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UK and a bit of Asia 2024
  • John Gibsone
Aug – Oct 2024

UK and a bit of Asia 2024

A 42-day adventure by John Read more
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  • John GibsoneTravelerUK and a bit of Asia 2024
    You need a lot of horsepower to get up that hill.
    The carefully manicured path and garden from the car park.Bronte Senior officiated here.Gravestone City. ...and there was more.Quaint Haworth - looks like a great view on a clear day.More HaworthAn artist at work. It will look great when finished.

    A trip to Haworth and the Brontes

    September 20, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    One of our planned trips was to the village of Haworth, which is known for two things: 1—its quirkiness and 2—being where the Brontes lived and did their thing.

    The day was grey - but no rain. We had a leisurely breakfast and set off via Crimple Hall to charge the car. The trip was relatively relaxing apart from the traffic volume, a traffic jam in Otley and some more narrow lanes. We arrived at the car park and quickly found a space as it was 90% empty. Maybe Friday morning on a grey day is not popular with visitors here.

    We walked from the car park to the church graveyard and church. The cemetery is huge. People must die here often. From there, we found the main street—just about the only one, as Haworth is perched on the side of a hill, and that street runs from top to bottom. It's very picturesque, though, and everything looks very old.

    More mementoes were purchased, and the ladies went to the Bronte Museum. I went back to the car to listen to a podcast (I’m getting behind with those). We set our home address and set off back, but not how we came. Much to our surprise, Google navigated us back via the small village of Addingham that we stayed in for a week six years ago. It was weird driving on these roads again as we recognised landmarks. Even spookier, we were directed down the small side street on which our old cottage was located. It still looks the same, and the road is just as congested.

    We arrived home and cooked a simple meal of pasta and veggies. Yet another great day in Yorkshire.    Read more

  • John GibsoneTravelerUK and a bit of Asia 2024
    The Theatre building - auditorium at the top with plenty of bar space underneath.
    A street close by.From the ramp on the climb to the theatre.The insideFrom my seat - I did get there earlyMy half of the theatre after the show.

    Last day in Harrogate - walks and comedy

    September 21, 2024 in England ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    The weather was a bit grey, and we didn’t want another long drive to somewhere that was also grey. So, we decided to walk around town for one last look, do one last shop, and research the route for my trip this evening.

    A couple of days ago, I had dropped my expensive computer mouse on the floor, and it then rattled and did some strange things. So I located a shop that sold gaming stuff that advertised a selection of mice, and we went there first. It didn’t sound good at first. The guy behind the counter reckoned that their only Bluetooth mouse was a generic £6 model, so I agreed on that, but when he came back, he had two. The second one was a later version of the one I had dropped and was nearly five times the price of the cheap one - but that’s the one I bought. It’s great.

    The ladies shopped ‘til they dropped, and we went back home for lunch. Christine purchased a Gregg’s sausage roll, and I bought another pork pie from the same butcher’s shop I had been in earlier. Yum.

    Earlier on our trip, I decided to attend a live show on Saturday in Harrogate. The comedian Jimmy Carr was in town, and I purchased a single ticket as the two ladies said they would be offended by the language and content (I didn’t argue as I knew that to be so true - watch him on YouTube if you don’t believe me). Being a single ticket, I got a seat in row 5 close to centre stage. So after lunch we walked the 11 minutes from our apartment to the Harrogate Convention Centre (the ladies didn’t trust my navigation skills - probably wise). It was an easy walk.

    The show started at 7, so I set off just before 6:30, as I didn’t want to walk in late to a standup comedian. The Venue is amazing, with a spiral ramp leading up to the large auditorium (2,000-person capacity). Jimmy did his stuff for nearly two hours straight. He is outstanding, especially when he invited hecklers from the audience to try him on. Fantastic show. I walked back home without being mugged. The two ladies were worried about that.

    It was a great end to a great week.    Read more

  • John GibsoneTravelerUK and a bit of Asia 2024
    Someone elses photo (and car) at Barton Hall.

    North to East. Harrogate to Cambridge.

    September 21, 2024 in England ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Sunday was a moving day, and we had a long trip ahead of us. The weather had reverted to the previous week when we drove here from Wales, and heavy rain warnings were in place for the route we were taking. Great.

