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

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(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

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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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(3) UK - Falconry Centre, Rockingham and Stoke Dry

Day 3 dawned bright and sunny so out came the shorts. Well - that did last too long and by 10.00 hrs the jeans were back on again!
We were told by Rutland Tourism that the Falconry and Owl Centre was interesting and close by so we made that our first stop. Unless you choose the 20 pound 30 min walk with a bird on your arm, it is not worth the entrance fee. We were not prepared to spend 40 pounds for 30 minutes and the various options were not explained. No demonstration times were displayed and it all seems a bit amateur. There was not much information available on the cages except the bird's name (which they did not respond to anyway!!) and the type of bird e.g. Bengal Owl. The owls all look rather sad but maybe that is their natural look. Having visited our local World of Birds in Cape Town and the Garden of Eden in Plettenberg Bay, we were most disappointed with The Falconry and Own Centre. A suggestion would be that only guided tours are offered so that pertinent information can be given re the birds, where they were found, what their injuries were etc etc.

Next stop was The White Horse in Empingham. A lovely local pub with pretty flowering baskets, tables on the pavement and a cosy section inside. We chose inside as the sun was very erratic and the wind chill required a jacket to be worn! Good service and a varied pub menu had us enjoying potato and watercress soup with a bacon and brie baguette. Delicious!

If one is visiting any of the local "castles" or Heritage houses, don't make the mistake we made. PHONE first to find out if they are open!!! We drove all the way to Rockingham Castle only to discover that it only opens on Tuesdays and Sundays! All was not lost however, as the main street of Rockingham is simply gorgeous! The flower baskets are just over-flowing with flowers in bloom and brighten up the street and quaint houses beautifully. We wandered up and down, the Sondes Arms is an absolute prize winner for exterior blooms - simply magnificent. Their menu also looked good but we had already eaten. Perhaps another day!

Passing down a small lane, we met a lovely elderly lady who served in the Land Army, running the farms during the war years. What a delightful lady who confessed to being extremely nosey - however, we agreed that she should rather class herself as the local Neighbourhood Watch - this sounds much more professional and still allows her to be as nosey as she pleases! With a small, interesting garden, she proudly announced that her roses had won 1st prize in the local village competition. Way to go at that age - I think it's wonderful.

Our last meander was to Stoke Dry, a very posh village with only about 14 houses - rather large ones at that. This village  overlooks Eyebrook reservoir where there are many breeding birds - swans, mallards, teak etc. Fly fishing permits can be obtained and we did see a few boats on the water. It was dead quiet here - not a sound to be heard except for the occasional bird.

On our drive back home we stopped at the Spar in Uppingham to buy some milk - a sign on the door said "Not more than 3 school children may enter at any one time" and "You are being watched by CCTV" Seems crime has reached rural England? A shame in these tiny little villages to see Security Signs all over. One has to assume that they are not there purely for show?

We also seemed to be on a stretch of road where the locals drive too fast - 4 deaths and 27 injuries in the space of 3 years. Slow down please - we all want to remain safe.

© Judelle Drake

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

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

(2) UK - Rutland County - Rocks by Rail and Barnsdale Gardens

Rutland County is the smallest county in England and this was one of the reasons we chose it for our annual holiday this year.
Air-fares have risen lately and we struggled to find a reasonable fare until it was suggested we try SkyScanner which provided a fairly decent price for a British Airways ticket. The time came round fairly quickly and there we were climbing aboard, all set for Heathrow direct from Cape Town. The plane was very full - the staff coped with smiles on their faces. Dinner time came around and the usual "Chicken or Beef" request echoed down the plane. I chose chicken and hungrily opened my pack only to find--------a full English Breakfast!!!! This must surely be a first - English Breakfast for dinner! I decided to eat rather than await the busy staff's return and they were truly shocked when I told them my sorry tale. The expressions on their faces was priceless! Having filled my hunger pains, I was not upset at all but they did offer me more food. Mistakes do happen and this one was so unusual (I hope!) that I just could not complain, nor did I want to. So next time you fly BA remind them not to give you breakfast instead!

The wait for our rental car was long but again, the staff were very pleasant and helpful. The Tom-Tom did not make any mistakes and after a very boring drive on the highway, we located Barnsdale Country Club. With lovely views over Rutland Water it should turn out to be a peaceful and interesting time.

