imagine the person who placed it there….how did they live, where were they from, were they young or old, did they have family…..how long did they live. Because lets face it, I’m pretty certain the builders of these castles probably didn’t have the same privileges our builders of today have! I’d say they probably lived very poorly and were not very well treated by their masters and without doubt the Health and Safety elves hadn’t yet made an appearance!!

imagine the amount of work that went into this wall….

Hastings Castle is a fascinating part of British history that includes ‘The 1066 Story’. An exciting 20 minute audio-visual programme covering the Conquest and the history of the castle through the centuries can be seen on the premises. The short film is well worth watching as it gives you a better idea of how the castle looked before the cliffs gave way and it vanished never to be seen again…except perhaps in the houses that used the pebbles and stones to rebuild some of the more ‘modern’ places you see today.

There is a small underground dungeon you can visit…..nothing too fearsome – certainly not like some dungeons I have seen in the past, but interesting nevertheless to imagine the people who trod those stairs centuries ago.

the dungeon….my sister looking a tad trepidatious climbing down the stairs

Although not as impressive as Dover Castle just up the coast and in much better nick, I do enjoy exploring the walls and nooks and crannies of Hastings Castle. I also love the views across the channel. Imagine how awe-inspiring it must have looked to the sailors of yesteryear as they approached the English coastline…..did they come in peace, were they merchantmen intent on trade, or pilgrims seeking a passage to Canterbury, or were they soldiers who quaked in fear of the unknown daunted by the size of the castle, or were they fearless warriors intent on mischief.

1066 country, hastings castle, english channel

view across the English Channel towards France

My sister and I meandered, and admired, took hundreds of photos and then before they locked us in for the night we took ourselves off back down to the town.

I love Hastings…it is so quirky with loads of history and amazing houses to photograph. Definitely well deserving of a 9+ for interesting ‘things to see’.

Hastings – 1066 country with a history that dates back over 950 turbulent years

Then a quick stop for hot jacket potatoes filled with a yummy concotion at the Hot Potato in Queens Road and then into the car and back to Rye….what a great day. I know for sure I’ll visit Hastings again some day.

Along the way we stopped along the Pett Level Road to watch the sunset. Glorious!!

watching the sunset from Pett Level Road between Winchelsea Beach and Pett Level

For more information on Hastings Castle and the 1066 story

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a day trip to Hastings…part 1

Posted in around the UK, family and relationships, Fun Stuff, Historical, Holidays, Palaces and castles in UK, seaside towns of Britain, Travel, tagged 1066 country, fishermens museum hastings, not just a granny travels, places to visit in kent, silver surfers travel, The East Hill Lift Hastings, the piece of cheese cottage hastings, things to do in hastings, visit hastings in 1066 country on November 26, 2016| Leave a Comment »

My sister recently celebrated her birthday in the UK and as a special treat because we had Fiona (my daughter’s car), I drove us down to Hastings for the day; 1066 country. I love Hastings, it’s one of my favourite places to go. I remember my very first trip there a few years ago…I nearly didn’t leave again LOL

We set off right after breakfast and on the way we stopped at a field that looks over Pewis Marsh, most of which covers the ancient medieval town of Winchelsea, largely abandoned in the 15th century. The field contains the remains of the west wall of St John’s Hospital; an almshouse for the poor.

a day trip to 1066 country on 21 October – celebrating my sister’s birthday

1066 marks a very special year in the history of England and the UK, and it was in fact on the 14 October 1066 that King Harald lost his life at the ‘Battle of 1066’ in an area that is now called Battle.

Reaching Hastings after a fab drive through the country, we started off at the fantastic Hastings Pier; we walked right to the end to admire the view and marvel at the history.

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Hastings Pier. with a remarkable history the pier played a part in the war

From there we walked along the promenade to see the amazing new sculpture installed on the beach in honour of the arrival of the Vikings.

