We’re at the Theatre later with Jo, Janet & Carol, but before that – Lunch! Janet knows pretty much ALL the Farm Cafés and small eateries in Northamptonshire so we were in reliable hands!

Today’s choice? ‘New Lodge Farm‘ in Bulwick (pop. 171), about 20 minutes north-east of Kettering. This one has even got a spa (but that’s for another day! – maybe?!)

What a very pleasant surprise this place was! We’ve driven past it gazillion times since we moved here and had never visited! Our loss!!! The area is also a parking area for Camper-Vans/Caravans etc so there was plenty of room for everything (and anything, so that’s probably why they have a spa too!

We ate in their rather airy ‘Lockdown Café’ that was enjoying a busy lunch period (good for them!). It not only served tasty tasty food (cakes too!), it was all delivered quickly and with a smile!

We were all tempted by the CAKE selection, where Ann and I shared the oddly named ‘Banana Split’ Cake – yum yum! . Thirty minutes later, we were all ‘caked out’, and we just had enough time to look around their Farm Shop – and that was impressive too! Wow! That certainly scratched our individual and collective retail therapy itch! I think New Lodge Farm will be somewhere that we are definitely going to return to in the future!

With the clock ticking, we headed for the famous Tolethorpe Hall, home of the Stamford Shakespeare Company to see the well-known Play, One Man, Two Guvnors. Last time we saw this was at The Derngate, on my Birthday, in 2014.

Tolethorpe Hall’s Synopsis

It’s Brighton in 1963, where Francis Henshall, freshly fired from his job, is now a man in search of his destiny – as long as his destiny includes fish, chips, mushy peas, and a pint or two. But with no money and a rumbling in his belly, Francis accepts not just one job, but two. And there’s more to both his new bosses than meets the eye. Guvnor one, gangster on the run, Roscoe Crabbe, is actually his own sister, Rachel Crabbe, in disguise. Guvnor number two is Stanley Stubbers, a public school toff who may have “accidentally” murdered the real Roscoe to win Rachel’s hand. To prevent discovery, Francis must keep his two guvnors apart long enough to earn some money to buy some food. He should be fine, but he can’t stop thinking about chips, and it’s hard to concentrate when you’re hungry and you’ve got two guvnors!
Based on Carlo Goldoni’s classic Italian comedy The Servant of Two Masters, this smash hit comedy is packed with laughs for all to enjoy!

How was it?

With a running time of three hours (including the interval) it was longer than I remember it back in 2014. It’s one of those performances that is ‘laugh-out-loud’ funny – and we certainly did plenty of that!! I’d actually forgotten most of the big punchlines, so that made it even more enjoyable (one of the ‘benefits’ of getting older!) . It was a full house for this afternoon’s matinee and no doubt, it’ll be the same for tonight’s performance – I’ve never seen Tolethorpe so busy!

Scene changes were imaginatively handled with the help of a supporting trio of singers called The Serviettes performing their own take on classics from the 60s.

Sadly (but as expected) no photography was allowed once the performance began, but that was OK as I don’t think I could have handled a camera-phone as well as my giggling!

All in all, then, a really REALLY enjoyable performance. The ‘fruity’ language in places and the main character breaking the fourth wall all added to the enjoyment. It’s not particularly ‘PC’, but if you’re looking for an easy performance to enjoy, where the humour is very physical – this is for you! Go see!

The post Theatre: One Man, Two Guvnors, (Five Lunches!) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

There have been quite a few Spider-Man films over the years, but in recent times, they’ve officially become part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) where these have included:-

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

These all star Tom Holland in the titular role and are all interlinked in some way. However, you can see this latest one without knowing much about what went before as it’s all explained in the opening ten minutes. Prior to being integrated into the MCU, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield donned the scarlet spandex!

For the complete history and summary of Spider-Man on the big screen, there’s a great article HERE, courtesy of Odeon Cinemas.

Official Synopsis

Peter Parker fights crime full-time as a street-level Spider-Man in a world that completely forgot his civilian identity following the events of the previous film: No Way Home. Four years after his sacrifice, the immense pressure of isolation and watching his old friends Ned and MJ move on with their lives triggers an unexpected, terrifying physical metamorphosis within him.

RUNTIME = 2 hours 25 minutes

Official Trailer

Main Cast

For more details on each cast member, click HERE to visit IMDB.com

See the remaining cast and the creative team behind this one HERE at IMDB.com

We headed for an early one with Janet, with Jo picking us up at 5.45 for the 6.15pm performance at our now, go-to Cinema. In spite of the short distance, the Sat-Nav went all ‘AI’ and took us on another variant on this well-worn journey! We got there with minutes to spare and just in time for the now-mandatory pre-film promotions. Looks like there are plenty of sci-fi yarns coming our way, including Dune Part 3 and, of course, Marvel’s much-hyped Avengers: Doomsday (both coming in December)

The first thing to note when we joined Screen 2 was that it was already almost three-quarters full! We haven’t seen attendance like that since the Bond era, and it certainly explained why we couldn’t book our favourite seats. We headed for the next favourite position — the back row — but even then we were ‘relegated’ to the left side rather than our preferred more central position. And they kept coming! By the time the lights eventually went down, it looked pretty much 100% full . Yikes! This looks like it’s going to be a noisy affair!

Not so! No noisy sprogs and even better, no-one appeared to be faffing around with their phones or having loud conversations! . That’s a first for a long while: it looked like the audience were simply here to watch the latest Marvel Film production – how refreshing!

Marvel Productions?

It’s been a while, but this was the 38th Film in the Marvel’s Cinematic Universe series – 38th!! Yes, really!

The quality had dipped just a few years back (2022’s Thor – Love and Thunder, anyone? Nope, didn’t think so! ). This was mainly due to Marvel attempting too many productions in any year, but the aforementioned was a real disappointment!

As a result, Box office numbers had dwindled as we all suffered from what became known as ‘super-hero fatigue’ where even Marvel finally admitted that they’d prioritised quanTITY over quaLITY. Subsequently, they chose to restrict their blockbusters to maybe one or two per year, going forward. In the past few years, QUALITY has thankfully returned (Fantastic Four – First Steps being a great example!)

If you’re feeling brave and have staying power, check out the full list below that stretches back as far as 2011.

Any Good?

‘SPOILER LITE’
Don’t read any further if you’ve booked tickets and want to be genuinely surprised

Gosh! We haven’t seen a Marvel Blockbuster on the big screen since March 2025 – Captain America – Brave New World – so Jo and I were especially looking forward to this one!

Just before the Film began, Tom Holland appeared in a short piece-to-camera, thanking us all for coming and praising the team that pulled it all together. I’m not sure if I’m a fan of this approach, but having seen it before in previous Marvel Movies, it’s clearly part of the overall marketing strategy to help us fall in love with what’s to come

So, did anyone have to be familiar with the previous Marvel productions, and more especially, the Spider-Man series to make sense of this one? Happily no! As a standalone offering, Spider-Man: Brand New Day held its own really well and was a great introduction to the superhero genre. As a sequel to Spider-Man: No Way Home, it continued the narrative seamlessly, whilst as part of the wider MCU, it positioned the lead character as a pivotal player in the superhero series.

As you might expect, in 2026, and anything of this genre, there’s plenty of action (right from the ‘off’), where the stunt work was some of the best we’ve seen. The fight scenes were expertly choreographed and introduced some sequences that I’ve never seen in any other film. There’s a fair bit of violence, but it’s all done very tastefully (if that were possible), avoiding the blood and gore often seen elsewhere.

Tom Holland, as Spider-Man, is in pretty much ALL the scenes, and he carried the part very well, even if, in reality, when ‘suited-up’, it was probably one of the stunt team. There are a number of flashback scenes to earlier Spider-Man outings, for context, and it was interesting to see how the character (and the actor) has grown into the part from naive schoolboy, first seen in 2016’s film Captain America: Civil War, to a fully fleshed-out mature superhero. For MCU and Spider-Man addicts, there are cameo appearances by some VERY well-known characters plus one you won’t have expected — their first on the big screen — and better known in Marvel circles on the Disney+ Channel. Intrigued? Click HERE for the reveal! .

Actor Zendaya is also in the film and happens to be Mrs H too! She’s in a lot of big-screen adventures at the moment, but what is her real name? Oh, I didn’t know that! – I expected her to be ‘Doris’ or ‘Pauline’ or something similarly ‘ordinary’!

Back to the Film! It’s not the most complicated of plots, although there’s a lot going on. Those new to the whole MCU ‘thing’ won’t feel disadvantaged, but it’s a fast-paced affair, and so it’s probably not a good idea to pop to the loo or grab a trough of chilli partway through! .

The production features a multi-layered storyline too! At one level, you have the expected ‘good vs evil’ trope, whilst simmering in the background is a heartfelt tale of lost love and friendship. Add to that a broader and bigger storyline revealing that some characters aren’t who they appear to be, and some organisations aren’t as ‘white’ as their business card suggests (does anyone carry business cards anymore?) . There’s also the not-so-small matter of Spidey having a personal crisis of his own that impacts the whole story as it unfolds.

Criticisms? Well, not many. For me, the film structure didn’t follow the tried-and-tested ‘three-act’ convention, which fooled me slightly! Just as I thought the film was concluding, up sprang a twist… and it was a significant one!

The runtime (unlike The Odyssey) felt a little long, and maybe slicing 15 minutes off the 2-hour 25-minute runtime might have helped.

Marvel pioneered the ‘mid-credit’ and ‘end-credit’ scenes. It was first used by Marvel in 2008’s Iron Man. On the positive side, it’s a clever way to ensure we watch the (always long these days, but thoroughly deserved) credits! . Cleverly though, it’s used to present a short scene of ‘what’s to come’ and get everyone talking. Sadly, this one was, to be honest, a massive let-down! It was short in length and detail, leaving those of us left (whilst the Savoy cleaning crew, armed with black bin bags, attempted to do their job) feeling massively underwhelmed!

Having said all that, we ALL enjoyed the visit. Jo gave it a full 10/10, Janet and I, a solid 9, whilst Ann scored it 7/10 for the ‘weak plot’ and preferred The Odyssey. So, if you fancy an introduction to the Super-hero genre or just want to see a great, well-acted production that requires no prior knowledge of what went before, this is a great place to start – just don’t stay for the end-credit scene!

The post Film: Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Today, we met Dennis & Sandra at Brodsworth Hall and Gardens (North of Sheffield, East of Manchester). It’s an English Heritage country house conserved as it was found after the death of its last owner in 1988. Along with restored gardens full of surprises and family-friendly features, it offers a grand Yorkshire day out!

We decided to drive all the way – almost two hours by car, totalling almost 100 miles. It all started well until we got onto the A43 near Deene (population c100). Chockablock (oh, joy!) where the mapping in the car showed a solid red line for quite a way ahead. We turned around in an attempt to find another route. It took a while, with our frequent ‘twisting and turning’ into some of the local back roads, taking us through some interesting places – including Nassington (c800) and then Wansford (c500). Eventually, we finally joined the A1.

That’s all we needed, and we were soon heading in the right direction! Phew! . The roads were busy, but the traffic kept moving, and the recently resurfaced A1 made the journey feel even smoother! The result? We arrived just 10 minutes later than we planned at just after 11.10am (having diverted for about 25!). We met Dennis and Sandra in the car-park where it was now already ferociously hot, but they’d saved us a space under a tree to keep the car cool!

Journeys well travelled!