    We packed and left on time - just after 10:00 and went to the nearby Tesla chargers again. This visit was not so smooth as I needed my phone to initiate the charge and when I started the phone displayed ‘lost connection’ messages. This caused a lot of swearing (I learnt some new words from Jimmy Carr). Anyway, I realised that the stall I was using was right by some huge electrical boxes that supply a lot of electricity to the chargers. Could they be doing something bad to the mobile signal??? I walked about 10 metres away, and my phone came back, and the Tesla app on my phone picked itself up and started charging.

    We drove on and ended up on the A1 as the rain started. It was pretty heavy on occasion and slowed us down, but we kept on for about 140km then came off at one of those huge roundabouts that they use for exits. We went around nearly twice before we got the right exit - I was quite giddy by then, but my two navigators picked the right exit.

    As the rain stopped, we arrived at another Tesla station at Barton Hall (a hotel and venue) just outside Kettering. After nearly driving into a wedding, we found the superchargers (new high-speed ones). We just had time to use the loos and buy a drink before the charging was completed - so we parked up, ate our traditional stale cheese sandwiches, and drank expensive drinks. We needed that break and should have stopped earlier. Anyway, onwards for the final leg, which was trouble-free. We managed to make sense of the extensive instructions for entry and car parking and unpacked. We went to a nearby BP for urgent supplies and had baked beans on toast for tea.

    Here we are in Cambridge.

    [No photos - too busy driving. Just someone's photo of the superchargers at Barton Hall].    Read more

  • John GibsoneTravelerUK and a bit of Asia 2024
    A University rowing 8 having a paddle on the river.
    They looked like they knew what they were doingStreet view in central Cambridge.The entrance to Christ's College. We didn't know but Google did.On 'Midsummer Common'. I'm sure it's called a common so they don't have to mow it.'Christ's Pieces'. The parks look a bit on the scruffy side, but there are quite a few.Houseboats on the river.Houseboats on the river II.Apratments with a river view and their own moorings.In the Grand Arcade (the one with some shops)

    Walking across Cambridge

    September 23, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Easy day today. Just a random walk into the city centre and then home via a supermarket near our apartment. It was pretty random as I hadn’t looked up any city centre destinations, and we walked on Christine's memory of a tourist map, my phone, and the name of a mall. We found the pedestrian and cycle bridges, separated on the bridge, over the river Cam. We walked along the river's edge and, using a set of subways, under the main road into Cambridge. We ended up in the Grafton Centre, but it turns out this will be redeveloped for other uses, so many shops were empty.

    We wandered around for a while, then decided to walk to a functioning mall - the Grand Arcade in the city's centre. We walked past one of several parks - weirdly called ‘Christ’s Pieces’ - which has something to do with nearby Christ’s College, I think. We found the Grand Arcade and went in. A bit expensive for us, but very nice. Saw a display with the new Smart EV - a nice looking 4-door saloon, but a lot bigger than the original Smart. I didn’t ask the price.

    From there, we navigated our way back via a large Tesco supermarket, where we bought a huge bag of groceries. We then went back home to rest as it was a long walk—over our 10,000 steps today.

    Later in the afternoon, we walked in the other direction to a small Tesco Express for the things we had forgotten at the big one. Such is life.    Read more

  • John GibsoneTravelerUK and a bit of Asia 2024
    Ely Cathedral, an amazing place. Lady's Chapel far left.
    Looking towards the high altar.Aforesaid High Altar, and big stained glass.ExquisiteThis dude looks like he was quite an interesting character.Stained glass and sculptured stone.Stunned tourist taking in the view looking back from the 'normal' altar.On the side. Amazing what can be done with a few stone blocks.More stone work detail.2Can't remember what they call the side bits, but they are beautiful too.Hexagonal dome was added in the 1400s to replace an 1100 tower that collapsed. Clever craftsmen.Tricia and an intricate bit of stonework.Keeping up the candle lighting tradition.Corner of the Lady's Chapel, much of the interior was vandalised during the Reformation. Bastards.Sharing a joke.Walking in Cambridge - nice building.Cows grazing in the Midsummer Common - close to the centre of the city!Now just a tourist attraction.

