Off to National Trust’s Lyveden New Bield this morning for a wander around.

Looks like we were last here back in December 2017 and since then, it’s had a fair bit of money spent on it. Everywhere had received a serious makeover, there was a new car-park and the Manor House was now open to the public. Actually, it was all pretty impressive – and that was before we got to Tresham’s building!

A short talk by one of the volunteers – Neil – in the ‘Red Room’ gave us a real insight into Tresham’s life.

It was a great experience with so much more to see here! . Even without a roof, ‘Liveden’ looked impressive…

On this visit, we were even able to get UNDERNEATH… (I don’t recall being able to do that last time))

We finished up in their (rather enormous) Café for a small beverage before heading back to the car. We both agreed that the visit had offered much more than we expected – well done National Trust!

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 That Lyveden Feeling! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

It was another one of our cultural days out with good friends, Dennis & Sandra today (our 13th!).

We’ve built up quite a list since 2017, and today we added Southwell and National Trust’s Workhouse (above).

Chatsworth House (November 2022)
Belvoir Castle (August 2022)
Kedlestone Hall (May 2021)
Hardwick Hall (August 2020)
Castle Howard (December 2019)
The Royal Armouries Museum (March 2019)
Bolsover Castle (October 2018)
Belton House (May 2018)
York (February 2018)
Burghley House (October 2017)
Hull (May 2017)
Leeds (February 2017)

Located north-east of Nottingham, we set off just after 9.15am to meet our friends for 11am. We had a great journey (mostly on the A1) and arrived well ahead of schedule, just after 10.30am.

NT’s property in Southwell (pronounced ‘Suthell’ or ‘south-well’ depending on your preference!) consists of The Workhouse, Firbeck Infirmary and the Kitchen Garden – and also the obligatory Gift Shop and Café. The Workhouse was latterly known as Greet House in the 70s where it was still a ‘home’ for some. Nowadays, since the NT acquired it in 2002, it’s been a museum.

National Trust Southwell – The Workhouse

The property opens at 10.30 and was already getting very busy by the time we all met up at 11. There were plenty of Volunteers on duty and they were very knowledgeable too! In addition, we were given a device about the size of mobile phone to use throughout our visit. These were placed on coloured disks dotted around the property and displayed more background information. Our first impression, as we approached the main building, was how well-preserved the exterior was! They certainly built them to last back then!

The National Trust had done a great job in communicating the look and feel of the property, and there were Volunteers in most rooms to add even more background information. There are three floors to visit plus cellars – in other words, ‘plenty’! Be prepared for a surprise in one of the rooms (I won’t spoil it here) that caught us ALL out! . The fabric squares in the photo above represent one for every woman who was killed or abused between 2009 and 2015 – a frightening total of ‘598’!

I guess there’s always a danger that locations such as this could be OVER restored, but luckily, common sense prevailed here on the second floor, where they had left the rooms as they found them in 2002 (see below). It provided a useful illustration of how much work had gone into bringing The Workhouse to life!

It was all very impressive! And I think we all left with a very strong ‘feel’ of what life would have been like in The Workhouse. A final thought: Apparently, in spite of the truly awful conditions, you had to ‘apply’ to join the Workhouse! All-in-all, a very enlightening, if somewhat depressing, experience.

After a quick cuppa and slice of cake, we headed for The Infirmary (conveniently located right next to the Café). Just as well, as the weather had deteriorated, and it was now pouring with rain.

National Trust Southwell – Firbeck Infirmary

Again, just as in The Workhouse, here in The Infirmary there was plenty of information to support the exhibits. It was built 50 years after The Workhouse to provide medical care for its inhabitants, where it provided long-stay care until inmates chose to leave or died of their illness. It became a Care Ward in the 1970s and finally closed its doors in 1989.

Next stop? The Kitchen Garden.

National Trust Southwell – The Kitchen Garden

There wasn’t much to see here, and anyway, it was now raining even harder! We quickened our pace towards Southwell Minster.

Southwell Minster

It was only a short drive and we parked the car in the first car-park we saw. Someone was smiling on us as the first two hours were free! Just enough time to look around the Minster and then find somewhere to eat.

Southwell Minster was impressive, both outside and in! As luck would have it, the weather began to improve too (and that improved the exterior shots!).

The Minster (that’s now also a Cathedral – we didn’t know that!) dates back to 627. Over time, it had been expanded to the structure you see today, and it now, the seat of the Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham. Today, it was unusually busy (and somewhat noisy!), with a local school dress-rehearsing their performance for tonight’s concert. It didn’t spoil our appreciation of the architecture though! Lovely!

State Chamber

Our final stop for the day was the State Chamber of the Archbishop’s Palace.

It was a beautiful space and is available for Weddings, Birthdays, AGMs, Lunches and Concerts. They’ll even do the catering!

The Palace Garden

The weather of late has been somewhat ‘variable’ – and today was no different. In the time that we’d been here, we’d seen rain, torrential rain, wind and some brilliant sunshine too! By now, the sun was winning, but we decided to call it a day and head into the town for somewhere to eat. Luckily, we stumbled on The Old Theatre Deli and managed to bag a table for four in the corner (it was very busy!). What a find! The food was delicious! The town itself looked like it deserved a more thorough wander – but that was for another day. After settling the bill, we wandered back to the car-park and said our goodbyes.

We all agreed that the NT property had been a real ‘find’ and the Minster and the surrounding area (in spite of the weather) as well as Southwell was one f those places that we know we’ll return to!

We had a trouble-free journey home (although the sat-nav took us on a slightly different route, involving the A46/M1 and A14). We were home inside 80 minutes!

Camera Roll
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 Southwell with Dennis and Sandra appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Off to National Trust’s Canons Ashby today to meet up with long-time mates, Chris & Gill. Ordinarily, a straightforward journey using the A43, but not so today! It’s F1 Silverstone Weekend starting later and that means only two things – chaos on the main routes plus the local villages seeing an exponential increase in through-traffic.

Cue, a ‘plan b’ in the shape of an alternative route! After a bit of head-scratching, our revised trek using mostly minor roads and the A5. It only took us around 10 minutes longer, but it felt like we were on a permanent chicane for most of it, negotiating numerous narrow and twisty roads – whilst discovering parts of Northamptonshire we’d never seen before!

Just after midday, it was mission accomplished as we found a space in NT’s car-park where Chris & Gill joined us, just a few minutes later. The last time we were at Canons Ashby was back in May 2017 with Ian & Ann, and although the weather wasn’t anywhere near as warm as back then, it was good to be out and about.

The House

Built by the Dryden Family, the NT took it on in the 1980s. It’s decorated as it would have looked in Victorian times and the enthusiastic volunteers were doing a great job sharing their extensive knowledge of the House. Outside, it’s not the most attractive of properties, but inside certainly was a treat! The Gardens always look good with an excellent Kitchen Garden – and there’s the Priory to look around too!

The Gardens

Not as colourful as I remember them from our previous visit, but the Kitchen Garden looked very healthy.

Enough of all this history, time for lunch.

Picnic!

The girls had prepared a picnic – and that was always going to make any location more attractive! . We nabbed one of the numerous picnic tables just inside the entrance, but just as we sat down, it began to rain! . Luckily, it only lasted a few minutes and we were soon tucking into spicy chicken, salmon, pork pie, and quiche with salad – followed by fresh fruit and meringue!

The Priory

I think when you hear the word Priory, you tend to think of something quite large. Certainly, that used to be the case here before a certain Monarch exercised his enthusiastic pruning of this Augustian establishment!

Thanks to Henry VIIIth, it was only a short walk to the altar! These days, the Priory is one of a few remaining privately-owned places of worship in Northamptonshire originally (owned by the Dryden family who lived across the road!). Very nice inside! There’s not much to see except for its mini-museum and a scale model of what it looked like before the Royal chop! Story goes that the Monks developed more of a fondness for the grape than for worship – consequently, another Pub bit the dust!!!!

We spent about twenty minutes looking around then headed back to the cars and said our goodbyes. Fortunately, our revised journey home (A5, A5199 and A14) was much less eventful, and we were home in under an hour.

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 Canons Ashby appeared first on Steve's Blog.

We drove up to Kedlestone Hall, near Ashbourne today, to meet up with fellow lovers of ‘days-out’, Dennis and Sandra. We’re building up quite a list of destinations since we started this with them back in 2017.

