London, Suffolk, Devon, Cornwall and Somerset
18th April, 9.45 a.m., London.
Our flight over on a KLM DC 8 went very smoothly and we took the Underground
from Heathrow, which cost us 90c each! Frances was there to meet us at
Ealing. We watched the independence ceremony on TV last night, beamed live
by satellite from Salisbury. Unfortunately they stopped transmission at
the point where the Prince Edward Choir started to sing what sounded like
Once a column came a-marching, a song I remember learning to sing for the
Queen Mother on her visit in 1959 when I was at school.
4.20 p.m. at the station, waiting for our
train to Cambridge.
We had a very busy and tiring day doing various bits of business: confirming
our return flight and getting A.A. membership which was done just by producing
our Rhodesian A.A. cards, giving us free British membership. We then
booked for two concerts, the only ones which Ray wanted to see while we are in
London. We also checked the cost of going over to Paris and have decided
it now costs too much to make a two-day visit worthwhile, so we'll see if we can
keep the car a few days longer. Failing that, we can always stay longer
with Frances and Alan!
We are off now for the weekend in Bury St Edmunds. We'll come back earlyish on Sunday to give us time to spend the afternoon with Margaret before going into London for one of our two concerts. Margaret was very surprised when I phoned her this morning. She is very much at sixes and sevens as she moves to Oxford next week. The idea is that she will commute to London three times a week, working at home on the other days. She's not sure how that is going to work!
21st April, 8.20 p.m. with Frances and Alan.
We had a very lovely stay in Culford. On Saturday morning we went to Bury
St Edmunds and strolled about the morning market, as Janet was teaching.
In the afternoon we visited Renata, a friend of Ann's, and had a pleasant chat
until 8.00 p.m. Then it was back to Culford, where Ann cooked supper.
On Sunday morning Janet took us on a lovely drive around Suffolk. The
weather has been bitterly cold and cloudy, but has cleared up a bit today.
In the afternoon it was back to London in time for the concert, which was a
Grande Messe des Morts by Berlioz, in the Festival Hall. André Previn
conducted an outstanding performance.
This morning (Monday) we visited Kew on our way to pick up the car. Kew is not really at its spring best yet, but was very pretty.
Kew Gardens.
Black swans at Kew.
The Pagoda at Kew.
Ann amongst the magnolias at Kew.
We had a very long wait when collecting our car at Ross Car Hire as an Australian ahead of us wanted to take his car to Poland!! It was costing him the Earth, and he was paying not only in pounds Sterling, but also in American and Australian dollars, which proved very complicated. Anyway, we finally got our car, which is a new and very posh Ford Fiesta. We decided on this because, although it is smaller than the one we had booked, I do fit into it, and it is so much cheaper!
We got back to Frances and Alan to find Elaine and Frances were already there! Elaine had not remembered to bring the Kings' phone number, nor my map of how to get there, but fortunately Gerald remembered the way. Elaine is spending the night with us and we'll set off early tomorrow for Cornwall.
Gerald and Elaine had a lovely time in Lisbon. Although it was very cheap, it was also very old and dirty. We will post this at some convenient time tomorrow.
22nd April, 8.40 p.m. Just outside Salisbury.
We
set off from London at about 10.30 this morning and managed to leave it behind
us with little difficulty.
Kew.
We started off heading for Winchester, but our first stop was in Chawton where Jane Austen lived. We spent a little time visiting her house and then went on to Winchester. The cathedral there is vast and most impressive. We couldn't decide whether it was Norman or Gothic, but it dates from the eleventh century.
Jane Austen's house in Chawton.
Off Winchester City Square.
Winchester Cathedral.
Looking towards the Choir, Winchester Cathedral.
Statue in Winchester Cathedral.
We had a bit of difficulty getting out of Winchester (I am the navigator!) and at one point we were on the road to Southampton where we did not want to go! It was very difficult to get off, but eventually we were heading towards Salisbury when we saw signs for Broadlands House, so we decided to have a look. It cost us £1.30 each, so I think that's the last stately home we will be visiting! We then went on to Salisbury, booked ourselves into this very pleasant bed and breakfast place, then, in the rain, went on to Stonehenge, which was disappointing on two counts: it was shut, and it's tiny! Then back here, having supper in a pub in passing.