    Cathedral Spotting, mice, shirts, pizza

    September 24, 2024 in England ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Another grey day dawned, but it wasn’t raining, so we decided today to visit Ely Cathedral. We haven’t visited a single one so far on this trip, and time is running out, So off we went with only one ugly roundabout junction road issue. We got to the biggest car park and found that everyone else had beaten us to it. So we navigated to the next nearest but got lost when the navigation system gave up on us. We parked in a supermarket car park and discovered I had no mobile access. I had also forgotten to preload the maps, which didn’t help. We drove by dead reckoning to the next car park and found it and the one remaining park. We walked back up the street, which was the main street, and found the cathedral - it’s pretty hard to lose a cathedral, especially this one.

    We got our tickets and went in. It’s definitely a jaw-dropping place—very big and very beautiful. It’s challenging to explain in words - so I won’t bother. Attached to the cathedral is the Lady's Chapel. That is also huge and stunning, with massive clear windows and intricate stonework. Sadly, much of the detail and decoration was smashed or removed during the reformation (talk about babies and bathwater).

    On the way out, staring at the enormous stone arches, a lady started a conversation and was interested in the fact that I came from NZ as she had a brother in Wellington. I think she was a guide. She showed me something missed by many tourists—the Cathedral Prior doors, which are on the outside of the Cathedral in a specially enclosed room and show intricate stone carvings from the 1100s—quite some time ago.

    It's an amazing place.

    Back home for another stale cheese sandwich. I then set off to solve a problem. I purchased a new rechargeable mouse a few days ago, but mine didn’t recharge. I located a branch of the retailer and managed to convince the spotty sales assistant that there was a problem. After conferring with a superior, he said that they would test it, which would take 40 minutes. So I went off and looked at the shops. In the Red Cross op shop (I was getting desperate for things to do), I found a nice-looking shirt. I then noticed it was a Superdry (posh) brand, which I liked, and it was only £7. I took it to the counter and discovered it was a new item with attached tags. I just checked, and the retail prices range from £45 to £50. Winner. So, my failed mouse had a silver lining.

    I returned to the apartment just in time to set off for a pizza in a restaurant back in town. Apart from needing food, this was a celebration dinner for Tricia’s birthday. Pizza was her choice. I found a chain that made wood-fired pizza with sourdough bases (Franco Manca) and also had vegan options. It was a good choice, and we demolished our pizzas (I had an ale with the label ‘No Logo’ - nice). On the walk back, we spotted several impressive buildings. Cambridge University and the Church have left quite a legacy here.

    I won the fitness challenge with 21,000 steps today - and my feet are not happy.    Read more

  • John GibsoneTravelerUK and a bit of Asia 2024
    A PDP-11, I did a training course in the late 70s on one of these- I don't remember it being pink.
    Not the most inviting startI have worked on systems with most of those disks.That's a rare beast - an Elliot computer.When I worked for them Burroughs had moved on a bit.This one did plug in.An HP system with bits and pieces that I remember well.

    Walkabouts

    September 25, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    We didn’t drive anywhere today, so we decided to split up for different activities. Christine and Tricia decided to visit the University Museum of Zoology in the David Attenborough Building. It’s full of skeletons, stuffed animals, and really stuffed animals like the Dodo and Giant Sloth. That was not my scene, so I visited the Centre for Computing History.

    I can’t speak to the ladies' choice of museum except to say it was a lot grander than mine and also free. I walked to mine and located it in a run-down industrial area. Not to be deterred, I went in and paid my entry fee. I was one of the first people in that morning, and the lady behind the counter said that I was lucky as no school groups were attending and that it should remain quiet. The museum was better inside than out, and there were many computers in there, most of the gaming or personal variety, but some other interesting machines. Many of the systems are working, and you can try them out,

    They had a working 1980s PC-type business system of some early English brand running an Operating system that wasn’t Microsoft, but one of the program choices was Microsoft Word (probably the first release). If you think the current Word is a bit overblown, be thankful you don’t have to use this one. I fired it up and had a play. There are no graphics—all text. It brought back memories… I even found a manual for it on a shelf nearby.

