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Versatile Blogger Award

Posted in family and relationships, Fun Stuff, Inspiration, It's my life, news from around the world, photography, spirituality, Travel, tagged versatile bloggers award on June 4, 2011| 16 Comments »

Versatile Blogger Award

I have some great news that I’m thrilled to share you! My blog has been awarded the Versatile Blogger Award by Olga SE at Self Expression. I have been communicating with Olga via our blogs for some time now and we have shared stories about our respective countries, and she did a lovely piece about St Petersburg just for me when I expressed an interest to visit there.
This is the first time I have received a blogging award and was absolutely delighted to receive the award from Olga, and this has inspired me to continue sharing news about the wonderful city I live in and about the random things that happen in my life and in the world that interest me. It seems like a great way to recognise blogs we enjoy and I’m going to complete all the requirements the award entails though I’m not pressured in any way to that
1. Thank the blogger who gave the award and link to his or her blog. I’ve done that.
2. Share seven things about yourself. Hmmmm, what can I share
. I started blogging back in November 2008 after receiving complaints from my family and friends that my emails were too long and too frequent. 🙂 So after much encouragement from my daughter, I decided to give blogging a go and share my adventures with the wider world. Once I got started I discovered many other fantastic blogs along the way and now subscribe to a wide variety of those, from New Zealand to Canada I get to learn about fabulous holidays to foreign destinations, gardens and the wonderful creatures that inhabit them, travelling, Social Media, photography and much much more.
. I have a wonderful daughter who is an inspiration to me.
. My passion is London and travel and my dream is to travel around the world in a yellow VW campervan, blogging and taking photos of everything I see (and getting paid to do it).
. One of my goals is to visit 100 islands and to date I have visited 15.
. I enjoy photography and hope to one day become a published photographer, although I have already have a published book of London photographs, they are personal to me and I would like to improve on them.
. I enjoy writing poetry and wrote a poem once about a little boy called Panashe whose mother had died of cholera in Zimbabwe. I saw the story and his photo in a newspaper article, that inspired me to write the poem. I mentioned the photographer; Robin Hammond who had taken the photo, and she contacted me afterwards which was really exciting.
. In 4 months time I will celebrate 10 years since my arrival in this country, a huge undertaking at the time and something I have never regretted. I love the UK and London with a passion that has never dimmed since I looked out the window of the Piccadilly line to Heathrow and thought “I could live here”. and now I do 🙂

3. Pass the award along to other bloggers whose work you enjoy and link to them. I will do that with pleasure as now I know quite a number of bloggers who are really versatile and deserve this award. (Olga passed the award along to 15 bloggers!) wow 🙂

This is my list:

TEStazyk – Thomas provides a down to earth and humorous point of view on happenings in the world, as well as superb stories about his travels and life in New Zealand.

Jenny B – the zingy romp through life of a single Mom who delights in her family.

Matt M – my Canterbury pal, whom I met through the blog about my Canterbury Tales. Matt has a passion for travel and unearthing the most amazing snippets of historical information about Chaucer and his journey to Canterbury.

Cemanthe H – with a passion for photography, she shares some of the most amazing photos that pique the interest, inspire you to stop and think and make you want to find out more!

Ivonne M – who shares her thoughts, feelings and experiences over a truely versatile range of subjects with a vivid passion.

James C – who has some of the most amazing photos I have ever seen of Australia. James is a traveller of note with a quirky sense of humour and a passion for creating movies.

Barbara W – discovering the world, one culture at a time; some of the most amazing adventures and visiting some awesome places in the world.

Brenda H – inspires me with her marvellous tales of the garden. Whenever I read one of her articles I want to go right out and build a garden! So one day when I have a house of my own with a garden I will be avidly reading her blog.

Vivienne B – real life parenting, a blog that shares life with her family with an intimate intensity that sometimes reduces me to tears, a sometime humourous, sometimes searing insight of what it is like to be Mom to 4 teenagers.

Kristie W – who blogs about a very sensitive issue in life; something that we are all at one time or another affected by. She writes in a practical and open way providing insights and guidance.

You are free to do whatever you want with the award: you can pretend it doesn’t exist or write a post about it. Whichever way you choose, please don’t feel obliged to pass on the award, it is not necessary at all. Only do it if you feel like doing it.

4. Comment on their blogs to tell them of the award.

That’s it folks. Thanks to all of you for sharing your fabulous stories.

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discovering Kenwood House on Hampstead Heath

Posted in Fun Stuff, It's my life, things to do in London, Travel, tagged hampstead heath, kenwood house, things to do in london on May 25, 2011| 2 Comments »

I have been living in the UK for almost 10 years now and of those, in London for the last 2 years, as well as approx 3 years on and off between 2002 and 2007! I have explored the city and the parks, the churches and museums and the more I discover the more I realise that I haven’t touched sides yet!

so huge....takes a lot to touch sides, and that's just the Heath 🙂

For the last year I have been living in Highgate, quite near to the Heath which I have explored extensively……but it would seem, not extensively enough! Yesterday I discovered Kenwood House! 🙂 and what a discovery it was! I recently wrote a blog for GotSaga about the 5 Great London Parks for a Summer Picnic and one of those was Kenwood House. So I thought I had better visit!

Wow!!! What a fabulous place! Firstly let me explain that when you look at the map of the Heath, Kenwood House looks miles away and I imagined that it would take ages to get there…..as it turns out it took less than 35 minutes and that included time for photos. And as you can imagine, with my propensity for photographing everything I see… that takes up a considerable amount of time on the best of adventures!

I had planned to meet up with a friend at Kenwood House for tea and cake at 3pm, so at just after 1.45pm I set off for the Heath. My route took me past the Highgate ponds and needless to say I stopped off to take photos! (I can’t tell you how many photos I have of the ponds now and yet they remain fantastically photographable!!) I studied the map and set sail. Along the way I met some interesting folks that I stopped to chat to, one of whom, a gentleman asked what I was photographing………..”everything said I”. 🙂

Hampstead Heath

Suddenly, to my amazement and in no time at all, I reached the gates of the estate! What an delightful surprise it turned out to be. Firstly the estate is way bigger than I imagined and had some amazing treasures and areas to explore and discover: Thousand Pound Pond, Sham Bridge, Wood Pond, a Henry Moore sculpture, Stable Field, a Bath Hoouse and of course the main house. This was going to require more than one visit for sure!

a map of Kenwood House estates showing the different areas to visit

The woods are delightful and I felt like I had been drawn into a symphony of green and birdsong. A thick canopy of leaves towered above my head and on all sides thick green tangled undergrowth hid trilling birds and all manner of creatures. The sandy paths are fabulously clean, meandering this way and that, taking you on journeys of discovery. I approached the house from the south-east gate and on the way saw what looked like a bridge that on closer inspection turned out to be just the facade of a bridge. weird! I took some photos and thought I would like to visit the body of water I could see beneath the structure.

As I walked the temptation to meander off and just follow the paths was strong, but I had to keep in mind the meeting for tea….most important! So instead I carried on and as the path lead on up the hill I noticed a marvellous green lawn…..well a bit more than a lawn really, more like a very large field….but beautifully manicured and kept. There on the left of this green sloping jewel was the pond, that turned out to be Thousand Pound pond!! Across the south-east corner of this lake is the Sham Bridge (about 1767-1768, Listed Grade II*), attributed to Robert Adam, which consists of a timber three-span facade with a balustrade.

