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Travels with the Beggsies

July - August 2018
I’m finally going back to my home town of Coventry in the UK after many many years away. I will be accompanied by my daughter Tabetha and my fabulous grandchildren Ollie and Audrey. Britain here we come. Read more
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  • TravelerTravels with the Beggsies

    Leaving on a Jet Plane

    July 25, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    When you are planning a trip,wether it is a weekend away or a trip of a lifetime there is always the problem of packing. What to take? Romantic interludes require the garments of seduction. You always want to look and smell good. Tracking across a country requires a completely different mindset and wardrobe and a good pair of hiking boots. Asian countries can also pose a problem,temples and places of religious significance require the head to be covered and the feet to be bare. Although what self respecting woman doesn’t have a scarf of some king nestling in a bad somewhere. The most difficult holiday to pack for are the changing seasons. Where you are beginning your journey in a cold climate and then jetting off to the sun. With most airlines now only allowing 22kgs of luggage and weighing hand luggage clever packing is the order of the day.

    I remember in my youth dragging huge cases to the airport,only to have labels slapped on them ‘HEAVY’ like a warning. A trip to Athens many years ago had me dumping luggage as it was ruining my holiday having to drag it into taxis,airports,and unsealed roads. Being a very small skinny girl it was almost impossible to enjoy my journey as I was always worrying about the next pull on the suitcase and the backpack becoming heavier with each new city. So I sent half my luggage home at immense cost and began to feel like a bird that had been freed from a cage. It was a lifelong lesson,and I didn’t miss any of the clothes I had packed.

    In the 1990’s travelling was a breeze as I was a backpacker and my luggage weighed no more than 13kgs. Unfortunately I am a little more mature now and my luggage has crept back up to 22kgs with cabin luggage of 7kgs and a small pouch for passports and valuables which I wear under my clothes for safety. I am usually heading for a destination I can leave most of my luggage while I take day trips and tour around unencumbered. I still find after thirty years of travelling packing for a holiday is still the most frustrating thing. Last year I was invited to a wedding in Sydney in January I had purchased a beautiful summer dress and was all set. The preceding few weeks Sydney’s weather was like a roller coaster of temperatures so I had to buy another outfit to compensate in case the weather was cold. Only a small thing but it changed the shoes I was to wear,my handbag, hat etc. so before long my luggage had doubled. Plus I was flying to England from there so costs and boots were the order of the day. Luckily I saw sense and only packed my original outfit as if the weather decided to be cruel I would buy an outfit in Sydney and for $10 post it home.

    So am I excited about my upcoming trip to the UK. You bet I am. I am travelling with my daughter and grandchildren,Ollie and Audrey. I have not travelled with my daughter since she was seventeen and she turns forty eight this year,so we shall see if we are still compatible travellers.

    Perth is known as one of the most isolated cities in the world. The nearest city is 2,130km away. Unlike Europe driving in the country may mean driving nearly a hundred kilometres. But we as Perthites are proud of our city and we love that we are isolated until it comes to travel. Our nearest destination is Bali which is three hours by air and is a popular destination for families as it is economical and tropical. Plus the culture is as different to Perth as Mars is to earth. Bali is also a great stopover destination for travellers embarking on a European trip.

    On the trip to the UK we are travelling direct to Birmingham but on our return journey we will be stopping over inParis for three days (yes I’m stoked I like millions before me love Paris) departing Paris our little entourage will be landing in Dubai where for three days we will indulge in every theme park and kid place we can fit in before flying home to relax. So only three sleeps ........and counting .    Read more

  • TravelerTravels with the Beggsies

    Here I Go Again...Whiteside

    July 26, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Only two more sleeps to go. Ollie and Audrey are now starting to get a little excited,the reality that they are going to London is beginning to take root. They still have two days of school so holidays are just counted in sleeps. Bags are packed,Tabby and I are consulting our last minute check lists. Have we packed the cables for the iPads,cameras, phones,power packs,hairdryers,electric toothbrush. Travelling used to be so easy in the days prior to technology. You could go on holiday and not contact anyone for the whole duration you were away. It was great. Bad news stayed at home. You were incognito.