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Norman Long boat sculpture on the beach at Hastings, by Leigh Dyer to mark the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings

After that we meandered along and discovered the little train that takes you from the beach-front to the fishing village/harbour….so it was all aboard and off we went to Rock-A-Nore Station – pay on the train. It was too much fun….we felt like kids again!!

hastings, rock-a-nore train station, seaside towns of britain

a train ride to Rock-A-Nore Station, Hastings

Then it was back down to earth and a meander through town…we were planning on looking for the ‘Piece of Cheese Cottage’ and stumbled upon it quite by accident.

hastings, the piece of cheese cottage, 1066 country

The Piece of Cheese Cottage, Hastings

The architecture in Hastings is too twee and quaint for words and we had such an amazing few hours just ambling about photographing every last detail.

Hastings architecture

By now we were in dire need of a sit down and refreshments so stopped off at the nearest pub where we made ourselves comfortable in two old armchairs.

time for a bit of R&R

After that we headed over to the fishing village where we visited the Fishermens Museum …a marvellous collection of nautical artefacts and a fabulous old ship lodge comfortably together.

the delightful fishing village in the old harbour

We ambled about admiring the collection and then climbed the stairs to reach the deck of the Enterprise RX278.

The RX278 Enterprise – lodges comfortably now in the Fishermens Museum

The fabulous Fishermens Museum

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the Fishermens Museum – located inside a church built on the Stade in 1852, which fell out of use after the Second World War.

The funicular to the top of the East Cliff enticed us and before too long we were on our way to the top. The United Kingdom’s steepest funicular railway is not only a structure of national importance but also a source of immense local pride.
The East Hill Lift provides access to Hastings Country Park which overlooks the Old Town and Rock-a-Nore.

1066 country, hastings east hill cliff railways

taking the cable car to the top of the east cliffs at Hastings

As we were about to step out the cable car the attendant said to my sister “there go the Russian ships” – my sister was like “yeah right!!” but ohmygosh….yes it was indeed the Russian Navy enroute to Syria using our waters to get there. Very provocative. I knew they were due to sail past the English coast round about that time, but didn’t expect to actually see them. We spent some time enthralled in conspiracy theories.

1066 country, hastings, seaside towns of britain, view from east cliff

the view from the East Cliff across Hastings Old Town – you can see the pier in the distance

Then it was off on a jaunt across Hastings Old Town to see the ruins of the marvellous Hastings Castle on the West Cliff.

1066 story, hastings, map of old town and the stade

a map of Hastings Old Town & The Stade

Part 2 of a day trip to Hastings – follows Sunday 27th at 19:10

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Dickens House Museum in Broadstairs

Posted in around the UK, Fun Stuff, Historical, It's my life, seaside towns of Britain, Travel, tagged Charles Dickens in Broadstairs, dickens house museum broadstairs, seaside towns of Britain, things to do in broadstairs, visit england on November 23, 2016| Leave a Comment »

I’ve lived in Broadstairs for just over two years now. With a number of connections to this famous author, Broadstairs has much to offer the Charles Dickens fan….including myself. However, as so often happens in life, when something is on your doorstep you tend to ‘put it off till another time’. So since I have an impending move to Ramsgate in my stars…I decided to visit the Dickens House Museum BEFORE I move elsewhere.

charles dickens, dickens house museum, david copperfield charles dickens, broadstairs

David Copperfield – Dickens House Museum, Broadstairs

Charles Dickens lived in Broadstairs at many different stages of his life and a number of his books were either written here or inspired by characters in the area. He also, by all accounts, manage to live at quite a few different addresses in the area….a bit like me LOL However, although known as Dickens House Museum, Charles didn’t actually live in the house. It was in fact once the home of a friend; Miss Mary Pearson on whom he based much of the character of Miss Betsy Trotwood, David Copperfield’s great-aunt.

Dickens House Museum, Broadstairs

Stepping over the threshold into the museum is like stepping back in time to another era, you almost expect Dickens to come slowly down the stairs, book in hand.

Dickens’ Sideboard

Lovingly restored, with objects and furniture from that era, the house is filled with some items wonderful pieces from a wedding dress to the tiniest pieces of jewellery.

a Victorian wedding dress, Victorian sewing items, various objects d’art and a collection of photos depicting houses associated with Dickens and a scene from the front room

You can see a copy of his will, his sideboard, and a fascinating collection of photos of properties related to Dickens.

