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Battle of Britain Airshow at Headcorn

July 22, 2017 by notjustagranny

Just 2 weeks ago I attended the Battle of Britain Airshow at Headcorn….(gosh seems months ago already).  My daughter alerted me to the event on Groupon some months ago and of course being as how I am a WW2 fanatic and LOVE LOVE LOVE the planes of that period, especially the Spitfire (my absolute favourite), I booked immediately and worked my work (?) dates around that.spitfire2

As a bonus, since I had to take a week off, I planned to do the Southwark to Canterbury #inthefootstepsofChaucer walk at the same time – and we all know how that turned out LOL, but I’m pleased to report that the airshow was a resounding success!

It was a fabulous day and I travelled from London (by train, not on foot!). On arriving at Headcorn Station I discovered to my dismay that the airfield was about 2 miles away and that the road I had to walk along to get there was not only very busy, but there was very little by way of pavements or verges to walk along, so I went bundu bashing and hop skipped between the road and the verges. A tad nerve-wracking as the traffic flew by, but luckily I managed to evade death and finally reached the airfield in one piece 🙂 Rather glad I don’t live in that house on the junction!! How noisy it must be.

Battle of Britain Airshow, Headcorn Kent

Battle of Britain Airshow, Headcorn Kent

I was surprised (but shouldn’t have been) to see so many cars and people already there. I was well early and yet as I walked along the perimeter trying to find a suitable spot to stand, I found that it was already lined virtually from end to end with picnickers and day-trippers. Very popular it was! And once the show started I could quite see why. We Brits are ever so patriotic and anything to do with WW2 is guaranteed to bring out the crowds.

Battle of Britain Airshow, Headcorn Kent

Battle of Britain Airshow, Headcorn Kent

As I was walking along I heard the dulcet tones of the Merlin engine and suddenly there it was….the gorgeous Spitfire. Love those machines.

Battle of Britain Airshow, Headcorn Kent

Battle of Britain Airshow, Headcorn Kent

The afternoon was fantastic with aerial acrobatics, fly-bys, taxing to and fro and some amazing stunts. Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines!! 🙂 Reminds me of a film I once saw 😉 Can you guess which one it was? LOL

Battle of Britain Airshow, Headcorn Kent

Battle of Britain Airshow, Headcorn Kent

There was even a German Messerschmitt; it didn’t however fly as the pilot didn’t have a permit for flight. But oh what fun to see it taxi on by!

I took dozens of photos, drank tea, ate donuts, and chatted to the chap next to me who had a humongous camera and lens and promised to send me a few of his photos.

All too soon things started to wind down so I set of for the exit…I didn’t get very far; I notice the VIP section was unmanned 🙂 with nary a glance this way or that, I slipped in and made as if I belonged there, winked at a pilot as I walked along admiring the planes and then stood and stared at a Spitfire till said pilot asked if I’d like a photo with the plane? Would I ever. Rocket propelled I whizzed under the barrier before anyone could stop me 🙂 Awesome.

Battle of Britain Airshow, Headcorn Kent

Battle of Britain Airshow, Headcorn Kent

I adore these types of shows and would attend all the airshows in the UK if I could.

Here are some of the images…hope you enjoy them.

Battle of Britain Airshow, Headcorn Kent

Battle of Britain Airshow, Headcorn Kent

Battle of Britain Airshow, Headcorn Kent

Battle of Britain Airshow, Headcorn Kent

Another bonus is that I found that Headcorn is a Domesday Book Village and that means with the villages/towns I visited on my Chaucer walk I have now reached my target of 101 Domesday Villages visited; in one way or another. But I have set foot and spent time in each 🙂 Hoorah!!

Headcorn - Domesday Book Village

Headcorn – Domesday Book Village

Follow me on instagram and I walk around the UK and fulfil Project 101 😉 Next up is the finale of my Southwark to Canterbury walk #inthefootstepsfChaucer and a 2nd walk Way of St Augustine #WayofStAugustine

Posted in around the UK, cities and towns of the UK, Domesday Villages of England, Fun Stuff, historical houses of the uk, project 101, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Walking with wet socks

July 19, 2017 by notjustagranny

….and other stuff I learned before I had to…….Press Pause 《 #SouthwarktoCanterbury –
a horse, a horse…..my kingdom for a horse!! I could surely have done with a horse on Tuesday last week!!!

horses southwark to canterbury

with my patron Saint; George to guide me, I set off from The George Inn, Southwark to Canterbury and met some other horses along the way…

And there it is; after 3 days of walking, eating, enjoying, seeing and experiencing – heat, exhaustion, love, joy, excitement, support, exploration and pain, my sojourn came to an abrupt end in Faversham 😔😔😔

town of faversham

My relief at seeing this sign was enormous….I thought I was close to my destination! I wasn’t, and had yet another 45 minutes to go; 3 hills and 6 kms in the rain later…..

A hard lesson to learn, but one I’ll never forget…..= DON’T WALK IN WET SOCKS!!!
Fundamentally I knew not to walk in wet socks, one part of my brain was saying “it’s not a good idea to walk in wet socks” while the other part of my brain was arguing “oh nonsense, it’s fine, they’ll dry out while you’re walking” – well it wasn’t and they didn’t.

That time in Newington when I’d stopped at the church to rest and then shelter from the rain…well I walked across the grass in my socks and got them wet. Why?? Who knows?? But, I’ll spare you the minutiae, suffice to say that by the time I got to Faversham my feet were in a sorry state. Although the blisters only pained for 3 days and have lasted till now, they pretty much spelt disaster for the walk. On the plus side I discovered that Newington was not only a Domesday Book village, but the church contained the tomb of a Saint; Robert, a pilgrim murdered on his way to Canterbury in 1150.

St Mary's Church, Newington and the tomb of St Robert.

