Bye UK

So sadly time to say goodbye for 2011...already planning 2012 so see you all then.

PS sorry if I missed you on the collage!

Mam Tor

Coming to the end of my England blog for 2011, realise as usual that I have left so much out...but couldn't bear to skip our walk up Mam Tor (Mother Hill) - always one of my very favourite places. Just love the variety of it. The views are spectacular, well worth climbing up that steep, steep, hill past Peverill Castle.

S

Apsley House

Apsley House is located on Poet's Corner, Hide Park which is the city residence of the Duke of Wellington and family. Made with yellow "Bath Stone", it is quite non-descript on the outside .... but the inside is spectacular with original fixtures, fittings and treasures of the Hero of Waterloo. The "Iron Duke" got his name after riots linked to his opposition to the Reform Act led to significant damage to the house resulting in the fitting of iron shutters to the windows of the home facing the street. The Duke was a linguist, an artist, poet, musician, politician, a soldier and loved the ladies to his Wellington Boot!

Love the irony of the riots!

PS Guess who wrote these facts!

Hyde Park in the rain

Bit of a rainy day dampened the spirits a bit, but still enjoyed bike riding. The Queen's guard added a splash of colour to a gloomy day.

portobello rd

We had great fun on the Portobello Rd...saw some sights - guy taking a dog for a walk...on his shoulder! Had our photos taken with Charlie & the Queen! Lots of great graffiti, fresh fruits and fun!

Peaceful London!

The Proms! Always wanted to go and we were not disappointed. Booked dinner at the Consort Cafe and served by a fab Aussie girl. So hot, great to see people out on the streets underneath glorious hanging baskets or just sprawled out in Hyde Park

Churches and schools

The houses where I grew up may have been demolished but the churches and at least two of the schools are still there..

1 & 2. Our Lady of Lourdes is where Roger and I got married. It was closed for a while but has reopened and looks quite modern and fresh.

3, 4 & 5 are of St Theresa's school and church. Picture 3 brings back fond memories of Miss Cam, the headmistress of the school. She would send for me from class to go and read for her........bliss! We developed a friendship from the day when my brother forgot to pick me up from school. Miss Cam took me home to her house, gave me tea and let me borrow books before we set off on the bus to my house. The first of many books we were to share. Imagine how proud I was as a 5 year old to have her as "my friend" and to think at 5 I would catch 2 buses to school each day!

Picture 5 not so happy memories. By this time Miss Cam had gone to be replaced my Mr Long and his cane. I, of course often got the cane...for talking. Hmmm haven't changed!

Where did I live?

Took mum on a sentimental journey of where we used to live. Problem is that most places have gone! Moore Street is now shopping and apartments. Couldn't find Spencer Rd. Fitzhuberrt Rd & Newstead are just empty overgrown abandoned patches.......no blue plaques for me!

Its in the Genes!

In Australia my friend Sue got me involved in Ancestry.com, so when I got to UK, I decided to follow up. I have been collecting photos and stories and hopefully will have some time when I get back to follow up. My cousin Chris (in bottom right hand photo) is also on the trail so we should find some interesting facts between us.

Jamie's place

Having the English Heritage passes meant that we tended to take the byways rather than the motorways. We stumbled upon Jamie Oliver's father's place. Very nice too! It was near a fabulous house and gardens called Audley's end, unfortunately we forgot that lots of places are closed on Mondays!

There was a lovely row of cottages at Audley and one had a sign, "Lovely lady and grumpy old man live here" I asked a local if it were true. The answer was a firm "Yes"

English Heritage

This year we joined English Heritage and it was fab. Meant that we could visit all sorts of places. Some like Haddon Hall was a childhood memory but places like Bolsover Castle 20 minutes from my home I had never been to. This place was built by Charles Cavendish in 1612... the Cavendishes are the hoo de haa of the area. It was built for swagger and fun... merely a place for the visitors to stay! Small compared to the huge mansion that they actually lived in. The art work was superb.

Brodsworth Hall was another amazing place ..........incredible gardens.... fab art work but do you know the things I loved the best were.......a room full of sledges, trunks, gardening gear etc, because the thing that made this place different is that although there are over 30 rooms it was truly a family home until the 80's. Before then Sylvia lived there alone for most of the time. Her daughter, Patricia who married the local bobby made the decision to hand over to the English Heritage. A wise choice I would say as there was limited daily help and Syvia's dogs roamed loose for many years.

Glorious place though.

Cat & Fiddle and the three shires walk

When I was a child... my family would spend weekends walking in Derbyshire. It meant packing lunch, catching a bus and the freedom of the moors.. bliss. My dad would always have an adventurous plan... my mum would not always be part this. For mum the choice of walk would be more languid ... Fox House and Longshaw. For dad always a bit more. The Cat & Fiddle was one of these more adventurous. In winter, treacherous... in summer HOT, hot, hot with cool clear water streams. So I have memories of the blizzard and the cool streams of summer.

So with my friend Maria, we set off from the Cat and Fiddle Inn which is the second highest inn in England and across the moors. Past peat bogs, rushing streams and the sheer expanse of the moors. The highlight for me was coming to the junction where the Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Yorkshire shires join at old packhorse bridges. And guess what...families still picnic nd children splash in the waters just as I did, Good stuff

So why is it called Axe Moor?...and come to think of it...why did I think I was safe to hitch hike all over these remote places? Ho! Hum!

Tis' Tissington

One of the joys of this trip is that we have been able to fit in a few walks.........Tissington was one. Love the fact that you can view the local "Hall", take the public footpaths through landscapes of ordered farm land and wilderness, and see the odd eccentricities such as strawberries growing from wine bottles (Champagne no less!) to the banalities of calling a street ...well, The Street!

I just LOVE the stiles, but I wonder ......how do people get through some of them. MMMMMMMM too much Yorkshire pud means we struggled, But seriously each one is different and the thing I love is that it is preserving an age old right....the right to walk unhindered through the countryside.....as you will see from earlier blogs...even dogs!

The Tissington Trail though is a bit different in that in 60's a guy called Richard Beecham had a good idea which was to close down heaps 'unproftable' railway lines and services to save money !!!!!

Not a good idea BUT they have now come into their own as many of them have become walking or cycling tracks. Tissington is one. We decided to walk which probably wasn't one of the best ideas as we spent the first part of the walk dodging bikes, but the walk itself was glorious, lovely trees, plants, churches and how I adore those archways of trees!

oh Wow! WHAT A party!!

It was such a surprise....My cousin Christine threw a party at her house. It was fantastic to meet cousins again...but hey Maureen, I'm a bit puzzled...Like what do you remember?! Thanks Chris & Richard such a great night!