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This Has to Stop.

August - September 2018
The is absolutely, positively, most likely the last time we do this. Read more
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  • TravelerThis Has to Stop.
    Day 22

    South from Canterbury to Pevensy

    August 22, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Rudyard Kipling’s house (Bateman House) was a find. Mrs Kipling bequeathed the estate in its entirety to the National Trust. Why? She had had three children, one daughter died in infancy, the son was killed in WW1 and the other daughter had no children.
    The place had the original furnishings, including, sketches of the children when they were young, Kipling’s writing desk in situ, his Nobel Prize certificate and medal, and his Rolls Royce Phantom 1. Mrs Kipling did not like modernisation so did not install a more modern bathroom, preferring to have the help carry water.

    By chance we stopped at a picturesque town called Alfriston, near the South Downs and one of the 26 most beautiful villages in England. Fabulous film location. The highlight was the Clergy House which was built in the 14th century and was the first acquisition of the national Trust in 1896. Fabulous.
    The old lady who lived in the house before 1896 was described as.....i will paraphrase......"having a resting bitch face but was found to be pleasant. She rang the bells in the next door church, would pull on the bell ropes and then be taken up from the floor where you could see here white stockings and hobnail boots. The village character. "

    Finished the day with a castle.

    A good day, great cool weather. As one English gentleman put it...We don’t like the heat.. We like it like this, cool, cloudy and hopefully a touch of rain later in the evening. Couldn’t have said it better myself.    Read more

  • TravelerThis Has to Stop.
    Day 23

    Historic Dockyard Portsmouth

    August 23, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Mark has finished the day in exhausted joy.

    Left Pevensey for an hour and twenty minute drive to Portsmouth.

    Only day breakfast was slow and got away later than planned.

    Two and a half hours of roadwork, rain, slow roundabouts and we were there.
    The Portsmouth Docks are enormous, used to be over 230 acres and had 25,000 people working th we really at the end for the war. British navy is now somewhat smaller and so are the Docks.

    Fortunately the tourists have taken up the slack.

    Much walking, climbing down stairs, climbing up stairs, more walking.
    Good time had by all (at least by Mark and Bernad was saintly patient.    Read more

  • TravelerThis Has to Stop.
    1
    Day 23

    HMS Warrior

    August 23, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Warrior was the first really successful iron hulled, steam powered armoured frigate built in 1859–61.

    With 40 guns, over 9,000 tons and almost 130 metres long she was first of her class, the dreadnought of her day.

    A great ship remarkably restored.    Read more

  • TravelerThis Has to Stop.
    Day 23

    HMS Victory

    August 23, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    In amazing condition after 150 years.

    Although after 26 million pound they will have replaced rather large parts of it.

    Orlopp deck a little under 4 1/2 feet in height (we are in the UK). The carpenter who worked here was 6 foot 7 inches. We think he worked sitting down alot.
    Terrific piece of history very well presented.

    Hugh number of kids with grandparents, one lady kept saying, "It will be over soon" as she clambered down another narrow, steep ladder.    Read more

  • TravelerThis Has to Stop.
    Day 24

    Portchester Castle

    August 24, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Trifecta of a place just ouside of Portsmouth.

    1 ) Roman fort, best preserved in northern Europe built in about 260 AD to defend against Saxon Pirates.

    After the Romans left the locals moved and if you have an enormous walled area you stick in an Abbey and;

    2) Best and one of the tallest Norman Keeps in UK.
    Was royal palace of Richard II who liked to see stop off on way to France for the weekend and a;

    3) Church and graveyard in one corner which also runs cafe at the back as a little earner.

    "What have the Romans ever done for us?"

    And free parking.    Read more

  • TravelerThis Has to Stop.
    Day 24

    Winchester Town

    August 24, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Decided to continue the “Very Big Churches Tour of England” so headed to Winchester.

    Decided to use their Park and Ride as we’d had a look at some of their streets.

    Terrific scheme, carparks on periphery, bus to middle of town every 7 minutes and all for £3 for 6 people.