St Mary’s Church, Newington and the tomb of St Robert. My view from under the tree where I sat to shelter from the rain

After setting off from Rochester at 05:19, 36.67 kms later at 18:56 I quite literally staggered into the Sun Inn at Faversham; feet in agony, exhausted and drenched to the core!!! Oh did I mention that it rained the last 6 kms of my walk that day? LOL…..well yes. It did. A lot!!!  The look on people’s faces in the bar when I fell over the portal absolutely dripping water everywhere was entertaining. The lass behind the bar counter rolled up a huge wad of paper and gave it to me to dry myself off with. I was so wet that I had to unpack Pepe and toss all my clothes into the tumble dryer…thankfully the proprietor was amenable to my doing that!!

Besides the blisters, my phone crashed in Sittingbourne and just didn’t want to charge up, ergo I ended my photo journey too…..at the Sun Inn at Faversham…with no battery power I didn’t want to continue; it was most important to me to have a photo-journal of my journey. Besides that, I wanted to map my walk all the way, for the record. I tried everything – connected it to my emergency charger, to the plug in the wall….no matter what, it just did not want to charge.

Pilgrimage; Southwark to Canterbury

Pilgrimage; Southwark to Canterbury

I had booked to spend the night at The Sun Inn anyway, the fabulous 17th century inn I’d found in Faversham, which was just as well since I could hobble no further (more on that in Day 2’s episode to follow). The next morning, to spare my feet and the nasty blisters, instead of resuming my walk, I hobbled to the train station and took the train to Canterbury. I had to be back at work within a few days and could not afford to be incapacitated by blisters.

My daughter and I met up as we had arranged at The Falstaff, where we enjoyed our cream/champagne tea. Although to be fair, I don’t think either of us were up to celebrating right then…I was too exhausted and she was too ill. I had planned to stay overnight at The Falstaff Inn, a fantastic 14th century inn just outside the West Gate at Canterbury, which was just as well since I could walk no further. There too the staff were amazing. More about that later. 😉

My daughter and I celebrating my journey at The Falstaff with a Champagne Afternoon Tea in Canterbury

My daughter and I celebrating my journey at The Falstaff with a Champagne Afternoon Tea in Canterbury

The long and short of it is that I will walk the last 8.1 miles from Faversham to Canterbury at the end of July after my current assignment.
The distance on Day 3 from Rochester to Faversham was just too great. Pretty much everyone who walks the Camino and the 1000 Mile Challenge agrees; 22.92 miles is pretty much two days of walking. Of course it can be done, but at what cost?

Some of the distance and direction signs I saw between London and Faversham...and onto Canterbury

Some of the distance and direction signs I saw between London and Faversham…and onto Canterbury

So a few lessons learned, experience gained and new knowledge stored for future reference 😉
Meanwhile I’m back at work. My phone is still not working properly and will have to go in for repair. 😡😡

What have I learned after 3 days of walking and 59 miles? One of the most important lessons I learned from my walk/pilgrimage/Camino has to be: never, ever, never contemplate WALKING WITH WET SOCKS!! Other than that:

  • Plan shorter distances. I didn’t have to walk those distances; just that when planning my route, Google maps said 6 hours and 18.1 miles…..at least this much I have gained for the Camino in September; plan shorter days.
  • Pack light!! Even though my backpack (Pepe) was not at full capacity, weighing in at just over 7.5 kgs at the start last Sunday, by Day 2 I was leaving it lying about and praying someone would pick it up and walk off with it….even with all my valuables in it. Hah!! I did in fact post some of the stuff home from Higham; 1.5 kgs lighter made all the difference to the comfort of carrying my backpack.
southwark to canterbury - backpack

My backpack; Pepe, weighed in at just on 7.5 kgs when I left and 6 kgs after posting home 1.5 kgs of stuff!!

  • Eat!! I love my food, but when I’m walking I tend to forget to eat. So I planned to eat plenty of food, frequently and yet even that wasn’t really enough. I can feel my body is still depleted. I’m bumping up the protein no end and yet I still get excruciating cramps in my legs. I’m guessing those dried black ants my daughter bought as a dare will have to be eaten soon!! hahaha.
  • Drink!! Lots of water. I consumed 6 liters of water on Day 1 between Southwark and Thamesmead. It was 28 degrees c with a humidity level of 44% and terribly terribly hot. The water bladder inserted on the backpack weighed in at 1.5 kgs when filled and added to the overall weight of my backpack, but that supply it was most welcome along the way.
  • Rest!! This is imperative, especially on a very hot day. I did in fact take a lot of rest breaks, but because I had a deadline to reach Gravesend by 8pm for a dinner reservation I had made, I really pushed myself to keep going. Although I did snooze on the grass at Woolwich…and woke myself up with the sounds of snoring LOL.
  • Pack a rain poncho!!! Yes, I had packed my rain poncho, but because the weight of the bag was killing me on Day 2 I posted the poncho (weight 385 grams), along with my sandals and a few other bits and bobs, back to my daughter. hmmm.

In all, I had a great time. I will write more about my Southwark to Canterbury walk that ended at Faversham in due course. I discovered some extraordinary places, explored magical churches (one of which was being built at the time Chaucer travelled to Canterbury – I mean seriously, how awesome is that!!!), met some wonderful people along the way and saw some incredible sights. I am planning on writing up a day to day travelogue, but in the meantime –

Here are the stats:

1 Pilgrim’s Passport – duly stamped 🙂

southwark to canterbury pilgrims passport

1 Castle – Rochestersouthwark to canterbury rochester castle

1 Horse – seen in a field near Bapschild – ate my tangerine!!southwark to canterbury rochester castle

2 Cathedrals –

Southwark Cathedralpilgrimage southwark to canterbury southwark cathedral

Rochester Cathedralpilgrimage southwark to canterbury rochester cathedral

3 blisters – one on my left heel and two under the ball of my right foot. I cannot tell you how painful those two blisters were by Day 4…..which as it turned out was entirely different to how I originally planned it!!! Duh

3 Inns –pilgrimage southwark to canterbury medieval inns

The George Inn (17th century galleried coaching inn), Southwark.