Sham Bridge on Thousand Pound Pond

The pond is gorgeous and the bridge across the corner creates a glorious romantic image, offset by the wonderful greenery, reed and trees on the perimeter. Spring is in the air and I noticed two sets of babies; 5 duckings and 2 goslings. All happily pecking away looking for snacks in the grass. I took loads of photos as you can imagine! Following the perimeter of the pond I noticed a derelict rowing boat beneath the trees, thick reed beds bright with yellow irises and onto the smaller pond; Wood Pond where I noticed a tiny stone bridge.

I got my first glimpse of the magnificent house on the crest of the hill, a massive cream structure, imposing and grand it looked out across the green wooded landscape, as I rounded the lake.

my first view of Kenwood House from the ponds

The lawns of the area known as Pasture Ground are beautifully manicured and lend a sweeping vista flowing down the slopes of the ground to the ponds. After stopping on the Stone Bridge and takes loads of photos of the pond, I headed off uphill to see the Henry Moore sculpture. The view from there was phenomenal.

Henry Moore sculpture at Kenwood House - 2 piece reclining figures 1963-64

By now it was close to 3pm so I headed for the house and to my surprise as I neared the house I noticed an air of unkempt faded elegance; paint peeling and shutters dusty. Nonetheless it was grand and imposing. My first stop was the Bath House; built in the early 18th century when cold plunge bathing was fashionable. Over the years it fell into disrepair, filling up with silt, but has since been cleaned up a restored. Fascinating.

inside the Bath House at Kenwood House

Next I explored the kitchen, in the corner of which is a fabulous old fashioned oven, the gardens and then met up with Charmaine for tea and cake…yummy! I chose a slice of the best tasting chocolate cake I have had for ages.

delicious cakes to eat!!!

a fab afternoon, a fab place and now on my list of favourite places to go! and since it is so close, and in the words of Arnie……..

“I will be back”.

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my first Meetup at #LBM and learning more about #Blog4Girls

Posted in interesting things that happen in London, It's my life, Travel, tagged #blog4girls, learn about seo, meetup london, plan-uk, travel blogging on May 21, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Hooray! Finally after I do not know how many years I was able to attend my very first MeetUp!! 🙂

Thanks to my good friend Andrew who invited me to the latest MeetUp in London, the theme of which, as he mentioned, was to be TRAVEL!! So how could I not go? And it was great. Somewhat different to what I was expecting. I had the idea that it would be quite formal and that there would be quite a structure to the evening, but as it turned out it was very informal and very noisy and very busy with a real buzz of excitement! and I loved it. Now I would like to go every week! 🙂

So we met up at Leicester Square station and had a pizza slice on the way and arrived pretty much just after 7pm as instructed and already the room was buzzing. I got to speak to a lass by the name of Sarah who as it turns out was from a London PR company and she had already visited my 3 Days in London website!!! and not only that but thought it was great!! Awesome. That alone has spurred me on to work even harder at what I am already doing.

Then when the meeting finally got started (by which stage I was beginning to panic a little as I had to leave at 9pm!) we got to hear from Paul of TravMonkey, Emma of TripAdvisor (only the most visited travel site on the internet) and Fulvia of Hotwire, who were hosting the evening.

I got to learn some tips about SEO and how important the first 100 words of the blog post are, as well as which to use the same words of the heading in the first 100 words! I implemented that immediately yesterday when I did a blog on our ‘Boris Bikes’! I also learned that contrary to what some of the Internet marketing *Guru’s* teach you, you should keep your heading simplistic and relevant to what the blog is about e.g. Barclays Bicycles – use that in the heading instead of some ‘fancy obscure *hopefully* drive traffic to the blog with a fancy worded heading’! Duh!

Now you may wonder why I am somewhat sarcastic about that….well this guy has one of the top travel websites and I have been following the ‘guru’s’ advice so the bounce rate on my website is quite high! Seems I am more likely to trust his advice than theirs! Especially from now on!

But on the whole all is good. He also recommended that as a travel blogger we should endeavour to make our site a resource for travellers rather than just a great blog, which is terrific coz that is exactly what the New Media Angel genius and I were talking about last week and how we are (read: she is) 🙂 going to restructure the website now.

I also got to meet and chat to Jorgen of Link Humans.com who are promoting the Plan-UK campaign #Blog4Girls. I would urge you to click thru on this link and find out more. It is a tremendoulsy important issue they are tackling and certainly one that needs to be addressed if progress is to be made. I am partial to these smaller charities rather than the big super size organisations, mostly coz they get to really make a difference and the money goes where it’s needed rather than through the Government coffers and into a Swiss Bank account somewhere or other!

In all a great evening. I look forward to the day when I can be free to attend these evenings more frequently.

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going home…..

Posted in family and relationships, Holidays, It's my life, Travel, tagged family and relationships, travelling to south africa on May 8, 2011| Leave a Comment »

South Africa from inside a metal box

So the tickets are booked and paid for and on 14 June 2011 we are going ‘home’. Such a weird word to use in this context coz of course South Africa is no longer my home. I left South Africa in October 2001 and have lived in the UK since July 2002 and I now call London ‘home’. The last time we visited South Africa was in 2008 for my sister’s 50th and to catch up with family and friends. How much has changed since then. The purpose of this trip is to visit my daughter’s grandparents, both of whom are in their 90’s now and both of whom have had major health issues in the last year or so. Last year her grandmother fell and broke her hip, she recovered from that but has now fractured a vertebrae. Her Grandfather is still recovering from prostrate cancer and last month fell and broke his hip. They are so fragile now. So this trip is to spend some time with them. I recall the last time we saw them back in 2008 how they and we cried when we left, thinking it would be the last time we saw them, and this time it may well be. So it is with gladness and sadness that we make this trip back coz the reality is that this may indeed be the last time we see them….personally I hope it’s not.

