September in England 2017

[tod2]

I'm starting at the end of our month long holiday. Maybe because it's still fresh in my mind or maybe it could be that a certain little Mexican Madam, just loves England as much as I do! There is much to see so I'm taking it slow.

This is just the ticket! - one of these never fails to excite me.
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On arrival we get horribly lost - find ourselves at the old gates of Eastwell Manor, called Eastwell Towers, a Jacobethan gatehouse. In the graveyard is a commemorative stone to Richard Plantagenet, the illegitimate son of Richard III. It is said that Richard was employed as a bricklayer on the estate. Part of the estate was landscaped to include a large shallow lake and the distinctive Eastwell Towers. Eastwell Manor has a royal history with Queen Victoria a frequent visitor. There is a photograph of her skating on the lake under the watchful gaze of John Brown. King Edward VII was also a visitor. The Manor burnt down and was rebuilt in 1927. It is now a luxury hotel and spa recently acquired by Champneys.

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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastwell_Park

Passing by The Old Vicarage we drive into the gates of Ashford Cemetery and have a mosey around the ancient (and nearly all) collapsed graves. What amused me was that "Health & Safety" is taken to a whole new level here. The tomb stones that are lying askew and falling forwards or backwards, have been cordoned with bright warning tape. In case you are leaning close by to read the illegible name and the darn thing falls on your head.
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Next day we drive out of Ashford and head for Herne Bay via Whitstable.
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After our first Fish 'n Chips lunch we arrive in Broadstairs, our home for the next three nights.
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I can't resist - It's Chinese dinner tonight.
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Next morning - more fish but what a treat to enjoy a real kipper by the sea.
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I'll tell you all about getting lost all around Kent soon!

[mossie]

Nice to see you are visiting Kent Tod. Broadstairs is not a place I know, all that area in my day was pretty run down and a bit poverty stricken.

Looking forward to seeing some more

[bixaorellana]

I guess you know how totally thrilled I am to see this report, dear Tod. Thank you for rushing it to press!

Ashford looked a little grim, but Broadstairs seems like a wonderful start to your stay in England. Looks like you all really scored on the food front, too.

Cannot wait to see more!

[mich64]

Excellent start Tod! Excited to follow along and learn.

[mickthecactus]

Oct 10, 2017 15:24:10 GMT mossie said:

Nice to see you are visiting Kent Tod. Broadstairs is not a place I know, all that area in my day was pretty run down and a bit poverty stricken.

Looking forward to seeing some more

Broadstairs has always been ok but Ramsgate and Margate, the neighbours not so good.

[tod2]

Thank you Bixa - I am encouraged by your enthusiasm.
Ashford is a young town and was given a boost by the Ashford International Rail Station.
It has very modern clothing/shopping outlets. I noticed a lot of houses were being revamped.
It only takes minutes to suddenly find yourself on a winding country road! We drove past our hotel several times before our eyes finally started taking in the passing buildings.

Thank you Mich and Mick.

Mossie my next section is for you.

[amboseli]

It's been years since my first and only trip to Kent (visiting castles and gardens). I was in Ashville, too ... stayed at the Holiday Inn.

[mickthecactus]

I used to play cricket at Ashford. They were a good side.

[kerouac2]

Totally lovely photos, tod, but of course that is what I expected from you. Can't wait to see more.

[tod2]

When researching Kent I saw there were two museums that would interest my husband. To my surprise I was overwhelmed with the amount of items on display. All put together by a very devoted couple. There is no entrance fee to either as far as I can remember.

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I hope you noticed the photo with Peter Townsend - the man who broke Princess Margaret's heart.

We are enjoying the mild weather with lots of sunshine and calm seas - a slight wind blows constantly as we head off to seek out an interest I have earmarked - and it's Roman, of course.

[kerouac2]

Wasn't there a photo of Mossie in the museum?

[tod2]

No, I'm glad to say! he is very much with us! Some of those young pilots were snuffed out within a year of receiving their wings. What courage they had knowing this could so easily be the end of the road. I am hoping Mossie can add some personal anecdotes - any comments would be so welcome.

