Hi everyone! It’s our Anniversary – thanks for all your cards, texts and social media comments! . 14/41?? As many of you know, we were married (in 2011) and first met (in 1984) both on the same date – 14 December. So it’s our ’14th’ or ’41st’, depending on when you start counting!

Celebrations started early – yesterday, in fact – as we headed for Oakham and a return to our favourite ‘posh’ Bistro! With our 1pm Table pre-booked, we arrived just in time for a quick wander around the town’s famous Saturday Market. Unusually, for the location itself, AND the obvious proximity to Christmas, it was all very quiet – something that surprised us , as it’s always felt very vibrant during previous trips. Still, that meant there was no queuing required when picking up some flowers for Mrs P!

The Bistro? Absolutely, NO MARKS for originality this year, then!

Yes, we’re back at the ever-reliable (and always delicious) Hitchen’s Barn where we ate for our Anniversary last year. For 2025, it was just us two, whereas last year, we were with good friends, Ralph & Karen, David & Valerie, Nick & Celina to help us celebrate.

Today, on arrival, we received the usual warm welcome from the staff, together with Louise, the co-owner. It was cold in the Oakham air, but toasty-warm inside, and that made us feel even more welcome. They were already busy, but a little like the town itself, it felt less ‘buzzy’ for this time of year .

Nothing wrong with the food offer though, and because it’s a different menu every day, there’s always something of a surprise in store. Stay tuned for my NEW favourite Dessert!

Whilst Ann opted for Soufflé/Sea Bass/Panna Cotta, I went off-piste for my Dessert choice and sidestepped the Set Lunch options, preferring the yummy combination of White Chocolate AND Rice Pudding. And what a combo that was!!

Well, the meal, as expected, was delicious, with the service as sharp as ever. I think I’ve also found my new go-to Pudding! Step aside, Sticky Toffee Pudding!

We skipped teas and coffees, settled the bill, then headed home. We were indoors by 3.30, where we did absolutely nothing for the rest of the afternoon!

Today’s the Day!

Morning! A rare lie-until about 7.30! . Happy Anniversary to us!!

41/14!

Thanks for the fridge magnet, Paul, Sue & Ben! – a look that we’ll never forget (from our pie-making course, back in September – honest! ).

We exchanged gifts before getting on with our plans for the day. Anniversary plans? The plan was to have no plans! Perfect!! .

…apart from an ‘anniversary’ clean of the car! (and they say: ‘romance is dead!”) .

Fillet Steak for lunch by way of celebration, followed a brisk walk in uncharted territory! We took a walk along nearby Sulgrave Street and then headed south into what, three months ago, was just fields. It’s all part of the new houses in the sprawling Bertone Manor development.

Feet up and Foyles War (‘Killing Time’, Series 6, Episode 2) courtesy of Netflix. …and very little else for the rest of the day.

That’s it for this year – I wonder where we’ll be celebrating this time next year?

Previous Celebrations

I’ve been recording our Anniversary celebrations ever since I began blogging back in 2004, and looking back on them all, we’ve certainly clocked up the miles (even though these days, we’re often closer to home).

The list of our previous Anniversary celebrations
is HERE

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Our Anniversary (14/41) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Hi everyone! It’s our Anniversary – thanks for all your good wishes! . As many of you know, we met and married on the same date – 14 December – so it’s our ’13th’ today or ’40th’, depending on when you begin counting!

Having somewhat prematurely celebrated with a mega-holiday to Australia, Singapore and (mostly) New Zealand a month-or-so ago, today was a lot more straightforward!

The Celebration

Here we are at Hitchen’s Barn (probably our favourite upmarket Bistro) and joined by long-time friends, David & Valerie, Ralph & Karen and Nick & Celina. David acted as chauffeur, which meant a pint of ale was in order!

As usual, it was a really good experience! Great food, attentive service and a very warm welcome from Louise, the co-owner. We were at our table on the dot of 12 noon, and we left just after 2.30 – surely a good sign!

Afterwards, it was back to ours, where Ralph & Karen stayed over for the night! Happy days!!!

Previous Celebrations

Our previous Anniversary celebrations
are HERE

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Our Anniversary (13/40) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Off to the Falcon Inn in Fotheringhay to meet up with long-time pals, Mick and Jane to celebrate their 41st Wedding Anniversary.

The last time we were there was pre-Covid back in 2017. Before then, this was our go-to Pub/Restaurant when we lived in nearby Peterborough. Since then, we’ve developed other allegiances and, in that time, the Pub itself has had a few owners. Our most recent experience in 2017 wasn’t that good, so here’s hoping things have improved!

Well, on the positive side of our experience, it was a lovely day weather-wise, they already seemed to be quite busy with their tables outside all taken, and the car-park was filling up. We were seated in the Orangery, taking full advantage of the sunshine. We had all the ingredients for a great celebration as The Falcon Inn has a good reputation, so what could possibly go wrong?

The menu looked attractive too, and with Bar Snacks and an à la carte option, there was plenty of choice. Unfortunately, it took ages for them to actually provide us with a menu, and it all went down hill from there!

The service continued to be slow, painfully slow! We only had ONE Course and we were there for two hours! When my food arrived (just over an hour after ordering) the dish looked good, but the vegetables were tasteless and under-seasoned – although the pie was yummy. Ann reckoned hers was the worst burger she’d eaten in a long while!

I was the only one to attempt to order a Dessert, but I gave up because no-one seemed interested in taking my order. Not surprisingly, we all skipped coffees! It was such a shame to see this place so lacking in the basics! . Luckily, we’re spoilt for choice for eateries, and I therefore don’t think we’ll be going back any time soon!

Anyway, at least the snail-pace of the service gave us plenty of time to chat! It was really good to celebrate M&J’s special day (although it would have been better if the service was swifter!) . It was such a contrast to the last time we were all together (back in March) at The Red Lion in nearby Cranford where it was a superior experience all round!

Happy Anniversary, Mick & Jane!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Return to The Falcon Inn appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Yes, I’ve been penning this stuff for a long time now!

It all started as a ‘techy’ experiment back in May 2004, but today is exactly 20 years since I first began trying out the then ‘next big thing’ called ‘blogging’. Back then, the promise was that ‘everyone, one day, will have their own Blog’ – so I thought I’d better get in the queue. Oops! I’m not sure Blogs ever lived up to that promise – the social media titans of Meta and Twitter certainly derailed that original vision!

However, I stuck with it, and although my content was never of earth-shattering importance, it served as an enjoyable method of recording the bits and bobs (and sometimes the banality) of my life – a sort of online diary. Many of you told me you liked the content and my writing style, so, I carried on!

In later years, it became a really useful reference for settling the occasional ‘conversation’ here, where neither of us could remember ‘the name of that pub near X?’ or ‘when did we first see that film called Y?’. And, as I see out my 60s (where my brain is slowly turning to mush) it’s been massively useful in hunting down detail! (Me? Obsessed with detail? Surely not! ).

In those early days, Blogs were mostly just text with the odd photo (if the paltry internet speeds could handle it). Fast-forward to now, and it’s clear that blogging is now much more capable. Some of us hung on in there, – and I’m glad I did – but there doesn’t appear to be so many of us around in 2024! .

From that very first Post on Sunday, May 22nd 2004 at 10:10 am, consisting of just SEVEN words, in 20 years, a lot has changed in my world of blogging.

In that time, I’ve taken on some challenges! In January 2019, I swapped blogging platforms (Blogger to WordPress) AND a few years ago, changed hosting providers too! Ooo, I do enjoy pain! . Swapping platforms is most definitely NOT for the faint-hearted, and it tested all of my techy-nouse – and some! . I changed providers a few years ago because the original hosts – IONOS – corrupted about 15 years’ worth of content and didn’t feel the need to help me fix it. What’s their strapline? “IONOS – I own this!” (clearly not!) . Around four months of my life, sorting out THEIR mess, was not my idea of fun.

More positively, the new platform has meant I could ‘up the content’ in terms of detail and functionality. Oh! And in the spirit of ‘no pain no gain’, I even managed to seriously break my Blog on more than one occasion, requiring my new provider to fix things (thanks Matt, Matthew, Rick and Jonathan at WDL). WDL have turned out to be massively supportive on a day-to-day basis too, and I can’t praise this small organisation from Colchester highly enough!

The result? These days, the platform is stable, and I’ve become far more knowledgeable about how it all works – and that’s also been good for keeping my brain active. Having now published over 3000 Posts and despite the risk of pushing your boredom threshold too far (but no doubt helping with your insomnia!) many of you have been with me since the start – thanks again!

So, a massive ‘Cheers!’ for your support over the years. Your readership and your feedback have inspired me and made it all worthwhile!. Consequently, I plan to continue for many more years to come! . Insomniacs rejoice!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post 20 Years a Blogger! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Day 3 – Friday, December 15, 2023

Good Morning London! .

Here we are in London as part of our Wedding Anniversary celebration (yesterday) staying at the rather posh Tower Hotel. It’s day three – our final day!

What you might have missed…

Day 1 – Arrival at the Tower Hotel/Moulin Rouge/Indian Meal/Embankment Walk

Day 2 – Anniversary Breakfast/Royal Mail Train/Postal Museum/ABBA Voyage

For our final day in the capital, there’s a change to our advertised programme! . Our visit to see my brother and his family for a festive lunch and pressy swap is postponed, as he’s down with some nasty bug. I know Christmas time is for sharing, but we’ve all agreed that he can keep that to himself! . However, having brought their Christmas presents with us, we don’t want to take them home, so we’re going to drop them off and have a short chat, role-playing the ‘days of COVID’ and exercising social distancing!

So, today, now looks like this:-

Brekky at Côte Brasserie (just up the road from the hotel)
Mid-morning visit to Neil’s (Pressy swap)
Return to London and visit the Wallace Collection
See what the new(ish) Elizabeth Line is like
Back to the Hotel and get packed

Breakfast…

8.45am: Like most major cities around the World, you’re never short of somewhere to eat in London. Just up the road from the Tower Hotel in St. Katharine Docks is Côte Brasserie, and we headed there for Breakfast.

9.02am: We were one of their first customers – and it didn’t disappoint!

At just £12.50 each for a Full English, this was exceptional value for London. Service was swift and came with a smile, setting us up nicely for the day.

Next stop, Tower Hill Tube, heading for Bromley. Luckily (for us) since our last visit (I think) Bromley now accepts Oyster Cards meaning no need to purchase a separate rail ticket. Cheaper too! Victoria to Bromley, just £9.70, return.