Hardwick Hall (August 2020)
Castle Howard (December 2019)
The Royal Armouries Museum (March 2019)
Bolsover Castle (October 2018)
Belton House (May 2018)
York (February 2018)
Burghley House (October 2017)
Hull (May 2017)
Leeds (February 2017)

We arrived within minutes of each other – just before 1pm. The Hall was already very busy, and it took us a while to find a parking space. Given you-know-what, not everything was operational, specifically, only a small part of the Hall was open to the public. Entry was via the rear of the property, taking us via the ‘back stairs’.

However, what we did see clearly illustrated that the former owners – The Curzon family – had plenty of cash to splash on the property. I’ve seen quite a few National Trust mansions in my time and this one felt the ‘up there’ with the blingiest and best of them!

We were in and out inside an hour, but based on what we saw, it’s going to be worth a revisit once everything inside is open to all.

With the Hall’s (limited) interior ticked-off, we set off for a walk around the grounds. There are two walks: The Long Walk and The Short Walk. Interestingly though, the sign for BOTH pointed in the SAME direction – and we never saw another!!

We headed off in the signs’ direction, which turned out to be a almost-circular route taking in some more stunning views.

Forty-minutes later, we were pretty much back where we started.

With the walk completed (short?, long? Not sure!), it was time for our picnic – just as the rain came down. Still, being Brits, we’re well versed in picnics in challenging conditions!

It was great to catch-up with Dennis and Sandra, but it was a pity the weather wasn’t a bit kinder. The Hall was impressive, even though we only saw a small proportion of it – but that’s a perfect excuse to come back again!

For all the photos, and none of my chat

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 Kedlestone Hall with Dennis and Sandra appeared first on Steve's Blog.

9.55am: We drove the (just under) 90-mile journey to Hardwick Hall today, to meet up with fellow lovers-of-old-buildings and all-things National Trust, Dennis and Sandra. We last visited here back in October 2010 for a Murder-Mystery evening with Ralph and Karen (BTW, the Butler DIDN’T do it!).

Hardwick is a spectacular Elizabethan house filled with rich furnishings and tapestries preserved by successive generations of the Devonshire family (thanks NT!) – you can read more HERE.

Although the Hall itself was still closed to everyone because of COVID-19, our plan was to look round the Gardens and surrounding land, as we’d never done that before.

We’re building up quite a ‘back-catalogue’ of our get-togethers with Dennis & Sandra, having explored the following, in the past few years…

Castle Howard (December 2019)
The Royal Armouries Museum (March 2019)
Bolsover Castle (October 2018)
Belton House (May 2018)
York (February 2018)
Burghley House (October 2017)
Hull (May 2017)
Leeds (February 2017)

(Click on the titles for more details)

It certainly looked like it was going to be a nice day for it!

11.35am: When we arrived, it was already quite busy, and after bumping elbows, we were joining the short queue to get in! In typical NT efficiency, we were processed in the nicest possible way and soon examining the site-map for inspiration. Who needs foreign climes when you can enjoy days like these here in ‘good ol’ Blighty?!?!

There is a lot to cover here and that’s without visiting the Hall, so best bring your walking-shoes. Bring a picnic too because provided it’s not too busy, there are quite a few picnic tables just inside the entrance. Not into picnics?, there’s café and an ice-cream vendor too! Yummy!

Ever tasted mulberries? Well, Ann and I hadn’t! Dennis and Sandra pointed out the trees during our walk around, and so we sampled a few! If sweetness is measured on a scale of 1 to 10 – these scored 11!

After Nature’s sweetness came a call from the same source! (See what I did there?)…

…These days, the ‘new-normal’ dictates some compromises, and the Loos were having to be managed manually (so to speak!). Quite how the member of NT staff managed to do it so enthusiastically and efficiently – and with a smile, is beyond me! Her sole task was to determine which cubicles were empty and then announce them by their letter-designation – “Cubicle D, Sir please!” – a sort of Bog-Bingo without any prizes!

12.15pm: After completing our Bingo round, it was off to the walled garden. And what a delight! Given the time of year and considering the NT is probably short on garden-volunteers – it looked stunning! Full of colour and not a weed in sight!

1.05pm: There’s something about eating outdoors isn’t there? Everything tastes nicer and if the weather is good, that’s a ‘Brucie-bonus’. Today, I even ate lettuce (surely the world’s most useless salad-component – it takes up so much space on the plate for so little return!!)

2.00pm: Time to walk off that lunch! Fortunately, there are quite a few to choose from here. We re-visited the map and headed off in the direction of ‘Lady Spencer’s Walk’. It all went horribly wrong in terms of the direction of travel with further signage (apart from the one above) cunningly concealed to test our natural sense of direction – and eyesight. Luckily Dennis and I were on the case, although I’m not sure I helped much, as my sense of direction only tends to work if I can get a GPS signal! After a couple of missteps resulting in us getting up-close-and-personal with a barbed-wire fence, we did eventually make it back to the car park.

3.05pm: It was time to say our goodbyes, compare elbows and our walking apps!

Not a bad distance and our speed clearly illustrated that this had been a slow stroll rather than a sweaty sprint! We had a super day catching-up, and we really only scratched the surface of the ‘walky bits’. We’ll be back again (hopefully before another ten years has passed) and maybe next time, the Hall will have re-opened as well!

You can see ALL our photos from today, and bypass my commentary using the link below…

Click 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 Hardwick Hall with Dennis and Sandra appeared first on Steve's Blog.

We took a picnic to National Trust’s Calke Abbey today. Our last visit was back in May 2011 when the weather was truly atrocious! Luckily, today, it was a little kinder.

What makes Calke a bit different from most other NT properties is that its name doesn’t reflect the building itself! As any local will tell you – there’s no Abbey!

"A novel take on presenting the past..." 

It only took us just over an hour to get there and we were soon parked and both ‘picnic-ready’

But of course, under the ‘new normal’, we didn’t have complete freedom to roam, as the NT is operating a ‘timed entry’ system into the site. We were limited to Calke Park and the Gardens only. The café was open but we didn’t fancy that as we had already packed enough food for the whole of Derbyshire!

We began with a walk around the immediate area. Some of it was closed off so that limited our wanderings – but it was still very enjoyable, and we covered 2¾ miles…

…taking in some great views, including a very well maintained kitchen garden too!

We sat down to our picnic around 1pm – and in spite of the forecast, the rain came (but not until our last mouthful!)

Still, it was a great day out – even if was a bit damp, and we didn’t get to see inside the House this time.

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 Calke Walk appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Roger, Jane and Oliver joined us for the weekend!

Saturday

The main event for today was a picnic at Belton House and then a walk around the historic Mansion and Gardens. I think it’s our most oft-visited stately home having been there recently (ish) with with Dennis and Sandra back in May, 2018 and Chris and Gill in July, 2017.

On arrival, the weather was disappointing to say the least (Summer’s not quite over surely???) Oliver was sporting shorts and I was in a short-sleeved shirt. Consequently, both of us were woefully ill-dressed for the conditions – a plummeting temperature followed by rain!

1.00pm: However, It didn’t stop us enjoying our picnic though, as we sandwiched ourselves between ‘Robert‘ and the car next door to act as a wind-break! Brrrrr!

1.55pm: I think the c*** weather made us eat more quickly, and we soon made a significant dent in Ann’s extensive picnic.

As soon as we’d cleared up our bits, we headed straight for the House. Word to the wise: Since our previous visit, there’s been one major change here! ALL VISITS ARE NOW TIMED, so it’s not just a case of turning-up and hoping to get in straight away. But, as it happened, it was perfect timing on our part, as there were five slots on the very next admission – the 2.15!

2.10pm: We’re in!

Given our previous visits, from a photo point-of-view, I decided to concentrate on the less well-known/seen pieces on show inside, together with less obvious views of the property and surroundings.

3.05pm: Time for a cuppa, especially as the damp weather from earlier had returned, but this time it was torrential!

A quick, but determined sprint to the nearby tea-shop got us more-or-less to the front of the queue (followed by the rest of mankind) and we were soon seated in the Stables enjoying our cuppa and cake!

3.35pm: Next stop was the Gardens where the weather, perfectly on cue turned from rain to warm sunshine! At last!

4.00pm: Our final stop was St Peter & St Paul Church aka Belton Church.

4.20pm: A great visit! (again!). Even the weather didn’t really spoil our visit (even though it looked like it would!). We wandered back to the car and headed south.

All of today’s photos at Belton House (with none of my chat) are HERE

6.15pm: It was a good journey home and we were indoors by 5.45. By 6.15, Ann had laid the table for a yummy table-buffet. All that was left to do was to choose a movie for the evening…

Bohemian Rhapsody (courtesy of Sky Store): Even better than I remember it the first time around in the cinema

11.05pm: That’s it! Nighty-night!

