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This Has to Stop.
  • Mark Britt
  • Mark Britt

This Has to Stop.

The is absolutely, positively, most likely the last time we do this. Meer informatie
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  • Mark BrittThis Has to Stop.Reiziger
    1
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    Blakeney Town Beach

    13 augustus 2018, Engeland ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    So what’s Blakeney?
    Well it isn’t the Riviera of Norfolk.
    No ocean, that appears to be a couple of K away.
    There’s a winding mud flat to the sea where local and imported English children go crabbing with nets or slosh around in the mud. Forget the days of going home with sand, we are talking mud, mud, mud.
    Full of people renting cottages, God alone knows what they do after crabbing.
    Sit by your car and read the paper or line up for ice cream is the answer.

    Is is however a great town.    Meer informatie

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  • Mark BrittThis Has to Stop.Reiziger

    Bern's Relections on Northern England

    13 augustus 2018, Engeland ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    After two weeks, my impressions of England.
    The British are unfailingly polite and helpful except the two girls in the cafe in the rain, whose studied indifference would win awards.
    The new way to make money is to open a tattoo shop, as having permanently painted skin is the new pastime of the 40 something women with skin that is beginning to sag.
    Another business opportunity is to buy a “vaping” shop with all the accoutrements , as the smoking British {of which there are many} are all trying to give up and trying vaping.
    It is perfectly normal to share the bar and the restaurant with people’s dogs.
    Most English men (except David of course, who is Australian) need the queer eye team to help with dressing. Polo shirts are big, matched with Tracky Dacks and old runners.
    The occasional National Trust volunteer love to let you know how much they know and you don’t.
    Little snoring airport should be avoided although Pudding Norton is worth a visit.

    More impressions later    Meer informatie

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  • Mark BrittThis Has to Stop.Reiziger
    1

    Blakenely Beach, the Day After.

    14 augustus 2018, Engeland ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Well there’s more to the Riviera of Norfolk than we thought.

    There is swimming water.
    There is also car drowning.
    We think all vehicles survived the tide. A fellow turned up and sheepishly moved his Audi, by reversing even further into the water.
    Was very confident of his 4 wheel drive?    Meer informatie

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  • Mark BrittThis Has to Stop.Reiziger

    Holkham Hall

    14 augustus 2018, Engeland ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    The reason we went this far north was to go the the Earl of Leicester’s estate in Wells-next-the -Sea.
    Another enormous estate with big gardens that we were going to see Monday but got distracted going to Oxburgh Hall.
    As it turns out they aren’t open on Tuesday!!!!!!!
    Ah well,we just had to go to Blinkling House via a zillion miles of lanes and blind corners.
    How can you pass up a 6 kilometre walk around the yard.    Meer informatie

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  • Mark BrittThis Has to Stop.Reiziger
    2

    Blinkling Estate Gardens

    14 augustus 2018, Engeland ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    A short 4 kilometre walk around the gardens.
    What’s not to like.
    Enormous walk, walled garden, English young folk frolicking including an 18mth dragging a croquet mallet, a Temple at the end of a walk and 4 painters doing up the Orangery and laughing outrageously.
    Also has a 400 set of yew hegdes that are a joy so long as you don't have to trim them.
    The cuttings go to makeTomoxifil the anti breast cancer drug. Amazing.    Meer informatie

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  • Mark BrittThis Has to Stop.Reiziger
    I Just Like It

    Blinkling House

    14 augustus 2018, Engeland ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Anne Boleyn could have been born here. It's that sort of story. The original house did belong to her family.

    A very, very rich lawyer Henry Hobart bought it, tore it done and built himself a Jacobean country house.

    It’s had a few owners before ending up with the National Trust in 1940, opened to visitors in 1960.

    It was leased to someone during that period. What sort of person leases an enormous, old, old house with a garden that needs a morning to see.

    Would you like to see the attics they asked, what could you say but yes. Mark’s Fitbit says that we climbed the equivalent of 19 stories but who counts these things. Great house with the biggest Library eat of the Pennines.

    They were having an art installation around the risk to books in the 21 century, quite interesting in parts. Better than the “Surrealism Experience” at Peckover House we did not discuss with you.

