It’s taken me half of my life to finally visit Richmond Park, London’s largest Royal Park in fact. Perhaps its only now that I tend to go for long walks with faithful Hound in tow that I have come to appreciate the beauty of nature – and it doesn’t come better than this beautiful park….
Tag: England
Inspired by the Malvern Hills
I first set eyes on Wales’ dark and brooding mountain range whilst visiting the new owners of the Cottage in the Wood, a small hotel and restaurant in the Malvern Hills with stunning views over the surrounding countryside. These views inspired Tolkien I was told and I could well believe it. The Black Mountains being…
A sea of Bluebells
I wonder what it is about that deep blue, almost lilac, hue that sets pulses a-pumping? If it isn’t travelling miles to see a field of lavender, it’s doing the same to see a field of bluebells in a woody glade. So this being bluebell season, and as I’m located in the heart of Hampshire,…
The Model Village
This Easter saw the successful re-launch of a much-loved tourist institution – The Model Village in Southsea. It was once run by a Mr West who also owned the two shops fronting South Parade Pier and wonder of wonders, I used to work for him at weekends. Although work was a sideline – we actually…
Canoe Lake AKA Swan Lake
I used to live around the corner from Canoe Lake – and one day will probably do so again – and regularly walked its circumference on my way home from school. I’ve always enjoyed it on fair days and foul. So just how old is Canoe Lake, which is now a central player and attraction…
Semaphore Relay?
I’ve just seen an interesting little snippet about Lumps Fort, Southsea online. Apparently although rebuilt extensively in Victorian times, Lumps Fort dates back to the Middle Ages – around the 1500’s – and was an earthworks fort. Once you start to look, understanding what you are seeing, the skeletal remains of the fort become more…
A new investigation into the past …
As readers of this blog will know, last week, I discovered the youth of my Great Aunt and Uncle and found out that they were intrepid travellers, regularly visiting Europe and Africa in the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. A couple of images however reveal a family mystery which I hope, over the next few…
Rocking Dorking’s Rooster!
The Dorking Cockerel, Deepdene Roundabout, courtesy of Visit Dorking There’s a large silver rooster sitting in a roundabout, just outside of Dorking town centre. Why, you might ask? Well, I’ll do my best to answer. The Dorking Cockerel, Deepdene Roundabout, courtesy of Visit Dorking It is better known locally as The Dorking Cockerel and the inhabitants of…
Another look at Runnymede …
Driving along the Windsor Road one day, my eye was caught by a collection of chairs, placed in an oblong, close to where the Runnymede memorial is located. Ah, I thought, that’s where King John sat with his Barons and signed Magna Carta. But no, dear reader, I was wrong. It is in fact an…
My introduction to a Liquid Deli!
When staying at the historic Mercure Oxford Eastgate Hotel recently, Peter Watt, the genial general manager, told me about a little-known local secret of his – a shop known as the Liquid Deli. Well, dear reader, ahem, I needed to investigate immediately on your behalf as this sounded well worth a visit …. and so it proved….
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