Sunday

A lie-in for me until the unearthly late hour of 7.15 whilst the others slept-on.

9.10am: A little bit of Queen, courtesy of Spotify to get the day started!

9.45am: Breakfast is served – Porridge with Strawberries followed by a Bacon Butty!

10.30am: Jane, Oliver and I watched the rest of Thor: Raganarok, Roger caught up with the Daily Telegraph, whilst Ann put the finishing touches to lunch – this was a real family-foodie weekend, and just how we like it!

12.15pm: Pre-lunch drinkies!

1.00pm: Lunch is served. Roast Chicken with all the bits!

2.30pm: Lunch over! A bit of clearing up followed by a long natter.

whilst listening to something a little more relaxing!

3.45pm: Well, where did that weekend go? It passed really quickly – a great sign of a great time!

Bye all, it’s been great to catch-up!

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 Family Weekend appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Another one our of cultural days out, meeting up with Ian and Ann along the way, heading for National Trust’s Farnborough Hall.

Located off the M40 between Banbury and Gaydon, the Grade I listed property (and its gardens) has been owned by the National Trust since 1960, when the Holbech family endowed it to them.

Opening times are quite limited here, so best to check before you go. At the time of writing, it’s operating on Wednesdays and Saturdays – and only from 2pm until 5pm. This is because the House is still lived in by the owners: Geoffrey Holbech’s daughter Caroline Beddall and her family. For the same reason, no photographs are allowed inside, which was a shame (but understandable) because there was plenty to see, it had all been restored beautifully (especially the plasterwork!) and where everything made it feel like a home that was not only lived-in, but loved too!

The House itself was a sort of Reverse-Tardis (it seemed bigger on the outside than the inside. There’s just the ground floor and the staircase to see (as the rest is off-limits to visitors, lived-in by the family, naturally!). Consequently, it didn’t take long to get around. We all felt that because of its ‘manageable size’ it was easy to imagine actually living in it.

Unlike a lot of NT properties, it doesn’t have a Tea-Room, but we had a cunning plan to compensate for that! Today’s more-or-less continuous rain meant that it wasn’t the sort of day to enjoy the Gardens, so we had a quick walk round outside before heading for Farnborough’s Tea-Room located in the nearby Village Hall.

And the Village Hall didn’t disappoint. After a quick five-minute drive following the home-made signs from the Hall, we were soon inside, where home-made cakes and fresh tea (served in proper china including a sizeable teapot) awaited us! The range of cakes on offer included ‘a ‘Rhubarb and Custard’ cake (worth trying, just for the novelty value). This was a building lost in time – and that suited us perfectly! All-in-all, it turned into a very enjoyable ‘tea-break’ – so typically British, and about as close as you can get to Midsomer Murders without the murders!

But before all that, there was the all-important question of lunch! After some research beforehand, we settled on The Moon and Sixpence in the High Street nearby Hanwell.

And if the food was to be as good as its flower display outside, then we were in for a treat! We were! The food was excellent!

A great day out, but slightly spoiled by the biblical levels of rainfall!

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 First Visit: Farnborough Hall appeared first on Steve's Blog.

We’re ‘up north’ for a few days
and taking in the sights! This includes a visit to the Nags at York Racecourse on Thursday! (Extra shirts packed!). I’ve only ever betted on a horse twice before in my life – back in 2004 and again in July 2006 – the former returned me an embarrassment of riches (a whole £67) but the less said about Market Rasen, the better!

Our new home, during our northerly pursuits is the Golden Fleece Hotel in Thirsk, a lovely ‘olde-worlde’ hotel, parts of which date back to the 1500s. Lovely!!!

Tuesday

Well, it looks like the weather is on our side!

9.02am: We left home around 9am, dropping-off Biscuit at Valerie’s and her ‘cat hotel’ on the way out.

11.18am: A trouble-free journey north on the A1 meant that we arrived at our scheduled stop on time – Ferrybridge Services – time for a wee break (and a wee-break).

12.14pm: En-route was National Trust’s Nunnington Hall – a beautiful Yorkshire manor house, nestled on the banks of the River Rye. We’d not been here before, so we dropped-in (boy, it was busy!).

It’s fair to say, it’s not the largest country-house in the NT portfolio, but it was definitely worth looking around. It’s the sort of small Mansion that looks lived-in and of a practical size!

1.40pm: Both the ground and first floors are accessible and there are plenty of rooms to see; but given that the Hall isn’t too large, it didn’t take us long to see it all. Unusually (and I think it’s a first for the NT) the Gift-Shop is on the 1st floor. The upside of this smaller-sized residence was that we had longer for our planned picnic in their Gardens!

2.35pm: Two Salads, a few little ‘dwinkies’, and an hour later, we were ready for nothing to move on to our final destination – our Hotel! A shame really, as it was definitely hotter than the forecast – it must have been 25 degrees C!

3.07pm: A beautiful drive through the Yorkshire countryside took us eventually into the equally picturesque Thirsk. And it was busy too! Some skilful navigation by Ann, led us to the Hotel‘s car-Park (cunningly, but sensibly, concealed round the back of the town’s bustling market-square). Ten minutes later, we were checking into our room – Room 2.

Room 2 is beautifully decorated, if a little snug in places. The bathroom especially, brings a whole new definition of the word ‘compact’! Still, as a whole, the room had been tastefully upgraded – it even had USB charging points built-in the mains sockets! A super-comfy bed and a premium widescreen TV added to overall positive experience. The creaky floor reminded us of the room’s authenticity though!

7.00pm: For our first night in Thirsk, we decided to try out the Hotel’s restaurant. The Menu was pretty varied and the service, efficient. I was pretty pleased with my Lamb Burger but Ann’s Caesar Salad was ‘a bit floppy’ (Ann’s words). And “we’re not at home to Mr Floppy!” (Apparently, it was the wrong sort of lettuce).

8.05pm: We finished the evening with a stroll around the Market Square…

9.30pm: No concrete plans for tomorrow yet, but we’re going to head in the direction of the North York Moors.

Wednesday

OK, we now have a plan for today…

Eden Camp – a large Second World War-related museum near Malton in North Yorkshire in England. It occupies a former Second World War prisoner-of-war camp of 33 huts

Helmsley Castle – a medieval castle situated in the market town of Helmsley, within the North York Moors National Park, owned by English Heritage

Rievaulx Terrace – a site located in the North York Moors National Park, overlooking Rievaulx Abbey and owned by the National Trust

9.50am: Off we go then! Even without the benefit of any dual carriageways, it was a slower journey than we would have liked – and that was down to the car, three vehicles ahead, who obviously thought that ’38’ is the new ’60’!

10.45am: Eden Camp – We eventually arrived. First impressions, as they say, are lasting impressions – and this place certainly impressed us! All the more because this is a family-owned Museum, built inside (and around) the 29 Huts of an ex-WW2 POW Camp. It demonstrated a very imaginative use of the available space, and all credit for the sheer quantity of related bits and pieces on display.

It was all pretty varied too! Rationing, Bevin Boys, Women at War, Evacuation, Civil Defence, 1940s Fashion, RAF, Army, Navy and plenty more was on offer to transport the visitor back to a bygone age. There was so much to see here, that complemented the tremendous amount of thought that had gone into the design of the exhibits within the Huts. Not only static displays, but authentic sounds too – and in some cases the smells! A pity it’s so far away for a lot of our southern-based friends!

It’s another of those Museums that almost certainly needs a second, third or maybe even fourth visit to take it all in!

12.50pm: Next, we headed for Helmsley where we took a quick walk around the town. There’s clearly money round these parts based on the types of shops and the goods displayed. Yummy!

1.15pm: We found a picnic area adjacent to the Castle, and settled down to our second outdoor lunch in two days – Summer certainly has arrived – and the temperature seemed to agree!

We toasted the fact that it was exactly 10 years to the day, that Ann said goodbye to Sainsbury’s! A lot has happened in that time, and we reflected on the other milestones along the way!

1.45pm: Helmsley Castle (last visited in March 2005). As usual, I had no recollection of visiting here ‘back in the day’, but Ann did, and my Blog-posts for that time confirmed we’d visited it on 29 March!

Although the Castle hasn’t changed much, English Heritage has installed a much-improved Visitor Centre – gone was the old timber hut, and in its place, a shiny ticket/shop combination.

2.25pm: Rievaulx Terrace was our final stop for the day!

Nope! I definitely don’t recall this either, and I’m surprised as it was as beautiful on the inside and it was on the outside! The ceiling was breathtaking!

