(16/17) UK - Alvehurch Marina - Gas Street Basin - Narrow Boat trip



Our Home for 7 nights - "Castaway"

Yippee - the day has arrived when we set off on our canal boat adventure.
With the Anderton Canal being flooded, we were offered the choice of Alvechurch. This was only 1 hour from The Malverns so we arrived early to collect our boat.
It's name is Castaway and this will be our home for the next 7 days or so. With our supplies bought, we were shown the ropes and the staff at the Alvechurch Marine are first class - very helpful and informative. We are headed up to Birmingham and were told to either go there to moor tonight or to stop just a hour's cruising at Hopwood Inn. As we did not feel like rushing on our first day, we moored at Hopwood. The boat is very long, being a 2 berth but James says it's easier to steer than the 2 berth - time will tell! I walked alongside for some of the way as I don't enjoy standing for such long periods at the tiller.

The Hopwood was very busy and still serving Sunday lunch which I opted for - roast chicken, roast potatoes, peas, carrots and broccoli. James enjoyed Sticky Shredded Duck. My dessert was yummy - Melt-in-the Middle Chocolate with chocolate ice-cream. Gorgeous!
We took a short walk further up the canal to walk off some of this food and then turned back to our own boat. Horror of horrors - it was floating in the middle of the canal. So now what do we do? The water is mucky and brown and we cannot reach the boat. Luckily canal folk are very decent so James went charging back up the canal to borrow somebody's pole. We managed to get the boat back but cannot understand how both tow ropes came adrift and landing in the water unless somebody had a weird sense of humour and decided to cast away our home. Luckily both mooring spikes were handing in the water, still attached to the knots in the rope. We then decided to go further up the canal in the hope of staying tied up for the night!
Lets hope tomorrow does not bring any surprises!

We set off after a yoghurt for breakfast and have not gone very far when we meet a couple on the tow path. The lady is very concerned as the Wast Hill Tunnel is coming up and it is a very long and dark 2493 m! Hopefully, she changed her mind and stayed on the boat as her hubby is now following us through this tunnel. I have left James to do the honours while I sit in comfort in the cabin.
This tunnel is going on FOREVER ......... it's dark, the water keeps dripping down from the roof, the guys behind keep crashing into the side of the tunnel and we are counting down to the end. The expression "the light at the end of the tunnel" has never felt more real - may it get closer fast!
After the tunnel, which was not so bad - only one boat came towards us and we passed each other OK with no mishaps, the scenery changed. very industrial and run-down with graffitti on every available wall space. This seemed to go on forever, until we reached Birmingham University where there were students walking and cycling on the town path. We saw our first "bergie" who looked very scary, all hunched up, dressed in black with a grumpy face! I did not feel too comfortable walking this towpath so remained on the boat.

We saw a graceful heron sitting on the bank - very beautiful.
Entering Birmingham, James panicked and in so doing, broke my glass which was resting on the top of the boat. Grrrrr.......!
Birmingham at the Gas Street Basin is very upmarket with many architectural gems - the best of all called The Cube. This building is incredibly stunning and extremely modern. A sight to behold indeed. There is also a Marco Pierre White restaurant on the 25th floor - we abstained as we don't have the right clothes or the required cash funds! Whilst walking around Birmingham, the heavens opened and we got drenched. So much for the "sunshine" day that was predicted.

For supper we decided that a pizza would be a change so we went to the Pizza Kitchen. Again, incredibly modern with fantastic decor and just as modern clientele arriving for drinks after work. We felt decidedly scruffy in our jeans and t-shirts but we are on holiday after all. Unfortunately, my chicken Tikka Pizza was a case of spot the chicken. Why be so mean with this in this very up-market setting? Beats me. The prices were reasonable but that does not mean the chicken must be scarce? This must count as my worst meal in UK.
Taking a short walk after supper, we encountered a beggar asking for money. Same old, same old? This part of Birmingham seems very quiet but maybe that is because it's Monday and it's cold!
We were hoping to visit the Sea Life Centre but at 18 pounds each, it's a no-no.
An early night was called for but this was not to be. Although the area seemed quite quiet when we moored, we had people walking past the boat every 15 mins or so until approx. 01.00 hrs! What was open at that time, I have no idea as we were surrounded by restaurants rather than clubs. The clip-clop of high heels sounded like a horse going past at one stage! We now understand why we were told NOT to tie-up at the Gas Street Basin but it was OK. In summer, you would need to be a party animal if staying here - otherwise go further on for some peace and quiet.
We did eventually get some sleep!

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

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(14/15) UK - Upton on Severn - Malvern Priory - Ledbury and Family Wedding

We enjoyed our first English Breakfast in ages as we have been self-catering. Personally, I prefer Self-Catering - it gives one more freedom and is perhaps also more healthy! And this also means that we miss our pub lunches as we are not hungry again by lunch-time! Anyway our room overlooking a car park is only for 3 nights then we head off to Alvechurch Canal if that does not flood.

See what I mean? A huge come-down after Barnsdale Country Club!!
However, the room was absolutely 100%

We visited some UK friends today who also have a house in Cape Town and whom we met many years ago whilst inspecting a building site in Blouberg where we had all bought units off-plan. Who would have thought then that we would go through really horrendous times with this investment but that's life and it could have been worse. It was great to see their lovely home in UK which boasts a stunning conservatory for catching the elusive rays of sunshine during the UK summer. It was great to have a catch-up and lovely to see them both.