There were two reasons for today’s get-together. First, as part of our regular twice-yearly get-togethers, where we’re building up quite an impressive list of cultural visits (although we are running out of suitable options located between our respective homes!). Hard to believe that this one is our 21st cultural day out together!

Return to Hardwick Hall (April 2026)
Lincoln Castle and Prison (October 2025)
Nottingham Castle (June 2025)
Wollaton Hall (October 2024)
Nottingham City (May 2024)
Doddington Hall (December 2023)
International Bomber Command (September 2023)
Southwell (March 2023)
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)

and second: Making it part of my continuing ’70-70-70′ pre-birthday celebrations, where today was my THIRD get-together.

Inside the Hall

After a well-earned pitstop in their Café, we headed for the Hall. Inside, ‘Shabby Chic‘ or just shabby? Actually, the latter! The decision to freeze the house in time was no doubt a difficult decision for English Heritage and I’m slightly conflicted on whether seeing these places ‘as-was’ is the right move. However, it does help to accentuate how much work goes into other English Heritage assets when they choose the ‘restore’ option.

Here the reality was a somewhat drab interior, with all its cracks and wrinkles! Yes, it was as expected, but the word ‘Wow!’ wasn’t the most obvious of descriptions – it simply ‘was as it was’ and there was a temptation to whip out the Mr Sheen (Oh! Just me then!!!). Talking of wrinkles, after some head scratching, us two had apparently been here over 25 years ago, but apart from the exterior, inside felt completely new to me, although Ann’s razor-sharp memory found it more familiar!

The house was quite busy, and there were plenty of English Heritage Volunteers on duty, all anxious to impart their extensive knowledge of the Hall

Spread across two floors, there were plenty of rooms to look at. The ‘au natural look’ meant that some were tidier and more attractive than others!

All in all, an interesting visit to the Hall (especially as NOTHING looked familiar to me!) . Next stop were the Gardens that neither of us could recall at all.

The Gardens

Sunglasses at the ready!! Nothing could prepare us for this. After the drabness of the Hall, we were amazed at the vivid colours on display here. Now this WAS time to use the Wow! – many times! Those Marigolds and Begonias, especially, were a feast for the eyes – the whole ‘colour explosion’ was jaw-dropping!

The lawns may have looked like pretty much all of the UK’s at the moment with the succession of heatwaves here reducing the lush green ‘carpet’ to nothing more than ‘crispy straw’, but the immaculate planting and lush foliage more than made up for it. In short, stunning! (especially given the continuing hot weather at the moment).

Lunch

At just after 1pm, we were ‘all done’ and the baking Sun made us quicken our step towards the car park. Lunch was a short drive away – about 5 miles. Sandra had looked through the reviews and booked us a table at the unusually named: ‘1903‘ in sleepy Hooton Pagnell (population c200) In fact, as we drove through the village, we could have been in parts of France based on the look of the houses in this beautiful spot. Beautiful!

We weren’t sure what to expect, but we needn’t have worried, as this was to turn out to be a really good experience, overall. Good choice, Sandra! Again!

The pub/restaurant itself was already doing a really good trade when we arrived just before 1.30pm. They gave us a table near the (wide open) window, and that helped a lot with ventilation on this scorcher of a day.

There was a wide range of food on offer – and for the indecisive, multiple menus ensuring something for everyone, including a variety of ‘small plate’ offerings.

Whilst Ann picked the Lasagne, Sandra, the Caesar Salad and Dennis, the Haddock, I tempted fate and opted for the ‘1903 Demon Burger’. The ‘Demon’ referred to the spiciness level, where our Server confirmed that on a scale of 0 to 10, the burger was a 6/7. The food didn’t disappoint, but it was a little sluggish getting it to us. Clearly the popularity of the place had put the Kitchen under extra pressure. The food didn’t disappoint, although I’d rate my burger as more of an 8/9 (lovely!! )

The meal was a great end to our day together. The food and the decor ticked all the boxes, and although the service was initially quite slow, the staff were at the top of their game with their hospitality skills – such happy staff too! A bit of a rarity these days in my experience. The slightly more ‘relaxed’ (ahem!) gave us time for a good long natter ranging from ‘cranky websites’ to ‘the perfect politician’ (and pretty much, everything in between!)

Where did the time go? As the clock approached 4pm, we said our goodbyes (until the next time) and headed in our respective directions. Ann took the wheel, and we had another very smooth and trouble-free journey on the A1M/A1. We were home inside two hours and didn’t encounter any congestion at all

What a great day! It’s always good to spend time with Dennis and Sandra. The Hall, Gardens, and Sandra’s choice for Lunch turned out to be the perfect combination. Until the next time!

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Given all the hype, this one was the must-see Film for us in 2026. I like the majority of Christopher Nolan‘s work; he has a knack for producing movies with a BIG ‘feel’ about them – and this one promised to be more of the same.

Christopher Nolan Filmography 2000 –>

Memento (2000)
Insomnia (2002)
Batman Begins (2005)
The Prestige (2006)
The Dark Knight (2008)
Inception (2010)
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Man of Steel (2013)
Interstellar (2014)
Dunkirk (2017)
Tenet (2020) –Yikes! That was a struggle!
Oppenheimer (2023)
The Odyssey (2026)

For Christopher Nolan’s latest venture, all the familiar film critics seemed to love it, whilst online, youngsters were revolting!

I’d seen a large backlash by these ‘enlightened yoofs’ citing historical inaccuracies including: (“their armour wouldn’t have looked like that“), colour-blind casting (“Helen of Troy wasn’t a woman of colour”/“Why are there no real Greeks in it?”) and also, unrealistic modernised dialogue (“Let’s go!” / “OK Dad” etc).

I guess they were hoping to grow their online followers by being controversial! . Err, it’s entertainment, kids, NOT a history lesson!

Tech Alert!

Technically speaking, what makes this one special is that it’s the first ever to be shot entirely using IMAX cameras, meaning, amongst other things, a bigger, more detailed picture – ideal for this sort of epic production. If you want the precise details of why IMAX is so special, have a look here at this very informative video, but be warned it gets nerdy, very quickly! (lovely!!)

Official Synopsis

Based on the poem attributed to Homer, ‘The Odyssey’ follows the legendary King of Ithaca, Odysseus (Matt Damon), who is trapped on a gruelling ten-year journey home after winning the Trojan War. While he braves mythical creatures and perilous seas, his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland) fight to protect their home from greedy suitors vying for the throne.

Official Trailer

Main Cast

For more details on each cast member, click HERE to visit IMDB.com

See the creative team behind this one HERE at IMDB.com

After a super lunch at nearby Sondes Arms in celebration of Janet’s Birthday, we four headed for The Savoy in Corby – and our favourite seats – to see what all the fuss was about.

OK, it did fill up about 10 minutes later!

Any Good?

SPOILER FREE!

My first comment would be to say: it’s a long one, coming in at just under three hours (2 hours 53 minutes). Mind you, we all recently survived Avatar – Fire and Ash totalling a mighty 3 hours, 17 minutes, so we were already ‘battle-hardened’

There are blockbusters, and then there are Christopher Nolan blockbusters. Consequently, this was a great piece of storytelling that moved along at some pace (except for the opening 45 minutes that ‘plodded’ somewhat, whilst the storyline was established, and the scene was set for what was to come). Personally, I was expecting more action to grab my attention in those early scenes. My advice? Stick with it, and you won’t be disappointed!

If you’re familiar with Homer’s Odyssey, then you’ll appreciate that to cram as much as they did in less than three hours was a miracle in itself! Ten years of ‘odysseying’ in under 180 minutes is a feat in itself! Did it feel long? Hmm, not really, as we spent most of the time on the edge of our seats (and that’s not easy here at the Savoy because the seats recline!!! ). Yes, an energetic movie (once it got going) with Matt Damon in pretty much ALL of the scenes, acting his socks off. The rest of the cast gave it their all and must have been exhausted when the film finally wrapped on August 5, 2025, ahead of schedule.

Director Christopher Nolan is well known for minimising the amount of CGI he employs. If you want to put a load of soldiers in a boat and ask them to cope with rough seas and row like their lives depended on it – then why not do exactly that? This made every action scene really impressive (and believable too)

Was this absence of excessive CGI noticeable? Yes, it was (but in a good way!), and we all commented independently on how gritty the production felt.

Throughout, it was packed with ‘wow!’ moments and maybe just one scene where I simply thought ‘yuk!’ . If you’re like me, you’ll never look at sausages in the same way again. Gross!! . Sausages aside, overall, it was all very watchable.

Our screen presented the film in ‘Dolby 7.1‘ and this was really noticeable with sounds coming from behind, left, right and even above (I think?!). Despite some reports, the dialogue was crisp and clear throughout.

The final 30 minutes-or-so is where it all comes together and brings everything to a very satisfactory conclusion. In many ways, it’s also an exhausting experience for the audience (again, in a good way).

Go see!

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It’s late July, and that can only mean one thing! My annual School Reunion & AGM!

Yikes! When the train system works here in Kettering – it really works well! Sadly, today, wasn’t that day!

Getting there!

Last year, heading for the Reunion by train, I stood all the way to London – ON A SATURDAY! . That wasn’t a great start!!! Surely, it would be better today?

Well, things were certainly more varied. Short story long: Recently, at minimal notice, East Midlands Railway announced that their newly introduced advanced train fleet was being withdrawn with immediate effect. Something to do with ‘unreliability’ (really?) but not the propulsion part, this time it was much more personal – toilets and air conditioning. After the removal of all the affected trains, they ‘sealed the deal’ with the inevitable restricted timetable to/from the capital. Thanks, EMR!

And, just to keep things interesting, they also reduced the number of carriages on some of the remaining fleet!

So, as expected, I stood (again!) all the way to London, where even on this ‘working’ train, the AC was struggling (I didn’t dare try the toilets!). Carriages were packed, as were the areas in between (where I was sardined!). Not the most pleasant of trips, especially as I was flanked by two groups of cackling women who had the volume set to 12! I haven’t heard noise like that since the “Great Macbeth Train Reunion” back in May 2022! Luckily, there was no sign of that other modern travel irritation – a hard-of-hearing ‘yoof’ watching TikTok, feeling it was appropriate to share his tastes with the whole world!

Oh wait! Surely not!! “Come the revolution, young man, you’re first!”

And if that wasn’t bad enough, for reasons unknown, the train managed to arrive late into St Pancras International by about 10 minutes.

A spirited dash down the escalators towards Thameslink was now required, but first I had to get through EMR’s exit barriers. Cue (for no reason at all) the mother of all queues! Where did all these people come from???

I made my next connection (with minutes to spare) heading for East Croydon! Thankfully, this was much more relaxed, mainly due to far fewer people – and no sign of any Witches either (or the TikTok twat!). Thirty minutes later, I was at East Croydon Station (now about 100 times the size than I remember back in my school days). I then grabbed a Cab and was soon at my destination.

The Venue

The venue as usual, for this year’s event, was the famous BRIT School! It’s better known these days for ex-pupils such as Adele, Amy Whitehouse, Raye and even actor Tom Holland, (amongst others!), but back in the day, it was simply ‘Selhurst Grammar School for Girls’.

Compared with how it used to look, today’s School is ‘shinier’ and feels more open and airy!

By the time I eventually arrived, it meant that there wasn’t much left to help with in terms of setting up. The Committee are a ‘well-oiled’ machine and it was good to be able to have time for a leisurely chat with John C, Valerie, Caroline, Richard, John W and, of course, Cortland (Chair). Bob‘s recent passing was felt by us all

The 2026 Reunion

The main event was about to officially begin! With tables and chairs in position and various AGM-related paperwork distributed, 2026’s event was in rude health.