    Today we are compelled to report back with messages,photos, Facebook,Instagram, Whatsapp, whatever medium we use, we are like addicts sharing our journey with the world. Look at me I have already set up my diary for my holiday and when I return after completing the journey of adventure a book will be made of my ramblings and it will sit on my coffee table with pride until the next big adventure. I am a prolific journal writer,although I never quite make it to the finish. If I do not write religiously every day, I find days missing where I cannot remember where I went, events lost in the scrabble to attend more events, peoples name forgotten,dates scrambled. But the one redeeming factor is my digital camera it records my daily comings and goings like a true friend. The places,times and dates are logged accurately and my brain can relax knowing all is recorded for posterity. On Saturday we will leave Perth and the winter in our wake. It has been an abnormally wet winter and quite cold at night. The UK has been having a bumper summer and by all accounts we may be lucky and share the good weather. Holidays are always bright if there is sunshine. Even ski trips are perfect if the peaks are bathed in winter sunshine. Plus everyone looks happy.

    So tomorrow I am off for lunch with a friend,my housework is nearly completed,just the vacuuming to finish off and I can zip the cases,do the weigh in (I’m guessing 22kgs) and then relaxing. Life is good.    Read more

  • TravelerTravels with the Beggsies
    Day 2

    Sleeping With My Eyes Wide Open

    July 28, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Well it’s here. The day of our flight to the UK. We are packed, double checked everything and on our way. We are forty minutes into our flight and chilling. The day began with breakfast in Riverton with the kids and a visit to mums nursing home. I had to bribe the kids with a donut each to sugar their visit to super nana. Nursing homes are not the best places for children. We had a lovely visit with mum accompanied by a chorus of you are my sunshine and an Austrian poem in German,before saying our goodbyes and heading home. I dropped the kids back in Riverton as Tabby was home from her night with her new squeeze,then it was off for a quick coffee and cake before my indulgent nail session. The nail salon in Helena Valley has ( been open for two years yet I only discovered it this week. Luckily they had an appointment today so I was in. The girls that do the nails are Asian but they all have lovely smiles and are very polite and friendly. For seventy five dollars I had a manicure and pedicure and a brilliant hand,arm and leg massage. My nails are now a brilliant orange.

    Arriving home I was greeted by Tabby,her dad,the kids and a barrage of suitcases. They had expected me home sooner,so the small troupe was camped on my doorstep. The day was still young so off we went to see Tabby’s new home and to have a drink with the bad mums who were coming to christen the house with a champagne or two. We had a great two hours laughing,eating and drinking but as we still had things to do at home,we packed up hugged everyone and headed back to my place. The kids showered and dressed for the plane,ate their usual nuggets and chips and by the time I was ready it was time to call a cab. The cases were dispatched boarding passes printed and we were off to security and passport control. Going through passport control the passport officer asked who was Carole Rogers, when I volunteered it was me,she informed me my re entry visa had expired. Not news I wanted to be hearing as I now have to apply for re re entry visa as soon as I arrive in the UK or I will be stranded in the UK I definitely... hopefully I can go to Liverpool and be issued with a new one,or it will be fast tracked online. Whoops didn’t see that one coming. I am now an illegal immigrant. It never occurred to me that my re entry visa had expired. I received no prior notice on booking air tickets....so the onus is squarely on my shoulders.

    So back to the present we are now one hour twenty into our flight. The meals have been served I’m drinking a white wine and getting ready to settle in for the night,except there is a baby screaming one row back. I attract babies,especially crying ones. But hey this is life in economy..... the ear phones will be going on soon. Goodnight diary until Dubai........    Read more

  • TravelerTravels with the Beggsies
    Day 3

    Meet me at the Airport

    July 29, 2018 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ ⛅ 38 °C

    Dubai is a beautiful,exciting city but not today we are just in transit to Birmingham. I have never flown into Birmingham so this will be a first for me. Tabby has been before when she flew home for her reunion with YOG in 2015. This journey is another reunion but not of the show biz kind. Tabby is connecting with the people that were at Steve and Mandy’s wedding twenty five years ago. All the guests from their original wedding that are still around have been invited to their renewing of vows in Trevorn in Cornwall. It is to be families,friends and will be a ten day affair. Tabby will drive from Cornwall to London and meet up with Michael and I for five days of sightseeing.

    We have made it through security once again and are now waiting to board our seven hour trip. I cannot believe that I have packed my cameras in the hold. I always have my camera,so will have to use my iPad until further notice.Tabby and I have sent messages to all our important people so it’s time to board,relax and sleep.