The Sun Inn (17th century), Faversham.

The Falstaff (14th century), Canterbury.

5 Beds –

YHA Thamesidepilgrimage southwark to canterbury

The Old Prince of Orange, Gravesendpilgrimage southwark to canterbury

Greystones B&B, Rochesterpilgrimage southwark to canterbury

The Sun Inn, Favershampilgrimage southwark to canterbury

The Falstaff, Rochesterpilgrimage southwark to canterbury

6 liters of water – drunk on the first day….between Southwark and Thamesmead

6 kms walked in pouring rain – sans rain poncho (uhmmm yes, well)

9 Churches –pilgrimage southwark to canterbury

The first 3 churches I visited in Gravesend, none of which had pilgrim stamps.

St Mary the Virgin, Chalk – closed

St John’s Church, Higham – open 🙂

St Mary the Virgin, Newington – open 🙂

St Margaret’s Church, Rainham – open 🙂

Holy Trinity, Sittingbourne – open 🙂

and the last one I forget…..both the name and whether it was open or closed LOL

9 meals – in no particular order……pilgrimage southwark to canterbury

YHA, Thameside London – breakfast. always a brilliant spread

The George Inn, Southwark (supper) – fantastic people; my favourite London pub

Costa Coffee, Greenwich (breakfast) – lovely young man; so interested in my journey

The Three Daws, Gravesend (supper) – Josie was amazing; made my night special

The Copperfield, Shorne (breakfast) – imminently forgettable….but nice staff

Crepe & Co, Rochester (supper) – delicious crepes…I had 2 🙂

Manor Farm Restaurant, Rainham (lunch) – Emma was a charming host

The Sun Inn, Faversham (breakfast & supper) – Leigh was very interested in my journey

The Falstaff, Canterbury (Afternoon Tea) – fantastic spread, thoroughly enjoyed

The Falstaff, Canterbury (breakfast) – good meal, lovely staff.

Lunches were mostly buy & go snacks and fruit, with cups of tea or coffee and cake along the way.

22 Places visited: Southwark, City of London, Bermondsey, Rotherhithe, Royal Greenwich, Royal Arsenal Woolwich, Thamesmead, Erith, Gravesend, Chalk Village, Higham, Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, Rainham, Newington, Sittingbourne, Bapschild, Teynham, Ospringe, Faversham…and ultimately Canterbury.

94 kilometers / 59 miles – which brings my miles walked for 2017 to the grand total of 720 miles…..plus all the walking I did that I didn’t record.

160,000 steps plus!

One of the more amusing signs I saw came just as I was leaving Greenwich. I rounded a corner and there before my eyes……okayyyy, I got it!! Thank you!!southwark to canterbury

And that summarises my #SouthwarktoCanterbury pilgrimage that ended at Faversham! Fear not, for I shall complete the walk in just over a week’s time and in fact I’m planning on tagging on a 2nd walk next weekend too…why not? St Augustine’s pilgrimage from Ramsgate to Canterbury. And this time I’ll be sure to keep my socks dry. 😉

Now about that phone…..

Posted in around the UK, Castles of UK and Ireland, Domesday Villages of England, historical houses of the uk, memories of days gone by, my Canterbury Tales, project 101, Travel, walk 1000 miles 2017, walks around the UK | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

Prelude – Day 2 Southwark and the City of London

July 9, 2017 by notjustagranny

After a fitful sleep brought about by a noisy crew at the inn (hostel) I woke early and partook of a hearty breakfast.

I had planned a side excursion for today – to the Battle of Britain Airshow at Headcorn Aerodrome…I wonder what Chaucer would have made of these flying beasts?? My train left from London Bridge which gave me the perfect excuse to explore the area before I left.
First I walked onto London Bridge once again; love that view.

 Then I popped in at The George Inn to get some photos before the place filled up with patrons intent on becoming merry!!

The George Inn is the last galleried coaching inn in London, and the current building dates from 1677; rebuilt after a devastating fire.

In Chaucer’s day there would have been many such inns, and in fact he and his pilgrims gathered at the Tabard Inn in Talbot Yard before setting off on their journey to Canterbury. I sought out and found The Tabard Inn blue plaque in Talbot Yard

and then made my way back to the station for my trip to Headcorn; the Airshow was fantastic. 😀😀 loads of photos.
I was back in London by 19:30 and went straight over to The George Inn for my final London Pilgrim’s meal; Battered Cod, chips and  mushy peas washed down with London Pride (of course 😉).

There were still a number of places I wanted to visit before setting off tomorrow; places Chaucer would have been familiar with, albeit some have changed dramatically and some are just remnants.  So after supper I waved fare thee well to the Patrons and set off on a quick whizz around the city:
1. Winchester Palace – once home to the very wealthy and powerful Bishops of Winchester.

2. The Clink Prison – oldest prison in London

3. Crossbones Garden – final resting place of the ‘Winchester Geese’, the prostitutes of the city and some of their children and babies.

4. The Ferryman’s Seat – Chaucer would likely have used a ferry to cross the River.

5. St Paul’s Cathedral – the one Chaucer knew would have been destroyed in the Great Fire of London 1666.

6. The Thomas a’Becket sculpture in St Paul’s Churchyard.

Thomas a’Becket was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral and to visit his grave was the ultimate purpose of Chaucers journey.
7. All Hallows by the Tower Church – the oldest church in London; undoubtedly Chaucer would have visited.