With plenty of time for meeting new friends and catching up with familiar faces, we were all here for the same reason – to relive and reflect on the education that Selhurst gave us! Happy days (well mostly, apart from the Latin homework and the ‘joys’ of being ‘just’ a first-former almost 60 years ago!)

As usual, Lesley was on catering duties (ably assisted, for the first time by Alex) and had created a varied and delicious spread (so much so, we were too busy consuming it to photograph it!)

Sadly, Ashley and Keith, whom I’d got to know quite well at last year’s event (we all hailed from ‘Stalag’ New Addington) were not here this year, but a few other familiar faces from the past were. Roy W, who was in the same class as me in later years, Mike C (who spent a short time assisting me on the Centenary Celebrations Sub Committee). It was good to see ever-reliable Tony T and his wife, Hazel too – Tony had been a great supporter of the Magazine when I was Editor.

However, the face that really surprised me (and probably the Committee too) was Ian H. Ian briefly served as my replacement as ‘Chair’ before Roger and Valerie took over to stabilise the ship in 2017 after Ian’s sudden departure. Ian hadn’t been seen at one of these events until today!

These days, attendance is a smaller affair where today being in the low 30s. However, in spite of this, it was more than made up for with its positive atmosphere. Fewer people means it’s become a more intimate affair, more relaxed and informal. In short, we’re a happy bunch! It seems that the somewhat formal atmosphere of my era in the Chair has happily given way to a much more relaxed event – and in my book, that’s a good thing!

…and it was good to see so much memorabilia being brought along too! It certainly brought back some memories of days now long gone.

Guest Speaker

The highlight of the annual Reunion is often the guest speaker – and this year was no exception!

Will Noble, author of Croydonopolis entertained and educated us about the rise, fall and potential rise of Croydon. What a great history lesson about the town that aspired to be a city (but never quite got there!).

Heading Home

Sadly, due to my patchy connections going home, I had to leave early and miss the AGM. Cortland has streamlined this part of the Reunion into something much more efficient and productive, compared with my day leaving much more time for people to actually ‘reunite’! . A pity I couldn’t be more a part of that today.

Expecting to meet my pre-booked Uber outside the BRIT School was just fanciful! The allotted slot came and went (unlike my Uber!). I booked another, and it arrived in double-quick time where the price turned out to be half of the pre-booked one! I think that’s called dynamic pricing. Whatever!! I arrived back at East Croydon Station, having only lost about 20 minutes. Luckily, I’d allowed for a bit of wriggle room. Fully wriggled and with the previous Kettering train being cancelled at the last minute, meant that a significant proportion of those passengers were now transferring to mine at 4.45. Oh, the joy of travel!!

An hour or so later and with Ann acting as an unpaid Uber, I was home just after 6pm, saying hello to a doughnut.

What a day! What a great Reunion! Thanks to all for another successful event. See you in 2027!

The post School Reunion 2026 appeared first on Steve's Blog.

It’s another of our TV Dinners and Movie Nights with mates! Tonight, it’s The Mandalorian and Grogu released earlier this year in Cinemas and available, digitally, courtesy of Amazon Prime.

We’re getting into a rhythm with our Movie Nights (see the bottom of this Post for the list so far). Film, Food and Friends – perfect!

And this was our 13th . In the audience tonight: Jo, Janet – and of course, Ann.

On the Menu..

Tempting our tastebuds tonight was Salmon with a panko breadcrumb topping (and optional Hollandaise Sauce) with Baked Jackets, Oven-baked Courgettes and Garden Peas. Fish isn’t my usual first-choice, but this was super-scrummy!

…followed by a tasty Cheeseboard.

Official Trailer

Main Cast

More details and the full Cast list is HERE, (courtesy of IMDB).

Theme Tune

For us, probably one of the best film theme tunes ever by Ludwig Göransson

OK, we’re going in!!

This movie spin-off from the very successful Disney+ series had been on my list for a while. We all missed it the first time around back in May, when it hit the cinemas, so it was good to be able to catch up in the comfort of our own home. All helped along, of course, with a yummy Supper, courtesy of Ann!

But was it any good? Given that technically, it was considered to be a commercial ‘flop’ (only taking $344m at the Box Office), was it as bad as the bank balance suggested? $344m??? . It sounds fine to me given the budget of $165m. But apparently not. I read recently that having taken into account the marketing costs and all the other ‘bits and bobs’ that go with making a movie successful these days, total costs came in at a whopping £265m-$320m!

Ouch! That’s a bit close!

Forgetting the finances then, from a purely entertainment viewpoint, we all thoroughly enjoyed it – even Ann, who usually avoids sci-fi movies like the plague! Just over two hours later, we’d enjoyed a good ol’ fashioned good vs evil plot supported by excellent special effects – and who can resist ‘Baby Yoda’ – aka Grogu? Think of a typical ‘Western’ but with spaceships! The humans, meanwhile, acted their socks off, which was tough, given that (like many films of this genre) they’d been acting in a totally green-screen environment. If you like or love the Star Wars franchise, you’ll enjoy this one!

I actually can’t understand why it didn’t do better on the big screen. Those in the know suggest that audiences just weren’t used to seeing the characters on the BIG SCREEN (given that the initial success was in a Disney+ series via your humble TV!). Perhaps that’s why WE enjoyed it so much!? . Also in its favour was the storyline itself. Compared to our other recent film night – Avatar – Fire and Ash, this had a much simpler plot, so almost no brain required – just knives and forks and a comfy seat!

Maybe, sometimes, small screen and a simple plot is the magic formula!

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The Northants Nutters got together today for a celebration at the ever-reliable The Olde Victoria in Burton Latimer.

Fellow Nutter, Sue, had her birthday coming up in a few weeks, and it was therefore the perfect opportunity to get together, given that we haven’t seen each other since the Nutter’s Christmas ‘Do’ last year.

Before the celebratory meal, we also planned to discuss our plans for the Nutters’ Christmas Break later this year. Forty-five minutes later, it was almost ‘mission accomplished’ as we’d now successfully booked our tickets for the famous Thursford Christmas Spectacular (just!) and as we headed for our 1pm table we only had the evening meal rota, the shopping list, and after-dinner games to agree on.

The food was as good as we remembered – and it gave us our first opportunity to sample their new Menu, which had only recently been introduced. We kicked off with Olives (for those of us who love them) plus a bottle of red between Geoff, Paul and me.

Being big Burger fans, Ann and I tried out their new 6-ounce Aberdeen Angus option. Delicious! (where there was a wide range of accompaniments on offer too! – a Cheese slice for me, melted cheese plus bacon for Mrs P).

Yummy Dessert choices too!

Dessert really hit the spot! I hadn’t been able to decide between the Cheesecake or the Raspberry Roulade – Nicki too! – so we shared!

It had been great to catch up today, where the Olde Vic was the ideal venue. Thanks for treating us Sue, it was good to celebrate your special day in style (and in advance!) . The Nutters re-assemble again in December for our big Christmas Break in Norfolk.

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It’s another of our TV Dinners and Movie Nights with mates!

We’ve enjoyed a growing number of these in the past few years (see the bottom of this Post for the list so far). For us, they’re the perfect blend of the three Fs! – good friends, good food and a good film! This was our 12th in recent years

With us tonight were Nicki, Jo, Janet and Carol who joined us just before 5.30pm.

Dinner!

Ann was in the Galley and prepared a feast for us all. On tonight’s menu – being a Friday – it was Fish ‘n’ Chips! . Hate Mushy Peas? Ann had us covered with the more traditional sort too!

It all went down a treat! And if that wasn’t enough, we followed it with a homemade Orange & Almond Cake with Crème Fraîche – so yummy, I forgot to take any photos of it! . We ate on our laps as the film’s long run-time.

OK, we’re going in!!

Official Cinema Poster

Official Trailer

Main Cast

More details and the full Cast list is HERE, (courtesy of IMDB).

Rated 12 and running for a bladder-testing 3 hours 17 minutes, this was a difficult one to rate. On one hand, we all marvelled at the sheer imagination that went into the story and how it looked, on screen! James Cameron is another of those Directors who likes to ‘think big’ – and this one was absolutely massive in scope and vision. The storyline, however, was err, ‘challenging’, where other less generous folk might have labelled it, ‘incomprehensible’, instead! . Plenty of famous faces in this one, although you’d be hard pushed to spot who-was-who beneath the CGI-ness of it all!

On one level this was a sci-fantasy tale on a grand scale – think Star Wars on steroids (good vs evil/man vs machine/hope vs destiny etc etc), whilst on another level, it was allegorical, exploring the reality of humanity and nature working in harmony. No-one would consider this a lightweight story by any means, and it required a lot of concentration to stay on top of it. Consequently, tonight, the pause button was used frequently to cater for loo breaks (remember the run-time!), food preparation and drinks refills! . You couldn’t really afford to miss any of it to stay ahead of the curve, and it certainly wasn’t one to watch if you’d had one too many glasses of grape! And, even though we tried (we really did!) there were moments where – speaking personally – my brain was whispering: “what is going on here… and more importantly, why?“

Overall, did it matter that some of us hadn’t seen, or couldn’t remember the previous two instalments in the series? Yes, probably definitely! With that in mind, and you are following in our footsteps, if you can’t manage BOTH of the previous films in the series, then rewatching the very first, is a must!

As the final credits rolled at just after 9.30pm, we were shattered! The sheer amount of brain cells required to keep up with what was going on had left us confused/confounded/impressed in (roughly) equal measure.

Phew!

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Off to The Wheatsheaf at Titchmarsh today to meet up with longtime friends – Chris and Gill. Gosh! We haven’t been here since we met up with Mick & Jane back in January 2025.

The Wheatsheaf has been on our go-to eateries list for many years. Like many similar establishments, it’s had its highs and lows – and seen a few owners too! When we were here back in 2025, it was ‘OK’ rather than ‘Wow!’.
– Food… but service…

We all arrived about the same time, and after grabbing a drink at the Bar, it was a gorgeous day, so we sat outside for eating.

Happily, the service levels were back to their usual high standard, and we were soon perusing their Lunch Menu.

It had to be the Homemade Steak & Ale Pie for me, whilst Ann tucked into their Beef-Burger (sans bun!) and Chris and Gill picked the Fish & Chips. The food was as good as ever, and it was good to experience the great service that we remember from earlier years. In fact, it felt like the perfect day, soaking up the sun, and catching up with great friends! .

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Here we are at our (mostly) annual pilgrimage to Kilworth House Theatre.

Familiar faces all round as we shared the experience with Jo, Janet, Carol and Helen after meeting up at Portly Farm (better known for its Christmas Trees) for a light bite! This year’s offering was Cole Porter’s: ‘Anything Goes’ and it’s running from 23rd June to 2nd August 2026. Today was a little unusual as it was the first time we’d be seeing a title that we’d seen before here – back in August 2013.

Synopsis

Set aboard the luxurious ocean liner S.S. American, Anything Goes is a madcap musical comedy brimming with mistaken identities, romantic entanglements, and high-seas hijinks. When nightclub singer Reno Sweeney boards the ship bound for London, she finds herself entangled in a tangled web of love triangles, disguises, and outrageous schemes involving a lovestruck stowaway, a debutante, her eccentric fiancé, and a gangster posing as a minister. With its witty dialogue, dazzling dance numbers, and a score packed with Cole Porter’s most beloved songs – including “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “You’re the Top,” “Friendship,” and the show-stopping “Anything Goes” It’s easy to see why Anything Goes is widely regarded as one of the best Broadway Musicals of all time.
©Kilworth House & Theatre

Runtime = 165 minutes

For new readers, or those unfamiliar with the venue, this is like going to a London West End Theatre production – but on our doorstep! We’ve been coming here for quite a few years, and it ALWAYS impresses us with the quality of its productions.