Just like yesterday, the weather forecast under-estimated the temperature. It felt like it was now mid-20s as we walked ‘the Terrace’ between the two Temples. We took in some beautiful views of
Rievaulx Abbey too!

Our walk ended with a view of the second Temple, a 10 minute stroll away…

3.05pm: And that was it for today. We had taken in some gorgeous sights, but for me, the Eden Museum was simply out-of-this world.

5.00pm: Time to get ourselves sorted for tomorrow’s racing at York! When I first better back in 2004, there was no such thing as a ‘betting app’. But there is now and after two practice wagers, I’ve enjoyed some modest returns. Maybe we’ll be lucky tomorrow?

Thursday

11.15am: A day at the Races! Travel-wise, it all worked out perfectly. A short taxi journey to Thirsk Station (that’s NOT in Thirsk!), a 15-minute Train ride to York, and finally, the 20-minute free shuttle-bus to the Race-course.

Specifically, it’s York Racecourse for the seven races running today and the “going” is “good to firm” (whatever that means!). We’ve placed some small wagers online prior to arriving (based on my only other experiencing of betting back in 2004 and 2006 – and my brief practice-run yesterday)

We were soon settling in the Melrose Lounge and we met Terry a 20-year-race-going veteran, and over the course of our visit, we learned a lot about the art of betting (but as the day progressed, not necessarily always learning about winning!)

So, here is our list of selected Nags… (there’s no science here, just a quick look at the odds and a random choice!) The results are either going to be more rocking-horse than pedigree?!!!!

..and this is how they did…

5.15pm: Well, after today’s results, I don’t think we’ll give up the day job! – but we didn’t do too badly with three first-place wins.

Would we go Horse-racing again? If it’s as well-organised as York’s event was, most certainly! Easy transport links, excellent hospitality, great food and a fun atmosphere! A great day!

Well, that’s it for our short stay in Thirsk. It’s been great and I’m sure we’ll be back before too long. We’re leaving after breakfast tomorrow and should be home mid-afternoon.

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 A Nagging Thirsk appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Thursday

Well, here we are in Worthing, having enjoyed  the best journey-here-by-car ever! (maybe an over-statement) – but it was completely incident-free!

We left at 8.10am, dropped into the Health Centre at home to leave a prescription; popped-in to Peter J’s for a cuppa in West Wickham and still managed to arrive at our destination by 1pm! The Sat-Nav in combination with TMS steered us round all the jams and we were soon checking-in to our home for the next two nights: ‘Premier Inn, Worthing Sea-front’ – room 202.

And the Hotel certainly lived-up to its name as a quick stroll across the road, and we were soon munching on our pre-prepared picnic – and enjoying the view!

A lovely warm day too! and no sign of any rain for the next few days – no rust for us then!

After a short period of munching, the Seagulls spotted us (and our tucker) so we curtailed our feast and made our escape!

Suitably stuffed and free from the birds, we then took the longer-than-we-thought walk into town for some retail therapy! Beales looked very sad, and was almost deserted, whilst TK Maxx was playing host to most of Worthing!

After bagging a few bargains, we headed back to our Room for some seagull-free relaxation.

6pm: Out again and into town to meet Ian and Sharon at the Fortune Inn in Chapel Road for a cheeky-Chinese.

Great value food and good to catch-up with everyone’s news – including Ian’s new car, a very swishy black Range Rover! A perfect evening then!!

We said our goodbyes around 8.15 and took a slow, very pleasant, wander along the seafront back to base. Bizarrely, it was actually warmer than it had been in the afternoon. Lovely!!

We finished the evening with a binge-watch of two of Amazon’s new Jack Ryan series. Very gritty and very watchable.

Friday

The nice thing about new hotels is that their beds – and more specifically their mattresses – are in good shape. Consequentially, we slept exceptionally well.

A mini-binge-watch and by 8.30, we were ready for action, or at least breakfast! We could have gone ‘Full English’ but last night’s Chinese meant a ‘capacity issue’ for both of us.

So, two meagre ‘Continentals’ it was then – and we were set-up for the day.

On the cultural agenda today, was NT’s Petworth House. Apparently, we were here back in August 2007 – but as usual, I didn’t remember a thing about it!

Ian was acting as chauffeur and picked us up around 10.30, and it was therefore, a great opportunity to see his Rangey closer-up. Oh, and enjoy Petworth too!

A 45 minute journey later, we were queuing to get into the House.

This was an impressive place with room after room of pictures. And if that wasn’t posh enough, a room full of statues too! Hard to believe that we’d been here 11 years ago – and I don’t recall ANY of it!

We ended our visit with lunch outside (the Café inside was just heaving!)

A great day and we finished by dropping into I and S’s for a cuppa and a natter.

Then it was back to the Hotel for our final night, after popping into the nearby M&S for sandwiches. We finished the day with another binge-watch of a few more episodes of Amazon’s Jack Ryan!

Saturday

After checking-out, we planned on dropping in to see my brother for about 10am – so that meant we had to leave Worthing by 8.30. In turn, that meant an early breakfast at 7.45! Actually, as things turned out, we ran early! We were down for brekky just after 7am.. and heading for the A27 by 7.50. That meant we arrived at Neil’s in good time – just before 9.30am.

Our early arrival meant that we had plenty of time for a natter… check out what’s new with Alfie & Frankie… and plunder Neil’s Veg stock for tomatoes and chillies!

Our journey home wasn’t quite as straightforward, As usual, the Sportage did us proud and attempted to steer us around any jams, but we tried to be too clever and ignore its instructions and try a short-cut for a short-cut! We failed miserably and it put another 20 minutes on the journey. Pity the poor souls going the OTHER way on the A14 though! A caravan and a car had overturned blocking lane 2. This meant there were at least 10 miles of jams going the other way.

Jam-free, we were home by 1.30… a little later than we’d planned.

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 Worthing or Rust! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

It was off to Janine’s Wedding today. Her husband-to-be, Chris is from Ohio, USA, so it’s going to be a true Anglo-American event. The event is at Hedingham Castle (so that’ll please our friends from across the Pond!) and we’re making a few days of it, as the big day isn’t until tomorrow – Friday.

The Wedding celebrations are actually spread over three days and it’s going to be very American by design. We’re promised plenty of ‘theatre’ and some deviation from the Brit equivalent! First, it’s a Fish and Chip Supper tonight followed by the event itself tomorrow, and finally, a post-Wedding Brunch on Saturday.

We’re staying at The Swan, Long Melford (a Michelin-listed boutique, two-rosette restaurant with rooms) just down the road for a couple of nights.

“Dilly Dilly!”

Hedingham Castle

Thursday

But before our first Wedding of the year, we planned to take in some nearby National Trust properties. First stop today was Ickworth House & Gardens.

In spite of the major roadworks on our outward journey (whilst they re-shape the A14 locally) our drive was pretty smooth, with just a couple of stop-start moments. Consequently, we were there in just under an hour-and-a-half.


I’m not sure how we’ve NEVER managed to have visited here before – and it turned out to be a real treat! The House opened at midday, and when we arrived around 11.45, it looked like most of Suffolk already knew about this gem, and was already there – clearly a very popular place!

Architecturally speaking, it was very unusual – the original House was on the left and right with a central circular part (the Rotunda) in the middle. Actually, the left hand side is now a Hotel owned by the Trust, whilst the right hand side (the West Wing) was for Visitors.

First, a bit of history to put it all into context: The estate was originally owned by the Abbots of St. Edmundsbury. The land was acquired 1432, when Thomas Hervey married. The then ‘House’ took 47 years to build and the locals held their breath as the unusual design began to take shape. The area (and England, as a whole) had never seen a design like it, and it was to become the family home for the next 500 years!

But not without some tweaks along the way…

In 1701, the 1st Earl demolished the mansion and developed plans for an even grander abode, as this modest medieval House eventually became a turreted Tudor mansion. As part of the re-building, he moved out all the locals in the immediate area to make way for the grander version of this property – understandably, he didn’t hit it off with the ‘ordinary folk’!
 
In more recent times, power and money appeared to take its toll. The previous Marquis (No. 7) had been a bit of a naughty boy, and managed to spend his way through £7m of drugs in less than 10 years – and to add insult to injury, he lost the £30m family fortune too!

Being taken on by the National Trust probably saved this property from certain oblivion. The NT acquired it in 1957, in lieu of Death Duties, and converted part of it into a hotel as recent as 2002.

Fast forward to 2018 where the current Marquis (no. 8) have moved out and live in a nearby modest dwelling.