We drove into Oakham Village where many locals were out and about. We popped into a tiny local pub for quick bite to eat.This seems a well-frequented little pub with good pub meals at reasonable prices (for us South African)

Finding Tesco's was a challenge as the sign only faces one way and we were driving from the opposite way. But find it we did and this store will be frequented during our stay here. The variety of prepared meals appears to be much vaster than we get in Cape Town so it will be easier to self-cater at reasonable cost and still have a variety of meals in the village.
Armed with our groceries we headed back to Barnsdale to check in and just about gave the cleaning lady heart-failure as she was still in the unit! So late in the day and she still had 5 units to clean she told us. Poor lady!
After a long flight with no sleep to speak of, we fell into bed rather exhausted - even the wedding racket from the building behind us, did not keep us awake!
Roll on tomorrow when we can start exploring!

It dawned cloudy today - surprise? So I donned my yellow T-Shirt hoping that the sun would take the hint and come out with guns blazing! As you can guess I am the eternal optimist! Our first stop was at Rocks by Rail in Cottesmore - a living Ironstone Museum. Run entirely by volunteers who are very passionate about the part they are playing in this restoration, it was a very interesting experience. The loco drives up to the quarry where the digger is waiting to scoop up the ironstone into the waiting rail trucks. The steam loco is a short ride down the track where it passes the old disused Oakham Canal. The volunteers have opened up a very tiny piece of canal just to show that there was once a canal in the area! The workshop is open for viewing and the projects of restoration are ongoing. Truly fascinating stuff if you are interested in rail and quarry history. With over 20 steam and diesel locos in the process of being restored, it's paradise for enthusiasts. A path has been cleared adjoining the tracks as a nature walk with viewing spots for photographers. Eventually, they hope to have a platform for embarking so one could ride down and walk up or visa versa. The Sundew cafe, which is named after the crane that was used in the quarry, offers free tea or coffee and sandwiches can be bought. All in all, a pleasant morning out. View their web site www.rocks-by-rail.org for further info.

By now we were nearing lunch time so off we set to the Finch's Arms hoping for a pint and a hearty pub lunch. The barman showed us a choice of 2 tables and we ordered our pints. When James requested a menu, we were suddenly told that they were fully booked and could not even give us a sandwich!!!!!! It would have been nice had they told us that in the first place. So we drank our beers rather grumpily and left. As this is also the start of a walk around Rutland Water, we were going to that after lunch. As they say, the best laid plans of mice and men..........!

Barnsdale Gardens were next on our list as we could have a sandwich before exploring the gardens. The sun had sort of come out by this time so it seemed a good omen for a wander amongst the 38 gardens laid out in the 8 acre site. But first to calm the tummy rumbles so we ordered sandwiches in the on-site coffee shop. Big mistake! I have never had such an insipid egg mayonnaise in my entire life - which upset me, as I love egg sandwiches. Is this the British palette's style?

However, the gardens are certainly worth a visit and various little corners have been laid out such as Tranquil Garden, Woodland Walk, A Cottage Garden, Town Paradise Garden, Apple Arch, and best of all, the Rose Garden. The smell of roses pervades the gardens and I would love to bottle the smell as our modern day roses bought in SA have no smell at all. Geoff Hamilton was a passionate horticulturalist and found the Barnsdale site in 1983 where he designed many different gardens which appeared on BBC gardening programmes.

A must visit if you are in the area and love gardens/gardening.

A short walk back at Barnsdale gave us some fast exercise before heading back to our unit to plan tomorrow's trips.

www.discover-rutland.co.uk

© Judelle Drake

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

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

Please share - if you did not enjoy this post .....Shhh - but please still share!

Thanks!

(1) Cape Town to UK - Rutland County UK

Rutland County is the smallest county in England and this was one of the reasons we chose it for our annual holiday this year.
Air-fares have risen lately and we struggled to find a reasonable fare until it was suggested we try SkyScanner which provided a fairly decent price for a British Airways ticket. The time came round fairly quickly and there we were climbing aboard, all set for Heathrow direct from Cape Town. The plane was very full - the staff coped with smiles on their faces. Dinner time came around and the usual "Chicken or Beef" request echoed down the plane. I chose chicken and hungrily opened my pack only to find--------a full English Breakfast!!!! This must surely be a first - English Breakfast for dinner! I decided to eat rather than await the busy staff's return and they were truly shocked when I told them my sorry tale. The expressions on their faces was priceless! Having filled my hunger pains, I was not upset at all but they did offer me more food. Mistakes do happen and this one was so unusual (I hope!) that I just could not complain, nor did I want to. So next time you fly BA remind them not to give you breakfast instead!

