Holidays 2012
On the first fully sunny day we have had, we walked, with the dogs, on some of the profusion of lovely footpaths around our suburb of Weston Turville. Aylesbury is an urban town, surrounded by leafy villages--Mark Webber, the Australian formula 1 driver, lives in the next one--Aston
Holidays 2012
We left John and Lesley yesterday and drove to Aylesbury--Weston Turville--home of my cousin Valerie and her two very friendly dogs--Bertie and Dottie. On the M1 we passed one overturned truck and one nose-to-tail collision in the centre lane, all amongst dense traffic--not good.
Holidays 2012
In beautiful Bradgate Park, near Charnwood Forest, Leics, is the ruin of a castle where Lady Jane Grey was born in the 1500's. She was known as a highly intelligent young woman. By virtue of her (pursuaded) marriage to a member of the French Royal family, she was
Holidays 2012
A day of sunny periods punctuated by sudden, short, heavy showers. Before we met our Nottingham Coffee Pot friends for lunch, we went into Nottingham, Mary to exchange some items at M & S and BH Stores--me to change the car at Avis for a newer, quieter Peugot 207.
Holidays 2012
I forgot to mention yesterday, the astonishing number of French people in London--500,000 of them. Many own small shops and there are almost always French conversations on the underground trains and in the streets. After being in France for three weeks, it seemed really out of place--but
Holidays 2012
I met up with Dave and Ron from our high-school days and we wandered, in the rain, over Harrow on the Hill and had a pub lunch back in Harrow Weald, at an old haunt called "The Hare". I also met my Venture Scout Leader and his
Holidays 2012
Jacqui, Tom, Mary and myself were joined today in the mud...I mean Epping, by Michael and Lishi. We met Lishi for the first time today and very much enjoyed her company. Timing was a bit of an issue and we were not all together on the walk, but made
Holidays 2012
Driving through London traffic to Sydenham, brought back memories of the old driving days--plus a near head-ache. After a journey on the London overground and a meal at a busy Turkish restaurant we went to Michael's flashy pad in Dalston and the first pics show the
Holidays 2012
The difference between the two pics of the garden, in prior blog, is 17 hours of continous good daylight. One taken at 4.00am the second at 9.00pm--long days are SO nice. The BBC reported on London pigeons using the tube trains to get around-------they board a
Holidays 2012
Leaving Ashtead for Rowledge took us past Box Hill (mentioned in Jane Austen's books) --where we did a walk down to the flooded River Mole through a yew forest--quite rare and visited the National Trust centre for a cup of tea. The Olympic cycle ride will go
Holidays 2012
Kent has been called 'The garden of England', partly due to French Hugenot settlers who came here as gardeners in the 16/17 century. Later, in 1750's about 3000 French sailors--taken prisoner, were housed in dreadful conditions, in Sissington House, which the prisoners renamed '
Holidays 2012
We are at Ashtead with Ann--one of Mary's flatmates and her husband John--retired architect now hospital chaplain and Ph.D student. Ann is the author of books on childhood development....see pics They have recently redeveloped their house -including a spectacularly shaped lounge room, which is