[tod2]

After leaving the museum we drove from Manston and headed towards Herne Bay. Three miles East of Herne Bay a small country road leads us to Reculver. The pub was a welcome stop for a beer before walking up to the Roman Fort.

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View from the Fort looking West towards the pub and car park. In medieval times a harbour lay in the area of sea to the right. Most of Reculver village lay in the area of the car park and the adjacent sea.
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In more recent history, during the Second World War, the sea off the coast here was used to test the Barnes Wallis "dam-buster" bouncing bomb.
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Part of the south wall of the 7th-century church, incorporating Roman tiles.
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I really enjoyed the views and could see Margate way beyond in the distance. We decided to drive home that route.

[tod2]

Margate is practically deserted and if you don't like crowds I would think this is an ideal time to visit. Nothing to do except walk along the seafront and visit places like the Turner Contemporary International Art Gallery, The Shell Grotto and Drapers Windmill etc. We did not do any of those things as the fine weather kept us out and about.

Harbour Arm
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Margate main sands
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Nearer Broadstairs the road passes by the Kingsgate Castle on the cliffs above Kingsgate Bay in Broadstairs. It was built for Lord Holland in the 1760s as the stable block of his nearby country residence Holland House.
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The roads winds past the beautiful white cliffs of Kingsgate Bay.
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It is our last night in Broadstairs and we have reserved a table in a tiny restaurant called Stark. Mickthecactus mentioned it and I thought I would take up his suggestion knowing that we would immediately be headed for The Poor House afterwards...

The Menu for tonight.
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First The Mackerel
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Next, the Chicken Liver Parfait
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Then, Plaice, celery & Crab
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The Main course was Spiced Lamb
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First Dessert was Almond Fig Lemon balm - no photo of chocolate pud sorry.
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The bill....
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My comments on the dinner are: It was our first experience of a tasting menu.
The food was spectacular to look at. Really beautiful presentations - However, the ingredients were too complex for our simple palates, and with only about two mouthful's for each dish I couldn't really get to grips with the flavours. All dishes were pleasant but just a titch too fussy for us. I could have eaten the lamb over and over and enjoyed it immensely - all half a chop!
I give the chef Ben all credit for his inventive dishes, and his wife Sophie who served all four tables with great expertise, deserved a medal.

Unfortunately for those who suffer from claustrophobia or a weak bladder be aware the restaurant is extremely small and only serves a staggered amount of customers. This gives chef Ben the time he needs to prepare each dish to his high standards.
There is no toilet. A short walk up the hill to a nearby pub is the only relief.
We were glad of the experience, but in the future I will not be booking a table at any restaurant for a 'tasting menu'.

The next morning the sun rises on another lovely day in Kent. We skip breakfast and motor back to Ashford to hand in the vehicle and take the train to London and onto Newbury in Berkshire.
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[mossie]

Thanks for the visit to Reculver, I have intended to go, but never made it. The area has a lot of history, what with Julius Ceasars first invasion and Hengist and Horsa, the Danes following several centuries later. Interesting to see the Manston museum, giving me a chance to boast, which you really should not do!

I visited Manston a few times, first I remember was when I was about 14 and a cadet in the Air Training Corps. We would occasionally be given "air experience flights", 20 minutes round the bay type of trip, and an early one was from there. The last was on a Sunday morning, when I was in the RAF, on 24th July 1954. We were on one of the periodic defence exercises and were called back to Wattisham because fog was rolling in, a not unusual occurrence. The fog beat us and so we had to divert to Manston, after nearly flying through the control tower at Wattisham in a vain attempt to sleep in our own beds and at about 2.45 a.m. we were rumbling down Manstons massive 3000 yard runway. Flew back to Wattisham later that day.

[bixaorellana]

So much variety and interest, Tod, and your photographs are fabulous.

Oct 11, 2017 11:03:47 GMT tod2 said:

I really enjoyed the views and could see Margate way beyond in the distance. We decided to drive home that route.

I'm assuming you'd planned many of your destinations before leaving home, but it looks as though driving gave you all some pleasant leeway.

I am really enjoying this and your narrative really enriches the photos.

