PORT LYMPNE ANIMAL PARK

Something a bit different this weekend. Courtesy of our bonus points from Tesco's we decided to make the trip down to the southern coast of Kent to visit the Animal Park and Gardens, a project that was set up by John Aspinall in 1974 to preserve and develope endangered breeds and species. The Tour de France was due to be visiting the area en route from London to Canterbury and we were a bit uncertain about the likelihood of traffic bans, but as luck would have it (despite reports of some 2 million people viewing the passing cyclists) we were unhampered both going down and returning.

The venue for this Park is simply magnificent. Set in hills above the coastal plain leading to the English Channel, with France almost observable, it was disappointing that there was some haze, as we were told that on a very clear day it was possible to actually see cars being driven along the French coast. But we had a bonus (for me anyway) when there were several fly bys of both a Hurricane and a Spitfire from the nearby Battle of Britain Museum.

We paid extra to go on an African Safari (see vehicle above) and it was well worth while as the terrain is very hilly and walking would have taken all day plus. The commentary in the truck was excellent and we saw many varieties of animals roaming around in the extensive grounds. We walked through the central part of the Park where all sorts of exotic animals are displayed.The highlight was the feeding of the Gorillas. These magnificent creatures emerged from their living quarters and wandered unhindered around the viewing area. There were three of them carrying their tiny babys on their backs which was fascinating.

A great day -and well worth the long drive.

HATFIELD HOUSE

This is probably the last of the great houses that we will visit during this trip.It was courtesy of Tesco loyalty coupons!! It is hard to believe that this massive pile of bricks is actually the home of the current Earl of Salisbury and his missus.
Built towards the end of the 15th century as a splendid palace for the Bishop of Ely, King Henry VIII later retained the property as a home for his two daughters Elizabeth and Mary. Hatfield Palace remained in Royal hands until 1603 when, in an extraordinary property exchange, James I took Robert Cecil's property near Waltham Cross and offered him Hatfield Palace. Not entirely happy with this arrangement, Robert, created first Earl of Salisbury, set about demolishing the old Tudor palace and began building the fine Jacobean mansion house that can be seen today.

Only part of the house is open to the public, but it includes the enormous gallery
on the walls of which are hung inumerable works of art, the value of which is probably astronomical. Another long gallery, the Armoury has agrand display of original suits of armour and it is fascinating to think of men actually allowing themselves to be kitted out with these obviously heavy suits and then trying to fight a battle thus encumbered. At least they would not have been in much danger of being hurt!!

There is a 18th century Dutch pipe organ at the end of this gallery,and while we were there it was being played producing a beautiful sound and so appropriate for the situation.

The gardens are extensive and immaculate, and although we had to dodge rain showers, we wandered around them delighting in the displays of both known and unknown varieties.

The original Tudor Palace, where Elizabeth 1st lived, has been extensively rebuilt, but unfortunately was closed for a private function while we were there. But we did enjoy an excellent lunch in the Coach House restaurant.

BIRMINGHAM

There is a television show here called "The Weakest Link" which is a quiz show where contestants are subjected to cross examination by the compere, a lady called Ann Robinson. She is often quite rude and haughty, and if one of the contestants happens to tell her that they come from Birmingham, she turns away with a moue saying "oh Dear". With that in mind a visit to Brum was full of expectation!! There were two reasons for visiting. Firstly my father was born there in the slum area in 1900. Secondly, while waiting for our flight out of Berlin recently we got chatting to a couple waiting with us, and they came from Birmingham. I mentioned that my Dad had been born there, and they told us that National Trust had preserved and developed a small area of slums known as "Back to Backs". They then invited us to stay with them if we visited.
The drive there took just 2 1/2 hours for the 140 miles thanks to Motorways. After a welcome cup of coffee we went on a guided tour of the "Back to Backs" which was fascinating.The three storied cottages joined together were tiny, and it was incredible to hear that in one of them lived a family of 10 who also took in two lodgers.There was no running water or lighting and the toilet arrangement was a common two holer in the yard.The photo above is of the yard with wash house and toilets. In one of the cotages a tailor had worked until 2001 making suits of such quality that orders came from London for them! He walked out and left everyting as it was,sewing machines,bolts of cloth,patterns etc.