Alan, Dixie and Cémanthe - Natal 2008

Of course the trip is twofold coz we have not seen the rest of the family for an equal amount of time and the children are growing up fast (my sister’s grandchildren) I have not seen my younger sisters since 2008 either and my Dad….not even sure where or when last we caught up! It may well have been here in London, but so much has happened in the last few years that it feels like a blur. I have seen my brother and sister-in-law; at the beginning of this year for about 5 minutes when they were in-transit to Hungary last January.
Now you may or may not know that South Africa is rather a large country and the UK could probably fit into it 6 times over if not more. So going home is always a challenge! Why? Well mostly because the family are dispersed over such a vast area and we spend a lot of our time travelling from one place to the other. For e.g. the grandparents and one Aunt live in Natal; my Dad, 3 younger sisters and 2 brothers-in-law live in the Cape – none of which is anywhere near one to the other; and my other sister and family all live in the Transvaal, as well as my daughter’s father, her brother and sister and their families. Besides which there are friends to visit and catch up with as well. So it’s a matter of a few days here and a few days there and a couple of days somewhere else, and before we even have time to breathe…..it’s back on the plane to the UK. So the result is that you only get to spend about an hour or two with the people you care about.
On the emotional side of things, I always find it a real challenge to go ‘home’ – one because it is no longer my home and I have no emotional attachment to the country at all, which I know folks always find strange, and two because the person I was back then is so completely different to the person I am now that I feel like a fish out of water, it’s like landing in a foreign country. When I am back in South Africa, it feels like a blanket has been thrown over me; I feel stifled.
London is now so home to me and I find it really difficult to go ‘back’. It feels ‘back’ in every sense of the word and I spend the next few months after I return to London trying to shake off the emotional turmoil of the trip. It’s always wonderful to see the family and to catch up with friends, but saying goodbye again is dreadful. That’s besides the feelings of claustrophobia I feel when I step off the plane.
I hate the vastness of the country, I hate that I cannot just walk out the front door and go to the store, I hate that I cannot take a train into the city centre and go walkabout, I hate that when I am driving in a car I have the fear of carjackings and have to make sure that the car doors and windows are securely locked. There are many other things that I loathe about going ‘home’ besides the above, but the biggest is the feeling that I suddenly lose my identity.
I lose my sense of self, my sense of freedom.
I recall the last time we went home, my daughter’s father was driving us from the airport to his house where we would be staying for a few days and the area we were driving through was wide open and spacious and yet the overwhelming feeling I had was one of claustrophobia. (see pic above) That came as such a shock to me! I was sat in a metal box, doors securely locked, with wide open country in front of me and I felt so closed in and trapped. A feeling that usually catches me as I step off the plane. I hate driving around in a metal box, doors and windows securely locked, fearful of carjackings, locking doors and windows at night; burglar bars and barbed-wire fences the norm. I hate that I can’t just walk to the bus-stop and get on a bus to the station, wait for the next train and whizz off into London. Total freedom! I can walk where I like, sit on the banks of the river, meander here and there without restriction and really enjoy my surroundings without fear!
I dread the flight; it’s 1.5 days of airports and planes, I dread the country (?), I dread saying goodbye, I dread going back!
And all of that aside, it will be wonderful to see the family; the hugs, the laughter, the catching up on news we don’t always get, re-establishing realtionships, playing with the grandchildren, creating new memories, loads of photos of shared moments in time and filling up the coffers of family love till the next time we……………go home!

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Katie, Katie give me your answer true……

Posted in family and relationships, Historical, interesting things that happen in London, It's my life, Travel, tagged catherine and william, duke and duchess of cambridge, prince william and kate middleton, Queen Elizabeth II, royal wedding, rw2011 on May 2, 2011| 9 Comments »

Katie, Katie give me your answer true, I’m half crazy just for the love of you.
It was a stylish marriage, We used my granny’s carriage,
and you looked sweet, good enought to eat,
so glad you said I do!

william and catherine royal wedding 29 april 2011

the newly married couple; Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - William and Catherine

The big day had finally arrived, one of the most anticipated events in the last 30 years!!! At first light the campers started to wake, spectators began to arrive and the dust rose into the air in swathes!!! and we kept an anxious eye on the weather!!
As the morning progressed the excitement mounted and the crowds swelled. They had been expecting an estimated crowd of 600,000 on the Processional route, in the event it swelled to over 1million!
I do believe that the reality of the importance of the occassion had started to sink in as the day wore on and as the excitement set in……this was our future King who was getting married! Diana’s eldest son and 2nd in line to the throne! How could you not be there!!!
The Mall was closed off, the Metropolitan Police, lunch packs in hand, started spreading out into their marked positions. Armed-Police marched by, some heading for the roof of Buckingham Palace, snipers and marksmen all positioned on the corners of the Palace roof. Suddenly we noticed that the Royal Standardwas aloft!

royal wedding william and catherine royal standard

The Royal Standard

Reporters reported; interviewing anyone they thought looked suitably attired or somewhat crazily quirky- and there were many to choose from!! Street sweepers went by to roudy applause, the crowd cheering anyone who walked by. We had Mexican waves, we had cheering, we had more and more people trying to squeeze into tiny spaces, the flag waving increased in intensity and the volume of sound swelled to deafening proportions. And you did not dare to leave your place to go to the loo!!!
Suddenly the music from the Abbey burst forth from the speakers lining route and we cheered! And then the procession began………
When the first of the Mounted Police rode by the sound swelled, when the Marching bands went by, the cheers escalated, and when the first of the Royal Family; Princes William and Harry left Clarence House the crowd roared!
With frequent glances at watches or phones, we impatiently awaited the girl whose day this was! Our Kate! Our Queen in waiting!! The excitement built by the second and we watched anxiously for the flags at the top end of the circle to start waving and for the crowds to start cheering. The Mall was filled with Marching Bands, Mounted Police, Regiments of the Crown, cars and coaches; Ambassadors, Minor Royals, and then Tah Dah!!! the Queen and Prince Philip went by and the crowd cheered,

royal wedding, queen elizabeth II, processional route to westminster abbey

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on their way to Westminster Abbey

flags waving energetically. Suddenly time had marched on and there was the car with the Maid of Honour; Pippa Middleton and the bridesmaids, and now we knew for sure that within seconds the girl we had been waiting to see with bated breath and rising anticipation was on her way. The excitement rippled like electricity through the crowd!!
And suddenly the level of sound rose with an enormous roar!!!! Kate was on her way! And finally there she was, looking radiant and exquisite, every inch a Royal Regal lady; born for this position.. smiling beautifully behind her veil she elegantly waved with evident happiness! Her father beaming proudly at her side. The crowd cheered and cheered, tears flowed and we all had one thought on our minds; her future. There she was, one of us, and within the next hour she would be one of them! Our future Queen-in-waiting, and she looked it!

the bride; radiant and beautiful - Kate Middleton

Within seconds the car was gone, enroute to Westminster Abbey and the moment her life would change irrevocably! She would soon become one of the most photographed and talked about women in the world, on a par with our Diana and we all loved her! Loved her because she had brought a sparkle to William’s eyes, a lovely girl who loved him, and it showed!
As the music flowed from the speakers the crowd fell silent and you could almost hear a pin drop as the crowds waited for the ceremony to begin.
Next we heard the voice of the Archbishop of Canterbury; and as William said ‘I will’ the crowds cheered, but that was nothing compared to the roar of the crowd as the soft trembling of Kate’s response came through the loudspeakers. Deafening! She said ‘I will’ and the country roared! What a brilliant moment; a historical moment, a moment that set the seal on a future that we can only imagine, and never truly comprehend! And I was there!! I will never in all my life forget the feelings and the emotions I felt in that moment, and as she said ‘I will’ the sun shone out from behind the clouds, just a short burst and I knew that Diana was there!!!

The rest of the service passed in a flash as we sang the National Anthem and then the words of ‘God Save the Queen’ rang out, voices raised in lusty jubilation, patriosim at it’s very best. Soon the formalities were over and as they left the Abbey, once again the sun shone out, the rays no match for the smiles on the faces of these two young people, happily in love and happy together!! William proud, and Catherine, as he had said at the altar; “beautiful”.
The exhuberation as the carriage procession made it’s way along the Mall to Buckingham Palace, along the Processional Route was electrifying, powerful and emotional. I got so excited by the magnificence of the horses, barely controlled at galloping-trot or whatever style of motion it is called; overwhelming! You could feel the energy of the moment, the sheer power as the carriage swept by, preceded by these magnificent creatures that looked as if they would break loose at any second!

royal wedding, the queens guards, the mall

all the Queen's horses and all the Queen's men...........