We stopped at Upton on Severn and could see how high the water still is from the flooding. The benches along the river are under water and the chap from the pleasure boat was trying to clean off all the mud next to their berth. The river Severn is flowing very strongly and one hopes that no more rain is on the way. The river floods Upton annually but more seriously in 1770, 1886, 1947 and 2000. The river is crossed by bridge and was very important for trade in years gone by. Today it is used mainly by pleasure craft. Tudor House looks as if it will fall down any minute, it is so old. Unfortunately this only opened at 14.00 hrs so we could not view it from inside. There are plenty of pubs along the river and one would imagine that they do a roaring trade on sunny (????) days. It's an interesting town and well worth a visit.

Little Malvern Priory was our next stop as we are attending a wedding there tomorrow. The Priory was founded as a Monastery in approx 1127. It has survived to the present day, albeit with some changes. In the Church Newsletter somebody is advertising 2 Handkerchief Trees to good homes - large gardens required. There is also a warning sign at the car park telling church goers to take great care when crossing the road as the cars come down the hill very fast. Hopefully nobody has come a cropper whilst trying to get to church. The family of the bride were all frantically doing the flowers so we escaped quickly.

The Royal Oak serves great food - smiling chef who loves cooking!

Chris and Brenda joined us for supper at the Royal Oak, Much Marcle and it was great to catch up after 3 years. The food was good and I enjoyed a tasty chicken curry - hoping that the heat would chase the cold away.

The well preserved Tudor Buildings make Ledbury a great place to explore.

Today dawned with blue skies - great for the wedding later today.

We wandered off after breakfast to explore Ledbury, an English Market town nestling under the Malvern Hills. Cattle markets were held regularly in this town until 900 years ago and the town was most probably originally started for the wool trade merchants. The High Street is well preserved with many Tudor Black and White buildings, independent specialist retailers and a Tuesday and Saturday Market under the Tudor style market House. The market on Saturday was not very big - some fruit and veg, cheeses, lovely flowers and not too much else.

Church Street is famous in Ledbury and a walk down this piece of history is a must. The current Heritage Centre was built approx. 1480 and has seen a chequered history - it was most probably always intended for public use. St Michaels Church is at the top of the lane. It is indeed a place that comjures up mysteries and stories of the past if only the walls could talk.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning lived in the area from the time she was three until they moved to Sidmouth in 1832. Ledbury Street names honour a number of poets - Drinkwater, Frost, Gibson, Thomas, Abercrombie and Brook. The town holds a poetry festival in July each year.
Much Marcle which is close by, has many apple orchards and a celebration of apple, orchards and cider is held in October.
September 2012 has seen much rain and flooding in UK and Malvern is no exception with the wettest September on record since 1976. The River Severn burst it's banks and a huge hole was found in under the tracks of the railway which passes through this area. Trains were stopped for  days to inspect this large hole and a speed limit is on the line until the problem is permanently solved.
Our family wedding was at 15.00 so the sightseeing came to an end. The bride had sunshine all the way which was a bonus after the recent wet weather.

The reception was held in the Barn at Hellands, another very old home which is open to the public on certain days. The Barn was packed to the gills with approx 113 people - so tightly packed that it was a mission getting out for the loo! The groom has French and Welsh heritage but is South African born so it was a right royal mix. With many guests at around 30 or so years of age, we expected modern disco music. This was not to be and the (very good) band played Rock and Roll!! I was amazed that this went down so well with the younger set - not a modern song played, not even a 60's song played. Being UK, a bus was hired to take guests back to their hotels. How is that for wedding service?

The Bride was laughing so much that it was impossible to get her in focus!
Great Couple!

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

(13) UK - Leaving Rutland - On the Move - not with Eddie Stobart!

Sadly, today we have to leave Barnsdale Country Club to head south-west to Much Marcle for a family wedding. Barnsdale Country Club has been a superb base for exploring Rutland and the surrounding counties of Leicestershire, Northhamptonshire and Lincolnshire. There is much to do in this area and we have been kept busy and had to leave out quite a few excursions.

The roads were busy with many trucks, including the "Eddy Stobart"  trucks seen on local UK TV - why there is such a fuss about this company we did not quite understand as we tuned in half-way through the program! A section of the motorway had only 2 lanes open and this slowed us down considerably. There is nothing worse than travelling on a motorway in any country - it's boring, usually very busy and seems to go on forever. South Africa excluded - we have such diverse scenery that one cannot get tired of it! But I suppose I am slightly prejudiced!

We eventually reached the Malvern Hills and the Tom-Tom took us via a narrow lane fit only for one vehicle with no turning spots!! Thankfully, we met no other car - heaven knows what would have happened if we did. So take care and do not choose the "scenic" route unless you enjoy the unexpected.

Our booking was at the Royal Oak in Much Marcle - we found the pub easily enough but could not check in until after 17.30. This was most annoying as we had been on the road, stuck in traffic for over 2/5 hours. The room faces a car park - so yuck! Anyway, the room itself was OK so we decided to stay.
Our evening get-together was at a place called the Inn @ Welland and the food was good, the group noisy and happy with a wedding looming so it was a great evening.



Postscript: 13/08/2013

Via Face Book - August 2013 - April Jones (Deceased)
Eddie Stobart is coming to Machynlleth, Wales to release there new lorry which they are naming in memory of April Jones, this lorry will be followed around the country by a TV crew for a year which you can watch on channel 5 (UK). Please come and support us as well as giving a big cheer to Eddie Stobart for putting April Jones' name on their lorry.