We had parked the car in ChinaTown and found a decent Malaysian restaraunt for lunch after which we walked through the city to Little Venice, so called because it is the centre of the canal system. We took a canal boat ride which was intriguing as it went through the old industrial area. All the factories were served by the canal system, but with the disappearance of manufacturing, most of the old factories are decrepit eyesores.

We found our friends house and were welcomed with the news that they had a pre-arranged evening out, but had brought in food for us to cook. Nick (he is a Barrister ex army officer) aoplogised for their engagement, but we were more than happy to get ourselves a meal and have an early night.

Next morning we were taken for a drive to the Bourneville site, where Cadbury's have their enormous factories. The whole area was developed by Cadburys, the house in which Nick and Anne live being an original "Cadbury House". The sheer size of the factories was mind blowing and with their own sports ground (which would not disgrace a County Cricket ground) the paternalism of the Cadburys was very apparent.

Then we toured the suburbs,saw Egbaston Cricket Ground and finally parked in the City to visit the Town Hall Museum and have lunch in the dining room there. Very interesting. The photo of the statue above was taken in the forecourt of the Town Hall and is known to the locals as "The Floozie in the Jacuzzi"!!

We left Birmingham after lunch and headed home via Warwick Castle which Nick had told us was well worth a visit. More of that later.

HEVER CASTLE

Courtesy of our Tesco Loyalty points we were able to visit Hever Castle in Kent. This is not a National Trust or English Heritage property and the entrance fee was £10 for the house and gardens. Against our normal expectation of weather there were scattered showers, but we managed to mostly avoid these. In the courtyard of the Castle there were Morris Dancers one of whom was dressed as a unicorn and took great delight in nipping people's hats. Photo above is of his loving embrace of yours truly.

The Castle dates back to the 13th century and has a chequered ownership. Most notable is the fact that it was the home of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry V111th.Her family, the Bullens, owned the castle for many years and Henry was an occasional visitor. More latterly, it was bought at the beginning of the 20th century by the Astor family who spent a small fortune modernising the Castle and developing the magnificent gardens. While somewhat unprepossessing from the outside the interior is well maintained and contains loads of antiques and memorabillia from the previous owners. A gallery displays models of Henry and his six wives and various notables associated with that era. They are particularly well done and the documentation makes interesting reading.

In the Astor suite, there are lots of family photos,letters and recordings. They were (are) incredibly wealthy and played a full life in English society during the 20th century.

Outside, the gardens can only be described as magnificent. It was Rose week at the Castle and the Rose garden displayed every conceivable variety of rose - a tableau of colour which had to be seen to be believed. Opposite the Rose Garden was the Italian Garden - spectacular avenues lined with statues imported from Italy by the Astors and leading down to a large lake. At the lakeside there was an ornate pavilion which had lately been adopted as an outdoor theatre and is regularly used in productions.

Well worth the £10 in my view.

GAINSBOROUGH AND MELFORD HALL

A lovely Spring morning. Lazy start to the day with brunch at 10am and then decided to visit Sudbury which is about 50 miles away in Suffolk. The usual chauffeuse followed the navigators instructions quite successfully despite finishing up in an industrial estate en route Oops!! Found free parking in Sudbury which is unusual. Called into the Tourist Information Centre and picked up a map of the town. There was a market in the Market Square which added to the beauty of this lovely old town. Found Gainsborough's House and enjoyed a wander through this well maintained 16th building with many of Gainsborough's portraits and landscapes adorning the walls. Gainsborough lived here in the 18th century before moving to Bath and subsequently London. One of the most remarkable paintings was of a boy and girl which had, at some time past, been cut in two so that it was represented by a separate portrait of the girl's face, while most of her lower body was still in the boy's portrait.

Walked through the market place where Carol set a record by not buying anything! Photo above is the Gainsborough statue. Had a very nice Pizza for lunch and walked down to the River Stour past the cricket ground where we watched the match in progress for some time.Ah!the sound of leather on the willow!

Melford Hall was close by and we were amused to find that it is the home of the Hyde Parker family. When I suggested to the guide that as they were Hyde Parkers' maybe they were originally vagrants from Hyde Park, he was not amused! A great naval family, they had a history of Admirals going back many years. The house was built in the 16th Century by William Cordell who was Master of the Rolls (obviously not THE CAR) to Queen Elizabeth 1st, and she was entertained there in 1578. It is not a very impressive building architecturally, but internally it was very welcoming and homely.