    Many K’s walk, much gawking and good time had by all.

    Bernadette had a wasp incident in the courtyard but a true tourist takes these things in their stride.    Meer informatie

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  • Mark BrittThis Has to Stop.Reiziger
    1

    The Green Dragon

    14 augustus 2018, Engeland ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Where do you find a Green Dragon.
    Right next door from where you are staying!
    It’s been a pub since 1376 near the gates of the Wymondham Abbey. It is an absolutely old English pub.
    No straight lines, old wood, lead light, bar the size of a cupboard.
    Bern has gone to Heaven again.    Meer informatie

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  • Mark BrittThis Has to Stop.Reiziger

    The Number 13 Bus or the No 6

    15 augustus 2018, Engeland ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Decided th have a day off driving and spend 2 nights in one place.
    The accommodation is very good but is done in early bordello style. Or maybe that’s just a description of how untidy we are.
    It has a kitchenette so we could do some in house eating.
    That worked, pub first night and probably Italian the second.
    Having a day in Norwich with the Cathedral and Castle.
    We were to get the No 13 bus on advice of the locals.
    They had moved the stop due to road works and there was some discussion as to where the new one was.
    Amazingly we found it and although we ended up on the No 6 we got to Norwich easily.
    It’s now obvious how they trim the overhanging trees.
    They run double deckers up and down the roads.
    Norwich bus station the size of Strathfield station. Very slick.    Meer informatie

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  • Mark BrittThis Has to Stop.Reiziger

    Norwich Town and Castle

    15 augustus 2018, Engeland ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    In to town to Norwich Bus Station, a place of wonder where a never ending stream of buses disgorge and vacuum up most of north east England.

    Norwich is a big place about 45,000 and appears to have traffic to match. All works in an English sort of way. Sydney road rage would bring the place to a standstill.

    Normans built the castle sometime before 1075 to let the Saxons know who had won.
    Castle was built on a huge motte with 2 additional ones on front. One is now a shopping centre (what a comedown).

    Present castle is a very recent addition, only been there since 1045.    Meer informatie

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  • Mark BrittThis Has to Stop.Reiziger
    Love the moss
    Tie rod next to bedEnsuite is so small basin is outside

    A Trip around the Truck Parking Lot

    16 augustus 2018, Engeland ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    We decided to drive down to Kent to start phase 2 of the trip, “THE SOUTH”.

    Only 130 miles, lots of M road (freeways with roundabouts the size of Earlwood), cross the Thames to the east of London, should take 2 and a bit hours.

    Plenty of time to see a manor house in the afternoon.

    Well that was an idea.

    A 3 hour white knuckle drive in torrential rain, no visability except when the trucks overtook and wiped the road of water, queues, delays and many White Vans.

    If you have never been to the UK you need to understand that thousands of White Vans traverse the country on all manner of roads.

    They unfailing drive to fast, pass on blind corners and are driven by excitable P platers.

    Then there was the “if we dont stop to go to the toilet I’m going to explode” incident. This required coming of the M, negotiating a 6 exit roundabout and finding a Services Area as big as Roselands.
    With an unfailing sense of direction Mark ended up in the truck parking area, then the coach parking area, then just any area.

    It would not be accurate to saty that no “words” were exchanged during and after all these travails.
    There was a full debriefing of fails, missed turns, alternative choices and “how could you miss that”.

    Kidney failure was avoided, caffeine levels were restored, the downpour continued and eventually all thought of seeing anything in the rain was abandoned. Luckily the veryy nicepeople at The Bull at Wrotham were able to let the room early.

    The Bull has no straight walls, the doors don’t fit and its been a pub for 600 years. There have been a couple of renovations during that period.

    It’s got a Michelin Rosette for its pub food and as soon as we find out what that means you’ll know as well.

    But it’s dry in side and it’s not moving.

    Mark has refused to drive 4mins for coffee and had opted for beer instead.    Meer informatie

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  • Mark BrittThis Has to Stop.Reiziger
    Markets

    Norwich Town and Castle

    16 augustus 2018, Engeland ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    Bus from Wymondham to the mighty Norwich bus station. Lots of buses from surrounds and buses to London and airports. Not like Eddy Avenue at all. It works.