    There is a lot of information about Acorn Computers and its famous spinoff company, ARM (which designs the processors in many smartphones and many other products). Acorn started in Cambridge, and ARM is still here.

    A couple of systems reminded me of some of the machines I have worked on—large disks with little capacity, magnetic tapes, paper tape, and punched cards. Also a large display of the LEO computers developed in the late 1940s/1950s by the English Lyons company that ran the massive chain of tea rooms of the same name. They decided these new-fangled computers could help them with their vast clerical workload. They funded the development of a machine based on the EDSAC system built in Cambridge and started the Lyons Electronic Office subsidiary (LEO). The system they developed was sold to several organisations and is regarded as the first business computer system. Fascinating. Well, I thought that it was.

    I made my way out, bought a Melton Mowbray Pork Pie from Tesco and ate it on my way home. I beat the ladies back by 30 minutes.

    It was a good, if somewhat nerdy, day for all of us.    Read more

  • John GibsoneTravelerUK and a bit of Asia 2024
    De Havilland DH88 Comet "Grosvenor House". Futuristic for the early 30s.
    Sopwith Triplane.Mean looking SE5a1Can't remember what this one is. I should Google it.Cool looking Bristol F2BGloster Gladiator. NZ Ace 'Cobber' Kain flew this one at the 1937 Hendon Airshow.Lysander painted as a Special Ops plane (that supplied French Resistance in WWII).1909 Avro (aka Roe) Triplane.1909 Bleriot - original and still flying. Who would fly the English Channel in that?Travel Air Type R 'Mystery Ship'. Built for Air Racing.

    Walking Cambridge and Shuttleworth

    September 26, 2024 in England ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    It was another split-up day. Nobody wanted to come with me to Shuttleworth to see the collection of vintage aircraft. I have no idea why, as it seemed a no-brainer to me. So the ladies did their own things, with Christine walking around the river to see that and the colleges that make up Cambridge University. Tricia followed on later to locate the cattle on the Midsummer Common. They met up later.

    I set off for Shuttleworth in the sunshine and got there with no incident (a 50-minute drive). I got a car park in the small one by the entrance, which was good. Inside, I showed my prepurchased ticket and went in. The doors of the first hangar opened onto a collection of WWI aircraft, some replicas and some original. Most of these were in flying condition but weren’t flying today. When they do at their flying events, the crowds are much larger. I have always had a fascination with this era - maybe it was all those Biggles Books that I read as a child. I recognised most of the aircraft, so my dementia hasn’t yet taken hold. On to the other hangars, which included some pre-WWI aircraft like an original 1909 Bleriot, still with its original engine and still in flying condition (only on fine, still, days). Also, a couple of American racing planes from the 30s and the DH88 Comet that won the MacRobertson Air Race from the United Kingdom to Australia in 1933. Incredible machines, and many others too numerous to mention.

    I went through the displays and had a quick, late lunch before driving back. The ladies had luckily beaten me home as they had the keys.

    One of my bucket list items is ticked off. Can I do another tomorrow?    Read more

  • John GibsoneTravelerUK and a bit of Asia 2024
    My arty shot of B-17 Memphis Belle. That cloud and lighting was only there for 30 secs.
    Lancaster and Mosquito above.This guy (Handley Page Victor) was all alone in the 'renovation' hangarThe first Spitfire I saw - a Mk24 - last version built. Nice.English Electric Lightning. I thought these were really cool when I was a kid. I still do.1Hey guys, I think if we all breathe in we can fit a Concorde in here.A stunning Curtiss P40 Hawk. Cool.This Fiat CR42 needs a bit of reassembly. I would love to see this when complete.Part of the airliner line-up. I always thought the Vickers VC10 was elegant.The American Museum Hangar. Not sure how they get planes in and out of this.OMG. A Lockheed SR71. You don't see these every day.The front end of a B29.A Thunderbolt and Mustang hanging in there.Boeing/Stearman PT17 Kaydet.Another B-17 shot

    Walking Cambridge II and IWM Duxford

    September 27, 2024 in England ⋅ 🌬 12 °C

    It was yet another split-up day. Again, nobody wanted to come with me to IWM (Imperial War Museum) Duxford to see a different and bigger collection of aircraft—just as well, as it cost an eyewatering 24 quid. The ladies, dodging the rain showers, went back into Cambridge and did some more sightseeing and window shopping—it’s been 24 hours since they last did that.