The wait for our rental car was long but again, the staff were very pleasant and helpful. The Tom-Tom did not make any mistakes and after a very boring drive on the highway, we located Barnsdale Country Club. With lovely views over Rutland Water it should turn out to be a peaceful and interesting time.

We drove into Oakham Village where many locals were out and about. We popped into a tiny local pub for quick bite to eat.This seems a well-frequented little pub with good pub meals at reasonable prices (for us South African)

Finding Tesco's was a challenge as the sign only faces one way and we were driving from the opposite way. But find it we did and this store will be frequented during our stay here. The variety of prepared meals appears to be much vaster than we get in Cape Town so it will be easier to self-cater at reasonable cost and still have a variety of meals in the village.
Armed with our groceries we headed back to Barnsdale to check in and just about gave the cleaning lady heart-failure as she was still in the unit! So late in the day and she still had 5 units to clean she told us. Poor lady!
After a long flight with no sleep to speak of, we fell into bed rather exhausted - even the wedding racket from the building behind us, did not keep us awake!
Roll on tomorrow when we can start exploring!

© Judelle Drake

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

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

UK - Ellesmere to Llangollen on a Canal Boat - Going slowly!

Everybody I have ever met, who has done one or more canal boat trips, simply raves about the slow pace of life to be enjoyed on a narrow boat in the canals of Britain. Did I believe them? Not entirely! This is something that has to be experienced - it is just incredible how one slips into the slow pace of travel and it has to be one of the most relaxing ways for a "slow down and smell the cows" type of holiday. Although the experience was not totally stress-free - getting a narrow boat through a narrow bend with another one approaching from the other side, is STRESS!! Especially when the man steering seems to be intent on a head-on collision! Or waiting to go through a very dark tunnel only wide enough for one boat.... or going over the high aqueduct with no room for error........or getting the locks working quickly enough so that the boat does not get damaged.......who said there was no STRESS???? It's one of those myths that circulate the world!!

We arrived in Ellesmere the night before we could collect our narrow boat and stayed in the Red Lion. It's an ancient hotel which was not very clean but the pub restaurant was very busy with a funeral tea and later with many patrons for supper. They also have an over 60's Club so appear to be well patronised by the locals. The rooms are obviously not their main source of income. An interesting experience and a good people watching pub! Ellesmere is a tiny, friendly village with a lovely walk along the lake where you can watch the swans swimming along so gracefully.

We checked in at the Marina but had an awfully long wait before the boats were ready and then another long wait for the chap to come and give us our briefing and "sample" ride. It looked so easy when he did it.........!! Narrow Boats are so-called as they are extremely narrow - we had to ditch one suitcase and lock it in the boot of the rental car as there is truly no space for bulky luggage on board. That would not be an issue if you live locally but, as we had to have summer and winter clothes for our holiday, all the way from South Africa, it was a problem. Travelling light has never made it into my vocabulary, unfortunately, and I am the very worst when it comes to packing.  

With the very late start, we had to carry on until 19.00 when it was likely that we would arrive at an overnight spot with a pub for our evening meal. James managed the very scary start on the canal with many boats heading our way which had to be dodged. Yes, you have guessed - we are total novices at this art of narrow-boating! Thankfully we reached the Jack Mytton Inn at Hindford without mishap and enjoyed a lovely lasagne with a mountain of chips. Who serves chips with lasagne?

Safely moored for the night, I was very apprehensive about the narrow confines of the boat, being extremely claustrophobic. However, I need not have worried - it's cute and cosy and we both slept very well! 

The next morning dawned and after our cereal and tea, we set off to face the first of the only two locks on this canal. STRESS again!! Would I get it right? Luckily for me, everybody on the canal was so very helpful at all times and the New Zealanders who had followed us the previous afternoon, assisted me with the lock and we got past without mishap.

The countryside is beautiful, open fields with lovely views and just the sheep and cows for company. Very peaceful but could I relax?? NO! Chirk Tunnel was upon us and at 420 m long it's dark and scary and you have to pray that no other boat enters from the other side when you are just into the tunnel yourself. It seems easier from the other direction so let's hope for the best on the return journey. 

The aqueducts were more fun as I walked them.The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct (please don't ask how on earth one is supposed to pronounce that!) is 126 feet above the River Dee and was built between 1795 and 1805 by Thomas Telford (1757 - 1834) This amazing feat of engineering came out of the Industrial Revolution era and remains as a monument of a bygone era. The aqueduct is 1000 feet long and is now a World Heritage site. It stands proud on it's many pillars.