    Well the sleep didn’t happen it was early morning and breakfast was served almost the minute we left the ground. Audrey was wide awake and filling her time in with a different activity every fifteen minutes while Ollie and I were playing games on the aircraft entertainment system ICE. Ollie I have discovered does not like losing to nanas. So the games did not last long. Tabby was trying desperately to sleep,but in the confined space of a seat that is not designed for spending twenty plus hours in,it was not happening. Eventually the announcement to fasten seatbelts for landing was announced and descended into a grey dismal rainy Birmingham. Birmingham airport was not originally designed for the amount of air traffic that now passes through its terminals. This is evident in the process of dispatching passengers, processing them through security and customs and the fact the arrival into Britain for foreigners is thrust upon you while waiting in a queue of two hundred people. You are literally filling out arrival information standing up while moving through the line. Birmingham is not a modern airport,it is tired and hungry for an update.

    We found Ritchie almost immediately and before long we were driving happily to Coventry. Stacked to the roof with luggage. Sam had gone to great deal of trouble to accomodate us, our bedrooms were set up like a hotel,with fresh towels and a delicious seafood chowder cooking on the stove. It was great to catch up with news and stories and to feel comfortable and welcome. Katie,Joe and Layla were invited for dinner too,so it was a happy homecoming. I was finding it increasingly difficult to keep my eyes open so I excused myself and by nine o’clock I was dead to the world.

    Audrey joined me and we slept like babies until 4pm when we were wide awake,due to the jet lag. Today is Monday and it is the start of our holiday,so cameras ready, car hire to sort out and we will be off and running. Goodnight diary.    Read more

  • TravelerTravels with the Beggsies
    Day 5

    Have Love Will Travel

    July 31, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    The sun is shining,the day is looking promising and the clan is off to Coventry. Today we are embarking on a mystery tour of Coventry. We are supplied with a map and have to find clues as we go on a tour of Coventrys best tourist attractions. I am hoping the city has not changed too much and I will be able to recognise my old haunts from fifty years ago.

    I was born in the suburb of Aldermans Green which was minutes from the slough which was really just a big pond where you could hire boats in the summer. Today it looks so small but as a child it looked huge. I attended primary school in Windmill road and on the way to school we would walk past the milk processing plant. The dairy was where they bottled the milk for the shops and households. It always permeated with a distinctive smell,which is hard to describe. It was not unpleasant but it was unique to the dairy. I would walk to school with my brother and every morning we would take the short cut past the dairy. When the new primary school was built in the same street I resides in I moved to a modern,clean prefab school. I only attended this school for one year as my parents had purchased a new home in Wyken.

    Wyken was a middle class area, although we still lived in a terraced house it was so much more modern than the home we left. Mum spent the next twelve years renovating and improving the property. Mum was very modern and we always had the latest fashionable furniture,curtains, light fittings and whatever was the desirable addition to the modern home. My dad always had a hammer,screwdriver, drill or some tool in his hand. We wallpapered at least every two years. It was a lovely home and I spent the next thirteen years living there until like I my parents had done two years prior I emigrated to Australia. We spent so many happy hours at 98 Clovelly road.

    Coventry city in the fifties and sixties was a modern city. Heavily bombed in the war,it was completely rebuilt after the war and was one of the first cities to have a traffic free precinct for shopping. Coventry was famous for its car industry,we made Jaguar cars and had a thriving silk ribbon business. We had many car producing factories and produced motorcycles of note. Today Coventry is a shell of its former self. All the car factories bar Jaguar are gone. Japan,Korea,China and Spain now make cheaper cars which are world class.

    So just a short overview of Coventry before we embark on our day of sunshine and mystery.....    Read more

  • TravelerTravels with the Beggsies
    Day 5

    Same in Any Language ...I Nine

    July 31, 2018 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ ⛅ 39 °C

    Today is our first day of being tourists. Tabby picked her hire car up and we headed off to Kenilworth castle. What a great way to spend a day. I have not visited Kenilworth for over twenty years so it was a blast from the past. There is a bookshop in Kenilworth that is owned by a friend of Ritchie’s so we had to call in and say hello. The lady Judy who owns the shop was very kind and gave Ollie and Audrey a journal each to record their holiday travels and adventures. Audrey chose a mermaid Squishy and Ollie chose a pack of Avenger cards as mementos of their visit. The castle was amazing and we spent two hours exploring the Norman castle and gardens. Ollie and Audrey had a great time running around and climbing stairs to the turrets. I think the kids really enjoyed the day and were fascinated with the castle. After two hours of absorbing history we crossed the road to the Queen and Castle pub and had lunch. If this is the start of our adventure it was a perfect start. Sam cooked us a lovely meal of chicken breasts,salad and new English potatoes. I had forgotten how delicious English potatoes tasted. Tonight we are painting rocks with Sam and Ritchie. It is going to be a joint effort. Tomorrow we will be putting them in the park.Read more