Not surprisingly, by curtain up, today was a sell-out, even if the car-park, on arrival, had suggested otherwise.

Boy! It sure was hot as the second heatwave continues in the UK and is showing no sign of leaving. In fact, Anglian Water (in keeping with most of the other Water Companies) has declared a hosepipe ban for us in the last 24 hours.

Kilworth House Theatre Visits

We’re building quite a list!

Kilworth 2025 – 42nd Street
Kilworth 2023 – Hairspray
Kilworth 2022 – Carousel
Kilworth 2021 – Memory of the Musicals
Kilworth 2019 (2) – Cats
Kilworth 2019 (1) – Joseph
Kilworth 2017 – Top Hat
Kilworth 2014 (2) – South Pacific
Kilworth 2014 (1) – Sister Act
Kilworth 2013 (2) – My Fair Lady
Kilworth 2013 (1) – Anything Goes
Kilworth 2012 – The Sound of Music

We don’t go every year, splitting our cultural time with Tolethorpe Hall that also caters for luvvies like us AND it’s an outside Theatre too! They really are all top-notch performances at both venues, and the fact that they’re outdoors, adds a certain extra something to the experience.

Cast & Creatives

Emily Mae Walker (Hamilton) as Reno Sweeney, Richard Carson (Titanique) as Billy Crocker, Megan Gardiner (Wicked, UK and Ireland Tour) as Hope Harcourt, Tom Hopcroft (Sister Act The Musical) as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, Dougie Carter (The Phantom of the Opera) as Moonface Martin, Sophie Naglik (Back to the Future The Musical) as Erna and Penelope Woodman (Wicked) as Evangeline Harcourt. Joining them were Lindsay Atherton, Lauren Dawes, Tia Gyngell, Helen Rose George, Alanna Panditaratne, Poppy Sharman, Ellie-Grace Cousins, Charlie Bishop, Robert Adam McNeilly, Toby Seddon, Charlie Robert Gary Miller, Thomas Walton, Gregor McCann and Aidan Stuart.

Produced by Celia Mackay, the creative team includes Musical Supervisor & Director Rick Coates, Set and Costume Designer Phillip Witcomb, Lighting Designer Jason Taylor, Sound Designer Chris Whybrow, Associate Director and Choreographer Emma Hunter and Casting Director Sarah Goggin.

Wow!

Well, as expected, it was a brilliant production! – possibly one of the best we’ve seen here. Emily Mae Walker in the lead female role absolutely dominated the performance with her stage presence. Given the soaring temperatures and the energetic routines, the cast took it all in their stride and (literally) didn’t break a sweat!

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Morning Readers!!

We’ve been in Kent since Tuesday in search of Castles! On the list was:-

We’ve been staying at Channel View Apartments in Deal and checked out after breakfast today. It hasn’t been the best of accommodation, but it’s put us in the right location for what we had planned. Parking has been challenging and we didn’t need an alarm clock because the seagulls rise early around here (just before 4am!). Thanks, Gulls!

If you came here to read about our Castle Capers they’re all done for this visit and you can read about them below:-

Tuesday – Arrival
Wednesday – Deal Castle & Walmer Castle
Thursday – Dover Castle

For completists, here’s what we did today…

And so, with all the Castles conquered, we headed towards Maidstone for a one-night sleepover and to catch up with a work-mate of Ann’s (and a BBQ) before hitting the road early tomorrow heading home. But before Maidstone, I heard the word ‘sandwich’ which caught my attention!

Sandwich

I must have misheard as I saw the sat-nav was pointing to the town rather than the snack! Doh!

Sandwich lies on the River Stour and has a population of around 5000. It is one of the Cinque Ports and is probably most people’s idea of what a ‘olde English’ town looks and feels like!

Scenes around Sandwich

Well, the town certainly lived up to expectations. An immaculate location that appeared to be frozen in time – and looking all the better for it!

To complete the picture, it even has a Toll Bridge! (No tolls these days, though!)

The Guildhall Museum

If you want a potted history of Sandwich, then the Guildhall Museum (located in the 16th Century Guildhall) is the place to visit – and just a minute or so from the main car-park.

Admission is free and it’s a good use of an hour of your time. The staff were enthusiastic and knowledgeable – the perfect combo!

On the ground floor there is a comprehensive maritime history of the town that was once the second busiest Port after London! Who knew? . The photo above is of something that we didn’t know existed – a early sea mine dating back to the 18th century and designed by American inventor Robert Fulton.

On the next floor, the perfectly preserved Town Court (last used in 1987). David, one the staff gave us chapter and verse about the Court and how it operated. It was in great condition and these days it’s mostly used for Weddings!

Elevenses

Time for a pitstop at the appropriately named ‘The Sandwich Shop’!

A couple of coffees and a slice of Victoria Sponge later, we were ready for anything! (well, almost!). It was then back to the car as we headed west for the 50 mile journey from Sandwich to Maidstone.

Maidstone

First stop was the NEXT store on the lookout for some bargains. Even though this was an ‘out of town’ site, parking was nowhere near large enough and it soon became clear that some drivers had created their own parking spaces – just because… well… they could! For the rest of us, it made manouevering into the official spaces even more difficult. May your cars be full of seagulls on your return!!!

After bagging a few deals at NEXT (and encouraging the Gulls to stick around), we drove the short distance to the newish M&S in order to top up EVie. Yikes, the car-park was manic and although we got a space for charging pretty quickly, that area too, was full within minutes! Unlike NEXT, the drivers here seemed a lot more considerate!

We had a picnic lunch in the car before heading to M&S. In spite of its gleaming appearance, it had opened back in August 2020 but looked almost brand new.

Inside was massive! It included a Food Hall and one of the largest clothing areas I think I’ve ever seen. A Café and a Click and Collect point completed the picture. Not surprisingly, it was busy too! Whoever said that people are tightening their belts, obviously none of these customers had seen the memo!

It was another scorcher outside and we hurried back to the car and fired up the AC . Altough it began cooler this morning, it was now definitely hotter than yesterday. The car said 29℃ but it fell a lot, lot (lot) warmer. Next stop? The Premier Inn

We arrived at the Premier Inn about half an hour before official check-in of 3pm, but good ol’ Premier Inn allocated our room ahead of schedule and we were soon on our way to room 32 for the night.

Better still, they’d thoughtfully put the most important item in the room without asking – a rather high-tech fan!

Just time for a short siesta before getitng into ‘BBQ mode’.

It’s 5.45 and thankfully, it was a little cooler outside, as we took the short 15 minute drive to David and Anne-Marie’s BBQ. Tomorrow, we’re checking out early, hoping to be home by 10am (ish).

Thanks for reading this far, everyone! . See you on the other side!

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Welcome to Day 3, loyal readers!

It’s our last full day here in Deal staying at Channel View Apartments where it’s been the perfect location for our ‘Castles Caper’ (even if the parking has been ‘challenging’!).

On our Castle Capers list is:-

With Deal Castle and Walmer Castle conquered yesterday, guess where we went today?

Yes, we’ve had Dover Castle in our sights today. It only took us about 10 minutes to get there, and weather-wise, what a great day for it! Our hats, sunglasses and suncream are certainly on overtime!

Compared with Deal and Walmer, Dover Castle is massive! There is more than just the Castle walls to see here, and we therefore both felt we’d saved the most impressive until last.

Dover Castle

Built by Henry II, and commanding the shortest sea crossing between England and the continent, Dover Castle has a long and immensely eventful history. Known as the ‘key to England’, this great fortress has played a crucial role in the defence of the realm for over nine centuries, a span equalled only by the Tower of London and Windsor Castle. Read a more detailed timeline here on the English Heritage website.

Impressive, ehh?!?! What makes this Castle extra special is that it also has secret tunnels put to various uses underneath (more about that later).

We arrived around 9.20am – 40 minutes before opening time (we’d seriously over-estimated the journey time!) – but there was soon a long queue behind us. Helpfully, a member of staff walked the queue and explained the admissions process. For EH Members, wait for the green traffic light (it’s a partial one-way system initially up to the car parks) and point the car ‘upwards’.

At the summit, there were three car parks to choose from, with the middle option getting us closest to the admission area, but the lower one would have been better for shade. The upper area would have helped with our step count!

The Castle

It’s an impressive structure that dwarfs its sister Castles at Deal and Walmer. What to cover first? Fortunately, the helpful staff must have been asked that question a million times before and quickly explained the best route (Lighthouse and Church first, then the Castle and finally the Tunnels and the Hospital).

10.05am:
Colton’s Gate

Colton’s Gate is the first construction you’ll see as you head for the Castle itself. It’s an impressive 13th-century octagonal gate-tower built on instructions of the ever-popular King John and historically grants access to and guards the approach to the Anglo-Saxon Church and Roman Lighthouse. Built in the early 1200s, the Gate was re-roofed by the War Office around 1900.

10.10am:
The Church and Lighthouse (yes, really!)

Amazingly, the Pharos (Lighthouse) was constructed in 2AD by the Romans, and most of it was still standing – in later years, it became the Church’s bell-tower! The inside of the Anglo-Saxon Church dating back early 600AD – St Mary in Castro – had been heavily restored and looked beautiful. We might have stayed longer, but ‘Class 3B’ had also arrived about the same time as us, obviously working on a school project and took up most of the room by the altar – time for a swift exit!!

10.20am:
Inside the Castle

Today featured steps and lots of them! Our first encounter was heading for the battlements of the Castle and to look around the Great Tower.

Every room was immaculate and had been decorated to reflect the period. There were plenty of Guides on hand to answer questions, although I wouldn’t have fancied their job today as it was already quite hot in the rooms.

10.35am:
The View from the top

The climb to the top was worth it! I counted about 80 steps, but it felt more like 8000! As our feet slowly recovered, we admired the views from all four sides of the Tower.

10.45am:
The Regimental Museum

We headed down a different set of stairs (still the same number though – I counted them!) Next stop? The Regimental Museum. The Regiments depicted here dated back to 1572, and there were plenty of exhibits on display to re-tell their respective histories.

Admission was free, and the displays and exhibits had been put together with a great eye for detail.

Even if you only have a passing interest in military history, it’s worth a look. It’s also worth visiting as it was nice and cool inside whilst outside had already hit 25℃ (and it was only 11am!)

Tunnels, Tunnels and more Tunnels

The secret tunnels (well, not that secret these days!) are located beneath the white cliffs of Dover and Dover Castle. They weren’t just used in WWII, but served as a barracks for soldiers during the Napoleonic Wars too! Later, they were headquarters and a war hospital during the Second World War under Winston Churchill. The war theme continued in the 1960s, when it served as a Regional Seat of Government in the 1960s in the event of nuclear war.

Opinions seemed to vary, but one account of the tunnels suggests there are over 15 miles of them!

11.20am:
The Spur Tunnels

The Spur Tunnels were built in the early 13th century to allow soldiers to quickly get to the northern tip of the Castle. They were remodelled in the 1790s to better assist the next generation to more effectively defend the Castle.

Yes, more stairs to get to the Tunnels!!!