Betsy Trotwood’s Parlour, Dickens House Museum

A reconstruction of Betsy Trotwood’s Parlour as described by Dickens in chapter 15 of David Copperfield.

The reconstructed nursery is utterly charming; you can almost hear the laughter of the children.

dickens house museum, betsy trotwood, david copperfield, charles dickens

The nursery

The Dickens House Museum is located just a few yards from the Victorian Promenade that runs along the clifftop looking out over Viking Bay and Broadstairs Beach.

a view of the bay from the cliff top

Broadstairs is a quintessential British seaside town with so much to offer, from ice-cream parlours, tea-shops, museums, Bleak House (where Dickens actually lived) a marvellous hotel, antique shops, artisan bakeries, a plethora of restaurants and some wonderful seaside town souvenir shops where you can buy buckets and spades.

a delightful seaside shop in Broadstairs

Come visit sometime 😉

p.s. we also have many typical High Street shops and charities

You can reach Broadstairs by train from St Pancras Station via Ashford or Victoria Station via Rochester from London.

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Hidden gems of Ramsgate

Posted in around the UK, Fun Stuff, Historical, It's my life, seaside towns of Britain, Travel, tagged hidden gems in ramsgate, hidden gems in ramsgate, italianate greenhouse ramsgate, italianate greenhouse in ramsgate, mexican agave plant blooms in ramsgate, things to do in ramsgate, tourism in the UK, visit england on November 19, 2016| Leave a Comment »

On my many Camino practice walks during this year I had occasion to walk along the clifftop between Ramsgate and Broadstairs and although I see the signs pointing to the Italian castle, I usually ignore it since my walks are usually quite focused and I don’t divert from my path.

But a few weeks ago while on a leisurely stroll I decided to heed the sign and headed off into the trees. I had no idea what to expect, but to my absolute delight I discovered a hidden gem of Ramsgate; The Italianate Greenhouse.

hidden gems in ramsgate, italianate greenhouse ramsgate

Italianate Greenhouse, King George VI Memorial Park, Ramsgate – a hidden gem

Stepping out of the trees, there before me was a totally unexpected sight; an ethereal-looking greenhouse that dates from the 19th century and appears to grow out of the castellated red-brick wall behind it. Erected in the grounds of East Cliff Lodge in 1832 by Sir Moses Montefiore (1784-1885) who saw the structure in an auction catalogue and bought it, it was originally part of Bretton Hall in Yorkshire.

Constructed of cast iron curving ribs, the greenhouse is covered with fish-scale glass panes. Not very big, it houses an amazing collection of plants, of which the rather marvellous grapevine is certainly an attraction!!

the rather marvellous grapevine

The Greenhouse was recently the focus of attention when one of the Mexican Agave plants, after reaching 30ft bloomed for the first time. Apparently this only happens once every 100 years, so as you can imagine folks visited from far and wide to see this extraordinary event.

On the day of my visit, things were a little calmer and besides a family of 5 enjoying afternoon tea in the weakening sunshine, and a volunteer who was trimming the grass edges, I was quite alone to explore and enjoy. The garden is a delight.

Italianate Greenhouse and garden at Ramsgate

The Greenhouse is a Grade II* listed building and opens at certain times of the year, mostly in summer, for viewing and a chance to relax in the Tea Garden. For more information visit http://new.italianateglasshouse.co.uk/ The area through which you can reach the greenhouse is now known as King George VI Memorial Park.

The volunteers on site were very friendly and helpful and gave me an impromptu guided tour 😉

How to get there:

Access to the greenhouse and park is from either Montefiore Avenue or on the sea-side from Victoria Parade. It’s 50 meters away from the Montefiore Avenue entrance and a short stroll across the park from Victoria Parade.

The Tea Garden is open on fine weather summer days from approx 10.30am Tuesday to Sunday and Bank Holidays. The Greenhouse is open between 9am – 5pm weekdays from 1 April to 30 September. Enquiries: 07868722060.

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a tour of Ramsgate Tunnels

Posted in around the UK, Fun Stuff, Historical, seaside towns of Britain, Travel, tagged british history, history of world war two, http://www.ramsgatetunnels.org/, ramsgate tunnels, royal harbour of ramsgate, the isle of thanet, visiting the ramsgate tunnels on November 10, 2016| 1 Comment »

On Sunday 6th November we were treated to a private tour of the famous WW2 Ramsgate Tunnels in Ramsgate!