    I set off to recharge the car at Trumpington (south end of Cambridge). I had to wait for 25 minutes as all 12 units were in use, with 3 to 4 cars queuing. The guy next to me often uses this one and said he had never seen it full. It charged very quickly when I did get access.

    I went on to Duxford - only 10 minutes from the chargers - and parked. I started in Hangar 1 (of 6) and was gobsmacked by the size and the number of aircraft. Several other hangars were just as large, with some big planes on display. B-52, Concord, Sunderland flying boat, Vulcan, B17, Liberator, SR71,… And then there were the smaller planes, more Spitfires than when this was an active airbase…
    Outside the airfield (used as a fighter base during the Battle of Britain) was a B17—Memphis Belle—which regularly flies in airshows here (one just a few weeks back). I was particularly interested in the B17 as my Dad flew in B17s that were used by RAF Coastal Command during the war for anti-submarine patrols. They had another one on display in Hangar 6—the American collection! It was good to get to see them.

    There was so much to see that I can’t describe it all here (‘what a relief’ I hear you say). The pictures will be better than my descriptions anyway,

    Got home mid-afternoon. We walked to a nearby chippy and bought far too much food - but it was good.    Read more

  • John GibsoneTravelerUK and a bit of Asia 2024
    Gails Cambridge (picture stolen from the Internet)
    Rowers and the flash boat shed.Rowers in action.

    Walking Cambridge III and shopping

    September 28, 2024 in England ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Apologies for the delay. Lots of travel and jet lag got in the way. Now, back to the story.

    It was our last full day in Cambridge. The weather was good, and we didn’t want to drive anywhere (in anticipation of a fun trip to Heathrow tomorrow), so we took a last walk into Cambridge.

    The first port of call was to visit another branch of Gails, a small chain of great cafes and bakeries. We had a memorable coffee/lunch when we were in Wokingham at the start of the trip, so we went to repeat that. We went for morning coffee, and it was as good as we remembered—as was the pastry that I had with mine.

    Next, we walked down the same street with its many Op Shops. That took a while and a few pounds. Then we stopped at Primark (cheap clothes) but made no purchases—perhaps saving up for Hong Kong.

    Walking back through the common, Tricia waved goodbye to the cows. Along the river, we waved goodbye to the rowers. Back home to eat all of the leftovers in the fridge and pack.

    It was a relaxing day, just what we needed.    Read more

  • John GibsoneTravelerUK and a bit of Asia 2024
    Heathrow - Our plane awaits.
    On the MTR. Smog and Apartment buildings.View from our hotel room - 23rd floor.Two ladies scoffing down a great vegetarian dinnerA Ferrari F12 Berlinetta parked down a ratty side street on our way back to the hotel.The night view from our room. Amazing.

    England Sunday, Hong Kong Monday

    September 30, 2024 in Hong Kong ⋅ ⛅ 34 °C

    We packed the car and left Cambridge for Heathrow. A 90-minute drive - some of it on the dreaded M25. The MG4 that we had rented had to be returned with an 80% full battery, and luckily, Tesla had a Supercharger station about a 3-minute drive from the Rental car return, so that is where we were heading. Most of the trip was uneventful (if still a little stressful). The last bit was tricky with off-ramps leading off in all directions - Heathrow is a popular destination. The choices of roads came up so fast that we had to guess and failed. But Google was on the job and routed us back to where we were meant to be and even to the right end of the big hotel car park where the chargers were located. The fill was quick, and we were soon on our way. The rental return process was so fast that they had to wait for us to unload the car. Luckily, we hadn’t added any scrapes or scratches to the vehicle that already had plenty when we picked it up. A minor miracle.

    As planned, we made it to the terminal with hours to spare. It was an uneventful flight to Hong Kong. We found the Airport Express MTR (train) and used a machine to buy tickets to Kowloon. The machine didn’t accept cards, so we had to feed it copious banknotes. At Kowloon station we navigated to the shuttle bus area to find the bus for our hotel - which runs once an hour, sitting outside the door. Sometimes, you get lucky.