It was just coming up to midday, and we were both wilting with the heat. After a brief sit down in the shade we spotted something unusual in the NAAFI restaurant! We learned that (with a massive dose of irony) it was called the Pocket Pistol and it has quite a history. The 24-foot-long bronze cannon was originally cast in 1544. It is thought to have been presented to Henry VIII as a gift for his young daughter Elizabeth and is known to have been referred to as Queen Elizabeth’s Pocket Pistol by an article in the Gentleman’s Magazine from 1767. The cannon is thought to have been used during the English Civil War, described as ‘the Great Basilisco of Dover’.

12.05pm:
The WWII Tunnels (aka Cliff Casemates)

We were disappointed to learn that no photography was allowed once we descended into the Tunnels. No explanation was given, but we think that the Tunnels are still in use by the State (where’s my tin-foil hat? ). Amazingly, they date back to 1793 and have been used on and off ever since in times of war. More especially from 1942 when they became a combined HQ for the military services. They are probably more famously known for where the Dunkirk evacuation of May 1940 – codenamed ‘Dynamo‘ – was masterminded.

The Tour itself lasted around 45 minutes and was part AV and part explanation by Kate our EH Guide. Quite a lot of walking, often in semi-darkness, gave a good feel for how it might have been for those who HAD to be here over the centuries.

1.03pm:
The Hospital (more Tunnels!)

Just like the War Tunnels, no photography was allowed in here either. Our Guide, Cara, explained that the Hospital aka ‘Dressing Station’ could look after as many as 100 patients, supported by 200 trained medical staff. Built in 1941–1942 as an annexe to the military command tunnels, it features a fully-equipped operating theatre and wards.

The Tour itself took an imaginative approach. Led by Cara we travelled through the myriad of tunnels supported by a recorded commentary complete with authentic period sound effects such as air-raid sirens and voices of the doctors and surgeons of the time. Flickering lights and complete blackouts added to the authenticity.

Not being allowed to take photographs was a definite disadvantage, whereas, unlike next door in the WWII Tunnels, we couldn’t think of a reason why not. We ended our tour with MORE STAIRS … and the famous ‘double helix’ staircase that allows two groups of soldiers to ascend/descend without literally running inot each other!

1.45pm:
Phew!

We ended our visit at the Memorial to Vice Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay (unveiled in 2000), who planned and directed Operation Dynamo. And that’s when we decided to call it a day. It was now so hot, the best place would have been in the Tunnels!

2.05pm: Lunch

We usually cover these sort of places at some pace, but this one still took us 4 hours – and we could have probably spent even longer here! There’s a lot to take in but the staff here were great – helpful, happy, enthusiastic and professional – just like their colleagues at the other two Castles we’ve visited. After a quick picnic lunch it was back to the car and a stop off at Aldi in Deal for a top-up charge for EVie.

Time to pack when we get back – for our departure tomorrow, just after 9am.

Tomorrow

We say goodbye to our Castle Capers and head for Maidstone for a single-night sleepover and to catch up with friends in nearby West Malling.

The post The Kent Castles Caper! – Day 3 appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Morning all! Here we are in Deal, Kent. We arrived yesterday to a scorching hot day – and impossible parking (more about that in a while!). We’re taking a short break with our cultural heads on – in search of Castles! On the list during our stay is:-

Yes, we plan to give those English Heritage Cards a real workout before we leave on Friday! .

We woke at 3.45am to ‘nature’s alarm clock’ aka a herd of seagulls – and what sounded like a the worst Britain’s Got Talent audition! Step forward, about half a dozen of our winged warblers screaming at each other to prove who had the largest lungs and biggest beaks! How we laughed!! Thanks gulls!!!

We’re staying at Channel View Apartments in Deal Castle Road. It’s not bad accommodation, but we’ve had better. It has all we need and is well-equipped, but looks a little ‘tired’ in places (a little like me!). There’s plenty of space in the lounge, but location-wise, the most crucial issue is car parking – or complete lack of it!

With the car parking challenge, maybe they should call this place ‘Deal or No Deal’. Honestly, it’s like being in London: a great location and plenty to see – but parking is not easy if you’re a stranger! Actually, no, it’s worse than London as there doesn’t appear to be ANY long-term parking at all within easy reach of where we are and where signage for parking is non-existent (apart from the residents zones and short term affairs). And just to screw any thought of promoting tourism at this end of town, all the immediate parking is subject to a two-hour maximum and no return within the hour! Thanks, Dover Council . They don’t need Castles round here to thwart an invasion, they just need to paint double yellows everywhere! Oh, wait! They already have!!!

Therefore at the top of our list today is to talk with the locals to determine what we do with the car for the next few days! Disappointingly, I think the nearest long-stay car-park might be in France! Oh ye, of little faith, the mystery is solved, thanks to one of the helpful Staff at Deal Castle – more about that later in this Post.

Today’s plan? We’ve two Castles in mind – nearby Deal Castle and then, a shortish walk away, Warmer Walmer Castle. The former is so close, we can almost touch it from where we’re staying, whilst Walmer Castle is 30 minutes by foot. Thankfully, it’s a little cooler here today, contrary to the national forecast with ‘early 20s’ being the maximum. In spite of the ideal walking conditions though and the short distance between the Castles, we’ll probably take the car to escape the clutches of the local Traffic Enforcers!

Once we’re all ‘castled-out, we’re going to take a drive into Deal town and have a look around.

Deal Castle

Deal Castle was built in 1539–40 on Henry VIII’s order as an artillery fortress, designed to allow all-round firepower from over 140 guns. For over 250 years it defended the important naval anchorage called the Downs, and in 1648 endured a hard-fought siege between Royalist and Parliamentarian forces during the English Civil Wars. From 1730 it was gradually transformed into a genteel residence, and its military role had effectively ceased by around 1800 (Thanks, English Heritage!).

Ann chatted with two of the Guides to gain some more background information, and here’s what we learned: It was built in just a year and using just 1427 men. But better than that, not just Deal Castle but they constructed Walmer Castle and Sandown Castle too in that same 12 months! Impressive! Now that’s what I call ‘productivity’!Of the three, Sandown Castle is no more, (today, it’s a Community Garden), whilst here at Deal and nearby Walmer, they certainly pull in the crowds.

It was just a short flight of stairs up to the battlements with some stunning views from the top.

It was a beautiful day for it, and the breeze from the ocean worked a treat as the temperature was now already higher than the forecast! . A perfect opportunity to descend and look inside the Castle.

It was like it had its own air-conditioning! Wonderfully cool and such a contrast to outside. We ended our visit with a wander around ‘ground level’ outside. It had been a thoroughly enjoyable visit with knowledgeable Guides, stunning views and a beautiful day for it!

Next stop? Walmer Castle, a short drive away. But before all that, as promised, here’s the official ‘line’ on parking here in Deal. Our thanks to Melanie, who was on the front desk at Deal Castle, who explained how it all works!

Yes, parking for more than a few hours is challenging, and yes, there are the occasional spaces in side streets BUT… there are long-term Car-Parks in Deal, but as we suspected, they were nowhere near where we’re staying – see below. The parking is managed by Dover Council and the Wardens are very visible and doing their job!

Happily, there was an official workaround for us. As we suspected yesterday, we could take advantage of being English Heritage members. Parking in any of their car parks is free from 6pm until 9am – and when parked, you are given three hours free. So today, we plan to park the car in Deal Castle car park just after 3pm (using our free three hours) and plan to leave by 9am tomorrow. Simples!

Walmer Castle

Thanks again to English Heritage, here are some essential facts about this Castle.
Walmer Castle was built in 1539–40 by Henry VIII in response to threats of invasion from Europe. It was all part of a 2.7-mile coastal barrier that included Deal and Sandown Castles. During the English Civil Wars, Walmer came under siege from Parliamentarian forces, but since the 18th century, Walmer has been the official residence of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. The Cinque Ports are a series of major ports on the south-east coast of England. They are Sandwich, Dover, Hythe, New Romney and Hastings. By the mid-18th century, the castle had become a well-equipped seaside retreat as well as a Fort.

As we approached Walmer Castle, the weather was definitely warmer than the forecast. Cue hats and sunglasses! . After parking the car (drat! All the shady spaces had gone!) we headed for the entrance. What makes this Castle a little different to its sister in Deal is that it has impressive Gardens, and because it was the residence of the ‘Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports‘ too, it all felt somewhat grander than ‘just’ a Castle. It became the official residence of the Lord Warden in 1607 and is still in use today. The position dates back to the 12th century and is highly coveted.

Our first stop then had to be the Lord Warden’s Apartment. Notable ‘Lords Warden’ include William Pitt the Younger, the Duke of Wellington, W H Smith (later T G Jones ) and the Queen Mother. The slightly macabre factoid is that the Duke of Wellington actually died here at Walmer Castle in 1852 – and they still have the actual chair where we ‘left this world’. It wasn’t surprising, therefore to see a lot of exhibits celebrating the DoW’s life – including his boots!

The Castle was impressive, but the Apartment was a very pleasant surprise. Each room was special in its own way, and English Heritage have done a great job in conserving the property.

I was just getting started with my photographs when I noticed that there was a sign prohibiting any form of photography or video – so I stopped! . A shame really, as it would have been good to show off the decor. The above two are all I got! – no, I don’t know what the red light does!

If Deal Castle had been impressive, then here at Walmer, it was even more so – but the best was yet to come! As we wandered into the Gardens, it was easy to spot that it was well-loved. Everything seemed to be in rude health, and it looked especially impressive on this very hot day against a perfect blue sky!

..and if that didn’t impress, then their Kitchen Garden was even more impressive!

Wow! What an impressive location! We headed back to the car for a picnic lunch before heading off into the town of Deal.

The Town of Deal

Here we are in the Town. Today, with its population of around 32000, Deal is a former fishing, mining and garrison town. Deal became a ‘limb port’ of the Cinque Ports in 1278 and grew into the busiest port in England; today it is a seaside resort, its streets and houses a reminder of its history along with many ancient buildings and monuments. In 1968, Middle Street was the first conservation area in Kent.

Meanwhile, in 2026, we were here to get a ‘feel’ for the town – and a meal for tonight!

It was a busy town and definitely had a buzz about it. The shops were a mix of mostly well-known high street brands plus a few independents. Nice to see a fresh fish shop on the high street in 2026!

But old habits die hard, and we couldn’t resist checking out the local Sainsbury’s here in Deal. Opened in 1998, it looked much newer and looking around, we think it’s the largest supermarket in Deal. With Dinner tonight sorted, we headed back to the Apartment having covered a grand total of FOUR miles in the car today!

Tomorrow

Tomorrow, we’re off to Dover. We’ve never spent any time together in Dover before now (except for grabbing a Ferry to France), whilst I’d spent a lot of time here, as part of my day job, during the brand-new Dover Sainsbury’s opening back in 1980!

See you on Thursday!!

The post The Kent Castles Caper! – Day 2 appeared first on Steve's Blog.

We’re off to Kent for a week – in search of Castles! On the list is:-

Yes, we plan to melt those English Heritage Cards before the week is out!

We’re staying and self-catering at Channel View Apartments in Deal until Thursday…

…and then, later in the week, we’re heading for Maidstone and booking-into the Premier Inn in Sandling in time for meeting up with a ex-work friend of Ann’s in the town for an evening meal.

We left home just before 9.45am and had a trouble-free journey – even the M25 was well-behaved! We stopped off at Thong Services (yes, really!) near Gravesend, having covered about ⅔rds of our journey, and even though we only had another hour to go, it felt like the right time for a break.