It's other claim to fame is the association with Beatrix Potter who was related to the Hyde Parkers and often visited. One room contains many of her sketches and watercolours of the house and estate. Another unusual exhibit was a velum survey map of the Estate commissioned in 1580. A charming garden completed the venue beautifully.

And so home to Langdon Hills and a quiet Sunday and another first. The weather was so nice that Len put on his shorts for the first time in ages - My God - those white legs!!!!

CLIVE AND THE NEW FOREST

The start of the half term holiday involved a visit to my old colleague Clive Bowring who lives in a little village called Fritham in the New Forest. As it was a Bank Holiday and we were warned of heavy traffic on the roads, we decided to leave early. As seems to be the case with English Bank Holidays it rained for the whole weekend!!
The traffic was quite normal and we arrived at Winchester by 9am, and having told Clive to expect us about midday, we decided to spend some time here and have another look at the famous Winchester Cathedral. A bite of breakfast first and then we spent an enjoyable couple of hours touring round this magnificent cathedral. The librarium contains some of the oldest publications in the land -going back to the 12th century and quite fascinating.

We duly arrived at Clive's who welcomed us with a bottle of Moet Chandon. He had invited his friend Dave (he shares the Rigid Inflatable Boat which they had had built)and we were soon off for a drive through the forest.Despite the rain,which fortunately eased off, we ambled through this beautiful forest and ssaw the seasons new batch of New Forest colts.Beautiful long legged creatures. We went to Brockenhurst where I had lived in the early 1930's and the photo above is of the old Police Station where my Dad was the village bobby all those years ago - now a private dwelling. We went on into Lymington and had drinks in a harbourside Pub, then back to Fritham. Clive and Dave cooked Spaghetti Bolognaise which was not my cup of tea, but accompanied by several nice bottles of wine, the evening was a success!

Next morning we decided to take a high speed ferry across to the Isle of Wight from Southampton and wandered around Cowes in the rain. Carol bought herself a Hooded Jacket to fend off the cold and I managed to find a very nice shirt with an IOW Logo. Lunch in a super little pub was very acceptable. Back at Fritham Clive had planned to go out to Lyndhurst for a Chinese meal, but I managed to persuade him that it was too miserable an evening for such a venture and offered to cook tea. Clive had six eggs in his fridge (and little else!) so he phoned his Pub just up the road (he owns it!) and the landlords came around for a drink and brought some ham and tomatoes so that I could make omelettes. A few more wines and a malt for a nightcap and a good nights sleep was inevitable.

We drove home via Hartley Wintney where we had a super lunch with my brother Peter and his wife Mary, and then a quick drive up the Motorway home. A most successful visit despite the weather.

It was great catching up with Clive again, and I have no doubt that he will be visiting Australia once again before too long.

SACHSENHAUSEN CONCENTRATION CAMP

Insider Tours had a special offer available in May which provide an additional tour free when one had been taken. As we had done the Berlin Walk we opted to take the Sachsenhausen tour which was for 6 hours. We went by train to Oranienberg about 35 kms from Berlin. On the way we noticed three Anarchists stride through the train, dressed in a military type fashion of black boots and jackets,with the usual skinhead appearance and each sucking on a bottle of beer. They were on their way to the G8 Summit at Rostock where violent protests subsequently took place. Not nice looking people.

Sachsenhausen was built in the early 1930's as a "model" camp and housed political enemies of the Third Reich together with Jews, Gypies Homosexuals and criminals. It was not initially designed as an extermination camp like Auschwitz,although it did later build and use gas ovens. In 1945 the Russians (who occupied this part of Germany) took over the camp and used it in much the same manner (but without the killings) to imprison dissidents.

As we walked from the station to the camp we were told that in the early days, prisoners were marched ffrom the train to the camp through the township where citizens were encouraged to demonstrate by jeering, spitting and throwing rubbish at the prisoners. Later this was abandoned as giving too much evidence of maltreatment, and the train stopped further away and prisoners marched unseen through woodland.