The Ramsgate Tunnels

The tour was conducted by ‘Mr Ramsgate’ the father of my daughter’s boyfriend…..he is apparently the most knowledgeable about the history of the town and has the ‘Freedom of the Town’. Quite cool. It was also ‘meet the parents’ day…she had met them, and he had met me…now it was time to put the two parties together and see how we get on. In all it was a great way to meet, and we all got along really well.

from left to right…Simon, Jean, me and Ralph

The tour was fantastic and before you read further I can say up front that it is a brilliant tour and highly recommended.

IMAG4936 - walk to ramsgate The entrance and the initial part of the tour is located in what was once the original and now defunct Victorian Railway station.

After saying our hellos and introductions done we, so as not to upset the elves who manage safety, put on our helmets and off we went.

the three of us at the entrance to the tunnels and me in my hard-hat

Prior to the clouds of war that descended over Britain and Europe this tunnel was abandoned and unused. The then Mayor of Ramsgate; one Mr A.B.C. Kempe, as a far seeing citizen who foresaw that things were going to get a tad tricky, thought it would be a good idea to build tunnels to protect the residents of his town. The plan was rejected as insane, he went ahead and after 3 years of planning the tunnels were started in March 1939. The first section was completed by 1st June 1939. Miles of tunnels in the chalk cliffs. Many people thought the tunnels were an expensive luxury and would probably never be needed.

The Ramsgate Tunnels

When war was declared, Ramsgate was in the front line as the Battle of Britain began and in 1940 the town became the first casualty of the Blitz; on 24 August 1940 the sirens sounded and the citizens of Ramsgate took cover in the deep cover shelters. The town was bombarded with 500 bombs in the space of 5 minutes.

“Then, as the Battle of Britain raged in the skies above, the town gained another claim to fame on August 24, 1940. It was a relatively quiet Saturday lunchtime when the air raid sirens suddenly wheezed in to life. Moments later, Ramsgate became the first place in Britain to experience the full force of the Luftwaffe’s ‘Blitzkrieg’.

In the space of five minutes, a formation of Junkers Ju88 bombers dropped more than 500 bombs in what elderly locals still call ‘the murder raid’.

Even after the bombs were dropped, fighters returned to machine gun any survivors they could find, including the firemen struggling to douse the flaming gasworks.

Fireman Edward Moore would later receive the George Medal from the King for his heroics. More than 1,200 homes were destroyed. American correspondent Hubert Knickerbocker called it ‘the worst raid in history’.

No one is entirely sure why Ramsgate was singled out. One theory is that the Germans were en route to bomb nearby RAF Manston when an armed trawler in the harbour shot down the leading aircraft and the enemy turned on Ramsgate instead.

Yet the civilian death toll amounted to just 29. The tunnels had very quickly proved their worth.”

Then his plan was lauded as heroic.

World War 2 – Ramsgate was in the front line during the Blitz of 1940

During the war, the tunnels became home from home for some residents whose homes had been obliterated by bombs and they made themselves comfortable in a space where they could shelter in complete safety. Many took up permanent residence and lived in relative comfort.

Home from Home

Today you can go on a guided tour through some of the tunnels. The makeshift accommodation set up as it had been during the war. Some people really made themselves at home. The beds that were used for the children are still in-situ.

beds line the tunnels…pretty much as it would have been during WW2

with a wonderful array of artefacts from that era and beyond. It was quite something to learn that most of the artefacts used in the displays belonged to Simon’s grandmother…..(Simon is the daughter’s boyfriend). My daughter found it quite extraordinary that they have such an amazing and tangible link to their family history.

this trunk belonged to a family member

After exploring the tunnels as far we were allowed to go, we went back to the main entrance and viewed an air-raid shelter; these flimsy metal flat-pack shelters that had to be built and installed by the residents in their own back-yards.