Background:

A five-year-old girl from Machynlleth, Powys, Wales, disappeared on 1 October 2012, after being sighted willingly getting into a vehicle near her home. Her disappearance generated a large amount of press coverage, both nationally and internationally. A 46-year-old local man, Mark Bridger, was subsequently arrested and charged with Jones' abduction and murder.
  On 30 May 2013, Bridger was found guilty of April's abduction and murder in addition to perverting the course of justice. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. The trial judge ordered that he never be released from prison.

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

(12) UK - Fox and Hounds and Geddinton

Woke up today to a sore chest - the bane of my life. Where did I catch a bug? It's always a mystery but my cold does not pass even pass "Go "- it launches itself directly to the lungs and makes me miserable. So I took a slow morning - my limbs most likely also required a respite after going up and down Steep Hill in Lincoln twice yesterday.

We also heard the bad news that the Anderton Canal has flooded and some of the river banks collapsed so our Canal Boat trip for next week, has to be cancelled  on this route. RCI were most helpful in giving us a few other options and we have chosen the Alvechurch Canal instead. Let's hope this does not have adverse weather as well!

After all these phone calls trying to re-schedule our plans, we felt decidedly peckish so off we went to The Fox and Hounds in Exton. A great choice, as it turned out. This pub does not have many tables but most filled up after we arrived. The food was excellent - the best by far in our travels to date. We had beef stew with parsnip mash and green beans - the stew was served in a teeny yellow pot - very dinky but full of flavoursome beef. Our starters were excellent and then to finish we had Malva Pudding and Vanilla Cheesecake. All beautifully presented at a Special rate of 13 pounds for the 3 course. Full marks to this pub - do try it if you are in the area.

Exton is the just so pretty - the houses are gorgeous and their flowers on the tiny verges are bright and colourful. It's a small village and we saw a few local children being taught the rules of the road on their bicycles. In such a small village, one doubts there is much traffic but it was good to see road safety being taught in practical terms.
Being our last day in this area today we headed off to see some of the interesting villages.

Kings Cliffe is supposedly like a miniature Cotswold town without all the tourists. However, they are not short of kids - mothers were out in force collecting their pre-schoolers - I was quite amazed that such a small village has so many young families. The village has the funniest narrow lanes running down to Willow Brook - so narrow a fat man would get stuck!

Geddington was our last stop for the day to view the Eleanor Cross which stands proud in the middle of the village. This cross was raised as a memorial by Edward 1 (1239 - 1307) to his late wife Eleanor of Castille (1244 - 1290) There were originally 12 monuments erected as the funeral procession wound it's way from Harby in Nottinghamshire to Westminster Abbey. It is simply incredible that something so old has survived. Eleanor bore 15 children to Edward 1st and he was heart-broken when she died.
The village also has a wonderful old medieval stone bridge which crosses the River Ise. Built in 1250 we drove across it (not supposed to!) as there is a causeway beneath which looked to deep for our little car to go over!
Whilst looking at the Eleanor Cross we met a local chap who is a historian. He was a mine of information and was so very interesting. He took us on a tour of the Mary Magdalene church which was originally built in the 10th century. When the floors collapsed in 1990, a skeleton was found with all it's teeth intact! The stained glass windows are beautiful and the church is much used.
The village apparently holds many festivals throughout the year and  the friendly villagers made our host decide to re-locate to  Geedington. Being from Quebec, Canada originally, this was quite a move but going by his amazing passion for the history of the village, it was a good one.
A great tradition started by Sir Robert Dallinton in the 1600's still exists today whereby loaves of bread are given to the needy villagers (24) every Sunday.
The church also still has two pagan symbols in the church - the God of Water and the Jester - both very old and preserved.
A fascinating hour given to us by a man so very passionate about his village and church. Thank you, Kam Caddle!

The floods in Northern England are now the worst in many years so we are extremely lucky to have been blessed with cloudy weather only today.

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

(11) UK - Lincoln City Walk

We decided to venture further afield today to explore the city of Lincoln, a city which rises on a cliff above the River Witham. The older part of the city dates back to Roman times and the first recorded settlement was AD 48.
Many of the medieval buildings have survived or been restored and the most impressive of all is Lincoln Cathedral which rises high and proud on top of the hill.
There was an entrance fee to walk around the inside of the cathedral of 6 pound per person which we though was excessive so we did not venture further. It is rather sad that a church feels the need to be so commercial to the extent that one cannot enter without paying. Donations requested maybe but an entrance fee?
We were rather hampered by parking time constraints and moved to a 2nd car park after 2 hours so ended up doing the Steep Hill not only once, but twice!!!

We first walked down Steep Hill, an amazing old street with many historical buildings to find a T-Mobile shop. The street goes all the way down to the city's pedestrian shopping walkways and it was very busy. We found the shop, sorted out our problem and headed back up the hill again. This is a university city so the red, pink and blue hair leaps out at one! Whether this is a new craze or just a Lincoln "thing" I have no idea. The rings were also in the most impossible places o faces and look so VERY uncomfortable!! However, the young are expressing themselves in weird and wonderful ways so I suppose the more way-out young adults are trying to make a statement - "LOOK AT ME" And look we certainly did, gawk, more like it. Luckily for mankind, the majority of students look fairly normal!!!