Bromley…

10.34am: Bromley town was busy, but fortunately we only had a short walk from the station to my brother’s, avoiding the crowds. In a replay from those days when COVID seemed to rule our lives, we met for a catchup and pressy swap, whilst keeping our distance. It was all a little surreal, but we had a good chat about this, that, and everything else in between. It was great to see everyone (minus Frankie, who’s away on holiday at the moment!). We swapped gifts and said our goodbyes just before midday – and headed back to the station, and back to central London.

Given that we couldn’t have Lunch with the family, we had some time to kill, and we planned to head for the Wallace Collection in Manchester Square in the West End.

The Wallace Collection

12.48pm: The Wallace Collection, is a national museum housing unsurpassed masterpieces of painting, sculpture, furniture, arms and armour, and porcelain. It’s free admission too! . Ann had been before, but this was a first visit for me.

It was all brought together by the first four Marquesses of Hertford and most recently, Sir Richard Wallace, the likely illegitimate son of the 4th Marquess. It was bequeathed to the British nation by Lady Wallace, Sir Richard’s widow, in 1897. If history is your thing, there’s a fuller account of how the family amassed their wealth HERE.

If you like your wealth to be obvious, this is the place! Absolutely no restraint whatsoever, championing the saying: “If you’ve got it, flaunt it!”. It looks like they had a lot of flaunts! . For me, the (slight) surprise was that everything looked BRAND NEW. Not a faded picture anywhere, no cobwebs and everything ‘shiny, shiny’. Taken as a whole, the House looked like it opened yesterday! – and it was pretty popular too!

There was a lot to see here. Room after room, after room (after room) – and on two floors. Unsurprisingly, the Collection seemed to have something of everything. Having said that, armour was a big feature (mostly acquired from the outcome of the war in France).

The ONE piece, we were looking forward to seeing was the famous painting ‘The Laughing Cavalier‘ by Frans Hals, painted in 1624. Sadly, it was out on loan to the National Gallery!

But at least they had this one! A self-portrait of Rembrandt from 1637!

And if oil paintings aren’t your thing, there is a great collection of portrait miniatures and snuff boxes – again, all in pristine condition.

To finish, it’s something unexpected, something a little saucy! . It’s ‘The Swing’ by Fragonard. There’s a bit of a story to this one (that reads like an early EastEnders script), In short: ‘what is the guy on the left, looking at? (clue: it’s NOT the foliage!), what’s the significance of her shoe flying through the air and who’s the fella on the right in the painting, and why does he need the ropes? It all looks like the potential for a safeguarding issue, but the girl seems happy enough being a swinger! Doof, doof! .

An enjoyable visit – and if you like your life somewhat ‘blingy’ in nature, even more so!

1.32pm: We’re all cultured out! and so time for a cup of tea…

…and helpfully, their tea came with scones and lashings of jam and cream! What luck!

2.06pm: Time to head back to the Hotel, with just one more visit on the list, whilst we’re in London! In spite of my dislike for trains, there IS an exception – and that’s a new train/train route. As many of you know, the new(ish) Elizabeth Line has now been added to the Tube network, officially opened by the Queen on 24 May 2022. Quite apart from how much time it’ll save US in the future getting to Heathrow for our holidays, the line boasts the latest in MRT design and we wanted to see what it was like.

We walked from the Wallace Collection to Bond Street and picked up the Line from there. If your recollection of travel by Tube, is that it’s cramped, too cold in Winter, too hot in the Summer, noisy and uncomfortable, you’ll be impressed.

We took the short trip from Bond Street to Whitechapel and it ticked all the boxes for us. Fast, quiet, comfy seats and a feeling of space – just how modern MRT should be! Back to reality then, as we changed Lines and then picked up the final leg from Whitechapel to Tower Hill, on the older District Line.

2.42pm: As we walked back to the Hotel for the final time (for this trip), we chatted about how much London was changing. In all the time we’ve been here, I don’t think we heard a single London accent at all, let alone a cockney one. confirming that London is clearly multicultural these days. Architecturally, there is still a lot of commercial building going on (I think that’s pretty normal for the capital these days) but we also saw an awful lot of new public housing (mainly Flats) replacing older commercial properties. With both of us having spent so many years working in the capital, it now all feels very different!

3.02pm: Back at the Tower Hotel, all that was left to do was to think about getting packed. We’re home late morning, tomorrow. . Thanks for all your comments about this week’s Posts – all very much appreciated! See you on the other side! . Over and out!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Anniversary Break – London (Day 3) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Our Anniversary – Thursday, 14th December

It’s our 12th… or 39th (if you count the date we first met – as many of you know, it was the same date!).

We always try and ‘get away’ and do something a little different on our special day! This year, it was London, having arrived yesterday (read about it here). Specifically, we bagged a room at the iconic Tower Hotel that overlooks the equally, impressive, Tower Bridge. We’re here until Saturday, also planning to catch up with my brother and his family for the annual Christmas pressy swap.

Our previous Anniversary celebrations
are HERE

Wow! Plenty going on today as part of our Anniversary celebrations!

Breakfast at the Fox & Anchor near Farringdon
Experience the Royal Mail Train Exhibition
Visit the Royal Mail Postal Museum
Back to the Hotel for a recharge (and my phone!)
See Abba Voyage at the ABBA Arena

Anniversary Brekky

8.50am: We arrived at Tower Hill and travelled the few Tube stops down to Barbican on the Circle Line, heading for Breakfast near Smithfield Market. On exiting Barbican Tube, we took the ‘adventurous’ route. For that, read ‘heading down the right road, but in the wrong direction!’. I blame Google Maps, but others might have a different opinion. .

9.38am: A Black cab to the rescue! A short ride later, courtesy of Darren, we arrived at the Fox & Anchor, just 10 minutes later than our booking. A warm welcome awaited us, and we were soon amongst the other guests who, based on the number of empty glasses, all looked like they’d been there since around 7am!

Yesterday!

Yes, it was a popular destination… I wonder why? . I got the impression that a lot of the people were here enjoying an ‘early’ (in the day) Christmas Lunch, where the staff seemed to be rushed off their feet, keeping up with demand.

A little-known fact about the Fox & Anchor is that it serves two of my favourite things – at the same time! A full English Breakfast AND (from 7am!!!!) a pint of Guinness. Known as the ‘Fox’s City Boy Breakfast’ and consisting of (deep breath!): two eggs, sweet-cured bacon, pork and apple sausages, Angus flat iron steak, lamb kidney and liver, black pudding, roasted cherry tomatoes, mushroom, baked beans, fried bread, it’s a MONSTER. However, at a mighty 1450 kCalories for this ‘meal deal’, it was probably best avoided!

In the end, I chose the next best thing, their ‘simpler’ Fox’s Breakfast – fewer calories and no Guinness. Ah well, maybe another time???

Ann followed my lead, and we were soon tucking in our Anniversary Breakfast! It was all delicious and the staff were very hospitable.

10.19am: Actually, I didn’t really have time for a Guinness, as we wished the staff a Merry Christmas and headed for our next stop which was on a timed ticket.

Royal Mail Train Exhibition

10.49am: After that breakfast, for me, it was more of a waddle than a walk, but half-an-hour later we arrived at the Royal Mail Train Exhibition for our 11am slot.

Do you like trains? (nope, me neither, but this was something special!) The marketing blurb suggested:
“Ride through the hidden tunnels of Mail Rail and discover a unique piece of industrial heritage, explore inspiring exhibitions packed with incredible objects, exciting stories and fun-filled interactive displays“

So we did! Welcome to the Royal Mail Train. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to become a letter or parcel delivered across London, where there’s a guarantee of no traffic jams and no congestion charge – this is for you! It’s the ‘hidden’ ‘mini’ train network that operated under London until the early noughties to ensure the post was delivered on time (remember that promise?)

When we arrived, the first thing we noticed was the number of children’s buggies ‘parked’ near the stairs that led to the Train. Cue my blood pressure! . Initially, we weren’t sure why, and imagined that our train trip was to include herds of screaming sprogs. Luckily, it didn’t turn out that way, when we discovered there was a children’s playgroup in residence – err, Why here, why underground?

And why weren’t they at school?

Anyway, in spite of this potential kiddie carnage potentially spoiling our day, only a few of the little cherubs were doing what we were about to do – board the train. Phew! . Off we chuffed, and although we weren’t quite sure what to expect, we took on the appearance of excited children!

We were about to be SERIOUSLY impressed!

And some!!! (praise indeed, as I’ve mentioned, I’m not a great fan of trains!).

What a find this was! Whoever thought up the idea of converting the now unused Mail Trains to people-carriers involving a tour has probably done more in terms of positive PR for the Royal Mail than any direct advertising campaign. It was fascinating!

Mail Train Factoids
An initial idea for an underground mail system started in 1855
Building the tunnels you see today began around the start of WW1
Work continued during the War
Opened officially in 1927 carrying mail UNDER the streets of London to mainline rail stations
No driver required!
Closed in 2003

A more detailed history of the Mail Rail is HERE

Our rail journey lasted about 15 minutes and they’d cleverly installed multimedia presentations along the route, together with a running commentary for the whole of the journey.

What’s not to love? At just £17 each – which includes the Postal Museum just up the road (see later in this Post) – it was really good value, packed with information about the pioneering and innovative work by the Royal Mail to deliver the mail. There was even a ‘graveyard’ for expired mail trains within the tunnel system.

Downsides? If you’re taller than about 5 feet, it’s a bit of a squeeze in the ‘carriages’ (but it was our Anniversary!) . The whole thing was very professionally put together and they’d even tweaked the multimedia film to reflect a Christmas theme. .

Parts of the route are very narrow and very dark. There are no opportunities to get out once the journey begins, and all photos will be through the Perspex windows/canopy, so ‘great shots’ are challenging! If you’re claustrophobic, this won’t be for you, but the Staff were brilliant at pointing out the limitations beforehand.

But wait, there’s more (good news)!

When the train brought us back to where we started, we were pointed in the direction of a supporting exhibition. There was plenty to see here too. It was all very well presented, well lit and (again) packed with information.

What an innovation! It reminded us of ‘times gone by’ where back then, this was ‘cutting edge’ engineering and technology, and consequently, the envy of the world.

For the ‘train nutter’ in your life (or even just the ‘nutter’ in your life), we’d thoroughly recommend this place. It’s a bit different to your normal ‘interactive exhibition’ and blends education and entertainment perfectly. When we booked, it all had to be done online – and we noticed it was very popular because of the limited seating capacity of the trains. All the details are here…

Mail Rail Bookings

Enjoy! We did… a lot!