Most of the original camp has been destroyed (by the Russians) and only recently has there been a move to establish a Memorial to those who suffered terrible privations and torure. A street of quiet suburban looking houses leads to the Camp entrance, and these houses were occupied by the SS guards during the life of the camp. A separate T shaped building was in fact the SS headquarters from where the "Final Solution" (that became the Holocaust) was launched. There was a separate POW Camp attached to the main camp and conditions there were somewhat better.One famous prisoner,Jimmie James,actually managed to escape several times and recently visited the site.

Food was minimal, clothing totally inadequate for the German Winter and hundreds of prisoners died from malnutrition and exhaustion from camp disciplines and work.The site of the original gallows still exists, as does the Z Complex where thousands were killed by shooting in the back of the neck or being gassed in the chambers. There are several mass graves indicated and several pits of human ashes now covered with memorial stones. It is not pleasant to see the remains of Z Station where the executions took place and be shown the step by step progress of prisoners from room to room leading to their eventual killing. In 1941 10,000 Russian Prisoners of War were executed by shooting and buried in a Mass grave.

Two of the remaining prison huts were recently fire bombed by Neo Nazis and the resultant damage has been left unrepaired to demonstrate the ongoing danger of these people. It was interestiing to hear Kenny (our previoous guide) tell of the harassment his tours were subjected to at times and that he had at one time armed himself with a Pepper spray!

No one could claim to have enjoyed this particular tour, it was a very sobering thought that a civilised nation like Germany could be so manipulated by evil men and set out to pursue acts of violence and inhumanity on such a scale.

BERLIN POTSDAM PART 2

Had a great nights sleep, a hearty breakfast and then off to Potsdam which was a 30 minute train ride from Berlin. As usual Carol quickly worked out the transport system and we took a bus to the Sanssouci Palace the Summer house of Frederick the Great. Our audio guide through the obscenely embellished rooms of the palace was very well presented, and outside we admired the vast gardens. A separate building housed a fabulous art collection - a gallery with hundreds of works of art hung cheek by jowl along the walls. In a way I felt that the amassing of so many paintings in such close proximity detracted from the ability to appreciate the collection. A quick snack of Bratwurst chips and a beer, satisfied the inner hunger and we took another bus to Cecilienhof Palace which is the final Hohenzollern Palace built in the style of an English Country House in the early 1900's.

This Palace was the venue for the famous Potsdam Conference which decided on the future division of Germany after WW2 and was attended by Stalin Churchill and Roosevelt, later replaced by Clement Atlee and Truman. The top right pictures show the Palace and the conference room where meetings took place.I nearly got caught taking the conference room picture as photos were not allowed and I had forgotten that the flash was on!!!

A very friendly bus driver then took us into the old town of Potsdam where we had a lovely stein of beer and Carol had her beer and raspberry (Heirbeir I think it was called!).Then a tram ride down to the Station and back to Berlin. Had an excellent meal in a restaurant near our hotel and were a bit put oout when the waiter brought the bill and made the point that it did not include a service charge or tip!! Carol was most unimpressed and we left the exact money on the table and walked out!!

BERLIN AND POTSDAM

This was one hell of a four day visit and we were pooped little travellers by the time we got home. There were two aspects of Berlin that we tasted - the historical architecture and the Third Reich. I was surprised by two things. Firstly - the significant rebuilding which had taken place after the massive damage caused by both the Allied bombing raids and the Russian battle for Berlin. Secondly - the impact of the Hitler years and the subsequent Russian impact with the East/West divide.

Our friends Tim and Ruth had given us some valuable pointers for the visit, and our Welcome Card which they recommended was a real bonus. We validated our three day passes on the train from Schonefeld airport into the city and managed to get off at the nearest station to our Hotel, although we had to walk some 800 metres along the Kurfurstendam. Although we were early arrivals we were able to get to our room and sit down to work out a plan of attack.After a nice meal of Sushi we trundled off into the City proper and identified the starting point for the Walking Tours, and then took a Tourist bus trip around the major tourist attractions. Then we went hunting for an electric jug as the one we had taken with us for our morning cuppas had unfortunately sprung a hole after contact in the suitcase with our bottle opener!!We visited the most enormous store on the KuDam and after traipsing through a maze of departments eventually found our quarry and thought thankfully of the early morning reviver. On the wander around the area we also managed to book seats for a concert by the Berlin Palace Orchestra at the Charlottenburg Palace Orangery for the following night.