The university buildings are down at the Brayford Waterford and there were many students around. The buildings are modern and it seems a great place to be studying.
The Waterfront has a number of canal boats and small river craft tied up. We spotted a lone gent setting off on his narrow boat with his bicycle on the back - whether he was just out for his afternoon ride or whether he was off on a longer adventure we could not guess!
The City Centre has tons of shops for those who love shopping - all the big name stores plus others. It has a good feel, this small city.
We stopped to re-fuel at the Magna Carta Pub and enjoyed Cod, Curly fries and peas. I have never heard of curly fries before but for .35 p extra, it was worth a try!
They were curled chips - thin and twirly! Much more fun than boring old fat chips!
We have chosen to visit the English Pubs rather than restaurants as we have plenty of great food in Cape Town but nobody can replicate an English or Irish pub. They offer fairly decent food at good prices in an informal and cheerful setting. We passed a pub called the "Witch and Wardrobe" which offered "Heated Beer Garden at Rear"  - in this weather, one wonders if they ever turn the heating off? The names of the ales are also quite weird - Hobgoblin? I will have to see if James suffers any weird side effects - watch this space! Perhaps, he will turn into a horrid Goblin? Hopefully not, otherwise I am in trouble!

The UK has experienced huge amounts of rain over the past 2 days, with severe flooding in some parts, so we were very lucky to have been blessed with only cloudy weather and a freezing wind!

My Getaway Beanie has been working overtime, keeping my ears warm. Thanks, Getaway!!!
We went up North via the motorway which is certainly not as scary as the Autobahn in Germany. Traffic was free-flowing and well behaved.
We chose to go home via the country route which took us via the inevitable farmlands and small villages. Quiet and peaceful with a number of speed-cameras!
A great city to visit - more time would have been a bonus.

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

UK - Things I Love and Hate about UK!

What I love about UK:

1 -The pubs - we just cannot replicate these in Cape Town - however, Cape Town does have amazing restaurants.
2 - The castles and the history going back hundreds of years - in Cape Town we have one Castle which is not a residence!
3 - The gorgeous English Gardens - the late Una van der Spuy was our inspiration for English Gardens in South Africa but the wind and heat is often against us.
4 -The stunning English villages with their cute houses
5 - The narrow roads with only "passing places"
6 - The Canal System for narrow boating
7 - The "prettyness" of the countryside
8 - The fact that beer is freely available in supermarkets

What I don't like about UK:

1 - The weather!!!!!
2 - The (sometimes) very unfriendly people
3 - T-Mobile - a total rip-off
4 - The badly maintained tow paths in places
5 - The traffic snarl-ups on the motor ways

6 - The claustrophobic lanes/roads - we are so used to wide open spaces in South Africa
7 - The Grey skies - not great for photography!

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

(10) UK - Rainy Day - Pub Lunch and Egleton Ramble

Waking up early was a waste of time - it dawned cold, grey and miserable! UK weather certainly lives up to its horrid reputation - don't set foot here if you are wanting sunshine - choose the Greek Islands instead! But if you are looking for history, great pubs, walks in nature, markets and gorgeous small villages, then you are in the right place.
After doing some chores we headed off to find some lunch. Our first stop was at the Black Bull in Market Overton. This is supposedly a "warm, traditional inn" with owners from Yorkshire. Well, the van was parked outside, the door was open, the bar was unmanned and there was nobody in sight! With money and keys lying around, they are obviously very trusting but it did not smell as if there was any food cooking and nobody came to assist. Perhaps the locals draw their own beer and pay later! Anyway, we left.

We then headed for the Sun Inn in Cottesmore (bad name for a pub on a rainy day!) The welcome was better here - the pub was actually manned and had some patrons! It's a gorgeous white building - ever so cute from the outside. The staff were friendly and the 2 course menu cost 10.50 pounds. We had Shepherds Pie and Veg (our first veg in ages - too many pies in this country!) and then a fruity pudding with custard.
Unfortunately, it was still pelting down when we emerged after lunch so although we took a drive to Whitwell Harbour, there was nothing happening - in fact, the yachts are mostly on dry land! The Rutland Belle, which does cruises on Rutland Water, was cosily berthed and not going anywhere!
Back home to read the Rutland Times and have our tea.

The weather suddenly seemed to improve, so back in the car to drive to Egleton for a walk on the cycle path to work off the food and the feeling of being cooped up all day - even though we were not! The wind was icy cold but a brisk walk soon got us warmed up although we had to dodge many puddles until we eventually were forced to turn back after a huge section of the path was totally flooded. Lovely reflections in all the puddles made for some interesting photos.
Back home, we were amazed at the brilliant sunset that faced us through our picture window.
A picturesque end to the day and we hope the weather is just a tad better tomorrow!!!

www.discover-rutland.co.uk

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

UK - Rutland Times - Stealing Entire Kitchens?

As South Africans we think we have the worse crime stats in the world so it is rather fun, if one can call it that, to read a local village paper in UK and find out that there are problems even in tiny villages here.

Seen in the Rutland Times , a local Newspaper, dated 20 Sept, 2012
A property in Melton Road, Whissendine, was broken into at about 11.40am on Tuesday last week.
Police are appealing for witnesses who saw the men running away.
On Sept 7th at 3pm two people were assaulted in Oakham High Street - police are appealing for witnesses.
Burglar high on drugs steals entire kitchen from a new home in Corby where the owners had not yet moved in.
Looking at the villages and homes around here, one would not think that there could possibly be any crime in this affluent area, yet there is.
Hopefully, our kitchens on SA are still safe - I have not yet heard that particular crime doing the rounds!!!
The Fire Departments were also busy the same week:
A TV was on fire in a flat with nobody home
Two hay balers overheated and caught fire in 2 different locations (how does anything over-heat here?)
A warehouse in a self-storage caught fire
A cooker caught fire and damaged a kitchen.
Crazy stuff!!
It remains a great county with friendly folk, pretty villages, fairly sane drivers and good pubs!
But do take care - in Egleton we saw a sign at a car park to the nature reserve
"Leave it on show - Expect it to go"
"Don't make your car a target"
Now who would expect thieves in this tiny village? Surely persons visiting the Bird Hides would be decent folk and not thieves?
Odd but true.