Royal Mail Postal Museum

11.43am: Next stop, and just two minutes walk up the road, was the sister building – The The Postal Museum. This was to be another fascinating experience showcasing (once again) – but in even more detail – the innovation of the Royal Mail ‘back in the day’. At the time, they were the largest employer in the country (I didn’t know that!). How times have changed! , at a time when I can’t guarantee that my Special Delivery will be treated specially! . The Museum charted the chronological history of the Mail system from Henry VIII’s time (yes, it’s that old) and this densely packed series of exhibits that showcased its history – good and bad – perfectly.

Everything looked in stunning condition – as if it had been made yesterday, all helping to give the Museum the ‘wow!’ factor.

Want to get the mail there faster? Design a ‘special’ streamlined coach built for just that purpose and use specially bred horses to power the thing!

Mail transport through the ages was well represented too! Again, restored to pristine condition.

There was so much to see here! Films, interactive displays, and you could even design your own stamp for free!

This was another impressive attraction. Individually and collectively, we learned a lot today about the Royal Mail. Sadly though, it shows that currently, the business is less than a shadow of its former self, where it used to lead the world in delivering written communication and parcels to every corner of the world through tried-and-tested innovations.

12.32pm: Back down to earth and with our feet now firmly back in 2023, we took the short walk to Farringdon Tube.

12.56pm: Back in the Hotel, there was time to respond to the numerous ‘best wishes’ comments via text and social media – THANK YOU! – before an extended ‘feet up’ to prepare for our next treat, later today – The ABBA Voyage performance.

Abba Voyage

6.15pm: The paperwork suggested getting there with time to spare. Not exactly ‘The Day Before You Came’, just an hour before the start, to allow for security checks. I hate being late and take a chance (on me?) so we left in good time. We grabbed the DLR at Tower Gateway and headed for Waterloo, couldn’t escape if I wanted to Pudding Mill Lane which is right opposite the specially built Abba Arena.

On arrival, any doubts we had about whether this was still popular or not were quickly dispelled, judging by the crowds!

I wonder though whether we are the last couple in the UK to see this? It seems that pretty much everyone we know has already been… sometimes twice… sometimes more than twice! We’d heard nothing but good reports about it, so here goes!

Sadly, no photography was allowed (but again, like the Theatre yesterday, it didn’t stop a few pushing their luck and they were quickly dissuaded by the in-house security!). I managed to grab a shot before the curfew came down!

7.54pm: A late start… Gimme, Gimme, Gimme!

Overall, this was a FANTASTIC show! But I ought to comment that in the early scenes, the facial closeups of the Band were poorly rendered – whether it was their eyes or their mouths that just looked a bit unnatural, we’re not sure, but they just didn’t cut it for us. Now, whether our brains filtered out these imperfections as the show went on, I don’t know, but it all appeared to get better and better. Weird! . Anyone else who’s been see the same?

Anyway, don’t let that put you off going! Even if you’re not an ABBA fan, it’s worth going for the most impressive light show we’ve ever seen! (and we saw ELO in the 70s at Wembley! ). The ninety minutes (with no interval) passed really quickly and there’s a very sentimental touch right at the end! (no spoilers here!) . You’re welcome!

Err… Wow! Just amazing! Time to dance our way back to the Tower Hotel!

Thank-you for the music, Abba! Do you know what? If I had to do the same again I would*

*My friend, Fernando

Well, that’s another Anniversary! A Guinness before 10am (almost), role-playing a royal mail parcel and a trip to see ABBA – virtually, it’s been one to remember! Just how we like it!! . Thanks too, for all your good wishes – it means a lot!

Tomorrow, we have a slight change of plan. Our visit to see my brother and family for a festive lunch and pressy swap is postponed as he’s down with some nasty bug. Having brought their Christmas presents with us, we don’t want to take them home, so we’re going to drop them off and have a short chat – from a distance!

Brekky at Cote Brasserie (just up the road from the hotel)
Mid-morning visit to Neil’s (Pressy swap)
Back into London to visit the Wallace Collection
Return to the Hotel

10.23pm: Almost a ‘…man after midnight’, I’m done. See you tomorrow!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Our Anniversary (12/39) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

We headed for London today, as part of our Anniversary celebration (tomorrow). We’re in the capital for three days, taking in some shows and catching up with my brother and his family. Busy Busy!!! . So, it was all aboard the 9.48 out of Kettering made much easier by neighbour, Valerie, acting as our taxi (and she’s picking us up too, on Saturday!). Cheers, Valerie!

We had a trouble-free journey into St Pancras International, and then it was just a short Tube trip on the Circle Line to Tower Hill. The final part was on foot, with the famous Tower of London, to our right.

The Tower Hotel

The Tower Hotel isn’t much to look at from the outside, but its location was just how we like it – it came with a view of the Thames! Check-in was relatively simple, although, for a moment, we thought our request for early check-in had been ignored, promising our room “would be available by 2pm” (it was only 11.35!). As things turned out, it was our Receptionist exercising his discretionary sense of humour! How we laughed as we headed for Room 655!!!

We’d also asked for a room with a view of Tower Bridge – and they didn’t disappoint!!

Just time for a quick sandwich and coffee before our next stop – the matinée performance of Moulin Rouge at the Piccadilly Theatre.

Moulin Rouge – Piccadilly Theatre

If you liked the Film of the same name (we did), you’ll love this! It tells the story of a penniless Bohemian poet falling for a beautiful courtesan who’s under the thumb of a jealous Duke – think EastEnders, but with more colourful dresses and a French accent! Oh! and an elephant!! . Actually, probably best not to!! . We learned that the Show had been running for at least two years here in London. Judging by how full the performance was this afternoon, it was still pulling in the crowds. Although at £8.50 for two soft drinks, you’re probably best to go to a Pub beforehand!!

The story pretty much follows the Film, but with extra tunes to bring it more up-to-date with recent chart hits. The acting, singing and choreography were all outstanding, and we enjoyed every minute of it! The lighting wasn’t exactly subtle and really packed a punch from start to finish. Being set in a brothel (mostly) clothing wasn’t exactly a priority, but all the important parts were covered!

The Show is in two parts (separated by a thirty-minute interval). Part 1 runs for about 75 minutes, whilst Part 2, an hour.

Wow! What a performance! We won’t forget that one in a hurry! Time now for something to eat…

The Royals Indian

We’d booked a table for 6pm at an Indian Restaurant imaginatively titled ‘Royals Indian‘ tucked away in Covent Garden. (Yes, I know about the extra ‘s’ – looking around the restaurant, it seemed to vary! ). We walked from the Theatre and arrived slightly ahead of 6pm. It wasn’t too busy and we were soon shown to our table.

The food was good and the service was swift – to be honest, by the time we arrived, we were starving and would have probably eaten anything! .

By the time we left, just before 6.45, it had turned a lot colder. In spite of that, we decided to WALK from Covent Garden back to the Tower Hotel, by way of Embankment and the Thames Path.

The route has certainly been improved since we last walked around this area. Back then, it wasn’t a complete route due to work being carried out on various commercial riverside buildings. Nowadays, it all seems ‘joined up’ and apart from a few minor diversions, it’s possible to walk with the Thames in view all the way! Perfect!

Some nice views along the way, especially the buildings and bridges that were lit up.

Embankment, Sea Containers House and Blackfriars Station.

The Globe, London Bridge and the ‘old’ Wharves area along Tooley Street (where Dad used to work).

Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.

The Tower Hotel

We were pleased to be back at ‘basecamp’ where our feet were telling us that it had been quite a walk! We hadn’t done this for a good few years, and it had been very enjoyable, taking in the sights and sounds of the capital at night.

Tomorrow, it’s our Wedding Anniversary – and we have plans!
Royal Mail Museum
The Royal Mail Train
Abba Voyage

Nighty night! . See you tomorrow!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Anniversary Break – London (Day 1) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Our first Do of the Ruby variety was for David & Rosi back in July, last year, but today, we’re slightly further afield, and off to Mick & Jane‘s to help celebrate their recent Ruby Anniversary (last Wednesday).

It was a very relaxed affair around at theirs, where we had the chance to get together with friends and family who we hadn’t seen in quite a few years! . By a strange coincidence, having not been to Peterborough since their joint birthday party back in February, we were also in the city last night at the Cathedral for Concerts by Candlelight.

It was a very pleasant afternoon (24ºC!) and we all sat around nattering in the garden. We had a long chat with Karen (sans Phil, who initially was at the local Rock Weekend, but joined us later) and met their friends Karon and Steve. Guy and Becky were there, but Karl and Sian were elsewhere, as Sian was about to give birth! . We also saw Sophie too. I guess there must have been around 30 of us there enjoying the very last of 2023’s sunshine.

Jane and her friends had been busy in the kitchen and Mick took charge of the BBQ. The food was delicious! Of note… the Lasagne, the Sausages and homemade ice-cream – one of Jane’s recipes.

We stayed until around 7.45 when the temperature began to drop significantly. We said our goodbyes and wished the ‘Ruby Two’ all the best for their forthcoming holiday.

We enjoyed a very pleasant drive home, although it got dark really quickly! We were indoors just after 8.30pm, finishing the evening with a cuppa and watching a recording of Fantasy Film Music from this year’s Proms.

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Ruby Do – Two! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

It’s our 11th (or 38th in old money) year together, and we’re simply going to celebrate the event by enjoying a good meal later today

7.35am: These days, any time before 8am is an early start for me. So, why was I up at ‘silly o’clock’? Well, I’d secretly made Ann an Anniversary Cake, and I just needed to secretly finish decorating it! The result? OK, it looked like a cake, smelt like a cake, but I really wasn’t sure about the taste – all a bit ‘blandsville’.

Conveniently though, it was about the size of a house brick, so I may well re-purpose it later!

8.17am: Unusually, this year, we’re not celebrating by staying away! . Probably just as well, if we were thinking of somewhere in the UK, as the weather here has been bitterly cold of late. Today was no exception with temperatures hovering around the -1/-2/-3/-4ºC – and not just the nights – for most of the day too!!

Instead, we’re heading off to our recently discovered Restaurant-of-choice – Hitchen’s Barn in nearby(ish) Oakham.

11.49am: Off to Oakham! It felt much colder out than the thermometer suggested, so it was layers, layers and more layers! I’d been outside at around 10am to hoover the car mats, and it felt like about -20ºC

12.34pm: A hassle-free journey (although, as expected, the roads did look a bit treacherous) and, as we arrived in Oakham we found a space in the nearby car-park, nabbing a space of someone just leaving – I think it was the last space,s o someone was smiling on us!

In fact, we had a bit of time to look round the town before our table at 1pm and managed to pick up a copy of the Christmas TV & radio Times, some fish, some Barnsley Chops and some rather tasty looking, breast of pheasant.

12.59pm: Fashionably on time (after taking our food back to the car) we were shown to our table where, a quick look around, revealed they were already enjoying a really busy lunchtime! Surely a good sign!?