There was plenty to see, and it had been restored by the NT to an extremely high standard. What made it extra special were the little touches – hats and coats from the period, letters dated from the 50s on show in the writing bureau and plenty of quotes from the downstairs-staff reproduced on some of the walls.








Superb in every sense and it’s going to take some beating!

Our second and final stop supporting The National Trust was Melford Hall, after a thirty-minute twisty-turney drive through the lanes of Suffolk.

As we all know, during his time on the throne, Henry VIII, after a strop with the RC Church, took possession of many houses of religion, and this affected Melford. It became a royal property in 1539 and was then leased to Sir William Cordell, a member of the rising middle classes. Sir William Cordell was eventually granted the estate of Melford in 1554 by Queen Mary I, having helped her accede to the throne.

1651: Almost a hundred years later, Sir Robert Cordell became the owner of Melford, after the previous owners experienced some financial difficulties. The Hall was in a bad condition due to it having been vandalised during the Civil War. Robert was the MP for Sudbury and Sheriff of the county and he undertook a programme of refurbishment and reparation.

1786: Another century, another major development! Near the end of the eighteenth century the house was put on the market for the first and only time in its long history. It was sold to Harry Parker by the third husband of the deceased Firebrace’s wife, William Campbell.

  
But for many, the significant bit of its history was that Beatrix Potter once stayed here and there’s a very interesting book on display that shows her skills as a painter.

Superb stained-glass…

…some very interesting letters from the 50s including some around the time of the NT’s acquisition.









  
The Hyde Parkers who have modified the house through the ensuing period, still live in Melford Hall to this day and it’s a superb Tudor Pile!

But that was enough culture for one day, and we headed for our bed for the next couple of nights – The Swan at Long Melford.

Our original room (Room 3) was thoughtfully swapped for Room 4 due to the excessive heat in the former. Our new home was still warm but well-equipped with all that we needed – and more – including a posh coffee-maker and helpfully, an industrial-scale electric fan.

Just time for a short ‘feet-up’ session before heading off to the first part of the Wedding Celebrations. This was the Fish & Chip evening at The Old Vicarage, Castle Hedingham – a massive house (for a Vicar!) featuring NINE bedrooms, numerous rooms and a very large cellar that included a Pool Table and Gym.

We were introduced to many of the American guests and they made for very easy company. It turned into a superb evening, and a great way to ‘break the ice’ for tomorrow. The evening finished with the (apparently) American Tradition of the Bride presenting a cake to the Groom…

All-in-all, we all got on really well and it was a real party atmosphere. We called it a night around 9.45 and wandered down the pitch black road to retrieve the car. So far so good, but what seems to be turning into a pattern for us when we’re returning from events, we got caught up in a massive road diversion preventing us taking the direct route to Long Melford. The diversion signage wasn’t brilliant either, but after an extra 30 minutes on our journey, we arrived back in our room.

Friday

The Bed was super-comfy and we woke, bright-eyed and with tails bushed – ready for the celebrations ahead! First stop though was breakfast – and it didn’t disappoint. The Full English went down a treat, as did the fresh fruit, coffee, tea and fresh fruit-juice.

Fuelled-up, we then decided to take a walk down the High Street, mainly for a spot of exercise, but also because it’s very, very (very) long (I guess that’s how Long Melford got the name!). However, it all seemed a bit ‘Sleepy Hollow’ as most of the shops were closed, even though it was almost 10am!

Luckily, in contrast, we noticed a couple of Antique Shops with their doors open, so we took a wander round those before crossing the road, to check out the rest of the shops. Things were starting to get busier (but not by much) and we did eventually see the town almost buzzing. With our retail therapy complete, in the shape of four wooden spoons and a casual top for Ann, we were soon back in our room getting suited-and-booted for the main event.

And at just after 1.30, we set off for Hedingham Castle. We soon arrived and the weather forecast so far, was pretty accurate – thankfully dry!

A short walk over the bridge and up the narrow staircase and we’d arrived! Strangely, the Routemaster Bus with the majority of guests on-board had NOT! We chatted with Roy’s brother Ray and his other-half Jane for a bit and when the Bus finally arrived, there was just time for everyone to get a drink before we headed down the narrow spiral staircase to where the Service would take place. This was a tricky journey for all the Guests in heels – and the Groomsmen, who, on arrival, had taken advantage of the wheelbarrow full of Beer, to aid challenge their navigation skills!

There was an extended pause before the Service started – kicked-off by the spreading of petals along the bridal-path by one of the very young members of the wedding party – little Eleanor.

As this was an American-style wedding, there was plenty of ‘theatre’. We had the parade of Groomsmen and their respective partners (finishing with an individual man-hug from the Groom) before Roy and Janine made their entrance. Janine looked stunning (as did Roy!). Roy had to formally confirm he was giving Janine away, and as part of the theatre the Bride and Groom read out their commitment to each other. Roy kicked-off proceedings and Chris’s Dad officiated, and it all sounded, looked and felt fantastic.

With the Service over, everyone followed the married couple over to the House where there was a wide range of drinks on offer. Then it was out into the Gardens (in superb condition given the dry weather) for the official – and less official – photographs.

Front Row: Tim, Kathy, Me, Ann, Pat & Greg
Back Row: Gerry, Mariann, Ron, Becky & Brian (Groom’s Parents) & John

A gazillion of photos followed and after a quick check of the official Table Plan, we headed for our allocated Table – Table 5 – that we were to share with a number of new-found American friends.

Wow! What a friendly group. We were soon chatting away like old friends about this-and-that with plenty of laughter along the way.

The Speeches then followed. Unlike a typical Brit Wedding, there were some extra contributors: In addition to the normal Father-of-the Bride’s (nice one Roy, it was perfect!), Best Man’s and Groom’s, we had the luxury of the Chief Bridesmaid’s (Lauren), the Maid of Honor (Scarlett) – all really good – especially Lauren’s.

Music was courtesy of a live Band (superb!) and a DJ (not so much). It was a real party atmosphere and Ann and I spent a lot of time on the dance-floor (I even got to dance with Roy!). But no-one could up-stage the happy couple – there’s was a lot of love in that room tonight!


Wow! The evening passed really quickly. The weather was briefly disobedient, failing to follow the forecast at one point, with lightning, thunder and a torrential downpour. After some more ‘dance-floor action’, we called it a night and at just after 11, we began to say our goodbyes (even though we’re probably seeing most people tomorrow!) and took the perilous walk in the dark, back the car.

Last night’s detour was still in force, but we navigated it with ease, and were soon back at The Swan for our final night.

Five-to-midnight – and we’re all partied out! What great day!

Saturday

A super-lazy start to the day, after yesterday’s very happy event. Next stop The Mill Hotel, Sudbury for the 11am ‘post-Wedding Brunch’ event.

It was only about 15 minutes away and although the parking was a serious challenge nearby, they did have an official car-park just up the road.

We were one to the first to arrive, but within minutes we were re-acquainting ourselves with most of ‘Table 5’ from last night – a perfect reunion!

We stayed for just a butty and a cuppa (there was plenty of traditional ‘Full-English’ food on offer!) but had plenty of time for a longer natter with our new acquaintances from ‘across the pond’.

We said goodbye to everyone around 12.30 and after a trouble-free journey home were indoors by 2.15. Wow! what a fantastic few days away. The Wedding was he highlight of the year for us, and it was good to see Suffolk again!

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 The Wedding Belle appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Wow! That’s two days in a row where the weather has been glorious!

Luckily, we’d already planned a while ago to meet up with Dennis and Sandra for a day-out (plus a picnic!) at Belton House – and the great weather was now an extra bonus! Last time we were here, back in July last year, the weather was a bit ‘so-so’, but today more than made up for it – what a belter!



In fact, I can’t recall the last time a Bank Holiday weekend was this warm!

It was great to catch-up with Dennis and Sandra, although the place was so busy, we initially had a bit of a problem spotting them in amongst the gazillions of other families planning to enjoy a day-out!

Friends located, we booked our timed ticket and then headed for the Gardens.

Then it was a quick-picnic behind the car before heading for the House.





Once inside the House, the first thing we noticed as how cool it was a – a welcome relief to outside!

An hour later, with the tour over, it was a return to the car’s rear for Dessert (where we’d left the picnic table set up)! By now, the car-park was a lot quieter, and we actually had quite a bit of room to scoff!

Then the ‘second wave’ began, and as we said our goodbyes to Dennis and Sandra, we could see the next batch of visitors coming in – and that was at 3pm! Clearly Belton House was a popular choice , no doubt helped a generous helping of today’s sunshine!

