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Gilt Trip
  • Janette John Trish Paul.
  • Janette John Trish Paul.

Gilt Trip

So many thanks go to Candice for organising another memorable holiday for us to share. How very lucky am I to have such a beautiful daughter who is generous and thoughtful not only to me but to all her family. To Candice, love and gratitude always. Read more
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  • Janette John Trish Paul.Gilt TripJanette John Trish Paul.
    Historic Cotswold Village of Bibury
    Historic Cotswold Village of BiburyBiburyHIghgrove also has lantana elephants.HighgroveWho'd have ever thought!Model of Highgrove HouseReception area at HighgroveHighgroveHighgroveSaving trees at HighgroveAutumn colour at HighgroveLunch at HighgroveCandice and friends Lucy and Ray Zelouf from Melbourne in the Highgrove gift shop.Cows at HighgroveOne of Candice's favourite brands.Stopped off at Charlton Kings near Cheltenham for a drink and some take home soup for dinner.Home for dinner by the fire

    Highgrove

    September 18 in England ☁️ 16 °C

    Today we went to the home of King Charles and Queen Camilla.

    Highgrove lies in Tetbury, Gloucestershire. On the way we passed many beautiful villages all featuring buildings made out of the lovely golden coloured stone. Bibury is probably the most famous. It is very old and was full of tourists.

    Highgrove is not signposted and was a bit tricky to find but we got there eventually. Not allowed to take photos except in the restaurant area and car parking area.

    The garden tour was really good. The guide had lots of royal anecdotes and stories as well as a wealth of knowledge about the plants and garden’s history. Shame we couldn’t take photos but the book on Highgrove will provide a few.

    The King has a very natural approach and leaves nature to do its own thing once the designs have been planted out. He has turned farm land surrounding the house into many rooms of gardens used for different purposes. The bees and the chickens have very glamorous ‘homes’ and indeed the chicken house has been nicknamed ‘Cluckingham Palace’.

    Walled gardens feature and children’s gardens still include William and Harry’s cubby. A really abundant kitchen garden, a stumpery, trees from all over the world, many water features, shrubberies and picking flower gardens come together to make a beautiful and peaceful environment. Highly recommend to visit if you ever get the opportunity.

    After the tour it was back to the lovely dining room for lunch - which was delicious. We visited the gift shop before leaving and amazingly Candice ran into some friends, Lucy and Ray Zelouf, from Melbourne. Their son was in the same year as Hugo at school. Whist the garden looked really good, Lucy would like to come back in Spring.

    We drove home via Cheltenham, stopped off at the Holland Cooper (country wear) complex at Charlton Kings where we had a drink, bought some soup for dinner and left for a night in at the little Straw Cottage with the thatched roof in Adderbury.    Read more

  • Janette John Trish Paul.Gilt TripJanette John Trish Paul.
    Broadway
    BroadwayLight fitting in hotel in BroadwayThe Landmark RestaurantLunch in BroadwayLandmark Restaurant in BroadwayTetbury - amazing antique shopsTetburyDinner before the show.1Dinner before the show.To Kill a Queen - Suzannah Lipscomb and Kate WilliamsCheltenham HallCheltenham Hall

    Broadway, Tetbury, and ‘To Kill a Queen’

    September 19 in England ☁️ 19 °C

    We are winding our way to Cheltenham today to see a show and going via the gorgeous village of Broadway with its great independent shops and also Tetbury (near Highgrove so I hope they don’t think we are stalking Charles).

    Broadway was really busy, had lovely shops, and the setting is very Cotswold. Parking was difficult but we were able to follow a chap walking to where he was parked and he gave us his ticket with over three hours left. We had a lovely lunch (Landmark Restaurant) in an old hotel and after a peek in a couple of antique shops we headed off to Tetbury.

    Tetbury had lots of antique shops (although the lady in Broadway said many have closed down and some now operate only on line). Great homewares shops and Candice found a shop with her sort of clothing called ‘Overrider’ and made a few purchases.

    We then drove to Cheltenham, parked near the theatre and found an Italian restaurant. Only outside tables left but it wasn’t cold and we enjoyed both the passing parade and the authentic pizzas.

    We really enjoyed ‘To Kill a Queen’. It helped that they made lots of references to places we had been and people we had heard of. Theatre was full and seating very cosy. Meeting the two historians, Kate and Suzannah, was a bonus and they were amazed that their show had been included in the itinerary constructed months ago in Australia.    Read more

  • Janette John Trish Paul.Gilt TripJanette John Trish Paul.
    Straw Cottage at Addenbury
    Straw Cottage at AddenburyDovecote at BicesterShops at BicesterQueue at BurberryRalph Lauren Coffee shopQueue up to get into DiorAt The Marlestone Tavern for a pie dinnerReturn to Marlestone Tavern for a great pie dinner.A favourite eatery.