They’d even remembered that it was our Anniversary – nice touch!

We were soon looking through today’s choices, and in the end, chose the Set Lunch. Great value at £22.95 for two courses and just a fiver more for three. Ann chose Smoked Duck/Poached Smoked Haddock/Bramley Apple Meringue Pudding, whilst I chose what was left!

In spite of how busy they were, service was swift, and after we placed our order, warm bread followed, accompanied by two flavoured butters (Today: Lincolnshire Poacher and/or Marmite).

We like it here! The service has always been excellent and the food, bursting with flavour AND creativity! It’s become our go-to eatery in these parts, replacing The George Hotel in Stamford (whose service has gone downhill of late and where the menu has been pretty much the same for the past 10 years!).

2.21pm: We finished with a coffee each, where, between the sips, we both agreed it had been yet another first-class experience. We were ‘pleasantly full’ but not ‘stuffed’ – and these days, that’s just how we like it! We even made a reservation here for Ann’s birthday, next year.

3.14pm: Back home, it was time for a cuppa and a chill out for the rest of the evening. Gifts for each other this year included Cinema Paradiso DVD in 4K and Matt 2022 (for Ann) and cufflinks and a wickedly colourful shirt for me!

6.11pm: In spite of the -3ºC outside temperature, we squeezed in a walk with Jo!

Another memorable Anniversary for us! Thanks Hitchen’s Barn – and here’s to the next one Mrs P!

Blogged Anniversaries past…

2021 – Chatham Dockyard
2020 – The Brisley Bell in Dereham
2019 – Trish and John’s
2018 – Durham and finishing at The George Hotel of Stamford
2017 – Spain
2016 – Amsterdam
2015 – The Crown, Stamford
2014 – Malta
2013 – The George in Stamford
2012 – Thailand
2011 – Married (Australia)
2010 – Engaged!
2009 – The Wheatsheaf in Titchmarsh
2008 – Manchester
2007 – Home
2006 – Home
2005 – Indian Takeaway
2004 – Chinese Meal

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Our Anniversary (11/38) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

On possibly the hottest day of the year, we set off to David and Rosi’s for their Ruby Celebration Garden Party.

As expected – and forecast – it was another scorcher of a day with temperatures heading into the low-30s. We picked up neighbours Paul and Karen (fresh back from their holiday in Italy) and drove the sub-one-miler to the celebration.

Yes, it sure was hot, with Ann and I seeking out the shady parts of their Garden as soon as we got there!

You can’t go wrong when dining at Rosi’s – and today was no exception. A bit like our picnic yesterday, we had enough food for a small country! And there was dessert too, including our Strawberry Gin-infused Eton Mess which seemed to be very popular too! . Not bad, given it was very much a ‘Plan B’ after our intended Victoria Sponge had self-destructed earlier!!! (you had to be there – it wasn’t for the faint-hearted!)

It was good to catch up with familiar (as well as less familiar faces) and we stayed until about 5.35. We then headed-off to the cinema for Marvel’s latest flick Thor: Love and Thunder (that unlike the ‘Ruby Do’ turned out to be a bit of a disappointment!)

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Ruby Do! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

I’ve done lots of things in my life – but as far as the more ordinary pursuits are concerned, I’ve never been ten-pin bowling!!

Today, I ticked that box, meeting Paul & Sue for my inaugural match at the local ‘Rock n Bowl Tavern’ in town. Tuesdays turn out to be the best value day to bowl. For just over a tenner, you can stay as long you like (or as long as your bowling arm remains operational – as I was to find out!)

We were allocated our lane and after typing in our names on the consoles we could see the scoreboard above us on the screen. No manual scoring required – the computer did it all, leaving each of us free to perfect our technique. In my case, ANY technique was welcome!!!

I didn’t do too badly during the first frame (for a virgin)! ‘Beginner’s Luck’ or ‘A Natural’. No-one was quite sure how (or why!!) — most of all me!

Then, I think I started to take it all too seriously!

…and my performance plummeted! Mind you, we did have the rails down for this frame – and that affected ALL of us! My additional excuse was that my left shoulder was feeling the extra workout!

By the third, and final frame, I’d improved slightly (go figure!) where I finished in a respectable second place!

In spite of the varying performance levels, we all agreed that it had been great fun. And as a first-timer, I’m pretty sure it’s something we’ll return to later this year! The activity that followed was much less strenuous: We decamped to nearby Miller & Carter for a late and lazy lunch. The food and service was great! We were in no hurry and spent much longer there than we planned (for all the RIGHT reasons) not getting home until around 5pm!!

What a fab day with our friends!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Bowling Virgin! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Whoosh! That came around quickly! It’s 2021 and our 10th Anniversary (also our 37th since our first date).

In keeping with previous years, as part of our celebration, we spent a few days away – this year, it was at Chatham Dockyard and the Ship and Trades Hotel. This was preceded by a slap-up lunch at The George in Stamford on the actual day of our Anniversary.

We also caught up with my brother and family for the annual Christmas pressy-swap!

Tuesday, the 14th (Our Anniversary)

11.05am Our first stop today was a trip to Heckington to pay our respects at Denis and Mae‘s graves – a bittersweet experience.

Having laid some flowers at the graves, we headed south and to The George Hotel to celebrate our Anniversary.

12.05pm: We were just a few minutes late for our Noon booking mainly due to the amount of traffic on the roads. The George was doing good business for a Tuesday, and we were soon shown to our table.

2.05pm: Although there was no sign of any of the familiar faces we’d got used to from our many previous visits here, we had a great celebratory meal even though the service wasn’t quite as sharp as we remember it.

In a first for me, I didn’t have room for Dessert or Coffee and so we paid the bill and headed home. All things considered, we had a great time – you can’t really go wrong here where the whole place had a wonderful Christmassy feel to it.

2.45pm: We had a good journey home and after a quick cuppa, we spent some a long time opening the many Anniversary gifts and cards that were given to us at our 10th Anniversary Party last Saturday. Our friends have been so generous and there were some really innovative gifts. I don’t think we’ll need any Champagne for a while either! Happy days!

6.15pm: And to finish off the day, we met up with Jo for an evening walk! It was surprisingly mild outside – some 11℃. Phew! Almost a scorcher for this time of year!!

Wednesday, the 15th

7.00am: Up with the lark (which is very unusual for me these days!)

9.26am: Mr Google said it was between two, and two-and-a-half hour journey to my Brother’s, and who were we to argue?

11.45am: The journey meant a trip south and across the Dartford Bridge (which we haven’t done since July). In the past, the whole area approaching the crossing had always been VERY congested, but today was jam-free and we arrived on time without any hint of a hold-up.

1.03pm: After a quick chat on the doorstep (shorter than we would have liked because the whole family was unwell) we headed for our final destination (almost!) dropping into McDonald’s at Medway City Estate – not just for a quick bite, but also to take advantage of the Instavolt fast-chargers there to give EVie a boost to 80%.

It seems we arrived just as their drive-through was ‘enjoying’ its lunchtime trade – and the whole place was packed. Even both electric chargers were in use! We decided to position ourselves inside McD’s (yes, a tough life ehh?) so we just see the blue light on the top of the charger from our table – and a change in colour (to green) would let us know when it was free.

Just 15 minutes later, the grey iPace finished its charge and I quickly walked back to the car and after some nifty reversing, I manoeuvred our EV into position. Success!

2.01pm: Mission accomplished! And so, after a basic McD’s lunch and EVie now at 80%, we were all set, and headed for our Hotel (that was only a five-minute drive away).

The last time we were in this area was when we visited the Historic Dockyard back in July, 2012 with Lee. The Dockyard is currently closed for the Winter, so we didn’t have an opportunity to see if it had changed very much.

We’d booked the Ship and Trades Hotel in Chatham owned by the Shepherd Neame Brewery group. First impressions were favourable, and we were soon checked-in and heading for Room 14 – our home for the next two nights.

Our room was very well appointed, very clean with modern decor and also spacious…

…and had a great view across the water.

It looked like we bagged ourselves a really nice room – plenty of all the right things we needed for our short stay!

2.44pm: We were soon unpacked and ready to take our first wander around the immediate area. Neither of us knew the area particularly well, so we weren’t sure what to expect.

There has clearly been some significant re-development in the immediate area here in recent years, and it felt a bit like a smaller version of Docklands in London. However, it was eerily quiet, giving the area a slightly ‘forgotten’ feel – even though there were plenty of cars in the car-park. We didn’t see any tumbleweed, but it really felt like there should have been!

We wandered around the shops – The Dockside Outlet Shopping Centre – but unfortunately, they all looked and felt a bit half-hearted too! Strangely though, the car-park was packed!

Yes, it all felt a bit sad and a bit unloved. Hopefully, it’s down the time of year/day of the week/Covid! On a positive note, we did spend some money – a leather belt and some thank-you cards.

4.19pm: There WERE plenty of Eateries, but most were completely empty or closed (it was only 4ish, so maybe not too surprising), and so we decided to ‘eat-in’. We dropped into the Co-Op (next door to the hotel) and picked up some sandwiches, some jam & cream doughnuts plus a bottle of wine…

5.06pm: …just in time to watch Boris’s hurriedly announced Press Conference with more words of doom and gloom about Covid and the latest threat, the Omicron Variant Oh joy!

I suppose it had been a good day, but not having the opportunity to spend more time with Neil and his family, the disappointing retail scene at Chatham, plus the depressing news about Covid made it all feel a bit flat.

Hopefully, a better day tomorrow, where, depending on the weather, we’re heading for Rochester Castle and maybe catch the latest Spider-man film that’s showing at the Odeon within walking distance of our Hotel.

Thursday, the 16th

6.45am: We both woke quite early. ‘The headline in the Telegraph suggesting: ‘Scale back Christmas plans’ made us thankful we’d had our Anniversary party LAST week!

It’s our final full day here and weather permitting, we aim to make the most of it.

9.33am: But before all that potential activity, first stop was breakfast at the Hotel…

10.05am: With breakfast setting us up for the day, we headed for the nearest bus-stop that would take us to Rochester – a two-minute walk from the Hotel.

Rochester

10.39am: Here we are in Rochester after some excellent bus connections (No2 and then change to the No171 from the Bus Station). Total cost of the fare: £10.50.

Dating back to 1087 and built to defend the River Medway and the London-Dover road, it has a beautiful exterior complemented by a solid interior, albeit without a roof. It’s known to be one of the best-preserved Castles in England.

Plenty of steps here that lead all the way to the top. Watch your step as it’s a bit dark in places! Next stop? The Cathedral opposite…

Rochester Cathedral

A place of worship since 604AD, it has a beautiful interior with a massive organ on display (ooo err missus!). It’s very photogenic both inside and out.