Next day we took ourselves along to the meeting place for the Insiders Tours where we booked the 4 hour Famous Walk. Our guide was a Scotsman,Kenny, who was absolutley tremendous. His knowledge of Berlin (and history) was comprehensive and his ability to communicate that knowledge quite amazing. We walked through the old East Berlin and visited the Island of Museums, Check Point Charlie, the Book Burning site, the Reichstag,Brandenburg Gate, the Holocaust Memorial,Hitler's bunker,the remains of the Berlin Wall and Gestapo Headquarters. All the time we were given a detailed history of each area. At the end of the tour, Kenny asked if we would like to hear about the events leading up to the demolition of the Berlin Wall. Needless to say we all thought that would be great and listened enthralled as he told us of the East German confusion at a Press Conference which led to a young German hearing on the radio that East Germans were to be allowed into West Germany jumping up onto the wall. When people realised that he had not been shot at (which would have been the normal reaction) they soon started to rejoice at their new found freedom and hacked into the wall!!

As we were close to the Reichstag, we walked back there and queued for best part of an hour to go into the building and up into the cupola which sits atop the building.
It was well worth the wait as the view from the top level was dramatic and the beer we had in the restaurant a real reviver!!

An early dinner at a superb Thai restaurant and then off to our concert. Of course we got off the bus about four stops too early and eventually had to grab a cab to get to the Orangery in time for the start of what was a most enjoyable feast of Handel/Bach/Corelli and Mozart. Even managed to get the right bus back to the Hotel.

CLIVE AND THE NEW FOREST

The start of half term combined with a Bank Holiday was marred by ghastly weather. Cold and raining. We had arranged to go down to the New Forest and stay with Clive Bowring for a couple of nights, and with dire warnings about the likelihood of millions of cars on the roads, we left early for the drive down to Fritham. And of course, the traffic was quite ordinary!! So we reached Winchester by 9 am and decided to have some breakfast and then have a look at the famous Cathedral. Very impressive of course and highlighted with a viewing of the Winchester Bible, a 15th century document. In addition there were other early tomes dating back to the 13th century - quite remarkable.

On down to Clives where we were met with a bottle of Moet pink champers! Clive's friend Dave arrive and we went off for a drive through the New Forest which was alive with sightseers, and dozens of the New Forest Ponies -lots of them with newborn foals. Visited Brockenhurst where I had lived in the 1930's. The photo above is of the house that we lived in.It is now a private residence but when we were there it was the Police Station with Dad as the local bobby.Brought back a lot of memories. Drove on to Lymington and walked down to the Quay and had a drink in the quayside pub. Then back to Fritham and Spaghetti Bolognese with copious quantities of wine before retiring to bed!

It was still raining on Sunday, but notwithstanding the dreadful weather we all decided to take the high speed ferry across to Cowes on the Isle Wight. Found a great little clothing shop where Carol bought a "hoodie" as she was feeling the cold. Then into a magnificent old pub for a delicious meal and a dram or two. Back to Clives and a quiet late afternoon - I watched the BMW Masters Golf while Clive had a nap,Carol read, and Dave departed for his place. We had planned to go out to Lyndhurst for a Chinese dinner, but I suggested to Clive that the weather was too awful,and we scratched around his batchelor kitchen and managed to cook up some delightful omelettes.

We left about 10am on Monday and drove along to Peter and Mary's place where we had arranged to have lunch with them. So another Pub - this time with a French restaraunt,a delightful meal and then home to Langdon Hills. Despite the weather we had a thoroughly enjoyable weekend and now look forward to flying over to Berlin for three nights.

SHAPPERS AND LE BROCQ

We had a big programme this weekend starting off with a trip to Bulls Brook where our old friends John and Brenda Shapiro were celebrating John's 75th birthday.The function had been organised by his children and it was brilliant. The garden setting was perfect and the weather quite kind. As one would expect with Shappers there was plenty of liquid refreshment, and we met some interesting people who were friends. It was quite amazing that so many of the pepople we talked to had either been to, or had some connection with, Australia - so conversation was easy.