8. The Tower of London – On 12 July 1389, Chaucer was appointed the clerk of the king’s works, a sort of foreman, organising most of the king’s building projects. During his tenure, but he conducted repairs on Westminster Palace, St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, and continued building the wharf at the Tower of London, as well as stands for a tournament held in 1390.

As I walked back across the River Thames via Tower Bridge I wondered what Chaucer would make of London today? Bet he wishes he’d hung around a few years longer for this view 😉

 And that brought my whistle stop tour to a close after which I hopped on a bus back to my abode.

Of course I also went past Southwark Cathedral that looked lovely with the light from the setting sun.

Tomorrow morning my walk begins. Wish me luck. 

Posted in around the UK, cities and towns of the UK, Domesday Villages of England, Fun Stuff, Historical, It's my life, my Canterbury Tales, Palaces and castles in UK, project 101, UNESCO Heritage Sites, walk 1000 miles 2017 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Prelude – Day 1 Southwark

July 7, 2017 by notjustagranny

My journey started today at precisely 13:33 when I left the house in Oxted with Pepe (my backpack) settled firmly on my shoulders. I made my way to the station and boarded a 7000 horse-powered beast heading for London.

Arriving at London Bridge within 33 minutes I set off on shanks pony to visit Southwark Cathedral where I would collect my Pilgrim’s Passport

 and view the Chaucer window.

 I obtained my 1st pilgrim’s stamp 😀 and bought a small booklet featuring Chaucer’s story; The Wife of Bath 😉 who was one of the pilgrims featured in The Canterbury Tales. While I was walking around inside the cathedral a young lady wished me Buen Camino which made me cry. I was already feeling so emotional and overwhelmed at the journey ahead, so her greeting just tipped the balance. She had seen the scallop shell secured to Pepe. 😊😊 I was delighted.

 On the way I walked through Borough Market

and passed The Sentinel

before stopping to look at London Bridge and the Thames; “There are two things scarce matched in the Universe The Sun in Heaven and The Thames on Earth“.

Then once again using shanks pony I walked along the banks of the River Thames to my weekend lodging stopping briefly to see a favourite sculpture; The Navigators – seemed apt since I’ll be navigating my route to Canterbury.

After a few hours of sleep

 I walked back along the river upstream to Bermondsey beach to watch the sunset.

Then heading back downstream to Thameside, the intention was to have supper at The Mayflower Pub but it was so full and too noisy,

 so instead I returned to the hostel for tea and hot-cross buns, along the way passing another of my favourite London sculptures; The Sunbeam Weekly and the Pilgrim’s Pocket.

In all a brilliant start to my #Southwark to Canterbury walk #inthefootstepsofChaucer

Distance walked 8.70 kms / 5.44 miles. 16,823 steps. Temperature: wayyy too hot!!!  🌞🌞🌞🌡 

In case you were wondering, I’ve named my backpack Pepe in honour of my Mom. When I was a wee girl my Mother took me to see a film after my Grandmother’s funeral. In the film was a donkey called Pepe. Since I feel a bit like a donkey with my 7+kg load on my back and I’ll be using ‘shanks pony’ for 60+ miles, I thought the backpack deserved something more dignified than just being referred to as ‘the backpack’ 😉 Yes I know…too much time to think 🤣🤣🤣

Southwark Cathedral, the oldest Gothic Church in London is absolutely fascinating. There’s been a place of worship on this site since AD606 when it was a convent. A fantastic place to start my journey.

Famous people asdociated with the cathedral include: Chaucer, his friend John Gower, Shakespeare, Fletcher and Dickens amongst others.

Gower’s memorial; John Gower, Poet Laureate to Richard II and Henry IV.

William Shakespeare memorial.

Some of the memorials are very colourful and the stained glass windows are amazing. Definitely worth a visit.

I’ll be posting photos of my journey on instagram @notjustagranny 

Posted in around the UK, cities and towns of the UK, Domesday Villages of England, Fun Stuff, Historical, It's my life, my Canterbury Tales, things to do in London, walk 1000 miles 2017 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

55 hours and counting

July 6, 2017 by notjustagranny

So today my OCD kicked in!! I ended up unpacking, weighing and repacking my backpack 🙂

Bearing in mind that I’ve done this 3 times already, I felt that prior to my walk on Sunday I simply had to make sure of what I had and what it all weighed. I also reminded myself that I’m actually walking in the UK for this particular journey and not in a foreign country!!! ergo I did not need many of the bits & bobs I had packed for the Camino….so, to that end

My Packing List – total weight 7.235 kgs (4.22 lbs)

Osprey Mystic Magenta Tempest Talon 40 – my erstwhile backpack 1.08 kgs

Osprey Water Bladder 1.5 liter – filled                                                      1.600 kgs

Sandals                                                                                                            0.580 grams

Fleece – lilac                                                                                                   0.500 grams

Jumper – lilac                                                                                                 0.220 grams

Hiking pants x 2 pairs – black (packed)                                                    0.620 grams

T-shirts x 3 – magenta (packed)                                                                 0.360 grams

Panties x 4 (black)                                                                                        0.040 grams

Hiking socks x 3 (black)                                                                              0.150 grams

Night t-shirt (everything hurts – gift from my daughter)                    0.210 grams

Rain poncho – purple                                                                                  0.395 grams

Extras:

LED Light (glowstick)                                                                                  0.020 grams

Blue scarf with silver scallop shell pattern (gift from daughter)       0.040 grams

Pilgrim’s Scallop Shell                                                                                 0.020 grams

Pilgrim’s Passports                                                                                       0.030 grams

Orange Emergency Sheet                                                                           0.230 grams

Silver Emergency Foil Blanket                                                                  0.010 grams

 

Phone charger and cord                                                                            0.080 grams

Emergency travel charger for my phone                                              0.220 grams