It was still pretty mild outside so we took a walk along the shop-fronts near the Cathedral.

11.35pm: It was good to see so many independent shops in this particular part of the town – and even more good news that it had a fair few people browsing inside and out!

Architecturally too, there was plenty to see around the town and we finished our short visit by visiting The Guildhall Museum – complete with a Victorian Postbox outside (that was still in use!)

12.15pm: We loved Rochester! The shops had a quaint feel about them and it was good to see quite a few people supporting the local businesses.

12.55pm: We took the short walk to the Station and picked up a bus outside after just a short wait. We changed at the Bus Station and were soon back in our Hotel room for a short ‘feet-up’,

2.25pm: It was time for another sit down – at a movie! Released yesterday in the UK, we took advantage of the Odeon that was literally on our doorstep. We booked a couple of tickets for the 2.30pm showing of Spider-man: No Way Home. Any good? Read my Post HERE.

5.25pm: By the time we left the cinema, it was already dark and had turned a lot colder. Luckily, the short walk to the Co-Op for tonight’s munchies meant that we were soon back in our room and enjoying our final meal (for now) here in Chatham.

It’s been a great anniversary break (as they always are! ). We’ve enjoyed weather that was warmer than it should be at this time of year, and it’s stayed dry too – so that was a bonus. We also got a few walks in too! Getting to know the local area has been fun – and using the local bus routes has been easy-peasy.

We say goodbye to the Ship & Trades Hotel tomorrow after breakfast.

All the photos
(and none of my chat)
are
HERE

Previous Anniversaries

2020 – The Brisley Bell in Dereham
2019 – Trish and John’s
2018 – Durham and finishing at The George Hotel of Stamford
2017 – Spain
2016 – Amsterdam
2015 – The Crown, Stamford
2014 – Malta
2013 – The George in Stamford
2012 – Thailand
2011 – Married (Australia)
2010 – Engaged!
2009 – The Wheatsheaf in Titchmarsh
2008 – Manchester
2007 – Home
2006 – Home
2005 – Indian Takeaway
2004 – Chinese Meal

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Our Anniversary Break 2021 (10/37) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Talking of ‘Home’, here we are, far away from home on our 10th Anniversary break in Chatham. There’s an Odeon quite literally on our doorstep, so we took full advantage of the location.

The movie machine that is Marvel, continues to dominate the big-screen with its latest offering, the third in the Marvel Spiderman story-arc that previously included Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019). For those that are counting, this movie continues Marvel’s Phase 4 collection of cinema releases!

SPOILER ALERT! – Don’t read below the trailer if you plan to watch it ‘cold’.

Those that know me, know that I’m a big fan of the Marvel franchise of movies, so perhaps it’s not a surprise that I’ve rated it so highly. If I attempt to be wholly objective, I’d say: great story, justifiable CGI, characters you care about and a good overall structure.

If you’re NOT a fan of Marvel’s way of doing things, and prefer previous ‘Spideys’ such as Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield you won’t be disappointed (I’ll say no more at this point!).

It’s a thoroughly good escapist chunk of entertainment and well worth the 2 hours and 28 minutes screen-time.

I’d add that this is not a typical Marvel superhero outing. The plot is complex, there are a lot of characters, and so it helps if you’ve seen previous Spider-man movies. The ending is more akin to Endgame – so best pack a few tissues!

And don’t forget the now familiar ‘post-credit’ scene. This time there is actually TWO. The first kicks-in after the initial batch of credits, whilst the second is right at the very end. The former, I’d say, is more pivotal to the long-term MCU, whilst the latter tells us more about Dr Strange’s next outing – “The Multiverse of Madness”.

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Film: Spider-man: No Way Home (2021) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

It’s our 9th Anniversary (or 36th, if you’re counting from the day we first met) and we always try and do something special every year to celebrate. This year is no different, but we’ve scaled things back a bit because of… ‘you-know-what’!

10.50am We’re heading for Norfolk, staying at The Brisley Bell in err, Brisley, in Dereham for a few days to celebrate and plan to explore the local area.

Sunday, the 13th

On our way there, we’d booked lunch at the well-known Chequers Inn in Thornham. We set off just before 11am in good time for our 1 o’clock table.

12.55am: Perfect timing! I wonder what the food will be like? We were soon shown to our table, but quite surprised to see that we were the only people in the restaurant. Sunday..? 1pm…? Who stole all the customers? Hopefully, this wasn’t a bad sign!!!

As things turned out, it WAS a bad sign…

Where to start? Missing cutlery… no condiments on the table… a menu where half of it was printed upside down requiring frequent rotations to peruse the menu. Add to that: zero atmosphere (not even any Christmas music!) and lighting that looked like the place was closed!!! Worse was to come, when our lunch arrived. Flavour-wise, the food was just OK (in my case) but Ann’s was totally bland.

Our Server was polite and efficient and tried her best, given the challenges, but sometimes it’s the ‘little things’ isn’t it? When asked, no-one could find any sweetener for our coffee. After a bit of a moan, not surprisingly, they offered a complete refund on Ann’s main-course and our coffees. It was all very disappointing and not somewhere we’ll bother to re-visit! It was such a shame, I really don’t think the Kitchen put in any effort at all today (and given the state of the restaurant business at the moment, you’d think they would have been trying a bit harder, especially given the prices they were charging!)

1.50pm: In just under an hour, we were finished (a bad sign in itself) and having settled the very wallet-friendly bill (one of the few positives from our experience), we headed in the direction of Burnham Market. By now, the weather was truly horrid. It may have been ‘just’ raining’ when we’d left home, now it was chucking it down with a gale-force wind.

2.35pm: We arrived in Burnham Market where the combination of the weather and COVID-19 made it look a bit like a ghost-town. It was the emptiest I think we’ve even seen it, but we did our bit and bought a few bits and pieces. If you’re looking for a hat, we’d recommend Petney House – all the shapes, in all the colours, in all the sizes! I’ve never seen another hat shop anywhere in the WORLD with so much to choose from! Impressive! Bizarrely, no photography allowed in the shop though!

3.25pm: We reached our final stop for the day – The Brisley Bell. By now, the weather was even worse, and after a very efficient check-in process, and a thorough briefing from co-owner Amelia, we were soon unpacking.

4.15pm: Wow! This was a tastefully decorated room with everything we needed and more! Outside, there was even a FREE charging station for the car too! So, our 100-miles-of-travel today was charged overnight, ready for tomorrow, whilst we got on with more important things…

5.45pm: One of those ‘more important things’ was off to Brisley Bell’s restaurant — I wonder how it’ll compare to our earlier experience at The Chequers?

We needn’t have worried! We were given a warm welcome by the waiting staff who were well-trained in every respect. The service was excellent and so was the food! We decided to have two Starters rather than a Starter and a Main. We both chose the Apple and Parsnip Soup (delicious!!!) to begin, and I followed it up with the above whilst Ann opted for the Beetroot and Goat’s Cheese Salad. Everything was full of flavour – a fantastic experience from start to finish!!

7.30pm: Only one thing left to do today… watch the Strictly Semi-Finals (we’re hoping Bill Bailey get through!). EDIT: He made it!!

The weather promises to be a lot kinder tomorrow for our actual Anniversary, and as part of it, we’re planning to drive to the lovely town of Holt for a look round — we haven’t been there for quite a few years!

Our Anniversary, the 14th

7.00am: Yep! Even on our anniversary, we were up with the lark! We slept well, but a horrendous rain-storm in the early hours woke us earlier than we would have liked! We swapped cards and gifts and had tea in bed whilst getting depressed watching the news about Coronavirus and Brexit.

8.55am: A leisurely breakfast in the Pub set us up for the day (well, maybe not the day, but they were very generous portions!)

10.55am: There aren’t many times when we’re away when we don’t treat ourselves to a bit of ‘retail therapy’ — and today was no exception! We drove to nearby Holt for a look round the posh shops there. It looked like a day for browsing rather than buying! (but that’s never stopped us before! )

11.30am: Full of tiny independent shops and the mighty Bakers and Larner’s Department Store, I’d defy anyone to pay a visit here and NOT open their purse and/or wallet! And today, there was certainly a lot of purses and wallets being given a workout. Apart from the mask-wearing, it was good to see that there was no indication here that COVID-19 was killing the retail scene!

12.10pm: All that shopping was thirsty work, so we dropped into nearby Wells Deli for some refreshments. This was another establishment where there was no sign of a business in decline – it was pretty-much full to capacity!

Whilst Ann settled for a simple Espresso, I awarded myself a slice of cake and strawberry milkshake (part of my five-fruits-a-day)! Both were delicious, but the milkshake, was a work of art!

1.05pm: That was enough retail for the day, and our next stop was far more cultural — National Trust’s Sheringham Park. The weather by now had reached its promise of the near-tropical 10℃ (!!!) and although we couldn’t get access to the House, it was near-perfect walking weather (apart from the mud!). I don’t recall visiting here before, but Ann was sure we’d been here with Lee and Bertie ‘quite a few years ago’. Later, back at the hotel, a quick check of my Blog revealed that Ann was correct, and we’d been here with Lee and Bertie back in March 2009. Apparently, I’d taken my boomerang! (as you do!)

After our visit to Sheringham Park, it would have been rude not to drop into nearby Sheringham itself. All that walking had given us an appetite and a bit of a thirst. We were on a mission to walk along the seafront and then grab a hot coffee (or two!)

2.15pm: Our walk turned out to be pretty straightforward – parking was easy, and cheap – although it certainly felt colder than the promised double-digit temperature. There weren’t many people around, and those we did see where doing what we were doing – and taking in the sea air ‘at some pace’. We saw one couple in shorts enjoying fish and chips sitting on the sea-wall — we assume they were locals! Brrrr!

2.45pm: Grabbing a coffee should have been the easy part, but believe it or not, in spite of the town being full of people, we couldn’t find anywhere open selling hot drinks! We headed back to the car and back to base.

Phew! What a day! We’d walked a few miles, spent very little money and re-discovered parts of Norfolk we hadn’t seen for quite a few years!

6.30pm: Our Anniversary Meal in the Pub…

It was a varied menu and it took us a while to decide. Whilst we decided, a couple of G & Ts ‘came along’ to help our decision-making process! Ann chose Adnam’s Pink Gin with Elderflower Tonic whilst I sampled a double Strawberry & Black Pepper Gin with Classic Tonic. Strangely, it didn’t speed things up, but it was fun trying!