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

(9) UK - Grimsthorpe Castle, Bourne

After the brilliant sunshine and warm weather of yesterday, it dawned cloudy and cold this morning.
Not to be daunted, we set off for Grimsthorpe Castle in Bourne, Lincolnshire - this was our last castle visit - after 3, I think one can say, not another b.....castle!

However, don't be put off by us if you really love castles - they are extremely interesting and have wonderful old/ancient! furniture. Normally very ornate as was the case hundreds of years ago.
Grimsthorpe Castle was built for a visit by Henry V111 in 1541 and is still owned by the same family although this is now in a trust. There are over 1500 privately owned houses, parks and gardens in the historic houses association and 500 of these are open to the public at various times of the year. Imagine visiting all of them!!!

The house is very symmetrical, both outside and inside and it is tastefully done. The guides in each room were very informative and proud to show off the various tapestries, thrones and furniture from the House of Lords. I loved the ceilings - very tastefully decorated and not so overly ostentatious as Burghley House where every inch was covered in either in paintings or art work.
The 35 bedrooms are all used when the family have visitors and we saw the bedroom where Prince Charles and Camilla slept when Prince William received his "wings" We can only dream of this sort of life but, then again, would we really like to be in the public eye all the time? I think not!! Naked pictures of myself would not fetch a great sum on the open market, unless for their hysterical value.
I loved the ceilings in this house - very simple, yet decorative - not like the ceilings at Burghley House that cover every square inch of space.

One gets the feeling that the Burghley House owners were very much " gotta keep up with the Jones" mentality - cover every inch with either art or paintings.
Grimsthorpe Manor seems more genteel and tasteful.
Trimming of the yew hedges and topiary continues through September. The Topiary is over 100 years old and the shapes have been trimmed and cut by various gardeners over many years. It takes over 600 hours annually to trim all the hedges with an electric trimmer! Imagine in years gone by - a full time job!

The gardens were not at their best - end of summer - but still delightful. The Vegetable garden had rows of various coloured lettuces, making an interesting display. Huge marrows, artichokes, cabbages, beans etc reminded me of my gran's veggie patch, albeit on a smaller scale. Raspberries and apple trees - all delicious when picked fresh from the garden.
The lake is huge - 50 acres and was designed by John Gundry in the 1700's. One can walk around this in approx. 1 hour but with the rain, we gave it a miss and chose to have tea and scones in the tearoom instead.

Our drive around the parkland was conducted by Chris who sports a pony-tail. He has worked for the estate for 14 years and told us where the sheep or Shetland Ponies were put to graze, showed us the mound of the old monastery - these stones were used in the castle when the monks left and there are no remains still visible, showed us the avenue of Horse Chestnut trees and the vision that they have of creating different habitats for various species. The old, dead trees are all left a provide a habitat for beatles and the disused limestone quarries now have gentian species blooming during summer. This is the furthest north that they are found.
In better weather it would have been a fabulous day as the rain did spoil it somewhat as this curtailed our walks.

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

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(8) UK - Hambleton Walk, Pie Fest, 2 Windmills and Country Roads

Today dawned bright and sunny - hurray!!!
Due to the favourable weather conditions, we aimed for Hambleton to do the 7 mile walk around the peninsula. Rutland Water was created in the 1970's to meet an increasing demand for water. A couple of villages vanished beneath this large expanse of water, however the spin-off was a wonderful area for waterfowl and Osprey (unfortunately gone already as they are here from March to early September each year) The views on this walk are glorious and I would recommend it to all. This man-made lake is the largest in Europe and the walk we did was voted as one of the top lakeside walks in Britain. And we did it!
We parked at the Finch's Arms and walked down - found a "Right of Way" very wet path which looked as if it had not been used in ages. I wanted to turn around but James insisted it was THE path! I turned round and we found an elderly gent walking his dog who showed us down the road to the correct path. He was telling us that Hambleton is a very expensive place to buy property - starting at approx. 800,000 thousand pounds up to 2 million pounds! As a retiree, he loves the area and we can see why. It's truly beautiful, quiet and peaceful.
We passed a fly-fisherman, waist deep in the water and seemingly enjoying himself! At least the fishermen in their small boats were dry. The only sound was the crunch of our feet on the gravel - if we stopped, the silence was absolute. The path is very popular with cyclists who have their own warning signs, for example, steep hill or cattle grid ahead - dismount! Walkers and runners were also out enjoying the sunshine today.

I felt that 7 miles was rather ambitious but it is such a lovely experience with incredible view over Rutland Water for most of the way except when walking through Hambleton Woods. If I thought I had a problem with sheep pooh last time, this was even worse in places where the cows were grazing! Sloppy, wet cow dung is best avoided at all costs and it required great skill to avoid the numerous cow pats!
The walk took us about 2 hours and we decided to give the Finch's Arms another try after our diabolical experience on Sunday. We chose our beers and were shown our table..........and then we waited. Apparently, they only print the menu's at 12 noon so there is no food available before then. We had nearly finished our beers so James went to find a waiter only to hear again "The menu's have not yet been printed" When they eventually arrived, we told the waitress that we were leaving. The Manager then approached us and asked if we had done a "Trip Advisor" review on Sunday. He told us that he had done 190 covers on Sunday and if we had waited 30 minutes we could have been served! NOBODY said we would be served - we were told categorically that no food was available after being shown to a table. This manager also said that there was a difference between the pub and the restaurant. Again, nobody had told us this. He was quite scathing about other British pubs - calling them the "plastic menu" brigade! Somewhat full of his own importance I would say and certainly not very friendly to visitors.
Apparently, this printed menu can also change mid-way through lunch when the chef runs out of ingredients and then has to improvise! A weird set-up and certainly not a welcoming British pub.