The smiles, the radiance of the bride, regal and royal, the elegant wave of a dainty hand and the pride on William’s face!
All too soon they were gone, followed closely by the rest of the wedding party; Pippa and the bridesmaids, Prince Harry and the page-boys, the Queen and Prince Philip in their glass coach, then Charles and Camilla with Mr & Mrs Middleton, and then the coaches with other members of the Royal Family.
Once they were all safely tucked up inside, a wave of humanity surged along The Mall, controlled, yet eager, thousands of people preceded by Her Majesty’s forces heading for the Palace. It’s is a sight so surreal, it’s hard to imagine. The crowds moved inexorably forward and the crush became almost too much to bear as people surged forward in their desire to stand below the balcony where the newly-married couple would soon appear.

a mass of humanity along The Mall; heading for the Palace for the balcony scene

I so remember the moment Diana and Charles stepped out onto that balcony almost 30 years ago and the feeling that came with it, and now here I was just metres away about to watch her son step onto that same spot his parents had stood all those years ago.
And of course the main reason for the excitement………..the kiss!!!!! Would they? Or would they not? But they did, and the crowd went wild, kiss her again they cried and he did, to a roar of approval and jubilation like no other!

royal wedding, catherine and william, duke and duchess of cambridge

the newly weds - William and Catherine; the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

The heavy drone of the fly-past competing with the roar from the crowds; and then it was all over. The Royal Family, preceded by the Queen left the balcony to continue their celebrations in private. I loved the moment, as seen on TV, when Catherine walked out onto the balcony; her gasp of surprise was delightful.

And I cannot begin to tell you how fantastic it was to be standing there, part of this celebration of such momentous importance and joy. It is something I will never, ever forget! A day to be remembered and celebrated, I hope, for decades to come!

all photos in this blog are the copyright of Cémanthe Harries of Stop and Think Photography

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Hatfield House and Henry Moore #moorehatfield

Posted in around the UK, Historical, It's my life, Travel, tagged Henry Moore at Hatfield House, old Tudor Palace and Queen Elizabeth I, Royal Upstairs Downstairs on BBC2 on April 19, 2011| 3 Comments »

Hatfield House. This is the follow on to my previous post about the Henry Moore exhibition that I was so lucky to attend on Monday 18th April.

hatfield house, henry moore at hatfield house

Hatfield House as viewed from the entrance via the Old Tudor Palace

Stepping back in time through the enormous heavy wooden doors I got goosebumps running up and down my spine, my legs and arms! You know that feeling you get when your scalp crinkles….thats what it felt like! Awesome!

the entrance hall of Hatfield House

Enter through the portals of time and into a world of Courtiers and Knights, intrigue and gossip, servants and coachmen, Lords and Ladies, upstairs downstairs and in my Lady’s chamber. A chapel here, a staircase there, chandeliers, coats of armour, Knights in shining armour,

my Knight in shining armour 🙂

brocaded chairs, a crimson and gold brocaded throne,

a gold and crimson throne.....waiting for a Queen perhaps?

ornate clocks that tick away 400 years or more, a carved wooden crib; echoes of a baby’s cries. Enormous hallways filled with portraits of the ancestors, old coats worn hundreds of years ago hang incogruously from pegs on the walls, a chequered marble floor within a hall that towered above with the biggest fireplace I have ever seen.

the fabulous fireplace in the Great Hall

The walls and ceiling adorned with intricately carved figurines and paintings, fabulous portraits, ancient clocks and gilded tapestries. A musicians gallery, intricately carved.

the musicians gallery - intricately carved woodwork

Walking through an arched doorway you step into a scene from the Arabian Nights, along the whole length of the hall, windows decorated with swirls and whirls from floor to ceiling allow dappled light to shine through.

Arabian Nights in Hatfield

The opposite side of the hall is lined with portraits and paintings, Knights stand guard in full body armour, swords and shields adorn the walls, a large porcelain bathtub sits incogruously against the windows, a rocking horse waits patiently in the shadows.

a rocking horse in the shadows

At one end a fabulous organ, glittering gold decoration inset with intricate decorations, pipes waiting to burst forth with sound!

how fabulous is this!!!

At the other end a beautifully decorated Chinese Screen hides a family sitting room from prying eyes.

a beautifully decorated Chinese Screen

Stepping up a wide wooden staircase to the upper level, your breath is taken away, not only by the sight that fills your eyes, but also by the length of the hall. It fades away into the distance, lined with brocaded chairs that stand back to back, side to side waiting for the music to begin.

you can almost hear the music....... (this was taken halfway along the hall)

Side nooks filled with books and recent photos, a carved wooden chest, a chest of drawers inset with intricate mother-of-pearl pastoral scenes. Fireplaces line the walls, empty now, but shut your eyes and you can feel the heat of the hearth as you slip silently into the shadows and watch the ladies glide by, their gowns and petticoats swish across the floor as their slippered feet glide effortlessly to the strains of the orchestra, candlelight flickers, sending bursts of colour dancing above on a heavily ornate gold ceiling.

the fireplace

The view outside from the window is no less enchanting, gilded towers supporting intricate wind-vanes, ancient creepers and vine vie for a foothold. Tinkling fountains splash merrily in manicured gardens, step through the wrought iron arches and onto a golden pathway stretching into the distance betwixt emerald green lawns, and there, if you look closely enough is a gilded coach just coming into view on the horizon!

.....as far as the eye can see

Stepping through a hidden door and down a flight of wrought-iron stairs you enter another world; a world of cooks and butlers, maids and mice.

royal upstairs downstairs bbc2, hatfield house moore exhibition

a vast Victorian kitchen

A Victorian kitchen, so large that you would need a map to navigate to the other side. Along the wall a massive cooking area with winches and chains to support roasting succulent pigs, and not one but three fireplaces to feed the massive iron monster that sits squat and brooding in the corner.

a massive fireplace, perfect for roasting fat little piggies 🙂

Dressers lined with gleaming copper pots, kettles, jugs and jelly moulds. And here a candlestick holder to light you to bed.

gleaming copper jugs and a candlestick holder

A pastry room sistered by a tiny scullery leads off at one end of this vast cavern below stairs. Opposite the ‘Still Room’, an alcove for cook to rest her feet

The Still Room

– you can hear the faint echoes through space and time; the shouts and gossip of staff long gone.
Hatfield House is quite simply enchanting.