Lunch from the BBQ was delicious and while we sat and ate under the tent shelter, a magician entertained each table with some amazing wizardry. At one stage he showed that he had one coin in one fist and three in the other - then invited two of the guests to firmly grip his wrists - and then bingo -opened his fists and showed all four coins in one of them! And at the same time he managed to undo and remove John's wristwatch without him knowing!! Clever stuff.We reluctantly left about 4 pm to drive on down to Bournemouth where we had arranged to meet up with one of my old schoolmates Michael LeBrocq.We found our hotel without any trouble.Although there have been many changes since I lived there 55 years ago, I still knew my way around. As we did not feel particularly like any more food we went for a walk along the cliff top and through the Winter Gardens into the City centre.
On the way we stopped to buy a book from a fellow who was sitting on the footpath beside a bicycle festooned with the names of countries of the world. He was a German who had spent his life cycling around the world and had clocked up 40,000 kms in doing so! He had gone through 15 passports, taken 80,000 photos and rebuilt his treadly many times.
Sunday morning Mike and his wife Merle picked us up at the hotel and drove us over to Sandbanks where he is a member of the Royal Motor Yacht Club. He actually supervises the boatyard in a voluntary capacity spending each morning of the week there. I had not had contact with him since leaving England in 1952 and was surprised to learn that he had become the Chief Engineer of the local paper "The Echo" where he had worked for 50 years. Mike had left school early at the suggestion of the school who felt his performance less than desirable!! But he had always been a bit of a DIY handyman, and it was that skill that he developed and as a totally self taught engineer suceeded. At his home he has a railway line through the garden on which he runs a steam engine and a diesel engine which he built completely from scratch. It is those talents which makes him invaluable to the Yacht Club. His wife Merle plays tennis several times a week and last year reached the finals of the mixed doubles in the English Veterans championship!! A great couple.

We had a lovely lunch in the club and caught up with past names of friends and associates which was pure nostalgia but wonderful. Then we walked around the golden streets of Sandbanks which has some of the most expensive land in the world. Houses are bought for millions of pounds and
pulled down so that a modern structure can take there place - money money money.

And then it was time drive the 150 miles home -motor way all the way and we did the trip in 2 and 1/2 hours.

ELLEN TERRY AND RYE

The weather is still very ordinary and we decided to drive down to Kent and have a look at the Southern coast, and on the way to call in to visit the Ellen Terry cottage which is National Trust.

The 16th century cottage leans this way and that but I guess is remarkable in that it still stands! Inside there is a very good presentation of memorabilia from the Theatrical career of Ellen Terry who was the most famous actress in the late 19th century. She had owned the cottage for many years, principaly as a place of retreat, and I was surprised to learn that she could access London within two hours by the old steam train line which no longer exists. It would take two hours to drive to London today.!!

At the rear of the cottage is a converted Barn which is used as a Theatre by amateurs and professionals, and whilst fairly basic, is very popular with the "in" theatre crowd.

We stopped at a Pub en route to Rye and had an excellent Pub lunch in a very friendly environment and it din't cost an arm and a leg. Then we arrived at Rye which is one of the most charming towns we have visited. The Pay and Display carpark was on the blink and swallowed our money without producing a ticket which was not a good start. But we walked up the cobbled streets to the 13th Century church and strolled through the quaint streets lined with buildiings dating back for hundreds of years.
The town evokes the feeling of the island it once was surrounded by the Rivers Rother,Brede and Tillingham and looming above marshland and sea. The area is reminiscent of the Fens which we loved so much at Ramsey.

We took the coast road home skirting the Romney Marsh and stopped briefly at Dymchurch to peer over the seawall and find a long stretch of sandy beach - yes real sand.The wind was blowing a gale- so we gazed and got!
Then into Hythe and onto the M20 and a fast run home with Carol Schumaker at the wheel.

LONDON EYE,WESTMINSTER AND WAR CABINET ROOMS

The forecast for London was 21 degrees and we took off with high hopes. Arriving at Fenchurch Street we were a bit miffed to find a cold wind blowing from the South and decided we would walk to Westminster to get warm! Hardly anyone about as is usual for London early morning and we both enjoyed the brisk walk for the 2 miles or so along the Embankment to Westminster.