Now without lunch, we decided to head for Melton Mowbray where the Pie Fest was being held. We wandered around the Saturday Market with it's fruit and veg, beautiful plants and flowers, tons of NIGHTIES and could not find the Pie Fest! We asked eventually and found out that this consisted of a few stalls with hardly any pies left for sale! There were tables outside for the PIE-NIC but they were all full. We bought a pie from Mr Kew's Pies - not much choice left. They are award winning Pie makers from Norfolk. I will let you know what it tastes like when we have it for supper!

Melton Mowbray is famous for Pork Pies and Stilton Cheese and the queue into the Olde Pork Pie Shop was horrendous! So we ambled around and viewed the Melton Mowbray Town Estate Memorial gardens. These are lovely gardens with many names of those lost in battle. A tribute to the fallen.
Once back in the market place, we found a small cafe for some tea and a sandwich whilst James insisted on the real thing - a Pork Pie with Stilton Cheese!
Luckily, when we had finished eating the queue at Dickinson &  Morris had calmed down to a trickle and we could purchase two small Pork Pies plus a Lemon Madeira Cake.

Our nest stop was to 2 different windmills, one still apparently operational and the other not. The one at Wymondham can be climbed to virtually the top - can you  believe that after all my morning exercise, I actually ventured up these steep and narrow stairs? Getting back down again was a challenge! The other windmill which is still operational, was not open but it was well worth the detour for the photos of the sails. This is the Whissendine Windmill which still supplies flour to places like Hambleton Bakery. The windmill dates back to 1810 and was restored in 1996g t. Traditional scales are still used! It's a beautiful mill and visits can be pre-arranged during the week.
Our trip back to Barnsdale took us via some simply incredible country roads - so narrow that they have "passing" places only. It was so truly in rural Britain and a lovely drive! We had to stop at Ashwell to wait for the train to pass at the crossing. It came belting along at a very fast rate!
At Barnsdale Country Club, we had to change units today. Our new unit is very close to the water and the ducks and squirrels all came passing by while we enjoyed out teatime treats.
The countryside in Britain is very quaint and pretty and these 4 counties that we have been visiting are both interesting, entertaining and certainly worth visiting.

www.discover-rutland.co.uk 

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

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(7) UK - Foxton Locks

Today dawned grey and glum - typical British weather unfortunately! Anyway, if one waits for decent weather in UK, you will go nowhere and see nothing so off we set as planned to visit the famous Foxton Locks. The lady Tom-Tom took us meandering through country lanes bordered on all sides by farmland. Along this route, the hedgerows were not too high so we could see the cows and sheep and vast expanses of land stretching as far as the eye could see. Along many English roads one sees nothing as the hedgerows are so very high. It makes me feel closed in and detracts from the feel of "country" in my opinion. It's all very well being able to pick luscious blackberries from the hedgerows but they certainly spoil the view.

The areas of Rutland, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire are all rural away from the bigger towns - it's pleasant with little traffic unless you get stuck in a traffic jam in Market Harborough on a Friday! Even then, it does not take to long to escape again.
Foxton Locks is a unique staircase of 10 locks and carries the narrow boats either up or down the 75 ft hill. It is fascinating to watch, plus rather scary!
I watched with great interest as we are doing another canal trip soon but the lock-keeper told me that each canal may have a different system so that was not much good, was it? Let's hope I can manage the paddles and the lock gates. It will get me fit if nothing else.
The line is now known as the Grand Union Leicester Line which is a combination of the 200 yr old Leicesterhire & Northhamptonshire Union Canal and the old Grand Union Canal. Locks are intriguing to everybody and this set going uphill, is certainly no exception.

There is a lovely piece of art along the towpath of a boy and his horse:
"Towing a boat all day is very tiring for our horse. My dad doesn't let me sit on him as it would tire him even more"

Another plaque of Canal Life in 1900 says:
A bower of wild roses in June and a hell of ice in Winter" by William Holloway

Narrow Boating these days is mainly for pleasure/holiday - it was much tougher in the 1900's!

We popped into the Museum and Shop but the guy in charge was so busy talking on the phone that he totally ignored us, despite the fact that we browsed the ''shop" shelves trying to find a map of the canal we are going to. We eventually walked out in disgust.
At the top of the locks there is a coffee shop, down below another small pub and better shop than the Museum one and on the other side the Foxton Locks Inn and Old Boathouse. The Boathouse was not open on this drizzly day - however, the Foxton Locks pub was warm and cosy and my parsnip soup went down a treat!
Some pubs in UK seem to be rather expensive now with mains up to 19 pounds - however, the starters or lighter meals are usually much cheaper. In a place where there are a number of pubs, for example Stamford, the prices are much better - perhaps more competition?
It rained all the way back to Barnsdale Country Club.............!!!!

So now we are doing the boring and mundane task of the weekly wash and we hope to have some clean clothes EVENTUALLY come out of the German washing machine that is going on and on and on.....maybe it will never stop?

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

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(6) UK - Burghley House and Stamford

The day has dawned cloudy - very cloudy! Again!