Hhhhm! Thong Services. That’s a first! Motorway Services named after an item of clothing! . Somehow, just the name suggested it might not be a very attractive location – and that proved to be true. What a dump! In fact, it’s obviously so unpopular and unknown, even Mr Google can’t find it! In truth, that probably meant we’d got the wrong name, but it was in the village of Thong and it was err, a ‘Services’ area – and we did follow the signposts to ‘Services’.

Fifteen minutes later, with coffee, biscuits and chocolate consumed, we said a rather hurried goodbye to possibly the weirdest village name we’d ever come across (and the crappiest of Motorway Services).

It was then back in the car for the final part of our journey. Looking ahead, we knew we’d be too early to check into our accommodation, so we filled the time by taking a slight diversion and heading for a massive slice of local history in the town of Sandwich – the ruins of the ancient Roman Fort and Ampitheatre called ‘Richborough’.

Roman Fort and Ampitheatre

The Romans considered Richborough a significant location in their invasion of Britain, and they landed here before heading for the Medway and then the Thames before ending up in Colchester. Thus, Richborough Roman Fort became a significant ‘dot on the map’ in Roman Britain.

We weren’t sure what to expect when we arrived, but one thing was certain – it was HOT! Very HOT! . Touching 32℃ at just before 1pm and showing no signs of cooling down, meant that this was going to be a quicker look around than we originally planned. A short walk from the makeshift car-park took us to the site. Much to see? There’s certainly a fair amount of the Fort’s wall left – a testament to their construction skills – but very little else.

The 2000-year-old walls looked as solid as ever, but it did require a degree of imagination to fill in the gaps and imagine how the complete Fort might have looked ‘back in the day’. Apart from the very solid walls, we learned there had been some significant archaeological finds here too, and in the visitor area they’d built a small museum, packed with what had been uncovered.

The Museum was amazing! . There was a lot more here than we imagined! Definitely worth a visit, just to see what they’ve found (so far!). As we ended our visit with a well-deserved Magnum each, we caught up with what happened to the town after the Romans left. Not surprisingly, the town went into decline around AD410, but the legacy of Richborough lived on for a while as the town was one of the last military bases to be occupied by the Romans. In later years, evidence was unearthed of another settlement – Anglo-Saxon – here between AD 400-900. The maritime connection in the shape of the nearby Wantsum Channel eventually silted up, by the early 17th century, making it inaccessible to big ships. Sadly, what we saw today – the impressive fort walls – are all that’s left as a testament to its former glory.

The last mile or so to the Fort had been very narrow and quite twisty. if you follow in our footsteps, take care! . In fact, we had considered turning RIGHT out of the Fort, but according to the staff on duty, that route was even worse!!

With our history lesson over for the day, it was off to our final stop for the day – Deal – to top up the car at the local Aldi and to sort out a meal for tonight.

Luckily, it was easy to find! Unusually, it also had very fast EV chargers and we were soon plugged-in and whilst EVie enjoyed a blast of kilowatts, we headed to the store to pick up some food. We were in and out inside 30 minutes, which meant that by the time we got to the car, EVie was well on the way to being 80% fully charged

Channel View Apartments

At just after 3.30pm, we arrived at our bed for the next three nights – Channel View Apartments – where we’d covered a total of just over 150 miles.

First impressions? Not easy to pinpoint. Second impressions? Although we knew there was ‘only’ on-street parking, try finding some! After about a dozen laps around the block, I gave up and parked on double yellows right outside to allow us to get our luggage to our apartment.

Yikes, this was going to be a challenge! It was now 34℃ outside and about 134℃ inside the Apartment. Whilst I left Ann to do the unpacking, I returned to the car to scour the coastline for a parking space. Luckily, on the 17th lap, I spotted one just half a mile from our apartment. Unfortunately, it was limited to a maximum of two hours. Ah well, let’s go for two hours and see what happens! With parking secured (for at least the next few hours, at least) we settled in to our new home.

We’re on the ground floor, and it’s got all the basics. It looks like an old Edwardian house has been ‘carved up’ and turned into multiple dwellings, but there’s plenty of room. Decor-wise, it could do with a coat of paint in places, although the furniture in the lounge and the kitchen looked quite new. It’s not the most luxurious of apartments, but it’ll provide all we need for our short stay. The only ‘issue’ is the parking and as the clock counted down to our two-hour maximum, we decided to head out for a short spin to see if we could find a more permanent parking solution.

Not a chance! All the spaces in the immediate area were taken, and everywhere else was double yellow lines! . Surely, we were missing something obvious (like a massive multi-storey hidden in plain sight?). Nope! And then Ann read that English Heritage members get parking for free on their properties – and as luck would have it, Deal Castle was right opposite our Apartment! There was the small matter of a THREE hour maximum, but the free ticket from the machine seemed to be suggesting that we were ‘OK’ until 11.47am tomorrow. That suited us fine as we’re visiting Deal Castle tomorrow around 10am.

Had we beaten the system? Who knows? Well, Dover Council probably knows, but let’s see how that turns out!

Tomorrow

Tomorrow, we’re heading for nearby Deal Castle.

We ate in tonight – and it went down a treat! . See you tomorrow!

The post The Kent Castles Caper! – Day 1 appeared first on Steve's Blog.

It’s pretty much on our doorstep, but 30 years after we moved to Northamptonshire, we finally got around to visiting Althorp House. Good mates and neighbours, Jo & Janet, joined us, in place of David & Valerie (who sadly, couldn’t make it today) heading for Althorp House.

Althorp is a Grade I-listed stately home and estate in the civil parish of Althorp, in West Northamptonshire, England covering about 13,000 acres. Althorp became one of the prominent stately homes in England where it dates back to 1688, replacing an earlier house that was once visited by Charles I. Inside and out, there have been some significant architectural changes , but on the whole, you’d never know and the House is one of the more attractive ones that we’ve visited over the years.

The estate was first opened to the public in 1953 by Albert Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer (1892–1975), to mitigate against taxation, where Althorp even had its own railway station called Althorp Park on the Northampton Loop Line until 1960. After his death, Albert passed Althorp to his son Edward John, 8th Earl Spencer, who had served as Equerry to King George VI (1950–52) and to Queen Elizabeth II (1952–54). Edward was a wine connoisseur and had an extensive wine cellar at Althorp. He made his own wine and attracted fellow connoisseurs from around the world to Althorp, although he did not sell much of it. During Edward’s ownership of Althorp, approximately 20% of the furnishings of Althorp were sold off. The divestment included eleven Van Dykes and nearly every religious painting in the collection, as well as estate housing, and drew severe public criticism, including from the heir. Edward left the estate to his son, the current owner Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, after his death in 1992. As a teenager, Charles served as a tour guide at the house and acquired a deep knowledge of Althorp, where he grew up with his sister – Diana, Princess of Wales.

We began the day with some coffee and cake at their café, taking advantage of the spacious courtyard.

It certainly was a lovely day for it! The perfect temperature for just wandering about, and soaking up the scenery and the good weather!

I was looking forward to snapping pictures of the interior as I’d heard they were ‘quite something’. But, it wasn’t to be, as we were reminded on entry that ‘no photography was allowed’.

That was a real shame! So, take my word for it, as about an hour later, with both floors covered, we had now seen the inside of the House for ourselves – and it was simply jaw-dropping! Not only was the decor stunning, but there were also so many paintings, it could have easily doubled as an Art Gallery. Plenty of well-trained staff on duty too, who only too eager to assist our understanding of this impressive pile of stone! Paintings aside, it had an impressive Library with over 100000 books!

I suppose if I was being unkind, it was simply ‘conspicuous wealth’ at its most, err, conspicuous and where for some, therefore, all of this would be almost obscene – but they’re probably not the type who would have visited anyway! For us four though, we loved it! It was just how you might imagine a country pile to be! . Even the Gardener’s House here is listed as a Grade II*

Reflecting on what we’d just seen, we took a wander with the ducks around the Oval Lake, where Diana, Princess of Wales is buried. The whole area was very tranquil and felt like the perfect resting place for this once-troubled Royal. Now, at last, at peace.

At one end was her Memorial where clearly the loss is still felt by some based on the fresh flowers that had been left there.

All that was left to do was have a final wander around, taking the Stable Block (now an exhibition hall) and the surrounding landscape.

We then headed back to the car for the straightforward journey home – or, it would have been if I’d dialled in the correct address on the Sat-Nav!

Instead, EVie took the more scenic route back taking us through Northampton (with all its customary congestion!). Usually, the Sat-Nav is pretty good at diagnosing the traffic flow and always picks the best route – but not today! How so? It turned out that I’d hit the wrong ‘previous destination’ and EVie returned from whence it came – the local Kia Dealer in Northampton!

How we laughed!

In spite of the more scenic route home, it had been a great way to spend a Friday!

The post First Visit: Althorp House appeared first on Steve's Blog.

21st June 2026

Welcome back to all my dedicated readers! This is our last full day here in Lancaster. The weather forecast is the best since we arrived, so we hope it’s accurate!

If you’ve just joined the conversation, here’s a quick recap… We arrived in Lancaster on Thursday – our first visit ever – and part of our UK-centric holidays for 2026.

Why Lancaster? It’s a town we knew nothing about, and in a part of the UK that we’ve always tended to pass through when travelling north. Ann tracked down a great little Pub/Hotel – The Borough Lancaster Hotel – so that was our accommodation sorted!

The Hotel has been great in every respect, and because of its location in the city, has allowed us to walk everywhere we’ve needed to go. We haven’t needed the car at all! Technologically speaking, it’s also provided the best WiFi we’ve ever seen in a UK Hotel – 95 up and 95 down – Perfect! – so, it’s certainly made my blogging easier!

For us, it’s a cultural holiday, where we’re learning about the city and its people, plus the wider area and its rich history. We’d done our homework before we left Kettering and created a shortlist of everywhere we wanted to see.

We’ve pretty much completed the list. The only places we didn’t get to was the Town Hall (closed on weekends), Williamson Park (we ran out of time) and although we wandered down to the Canal on our first night here, it didn’t really turn into a proper ‘walk’. Instead, as a bonus, we discovered the Lancaster Maritime Museum, which wasn’t originally on our list – but what a find that was!! (see yesterday’s Post)

Missed a Post?

Saturday’s – Day 3
Friday’s – Day 2
Thursday’s – Day 1

Today…

We strayed a little today and took the short train journey to Morecambe – and its glorious sandy beaches. We’ve got Lunch booked at the famous Midland Hotel in all its Art Deco glory, and we’re also heading to the Promenade to find the statue of Eric Morecambe.

Tough life, ehh!?!?

The Train

From Lancaster it was only a short journey – just two stops – and where we took the rather leisurely 10.30 (they run every hour on a Sunday). Great value too, costing us just over a fiver return, in total.

It turned out that we caught the last train out of Lancaster to Morecambe today, due to track maintenance – and it’ll be a bus coming back!

Morecambe Station looked very sleepy when we arrived. There wasn’t a soul in sight (and that’s how it would stay for the rest of the day).

Welcome to Morecambe Bay! Did you know that the Bay is in the Guinness Book of Records for “the largest expanse of intertidal mudflats and sand in the United Kingdom” – some 120 sq. miles! Just imagine me at parties!!

The Eric Morecambe Statue

The statue, sculpted from bronze, was made by Graham Ibbeson and unveiled by the Queen in July 1999. It shows one of the UK’s best-loved comedians in full ‘Bring me Sunshine’ mode – and that seemed wholly appropriate for today!