Teabags (vital and essential for my morning cuppa)                         0.030 grams

Toiletries                                                                                                      0.800 grams

camino packing list

Camino packing list – some items stayed; some didn’t

I may well end up reducing this lot after my Southwark to Canterbury walk LOL. The heaviest item is the water bladder and that’s vital so I’ll just have to suck it up (literally hahahaha) and crack on with the weight. I’ll be wearing my trainers and either using my walk poles or carrying them on the backpack, in which case add an extra 0.480 grams!! The black t-shirt with the ‘everything hurts’ writing was a gift from my daughter LOL – she sure figured it out already. I’m planning on wearing it at night instead of pyjamas.

camino packing list

most of this stuff was discarded

 

What went out!!! 1.04 kgs (0.65 lbs)

Towel – magenta (quick drying)                                                         0.230 grams

Various odds and ends (pack 1)                                                         0.180 grams

Various odds and ends (pack 2)                                                         0.310 grams

Various odds and ends (pack 3)                                                         0.110 grams

Various odds and ends (pack 4)                                                         0.210 grams

 

 

Although I have discarded most of the items above, they will most likely be going with me on the Camino de Santiago…..simply because they may well not be available….I will decide closer to the time. I keep having to remind myself that I’m going to a European country where they have shops and things LOL. The towel of course will go with me to Portugal but I won’t need it in the UK.

So there it is, finally I am packed and ready to go. Now I’m just counting the hours 😉

I leave my current assignment at about 2pm tomorrow and head up to London. I’ll be staying at a hostel on Thameside and visiting Southwark Cathedral tomorrow afternoon to buy my Pilgrim’s Passport (then I’ll have 3 LOL). I’m also planning on visiting the many places that were around in Chaucer’s day….did you know that Chaucer was appointed Clerk of the King’s Works in 1389. One of his responsibilities in this position was management of the Tower of London. Love that!!

Saturday I’m travelling to Headcorn for the Battle of Britain Airshow and then back to London for overnight. I’ll have supper at the George Inn as mentioned in my previous blog and then hopefully I’ll leave at about 6am on Sunday to start my walk. Sincde the weather is still so hot and looking likely to stay that way….I want to walk early in the morning and try reach my lodgings by lunch time and sleep; a lot!!

 

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The prelude – Southwark to Canterbury

July 6, 2017 by notjustagranny

Southwark Cathedral to Canterbury Cathedral in the footsteps of Geoffrey Chaucer.

6 years ago, after discovering the George Inn in Southwark and seeing the Chaucer window in Southwark Cathedral I was inspired by my love of London, the River Thames, my love of walking and my interest in Chaucer to follow in his footsteps to Canterbury.

Although I did indeed complete the walk from Southwark Cathedral to Greenwich, life got in the way and I never completed the rest of the journey.geoffrey-chaucers-probable-route-to-canterbury-pic-via-httpfaculty-arts-ubc-casechard346map-htm1

However, since I’ll be walking the Camino de Santiago this year in September, I decided that not having completed my journey to Canterbury is just not on! So as part of my Camino training and in order to complete one journey before the next, I resolved to walk from Southwark Cathedral to Canterbury Cathedral in July of this year over a period of 4 days. This will not only complete my original journey, but will add 60+ miles to my walk 1000 miles challenge (#walk1000miles) and enroute I will visit a few cathedrals, a couple of UNESCO World Heritage sites and hopefully add one or two new places to Project 101.

To this end I have continued apace with my Camino practice walks (640 miles since January 1st 2017)….only now I am carrying my lovely new Osprey Mystic Magenta Tempest 40 litre backpack with me…75% loaded. I did try one day to carry it fully loaded (8.5 kgs) but I nearly put myself on the ground in agony! So I emptied the water bladder and removed my toiletries and for the month of June and part of this month till I leave for my walk I’ve been practising with 5kgs on my back and slowly built it up to 7kgs.

nordic walking poles and osprey backpack

my nordic walking poles and osprey backpack looking fairly benign….

It’s been heavy going and I can see the impact the weight has on my joints and my back, as well as which I am constantly tired. But persevere I must as time is fleeting and although its now July and not April, I can identify with Chaucer’s comment: On Wednesday 18 April, I stood in Talbot Yard off Borough High Street in London getting wet: an April shoure soote was piercing me to the roote. Some days walking with the Osprey has had me feeling like the backpack was ‘piercing me to the roote’. LOL

Chaucer and his merry band of pilgrims left from an inn called the Tabard Inn and although the Tabard Inn no longer exists, I shall repair to the George Inn, the last of the medieval London Coaching Inns, for a meal on the night before I begin my journey. I’m not sure what to eat; fish and chips with mushy peas or sausage and mash with onions…but one thing is for sure….I will be having a glass or two of a suitable brew!!

the george inn

pulling a pint at the George Inn in 2011

The Canterbury Tales is a collection of 24 stories written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387–1400 of a journey taken by himself and a number of pilgrims from Southwark to Canterbury to visit the shrine of Thomas á Becket in Canterbury Cathedral.

In the year 1387, Geoffrey Chaucer and his motely band of pilgrims gathered in the yard of The Tabard Inn before setting off on their pilgrimage to visit the shrine of Thomas á Becket in Canterbury Cathedral. They travelled mostly on foot but in one or two of the images I have seen of Chaucer on his pilgrimage he is usually seated on a four-legged animal…ergo a horse.

geoffrey chaucer canterbury tales pilgrims route to canterbury

a sketch of Geoffrey Chaucer as he may have looked on his route to Canterbury

Therefore I shall endeavour to travel by foot for as much of the way as I can and revert to horse-power if and when necessary.  I have carefully worked out my daily routes, taking distance into account, and will follow as closely as possible the same route that Chaucer followed….with 2 exceptions: from Southwark Cathedral in London – I will follow the banks of the Thames to Greenwich and from there to Erith

southwark cathedral and geoffrey chaucer

Southwark Cathedral – a place of worship since 606AD

….the road that Chaucer travelled along from Southwark towards Deptford; Tooley Street, is now a very busy, polluted highway with hundreds of cars, trucks and whatall travelling along and frankly; it’s unpleasant. The 2nd exception will be between Dartford and Rochester. Dartford is not a lovely place to spend the night (sorry folks 😉 ), so once I reach the town I’ll take a 7,000 horse-powered vehicle in the form of a train from there to Gravesend (which is not where Chaucer stopped), but since this is my journey…..