    Norwich is quite a big place 45,000 or so and for those with long memories was home to the Norwich Union Insurance.now all part of the delightfully named Aviva. Much clearer what they do.

    The markets have been trading in the one spot for 600 years and although some of the stock looks the same age it’s an interesting part of town.

    Castle dominates the town. That was the purpose i suppose and it worked.
    Built by Normans not long after the conquest it is now a huge square building (not the original, this one only dates fro the 11th century).

    The Saxons got the message: You lost.    Meer informatie

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  • Mark BrittThis Has to Stop.Reiziger

    Wrotham Village

    16 augustus 2018, Engeland ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    As we’d driven most of the day and sat around the res Bernadette had not walked her 8 kilometres so off went to explore.
    Interesting place, about 2,500 people, 3 pubs, hairdresser and small shop.
    Mixed housing, tiny terraces and big I’ve got money places.
    Excellent church and not one but two cemeteries.

    Only got to 4.67 when good sense prevailed and it was back to lay down.    Meer informatie

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  • Mark BrittThis Has to Stop.Reiziger
    3

    Knole

    17 augustus 2018, Engeland ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    You drive through a very busy market town. Narrow streets, suicidal pedestrians with phones till you see a very narrow gate down a lane that isn’t opened yet.
    You drive past three times because there is no where to park until the carpark open the gate.
    Then you drive the kilometre to the house. The deer park is at the back of the high street and most of the town. A thousand acres.
    Amazing.
    The house started life as a palace for the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1496, past through a number of hands until it ended up with Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop and Henry XIII supporter.
    Henry collected property like he did wives and suggested he might pass the property to the Crown.
    It’s good to be King.
    Elizabeth I gave it to Lord Dudley, a favourite,who gave it back, her cousin Thomas Sackville ended up with it and there it stayed, Vita Sackville-West is part of the family but that’s a complete story on its own.
    The House is huge, over 3 acres, has 7 courtyards 52 staircases and 365 rooms.
    What a a place, one off the biggest houses in Britain.
    Doing the gutters takes a while.    Meer informatie

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  • Mark BrittThis Has to Stop.Reiziger

    Ightham Mote

    17 augustus 2018, Engeland ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Was worth the effort.
    Left Knole full of confidence in Karen the GPS. Our next stop was only 5 miles away. A quick trip and a look at a 14th century moated house.
    Alas, there was a road diversion and complete confusion ensured.
    Having been taken through a housing estate so we could turn around and a dead end with a sigh saying “Your GPS is wrong “ we did finally arrive. Both Karen and Bernadette were a little unhappy at various parts of the trip.

    The house itself sits at a bottom of a valley and was started and extended and renovated and fixed up many times. We counted at least 4 staircases, has its own Chapel (as you do) and some walls that look like a TOMB job.
    Men were boating around the moat fixing the stone work some of which don’t have mortar.
    Obviously an age of optimism.    Meer informatie

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  • Mark BrittThis Has to Stop.Reiziger
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    Leeds Castle

    18 augustus 2018, Engeland ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Off to Leeds Castle for the day.

    Looks big enough to have its own Council, the carpark is big enough.

    Very cunning, take you money and then have you walk 15mins to the castle. This sorts the crowd out very nicely as old people fall by the wayside, the toddlers all veer off to point at extremely well fed and rather fearless ducks and swans.

    Finally got to the castle, walked an additional kilometre to a cafe that Mark though wouldn’t be as crowded (it was closed) then back again.

    It has now been decided to just forget about getting a coffee in England. There are ads on the TV explaining what a Flat White is all about (seriously) but the message hasn’t gotten far. As well as trying to get a small cup , it’s a hopeless endeavour.
    Their normal cup is a small bucket and people look askance if you try to get something smaller.

    Back to the castle. There’s been one on the site since 1078 and its been rebuilt, renovated and “glamourised” at least six times since then. Story is very interesting but that what’s Google is for. Main thing is it sits in the middle of a lake on two islands. Very neat.