The first thing we noticed was the difference between this place and St Pauls. A truly magnificent structure and full of tombs and memorials of historical Royals and notables. No photographs alowed unfortunately. Poets corner is like visiting an encyclopedia of well known names - Wordsworth/Keats/Shelley/Burns -they are all here.A poignant tomb was that of the unknown soldier, decorated with Flanders poppies and a beautiful tribute "laid to rest with the famous of the land".The ceiling of the main part of the Abbey is incredibly structured and as we heard a guide tell his group "an amazing feat of engineering for the 15th century".

We had booked a champagne "flight" on the London Eye which cost an arm and a leg but gave us priority boarding, soomething we appreciated when we saw the size of the queues. Our capsule held 16 people in comfort and enabled us to move around and take in the extravagant veiws from all sides. The champagne was welcome but there is not much in one glass!! Our guide was well versed in the whereabouts of all the famous buildings and we were kept busy finding the various landmarks. A unique experience and an understanding of the awesome design and construction of this attraction. British Airways,who invested in the project, made a profit of 50 million pounds from the Eye last year and are said to have contemplated selling their aircraft and building more of these around the world!!!

Down to earth again and we went to the wharf where we had paid for a River cruise, only to find that the boat was almost full and the queue for the last few seats meant we would have to wait another hour for the next one.But the ticket man told us that if we hurried across the bridge to the other side of the river we could use our tickets for a sister ship which was leaving in 15 minutes. A hectic scramble through the throngs and we just made it.The legs at this stage were starting to tell me that there was a limit to all this pedestrian activity. Lovely trip on the catamaran however.Up to the Tower Bridge and back with a guide telling us about the various buildings en route.

Another brief walk and we arrived at the Wartime Underground Cabinet Rooms and the Churchill Museum. The rooms themselves have been restored to their original condition (the bedrooms even have poes under the bed!!) and in some rooms models have been consttructed to represent wartime activity. The bomb proofing of these rooms consists of oak beams and supports placed against the roof and walls. I don't think that a direct hit by a land mine would have failed to demolish the whole thing.

The adjacent Churchill Museum is state of the art. Winston's whole life story is displayed with photographs, models and memorabilia. There are many recordings of Churchill's speeches including his famous tribute to THE FEW and his "We will fight them on the beaches".It is a really appropriate reminder of the role that he played in WW11 and it also highlights his many weaknesses such as Galipoli.

We spent nearly two hours here before catching a bus to Trafalgar Square where we had a drink before going on to Fenchurch Street station and catching a train home.Had a couple of loud mouthed mobile phone users in the carriage and some West Ham United football supporters carrying cans of beer - but they behaved OK.!!

MORE GARDENS OF ENGLAND

Another lovely day dawned on Saturday and, after Carol had gone to Basildon Hospital to give a blood sample we took off for Kent and East and West Sussex. Carol had the blood sample taken at the doctor's request. She had appeared to be losing weight (dresses and skirts were more loose fitting than before!) but when the Doc weighed her she was actually a bit heavier than when last checked in August!! Muscle has replaced the puppy fat!!

We had identified three National Trust Gardens to visit and of course this is the right time to go garden visiting. The first one was Standen which was the country house of the Beale family until given to the NT in 1972. The house is absolutely charming and gives a great feel of a place of family happiness. Very well maintained and with lots of orginal furniture,spacious and multi roomed, it is no wonder that there was a staff of 12 servants in its heyday. The garden affords views of the Upper Medway Valley and was designed by Margaret Beale with the help of landscape gardener G B Simpson. Meandering paths lead through rhododendrons and orchards. A most unusual item was a row of old apple trees which had been espaliered and gave two strong branches off left and right from a gnarled trunk. This resulted in a tree which was no more than six feet high - obviously assisting the apple pickers!

We lunched in the barn which was excellent and then drove off to Wakehurst.This enormous park is part of the famous Kew Gardens.Of particular interest was the Southern Hemisphere Garden, and it was quite nostagic to see beautiful gum trees,banksia and tea trees.There was also a specimen of the Wollemi Pine, a tree which had been extinct for some 2 million years and was discovered in a valley West of Sydney in the 1970's.Its exact location is kept a closely guarded secret. A specimen was acquired by Kew and is thriving in these gardens. A couple of fat pheasants sat quite unperturbed as we walked past and ducks lay quietly ignoring the passers by.