We headed back for A1 where it was surprisingly free of traffic – as a result, we were home by four o’clock.

Another great day out with 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 A Belter at Belton! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Post Christmas, it’s always good to blow away the cobwebs and begin to get back into the routine of ‘keeping active’. With that in mind, Chris and Gill popped round and we headed off to National Trust’s Lyveden. We haven’t been there since August 2011! and blow away the cobwebs it certainly did! In fact, it nearly blew the car away!!! Boy! was it windy!

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 That Lyveden Look! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

It’s our last full day here today in Cider Country – and there’s a storm a-comin’! The local forecast paints a very (very) wet picture of this area JUST after lunch. So, with welly weather in mind, we’re going to cram in TWO properties before the wet stuff hits us.

On a more positive note – the hot water is back on! Hurrah!

…but the non-functioning central heating is still broken, and there’s no response to our emails – thanks NT!

Back to happier things…

First up, Tintinhull Gardens, only a short drive from base-camp, and possibly the smallest, cutest NT property, we’ve ever been to…

.



Is it me, or are Garden Gnomes getting taller?

As the photos show, this location is primarily ‘gardens’, but we did also get a short glimpse of the House as part of the through-route to the main attraction. The Gardens were in the process of some major renovation, but they still looked good. I think what surprised us most of all was how busy the place was! We arrived just two minutes after opening at 11.02am – and already the car-park was almost full. We got the last of two spaces before the ‘overflow’ would have been required.

We loved it for its cuteness!

Our next and final stop was NT’s Montacute House (where they filmed some of ‘Wolf Hall’). By comparison to where we’d just visited, this was in a different league – the House, big and bold; the outside, even more varied and colourful…

We felt some rain in the air (as expected) so we ‘did’ the outside before going round the House…

…and then it was off round the House…

There was plenty to see, and the NT have done a great job in maintaining the condition of the House. It was in an excellent state, and when we got to the final room – the Long Gallery, another (very pleasant) surprise awaited us…

…in the rooms off the Long Gallery, there was a chronological exhibition of various related paintings on loan from the National Portrait Gallery. It really brought the House alive!
 

 

Today was a gave us a good contrast of two very different types of properties – and we enjoyed them both, but for different reasons. Montacute House was our last NT property of this holiday – and we’ve certainly got our money’s worth out of our renewed subscription (having visited six during this week alone!).

It’s back to base now to grab a quick lunch ‘next door’ in Barrington Court before assembling our bits and bobs ready for re-filling the car. At this time of writing (3.30pm), there’s still no central heating (although ironically, the temperature in the Lounge isn’t too bad), and STILL no response from the NT. I’m glad we’ve been told that we’re being treated as a ‘priority case’, otherwise I’d hate to think how they’d deal with the situation if it were less important!

Practically speaking, it looks like we’ll end up leaving the property before the heating is fixed! Hope the next family are Eskimos or spend a lot of their time elsewhere during their stay!

What was this holiday like then?

With all our planned visits visited, it’s now time to return to reality and begin the packing! It’s also an opportunity to reflect on a part of the UK that we don’t know too well and where (almost) every tree is APPLE and destined for Cider!

The immediate and surrounding area itself has been fantastic, with plenty of old properties and quaint towns to enjoy ‘lost in time’. We self-catered for most of our stay, and if we had a Financial Director, they would have been proud – we came in slightly under-budget! We prepared, cooked, washed-up, did the washing, used the iron and (almost) fixed the router – talk about making the most of the facilities!

Getting around has been very straightforward, although the numerous B-roads that twisted and turned made us a lot more cautious behind the wheel than we would have otherwise been. It was easy to tell who the locals were: They either drove tractors at top speed, or they drove round the country lanes in their cars as if they were being timed – although very courteous when we mutually approached a single-track road (of which there were many) most didn’t slow down a jot having local insider knowledge of the precise width of the road! Scary stuff for those of a nervous (and wider) disposition.

Slightly below-par has been the facilities and service from NT who never really saw the importance in keeping us ‘in the loop’ with our various ‘challenges’ during this stay. We coped (just) with the complete lack of heating, as well as a couple of days without any hot-water. Although the emergency electric heaters would have helped, this was a very large property to keep warm, and I think we would have bankrupted the NT, if we’d run them 24/7!

Additionally, past comments in the Visitors’ Book have lamented the lack of wi-fi and (after it was eventually installed) the woeful connection speed. Clearly, no-one from NT is reading this book, because during our stay, our connectivity was so slow, it wouldn’t even register as much as a zero on my app that measures connectivity. However, I did discover how to reboot the router, and that gave us a tolerable speed for a short period each day – Shhhh! don’t tell the NT! Using the mobile phone was like being back in the early 90s – one step in the wrong direction and bang goes the signal.

All-in-all, we really love the fact that the National Trust allows us to place a foot firmly in the past, but could you please put the other one in the 21st century, and get the basics right (and that includes the central heating!)

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 Holiday: National Trust’s ‘Strode House’ (Day 6) – Final Day appeared first on Steve's Blog.

The main event for today is to visit Lyme Regis where we haven’t been for over 20 years!

But first there’s the mega pressy-opening session, and before that the birthday-breakfast (courtesy of Chef Ann). Too many pressies to list here, but safe to assume that I’m mostly surrounded by chocolate and gin – and just one multi-pack of socks. Clearly I’m a simple soul with predictable tastes!

And so, after breakfast, Ann acted as all-day chauffeur and we headed for Lyme Regis, arriving just after 11.30.

Parking was dead easy and after paying our dues, we were soon re-enacting the scene from French Lieutenant’s Woman walking out towards The Cobb. It was initially a bit overcast, but the sun came out as the morning turned to afternoon.

We always try and find somewhere ‘a little different’ for my Birthday Lunch and this year was no different. Ann had located a highly recommended smallish bistro/restaurant slightly off the beaten track called The Millside Restaurant. It was only about a 10-minute walk along the sea-front towards the town centre and right next to the River Lym.

What this place lacked in size (a dozen covers inside, six outside), it more than made up for in both service and food quality and presentation. We bagged a table outside,soaking up the newly arrived sunshine, and perused the Menu…

There was even a separate GIN menu too! They must have known I was coming!!

To make us feel even more at home, the owner’s two cats arrived and sat, staring at us as only cats can. Eventually, Ann supplied the chips whilst I provided slithers of burger! The result? Two happy humans and two slightly much fatter cats!!

Butternut Squash Soup

Best Burger ever…?

We couldn’t handle Dessert – we were just too full (and *I* don’t say that very often ever!). However, we’d set our sights on some Mr Whippy ice-cream from a local merchant on our walk back to the car – and we REALLY wanted to leave some room. A combination of the warm weather and my slow eating speed combined, to allow my ice-cream to run down the outside of the cornet and  into my hand, heading towards my wrists. At his rate, my whole body would be covered inside the hour. Swapping hands didn’t help – I now had BOTH hands looking like they’d been attacked by seagulls! Yuk!! This afternoon, around these parts, I’m now known as Super Sticky Steve! Luckily, the men’s loos were just down the road, so there was time for a rinse!

Thirty seconds later – Super Sticky Steve!

With my hands now back to normal, we headed back to the car and navigated into uncharted waters (well, water AND land actually!). We’ve never been further west along the coast than Lyme Regis before now, so today, was going to be a real adventure as we arrived in the town of Seaton.

I’m not sure what we were expecting, but we we got was a lovely town, *not* full of crappy gift-shops, just very clean streets, plenty of parking and lovely views.

Super Views of Seaton

After a thorough walk a long the seafront (I declined the option of a look round the town – it’s my age!), we headed for the car and headed back to ‘Chilly-Towers’. We hadn’t been home very long when the Estates’ Manager arrived to look at the central heating. In the end, he was as confused as we were, and left promising to scratch his head and get it all sorted.

Wow! What a day! I’ve eaten too much, drunk too much, lost a battle with a ‘Mr Whippy’ and been to a town I’ve never been to before – Thanks Ann, it’s been a perfect day and it’s only 6pm!?

Tomorrow – our last full day here – we’re heading for NT’s Montacute House (where they filmed ‘Wolf Hall’) and NT’s Tintinhull Gardens.