    Then you walk the kilometre to the Maze and back then back to the carpark. There were the usual groups of English people going on expeditions for lunch with enough picnic gear to assault Everest. Sure we saw a Nepali family in the mix.

    They sell it as “The Loveliest Castle in the World” and I’m pretty sure that you could debate it but it’s really very cool.    Meer informatie

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  • Mark BrittThis Has to Stop.Reiziger
    1OurLeader
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    Leeds Castle Maze

    18 augustus 2018, Engeland ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    One of the attractions at Leeds is the MAZE.

    2,400 yew bushes trimmed within an inch of their life to create a maze that is supposed to take 20 mins to complete. You end up in the middle at a Grotto and follow an underground tunnel to exit.

    We are not saying how long it took us to get out, let’s just say that we did so and we are not that much older.

    The Italian school kids how ran it were using GPS believe.

    It’s very, very clever and has undoubtably been the source of many relationship breakups.

    Because of Bernadette’s demonstrated superior sense of direction she led the group. Nothing more is being said.    Meer informatie

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  • Mark BrittThis Has to Stop.Reiziger
    1

    Stoneacre Cottage

    18 augustus 2018, Engeland ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Bit of a difference.

    Second stop if the day was Stoneacre. This is a perfect example of a 14th century yeoman’s house and looks everything you’d expect.

    No rich people here.

    To get to it you drive through several miles of roads anoint the width of our side passage. Let’s plant some hedges on both sides to make sure you can’t see anything and all is good.

    There has been a house on the site since 1470 and as you expect its been extended and changed a little. The current house was renovated by a historical architect who’s special interest was medieval architecture. A match made in heaven. He took the place back to a more original look but sensibly left a modern toilet and plumbing.

    Having finished he handed it to the National Trust on 1928 just a few years after he had completed it.

    Enjoyed it immensely, as good in its own way as Leeds Castle.    Meer informatie

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  • Mark BrittThis Has to Stop.Reiziger
    2

    Sissinghurst Castle Garden

    19 augustus 2018, Engeland ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Plan 2.

    Off to Sissinghurst Castle.

    We know that you remember Vita Sackville-West of Knole fame.
    She of the well known Poems and books (none of which I can remember). From a popular culture point of view she is as well remembered as the lover of Virginia Wolf.

    You may remember that her cousin Eddy inherited Knole although he didn’t want it and she wanted it but couldn’t inherit.

    So she and her husband bought an Elizabethan manor house with a 4 storey tower and proceeded to design and plant one if England's most famous gardens. Strange place. No real centre, parents slept in one cottage, sons and kitchen in another, library in another.

    Very interesting place.    Meer informatie

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  • Mark BrittThis Has to Stop.Reiziger

    Scotney Castle

    19 augustus 2018, Engeland ⋅ 🌬 18 °C

    Plan.
    Of course we have a plan.
    We’ll wander over Kent sometimes seeing the same roundabout every couple of days.
    Today we are aiming for a triple header.
    Scotney Castle: Big house built in 1830’s in Mock Tudor style and of course a ruined 14th century moated manor house at the bottom of the garden. I’ve see similar in Earlwood.

    After young Mr Hussey had the house at the top of the hill finished he had the 5 bedroom Palladian style/ renovated moat house destroyed so it looked more of a folly. Folly indeed.
    The last of the family to life in the house gave it to the National Trust in 1976 or so on the proviso that his wife voted life in it till her death.

    She lived a further 38 years until she was 99. Had a stair lift to get up to bed!!!!!
    They only opened to house in 2006.
    You have to be patient in this game.

    Excellent house.

    `    Meer informatie

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  • Mark BrittThis Has to Stop.Reiziger
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    Scotney Castle Folly

    19 augustus 2018, Engeland ⋅ 🌬 18 °C

    You have love the fact that you will knock down one house that the family have lifted in for generations to create a better aspect.

    It’s giving Bernadette ideas about the granny flat. Plans for the garden are growing.

    Scotney also has a quarry garden where they took stone for the house as well as from the old house.

    The old castle is on an island in the middle of a lake of course. As things are.

    Place just got better and better and it had been an early morning “oh, look at this, it’s on the way sort of and the cafe opens early” find.    Meer informatie

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