As a prelude to the journey I shall once again visit some of the places that were around in Chaucer’s day….albeit today they are somewhat altered and some even have different names.

London Bridge – in Chaucer’s day (14th C): Late Medieval: the Peter de Colechurch Bridge – There was a Stone Gate House on the bridge and on its roof stood poles where traitors’ heads were placed. This practice started in 1304 and continued until 1678.  In the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell’s head was placed on one of the poles.
Southwark Cathedral – a place of worship on this site since 606AD –  a medieval priory which today has become Southwark Cathedral.
Winchester Palace – the remains/ruins of a 12th century palace, London residence of the Bishops of Winchester.
The Clink Prison – 1144-1780 now a museum – The Clink Prison Museum is built upon the original site of the Clink Prison which dates back to 1144 making it one of England’s oldest, if not the oldest Prison.  Now a museum (great fun for a visit)

Saint George the Martyr Church on Borough High Street – a church that was in existence during the 14th Century and before. The earliest reference to this church is in the Annals of Bermondsey Abbey, which claims that the church was given by Thomas de Ardern and Thomas his son in 1122.

And of course The George Inn – in it’s present incarnation, having gone through a number of fires over the years, and rebuilt.  The George Inn was situated next door to the Tabard Inn from whence Chaucer commenced his journey to Canterbury.

On Sunday 9th July, I will stand opposite Talbot Yard off Borough High Street in London getting ………wet? Who knows….we often have rain in July…..but I have a poncho 😉

I’ll be posting photos on instagram as I go and updating my progress. If you’d like to follow along you can find me @notjustagranny and the hashtags I’ll be using are #SouthwarktoCanterbury and #inthefootstepsofChaucer amongst others.

Hope to see you there and if you happen to see me along the way….say hello 🙂

And so to Canterbury……..

southwark to canterbury in the footsteps of chaucer

This plaque on Titsey Hill on the North Downs shows various routes and distances to faraway places….one of which is Canterbury…53 miles from the Titsey Estate

Posted in around the UK, Camino 2017, cities and towns of the UK, Domesday Villages of England, It's my life, my Canterbury Tales, project 101, Travel, UNESCO Heritage Sites, walk 1000 miles 2017 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

About the walking poles

July 4, 2017 by notjustagranny

So a few months ago, after a random meeting with a walker on the Isle of Wight in January who was using what turned out to be Nordic Walking Poles, and after reading various articles about the merits of having walking poles for a long journey as well as the various yays and nays of the merits and benefits and nuisance value of carrying walking poles about for anything up to 790 miles (thankfully I’m only walking 165 miles), on the various Camino forums, I finally decided I best get myself a pair…which I duly did in April.

nordic walking poles

propping up the corner in my bedroom….

Since then they have not only decorated my bedroom but have been carted around the UK from job to job, between Oxted and Ireland, Broadstairs and Ironbridge while I procrastinate (what’s new?) about getting them set up and actually putting them to use and learning ‘how to’.

 

Well I FINALLY set them up yesterday and used them for the first time!

 

 

 

 

Hoorah!!! So the prognosis is this…..I dislike them intensely, but they work. So I guess I’ll have to suck it up and use them LOL.

Initially I just strapped them to my wrist, unextended, the idea being to get used to having them in my hand. Horrible. They made my hands all sweaty and the wrist band around my wrist felt horrendous. Under normal circumstance I can’t bear ANYTHING around my wrists….which is why I don’t wear a watch or bracelets or anything such like…I don’t even wear shirts with button down sleeves…it’s that bad. Grim.

nordic walking poles

perhaps I should have left them on this bench LOL

But I persevered. When I arrived at Titsey Hill on impulse I decided I would just get them set up and at least try them out on the first stretch of the very demanding slope. A slope that usually has me stopping halfway; breathless and heart pounding. But……to my surprise I breezed up the slope barely even hesitating. Now unless I suddenly got super fit overnight, it can only be the benefit of the poles. They sure made a difference.

nordic walking poles

taking a rest on Titsey Hill

I then set off jauntily along the path, between the trees with the poles flying akimbo…. especially the left-hand pole that seems to go off piste all on it’s own from time time. Mmmm not sure about that, but I think with practice I may actually get used to using them.

Then it came time to go downhill…..and once again the poles came to the party and I whizzed down with my knees hardly noticing the difference. The end result is that….I still dislike them…intensely, they interfere with my photo taking, and getting my water bottle out the pouch and open is a challenge, but my joints took way less impact than usual and I felt more confident going downhill with my backpack on.

 

So today I decided to go without them and see if I could identify if there was any difference! Was there ever!!! Firstly I felt so free not having them strapped around my wrists and the annoyance of the left-hand pole just doing it’s own thing was a thing of yesterday….but and this is a huge BUT….boy did I ever notice the difference going up that slope again. Yesterday I nearly breezed up (not quite, but nearly) and found the going so much easier…but today it was back to heart pounding, breathless and stopping halfway to recover. Going downhill I very much noticed the difference with my left knee in particular tweaking and twinging in protest. Hmmm…..

nordic walking poles

going downhill on Titsey Hill…

So I’m guessing that despite my dislike for them the poles must go….with me on the Camino!!!