Burghley House and Stamford are on the agenda today.
The Tom-Tom got us in via the owners entrance, as we later discovered! We passed a huge herd of buck but didn't stop for a photo as we thought we could walk amongst them later! This house is very old and has a vast history. It was placed in a trust years ago - however, family members still live here but have to apply to the trust and must be direct descendants. The old Tudor kitchen is huge and puts the Rockingham kitchen to shame. The rooms are all very large and ostentatious with either paintings or tapestries taking up just about every conceivable space. The walls and ceilings are painted with murals - it took an artist and his team 11 years to complete these works.
Privacy was not a priority in those days so there was no passage between bedrooms. Imagine, servants, kids other guests all walking past your bedroom? The 4 posters had their curtains for a good reason. Burghley was built between 1555 and 1587 - it's hard to imagine a building surviving for so long.

The Great Hall has a huge collection of old books - currently in bookshelves behind grids. However, these books were left lying on the floor for nearly 70 years and had been nibbled on by rats during this time. Educated rats obviously!
The descendants, Miranda and Orlando who are currently living in the house have 4 children, the eldest is 12. Three school going children attend 3 different schools - one wonders who does all the fetching and carrying.

The gardens are park-like with sculptures (not my cup of tea!) and the Garden of Surprises is a more of a children's treat with water spouts all over the place.
The grounds are massive but not as pretty as Rockingham Castle, which I preferred although it is much smaller. Burghley is excessive in it's huge collection of paintings, many from Italy and the painted ceilings are just too overwhelming for me. Busy would be the word - not tranquil and peaceful.


Our next stop was the London Inn in Stamford for a 10 pound lunch (for 2) James enjoyed lovely cod, peas and chips and I had Chilli Con Carne. It seems a popular, busy and well frequented spot.
Stamford itself is the most gorgeous town with beautiful old stone buildings, pedestrian areas and very fine buildings. The town lies at the southern tip of Lincolnshire where it borders Rutland, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire. The town boasts many 18th and 19th century buildings and it is well worth a wander. Stamford has approx 18,000 inhabitants and has a lovely feel to it despite the fact that there are a number of shops to let. The river Welland runs through the town and this has always been crossed here for the North/South road. This route was known as the Roman Road, then the Great North Road and now the A1.

Unfortunately, we did not have sufficient time to fully enjoy this lovely, old stone town.

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

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(5) UK - Oakham Market/Museum/Castle + Clipsham Yew Tree Avenue + Hambleton Bakery

We woke up to a gorgeous blue sky yet the wind is still rather chilly! After a few days of muesli for breakfast we decided to treat ourselves to breakfast in Oakham. As we had enjoyed a good meal at The Crown Tavern on Saturday, we popped in for the mega breakfasts. Sitting at the bar was a gent enjoying a beer!! At 9.00 am? Gross! Anyway, same gent went out for a smoke but left the door open. Hating the smell of smoke, especially at breakfast time, I dashed to close the door. Awhile later, we hear this frantic banging and shout of "You have locked me out, love!" Apparently, the handle only works from the inside. Anyway, he was very jolly and said " It's all fun, love" This seems a meeting spot for the gents who are now chatting away merrily - at least one is drinking coffee! It is indeed a popular meeting spot as it is market day in Oakham and there appears to be some sort of retirement complex close by!

The Oakham Market was in full swing in the square - lovely fresh fruit and veg - 3 ripe figs (last seen when I was a child) for 1 pound, raspberries, huge banana's etc etc. One gent wanted 6 potatoes - "do you want dirty ones" asked the stall keeper. Yes, the customer replied. I must assume dirty potatoes are cheaper than clean potatoes! The re were beautiful bunches of flowers on sale plus ENORMOUS BLOOMERS!! Now who on earth would want to buy their panties at an open market?

Loads of meat, fresh fish, chef made frozen meals - a one stop Wednesday Market.

Oakham Castle is a misnomer - it's not a castle at all but rather a village hall where the court cases took place. Oakham has a very long history and was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. That's a very long time ago! The collection of over 200 Horseshoes make the walls very different to anything seen elsewhere. An old custom decrees that every peer setting foot in the town has to donate a horseshoe to be hung inside the castle. It's like a modern "who's who" with Queen Elizabeth visiting in 1967. The horse shoes are hung upside down so that the devil can't sit inside and bring bad luck! This is the Rutland way and they are not about to change.
Rutland Museum is another interesting piece of history - it's not too big and daunting and does not take very long to go around. Old farming implements, a wonderful old Milk Cart and Bakers Van were my favourites - never seen those before. The gruesome bit was looking at the gallows - first used in 1813. The drop was too short to break the neck cleanly - how awful - and people used to watch this?

After a short break for a light lunch we set of to view Clipsham Yew Tree Avenue. The village of Clipsham is gorgeous - beautiful homes - Rutland seems a fairly wealthy area as he homes are not small and all appear well kept. We passed a family out for a ride on their horses and they all waved at us as we drove past. Whether they are so friendly to all passing cars I have no idea but it was a lovely friendly gesture and made us feel very welcome in the area!

The Yew Tree Avenue stretches way down and one walks with massive Yew trees on either side. The trees did seem as if they needed trimming - however, perhaps this is done at certain times of the year only? There were huge spider webs on the trees so it would not make a good hiding place - I shudder to think how big the spiders must be! The avenue is over 200 years old and there are approx 150 trees - most with strange shapes cut out at the top. It makes for a pleasant 10 minute stroll - perhaps the ladies of the gentry used to wander down here when they felt the need for some gentle exercise?
Who knows! Yew Clippings are used in the manufacture of cancer tablets so these ancient trees serve a good purpose.