Hatfield House

Lord knows that if I had my life over, I would study history more closely. Always one of my favourite subjects in school, the European history of particular interest, I wish I had learned more than I did. And now I can. 🙂
Two great projects achieved completion in 1611; the building of Hatfield House and the publication of the King James Bible. Only 27 copies of the King James Bible were produced and the only known surviving copy remains in the possession of the Cecil family and is on display in the Anniversary exhibition.
2011 marks the 400th anniversary of Hatfield House, situated just 20 miles from London in the green, rolling landscapes of Hertfordshire. Home of the Cecil family for 400 years, the house, also known for it’s Elizabethan portraits, in particular the two celebrated ‘Rainbow’ and ‘Ermine’ portraits of Queen Elizabeth I, is steeped in Elizabethan and Victorian political history and intrigue. Commissioned by the First Earl of Salisbury, Robert Cecil, the architect, Inigo Jones was involved in the design of Hatfield House. Stroll around the grounds and enjoy the scented borders and herb garden of the West garden, see the famous Knot garden of the Tudor Old Palace where Elizabeth I spent her childhood and visit the Victorian kitchen, featured on the BBC2 programme ‘Royal Upstairs Downstairs’ as one of the houses visited by Queen Victoria during her lifetime.
The Hatfield House 2011 visitor season runs from Saturday April 23rd until September 30th.
Prices:
Henry Moore, House, Park and Garden
Adult: £18.50 Concession: £17.50 Child: £11.50
Henry Moore, Park and Garden
Adult: £12.50 Concession: £11.50 Child: £8
(in my considered opinion, if you are going to travel all that way, make the most of it and take the full ticket, it is so worth it. The Jacobian House is magnificent and shoud not be missed). http://www.hatfield-house.co.uk/
The House, Park and West garden are closed on Mondays (except bank holidays) and the House alone is closed on Tuesdays, the East Garden is open on Wednesdays only.
Hatfield House is one of the ‘Treasure Houses’ of England, 10 of the most magnificent palaces, stately homes and castles in England. For more information on these houses visit www.treasurehouses.co.uk.
How to get there:
Take the train from Kings Cross Overland Station to Hatfield. At time of writing the ticket is £10.50 return. Situated on Euston Road, Kings Cross Station can be reached via St Pancras Station, and the Northern, Victoria, Piccadilly, Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines, as well a great number of buses.

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Finding out more about Moore and Hatfield House #moorehatfield

Posted in around the UK, Fun Stuff, Historical, It's my life, Travel, tagged Hatfield House, Henry Moore exhibition, home of Queen Elizabeth I, old Tudor Palace Hatfield on April 19, 2011| 4 Comments »

old tudor palace hatfield, hatfield house, henry moore exhibition

through the rabbit hole........

Have you ever had one of those days where you set out without any idea of what awaits you? You leave home with certain expectations, expectations that are based on just the flimsiest of possibility, on just a ‘thought’ of what might come. And then your day turns out to be just amazing, so totally not what you had in mind at all! The kind of day that feels like you just fell down the Rabbit Hole!

Well yesterday I had one of those days. A few weeks ago I received a message from Andy of @501places on twitter via my @3days_in_london profile, asking if I was interested in attending the preview of a new Henry Moore exhibition at Hatfield House. Oh yes!! By gum, I was interested, of course! I had never attended an exhibition preview before! I said yes immediately and prayed I could get the time off!

In fact I was thrilled and immediately set about arranging time off for the day. The invitation from the organisers arrived in due course and I hopped onto the internet to find out more about Henry Moore and Hatfield House.

Whoa!! All my preconceived ideas did not even begin to meet what I discovered.
Hatfield House looked just beyond amazing and I was excited to have the oppotunity to visit. I had stumbled across Henry Moore’s pieces previously on my #walkabouts through London, so did a bit of investigation and all thoughts/ideas I had about the man went straight out the window.

When I first came across Henry Moore it was by walking past an intruiging piece of his work, called ‘Locking Piece’ on Millbank near Vauxhall Bridge.

: Locking Piece 1978 – Henry Moore sculpture on Millbank near Tate Modern

I loved the sculpture and took some photos of it before heading onto Tate Britain where I came across a couple more pieces, one of which was a rather large shape depicting a lady reclining on her side, a rather overwhelming piece that I wasn’t at all too sure I liked. I mistakenly assumed that these pieces were modern!

So now, when I did my research, I discovered that in fact this Gentleman, Henry Spencer Moore was born in 1898!!!! He died in 1986 at the age of 88 after a long and illustrious career as a sculptor, with many commissions and hundreds of pieces, pieces that were in exhibitions all over the world. So successful was his career that at one stage he was paying £1million in tax accordingly to wikipedia, the article went on to say that it was at this stage that with the help of his daughter Mary, they set up the Henry Moore Foundation.

Finally the day dawned and I set off to Kings Cross Station. We were to be met at the station by a representative of the House, the lovely Annabel. My next suprise came when I met some of the other people who had been invited and to my delight, many of them were people I had met online and chatted to via twitter: Laura of @AboutLondon, Sue of @itsyourlondon, Charles of @HotelPRGuy and Andy of @501places (the gentleman who invited me). Sue I had met before when we went to Trooping the Colour together in June last year. (Did I ever tell you that I LOVE twitter) 🙂 I also got to meet Sophie of @QunoSpotter as well as Pleasance and Alex of @visitbritain It was great to meet them all.

We hopped on the train and excuse me if you don’t mind…….we travelled 1st Class! Tah dah!! Now we’re talking!! The journey from Kings Cross to Hatfield lasted about 20minutes and before we even had time to really get a conversation going we arrived at Hatfield Station, no time to play a game of cards then! A short bus ride later and my jaw hit the floor!!

Old Tudor Palace, Large Reclining Figure 1984 and me!

OMG!!!! beyond my wildest expectations there before my very eyes was this absolutely amazing Tudor House. WOW! WOW! WOW! I was elated. I clambered out the bus and in front of me, reclining on the emerald green lawn was this enormous fibreglass caste ‘Large Reclining Figure’….no kidding. It is ‘very large’ and very, very white. Not something you would miss in the dark! I loved it!
Across the way a private church (which sadly I did not get time to explore), the old riding school, and the rooms, chimneys and wonder of the Old Tudor Palace of Hatfield.
Next I met the lovely Cherise with whom I had spoken on the phone and then it was a quick tour through this most marvellous hall. I cannot even begin to tell you how fabulous this Tudor Hall is. An aframe ceiling soars above your head, covered with the most incredible wood work, glowing chandeliers hung precariously from the rafters, the ancient red-brick walls adorned with fabulous woven tapestries of mythical creatures, in bright glowing colours and along the walls were wonderful portraits of Kings and Queens, Lords and Ladies.

old tudor palace hatfield henry moore exhibition at hatfield house

the hall of the Old Tudor House, Hatfield

If my mouth had been a fly-catcher, I would have cleared the planet!! I was entranced. Walking around, all I could say was wow, wow, wow! My vocabulary had forsaken me! Then to my delight I discovered that a certain young lady had lived there as a young girl….. wait for it…… Queen Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen. I kid you not!!!! I was walking on the same floor through the same room as Queen Elizabeth I.

queen elizabeth old tudor palace, henry moore exhibition hatfield house

portrait of Queen Elizabeth I at Hatfield

The goosebumps were running up and down my arms and legs like you could not believe. The house is fabulous, red-brick and wood, towering roofs and chimneys, walls adorned with fullsome bunches of purple and lilac wisteria; fresh new buds on ancient limbs.