A Look out to Sea (1)

Itvwas turning into a beautiful day with the temperature already in the mid-20s. We wondered why there were a lot of ‘big boy’ lenses out today!

It’s Armed Forces Day today with a flypast by a solitary Hurricane!

Is that the time? It’s ice-cream o’clock of course! . Thanks for asking… it’s Strawberry and Chocolate plus the obligatory flake!

A Look out to Sea (2)

The deep blue sky and golden beaches continued to impress us!

The Midland Hotel

We’d only ever seen this Hotel on TV. It’s served as a filming location for several prominent productions, including the classic 1960 film The Entertainer and the 1990 Agatha Christie’s Poirot episode “Double Sin“. 

It’s been around a while and certainly has a striking appearance – even from a distance!

History of the Hotel in 100 Words!

Well, 115!

It was opened on 5 September 1903 at a cost of £1m (about £115m in 2026 money) and was built by the Midland Railway to serve Manchester Central station for its rail services to London St Pancras.

One of the lesser-known facts is that Hitler took a shine to it as a possible Nazi HQ for Britain! It was bought by the Paramount Hotel Group in 2004, and upgraded in a £12m renovation and then transferred to Hotels, Paramount’s sister company.

The hotel was sold in 2018 to a partnership between the Swedish firm Pandox and the Israeli firm Fattal Hotels, which undertook a second £14 million renovation. From 2023, the Midland Hotel has operated as a Leonardo Royal Hotel.

Inside…

Outside…

Lunch

Shall we say, Lunch was an interesting experience! I think we both had an image in our minds of what the four-star dining experience would be like – Sadly, today wasn’t it!

First and foremost, this is a four-star establishment and so NOT to have any Waiters at all to take your food order was a bit of a surprise. Instead, the once majestic Midland Hotel now required us to choose from the menu, walk to the Bar, queue with the rest of mankind, place and pay for our order – this was no better than your below-average Pub!

Desserts demanded an identical process requiring us to queue again! Err, no thanks! Any offer of mustard or horseradish with the Beef? Nope! A similar shortfall with the Turkey and the absence of Cranberry Sauce too. Well, at least they’re consistent. A filthy wine glass completed the lacklustre experience. This was going downhill fast.

The signs of cost-cutting were everywhere. No water for the table, paper napkins, and ‘help yourself’ cutlery because they can’t be asked to lay the table! So, no chance of a tip then! In fact, by having to pay up front at the Bar, before the meal began, completely removed any opportunity for tipping! A missed opportunity!

Conclusion? The Midland has become a pale shadow of its former self, and one venue that we’ll never see the inside of again! Thankfully!

We headed back to the Station on the lookout for the replacement bus service – hoping that it hadn’t been organised by the Midland Hotel!

Fortunately, it hadn’t! A shiny luxury coach arrived just up the road from the station, and we climbed aboard.

That didn’t take long! Within 40 minutes, we were sipping tea back at the Hotel.

Tomorrow

After four nights here, we head home after Breakfast. Lancaster began as a complete mystery to us, but ended up being in our ‘top five’ of ‘Cities to explore’. What a great few days away!

The post Lazy Days in Lancaster – Day 4 appeared first on Steve's Blog.

21st June 2026

Morning, loyal readers, and thanks for reading my Blog! It’s our second full day here in Lancaster, where we’re spending a few days exploring the local area. Yesterday, we dodged the showers and picked off a few destinations that were on our list (see below), including the Castle, the Gaol, the Courtroom, the Police Museum and the Judges Lodgings’ Museum. Phew!

Missed a Post?

Thursday’s is HERE
Friday’s is HERE

Currently, we’re staying in The Borough Lancaster Hotel, which puts us within walking distance of everywhere we’ve wanted to go. It’s quite a compact area anyway, and we’ve not missed the car at all.

Today looked like a kinder day weather-wise (thankfully!). But just in case, for our first adventure, we’re inside, with a backstage tour around Lancaster’s Grand Theatre – a ten-minute walk away.

Originally, we also had plans to visit the Town Hall to look around. They’re always much more interesting on the INSIDE than their exterior suggests. However, a bit of local knowledge is a great thing, and we discovered that they’re not open to the public on weekends! . Oh well, we’ve got the City Museum (located in the OLD City Hall) on our list and from there, we’ll see how it goes. So, we’ve got a plan – sort of – but before all that, it’s…

Breakast!

What’s that acronym? ‘KISS’ – Keep it Simple, Sausage! and we certainly did! It was a much lighter affair than yesterday’s humongous ‘Breakfast Burrito’ that almost needed a table to itself! .

The Grand Theatre

As planned, our first cultural stop of the day was at the Grand Theatre where we’d booked ourselves on the 10.30 Tour.

The Grand Theatre is one of the oldest theatres in England and the third-oldest in Britain, having been in near-continuous use since 1782 . We were one of the first to arrive, but it soon filled up. With fifteen minutes to go, there were almost 30 of us waiting for kick-off.

Adrian, one of our Guides, was taking his role very seriously and came dressed as one of the original Victorian owners – Charles Whitlock. He clearly knew his stuff and kept our attention throughout.

Because of the large numbers today, we were split into two groups. Hats off (see what I did there!?) to the staff here, as they’re all unpaid volunteers and these tours run across the week on most days. Irena, another volunteer, was also on hand to look after the other half of the group.

Adrian took us through the chronological timeline of the Theatre’s history, where it became clear it certainly had experienced a few ups and downs – and a few fires too!

The Theatre receives no grants at all and relies wholly on the few productions it puts on through the year, plus the income generated from ticket sales from well-known comedians who use the venue as a type of ‘test bed’ for their performances before hitting the bigger Theatres around the UK.

Whilst Adrian entertained and educated half of us on stage (literally) Irena (above) showed us the area below the stage, including the dressing rooms.

Looking at the photographs hanging on the walls, there were more than a few famous faces (and there were at least three more walls like the two above!).

Twenty minutes later, we swapped around, giving our group an opportunity to experience the view seen by performers, where Adrian continued to explain how the Theatre grew in popularity, plus age-old theatre conventions including not wishing a Production: ‘Good Luck’ and not mentioning the name of ‘that Scottish Play’ .

…and what a view! Although we learned later that, because of theatre lighting, generally, the actor cannot usually see anything past the first two rows! Who knew!

We ended the Tour on the technical side of a production, where Adrian explained the increasing use of technology here in the 21st century.

Just before we said goodbye to the Theatre, there was just one final opportunity to experience the more usual view of the Stage! . A free cup of coffee also awaited us where we had an opportunity to chat with the staff. All in all, even if you’re not a theatre fan, this was a fascinating insight into their world and delivered with enthusiasm and energy by the volunteers.

What made this experience even more extraordinary was that it was completely free of charge! Thanks, everyone!

The City Museum

The Old Town Hall building in which the Museum is housed is of Georgian design and was recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II-listed building. It was designed by Major Thomas Jarrett and built between 1781 and 1783.

Inside, they had packed a lot into the two floors. Just £4 each for admission – great value!

Immediately past the admissions area were numerous exhibits that were part of the ‘Hidden Hoards and Fascinating Finds’ series – Lancaster’s summer exhibition. Wow! if you’re into coins, especially, there are some amazing collections on show here.

A real Roman milestone!

As we headed upstairs, we were in for a real treat!

The above ‘Memorial to Insus‘ (unearthed in 2005 and read more HERE) was probably the most valuable piece on display here (because of its rarity) and dates back to around c80AD – it looked brand new!

Similarly, the Burrow Carvings, a collection of 3rd-century Roman stone carvings discovered in 1794 near the Roman road into Lancaster and just as rare!

As we continued around the First Floor, we discovered a wide range of exhibits depicting the Lancashire Life…

But the best was yet to come in the shape of a museum-within-a-museum covering the King’s own Royal Regiment.

Covering 1680 to the present day.

The photos only show a fraction of what was on display here today. For those with only a passing interest in military history, this very comprehensive exhibition makes it all worthwhile. Read more about it HERE (but be prepared to put in a significant amount of time to do it justice!).

Wow! That was seriously well done!

We ended our visit with a trip to the museum Shop (actually, it was the only way through to the exit! ) where it punched well above its weight in terms of range and quality – keyring or fridge magnet anyone???

I think we were now all cultured out and it was turning into a very warm day out there. There was only one thing for it – ‘Elevenses’ – at a very relaxed 1.30pm!!! where we stopped off at nearby Diggles.

Pitstop

Another GREAT coffee (this is becoming a regular ‘thing’) with a scrummy slice of Lemon Drizzle Cake with superb service as well. Just leave us here!

Maritime Museum

After the pitstop, we decided to walk further to the Maritime Museum.

xx

It was a very pleasant walk as we headed for the old Custom House that is now the home of the Maritime Museum. Again, just a paltry £4 each to get in where the Museum is split into two halves. It occupies two historic buildings on St. George’s Quay, the heart of the city’s 18th-century harbour. Opened in 1985, it was designed in 1764 by Richard Gillow (Yes, he of the famous ‘Gillow’s cabinet-maker empire). It also incorporates the upper floor of the neighbouring warehouse, where goods were stored after being shipped into the port from all over the world.

We were advised to visit the Warehouse first, which put the town of Lancaster into a maritime context (who knew that the town used to be the fourth largest slave-trade port in England – and 29000 African slaves were traded here.

The Museums up here have all been excellent, and the Maritime Museum was no exception. It comprehensively covered everything – in a maritime sense – from slavery to offshore drilling for Gas in Morecambe (who knew? ).

The above boat is called a ‘Nobby’ and is used in the cockle-boat business in Morecambe Bay.

Another great experience, and we now understand the significance of Lancaster in the broader context of the rise and fall of a town’s maritime success.

At this point, lesser mortals would have grabbed a cab back to the Hotel. Not us! We decided to (ahem!) ‘experiment’ by turning LEFT out of the Museum and locate the Railway Station so that it’s more straightforward tomorrow when we take the train to Morecambe. Well, safe to say, it did all work out, but the walk was a lot further than either of us imagined – and it was now the hottest it had been all day . On a positive note, it’s upped our step-count, plus, we’ve now discovered parts of the town that most people don’t get to see!

So, all good then!

Phew! The afternoon was a real scorcher (when we did most of our walking! ), but in total, we covered about 3-4 miles on foot.

Tomorrow…

We’re taking the train to Morecambe, where we’re having lunch at the famous Art Deco Midland Hotel.

We’re also going to locate the statue of Eric Morecambe – “Bring Me Sunshine” springs to mind! – see you then!

The post Lazy Days in Lancaster – Day 3 appeared first on Steve's Blog.

19th June 2026

Morning all! It’s our first full day here in Lancaster, having arrived late yesterday afternoon.

We both slept well but were awake at just before 6 to hear the melodic tones of two ‘gobby’ women immediately outside in the street, accusing the other of ‘gaslighting’ them! . Yikes! They were really vocal!! . Luckily, they were only within earshot for about five minutes as we enjoyed their ‘deeply philosophical’ debate gradually fade into the distance!

Sunbathing today? I think not!

The weather forecast was nothing special, but at least it looked better than when we arrived yesterday afternoon! .

If you’re catching up, we’re staying in the rather quaint, but popular, Borough Pub Restaurant & Hotel that is just a short walk from where we plan to spend a lot of our time. Missed yesterday’s Post (why? ) – it’s HERE.