Wow, Mossie -- sounds as though visiting Manston might give you scary flashbacks!

[onlyMark]

I was also in the ATC and did a flight in a trainer at Manston. Can't remember what the plane was though.

[tod2]

Thanks all. And Yes Bixa, your guess is correct. The moment I decided to take the offer of breaking our Eurostar journey (by our Tour organization) I decided to hop off at Ashford and visit a friend's daughter who recently moved there. Lo and behold, my friend flew over and surprised me at our pub dinner!
I did hours of Googling to see if hiring a car and motoring around would be interesting. As I wanted to include so much I have long yearned for whilst in England, our stay could only be a brief one. Would I want to go back? Mmmm...not in season that's for sure. To see what we missed - Mmmm...no, not attractive enough. I really went to see the white chalk cliffs.
I am sorry that we did not find the time to visit the Dickens Museum or Bleak House where he wrote David Copperfield.
This movie shows most of what we saw and gives a good idea of Broadstairs.

[kerouac2]

A pricey restaurant with no restroom? Never heard of that!

In reply #12 you managed to photograph something that is usually intangible -- the fresh air. I have rarely seen a group of pictures that make me want to go to such a place just to breathe deeply.

[cheerypeabrain]

This is lovely, I might suggest the area for our next break...not Margate tho...went there in the 70s (it was closed)

Super images, loved the RAF museum and Reculver Towers/Roman Fort

[tod2]

Cheery, I am thinking a lot of English folk are happy to just sit back in a fairly nice resort and let the world go by. Nothing wrong with that I guess as you are so close at hand to a resort like Broadstairs.
On the otherhand....the 11hr flight hand, we tourists seem to want to cram every blimming moment into Go Go Go!
When Mr Tod and I sometimes came down to the bar/eating area of the hotel I was amazed to see couples sitting and gazing out of the windows and swigging one beer after another. We would go walking and they would still be there on our return. Is that the difference between locals and invaders...?

Soon, we take to the rails once more and arrive in the wonderful rolling hills of Berkshire.

[tod2]

A short train ride into London's St Pancras station and a taxi to the Paddington station connection went smoothly. Wisely I had tickets for any train time so were able to take the first train leaving for Newbury.
Our mobile phones could only be used with WiFi so on arrival used a telephone booth for the first time in 30 years to advise the car hire we were ready to be collected!

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The Hotel - was surrounded by a nice garden and stream.
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Soon we were over the hill and far away..English country lanes are so beautiful.
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We find ourselves in the sleepy village of Woolhampton.
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A wonderful example of Cape Dutch or must I say Flemish, architecture.
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Another fascinating old building.
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Country blooms
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Dinner is at the pub next door to our hotel.
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[bjd]

It all looks so picture postcard-y! I imagine that London or other large cities must come as a shock after these picturesque little villages.

[tod2]

More countryside wanderings..
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We found Highclere Castle or Downton Abbey if you prefer, but like the car ahead of us had to turn around at the gates as it was closed to visitors that day. Boo hoo hoo. I would have like to have seen it up close.
Douai Abbey is a Benedictine Abbey at Woolhampton, near Thatcham, in the English county of Berkshire, situated within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth.
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Down by the riverside.. a tranquil afternoon.
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Hanging baskets outside the public toilets.
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It has been about 8 years since I first heard about The Pot Kiln Pub at Frilsham in the Berkshire countryside. I have yearned to go there ever since and partake of their game dishes on offer.
I made a Sunday lunch reservation from home.
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We ordered the Fallow deer- and nearly fainted when it arrived! Could we possibly eat all that?. We made a darn good attempt.
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I wanted to know why it was called "fallow" deer.
www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/fallowdeer

During our short stay in Newbury/Thatcham, Mr Tod spotted a restaurant devoted to Indian Cuisine.
Since I had my wish at The Pot Kiln, his turn was at Spice.
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Our food choices were Lamb Morrisa and prawn Korai. Very different to the curry we usually eat here.
Our curries are 'nose sweaty hot' but if you prefer it anything but mild the owner of Spice said we need to ask for it to be made hotter. Both our dishes were slightly above mild which was better than flaming hot and not enjoyable for me, at least.