lovely, lovely wisteria

Running up a flight of stairs (to find the loo) I stepped back in time! Gosh, golly and wow. The upper landing was a rabbits warren of rooms and staircases, with ancient doors and furniture, cosy fireplaces, mullioned windows, and along the walls; portraits of ‘yer man’ Henry VIII and his bunch of not so merry wives. Please bear in mind that this dude was not averse to using the blade and had most of his wives beheaded!

henry VIII old tudor palace, hatfield house henry moore exhibition

I am Henry the 8th... I am, I am

You know, when you read about this in the history books, it’s kind of many times removed and doesn’t really make an impact beyond the obvious:…’how could anyone do that?’ But when you actually stand in front of the portraits of the women whose heads were removed in a most horrific way and look into their eyes……..it takes on a completely different meaning. I was almost moved to tears!
From there we made our way out into the garden, where to my delight, I got to meet Lynne of @lynnerosie also a FB friend. Wow, this day was turning out just fine!!! and to boot, the weather was quite simply fabulous. There is nothing on earth like a spring day in England!

nothing like a spring day in the UK, the lawns of the Old Tudor Palace

Then it was out onto the lawns, where we met Lord Salisbury, whose family has lived on this property for the last 400 years!!! Can you even compute that? 400 years!! geez xmas. The furtherst back I can track my heritage is my great-great-grandparents and even then we are a wee bit uncertain exactly from whence they came. It was quite surreal really. You know when you read about and learn about the Aristocracy you kind of expect them to be different somehow (well I do!), but when you meet them in real life…..they are just like you and me! Two eyes, a nose, a mouth, two arms and two legs and they look so normal. I don’t know why I find it weird, but I do.

hatfield house, henry moore exhibition, lord salisbury

Lord Salisbury on the left and Anthony Caro, a student of Henry Moore

Beyond almost shaking the hand of the Queen back in RSA in 199? (can’t recall which year exactly) I have never met anyone even remotely connected to the Aristocracy, and here I was feet away from a man whose family roots can not only be traced back 400 years, but we were standing in the gardens of said family. See….Rabbit Hole!!!!

I am not sure what I was expecting; perhaps someone like we see in the portraits, all regal and royal. And yet the reality is vastly different (not to offend anyone). He looked a wee bit like yer man farmer Brown from down the road…..except his lineage can be traced back to Elizabethan times….surreal!!! and guess what? There is actually a farm….Lawn Farm: where you will find many traditional breed animals such as Long Horn Cattle, Tamworth Pigs, and domestic fowl.

After the short intro to the House, Henry Moore and the exhibition, we were introduced to an elderly gentleman; Anthony Caro (see above photo), who was one of Henry Moore’s students. Not that young himself, said gentleman looked to be in his 80’s and what a sweetie. (on investigation I found that he is in fact 87!) http://www.anthonycaro.org/biography.htm Apparently he still has a studio in Camden…..I am so going to see it!!
Then it was time for a conducted stroll around the grounds. Now listen, if you are going to have a back garden, then this is the type of place you want. It is enormous. A mixture of formal, sculpted gardens with neatly shaped and trimmed hedgerows that form a maze, tinkling fountains, ancient grapevines draped over trellis works, manicured lawns, hidden nooks and crannies, hundreds of flowers in both formal and informal beds and a wonderful meadow that stretches out for miles under some of the most gorgeous trees.

not a small backyard....Hatfield House grounds

The Henry Moore sculptures were scattered about the garden, each having being carefully placed and postioned to make the most of not only the sculpture but the surrounding lawns or woodland. We traipsed along behind the lass who was giving us the run down of the pieces, their history, how they were made, what materials he used, how he found his inspiration and much else. It was fascinating.

henry moore exhibition, hatfield house, hill arches

Hill Arches 1973 in the fields of Hatfield House

“Sculpture is an art of the open air…I would rather have a piece of my sculpture put in a landscape, almost any landscape, than in or on the most beautiful building in the world.” Henry Moore 1951.
I am not sure what I was more enchanted with, the sculptures, the houses or the grounds!
I was constantly distracted by the fabulous Jacobian house that was standing in glorious splendour, just behind the gardens and a good strong hedgerow. I have never seen anything so enchanting. Not the same building mind that we had just been through, no, this was Hatfield House, the ancestral home of Lord and Lady Salisbury.

henry moore exhibition hatfield house, reclining figure angles

Reclining Figure: Angles 1979, in repose at Hatfield House

I cannot even begin to describe how beautiful and wonderful and fabulous the gardens are. We wandered from formal to informal, manicured to meadows, all the while with the sounds of birdsong and fountains to keep us company, the wind whispering softly through the sun-kissed trees, then a shower of petals like confetti floating down. Heavenly.
The meadows are filled with wild-flowers; cowslips and primroses, tiny daisies scattered here and there like drops of paint carelessly splattered, a haze of bluebells in clumps beneath trees, tulips and daffodils now past their prime, bright clumps of shocking pink rhododendrons towering above, soft pale pink silk slippers of the magnolia bush, white camillas now fading to brown, and dozens and dozens of trees. I felt like I was in a time-warp.

henry moore exhibition, hatfield house gardens

exhuberant rhodendrons at Hatfield House

The sculptures fitted right in like they had grown roots there, at home, in repose, at peace.

From there we made our way indoors for a really yummy lunch, quiet conversation, the tinkle of glasses and all this in the beautiful setting of what used to be the riding school. Wow! I had the vegetarian option of roasted vegetables topped with grilled feta cheese studded with sesame seeds drizzled with warm olive oil, a lovely mixed leaf fresh green salad and grilled tomatoes.

mmmmm, it was as yummy as it looks

Dessert was an explosion of taste that set the old taste-buds dancing; a compote of summer fruits served with thick fresh cream!! heavenly!
After lunch we were given press-packs, and then the cherry on the top……a tour of the fabulous Jacobian Manor that I had been eyeing out all morning!!! Yay! And OMG!!! wow, talk about stunning. I cannot even begin to describe the splendour, the magnificence and totally overwhelming wonder of it all.

I have written a seperate blog on that tour which you can find here. Hope you enjoy it. 🙂

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Time out in Richmond

Posted in around the UK, Fun Stuff, It's my life, Travel, tagged eel pie island, richmond green, Sweetie Pies Boutique bakery, what to do outside of london, york house statues on April 10, 2011| Leave a Comment »

sunset over the river Thames in Twickenham

Yesterday I returned to my job from a 1 week break, during which time I stayed with my wonderful daughter in Twickenham.
Although she was in fact working during this time we did manage to spend a fair amount of time together and had a few adventures.
One of which I already wrote about was our time together on Mother’s Day when we went to Kingston-Upon-Thames. Fab day.
Nights we had a lovely time, sitting together on the couch watching TV, eating biscuits & drinking tea, chatting after lights out till the wee hours, and in the mornings sitting out in the sun drinking tea and chatting. The weather was fabulous for the whole week and we were treated to some gorgeous sunsets.

