Morning all! It’s Sunday and I feel the need for some Temples! We have a plan!! 😁 After breakfast (at the far more reasonable hour of 7.30) we checked-out and met Mona and Mr G in Reception. It’s cold today (although I didn’t really notice – but that’s normal!). The locals are all dressed-up in …
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Holiday – China (Day 6): A Date with Datong (Eventually!)
It’s Saturday! No chance of a lie-in though as we were all up at the ridiculous hour of 3am! 😮Why? We needed to get the first flight to Datong – the CA1119 courtesy of Air China at 6.20am – what could be simpler! We met Michael and Dung in the hotel lobby and took the …
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Holiday – China (Day 5): Summer and a Nest!
Out and about in Beijing again! It’s our final day here as tomorrow, we take the short internal flight at ‘silly-o’clock’ to Datong – the next leg of our Chinese adventure! On today’s travel plans… We’re getting into a bit of a routine now! Just like yesterday, we met Michael and Dong Dung (Ooops! I …
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Holiday – China (Day 4): Wonder Wall
Morning Reader! 👍 It’s Thursday and whilst we’re here in China, we just had to visit The Great Wall! (or at least, part of it!) We met our guide, Michael, and our driver, Dong, in the Lobby for 8.30am and headed north from the Hotel. It would have been a two-hour drive to this iconic …
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Holiday – China (Day 3): Imperial China
We’re in full tourist mode today! So it was up at 6.15, breakfast at 7 and meet our tour-guide Michael, at 8, in the hotel-lobby! 👍 On today’s itinerary… Tiananmen Square Monument to the People’s Heroes Tiananmen Gate Mao’s Mausoleum Great Hall of the People The Forbidden City Tea tasting session! Beer tasting session …although …
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Holiday – China (Day 2): Arrival in Beijing
We’ve landed! It’s Tuesday morning here in Beijing! ..and the weather is just perfect for a gentle stroll… And when I say ‘gentle stroll’, I mean an accompanied two-hour walking tour of Beijing’s local neighbourhood – the ‘old town’. It was delightful! We checked in to the Hotel around 2pm and were soon unpacking! As …
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Holiday – China (Day 2): Extra
An extra Post showing-off some of the architecture in our first hotel – The Grand Millennium Hotel, Beijing. Boy, they certainly know how to impress! Click on any of the miniatures for a larger view! Wow!
Holiday – China (Day 1): Travel Day
We’re off! From home, we took the train (1 hour) into St Pancras International and then the tube to Heathrow T5 (65 minutes and 25 stops!). It was all a bit of a challenge with four suitcases, two carry-on bags, two handbags, a back-pack and a laptop case – but at least they saw us …
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The Great (Fire)Wall of China!
It’s our big holiday-of-the year soon – to China – with our long-time travel companions, Ralph and Karen. But this trip is going to be a little different from our previous adventures together in terms of how we keep you up to date. Why? In China, most western-based social media activity is completely blocked or …
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First Visit: The Old Pheasant, Glaston
Our first visit tonight to The Old Pheasant in Glaston where where we met up with long-time friends, Mick and Jane for one of our regular catch-ups. We last got together at The Fox back in April, so it’s been a while, and there was plenty of news to catch up with! Tonight, our location-of-choice …
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London Mini-Break – Day 3 (of 3): Suits you Sir!
Our final day in London today! Ahh, that’s better! I feel a walk down Oxford Street coming on (before midday!) On our list today… 9.20am: We were out earlier than yesterday, but confident we’d miss the rush on the Tube. How wrong we were! It was nose-to-armpit for the whole of our journey in, and …
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London Mini-Break – Day 2 (of 3): Birthday Boy (2019)
Here we are then, in the capital for my Birthday celebrations! After yesterday’s retail therapy, today, it’s all about sightseeing, and we’re off to visit Westminster Abbey and The Banqueting House …and maybe more!That means there’s at least THREE relics on show in London today then! 😉 7.20am: Another lie-in – that’s the second one …
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London Mini-Break – Day 1 (of 3)
We’re on a three-day mini-break in London that’ll incorporate my birthday celebrations tomorrow. Last time we visited the capital was back in August when we stayed ‘up-west’. This time though, we’re on the opposite side (literally) and heading for east London where Stratford will be our home for the duration. 9.35am: OK, the weather forecast …
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Noshing with the Neighbours
Well, we haven’t done this in a while! – a mega-neighbours’ get-together! Whereas last year, during the World Cup, we were in each other’s homes for most of the matches, enjoying endless food and drink – in 2019, not so much! Still, Ann and I soon remedied that with an open invitation to 16 of …
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A Touch of the Exotic
Gosh! It’s been a while since we were last here! – November 2016 actually! We journeyed to the centre of Kettering town with Julie and Bev for a Curry at the excitingly-named (and once oft-visited) The Exotic Dining. The food has always been excellent here and I’m not sure why we’ve been away so long …
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Best Nest!