Sadly, we must stop driving down country lanes. It's time to hand the car back and take the train to London.
A few more photos and England will be no more..for a few years most likely.
Hammersmith here we come!

[onlyMark]

I really must protest.
It is unfair to post pictures of the pub food you are having.
You can keep the tasting menu thing, but the rest of it is far too painful for me to see.
Have a heart young lady and maybe just "allude" to the food you had, or put it under a spoiler so I don't have to see it.
You are cruel and heartless. Though forty eight quid for part of Bambi is a bit 'deer' for me no matter it is probably of exceptional quality.

[tod2]

O Mark please forgive me....I have more pub grub coming up! Close your eyes and dream of England.
There were two meals which we felt almost put us in The Poor House. Stark was one, and Pot Kiln the other but, one has to take into consideration their commitment to perfection.
The service at both was outstanding. No toffy-nosed service here.

[bixaorellana]

Ohhh, Tod! My little Anglophile heart is just about to beat out of my chest because of your wonderful pictures and excellent travel writing. Thanks for including a picture of the train station, always a thrill for me to see.

How many nights were you in your hotel in Newbury? Were all the lovely drives you show from there?

Another question would be how you two managed to make a decision from the game restaurant menu. I would still be there dithering between the grouse and the salmon.

[tod2]

This statue is in the entrance to Hammersmith Broadway Tube station - did the artists/sculptors not realise they would be creating two lovely perches for the millions of pigeons - maybe they are pigeon fanciers...
The title of the statue is: Etcetera - the chaps responsible for it are Crispin Guest (components); Michael Johnson (arrangement and plinth).

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Our last hotel - The Luma. A minute's walk from the Lyric Hammersmith theatre, this modern hotel themed after a Victorian lightbulb factory that was once in the neighbourhood is also a 2-minute walk from Hammersmith tube . It is chic, the contemporary rooms feature free Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs, plus loaner tablets, Nespresso machines and kettles.
We found the 'grab and go' breakfast which is complimentary, a bit lacking if you wanted anything hot and also we had to eat in our room as no seating where the breakfasts were collected.
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The funky reception area.
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We immediately set off for the Thames and a spot of lunch before inspecting the beautiful Hammersmith Bridge in detail. We stopped in at The Blue Anchor which even serves South African boerewors...but we declined the offer.

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The lovely old buildings on the river bank.
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Now for the bridge.
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Leaning over the side to photograph the lightbulbs that surround the steel.
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Tomorrow we are due to meet Mickthecactus. Unfortunately he messaged me to say the rail strike had put paid to our meet-up. Disappointing but I'm sure there will be another opportunity.
We decide to spend the day in London before taking the tube to Heathrow for our flight that night.

Next the conclusion to our time in England...

[tod2]

Thank you so much Bixa. Yes all motoring from our hotel in Thatcham ( which is joined onto Newbury) we could not separate one from the other.
We spent three nights there.

[tod2]

We tubed it to Westminster as I wanted to see the area where SKY News always broadcasts their outdoors segments on the goings on in parliament. It is directly in front of the original Crown Jewel Tower.

Poor old Big Ben looked like a bristling porcupine!
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The area of the broadcasts. The Jewel Tower is out of the photo.
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We did not have a lot of time so caught the tube to Queensway.
I hardly recognised anything from 5/7 years ago. We thought we would grab a last custard slice or better known as mille-feuille, from Pattiserie Valerie. Alas we could not find the shop.
Settling for a last Chinese we went to one of the many in Queensway. All I saw were Chinese faces until three elderly Englishmen came and sat at a table near us.
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Then it was back to collect our bags and hop the Picadilly line to LHR, but having seen a Pattiserie Valerie from the taxi when we arrived, we tracked it down and relaxed with a cup of Britains finest breakfast tea and a slice of heaven.
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The tube trains seem to be wider and much cleaner than in the past. We have beaten the rush hour and can relax at the airports Singapore Airlines Business Class lounge. We even have time for a shower and change of clothing.
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I am sad to leave England as I know I may not see her for many years. Oh well...sigh