Tuesday I met up with a friend, someone I met via twitter, who runs a business in Richmond. Of course we went to Sweetie Pies for tea & cupcakes 🙂

sweetie pies boutique bakery in twickenham

tweetie pies - could you eat that cute little face

and later on CJ and I walked to Richmond and had a late breakfast at ‘Giraffe’ in Richmond, very nice food actually, good value and definitely a place to go back to. Whilst there we saw John Hannah walk past outside and the comedian Justin Lee Collins came in for lunch. CJ was quite chuffed. It’s quite weird when you see TV personalities in real-life. We get used to seeing them on the screen and they never seem real, so to see them live….is weird. (& I am not really sure why). On Wednesday CJ spent the day with her client Sweetie Pies (only our favourite place to visit in Twickenham) and I popped in late afternoon to partake of a cuppa and for a change instead of cupcakes, I had scones with strawberry jam and cream…..delicious! Afterwards we sat on the bench in the churchyard just enjoying the afternoon sun, then strolled along the banks of the Thames for a wee while, after which we stopped off at Pincho’s where she treated me to a mediterranean supper. Their food is just delicious and we shared pita and hoummus, she had the aubergine baked with cheese & tomato, and the spicy chicken kebabs and I had breaded prawns in a mild chilli sauce and butternut with black-eyed beans in a light curry sauce (heavenly).

view of the church from my vantage point on the bench

On Thursday I lazed around and did a bit of work (online), then we met up at the W.I. (Women’s Institute) in the evening. She joined the WI a few months ago and loves being the youngest of the group, and has been taken under the wing of one of the ladies there. The ladies of Twickenham WI get together once a month to gossip and listen to speakers, discuss whatever there is to gossip about in town, and generally have a good time. They organise scrabble evenings, trips to the theatre, trips to the countryside, fairs and of course they bake cakes and make jam ( 🙂 ) – I have yet to hear them sing!

Man fron the Ministry

On this particular evening they had a speaker on, a gentleman who in the 80’s worked for/with Maggie T. We learned some really interesting tidbits about the lady in question and about the goings on in Parliament. I am an admirer of Maggie T and was delighted to learn more about her. Unfortunately the speaker was well restrained and did not give us any salacious gossip to tattle about….darn!!! She was a formidable woman by any means and it would be great to have more like her in power. The Gentleman speaker cut a dashing figure in his suit and tie and even brought in a bowler hat, the type they used to wear in the 60’s and 70’s, a satchel and a brolly cum walking stick. I had to laugh at how precise he looked and how much of a caricature of the TV series ‘Yes Minister’ that was ever so popular in days gone by. Then we had tea and a chat and a raffle. Heehee I won a book!

Friday brought a stroll into Richmond for an afternoon on the green, lying in the sun. Heavenly. It was the first day so far this summer I have worn a t-shirt and the sun felt so good on my skin.

Richmond Green

Then we did something I have been dying to do for ages and ages. We sat on the banks of the river and watched the tide come in. There is a concrete ledge, flush with the pathway that runs along the bank of the river from Twickenham Bridge through to Richmond Bridge on the Richmond side. When we first sat down CJ, took her shoes off and dangled her feet over the edge at which stage the water was about 4 inches below her feet. Within minutes the water was up to and touching her toes and then covering her feet. It was so weird sitting there watching the water level getting inexorably higher and higher. I also sat with my legs dangling over the edge but didn’t take my shoes off! Of course the water reached her feet long before it reached the soles of my shoes, but within a couple of minutes I had to lift my feet up onto the ledge.

watching the tide come in

The river in this area is quite busy with little boats whizzing up and down, scullers rowing by – the lazy slap of their oars as they hit the water bouncing off the wall of the bridge like a gunshot. The water is inhabited by numerous geese, ducks and some swans. We were highly entertained by the wee creatures, sailing, flapping, flying and fighting on the water…..at one stage about 3 of them became quite violent right in front of us!! Chasing after a poor wee female that ducked under the water to escape their attentions, never to be seen again. The sun was sinking towards the horizon, and along the path cyclists, strollers, joggers and couples meandered by. On the bridge the trains regularly rattled by, causing quite a din as they traversed the steel girders.

on the river

Whilst I was sitting on the edge, enjoying the sun’s rays, a boat went by and caused quite a wake that by the time it reached the ledge, had quite a swell. It narrowly missed slopping over the edge and I escaped getting wet. A wee bit later another boat went by and as I kept a wary eye on the size of the swells, I decided discretion was the better part of sensibility and scrambled to my feet (it’s amazing how quickly I can move when I have an incentive). Just in time too as next thing a wave, just and inch or so high swamped the area where I had been sitting just a moment before. CJ was in stitches and very disappointed that I had moved when I did. The evil brat was keen for me to get soaked. 🙂

hhhmmmmm....look at that smile. Quite keen for me to get wet!!

After that and since I was now on my feet we meandered along the path towards Twickenham Bridge enroute home. Along the way I stopped off to film the water rushing into the little stream that runs between the walkway and the green. Although just a little sluice gate the water was pounding through, rushing and swirling creating an enormous noise, a little like being on a rapid over a waterfall. Marvellous. This daily rush of water keeps the stream filled and running, thus keeping it from becoming stagnant.

the noise was unbelievable

On the way home we stopped off on the bridge over the river to watch the sun sink behind the trees and a few planes flying into Heathrow.

You would be amazed at how many planes fly overhead, every couple of minutes (or 90seconds I believe).

plane flying into Heathrow

In all a wonderful week with my chica. Just very sad to say goodbye as it is usually ages before we meet again and now that her business is taking off big time she is working all hours. On the way to the bus stop we passed one of the iconic red postboxes and noticed this:

don't worry; be happy!

I think the Royal Mail people should stick little eyes on ALL their post boxes, imagine how cheered up we would feel each time we posted a letter. And if you were wondering what I got up to on Monday….I have no idea. Cannot for the life of me recall what we/I did!!

I am now back at my job and it is becoming more difficult to stay on. After my week’s freedom I feel quite caged in now. It’s really annoying in a way, you plan for the time off months in advance, it takes ages to arrive and then in a flash the week is gone! Time to start planning the next break 🙂

appendage:

Richmond is such a lovely area with some gorgeous houses lining the side streets. Spring is sprouting all over with a profusion of colours; the daffodils are mostly gone now but tulips and poppies are taking their place. The grass and trees are incredibly green and along the walls wisteria is beginning to bloom, their lilac and purple blossoms against the white of the houses, remnicient of a mediterranean climate. Having the river flow through the towns is magical and I never tire of strolling along the banks or looking out over the swell of water from the top of the bridges, in themselves very pretty. Quite the loveliest areas and I am really keen to actually live out there now. I have been playing with my photos again and made another video. In time I hope to make them a bit quicker….. 🙂

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pack your bags and go!!!!!

Posted in Fun Stuff, Holidays, It's my life, Travel, tagged have a break, wre'e all going on a summer holiday on March 31, 2011| 4 Comments »

with just two days to go till I go on my break, it is time to celebrate and start packing!

celebrate....it's time for a break!

Normally when you go on ‘holiday’ you would expect to pack your suitcases (or in today’s world with weight restrictions….just 1) and you begin to select items that will be of use

remember the camera!!!!

or much needed, party clothes, ensure you have enough toiletries, pack any meds, insect repellent, perhaps slip in a book or two to read while you are lounging on the beach, and of course you would expect to take some clothes along (or not!) 🙂

heading for the sun and surf...suitcase following close behind

But essentially you only pack a few of your possessions and the rest of your belongings stay at home.