As for the backpack…wow, is this thing ever so heavy!!! I’m not sure how it is that 6.35 kgs can weigh 635kgs by the end of 2 hours, but it does. I’m really glad I decided to pack it and start practising now because I can see this is going to take some getting used to.

nordic walking poles and osprey backpack

my nordic walking poles and osprey backpack looking fairly benign….

One of the articles I read that I found to be of interest was on this website http://caminoways.com/walking-poles

With my walk from Southwark to Canterbury coming up soon I will have to make a decision on whether or not to take them….at least they fold up nicely into my backpack, so if I do take them and they annoy me I can just fold them up shove them back in.

Time will tell.

Posted in Camino 2017, lifestyle, Personal Development, walks around the UK | Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Time is fleeting….

June 30, 2017 by notjustagranny

With just 73 days to go till I start walking the Camino I’m now getting impatient, I feel ready, both mentally and physically.

Titsey Hill

I’ve no doubt that once I start I’ll be tested like never before, regardless of how ready I feel…is anyone ever 100% ready? 

I had some extra time off today so took myself off for a final push for June, adding to my total for the #walk1000miles challenge. I got in 13.30kms/8.31 miles meandering around Titsey Hill, which brings my total walked to 658 boots on miles since 01/01/17.

 I managed quite well with the extra weight of the backpack; now at 6.35 kgs, although my knees and toes are not happy. With my upcoming 60+ mile walk from Southwark Cathedral to Canterbury Cathedral in just over a week’s time,

Geoffrey Chaucer’s route to Canterbury

 I’m guessing I’ll be finding out just what it’s like to walk for 6-8 hours (approximately 20 kms) a day for 4 days in a row with a fully loaded backpack.

Some of my gear…

I’m really grateful for this opportunity as it will give me a peek into what to expect for September. It’ll also give me an idea of how my feet cope and whether or not I need to consider new shoes.
I’ve bought a good supply of the FLP MSM with glucosamine & chondroitin drink which I’ll be quaffing in substantial quantities from next week till I leave for Portugal as well as their amazing Heat Lotion that works absolute wonders on my achy feet.

I thoroughly enjoyed my walk about on Titsey Hill today, mostly in my own, I only saw 2 people in 3.5 hours.

To climb, or not to climb…that was the question…I didn’t 😉

Here’s to my #Camino2017 as the days race by!!! 73 days and counting…

 👏👏👏💃💃💃👣👣👣 I took this photo on my birthday in San Gimignano. Can’t believe that was over 2 months ago!!! 💖💖 

If you’d like to follow along on instagram; @notjustagranny – these are some of the hashtags I’ll be using. #PostcardsfromPortugal #walk1000miles #caminoportuguese #PortugueseCoastalRoute #SantiagodeCompostela #SouthwarktoCanterbury #inthefootstepsofChaucer #practicewalk #pilgrimsway #traveldiaries #ospreypacks #MysticMagenta 

Posted in Camino 2017, Fun Stuff, my Canterbury Tales, Travel, walk 1000 miles 2017 | Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Harassment on the Camino

June 26, 2017 by notjustagranny

One of the more unfortunate aspects of walking as a solo woman on the Camino is the perception that you’re easy game. I’ve read recently on the Facebook forums that I follow of women being harassed by men; naked men who chase after these women whilst masturbating, men waiting under secluded bridges till a woman comes along then yanks his pants down to expose himself. Men follow along behind the pilgrims and make lewd comments, or just hang around making a general pest of themselves.

Many of the women quite understandably get quite frightened, or as in one case was so badly upset by the whole thing that she packed up and went home. It’s a real issue and seems to be escalating somewhat. There are often discussions about how to deal with these incidents with some folks suggesting pepper spray which is banned in Spain, or whistles, and various other suggestions, none of which are really acceptable and could lead to further problems.

I recently read an interesting article about the escalating harassment of women in the Middle East regions, that although not specifically about the Camino, does talk about the harassment of women in middle east countries. Interesting, although unfortunately they don’t mention the biggest factor in these countries; women are viewed as 2nd class citizens…ergo men can do what they like coz they’re superior. Perhaps they should look at the cultural issues from the cradle up….men treat their wives in an appalling fashion, often abusive. Boys witness this and think its okay to be abusive towards women. Its pretty much the same in every patriarchal society. It won’t change till parents teach their kids about respect.  Reading this article I get the distinct impression that the author/researcher is making excuses for why boys harass girls. These young men “have high aspirations for themselves and aren’t able to meet them,” he says. “So they [harass women] to put them in their place. They feel like the world owes them.”

Harassing women is not a new phenomena in the Western world; its as bad and has been for decades in our society where morals are loose and again, men are disrespectful towards their wives. Frankly those men’s magazines and light pornographic magazines, sexually explicit films, advertisements with half naked women spread across cars et al, all play a part in the sexual harassment of women. I remember with clarity, as a young girl developing breasts and having to start wearing a bra, the boys, would come up behind me or my school mates and snap our bra-straps or try to undo the hooks – behaviour they STILL indulge in 50 years later. We were always, without fail told to ‘just ignore it’. In fact I recall very clearly telling my daughter much the same thing 25 years later….either that or wallop the boy in question….which of course would then lead to her being punished for ‘assaulting’ the little shit.

However, there has been as is a shift being made in this area. I recently read where a Mother was called into the Headmaster’s office because her daughter had punched the boy who snapped her bra-strap. The Headmaster and the parents of the boy tried to make an issue of it, but the Mother neatly turned the tables by reminding them that what he had done is actually sexual harassment and that she would be happy to call the Police and lay a charge. Problem solved. Frankly I wish I had done that for my daughter, how much more empowering it would have been.