    Deddington to Bicester

    September 20 in England ☁️ 17 °C

    Flying home tomorrow and nothing planned so we did a recky on packing in case we had accumulated too much. Looked ok.

    We then decided to go for early lunch and ran into Charlie, the owner of this BnB. He suggested a place in nearby Deddington where he lives. Charlie and his partner own a couple of these cottages, love this village of Adderbury, and have recently purchased a very old church next door to the cottages which they are renovating and converting to a Pilates Centre.

    Had a roast lunch with a difference. The roast meat, some veg. & sauces in a toasted bun with small roast potatoes on the side. Tasty but different.

    Took the hire car for a wash at Banbury then drove to Bicester (pronounced Bister) to this amazing complex of high end outlets such as Dior, Burberry, Hackett etc. I was faced with lots of bulbous lips, tight clothes, long lashes etc. walking along and shopping in the most expensive shops I have ever been to - and these were discount outlets. Apparently this complex is based on similar ones in America. It was so busy and popular.

    Back towards the BnB and we had a pub pie dinner for our last dinner in England.

    Home by seven to watch a bit of telly (latest 7 Up).    Read more

  • Janette John Trish Paul.Gilt TripJanette John Trish Paul.
    Pimms with lunch at HenleyFish dinners at pub in Henley - The BullIn the Qantas lounge awaiting our flight.Singapore - shopping centre attached to the airport. Like Chadstone on steroids.

    Trip Home to AUS.

    September 21 in England ☀️ 15 °C

    Emails, tidy up the cottage and check we have everything were our first priorities today. The smoke alarm battery must have run flat so we had the intermittent beeping to accompany our efforts.

    Tricky cars these days with push button starts etc. We had loaded up and sent a message to Charlie that we were leaving. Candice was in the car working out the satnav so I said I would take the house keys round the back and put them in the key lock. This done I went to get in the car and realised the car keys were in the house! Went round the back to get the keys to the house from the keylock, round the front to enter inside to get the car keys, back to put the house keys in the key lock around the back and we should be on our way. Car has keys now but still won’t go. This little BMW won’t move unless all the doors are shut properly.

    Plenty of time to get to Heathrow so decided to call back to Henley for lunch on our way back. The Bull was handy so had seafood as our last UK meal. Fish pie for Candice and Fish & chips for me - all washed down with a Pimms.

    Good drive to the car rental return and Europcar were quick and efficient and we were on the bus in no time. Very helpful staff all carried luggage and bus driver got a trolley for us at Heathrow - and handled our cases. What was I worried about?

    We were so early we thought we would have to wait to check in but we were through everything in no time. As I write we are in the lounge relaxing with a beer and a cuppa.

    Arrived into Singapore early. We had permits to visit the shopping centre just outside the airport. Over shopping, but walked round 3 levels to give our legs a stretch.

    Flight home uneventful and whilst I managed nearly 7 hours on the first leg, only managed 2 on the last shorter leg despite it being overnight. However it seems it was enough as I suffered no jet lag on my return.    Read more

  • Janette John Trish Paul.Gilt TripJanette John Trish Paul.
    1Water Maze at Hever - cold water surprise!
    1Water Maze at Hever - cold water surprise!Sitting on Henry VIIIMmmm...In Gran's plastic bonnet (over 60 years old and still works)Spent every night at Lodge Cottage Belvoir trying to work out how to change the globe.Almost bought this seat/walking stick for John. Very swish, comfy, but hard to fit in the case.Someone else bought two! Great at Henley Show.Bailey's for lunch in York.That's what you call Yorkshire Pudding. At Bailey's York.Bailey was every where! Our home grown 'Royal'With all the fine dining we still enjoyed our baked beans on toast.Flirting with the Knights in CanterburyTam being Tam in CanterburyOur drink of the trip: 'Hugo Spṟitz'With our favourite 'Hugo Spritz'Harrods mugJanette's now 'Mug T Shirt'Pimms in Henley - second favourite drink of the holiday.

    Bloopers

    September 24 in Australia ⛅ 23 °C

    Lots of little things to confuse or amuse us:

    The water maze at Hever Castle was a maze to walk around on pavers erected on the pond. At various points you would be walking around it and get a big surprise with a decent squirt of cold water. You could stop it by firmly placing your feet on the paver but not before you had a bit of a shower!