This aqueduct on the canal is busy and carries many boats across daily, some just on short day trips to view this masterpiece! It is a humbling experience - this magnificent example of fine engineering. The Llangollen Canal is a branch of the Shropshire Union Canal and is rated as one of the most scenic and spectacular of the canals in Britain and we were starting to count ourselves extremely lucky to be enjoying this experience. 

We moored on the tow path outside of Trevor and enjoyed a leisurely lunch before walking back into the village to check it out. They have a number of moorings and it's quite a busy spot on the canal. We set off again and yet more STRESS! The channels are so narrow in parts that only one boat can go at a time! So I walked along the tow path to check that nothing was coming before waving James on! He thought this was all rather fun but I must say I was very relieved to reach Llangollen and tie up in the Marina there! One has to pay to moor in the Marina and the chappie at the kiosk on the canal was very helpful. He advised us not to tie up  at that point as it was close to the highway and would be noisy. He recommended we enter the marina where it would be quiet and also close to town with water connections. So off we set, having paid for 2 days moorings. James filled up our water tanks so I could have a lovely LONG shower as we knew that more water was on hand. We had been saving water along the way with very skimpy showers as we did not know how long the water would last. Bliss!!  

We wandered into town and Caesars Restaurant caught our eye so we enjoyed a late supper overlooking the River Dee.

Thankfully, we both enjoyed a good nights rest and I was more relaxed being in an open marina with no dark tunnels, narrow channels or bends!

Llangollen is the Welsh Festival town with the Musical Eisteddfod, Food Festival and Christmas Festival all contributing to many visitors flocking to this very pretty and welcoming town.

The last steam train to enter Llangollen Station was in 1968 and then the railway tracks were left abandoned until a group of enthusiasts decided to revive the line for steam enthusiasts and this opened again in 1975. Running between the River Dee and the Berwyn mountains, this is a wonderfully picturesque trip invoking thoughts of a bygone era. The trip ends at Carrog Station and you can either return on the train or walk back to Llangollen.  

The Steam Train to Carrog is lovely, very old carriages, nearly as old staff and a fun ride. We didn't find Horseshoe Falls but walked back along the town path on the way back and saw the horse-drawn canal boats filled with tourists! In the olden days the boats would have been laden with goods. We were blessed with a lovely hot day so it seemed as if the entire population of Llangollen was out and sunning themselves in the River Dee. It looked like a day at the seaside only it was a day at Deeside! Sorry - that was far too corny.

After a day's enjoyment, we popped in for a good pub meal at the spot of the old mill. Tables are large and were at a premium given the hot day so we were joined by some hikers who had just completed the 24 hour 3 Highest Peaks Challenge - Scotland (in the snow) England and Wales. Climbing even in the dark and in such a short space of time? Crazy stuff but they were all still smiling. When a table opened up to take them all, they left us and we were joined by a lively group of 3 ladies who had just completed their 6 hour walk and were now sitting down to enjoy their drinks and some refreshments before heading off home again. They were most jolly and apparently join up once a month for a lengthy hike and drinks....afterwards! All in all, a great stay in Llangollen.

We woke to the sounds of boats getting ready to leave so we decided to fill up with water and set off as well so that we could follow them all through the narrow channels and not have to wait for oncoming traffic. I think these were all experienced narrow boaters who knew something we didn't! So at 07.30 hrs we set off - a miracle for me! I set off along the tow path and walked all the way to Trevor where James was supposed to moor up and wait for me. But he somehow missed the turning (shades of Spain??) and went merrily on past Trevor! So I had to cross the canal at Trevor and waltz over the aqueduct before I could get back onboard! Who knows if he did that on purpose? But I did enjoy the walk and the stop along the tow path in the shade with an ice cold beer more than made up for my extra mileage!

Somehow or other I was suddenly much more relaxed on the return journey and no longer stressing about anything! Perhaps it was just the unknown at first? Now the narrow bends and dark tunnels didn't phase me at all - piece of cake, I said. Just look at those novices getting stuck in the mud! The scenery is so peaceful with sheep and cows grazing, lovely houses alongside the canal, farmers fields in green and gold, rabbits frolicking in the distance and the tow path to moor along whenever the mood takes one. The farmers along the canal have an ingenious method of keeping their cows and sheep from falling into the canal yet giving them an unlimited supply of water!