Teatime loomed so we stopped off at the Hambleton Bakery to buy some sweet treats for our tea. Julian Carter and Tim Hart opened this bakery in 2008 to produce bread for Hambleton Hall and Hart's of Nottingham. They now have many other customers plus retail outlets. Quite a success story for these times of recession. The bakery is set in the middle of nowhere, practically in a field. There breads are made to go back to tasting "good bread" without all the added bits such as olives, onions, poppy seeds etc. It all looks delicious and the lemon tart, fruit and almond tart and the chocolate brownie are all so yummy that we may just require a return visit! To top it all, the lovely lady in the shop hails originally from South Africa and has friends in our home suburb in Cape Town. How is that for a small world? We enjoyed a great chat and she still throws in a few Afrikaans words here and there although they have now lived in Rutland for nearly 24 years.

After all this scrumptious tea, we need some exercise so set off from Barnsdale Country Club to Whitwell, a distance of about 2.5 miles. This walk passes through Barnsdale Woods and is wonderfully peaceful. As there are a number of inclines, I require extra oxygen so have to stop, inhale and swing my arms behind me, then exhale and swing my arms forward. A sheep thought this was just too much, stopped munching to stare at me as if to say "You are crazy, woman!"

To make matters worse, I had to walk like a drunken sailor on a section of the path which is very obviously frequented by these black sheep. It was either that or get back home with very smelly shoes stinking of sheep's pooh. Walking crooked seemed the better option.

The evening has turned out perfectly with such clear skies that we can see the numerous jet trails passing high up above.

Let's hope the weather lasts and that my knees get me out of bed in the morning after all the exercise!

www.discover-rutland.co.uk

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

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(4) UK - Country Trip to Rockingham Castle and Seaton Viaduct

Rockingham Castle Gardens

Off we set armed with our friendly Tom-Tom. This cheerful British voice keeps us on the curvy, narrow roads of British countryside." Kept left at the round-a-bout, then third exit, or in 300 yards, keep right on the round-a-bout and take the 4th exit or turn around!! Today we had a few "turn around" instructions but more of that later.
As we reached Rockingham fairly early we ventured into Corby to try and find a supermarket. After driving through much of the town, we discovered a huge ASDA. What fun and what a huge variety of goods. With eyes out on stalks, we wandered the aisles and were wishing that Raymond Ackerman's offspring would take some tips and increase the variety in the Pick & Pay stores back home. Perhaps the South Africans are better cooks with more time on their hands but I just loved all the prepared foods available!

Rockingham Castle - what a wonderful outing. It is a must see if you are in the area during the summer months as it is only open Tuesdays and Sundays. Go early when the gates open so that you can wander the amazing rose garden , see the 400 year yr old Yew Hedge, shaped to resemble elephants (I think a couple of whiskeys are required to see the resemblance!)and the New Garden. Once inside the castle, you can climb the very steep and narrow stairway to the top for glorious views across 5 counties on a clear day.
This castle has only been owned by 2 families and is still owned by the Watson family (Denise, where did you go wrong??) This current family have 2 girls of 17 and 15 and a son of nearly 12 (2012) The father works at a bank in London - leaves home at 6.00 am to go to London by train, returning at 19.00 every night. A long day in anybody's book.

The gardens are maintained by 2 or 3 gardeners and one was mowing the vast lawns when we arrived. The roses were still good and the various smells simply divine. The new garden is 3 years old and a sight to behold - the aim is to have small sections of garden with various flowers. The Rose garden has the same shape and size as the original Castle Keep which no longer exists.
The village of Rockingham was moved from it's original position to the current site below the castle. This village is also owned by the Watsons and the original purchase price of 350 pounds included farm land which has since been sold off or rented out. There are currently no houses for rent in the village and one can understand why - it is by far the cutest village we have seen so far.

Charles Dickens was a family friend and often stayed overnight - he was supposed to have seen a lady ghost at the end of the Yew Hedge - perhaps he also saw the elephants?
The interior of the castle is amazing - the kitchen filled with copper pots seemed a bright and cheery place to work - at least it would have been warm in the olden days! The Long Room  was specifically meant for the ladies to take their exercise, has stunning views over the countryside and my gran, who always paced up and down, would have loved it! The library - magnificent. The family quarters are in a separate wing - however, they do use the castle as their home when it is not open to the public. What a way to live in this modern day and age - quite mind-boggling!

The guides were excellent so a thoroughly enjoyable 3 hours.
Rockingham remained my favourite Castle/Stately Home - it has a magical air to it and the gardens are simply gorgeous. I am sure this is a much loved home and not just a commercial venture.
We hope the family will treasure their wonderful home for many more generations to come.

 A quick pub lunch at the Sondes Arms and then off to find the Seaton Viaduct. Rutland , after putting Harrington into the Tom-Tom, we went on a circular drive to nowhere!!!! It should have been Harringworth so take heed, and make sure the driver of the Tom-Tom can spell correctly!

The Seaton Viaduct was eventually found and we took a stroll down a footpath in the icy wind to view this huge structure of  82 arches. It just goes on and on and we could not see the entire length all at once. I wished for a train to make this a special experience as we trudged in the artic wind! Suddenly, James shouted - RUN - there is a train coming! We were not in the best spot at that stage but watching this train was something special - 2 engines and 36 trucks going past - they seemed to go on forever. An epic feat of engineering for the men who built this amazing structure.

Next into the local Tesco's for our supper and then home to relax after a busy and wonderful day.

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

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