Monday, February 25, 2008
The Lakes District
As for Glasgow we had been forewarned about the weather up here. However, it was not wet: just cold and very blustery. But we did enjoy our stay amongst relatives (again on Shelley's side)again enjoying the northern hospitality and the local environment that kind of resembles that of the Queenstown Lakes area of NZ. We stayed with the Harkness family in Wigton, a small town in the Lakes District National Park, and spent the best part of two days being ferried around the local sights of Lakes and Fells (the hills of the north.) We enjoyed the track walking (rambling!) and the Circle of Stones (38 stones arranged in a circle somewhere between 3000 and 4000 years ago); the local pubs and boutique breweries; the slate quarry and production of slate products in Honister Pass; and the company of people (relatives) we had never met who welcomed us onto their homes (Harknesses, Pearsons and Farrimonds) and fed us with warm food, drinks and stories of past and present.
Glasgow
We were building up for 'the big cold' in Glasgow after earlier snow falls in the hills and floods in the north of England. But none of that! We visited an elderly brother and sister, Edith and Jim Burke, relatives on Shelley's side of the family and were made to feel very welcome. An afternoon (we stayed about 7 hours!)of family talk merged into a lovely dinner especially put on for us: New Zealand lamb. From there we caught a taxi into town, Apartments in Oswald Street and so handy to everything. Really warm and comfortable and light (all night long from the 24hr high rise car park across the street) and lacking not much: only a can opener and toilet paper!But that aside, we spent two chilly days in Glasgow under brilliant blue skies and cold, but still air. Our first port of call in the city centre was the Information Centre but because police had cordoned the building off as we were arriving because of an 'incident' we were not able to follow through with planning our city attack.But armed with a free map (given to us by an employee from the Information Centre - free because they couldn't till any money on the street frontage?) we, as usual, walked from dawn to dusk, catching first of all an open topped bus to take a guided 1 hr 20 minute tour of the city as orientation. And then over the next two days we retraced some of those steps as we walked from historical site to site. We even through in some contemporary attractions but the Science Centre was closed. Not a good start - the first two places we visited: Shut!! So we checked out the tours for the Council Chamber (sounds boring?) but some of the rooms were closed that day and we should go back the next. (We did and they were Shut!)However, from there on, everything was open: We spent time wandering the streets to the Glasgow Cathedral, to the Necropolis (an imposing cemetery with hugely ornamented tombstones and plaques) with its extended views (and paths for runners) over the city and to the 1437 house, the oldest surviving in Glasgow, which was once home to the Bishops of the early city. The Kelvingrove Art Gallery was well worth the visit with Dali's interesting painting of Christ on the Cross and loads of other interesting history. This was certainly a once thriving city, which over time lost its way as industry waned and competition from abroad took over. It is now in the process of rebirth: Glasgow is a very friendly city and, like Edinburgh. it gave us a very warm and positive experience of hospitality in the north.
Friday, February 15, 2008
High Woods Country Park
Immediately behind our block of flats (not a minute from home base) is a very rural and tranquil oasis called High Woods. Amongst sprawling urban expansion it offers a mix of quiet retreat and loads of bird and squirrel life. Dogs enjoy their runs through here and it is one of the few places in England where you greet people as you pass and get a reply. Must be something to do with the bonding of ramblers. The photos that accompany this were taken on a fine, frosty Winter morning around 8.00am and show just how nice a place this can be.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Colchester home
Before we leave we thought it might be worth a look at our home (top middle) and our (environment)Highwoods Country Park we shared today with Mike and Kathleen.
The Williams Connection
The Williams, Mike and Kathleen arrived last Thursday to spend four nights with us. Thus began an almost frenzied (but a relaxed frenzy) experience of historical Essex. The first day involved a train trip to Bury St Edmunds (in Suffolk actually)where we visited the St Edmundsbury Cathedral, the ruins of its Abbey, St Mary's Church and a wander through the historic streets. The day was topped off with a personalised guided tour through Greene King Brewery to see how beers were brewed using the drop-down gravity fed method. A sampling of a range of their beers completed the tour and it was with some (slight) degree of regret that the sampling finished an hour later!! However, it was getting dark and we did have to make our way back to the train and from there to home. Good News - we made it. The next day we trained northwards again to Ipswich (again in Suffolk)and spent a large part of the day at Christchurch Mansion and the Ipswich Museum two fascinating locations from which to gain an insight into local history. I was particularly impressed by the Constables on display in the Christchurch Mansion. Wouldn't mind one of those! Back from Ipswich to a dinner out at a local pub in Colchester and to try something new. The Norfolk Hotel despite its advertising of 'fine, home made food' doesn't serve food, so we had to walk into town and a dinner at another pub, The Marquis. It did serve food but even then we were pressed: first options, sorry, not available (and all we wanted was PIE!!)Wonder who ate them all? Sunday morning we were off to Mass, following which we 'morning tead' and headed to Colchester Castle Museum (which we kind of became engrossed in and ended up staying there for the rest of the day.) Three long days, but we've given Essex and Suffolk our best shot - and nice places they are too!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Lavenham
Last weekend, the first weekend in February, we took a bus to Lavenham via Sudbury.Lavenham is a medieval Suffolk Wool Town, based on the Textile industry of Flemish craftsmen who were encouraged to settle here in 1334. While there is a lot of New England in Lavenham, it, more than any other English village has been able to retain its original character, even to the near collapsing looking buildings. However infirm and unstable they appear, these 'falling down' buildings are as strong as the day they were built. Some are mis-shapen because the mortar and sand base on which they were built has collapsed into the soil; others appear strangely crooked because they were built using 'green' wood which, when it dried out, contracted and in the process took the buildings' shape for a ride. Interestingly, any new housing built alongside or near to the original buildings, has been constructed 'in sympathy' with its immediate environment with deliberately crooked facades, or, as we saw in another example, with deliberately crooked windows and window sills. Taking photos today was a bit of an effort: Air Temp 1 degree C with a bitingly cold wind blowing down from west to east from the Arctic. The hands baulked at leaving the pockets let alone the gloves.
Constable Country
Tuesday January 29th was Shelley's birthday. She took the day off work!! And we caught the train to Manningtree to walk the tracks alongside the River Stour to Dedham a little country village north of here. The track took us through the area which gave inspiration to the painter, John Constable,through the Lock and the old Flatford Mill that once belonged to the Constable family. This was a great walk, easy and flat if not a bit muddy. We came out in the small village of Dedham which seems to be a million miles away from the bustle of London (and even Colchester!).
Historic Colchester to Hythe
A couple of weekends ago we joined in the opening of a new walking track which follows the River Colne linking Colchester to its Port at Hythe (meaning 'haven' in old Saxon). Being the young fit and entusiastic things that we are we decided to continue the walk onwards to Wivenhoe a port village, still on the Colne, but nearer to the sea. The open country below the University of Essex was refreshing - it was nice to be able to get out into the country and away from the urban multitudes.
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