Happy Birthday via Social Media/Texts

Amie B

Angela C

Ann McL

Anthony C

Antoinette U

Bev

Carey H

Carl G

Carmen P

Carol A

David J

Debi B

Denise M

Fiona M

Francesco F

Geoff B

Heather E

Helena B

Helen K

Jason H

Ian H

Ian McL

James H

Jane S

Janet S

Janine C

Jenny R

Jerry F

Jo K

John W

Julie T

Karen H

Karen J A

Karen R

Karin S

Kate P

Ken B

Kerry D

Kevin P

Larry H

Lydia W

Lyn and Richard

Malcolm L

Mark S

Mick C

Mike P

Nicki C

Nigel OS

Neil P

Paul M

Pauline O

Peter L

Peter W

Ralph G

Ralph P

Rhiannon L

Richard K

Richard P

Rosi L

Roy C

Sally B

Sean C

Stella H

Stuart McL

Sue J

Sue R

Tania M

Tom T

Trish C

Val A

Cards

Ann

Angela C

Antoinette

Bev

Carol A 

Chris and Pete M

David and Val

Denis

Gill and Chris

Ian and Ann

Ian and Sharon

Jo and Janet

Karen and Paul

Karen and Ralph

Lee

Margaret and Alan

Margaret Spencer

Neil, Debbie, Alfie and Frankie

Nick and Celina

Nicki C and Richard

Oliver

Pam

Paul, Sue and Ben

Philip P

Roger and Jane

Roy, Susan and Lauren

Rosi L

Sally B

Sue and Paul

Trish, John, Sean and Conor

Valerie H

Gifts

Ann – Hermes Gift Set and Jaeger Tee Shirt. Raspberry Ripple Gin. Plum and Vanilla Gin. Orange Gin

Alfie and Frankie – Malfy Lemon Gin

Bev – Marshmallow Kit

Conor and Sean – Greenall’s Wild Berry Gin

David and Val – Socks and bottle of Bailey’s

Denis – Damson Gin. Elderflower Gin. Garden Lights

Julie, Tom, Nick, Lewis and Georgina – Greenall’s Wild Berry Gin

Jo and Janet – Elemis Toiletries. Alnwick Gin

Karen and Paul – Belgian Chocolates. Tawny Port

Lee – Hendrick’s Gin. Bright Shirt

Nicki and Richard – Tanqueray no. 10 Gin

Roger and Jane – Raspberry Gin. Black Tyre Shine, DVD: Deutschland 83

Rosi and David – Letter Opener, Chocolate Tasting Set, Ice Ball Trays

Trish and John – A set of ‘his and hers’ Gin Glasses

Oliver – Car Magazine. Mars Bars Multi-Pack. Haribo’s. Galaxy Ripple Multi-Pack

#DoDO61

Previous Birthdays…

2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004

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 Holiday: National Trust’s ‘Strode House’ (Day 5) – Birthday Boy! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

First job of the day, was to ask NT to retrieve the monkeys (the brass ones) from all the rooms and sort out the complete lack of hot water. We managed to get through to them on the phone, but they were a bit lack-lustre, and even by the time we got home, we weren’t sure what we’d find…

Enough of our domestic troubles – back to the plan for today where we’re off to:

• NT’s Knightshayes (A big old house and famous Victorian kitchen garden)
• The town of Tiverton

Knightshayes was impressive. It’s a Gothic Revival House officially known as Knightshayes Court that also includes a stunning garden and park. Building began in 1869, and it has since been home to three generations of the Heathcoat Amory family (prominent landowners who got their riches from Lace). What makes the House special is the gothic design. Apparently the original owner got through two designers before deciding it was all still too OTT! Eventually the family moved out (having tried to conceal/replace some of the original ‘gothic-ness’). They finally threw in the towel, handing it over to the National Trust in 1972.

Certainly, much of the interior design divides opinion – especially the ceilings and the wallpaper – but I quite liked the boldness of it all. Subtle it ain’t!!

 

As you’d expect, there were lots of rooms, with some of the decoration quite ‘normal’…

…but with some designs, they were probably best viewed with the lights OFF!

…whilst some that were more modest…

From the outside, the ‘look’ was just as controversial. I’d look after it though!

But you couldn’t knock the stunning views…

Wow!

And if that wasn’t enough, this place had probably the largest kitchen garden I think we’ve ever seen! It was simply massive – the Rhubarb display alone was around half the size of Corby!

 
 

After the assault on our eye-balls inside the House, and the sheer enormity of the Kitchen Garden, it was off towards Tiverton for something gentler – Lunch! Unfortunately, when we arrived, the intended stopping-off point (The Canal Basin) was inaccessible due to a major access road being closed. We then spent ages circling the town, looking for somewhere else picturesque to enjoy our picnic, but after about 30 minutes, we gave up (although I think we’re both now experts of all the street names in the town!)

Instead, we headed for NT’s Wellington Monument, around 25 minutes away.

After a late lunch in the car-park, it was only about half-a-mile up the muddy track, and we were soon staring at this 175-foot-high triangular obelisk (acquired by the National Trust in 1930s). In truth, it’s best viewed from a distance. Close-up, it’s clear that it’s seen better days. As we wandered round the other side, we could see a small army of hard-hatted individuals discussing the construction. We also read a couple of notices, erected by the NT, explaining how some of the restoration in the past had been poorly done. In fact, up until 2007, it was possible to climb up inside the Monument and look out of the (small circular) window at the top. Not now though! Far too dangerous, due to crumbling masonry and other architectural shortfalls (well, actually, it would probably be a LONG fall!)

Last stop of the day was closer to home! – Barrington Court. In fact, it couldn’t have been much closer as it was NEXT DOOR to our holiday apartment (In fact, for complete accuracy, our place is actually part of Barrington Court’s converted stable block). This place is VERY significant in a number of ways: It was the vision of Colonel Abram Lyle (of Tate and Lyle fame) and his architect, James Edward Forbes. They rebuilt the Tudor House after it fell into did-repair and it was the first major property to be acquired by the National Trust – and the dilapidated state almost bankrupted the NT in the process.

But first, it was a look round the ‘neighbour’s’ Kitchen Garden. It may have been on a smaller scale than Knightshayes, but what it lacked in size, it certainly equalled in colour and variety.

We had some good news when we got inside the Apartment – the hot water was now working! Hurrah! We can wash our nether regions tonight….

However, the central heating was still asleep! Boo!

Birthday boy tomorrow and we’re off to the seaside – Lyme Regis and the Jurassic Coast in search of fossils (to keep me company!)

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 Holiday: National Trust’s ‘Strode House’ (Day 4) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Today is a cultural marathon, where we’ve planned to take in the following locations. In fact, we squeezed in an extra one, so read on, loyal reader…

Muchelney Abbey

Somerton

Lytes Cary

The Royal Naval Fleet Air-Arm Museum

They’re all fairly local to here, so we’re not planning to drive further than about half-an-hour from base-camp. I say ‘base-camp’ because just like the mountaineers of days-gone-by surviving in sub-zero temperatures, Strode House seems to have no heating and, as we discovered this morning, no hot water either! Thank heavens for the two electric heaters I discovered in the cleaners’ cupboard!

After a lazy breakfast, we headed out just after 9.30 for our first stop of the day – Muchelney Abbey, courtesy of English Heritage.

The Abbey had plenty to show off including the well-documented, two-storey loo for the Monks (no sign of any loo paper though! Yuk!)

What’s less well-known is the gorgeous apple tree outside the main entrance. We later learned it was a cider apple tree, specifically a variety called ‘10 Commandments’ (because each apple contained 10 pips!)

After inspecting the Monks’ Loo, our next stop was the quaint town of Somerton – supposedly the capital of ancient Wessex. There was a lovely-looking Church (St Michael and All Angels), but more especially for us, the Market Cross was the standout attraction.

After a quick look round the shops (including an unsuccessful search around an antique shop in search of a ‘bacon iron’, which we later learned was actually called a ‘tongue press’), we then headed towards our next stop: NT’s Lytes Cary Manor.

Boy, this place was busy – and it had only been open for around 30 minutes and already the overflow car-park was half-full.

 




A lovely old house, all beautifully restored, together with an immaculately manicured lawn and trees. The house in particular, felt very welcoming.

Luckily for us, the weather forecast didn’t come true (as by now, it should have been raining) instead, it was still dry and actually quite warm. We decided to squeeze in another ‘local’ spot – the market town of  Castle Cary. It was only a short drive, and we soon found a free parking space in the high street. Alas, no Castle remains these days, only the earthworks, so we spent our time wandering around the town centre. What struck us immediately was that the place was almost completely deserted! In fact, on closer inspection, there were hardly any shops open either. All pretty unusual these days, and on exiting the town the only three places doing any business were the two tiny supermarkets and the Pub! Very strange to see a town in 2017 thinking it was still 1977!