Ann and I drove over to Stratford-upon Avon for our regular(ish) get-together with good friends: Alan, Mags, Ian and Ann. Our eatery of choice this time was The Swan’s Nest Hotel opposite the River. It was the in-house eatery Bistrot Pierre that was our ultimate destination and I thought we’d never been to it before, …
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Film: Downton Abbey
Off to our fave cinema – Cineworld at Rushden Lakes – for the just-released TV-series-turned-movie: Downton Abbey. If you fancy a ‘bit of posh’ you couldn’t do better than this! 🤗. Most of the recurring characters from the TV series make it to the big-screen outing, with just a few omissions (due to actors’ unavailability). …
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£1-a-Day (2019) – How Did We Do?
£1-a-Day 2019
How Did We Do?
Archery Outside-In
Friday is here again and that means our Archery Lessons continue… This is our last week (for 2019) where the Club will be shooting outside (due to an earlier sunset affecting the light). Next time we move inside to a local school until March-time next year. Due to other commitments – including a holiday – …
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Six Go Swinging!
A short drive to Rushden tonight with David, Valerie, Jo and Janet for the Rushden & District RAFA’s “Swing’s the Thing” Concert. We’d been invited to this fund-raising event by good friends Richard and Pauline, and being local, it didn’t take us long to get there. However, our unfamiliarity with the immediate area meant that …
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£1-a-Day (2019)
Well, here we go! David and I are doing our charity ‘thing’ again this year – starting today – and living on just £1 a day for food and drink for the next seven days! 😊 This year, we also have new recruit ‘Helen’ joining us in lieu of her hubby Paul, (who’s taking the …
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Queen’s Greatest Bits II
It’s another day-out with friends – this time, we’re heading for Buckingham Palace, meeting Roy and Susan. So, we headed off to London (via Huntingdon Station) by train, for the 12.30 Palace Tour. We’re choosing Huntingdon these days over Bedford and Kettering simply because: there’s more trains; the tickets are cheaper and the parking is …
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Family Weekend
Roger, Jane and Oliver joined us for the weekend! 😍 Saturday The main event for today was a picnic at Belton House and then a walk around the historic Mansion and Gardens. I think it’s our most oft-visited stately home having been there recently (ish) with with Dennis and Sandra back in May, 2018 and …
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Bow Best?
It was our weekly Archery Class tonight! So, after my generally sub-par performance last week, I’m hoping I’ll be on better form tonight – especially as my Mentor, Dave, is back to keep an eye on me! Again tonight, conditions were perfect – not too warm, not too cold with a gentle breeze. It was …
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August Bank Holiday 2019 – West London
We always like to do something a little special for the August Bank Holiday – and this year was no different as we’d planned a two-day break in London. The weather forecast promised a scorcher (especially in the capital) where temperatures are predicted to hit the low-thirties! Apparently another temperature-record will be broken today according …
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Picnic Saturday
A scorcher of a weekend is promised, so what better time than today for a picnic! ..and what could be more perfect than Fineshade Wood (the clue’s in the name!) for some fine picnicking in a Wood in the shade! – and it’s only a thirty-or-so minute drive away too! The Wood is managed by …
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Archery Absentees!
After a two-week absence, (Film Night two weeks ago and rain stopped play for the whole Club last week) we’re back to the Bows tonight! Weather-wise, it was a scorcher – a great start to the Bank Holiday weekend! 😎😎 And the weather seemed out bring out the members too! – a record attendance for …
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First Visit: The National Memorial Arboretum
Today, a planned day out with David and Valerie to the National Memorial Arboretum. It was a return visit for David and Valerie, but it was our first! Thank goodness then, that the rain has stopped, as a month’s worth fell in a day yesterday over the UK! (although it did belt it down briefly …
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First Visit: Farnborough Hall
Another one our of cultural days out, meeting up with Ian and Ann along the way, heading for National Trust’s Farnborough Hall. Located off the M40 between Banbury and Gaydon, the Grade I listed property (and its gardens) has been owned by the National Trust since 1960, when the Holbech family endowed it to them. …
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Kilworth Cats!
Off to Kilworth Theatre today with Ann, Janet, Jo and Carol to see the theatre’s production of ‘Cats‘. Am I the only person to have never a ‘Cats’ production before? Quite possibly! Last time we were here was back in June, to see Joseph – and today was just as busy! West End quality without …
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