We eventually made up our minds! The food was absolutely delicious! And if you’re wondering what ‘Norfolk Nog’ ice-cream is, it’s a blend of single malt whisky and single cream. A glass of Viognier (a Chilean White) for Ann and a pint of Ghost Ship for me (that Ann thought was called Goat S***!) pretty-much finished us off!

8.15pm: Luckily our room was only about 20 metres away (but we did have to negotiate two latched gates in the dark!).

It’s been a great Anniversary! Seen a lot, walked a bit and drunk too much! Happy days!

8.30pm: Our brains could only cope with something simple on TV: a re-run on BBC of an old Vicar of Dibley episode hit the mark nicely!

Tomorrow is our last full day here, and we’re continuing to explore the local area. We’ve got East Dereham and Swaffham in mind.

Tuesday, the 15th

4.15am: With the (very) early morning light streaming through the skylight, it seemed strangely bright for 4.15am in the morning! I could have easily turned-over and gone back to sleep… but I didn’t… something didn’t feel right! Five minutes later (after dropping a line to Santa for a new watch battery) normality returned!

7.20am: Up and about! With Ann on tea duty, we turned on the TV to see the confirmation that most of London was switching to Tier 3 soon! That’s put paid to us visiting my brother and his family to drop off the presents this Saturday!!

9.45am: After another excellent breakfast, we made our plans for today. The weather promises another dry day and temperatures (just) into double-figures…

8.55am: We were first down to breakfast this morning and so we had the pick of our table! We chose ours by the window.

Service was, as usual first-class! Fresh fruit, full English, toast, preserves, tea and coffee all found their way to our table, and as a result, we were raring to go!

10.55am: We decided NOT to visit Swaffham, as per our original plan, instead we took the short drive to Dereham, and we soon parked amongst the cabbies enjoying a free two-hour parking space. Dereham was another town, like Holt yesterday, that seemed to be enjoying plenty of footfall. We had a good wander around soaking up the great weather (that certainly felt warmer than yesterday!)

11.55am: Our next stop was Sculthorpe Moor Nature Reserve just outside Fakenham. It wasn’t much to look at from the outside but once we were inside, what we saw and heard was beautiful. Conceived in 1969 as a sanctuary for raptors, in the years that followed, it has evolved into a sanctuary for owls and a wide range of other wildlife.

Clearly though, the majority of the inhabitants, had missed the memo about our visit and had taken the day off, leaving the trees and foliage to take centre stage…

…although we did spy a few birds!

Helpfully, there was raised wooden walkways throughout, as well as a range of ‘Hides’ to observe the ‘locals’ more closely. It was an absolutely stunning experience (even if we didn’t manage to see as many of the residents as we’d hoped) and well worth a visit (and a donation) if you’re in the area.

1.15pm: Our final stop for the day was into Fakenham town itself. Our first challenge was to find somewhere to park as there weren’t (m)any signs sporting the familiar ‘P’ symbol. We followed a few locals and ended up parking in the local Tesco’s car-park. It worked out well and resulted in just a short walk into the town centre. First impressions were that it wasn’t quite as ‘buzzy’ as Dereham and there were certainly a lot more empty shops. And fewer people too, going about their daily business.

1.40pm: We stopped for a quick bite at the Flour and Bean before taking a longer walk around the immediate area. As we took in more of the town, we spied even more closed units. Apart from the gorgeous blue sky, there didn’t seem to be much else here to enjoy, so we headed back to the Brisley Bell.

2.00pm: We arrived back at the Pub, to find the car-park not only filled with cars… but with err… sheep! (we weren’t expecting that!). In a momentary lapse of concentration, I nearly added ‘lamb’ to the Pub’s menu for tonight and I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t have been the best way to end our stay here. Initially, I couldn’t understand why Dolly just walked out in front of the car. Then, of course, it became obvious: being an electric car, the sheep didn’t hear us approaching!

6.30pm: Our final meal in the Pub’s restaurant tonight — and they didn’t disappoint! A slight change of location though – they put us in the larger eating area tonight known as The Garden Room (very nice!).

We’ve eaten very well (for ‘very well’ read: ‘a lot’) since we arrived a few days ago, and so we cut things back a bit tonight! Just Apple & Parsnip Soup for us both followed by Starter-sized Venison Meatballs for me, and Mushroom and Goat’s Cheese Vol-au-Vents for Ann.

8.00pm: Just one more job left — get packed!

It’s been a great anniversary break and we’ll be sorry to leave after breakfast tomorrow.
For me, the weather could have been a bit warmer, but I’m a lily-livered southern softie, and I do like my creature-comforts! Having said that, when the Sun did come out, it made for a beautiful day – especially given that it was the middle of December! The Pub was nothing short of excellent in every respect, and we can’t recommend them highly enough. The added bonus of a free EV charger was the icing on the cake! The town of Holt was its normal vibrant self, making the other towns we visited look (and feel) a bit lack-lustre by comparison. All-in-all, I’d say I don’t think we could live in Norfolk — it’s just too rural for us — but it’s been a super destination for a short break!

All the photos
(and none of my chat)
are
HERE

Previous Anniversaries

2019 – Trish and John’s
2018 – Durham and finishing at The George Hotel of Stamford
2017 – Spain
2016 – Amsterdam
2015 – The Crown, Stamford
2014 – Malta
2013 – The George in Stamford
2012 – Thailand
2011 – Married (Australia)
2010 – Engaged!
2009 – The Wheatsheaf in Titchmarsh
2008 – Manchester
2007 – Home
2006 – Home
2005 – Indian Takeaway

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Our Anniversary Break 2020 (9/36) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Yay! It’s our 8th. Anniversary (or 35th. in ‘old money’).

Today was unique, in that it coincided to the day, with neighbour Trish’s legendary Annual Christmas Dinner get-together. So, for this year, in celebration, we were surrounded by our neighbours (who are also our friends)!

In part, it was just like our wedding all over again! (but we missed David and Rosi who couldn’t make it this year).

To add to the celebration, neighbour Paul and neighbour Julie had recently celebrated milestone birthdays — so it was yet another reason to celebrate tonight (any excuse, but not that we need one!)

As they say: “Let the celebrations begin…” and after picking-up Paul and Karen (who had only returned from America nine-hours earlier) we headed for Trish & John’s for a 7pm kick-off and what promised to be — based on previous years — a delicious and convivial meal!

First-ting’s-first: the obligatory group-selfie! What could be simpler? But as often happens with technology, it all took on a life-of-its-own, where Trish’s selfie-stick, conspired with her iPhone, switched into ‘burst mode’ and as a result, captured over 750 shots in the space of less-than 2 minutes! Still, better to have some than none!

With the table all set (Trish being the organised sort had it all done by mid-week) and whilst the saucepans rattled, perfecting their veg, we all had the opportunity to catch-up with everyone’s news…

Not only a neighbourly affair, it was good to see Sean and Conor too before the feasting began!

With Turkey taking centre-stage, the vegetable support act starring roasties, parsnips, carrots, red cabbage, brussels and stuffing created the perfect plate!

And it came as no surprise to any of us that it was all delicious and the portions generous! Well done Chef!

No Christmas meal is complete without the obligatory crackers — and we all shared the (ahem!) top quality humour that is uniquely cracker-sourced! Nice gifts too!

And to complete the Christmas experience? Christmas Pudding (of course!) with the option of Brandy Cream of Double Cream (and in many cases — both!!!)

Whilst we gave the cutlery a break, we turned our attention to Trish’s Christmas Quiz. It was an interesting blend of questions, and where I ended up as Quiz-Master. The seating configuration lent itself to two natural teams being formed — Girls v Boys. After working through the questions and inventing some bonus opportunities along the way, it turned out to be a narrow victory for the girls, although the combination of the ‘free-flowing grape’ meant that everyone’s maths skills were put to the test in keeping-up with the score!

As if we hadn’t eaten enough to feed an army, out came the obligatory (and rather heavy) cheeseboard. Its weight was partly down to Sean’s carpentry skills in making the board itself, but mostly the sheer quantity of cheese! Predictably, it didn’t last very long as we’re all self-confessed cheese-addicts!

Three-and-a-half hours after their name suggested, out came the After-Eights, and we all tucked-in; followed by a surprise finish to the evening by way of a ‘new kid on the block’…

…Black Sambuca! (never seen/heard of that before!) If you like Sambuca (or aniseed) AND you like liquorice, then this is the drink for you! – it went down a treat… TWICE!

Wow! What a great evening! It doesn’t get much better than tonight. Great food, great friends… great Scott, is that my waistline????

All the photos, none of my chat HERE.

Previous Anniversary Celebrations

2018 – Durham and finishing at The George Hotel of Stamford
2017 – Spain
2016 – Amsterdam
2015 – The Crown, Stamford
2014 – Malta
2013 – The George in Stamford
2012 – Thailand
2011 – Married (Australia)
2010 – Engaged!
2009 – The Wheatsheaf in Titchmarsh
2008 – Manchester
2007 – Home
2006 – Home
2005 – Indian Takeaway

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Our Anniversary 2019 (8/35) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

In what seemed like a quirky and innovative exercise back in 2004, today marks 15 years exactly since I began blogging. Back then, actually publishing anything online (especially whilst out-and-about) was definitely NOT the norm! Still, those that know me, know I was always one to ‘push the envelope’ with my tech!

Since that first Post on Sunday at 11.10am, I’ve now bored the pants off you online 3334 times – but plenty of you seem to like it, so I’m carrying on for a few more years yet!

HAPPY BLOGDAY!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post 15 Years a Blogger! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

John, Trish and Conor came round tonight for one of our Mexican Evenings. No donkeys or sombreros, but plenty of good food…

Homemade Chilli

Apple Crumble

… and the obligatory Cheese-board

Plenty of time to catchup with everyone’s news (given that we’d missed Trish’s Christmas get-together last week).

Trish & John bought us a lovely vase as our anniversary gift whilst Conor surprised us with a bottle of Tia Maria and a Cheeseboard.

After a lot more nattering together with a cuppa, at just after midnight, we said our goodbyes.

 A fab evening with some great friends! 

?  

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Mexican Fave! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Friday, 14th (Our Anniversary)
It’s our 7th Anniversary (or 34th in ‘old money’) and we’ve a busy few days ahead. There was just enough time to open our cards and presents before we left, heading north. Thanks for your kind words everyone!
  

  
Ann bought we a very classy watch!

These days, we normally go away to celebrate – and today was no exception. Ultimately, we’re heading for Pink Panther’s favourite town – Durham (groan!), and finishing at The George Hotel of Stamford. But first, as part of the celebration, we’re taking a slight detour to Beamish. If you’ve not visited (and we haven’t, for over 30 years) Beamish is a world famous open-air museum, telling the story of life in Northeast England during the 1820s, 1900s & 1940s.