River Test in Broadlands.
Stonehenge.
Above and below: cider at The Old
Castle.
23rd April, 9.30 p.m. Outside
Honiton, near Exeter.
We started off at Salisbury Cathedral after a lovely
breakfast. The cathedral was vast, and we spent about an hour going over
it, when a chatty guide got us in his clutches and took us over the whole place
again! His tour was very informative and we thoroughly enjoyed our
second hour going round the cathedral. We left Salisbury rather later
than we had planned as a result.
Salisbury Cathedral.
Exterior, Salisbury Cathedral.
Looking down Salisbury Cathedral from
the Choir.
Salisbury Cathedral.
We then went on to Dorchester which is full of Hardy, even to the point where a plaque outside Barclays Bank informed us that the building was reputed to be the house of the Mayor of Casterbridge, as described by Hardy.
Main street in Dorchester.
We took a break at Maiden Castle, an ancient mound fortified by ditches and ramparts. It was quite a climb up to the top, but there was an excellent view of Dorchester once there. We had lunch at the foot of the castle, in the car because it was very cold and windy.
One of the ditches at Maiden Castle.
Sitting on a rampart at Maiden Castle,
Dorchester in the background.
Then on to Weymouth, a very picturesque port, and on to the Isle of Portland along Chesil Bank, where there were some lovely streets in the villages on Portland.
Weymouth harbour.
Fortuneswell.
Chesil Bank.
We then headed for Exeter, but didn't quite make it, so booked in at this very pleasant B&B (also only £5) and then did a bit of exploring. We went out to Ottery St Mary and had a look at the fourteenth century church there, built in the style of a large cathedral, but on a small scale. Then on to Sidmouth where Elaine saw her first English shale beach, and got so carried away that she had to get her feet wet! The red cliffs are very pretty there, especially in the soft twilight.
Church of St Mary of Ottery, 14th
century.
Windows in Ottery St Mary Church.
Above and below: flowers in Sidmouth.
Sidmouth beach.
24th April, 8.45
p.m. Wadebridge, Cornwall
Our day really began in
Dartmoor, a very pretty but bleak part of southern England. Elaine's day
was made several times, the first being when we found some very friendly
Dartmoor ponies who stuck their heads in our car windows; then later when we
came across several mares with their foals. There was also a great
abundance of spring lambs, generally scattered along the roadside.
Teign River, Dartmoor.
Having lunch on Dartmoor.
Gorse bushes, Dartmoor.
Lambs on Dartmoor.
Dartmoor pony and foal.
We made our way to the western coast of Cornwall. The beaches are sandy, just like those we know in South Africa. There are some lovely cliffs and caves, and the little towns and resorts are all very pretty. The Cornish people are so pleasant and friendly, too!
Cave at Watergate Bay, Cornwall.
Berryl's Point, Cornwall.
Beach at Crantock, Cornwall.
St Agnes, Cornwall.
Engine house at St Agnes.
Windswept tree, Devon.
Estuary at Bideford, Devon.
25th
April, 10.15 p.m. Llantwit, Wales.
We had a long
day, travelling most of the day to drop Elaine with the Lewises (Lindsay
Messenger). They have very kindly offered to put us all up for the night,
which is very nice as Llantwit is by no means in the tourist area and there are
no B&B places here.
We set off from Wadebridge and made for Bath, getting there at about 3.00 p.m. It was fascinating looking over the Roman artefacts in the museum, and also seeing the famous Pump Room. I went into Bath Abbey next door to the Pump Room as well, and was delighted to be treated to an organ recital as the organist was practising. It was a lovely instrument, the second I've heard these holidays (the other being in Westermarkt, Amsterdam).
Entrance to the Roman Baths.
The Great Bath.
The Pump Room.
Bath Abbey.
We then headed for Llantwit on the M4. Quite an experience in the 5 o'clock rush hour traffic, and the Severn Bridge was gigantic, making us feel very small, zooming over it in our little Fiesta at 70 m.p.h.!
On to Wales and the Lake District