Well not me! I am one of those people in the very bizarre situation of living out of a suitcase permanently rather than just when on holiday. So for me it is not a case of packing a few items to go away, I have to literally pack everything and take it with me!

Why?

why?

I may have mentioned before (or perhaps not) that I work as a Carer for the elderly (in some cases make that slave) and in this capacity I move around a lot. So essestially I have to take everything that I will need with me in one suitcase! This usually leads to lugging a very heavy suitcase around town (not for the faint-hearted). This also means that I have to ‘move out’ everytime I go on a break.

So my home is my suitcase and when I take a break I have to take everything that I have with me…….out!

Most disconcerting. Can you imagine having to pack up all your belongings, take down pictures, pack away books and ornaments, remove all traces of your existence from the premises…….every time you go on holiday!

on holiday 🙂

Not only that, but because I work as a live-in Carer I don’t have a home of my own! So I usually have to board, bed-down,

a bed......hope he ain't in it when I get there!!!

couch-surf, doss-on-the-floor or find a place to stay with various friends or my one and only relative in the UK…..my daughter.

...... 🙂

Other than that I live in a hostel (not the most exciting of venues).

So ‘going on holiday’ for me is a different kettle of fish.

....fish anyone?

And as much as I look forward to my breaks and love to go ‘on holiday’ I loath having to pack all my stuff away and lug a heavy suitcase about town.

The only good thing about lugging the suitcase around town is that I am reaching the age (have reached?) where lovely young things with muscles offer to carry my bag up or down the stairs.

mmmmmm 🙂

I guess I make a sorry spectacle standing at the bottom of a flight of stairs with a very forelorn look on my face (this is deliberate!). If I wait long enough and look dejected enough….some sweet young thing usually stops to offer his help 🙂 heehee there are perks to getting old!

do I look pathetic enough?

So with just 52 hours to go on my MUCH NEEDED break….it’s time to pack my bags and go!!!!

On the plus side……I don’t have much junk, I do a clearout on a regular basis and my total wardrobe can fit into one suitcase! Ok I fibbed on that one….I have a storage unit where I keep all the extraneous stuff that I have accumulated over the years, just a pity I can’t live in it while I am on ‘holiday’.

this is what I really need....actually make that 'have-to-have'

whey hey…….holiday times, time for adventure!!! Coming soon more London adventures …………………

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an afternoon in Richmond Upon Thames

Posted in around the UK, Castles of UK and Ireland, Historical, It's my life, things to do in London, Travel, tagged 4 Maids of Honour Row Richmond, historical homes in Richmond, Richmond Palace, Richmond Upon Thames, thames path richmond, things to do in Richmond on March 28, 2011| 4 Comments »

Yesterday I had some time off so made my way through to Twickenham to visit my daughter who has been quite peaky the last week and needed some ‘Mummy TLC’. 🙂 The weather was great by the time I arrived there and it was lovely to see the sun (the journey took 1.5hours!!!!).

transport for london, trains from barons court to richmond, district line to richmond

waiting at Baron's Court for the first train to Richmond

First we had a cup of tea and a wee chat and then went for a stroll along the river. She was looking decidedly pale and needed some sun. We crossed the river via Twickenham Bridge and taking a short-cut along a delightful little road, we passed the entrance to the Old Deer Park.

the entrance under the bridge to the Deer Park, Richmond

The houses that lined the road were wonderful, gardens and lawns beautifully maintained with the spring flowers and greenery sprouting vigorously. The flower boxes are a delight of colour.

delightful houses, window boxes filled with colours of spring

As we reached Richmond Green, which certainly lived up to it’s name,

living up to it's name...Richmond Green

we walked to the right and behold…..the remains of ‘Richmond Palace’!!! OMG!!! Show me a palace or a castle and I go weak at the knees. It was extraordinary to stand under the archway that led into the courtyard knowing that 3 of our Monarchs lived here at some stage of our history. King Henry VII, King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I. Right up my alley; I was enchanted.

inside the courtyard of Richmond Palace showing the King's Wardrobe on the right

Yes it did say private land, and no I did not take heed!! We strolled around the courtyard and discovered the ‘Trumpeter’s House’, ‘Number 2 The Wardrobe’ as well as the ‘Palace Gate House’ 🙂

Trumpeter's House, Richmond Palace

Can you just imagine living in a house called ‘The Trumpeter’s House’!!! How marvellous. The courtyard is delightful and so quiet you would never guess your’e right in the town. The ancient hinges on the wall are massive and show just how enormous the gates themselves must have been to require such large hinges.

...now that is what you call a hinge!!!!

From there we walked past a magical row of houses named ‘Four Maids of Honour Row’……how quaint can you get!!!!

4 Maids of Honour Row, Richmond

Next we walked across the green to the town and made our way to a wee tea-room, a delightful little place, quaint and twee. There we relaxed and chatted over a pot of tea and scones with jam and cream (of course!!!).

scones with jam and cream

After tea we walked back to the green and lay out on the green, green grass in the sun….the citizens of Richmond were scattered about on the grass, relaxing, playing games, throwing ball, little kiddies running about, parents trying to keep up; the buzz of conversation and laughter filled the air.

As the sun started to slip down the horizon it got chilly, so we decided to head on home. I unfortunately had a deadline too. 😦

A quick stroll along the main road where we passed a pub called ‘The Old Ship’. Above the entrance were two lovely old lamps!

The Old Ship has stood on this site since at least 1735

old lamps and carved wooden detail

and then along the embankment that forms part of the Thames Path that runs approx 180 miles along the Thames riverbank from the Thames Flood Barrier at Woolwich in South East London to Kemble in Gloucestershire. The grassy verges were filled to the brim with people all sitting out enjoying the sun. I have never seen that particular area so heavily peopled before. It’s quite weird….it’s like in winter everyone gets packed away in a box, and when the spring arrives…they all get let out again.

along the embankment near Richmond Bridge

Along the way we passed some amazing houses…wow!! Richmond upon Thames has, and is surrounded by, a great selection of historic houses and stately homes.

can you imagine that the water reaches right up to the wall at high tide

I saw a heron fishing

heron fishing at the deer park in richmond

a heron fishing

and stopped at the old ‘Meridian Line; that used to be positioned here (now moved to Greenwich).

meridian line richmond, kings observatory old deer park, kew road, richmond

where the meridian line used to be positioned. if you follow the line as the crow flies you will reach the King's Observatory

Then it was back home, a quick stop on the bridge to take photos….the river was looking absolutely fabulous.

River Thames as viewed from Twickenham Bridge

Then home for one final cup of tea and finally I had no option but to head on home…..a journey that took 2 hours!!!! urgh. Sunday on TFL is no joke!

map of Richmond Upon Thames

There is so much to do in Richmond, and with a fabulous selection of historical houses, quaint and ancient pubs, high street shops, a number of restaurants and tea-rooms, the Old Deer Park, boating on the river and the Thames Pathway….you are spoilt for choice. It’s a wonderful area and so worth the trip out of London…a trip that is an adventure in itself.

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