But, and here’s the thing…..it is sexual harassment, and the problem begins at home. Until all of society begins to see women as equals and deserving of respect, until parents unanimously teach their sons about the boundaries and how to treat a woman with respect, women will continue to be harassed on the streets….no matter which country we live in. I, however, am not holding my breath.

And if any man, young or otherwise even attempts to give me grief while I’m walking the Camino, he will live to regret it.

Posted in European travels, family and relationships, Interesting articles, news from around the world, Travel | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments »

Politics in the U.K.

June 8, 2017 by notjustagranny

And so here we are, once again at the polls, voting for our hopes and dreams and passions. Hoping whoever gets in doesn’t make a complete hash of things, dreaming of a better future for our children and grandchildren, and from some of the Facebook shares and Twitter tweets I’ve seen, many people are really passionate (vicious) about their given party.

It’s a nightmare quite frankly and I’ve been having sleepless nights over ‘who to vote for?’  I’ve been living in this country now for nigh on 16 years and have seen the UK swing from a Labour Government (trashed by the media and the Tories), to a Tory/Lib Dem Coalition Government (trashed by the media and Labour) to a Tory Government…likewise trashed by Labour & the media. So it seems that no matter what party you are affiliated to, you’re going to have some passionate opinions, as well as some really nasty ones.

Yesterday I responded to a Facebook share, and made the comment that ‘she isn’t cutting it atm or is Corbyn using strategy?’ apropos of his replacing Diane Abbott in her post subsequent to a few really bad T.V. interviews. And then I read the blog that I shared earlier today and…….

I’m sharing this and eating humble pie right now and quite embarrassed I didn’t do more research before being critical of her performance on t.v. besides the bulldog approach of the political interviewers, I can’t imagine the relentless horror of the abuse this woman has suffered on twitter (have a read, you’ll be shocked), and most likely in her real life too. Diane Abbott has been in politics, against massive odds, twice as long as what I’ve even been in the country. Besides that, the writer of this article is quite right, I’m certainly not in any way even remotely as qualified as what she is. This is one of the reasons that despite loving social media, I also really loathe it. We get our news in sound bites these days. We read the headlines, very often just click-bait, don’t read/research the full article and forget the twisted, self-serving bias of the paper barons who have their own agenda. Clearly I must avoid mainstream media since they can no longer be trusted. Other than that I retract the comment I made in response to an article shared by one of my friends, in which I suggested the Jeremy Corbyn made the right decision by replacing her since Diane Abbott wasn’t cutting it anymore.

I have really become to hate the politics in this country and how it brings out a really really nasty streak in some people. I said to my daughter just a few weeks ago that I loathe how angry I get whenever I’m on Facebook for too long.

If it’s not Trump that I’m raging at, it’s our Government for the chaos that is the NHS right now, for the lack of sufficient policing in our neighbourhoods, at the nasty bigotry and racism I see every day about one culture that’s not white or another. I get enraged about the terrible situation in Syria and the thousands of needless deaths, at the fact that Britain is now the 2nd biggest arms dealer in the world??? wtf!!! Seriously!!

“Since 2010 Britain has also sold arms to 39 of the 51 countries ranked “not free” on the Freedom House “Freedom in the world” report, and 22 of the 30 countries on the UK Government’s own human rights watch list.” ref independent.

I have to ask: What the hell are they doing? And then we have the terrorist attacks on Manchester, London; Westminster Bridge recently and just this last weekend on London Bridge. Besides that we’ve had numerous terrorist attacks on other countries and cities; Nice, Berlin, Paris, Stockholm, Brussels, Afghanistan, Libya, and then there’s Syria with an almost daily bombardment. Sometimes we don’t even get to hear about them except on social media.

Since the start of 2017, there have been 535 attacks, with 3,635 fatalities (at the time of writing) across the globe.

And then there’s the very real fact that we can NO LONGER trust the newspapers or the media. They all have their own agenda, they support whoever’s the flavour of the month, or whoever cuts them favours….and you read one angle/bias in one paper and another angle/bias in some other…but so very seldom does truth ever come into it.

I try to log off and stay off Facebook, but it’s like an addiction…I log off and after a few days feel compelled to log back in. I try to read only positive stuff, but the negative pulls me back in again and before I know it, I’m ranting and getting angry. So I guess it’s time for me to bow out once again.

Meanwhile I hope you read this article. I also hope that someday politics can be less nasty and aggressive and our so-called leaders can set a better example for the population and stop slandering each other.  I absolutely despair of listening to their campaign slander. It seems like decency goes right out the window and anything nasty can be thrown at whoever they feel like trashing atm.

How on earth are we a) supposed to respect these people b) how can we trust our leaders when we know they lie about just about everything to suit their own agenda c) who do we look to for leadership? The very real fact of the matter is that no which party gets in, they all make mistakes, they all have their own agenda, they all lie and make promises they have no intention of keeping, they say things that inflame the electorate and then expect us all to settle down in our little boxes in front of the smaller boxes in the lounge and suck it up. And when the shit hits the fan and we have terrorist attacks or MP’s murdered on their doorstep…they say ‘sorry’. Really? You’re sorry.

I’ve pretty much had it. I’m tired, I can’t bear to see any more mutilated children, battered wives, abused animals, trump’s atrocities/smug face, our Government’s failures and feel fearful, for the first time in nigh on 16 years about my future in the U.K. The country I was so proud to become a citizen of just last year 😦 My heart aches.

Maybe like Rip Van Winkle, I’ll wake up in 100 years time and it will all be over….or we’ll have been blown to smithereens by our feckless world leaders.

Meanwhile, my sincere apologies to Diane Abbott for being critical of her mistakes, I certainly am not perfect and actually have no right to judge.

I’m going back to Instagram to post my photos and dream of all the lovely places I want to see and travel to before it all disintegrates.

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