  • TravelerTravels with the Beggsies
    Day 6

    Somewhere Over the Rainbow

    August 1, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    What can I say? Yesterday was a perfect day. The weather was warm and sunny as we set off to Coventry. What can I say about Coventry? It held no strong feelings for me either good or bad. It was not a city I felt enfolded me. Australia is my home and I appreciate it more than ever since visiting my home town. But saying that yesterday we saw the best of Coventry. Tabby,Ritchie, Tania, Ollie, Audrey and I went of a mystery tour of the city. We downloaded a package off the internet for the Coventry tour and off we went. We had a brilliant two hours looking for clues and solving riddles before ending up at the cathedral to crack the code. Tabby,s team won by default and we had lots of laughs on the way. Ollie and Audrey were starting to flag with all the walking so we stopped for lunch at Joes pub The Artisan for lunch. We had a snack lunch as we are going for out for curry tonight so need to save ourselves. Returning home I went to catch up on my iPad and the kids and Tabby painted with Tania,Sam, Ritchie and Jarrod. We are going to a Ghostly tree park this afternoon to hide the rocks.

    Coventry was devastated in WWII by German bomber planes,our beloved cathedral took a direct hit on 19/11/1940 at 8pm in the evening. The home guard worked valiantly to try to put the fires out but further bombing made it impossible to keep fighting the fire and the cathedral was mostly destroyed. Miraculously the wooden cross which was the centrepiece of the main alter. After the war the area was made into a sanctuary for tourists and a huge walkway and benches were erected for people to sit quietly and contemplate. Plus artists are often seen drawing the beautiful structure that remains like a ghostly reminder of its turbulent history. The area in front of the alter has a quiet eerie feel about it. The tour took us to Spon End,the Precinct,The Cathedral walks and the main shopping area. While Tabby went to buy an English chip for her phone and Tania went to collect her mums contact lenses I took the kids the kids on the roundabout which is in the main shopping centre. It cost £2 each for five minutes. Oh well we are on holiday.

    In the evening we walked to the Burnt Post for pre dinner drinks and then to the Orange Orchard Indian restaurant where we ate very spicy and tasty curries. The food was excellent. Audrey was so tired she fell asleep in her mums arms and Ritchie had to give Ollie a piggy back all the way home,as he was too tired to walk. We all went straight to bed when we got home as it was ten thirty and it had been a very full on day. Tomorrow we are off to Leamington spa. I need to get a camera and hopefully we will have a high tea at the posh tea shop in the centre. Goodnight Diary    Read more

  • TravelerTravels with the Beggsies
    Day 6

    I Wasn't Born to Follow

    August 1, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Yesterday was Leamington on Spa. Leamington Spa is a town in central England. Set on the winding River Leam, it’s known for its Regency architecture and broad boulevards. The colonnaded Royal Pump Rooms, a 19th-century bathhouse, now houses the Leamington Spa Art Gallery and Museum. It includes a local history gallery and an original hammam, or cooling room. Jephson Gardens is a park with formal flowerbeds and a glasshouse for tropical plants.

    It was a brilliant day out. And the weather was warm. Tabby, Ritchie,Tania,Audrey,Ollie and I set off to do some shopping and have a morning tea at Rosies. Rosie’s is an old English tea shop which sells over one hundred different teas from around the world. They serve a magnificent high tea with China cups, leaf tea and fresh sandwiches and home baked cakes. We opted for a Ploughmans lunch with English cheeses,ham off the bone and pork pie with mustard. It was delicious. Then it was time for a little retail therapy. I purchased yet another camera and Tabby added a few nice coloured tops to her collection. Audrey and Oliver were give £10 each to spend in the toy shop and they had fun choosing a new toy each. Tania purchased some new trendy hair bands and the shopping was complete. My feet were killing me as we had been walking for at least three hours.