 

Our next mooring was at Quirk we planned to meet up with family for Sunday lunch. The name seems to be either English corruption of  "church" but the Welsh meaning is "the moor" so take your pick! Quirk is a border town between England and Wales. We decided to explore the surrounding area and chanced upon a lovely walk through fields which ended up in Olivers Wood. This 3.2 acre of woodland was planted by the Woodland Trust, members of the community and pupils of Weston Rhyn Primary School in 1994. Named after a former pupil whose family had sold the land to the Woodland Trust, this woodland includes many local trees such as oak, ash, cherry, willow, alder and maple. It was a gorgeous spot which we came upon only by going off the beaten track.

 On the way back we spent awhile chatting to an elderly farmer who was busy fixing his stile. At 72 years old with a tractor of 40 years old, both are still going strong! A lovely gent who knew Africa and reminisced about his time there.When I politely asked if he would mind posing for a photo, he was horrified "Ooch, I dinna have me teeth in" he said - this after chatting merrily for over 45 minutes whilst keeping us enthralled with his stories! We had not even noticed he had no teeth until he mentioned the fact! But he graciously agreed to a photo - with his mouth closed! So he looks rather unfriendly in the photo but he was anything but! A wonderful interlude in Quirk.  His parting words to us were "There's no sunset like an African sunset" We tend to agree with that statement!

The next day we met the family and enjoyed a roast lunch at the "Bridge Inn"  Lovely to see them all! The leisurely pace had by now crept into our bones and life on the canal was proving to be everything everybody always said it would be. NO STRESS!!! So we meandered back to moor again at the Jack Mytton pub but first had to get through the 2 locks. Luckily for me, again, a British Waterways guy was around and happy to assist me. Again such a friendly chap who had also visited Cape Town while on a yacht race and loved it there. He now work on the canals and simply loves his job! Who wouldn't? We made a slow start to our last day and stopped on the tow path for our last lunch - it was very hot but there is always a shady spot to bring out the camping chairs, the beers and the lunch. After lunch we decided to walk into Ellesmere thinking we were not very far away!! We stopped to chat to a gent mowing his lawn at his beautiful house right on the canal. I offered to but it from him (with Monopoly money!) but he was adamant it was not for sale! With his wife still working during the week in London, he handled the household chores and what a pleasure in such a fantastic spot. He told us we still had another 40 minutes to walk. Oh my, in the heat?  James wanted to see where we had to moor the boat later so we pushed on. Once in town we headed for an early supper which ended up being an "All Day Breakfast" which we thoroughly enjoyed as we had not had eggs the entire week. The cafe was full of cat pictures and the owner is obviously very much a cat lover. A very busy and popular little cafe, well patronised by the locals. Back to the boat - I cheated and stopped at "my" canal house (the Monopoly one) then waited for James to get the boat and pick me up. George came to take us back into the Marina - he drove so fast after the slow pace we had been going at, that my eyes nearly popped out of my head. He moored us 3 deep and there it was - our last night on our faithful narrow boat! We still had some time to explore so took off along another branch of the canal which was so beautiful we just wanted to hire another boat and set off again! With a lake next to the canal it's the most perfect spot to moor up - the purple haze of flowers glinting in the sun on the far bank, the water lapping gently on the shore - oh my - it's a poets dream! There were many boats moored and I just had to stop at one, covered in tons of badges. The owners were relaxing on their chairs but came to chat to us when they saw us looking at their badges. Their boat is 11 years old, they love the life and have explored all the canals in Britain! Their favourite is the Oxford Canal. Retirement Bliss!! Except maybe in winter? The fisherman were also out and we came across one very excited chap who had just caught a bass! He wanted his picture taken so that his mates would believe him that he had actually caught this very big, prime specimen! As we has no pen or paper to take down his e-mail address, he dashed off to the next boat to find somebody with a cell phone. He was over the moon as this was only his 4th catch in as many years! All fish must be returned to the lake so he had it in a net in the water and was very mindful of it's well-being. Back on our boat, we got "shouted" at by the ducks who wanted to be fed but there luck was out as no feeding is allowed in the Marina. They sat on the roof of the boat and clacked away at us for ages before eventually going off in a huff! We had enjoyed feeding the ducks along the canal, their antics were so special as they dashed to get the crumbs we threw overboard. Our last night was very sad and even more smelly as the nearby farmers had thrown slurry on their fields! So we ended up being packed and ready to roll by 8.30! A truly wonderful trip on this magnificent canal Ellesmere to Llangollen and back. © Judelle Drake http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography                 For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa                                       www.bradclin.com Please share - if you did not enjoy this post .....Shhh - but please still share! Thanks!