Then a final drive to Sheffield Park Garden. En route we stopped in at the Blue Bell Railway where steam trains operate along a preserved rail line. We obtained details of the timetable and plan to make a further visit when we have time to take a trip.
Our Australian National Trust membership card provoked the question of whether we were aware of the Australian connection to Sheffield. It is of course the Sheffield Shield. In 1891 the Earl of Sheffield sponsored a cricket team (including the famous W G Grace) on a visit to Australia, and donated L150 to promote "intercolonial cricket" to be know as the Sheffield Shield - now more commercially known as the Pura Cup!!

Another brilliant garden situated around four lakes. Designed by the famous Capability Brown in the 18th century and further dveloped in the 20th century by its owner Arthur G Soames there are masses of azalias and rhododendrons underpinned with daffodils and bluebells. The bottom photo above is a view across one of the lakes and I think is a great picture.

I think we have probably "done" the garden bit now, and for the long weekend ahead we are now going to visit London.

A WEEKEND OF GARDENS

Good news today - we have finally got our credit card problems sorted out with the Queensland Teachers Credit Union and now have access to our Aussie funds.And on Friday last I had my Steroid injection to try and sort out this bloody shoulder problem and fingers crossed it seems to be a bit easier.

With National Trust sites now in full swing we decided on visit to Kent and a couple of Gardens, taking a picnic lunch with us to enjoy in the sunshine. We drove to Sissinghurst Castle Garden, one of the world's most celebrated gardens created by V ita Sackville West and her husband Sir Harold Nicolson around the remains of an Elizabethan mansion. The Trust employs 6 gardeners to maintain this beautiful creation and the colours are quite dramatic. Greens swards,immaculate avenues of privet hedges,a moat with trout quite visible,blossom trees and more. We had our picnic beside the car enjoying the onion pie and salad washed down with a can of beer, before returning to make sure we had visited all parts of the garden.A climb up to the top of the prospect tower (remaining part of the original mansion) afforded a magical view of the area. Quite superb.

Then we drove on to Scotney Castle and Garden.This property was developed in the 1830's by Edward Hussey 111. The vista from the Bastion just below the "new" Scotney Castle sweeps down to the ruins of a 14th century moated castle and is a truly breathtaking scene. The ruin is reasonably intact and is a most unusual architectural style but most attractive. Masses of bluebells and other Spring flowers provide a colourful background to the panorama, and the distant fields of hops, sheep grazing and undulating country insisted on a quiet contemplation of just how beautiful English countryside is.

Have booked the Eurostar for a weekend trip to Brussells over the May long weekend and a flight to Berlin for the half terms break at the end of May. It's all go!!

KNOLE AND IGTHAM MOTE

Now that we are into April, the National Trust sites are open once more. There are a large number of places to visit in Kent and Sussex, counties which are easily accessible to us from Basildon.

It was a perfect day -unbelievably 24 degrees - found the sunscreen and took off to visit a couple of places. The first one, Knole is one of Englands great show houses set in a magnificent deer park.It's connection with Henry V111 as well as literay connections with Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville West (the Sackvilles still occupy part of the house) provide an interesting history. The name comes from the nearby Knoll in the park (Henry was not a good speller!) and there are 13 rooms presented in much the same way as they were in the 18th century.There is a wonderful collection of Royal Stuart furniture, and paintings by Van Dyke,Reynolds and Gainsborough. There is an ongoing preservation of many of the ancient fabrics,which, with the onset of age have deteriorated badly. There were lots of families picnicking in the park -a bit off putting with the sight of barechested Poms flaunting themselves in the sunshine.

Not far away is the magnificent 14th century moated manor house of Igtham Mote. Set in a sunken valley and dating from 1320, this wonderful old building was acquired by an American Charles Robinson in the 1920's for a few pounds when it was threatened with destruction. He embarked on an extensive restoration programme and modernised some of the features to make the property habitable. He gave it to the National Trust together with an endowment when he died and further restoration has since taken place. Another fine example of preserving the Heritage for fututre generations.