Imagine how chilling it must have been to hear the air-raid sirens and know that an air-attack was imminent

Besides that there are some amazing props and rusting bits of this and that that have been used as props through out the tunnels.

some wonderful props make the area most interesting

Not sure what era this fellow is from but he sure looks good 😉

….a horse and carriage for a marriage perhaps? 😉

The bomb-proof deep shelter tunnels were dug in less than 9 months. More than 1,000 people erected makeshift homes in the vast 150 year-old railway tunnel.

2 miles of tunnels could accommodate 60,000 people.

I can highly recommend a visit to the Ramsgate Tunnels; a unique opportunity to take a glimpse into Ramsgate’s heritage and ability to survive through the darkest period of World War II….. Ramsgate is a Royal Harbour and located on the east coast of Kent, on what was once the Isle of Thanet.

Ramsgate Harbour for the Dunkirk little ships anniversary event in 2015

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I still have instagram

Posted in around the UK, Camino 2016, Fun Stuff, It's my life, seaside towns of Britain, tagged Camino 2016, practice walks for my camino, seasidetowns of britain, travels in the uk, UPS lost my parcel, using instagram for memories on November 3, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Well, thank goodness for instagram and facebook LOL

Since UPS have lost my hard-drive with all my images, thankfully due to the fact that I am fairly prolific on instagram, I’ve been able to retrieve some of my images from my #Camino2016 practice walks and other events…..so although (so far) all my images from the last 10 years are still missing…. I still have instagram LOL

thank goodness for instagram

I tend to make a fair number of collages on instagram which is terrific since it combines some of my favourite memories from my walks.

However, that still doesn’t excuse the fact that my hard-drive has gone awol in the UPS system, although it seems they have in fact reopened the case and are going to do a really extensive search for the package. Please hold thumbs

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Sisters and a 1st Birthday trip to Rye

Posted in around the UK, family and relationships, Fun Stuff, Holidays, seaside towns of Britain, Travel, tagged a visit to 1066 country, family, sisters, travel in the UK on October 24, 2016| 1 Comment »

My sister Sioux came to live and work in the UK last year in November. The time has flown and she has travelled far and wide in the last 11 months. This is her birthday month (I won’t give her age away 😉 ), but it is her 1st birthday in the UK. She decided some months ago that she wanted to visit somewhere special for her birthday; initially a trip to the Isle of Wight was planned….but after seeing an article on Rye – Mermaid Street in particular, she decided that this was where she wanted to go.

Mermaid Street in Rye

And so the plans were made.

I was to join her and so that we could make the most of the trip and explore the area, my daughter lent me her car; Fiona. With 4 days and a car, we made the most of every minute.

Sisters – happy birthday to you; Sioux. I’m delighted I could join you 🙂

a day trip to Hastings

a day in Rye

making the most of our last day

We visited churches, explored castles, admired some amazing views, ate good food, played scrabble, photographed just about every house in Rye, watched the sunrise and the sunset,

sunset at Dungeness – the ends of the earth

laughed and exchanged stories, and watched the footie in a pub LOL (she’s a Liverpool supporter!).

This is the first time in 58 years that we have been on holiday together without parents, step-parents, siblings, family or children……just the two of us. We had a great time 🙂

Happy birthday Sioux!

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Smugglers Tunnels in Broadstairs

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

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

smugglers tunnels and afternoon tea at Bleak House

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

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

afternoon tea and smugglers tunnels at bleak house

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

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

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

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

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

the desk where Charles dickens sat and wrote David Copperfield

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

smugglers tunnels and a cream tea at Bleak House

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

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Life’s a beach…..

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

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

Broadstairs – a seaside town in Kent

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

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

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

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

my luggage – from St Margarets to Broadstairs

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

a view of the bay from the cliff top

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

Elsie waiting for her adopted Mama to come home LOL

Elsie on the windowsill catching the breeze 🙂

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

a delightful seaside shop in Broadstairs

Bleak House, Broadstairs

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

colourful beach huts in Broadstairs

Viking Bay – Broadstairs

scenes of Broadstairs and Viking Bay

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

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

sunrise over Viking Bay, Broadstairs

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

sunset over Viking Bay, Broadstairs

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

beautiful Viking Bay, Broadstairs

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

wish you were here….

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

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

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