    Last night we were invited to a small reunion of Tabbys theatre friends from YOG. It was great to put faces to people I had heard about over the years and who had been a big part of Tabbys life in the six years she lived in England. They have been close all these years like a surrogate family to Tabby. It was a warm night and Audrey even went into the spa at ten pm. This is England,no one swims outside at ten pm. I love it that the weather is so good for travelling. I enjoyed the evening and once again,hit the sack when I got home. Our days are full and happy. The best holidays are made up of friends, family and having fun. Goodnight diary.    Read more

  • TravelerTravels with the Beggsies
    Day 8

    Hopeless Wanderer

    August 3, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    It was training not raining today. I caught the train from Coventry to Stockport today to meet up with Michael,Katie and Chris. The journey was uneventful, although the train was packed and I could not get a seat until after Birmingham International. Sam cooked us a full English breakfast this morning so that I would not be hungry on my train ride. Michael was waiting for me at the station and as Katie had given him her car we were soon on our way.

    Ripponden is a village and civil parish on the River Ryburn near Halifax in West Yorkshire, England. Historically it was part of the West Riding of Yorkshire. Its population was 6,412 at the time of the 2001 Census, and 7,421 in 2011. I love Ripponden it is set in beautiful Yorkshire countryside, green and hilly. We are off for dinner at the Hito tonight. The Hito used to be called the Millhouse but it has now turned Spanish. Michael and I stopped on the journey home at the Turnpike a pub on the Oldham Road. Michael phoned Katie and asked if she wanted us to pick her up. We drove into Halifax and her shop and it was lovely to see her and have a big hug. She looked genuinely happy to see me.

    In the evening we met up with Sharon and Ian to have dinner at the new rebranded Hito pub. The Hito was formally known as the Milestone which sounded a better name than its latest name which sounds Japanese. We began our evening at the Fox and sat out in the beer garden as the evening was warm. I cannot believe I have been able to sit outside in England and have a drink. The Tapas meal that we ordered at the Hito was delicious. The food was spicy and tasted authentic Spanish. We ordered far too much. The girls were drinking Porn star cocktails and the boys G&T’s. Sharon and Ian came back to Katie and Chris’s and we had an Elvis and sixties revival. Michael and I dropped into bed about midnight. It was a really good day. Goodnight diary.    Read more

  • TravelerTravels with the Beggsies
    Day 9

    Wanderlust....the weekend

    August 4, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    I am quite excited about today as I am going to Chester with the crew to meet up with Pat,Katie’s mum and Michaels ex wife. We have been friends on Facebook for over five years now and I love her to bits. She is such a caring and lovely lady. I call her a lady because she is. Polite and loving and a good friend. The last time we met was in Sydney at Katie’s wedding which was a whirlwind affair lasting seven days. It is ranked in my five best times ever.
    We met in Chester which is a fabulous city and has the best Tudor buildings that I have ever seen.
    Chester is a city in northwest England, founded as a Roman fortress in the 1st century A.D. It's known for its extensive Roman walls made of local red sandstone. In the old city, the Rows is a shopping district distinguished by 2-level covered arcades and Tudor-style half-timber buildings. A Roman amphitheatre, with ongoing excavations, lies just outside the old city's walls.

    Pat is Katie’s mother and the ex wife of Michael. We met initially when Michael and I first visited England together in 2014. We then renewed our aquaintence in Sydney for Katie’s wedding to Chris Davidson. The wedding was a week long affair and rates as one of my best life experiences. My daughter and her estranged husband Darrell were both there too,so it was great to share the experience with my daughter. For the whole time we were in Sydney we did not waste a minute. It was a glorious wedding with the wedding reception being held at Doyle’s restaurant and cumulating in a trip on a speedboat with all the guests in tow around Sydney harbour. Memories that will stay with me forever.

    Anyway back to our reunion. Lunch was wonderful and the meal was all we hoped,well presented and delicious. After lunch Pat had to catch her train back to Cardiff so we continued sightseeing so I could capture more historical shots of this really stunning city. The city was filled with Saturday shoppers,tourists and entertainers on every corner. Driving home we decided by majority vote that we would have a night in relaxing with toasted cheese sandwiches and rhubarb G&T’s. It was a tired Michael and I who snook off to bed at 10.30pm. Goodnight diary.    Read more

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