9.10am:  We left home after the main nine-to-five rush, and enjoyed a jam-free journey. This was helped by a newish part on the A1 from Wetherby to Scotch Corner. Wetherby Services saw us take our first pit-stop where we tucked into a bucket of homemade sandwiches and some piping-hot coffee.

11.30am: After a fifteen-minute pitstop, we’re almost halfway to Beamish.

13.05pm: We arrived in good time. Wow! This place now seemed so unfamiliar (it was over 30 years ago, so that’s my excuse!). The first thing we noticed was how larger it had become – and consequently, there was so much more to see. Additionally, the (very) cold day added some extra character to the place and together with the period-dressed staff interacting with visitors, this made the whole thing feel very alive and authentic.


  







It was all excellent.. and that was just the Town/High Street part.
We took a walk to the nearby Railway Station…



I definitely don’t recall this last time!
It was now turning colder, so our pace was quickening. Next stop was was the Home Farm set in the 1940s.





Last stop for us was the School. This was rescued from demolition in the late 1980s, and had been tastefully restored to whisk us back to a bygone era of 30s schooling, Apparently some class sizes were in the nineties!


Good job OFSTED wasn’t around then!
3.15pm: By late afternoon, it was turning even colder, and so we decided to call it a day. A quick check of the sat-nav put us one junction (and just 20 minutes) away from our final destination – The Victoria Inn – and after some faffing-about finding a parking space, we were soon fighting our way to the Bar to check-in. This was the local’s local and it was packed! A traditional ‘old-style’ Pub… no food… no satellite TV – just half the population of Durham in the Saloon Bar quaffing ale!
4.05pm: Our four-poster bed for the night (two nights actually) is the attached B&B with just SIX rooms – and the building is Grade II 2 listed. The reason we chose it was that it put us within easy walking distance of the City centre… and the parking (as challenging as it was) was completely free (pretty rare round these parts!).. and the room itself was a steal at just £87 per night!

4.45pm: Our Anniversary meal was booked at Zen, a Thai Restaurant. Being the penultimate Friday before Christmas, booking a table (as we did a few week’s back) at a time to suit, was impossible. We were offered 5pm or 8.30pm – so we settled for the former. Luckily the Restaurant was just a short walk from the Pub – in fact, we were there in less than 10 minutes. Initially it was fairly quiet, but 5 minutes after being shown our table, it started to fill-up. And that continued all the time we were there. By the time we left, it was heaving!


Service was pretty swift given how busy they were – and it all turned out to be delicious. Ann loved her peanut sauce with her Lamb and my Red Thai Curry was probably the best I’ve tasted in a long, long while.

6.35pm: 90 minutes and £55 later, we were done. We’d skipped Desserts and minimised the alcohol, so we considered it all good value. As we left,  it was now even colder than when we arrived (and that had been really cold!) Still, it didn’t stop us taking the short walk over the Elvet footbridge and up to the Cathedral.

A beautiful building, even in the darkness! As we shivered our way back and passed the gazillion of Eateries beginning one of their busiest Fridays of the year, it looked like they’d got off to a good start! Every one was really busy – and just like Zen, some were already full…
…and it was only 7pm!
Back to our Room, Ann had put-by a small bottle of Champers and a box of chocolates – what an excellent way to continue our Anniversary celebrations!

10.15pm: zzzzzzzzzzz!

Saturday, 15th
8.15am: Our day began with a rather superb full English Breakfast, courtesy of the Pub/B&B.
Suitably stuffed, we were ready to take on the day (and the freezing weather). The highlight of the weekend was our planned visit to Durham Cathedral this evening to see the performance of The Messiah by the Durham Cathedral Choir helped along on period instruments by The Avison Ensemble. Ann was even able to get us a couple of seats in the Cathedral’s Restaurant – The Undercroft – for the pre-event meal. Perfect!
But first, we wanted to look round this rather wonderful construction during the day, before the really bad weather arrived.

10.15am: We took the short walk back into the City heading for one of Durham’s main attractions. As per the weather forecast, it was cold… very cold – or, as we overheard one local describe it: “Colder than a frozen pizza…”. Apparently, it’s all down to Storm Deirdre and even the hardy locals were wearing hats and gloves – it made these two southern-softies feel less, err, soft!


On arrival at the Cathedral, the first thing we noticed was the splendid Norman Arches (conveniently NOT shown in the photo above! Doh!)

…And as we wandered into the main part of the Cathedral, we were reminded that no photography was allowed. A real shame, because the interior was beautiful!

So beautiful in fact, I couldn’t resist snapping a few pictures on my phone!

Yep! Very impressive! Next, we booked some tickets for other main attraction – Durham Castle for the 12.15 Tour. To to kill a bit of time before our slot, we headed into the City to have a look round. There are lots of small shops here, and it didn’t take long to get a sense of the shopping scene. The famous Market Square was buzzing and freezing in equal measure!

11.25am: It was getting even colder (if that were possible!) and so we probably didn’t spend as long looking in the shop windows as we planned – there’s a shopping centre here somewhere, but we didn’t get round to finding it! In fact, after almost 5 miles of walking, we took refuge from the biting wind in the Palace Green Study Library, whilst we waited for our Tour Guide.

11.45am: The Library also had some free exhibitions to wander around and (because it was the nearest) we chose Catch your Breath that outlined the ‘life of breath’ (yes, really!). It wasn’t really our sort of thing, but it gave us an opportunity to improve our daily step-count (slightly) – and it was warm too!

12.15am: Our Tour Guide arrived and introduced himself as Rupert, who had been in residence at the Castle as a Student the previous year. He was a confident and competent speaker and we learned a lot about Durham Castle (including the fact that it’s now owned by Durham University).

Rupert kept us interested for the whole of the Tour, but unfortunately, just like the Cathedral, no photography was allowed inside…
  
But unlike the Cathedral, it wasn’t possible to sneakily snap any photos, without being spotted. Just take our word for it then; if you like castles with very interesting histories, if you’re this way, then this is is a must-see!

We really enjoyed the Tour, and as we finished in the Dining Room, Rupert wished us well and we headed back to base-camp…

..and the warmth of room 6! It was time for ‘feet-up’ for a few hours before heading out, back the Cathedral, for the Dinner and evening Concert. A quick re-check of the weather forecast for later showed: freezing rain forecast from 3pm onwards running into the evening.
4.15pm: A ‘quick lick’ and we’re ready for all that the weather can throw at us! (Actually, NO, not really, as it could have been very tempting to stay in the company of the piping hot radiators helped along by the electric fire we found in the wardrobe). The sound of splattering on the window ledge outside meant that the weather forecast had (unfortunately) delivered on its promise. As a result, not only were coats, hats and scarves the order of the day, but the addition of an umbrella too!

5.30pm: After a battle with the elements as part of the walk back into town, we were now safely seated at our table for the evening meal at the Cathedral.



We joined a Table of around a dozen and were soon chatting. The Meal turned out to be absolutely delicious, and after a quick trip to the loo, we headed back to the Cathedral to get our Pew (A poet and I didn’t know it!)

It was well supported and we were around 25 rows from the front (with another 20 rows behind us, and another group to the side) – all in all, we reckoned it was a congregation of around 600+.
7.35pm: The Concert began five-minutes late, but they were soon into full swing. I’d quite forgotten how long The Messiah piece was and although the top-half of me was enjoying it, my bottom-half was suffering – specifically, my TWO bottom halves! Those wooden pews were a real pain in the a** literally! Thanks goodness for the interval at around 8.35.
For me, Part two dragged a bit, but my bottom had helpfully switched into auto-numb mode – and that helped the time pass more quickly. The part that most people know – Hallelujah Chorus – was delivered with energy and enthusiasm. Everyone stood as per protocol (my bottom thanked King George 2nd for establishing this tradition!)

10.05pm: Part 3 followed and 35 minutes later, it was all over, to hearty (and well-deserved) applause from the appreciative audience. It was time to leave – and as we headed outside, we could see, and feel, the weather had now deteriorated to snow-turning-to-slush-with-a-strong-wind. It made our short walk back to the Pub more than a little treacherous, but we arrived back without injury or embarrassment!

10.30pm: With every radiator taking on two roles: heating and drying clothes, we reflected on the recent performance (the music not our walk back!). We concluded that it was excellent, but the acoustics were variable. Many of the solo-males’ voices hardly made it back to row 25, and that, together with a slightly dominant orchestra, robbed us of some of the male vocal qualities of the choir.
All that was left now was to heat the room to a satisfactory temperature and then call it a night.

Sunday, 16th
8.20am: The day began as yesterday, with a full-English – Yummy!
9.30am: As we left Durham (and Storm Deirdre) behind, we headed south for the final part of our anniversary celebration – the quaint town of Stamford and The George Hotel. We haven’t stayed here for many years and it’ll good to experience the oldey-worldly charm of this fine establishment again.
But first a 45-minute diversion to visit Boyes Museum was in order. Ann had visited over 30 years ago, but I’d never been before… or even heard of it. Plenty of information on their website, but here’s a potted history…
It’s located in Barnard Castle, a town in County Durham, and looks like it’s landed from the Loire Valley in France. The building was never designed as a house, the philanthropist John Bowes and his wife Josephine, decided they wanted to build a museum, stuff it full of pictures and art, and then give it to the people of the North East. Very generous, even by Victorian standards. They clearly had deep pockets and enjoyed shopping on a monumental scale.

Its most famous piece though, is probably the mechanical swan… (see video at the end)

10.15am: As we arrived, with the weather improving, it made the Museum look even more stunning in the morning light…

With the building built specifically to house Bowes’ collection, this was an impressive sight. And once inside, it didn’t disappoint! Today, it also housed their Christmas Market – and that added to the vibrant feel of the place, as carol singers were chirruping away up on the second floor..





  



First impressions were excellent. A wide range of collectables from paintings to pottery, carved altar panels to catwalk creations through the ages – there was something for everyone! Add to that, a choir singing live, a Santa’s Grotto and a Merry-Go-Round in full-flow – and there was even more for everyone!
An excellent experience and I’m sure we’ll be back again before too long!

11.30am: As we left, the weather improved further and it was now a blistering 5 degrees! Next stop was Downtown, on the A1, for a quick pitstop and a look round the shop. Then it was off to our final destination.
2.55pm: We arrived at The George Hotel with perfect timing! Check-in was from 3pm and we parked in the car-park at 2.55! We were soon shown to our room, which being an old building and full of old staircases, needed Sat-Nav to find your room!