As we’re only in the area until Monday, we want to make the most of our time exploring the local area, and so, as you might have guessed, if you know us, we’ve got a little list

The highlight for us, culturally speaking, is going to be the Castle, the tour around the local Theatre and finally, the trip to see Eric Morecambe’s famous statue!

But first…

Breakfast at the Hotel!

We had the place almost all to ourselves!

Today…

The plan, after Breakfast, was to visit the Castle, just a 10-minute walk away.

Lancaster Castle

The Castle is a Grade I-listed building that occupies a hilltop location (really!?) on the site of three successive Roman forts and has been described by English Heritage as…

“Not only the North-West’s most important historic and archaeological monument but also of international importance”

It’s also known as John O’Gaunt’s Castle and is currently owned by the Duchy of Lancaster, aka His Majesty, King Charles III. Read more about the Castle HERE.

If you’re wondering how John of Gaunt fits into the picture, he was the Duke of Lancaster (1340 – 1399), an English prince, military leader and statesman. It probably helped that he was also the fourth son of King Edward III and the father of King Henry IV. Because of his royal roots, advantageous marriages and numerous land acquisitions, he was one of the richest men of his time – yes, it’s not WHAT you know etc…

What an improvement in the weather too! We walked around in short-sleeves and no coat! As we passed through the Keep, we noticed something unexpected…

In fact, from overheard conversations by the staff, it seemed to be a surprise to them too – apparently, the ‘advanced party’ were going about their business, assembling chairs and large stage BUT expected TOMORROW! Still, they weren’t going to let a few hundred chairs, miles of wiring and testing the sound system (with the volume set to 11!) get in the way of the tranquility of the Castle on a Friday, were they!?

Judging by the frantic conversations between roadies and Castle staff – err, yes, they were! Cue some tension between both parties

Yes, it’s all about the Comedy Festival – Comedy at the Castle – coming soon and it looked like they were expecting quite a few!

We grabbed a seat and waited for our Guide and the 10.45 Tour.

Gotta have standards!!!

The following numbers are probably worth a Post all of their own (but I’ll spare you that!)

The Tour took around an hour and a quarter and for just £9 each, great value. Gregory brought the history of the Castle to life with his delivery style. He certainly knew his stuff, but if you came here expecting an uplifting story of knights, their battles and other castle-related stuff, this was the wrong place!

This was a place of punishment in all its various shades. From the Pendle Witch Trials (1612) to the last man hanged (Thomas Rawcliffe) in 1910, plus the home of two working Courts and a Prison until February 2012. The ex-Prison is now the home to Lancashire’s Police Museum.

The above was the final photo of the Tour as we headed for the working Courts (including the holding cells), where the instruction was clear: NO PHOTOGRAPHS AT ALL – or risk a fine and possibly imprisonment. ‘Nuf said! The next 30 minutes was fascinating as we got up close and personal with the inner workings of the judicial system including a wall of shields depicting monarchy and High Sheriffs!

As a Category 3 establishment, Norman Stanley Fletcher and Del Boy would feel right at home here! but as the Tour ended on stories of the most recent hangings and how the dead bodies were, ahem! ‘maintained’, it all felt very depressing!

Coffee!

As recommended by our friend and neighbour, Janet, to cheer ourselves up, we headed for (late) elevenses nearby.

Another great coffee from Atkinson’s Coffee Roasters.

We’d planned to visit the Police Museum next, but they were closed for Lunch, so we filled in the time by exploring some of the other attractions here – The Priory and the nearby Roman Baths.

The Priory

Tucked behind the Castle is The Priory or to give its full name: Lancaster Priory Church of Saint Mary. It has been a place of worship here since the 2nd century, and inside, there was plenty to read about its history as well as marvel at the architecture.

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Roman Baths

Fancy a bath?

In truth, there’s not much to see here, but it killed fifteen minutes or so.

The Police Museum

Note this is only open on Thursday and Fridays from 10.30 and closed between 12.30 and 1.30 for Lunch. It closes at 4.00pm – criminal!!

Where once Prisoners resided has now been converted to a Museum to reflect the Lancashire Police’s fascinating past and present.

This was probably one of the most comprehensive and content-rich Prison Museums we’ve ever visited (and we’ve done quite a few!). Well worth an hour of your time – and better still, it’s free to get in (and out!)

Well, it made me giggle – Oh, the irony!!

The Judges’ Lodgings Museum

Our final stop today was here – The Judges’ Lodgings Museum, just a few minutes’ walk from the Castle.

This was a perfect example of how the rich and powerful of the judiciary were rewarded for their work. A house full of ‘no-expense-spared’ furniture (by the world famous Gillows) and other comforts. For younger readers, Gillows was THE cabinet maker and the byword for quality furniture in the same vein as Chippendale (not to be confused with Chip ‘n’ Dale, the chipmunks).

Yes, if you fancied a bit of posh cabinet-making, Gillows was your man – and there was plenty on show here across the first two floors.

Tools of the trade…

On the top floor, it was full of childrens’ toys – The Museum of Childhood – a fascinating trip in time back to the Victorian era complemented by more modern toys. A real treat for kids aged 9 to 90!

Back to school!

Wow! What an impressive place! Just £5 each to get too!

Our final stop for the day was a more down-to-earth visit to Marks and Spencer’s for tonight’s carpet picnic. With rain forecast, we didn’t fancy venuring out again and as we stepped through the door to our room, it started to rain – perfect timing then!

With about 2½ miles walked today, we even managed to up our step-count! . Smug or what!!!

Tomorrow…

A conducted tour around the nearby Grand Theatre, the City Museum and then the Town Hall. Weather permitting, we might grab a boat trip too!

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18th June 2026

It’s holiday time, and in 2026, we’re sticking closer to home, favouring UK-based holidays over anything that involves a lot of travel! No airports (so no killing time in airport lounges), no cruising on the high seas (with all that excessive food and drink) – and for this break, no driving either, as it’s all being done by train using the UK railway network. We’re heading for Lancaster and we’re there for four nights exploring the local area.

Yes, you read that correctly. Usually, we’d travel by car without further thought, but actually, there wasn’t a lot of difference in the journey times – car vs train. By car, we calculated it would take 3 hours 26 minutes, whilst by train, in theory, just 3 hours 45 minutes. So, if you factor in a wee break for a wee, then there wasn’t much in it timewise. OK, if you look at the travel costs, it was just shy of £150 return in total for both of us by train, and it would have only cost about half that for charging the car, plus the cost of parking, plus the ‘fun’ of finding parking in the first place! Conclusion? Yes, more expensive, but it made perfect sense to let the train take the strain – it’s not always about the cost, is it?

It was a pretty direct route too! Kettering – Leicester – Birmingham – Lancaster. It started well! David and Valerie acted as Chauffeur and Deputy Chauffeur dropping us at Kettering Station in good time for the first leg. As things turned out, we actually caught an earlier (delayed) train, meaning, just 20 minutes later, we were at Leicester, all set for our next hop to Birmingham. Thankfully, that train was on time, and in less than an hour we were ready for our final leg – the longest at around 2 hours – to Lancaster.

That’s when our luck ran out! . Here at Birmingham New Street, our next train was running late. Ok, it was only 7 minutes behind – but things were to deteriorate further as we boarded and got closer to our destination. By the time we approached Lancaster, not only had the weather had turned nasty – it was pouring down – the train, for various reasons, eventually pulled in around 30 minutes later than planned, at just before 3.40pm.

It wasn’t quite the textbook journey we’d planned, but with the horrendous weather, I had a feeling that the journey, by car, would have also had its ‘moments’.

Once we were off the Train, we considered walking from the Station to the Hotel, but it was still absolutely hammering it down, and so we jumped in a cab instead for the short drive to our bed for the next four nights.

Ann had tracked down a great little Pub/Hotel that would be our home until Monday – The Borough Lancaster Hotel – located south-east of Morecambe Bay.

The warm welcome helped to compensate for the cold and wet weather, and we were soon taking the short walk to Room 10..

It wasn’t the biggest room we’ve ever stayed in, but it had a certain charm about it with two TVs, a massive shower, a coffee machine, plus a bed about half the size of Kettering! . Oh, and it had its own little patio area (not that we’d be using it much today! ). Well, as they say: ‘the garden needs it’ – except our patio featured astroturf, so it didn’t!

Whilst I set up the technology, Ann played to her strengths and got us unpacked. Maybe not surprisingly, we ate in the Hotel tonight.

We ate early too! At 6.30 it wasn’t particularly busy, but that meant the service was swift and attentive – and that suited us!

No sign of a Michelin Star, but it did the job!

Around the Town

After our meal, we decided to get our bearings by taking a wander around the Town’s nearby retail area. The shops and restaurants were plentiful with ‘big names’ nestled amongst the now-obligatory vape shops, kebab shops and a wide range of eateries. There were a few shops that were vacant (surprising to see the mighty Greggs had closed down!), but proportionally not quite as many as we’ve seen elsewhere.

It’s an old Town with an old feel, full of buildings deserving more than a cursory glance, but there’s a good mix of newer outlets too. Just as we began to think the experience was like a lot of modern towns, along came a couple of police constables – ON HORSES!

A mile-and-a-half later, our bearings were ‘got’ and we headed back to base to think about the rest of our days here. As you might expect, for our short stay here, we’ve got a list!

The List!

The big one is Lancaster Castle and the surrounding area, and we plan to cover that tomorrow. Best of all, it’s literally on our doorstep. There’s a bit of rain forecast for tomorrow, but not as much as today – and at least, we’ll be mostly inside. Sounds like a plan!

The post Lazy Days in Lancaster – Day 1 appeared first on Steve's Blog.

It was a welcome return to The Saxon Mill in Warwick today for one of our regular three-monthly get-togethers with Ian & Ann and Alan & Mags. The six of us were last here back in February, this year after giving it a break for a year or two.

We set off just after 11.30, and that meant plenty of time to get there. Well, that was the theory! Friday + late morning + A14/M6/A46, what could possibly go wrong? It began well, but a lorry shredding a tyre just before the exit to the A46 meant a substantial tailback, adding nearly 20 minutes to our journey. We eventually arrived just after 12.45 (table booked for 12.30) after negotiating an incredibly busy Saxon Mill car park.

Consequently, we were last to arrive, but it wasn’t long before we were catching up with our friends and all their news.

Given that there’s a feeling, nationally, that everyone is hard up and watching the pennies, someone forgot to tell this lot! – I don’t think I’ve ever seen Saxon Mill so busy! Good to know, and we were soon perusing their Menu that sported a 2 or 3 course menu (great value at just £21.95 or £25.95 respectively plus the usual à la carte option). This all meant there was a fair amount of choice in front of us. Decisions made, we now had to get someone’s attention. Maybe due to how busy they were, service was a bit sluggish, but it came (eventually) with a smile from our Server, who was clearly enjoying his job!

It all went down a treat with my choice offering some of the tastiest bangers I’ve eaten in a long time!

It was (just as it should be) a very relaxed Lunch as we spent nearly two hours chatting over this and that including UK Passport Control, Thunderbirds, Second Thoughts productions and Ian & Ann’s impending arrival of half of Australia! (well, not quite!).

After paying the bill (just under £67 per couple) we headed to the car park, said our goodbyes and contemplated what our journey might be like in reverse on a Friday afternoon. Actually, it was hassle-free, and we were home in just under an hour.

Next time, we’re meeting at Ascoughs Bistro in Market Harborough as part of my forthcoming 70-70-70 celebrations.

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