    This assumes that you have a local debit card or coins that you have not given away to the barmaif the evening before.

    Ah, the Interweb. Eventually it was all doen online and the next time we go it wont take longer than the bus ride.

    Winchester is one of the nicest towns we’ve seen. Great Hight Street with fantastic array of old and ancient buildings, buskers, market going on.

    Where the Thai ladies cooking the street food came from will ever remain a mystery.

    Enormous Guild Hall, couple of Alms Houses, an old type Hospital that still gives out traveller benefits, a working watermill at the bottom end of town and the Cathedral in the back. Nothing not to like.

    Bern has voted it “BEST TOWN YET” in capitals.    Read more

  • TravelerThis Has to Stop.
    1
    Day 24

    Winchester cathedral

    August 24, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Very interesting church, no big towers or spires but does have bells, dont know where.

    In the middle of a £22milion restoration. 11 of that is from their National Lottery, what could we have done if we hadn’t sold ours off.

    The present church was started bt the Normans but there was one on the site since the seventh century. Been changed and restored many times over the years. One of the best stories I’ve stolen from Wikipedia. Memorial to Walker is in the cathedral.

    “Restoration work was carried out by T. G. Jackson in 1905–12. Waterlogged foundations on the south and east walls were reinforced by diver William Walker, packing the foundations with more than 25,000 bags of concrete, 115,000 concrete blocks, and 900,000 bricks. Walker worked six hours a day from 1906 to 1912 in total darkness at depths up to 20 feet (6 m), and is credited with saving the cathedral from total collapse.[24] For this he was awarded the MVO.[25]”

    He definitely deserved it.

    To make the day Bern stumbled on Jane Austen’s grave as she died in Winchester. It’s also got KIng Cnut and Edgbert of Wessex along with a host of not very famous kings. They aren’t pulling in the £8 a time though.

    Excellent place. Then onwards for some more driveing in the rain and some side trips through supermarket carparks (thanks Karen) to a small market town called Alton.

    Tomorrow Jane Austen day.    Read more

  • TravelerThis Has to Stop.
    Day 25

    Bern's Big Day Out

    August 25, 2018 in England ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Today is “we will go wherever you want Bern day.”

    So a difficult 6 minute drive to Chawton where Jane Austin lived with her mother and sister for much of her writing life. Lovely little village, lots of thatch and moss roofs.

    We were early so sat in the park in the sun so we had a good run at the ticket office.

    Not sure what the locals make if all this. Although I’m sure some of them don’t mind as the only cafe in the place wouldn’t be here without the museum.

    Question, why is the cafe called Cassandra’s Cup?
    Bonus points for correct answers.

    Was a toss up who opened first the cafe or the museum. Cafe won by 39 secs and it was scones and cream. If only the coffee worked...Alas.

    Great little museum.

    Walk up a pleasant road to Chawton House where Janes’s brother lived. Church on the estate of course .

    All very civilised and when you are that early there are no crowds, just keen groupies.    Read more

  • TravelerThis Has to Stop.
    Day 25

    Mottisfort

    August 25, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Second stop of the day.
    How do you top Jane Austin?

    Well Mottisfort Abbey was pretty close.

    We found out what Saturday on a Bank Holiday is like. The carpark was a feral jungle and we only got in because Bernadette jumped out of the car and told a woman that was our spot. Check d afterwards and al the tyres and paint work was OK. Go Bern.

    House is built on an old abbey and was left in good nick to the National Trust in the 50s.

    Great gardens and river runs through the grounds. Usual crowds of kids rolling down grass and lots of small boys picking up stones.

    Had a lovely time.    Read more

  • TravelerThis Has to Stop.
    Day 25

    White Hart Hotel

    August 25, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Did we say it was Bank Holiday weekend?
    Accommodation was a bit tight so Bern lashed out on a more upmarket hotel in a place called Stockbridge.
    Great hotel, very nicely put together. Building on the site since 12th century. The pub has been updated a littel
    Parts were originally the Brewhouse for the church next door. Our room overlooks the old cemetery, very atmospheric.    Read more

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