    Taps did not necessarily turn righty-tighty / lefty-loosey. Some were righty-loosey and lefty-tighty which did cause some minor frustrations.

    At the Lodge Cottage, Belvoir (pronounced Beaver) the toilet was in the upstairs bathroom. There was a raised trim at the back of the cistern. It just happened to coincide where the toilet seat rested when you lifted it up. This meant the seat, when put up, was leaning forward and would not stay up but crash down.
    Doesn’t seem like much of a problem until you try to go. Men presumably only have to hold it up during the process. Women - well use your imagination. No matter how quickly you got prepared you couldn’t sit before the lid closed.

    The BnB in Henley had a lovely outdoor area but we couldn’t open the door to go out. After contacting the host we were told not to push the handle down to open but to lift it up. Silly us!

    Learned a couple of the backgrounds to sayings we all use.

    We saw the world’s largest collection of ‘Dole Cupboards’ at Haddon Hall. These were conveniently placed for the workers and the poor to take excess food and leftover items left for them by the owners of the estates. It is thought to be where the modern term ‘on the dole’ (receiving assistance) came from.

    ‘Paint the town red’ is said to have become a popular term after a group of inebriated young men let loose with a can of red paint in a village which ended up with many red buildings.

    ‘Cost an arm and a leg’ is said to have come from a time when if you had a portrait painted it would cost considerably more to include arms and legs.

    We have had many discussions with other hosts in Australia regarding whether to have a top sheet under the doona at the BnB. Only one out of the six BnB’s we stayed at in the UK had a top sheet. All the others only provided a doona. I think, at our BnB in Benalla, we will continue to offer doona only (with a top sheet available in the bedroom cupboard) unless we are aware the guests are elderly in which case we will make up with a top sheet.

    We stayed at Adderbury in the Cotswolds which was near Aynho where Harry and Megan were staying. They have just moved back from the US. Shame we didn’t run into them.

    The historic property, Newby Hall was a favourite with lovely gardens and interior. Apart from King Charle’s Highgrove it was the only other place we could not take photos inside. They had also run out of guide books as it was the end of their season. Bit disappointing and a great contrast to Sudeley Castle in the Cotswolds. Candice had pre-booked a tour at Sudely. When we arrived I did the normal thing and purchased a guidebook. At the end of our tour we were given a showbag each which contained a guidebook. Now we had three! Tried to offload in the cafe - one chap was a relative of the owners with a direct ancestral lineage to (I think) Edward VI and had plenty. Others had their own so we left 2 copies in the BnB.

    I took a (Uniqlo) T shirt to wear when relaxing in the BnBs. We were shopping in Harrods for a new coffee mug for Bev when Candice realised the pattern on one mug was just like my T shirt. The T shirt became my ‘mug’ top as did any striped top I had!    Read more

  • Janette John Trish Paul.Gilt TripJanette John Trish Paul.
    On The Pullman London to Bath
    On The Pullman London to BathShopping at HarrodsShopping at HarrodsHi Tea at The Goring before our West End Show - Phantom of the OperaThe Goring High TeaRoyal Box to see 'The Phantom' in the West End'Harry's Restaurant opposite Victoria Station, LondonManor House BnB at BelviorBelvoir CastleThe Aviary cafe at BelvoirBelvoirFavourite meal - Fish Pie at The Durham OxHaddon HallWaiting for a Cuppa at Betty'sNewby Hall & gardensLunch at The Bay Hotel, Robin Hood's BayHever Castle - our favourite - with new friend Tam from MontanaHever CastleWeaver's Arms Canterbury'To Kill a Queen' with Kate and Suzannah

    Candice

    September 25 in Singapore ☁️ 31 °C

    A truly wonderful memory making holiday with Mum, such incredible & memorable experiences and many laughs too. Spending the quality time together was special, we loved the special dining & shopping at Harrods, the London sights & galleries, the West End theatre, the captivating castles with incredible historic tales, the amazing feeling of being so close to the history. The fantastic British fare (that incredibly delicious fish pie at The Durham Ox) and endless hedged row drives & occasionally scary tight lanes. Pumping air into flat car hire tyres only to release more air and be rescued by a kindly British chap, and shopping up a storm in uniquely British country style clothing shops and not to forget Mum’s “mug” tops (a variety of striped tops resembling various Harrods mugs) 😜 !Read more

    Trip end
    September 23, 2026