This is our home for just tonight and we’re taking advantage of the great food here and eating in the Garden Room later.
7.00pm: Garden Room here we come for our final celebratory meal…

Blade of Beef for me…

…followed by Peanut Parfait


8.55pm: We staggered back to the room having eaten and drunk too much – in other words: An evening of perfection!
As we attempted to find our room along the identical corridors and staircases, we reflected on the past few days.
It’s been a varied, busy and very enjoyable celebration, but because of the way the dates fell this year, if there is a downside, it’s that it stopped us catching up with some close friends and also to attend the local annual Salvation Army Carol Concert. However, we’ve got plans to put that right next year.
We’re home tomorrow, after another big Hotel breakfast.

Some more photos and none of the chatter HERE

Previous Anniversaries
2017 – Spain
2016 – Amsterdam
2015 – The Crown, Stamford
2014 – Malta
2013 – The George in Stamford
2012 – Thailand
2011 – Married (Australia)
2010 – Engaged!
2009 – The Wheatsheaf in Titchmarsh
2008 – Manchester
2007 – Home
2006 – Home
2005 – Indian Takeaway

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Our Anniversary Weekend 2018 (34/7) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Today is our last full day here as we’re flying home tomorrow. If the weather forecast is reliable, we plan to make it ‘a local day’ and see as much as we can, on our doorstep, here in Málaga.

We decided that the most effective way to do it was using the hop-on/hop-off open-top Bus Tour – and for just 18€ each online, it was great value.

Click HERE for a larger pdf version of the Bus Route



We started off with Breakfast in the same place as yesterday – Orient Express – before picking-up the Bus outside the Rail Station just a few hundred metres away. Being its first stop, we had the pick of the seats, so we positioned ourselves upstairs, right up front. It was bitterly cold initially, but we were used to that by now (well, Ann was!) I was freezing my bits off but it WAS worth it for the commanding view.


Actually, as the journey progressed, it did warm up quite a bit, and with my shutter finger now thawed-out, we got some great views of Málaga…








After quite an ascent by the Bus, we arrived at the highest point on the Tour – Málaga Castle – Castillo de Gibralfaro. We nearly didn’t get to see it at all, due to a really complex coin-operated entry system, looked-on by a local member of staff. With a prompt from the visitor behind us, we learned that they don’t take plastic here at all, only ‘real money’. Unbelievable! This is the most visited attraction in Málaga and they don’t take credit cards!

Ann scraped together enough cash (just) from her bag to get us in, but that was certainly a ‘lesson learned’.

The Castle was nowhere near as busy as yesterday, in Granada’s main attraction, so we more-or-less could go where we liked, when we liked. We headed for the castle walls and enjoyed some great views across the town… In fact, the construction allowed a complete walk around the walls.



…then it was a short wait for the next Bus and we were back on the Tour. We stayed on until the Bus approached the old town of Málaga, where got off for an extended walk, and the hunt for somewhere to eat.

Boy, this was certainly a town for somewhere to eat! Every other shop was an eatery – and being a Saturday, most were packed. The weather by now had warmed-up a treat and was close to 17 degrees by the time we found the place we were looking for! (Thanks Google, Trip Advisor and Eye Witness books!)…

El Tapeo De Cervantes. It didn’t open until 1pm and we arrived around 1.05, so, just like the Bus, we had the pick of the seats!

It wasn’t a particularly large place (the photo above shows almost the total number of covers)

Click on the picture for a larger view of this superb menu

The service was very friendly. The extensive menu would have allowed us to eat ourselves to death (and through drink too!) so we exercised some restraint and opted for some Tapas, some beer and wine finishing with a dessert.

Cod

Spicy Beef Empanadas

Chicken and Cheese Croquettes

Duck on a Bed of Apple Purée

Local Málaga Dessert Wine (with a kick!)

Pancake with Nuts and Doulcé De Leche Sauce

Fig Flan

What a fantastic lunch! A tiny establishment but big on service and flavour! Top marks from us!

We were stuffed! We staggered out took a short walk towards the Cathedral and briefly planted ourselves on a wall to soak-up some more of the sunshine, as by now, it was getting really warm. Ten minutes later, with enough vitamin D to get us through the Winter back in the UK, we found Malaga’s Cathedral.

First impressions (as with most other cases of their Cathedrals we’ve seen this holiday) was ‘Wow!’ It was built between 1528 and 1782 and is the second tallest in Andalusia. It was very ornate in style throughout, and the whole place simply felt ‘impressive’.

We concluded our day by walking back through the old town and locating the Tour Bus stop. We only had about a fifteen-minute wait and we were then back on-board. A few stops later, we were back to where we started this morning – the Railway Station.

This has been a great way to explore the town and we saw parts that we probably wouldn’t have reached just by walking/taking a taxi. Brilliant!

Now it was just a case of going back to our room, reflecting’ (ahem!) on the strength of the local dessert wine and then the chore of binge-watching another three episodes of The Crown. As they say: “it’s tough, but someone’s gotta do it!” 

It’s been a great day… and a great break here in Spain. We’ve learned a lot about the people and the places and how to best get around without spending a fortune. We’ve also managed to walk just over 20 miles on foot! (mostly deliberately!!)

Happy days!
   

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Anniversary 2017 – Spain (Day 6) – Around Málaga by Bus (Last Day) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Non-Scorchio!

Today is our 6th Wedding Anniversary – and 33 years to the day since we first met! We always do something special on this day, and being in Spain was no exception.
     

We said goodbye to Seville and headed for Córdoba by train. We’ll finish our day by heading to Málaga and our final hotel – the imaginatively titled:  Barceló Málaga.

So, to make today special, we spent the day in Córdoba – there is quite a bit to see here and we also wanted to also find somewhere for our Anniversary lunch.

We caught the 9.20 out of Seville and arrived in Córdoba just 45 minutes later. We crossed the road to the Bus Station to deposit the cases and after fighting with a renegade Left-Luggage locker (it was impossible to lock after paying the fee) we did eventually manage to find one that worked, and promptly deposited our belongings there for the day (4€ – very reasonable! but we had to pay twice… not so reasonable..!).

Then it was off for the walk into the town. What caught us out though was how cold it was. The town might have been promising a higher temperature later in the day, but in addition to coats and scarves, this was definitely gloves weather! (the gloves were back in our cases in the Left-Luggage locker!) – the result? freezing fingers!

Ignoring the distraction of the cold weather, the views as we got closer to the old town were pretty impressive!

Our first official stop was the Baños del Alcázar Califal… (The Alcazar’s Baths)

Constructed in the 10th century…

…these had been re-discovered in the early 60s…

…and subsequently tastefully restored…

A good start to our day of exploring the Town!

Next stop was Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos (Castle of the Christian Monarchs). This was a pretty large castle that had served served as one of the primary residences of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon as well as a prison under the watchful eye of the Spanish Inquisition!


There was plenty to see here – impressive construction, beautiful gardens, plenty of orange and lemon trees, but the stand-out feature for us was…



…the mosaics…




…probably the largest (size-wise) we’ve ever seen! These were floor-to-ceiling!

After a quick pitstop for a cheese and ham-laden croissant, it was a quick whizz round the Bishop’s Palace. With the first floor closed for improvements, there wasn’t much to see here, but it only cost a measly 1€ to get in and it was worth that just to see the blingy alter!

Then, it was onto the highlight of the day for us – La Mezquita (The Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba). The clue is in the name (but more of that later). Its first claim-to-fame is that it’s the 3rd largest Mosque in the world – and it felt it! This place was beyond massive.

It was pretty busy when we got inside and it simply swallowed up us visitors…

Back to its name: What made it unique is that it’s a Mosque with a Cathedral inside it! Yes, that’s right…




In an unimaginable insensitive move, during the 16th century, Emperor Carlos V removed 60 of the Mosque’s columns and replaced them with a Cathedral based in the centre. He obviously didn’t get the memo about his mandatory attendance at the cultural diversity workshop! Ironically, when it was all completed, he felt ashamed at what he’d done!

…as a result, you have this curious construction where Muslim and Christian places of worship are literally, next-door neighbours! How very weird!

We knew it was going to be hard to top that in terms of spectacle, so we turned our attention to finding somewhere for our Anniversary Lunch. After walking from the old town towards the new (and not really seeing anywhere that looked special enough) we quickly turned to Trip Advisor for some help!

Plenty of suggestions there, but Horno San Luis, with 80% of its 300+ plus visitors giving it 4 or 5 stars, we decided to give it a go!


It wasn’t particularly busy when we got there around 1.15, but we’ve learned that here in Spain, everyone eats late. And, true-to-form, by the time we left a couple of hours later, it was packed!

The food was delicious! Croquettes, then Baked Cheese to start…

…followed by Steak for me and Gnocchi for Ann – all washed-down with (just a few) Beers and Red Wine. There was even an opportunity to put my mobile on charge too!

Our final stop of the day was the famous Roman Bridge. Originally built in the 1st Century BC by guess who? yep, the Romans, and given a Moorish makeover in the 8th. It was extensively restored in 2006 and now looks a very solid construction and it’s possible to walk over it.

Just down from the bridge was a reconstructed waterwheel (the Molino de la Albolafia), where a herd of cats had taken up residence nearby!

It was now around 2.45 and our Train was leaving at 4.30, so we took a slow walk back to the Station. Somewhere along the way, we took an alternative route that pushed us further way from our destination. On the plus-side, we managed to rack-up over six miles of walking today, but on the downside, our feet were reminding us we had! We finally made it to the Station and once on-board, we relaxed in the very roomy seats on the train – in fact, comfort-wise, it was like travelling first-class back in the UK

By 5.30, we were at Málaga Station – an impressive building, and very large.

..and heading for our second hotel – the Barceló Málaga.

The first thing we noticed was that just left of Reception was a sort of spiral-shaped chute*. It looked like something to get luggage down from the higher floors. We couldn’t have been more wrong, as a few seconds later down came some guests (or am I just over-tired? Nope, definitely guests!)…and then some more… and then some more! We were too tired at this point to investigate it, but that’s a first… in any hotel…and we’ve stayed in quite a few! After a very lengthy check-in procedure (I’m not sure why) we eventually made it to Room 315 using the traditional lift – our room is a very ultra-modern space – yes, in case you’re wondering, that IS a silhouette of a telescope above the bed (obviously!)

*It turns out, the structure is called the “EDHA (Sliding Structure for Daring Humans)” (yep, really!) and is the quickest way to get from the first floor to the Reception area. Yes, it’s official, I’m getting old – “I don’t believe it!”

With today’s adventure over, we unpacked and made our plans for tomorrow. Tomorrow is going to be a ‘biggy’ photos-wise – We’re off to Granada by local bus specifically to visit The Alhambra.

Nighty-night!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Anniversary 2017 – Spain (Day 4) Our Anniversary – Córdoba appeared first on Steve's Blog.