 
The most memorable feature of the town for us was The Market House, a Grade II listed building completed in 1855 on the site of the 1616 original.

The weather was turning now, and so we headed for our final destination – The Royal Naval Fleet Air-Arm Museum in Yeovilton. As we arrived, the rain stopped and the sun came out. Perfect then, for prepared picnic – and better still that there were picnic tables outside the Museum too (they must have known we were coming!). After our late lunch, we headed inside the Museum.

A good Museum, packed with a lot of interesting exhibits – especially helicopters!

…as well as a slightly edam-flavoured 40-minute ‘virtual tour’ of the inside of the Ark Royal in the 70s (including a flight simulation by helicopter to get us there)…

Best exhibit for me was an actual Concorde – we think it was the original French test/prototype version.

Then it was back in the car to ‘Ice Station Zebra’ where, on arrival, we confirmed that the hot-water had properly failed, as it was now cold water out of both taps in all rooms. Oh joy!

Tomorrow (after the obligatory call the NT’s Holiday Helpline), we’re off to:

• Tiverton
• NT’s Knightshayes (A big old house and famous Victorian kitchen garden)

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 Holiday: National Trust’s ‘Strode House’ (Day 3) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

A slightly later start to the day as we realised that the travel clock we use for holidays was an hour behind the rest of the UK. I suspect it wasn’t changed the last time the clocks went forward. No matter, our mission for today is quite simple! – drive to Honiton and then grab the train to Exeter. After yesterday’s visit to Selworthy Beacon, today is mainly a bit of ‘retail therapy’ – I think it’s down to both of us having spent (far) too many years working in retail on a Saturday!

I’ve never been to Exeter, so everything today would be a new experience!

Things started well as we arrived in Honiton in good time after the thirty-minute drive from the Apartment. It looked quite a large town based on the amount of shops in the high street, but the railway car-park, in contrast, was tiny – 30 spaces max! After taking our pick of a parking-space, it was a quick trot over the bridge to the ticket office where we managed to get two return tickets to Exeter for the very wallet-friendly total sum of £10.10!!! A bargain! To add to the good news, we only had to wait 5 minutes for the train – perfect timing! (as they only run hourly on Saturdays).

On-board, we soon found a seat – a very comfy one at that! – for the thirty-minute (ish) journey to Exeter Central. Free wi-fi too, so one of us is ecstatic! On arrival, the good news continued as the station is handily located on the outskirts of the shopping area in Queen’s Street, so it was only a short walk into the main shopping strip.

First stop though, was a bit of culture in the shape of Exeter Cathedral…

 

Wow! This place was in great condition and a real joy to look round. It felt large too, and unlike a lot of cathedrals, it was very bright inside. Fabulous!

With the cultural stuff ticked-off, it was off to our own ‘retail-cathedral’ – the newish (2012) John Lewis (Exeter) just a few minutes walk away. Yummy! this had floors and floors of good stuff, and for once us blokes don’t have to scale to the top to see the latest TVs – they’ve thoughtfully put the AV department on the lower-ground floor!

But before any serious shopping, sustenance was in order, and an obligatory trip to the JL Café was our first destination…

Suitably refreshed, in the next hour, we gave the store a good workout before taking a slow walk in the direction of our reserved table at the local Café Rouge…

Service was excellent, as was the food. The bonus for us was that I’d received a voucher recently from Café Rouge for a free bottle of Prosecco as a birthday gift, and it would have been rude not to use it even if it is three days before ‘the day’!


I needed something to soak up the alcohol as even though Ann was driving back, we were determined to get our money’s worth and not to leave any behind. I really needed something to soak up the booze, so as my main course, I chose the new (to the menu) Lamb Tagine –  it was absolutely delicious and acted as the perfect culinary blotting-paper!

All-in-all, we made lunch last just over an hour-and-a-half (well, it took a while to sink my five glasses of bubbly!). Then, after a few more shop visits, we took the short walk back to the station, saying goodbye to Exeter’s retail scene and catching the 3.30 back to Honiton.

By 4.45, we were back at the Apartment and we’d had a really good day. It was great to look round the Cathedral and our short dose of ‘retail-therapy’ was very welcome!

Tomorrow we’re off to:

• Muchelney Abbey
• Somerton
• Lytes Cary
• The Fleet Air-Arm Museum at Yeovilton

I’m exhausted already!

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 Holiday: National Trust’s ‘Strode House’ (Day 2) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

After a good night’s sleep and leaving the laptop on overnight to download the photos we’d taken yesterday, I discovered that the router was still at it, having spent all night downloading just TWO! (shown below). For the biggest router I’ve ever seen in my life, it certainly lacked speed!

After a hearty breakfast, we had two priorities in mind for today: go exploring and then find some civilisation where there’s a reasonable internet connection!

But before all that, it looked like a beautiful morning in the making, so we had a quick wander around the ‘neighbour’s grounds’ – Barrington Court before leaving.

 

 

Barrington Court

Then it was back in the car, and off on our travels. First stop was Dunster and then its Castle. It was a torturous route to Dunster due to the volume of traffic going through Taunton, and as a result, the short 29 mile-ish journey took almost an hour! Yeesh!

The Market Cross at Dunster

Dunster was a picture-book town from a bygone age – simply gorgeous!. Unfortunately, the internet connection was from the same age!! How the heck anyone runs a business here, using their mobile is beyond me! No mobile signal on O2, EE or 3… and no sign of any wifi either!!

Thanks Dunster!

More than slightly disappointed that I couldn’t post yesterday’s blog, we took the short walk up to Dunster Castle.

 

This was an impressive place from the outside…

 

 

…and on the inside too…

 

These are Dutch painted-leather ‘paintings’ from the 17th century, believed to be the only ones left in Europe.

Then it was off to the Castle’s own Water-wheel. What’s more, it was a double! We’ve never seen one of those before!

They even mill their own flour and oats – very entrepreneurial!

Next stop? LUNCH! We’d packed a picnic and found the perfect spot just down from the water-wheel, by an old bridge

Some nice tropical views too…

 

…plus some great views from the top too…

 

And having got to the top, we grabbed a seat to chill-out for a bit and soak up the surroundings. We’d almost given up on a mobile signal, but I thought I’d check the signal one last time to see if things had improved. They had! Right at the top of the Castle, we picked up 4G (yep, 4G!) and I have no idea how or why it should suddenly be available at this specific and remote location. No matter! I uploaded the blog, Ann retrieved her Daily Telegraph on her Kindle, and I was able to finally sync all the photos from my phone.

Next on the itinerary was Minehead – famous for Butlin’s (and still famous looking at the queue for it!). We dropped into the local Morrison’s to pick up some picnic provisions, before heading of to nearby Selworthy. First we looked around the unusual looking Church – All Saints.

 

 

It was more traditional on the inside and in really good condition. Lovely!

For our final look around Selworthy, it was a choice from two locations: The village itself or the Selworthy Beacon. Well, the latter to me sounded much more exciting, so we chose the route to the Beacon (it was NT, so it was free!). As we passed though the gate pointing in the right direction, we immediately noticed that the signpost didn’t show the actual distance to our destination! But surely it would be just around the next turn and over the next hill?

 

Well, 39 turnings and 17 hills later, we almost gave up, but something said ‘go a little further’. We’re glad we did, because as we crossed the main road for the final climb…

…we saw this in front of us! Wow!

..and five-minutes later, we made it! Maybe slightly underwhelming to look at, but I’m glad we found it after all the walking! It was now raining much harder, so we were pleased that the walk back was all downhill. Forty minutes later, we were back in the car. We opted not to simply reverse the route and take on Taunton! Instead, we headed south towards Tiverton, east along the A361 and then eventually picking up the M5 for a couple of junctions, eventually exiting at the Yeovil exit. It was a longer route back, but it felt shorter – one of our better decisions!

Back at the Apartment, we quickly unpacked all of our provisions from Morrison’s and got dinner ready. We were both knackered, but the ribs, suede mash, broccoli and broad-beans went down a treat! So did the profiteroles and the alcohol too!!!

Wow, what a day! We certainly walked a fair amount and I won my battle for the internet too!

Tomorrow, it’s Exeter (thankfully, by train!)

Photos of the interior of our Apartment, that I couldn’t post yesterday…

 

 

 

 

 

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 Holiday: National Trust’s ‘Strode House’ (Day 1) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Ahh, what a quaint property! No mobile signal and almost non-existent wi-fi (in spite of having the dwelling’s router right next to me).

This week looks like it’s going to be fun attempting to post blogs! Sorry reader!

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 Barrington Court – Arrival appeared first on Steve's Blog.