    After check-in, it was late afternoon in HK, so we located a vegetarian restaurant for dinner and navigated to it successfully. We ordered three dishes. One of our dishes appeared with what looked like mince on top, but the kind lady at the next table assured us that everything (even the ‘deep-fried pig intestines’) was actually vegetables. The mince was actually soya-based and nice. Back to the hotel and an early bed.

    It was a tiring and very long day, but it was great to be in Hong Kong. I haven’t been there in 20 years, but it still looks the same: smog, crowded streets, huge apartment blocks. Fantastic!    Read more

  • John GibsoneTravelerUK and a bit of Asia 2024
    Hong Kong skyline from Kowloon
    Former Marine Police HeadquartersUnsurprisingly the flowers are plastic.More HK skyline, and crowds.We wuz here. Harbourside.China National dayStar Ferry and HK International Finance Centre (88 floors)If you read the banner you will notice that it is the 75th China National DayOur bus drop-off (not our bus). These shops are not for us.Tricia drinking a can of drink - not often seen. (photo enhanced by Google)Fireworks IFireworks II

    Walking Hong Kong (actually Kowloon)

    October 1, 2024 in Hong Kong ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    It would be hot out there today—forecast 33C—but that won’t deter us. The hotel has a free shuttle bus that does a circuit of 4 drop-off points around this area of Kowloon. We decided this would be a great way to see more of the area. So, after a leisurely breakfast (again), we caught the 11 o’clock run and took the drop-off near the waterfront and the Star Ferry Terminal. This area of Kowloon has some huge shops for extreme luxury brands. We got off the bus opposite a Cartier store. We didn’t go shopping there.

    We navigated our way to the waterfront and stumbled across the old Police station building, a notable landmark and a very striking old building. We then found the waterfront at the Star Ferry Terminal and marvelled at the HK skyline across the water. The area was crowded as today was China National Day, but it had a nice vibe, with people waving flags and kids running around.

    We slowly made our way back to the bus drop-off point, resisting the lure of the Cartier store. We rested at the hotel for a while and then set off for part two of the day—a trek to the Lady’s market. On the way, we planned to visit an ATM at an HSBC bank. An elderly gentleman with excellent English asked us if we were lost (I had just lost internet connectivity, and Google Maps wasn’t being its usual helpful self). Sadly, he had no idea where the HSBC bank was, but we headed in the direction we all agreed was most likely. After walking 10 metres, we saw the HSBC sign! The next challenge was finding the door. It was one small glass door leading to a lobby area with ATMs. They worked and dispensed some folding stuff. We continued to the market and walked most of it for an hour, mostly tat, but still a few cool items. The ladies discovered some of the small shops along the streets we had walked in, with some attractive and cheap clothing. That seemed more exciting than the market.

    We returned to the Hotel for another rest—it was hot out there. Looking for somewhere to eat, I had spotted a Subway just five minutes away, so we went there for a sandwich. It was very good.

    Back in the room and packing up for tomorrow, we were surprised to see a massive fireworks display—probably in Hong Kong itself. We could only see the tops of the display from our room, but it was spectacular.    Read more

  • John GibsoneTravelerUK and a bit of Asia 2024
    Hong Kong apartments from the Airport Express.
    Hong Kong Airport. More expensive shops to avoid while waiting.

    Flying Home - Journey's end

    October 2, 2024 in Hong Kong ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    The weather wasn't important today as we were ‘just’ flying home. We are sad that our trip is ending, but we are excited to be going home.

    We checked out at 11 am and took the hotel shuttle to Kowloon MTR station. After wandering for a while, the ladies spotted a very rare ‘person in a booth’. She sold us the correct tickets and pointed us at the lift to get down to the platform (escalators and suitcases don’t mix).

    We arrived at the airport really early and had to wait by the check-in desks until our flight opened. Quite boring, but boring is not a bad thing while waiting for flights.

    The flight home was also boring, but otherwise, it was a good flight with Air NZ.

    Back home to clear skies, bright sunlight, and clean air.

    A great trip. Thanks to Trici and Christine for putting up with me.

    ...and if you have been, thanks for reading.    Read more

    Trip end
    October 3, 2024
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