Travel | A3 Traveller

London’s largest Royal Park

08/06/2016 by a3traveller

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. I love an oak tree and this park is the UK’s leading site for ancient trees – there are more than 12,000 of them scattered […]

Categories: Dog walking, Europe, Historic Heritage, London, Nature, UK • Tags: Dog walking, England, Henry VIII, King Henry's Mound, London, Pawprint Series, Pembroke Lodge, Protected View, Richmond Park, The Royal Parks, Travel, UK

Inspired by the Malvern Hills

25/05/2016 by a3traveller

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 Mordor, Malvern Village, the Shire and the countryside betwixt and between “the journey”. Famous names then spilled out – CS Lewis was a regular, Elgar […]

Categories: Europe, Historic Heritage, Nature, UK • Tags: Cottage in the Wood, Cottage in the Wood Malvern Hills, CS Lewis, England, Malvern, Malvern Hills, Margaret Thatcher, Tolkien, Travel, UK

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A sea of Bluebells

11/05/2016 by a3traveller

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, I’m spoilt for choice when it comes to bluebell spotting but one of my favourites is Micheldever Wood near Winchester. Micheldever Wood, under the care […]

Categories: Dog walking, Hampshire, Nature, Pawprint series, UK • Tags: Bluebell Trail, bluebell walk, Bluebell woods, bluebells, Dog walking, England, Forest of Bere, Forestry Commission, Hampshire, Micheldever Woods, Travel, UK, Winchester

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The Model Village

20/04/2016 by a3traveller

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 used to talk about transcendental meditation, studiously ignoring the customers in the shop. Meanwhile, back to the Model Village … The Model Village is a […]

Categories: Art & Culture, Beach Resorts, Hampshire, Historic Heritage, Portsmouth, Travel, UK • Tags: England, Hampshire, Model Village, Portsmouth, Southsea Beach, southsea seafront, Travel, UK, Visit Portsmouth

The real Cockleshell Heroes

30/03/2016 by a3traveller

One sunny Sunday afternoon this March, I went for a stroll around the Canoe Lake area of the Southsea seafront and came across a plaque denoting the words, The Cockleshell Heroes. Being a bit of a fan of vintage film, I seemed to recall a film of the same name with Jose Ferrer and Trevor Howard, so began a search to find out what the link with Southsea and the film was all about. Well, the film The Cockleshell Heroes […]

Categories: Europe, Hampshire, Historic Heritage, UK • Tags: Canoe Lake, Hampshire, Lumps Fort, Operation Frankton, Portsmouth, Royal Marines, Second World War, Shipwrights Organisation, Southsea, Southsea Rose Gardens, The Cockleshell Heroes, Travel, UK, World War Two

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The sweet sadness of memories

24/02/2016 by a3traveller

It’s taken a house move and several years before I have looked at the family photos my mother has passed down to me. I grew up in a happy family, taking for granted my “Auntie and Uncle”, whose ongoing presence meant I never missed my unknown departed grandparents. Auntie and Uncle, in fact my great aunt and uncle, always seemed elderly and conservative but also, extremely kind and generous … and bubbling with fun and a sense of the ridiculous. […]

Categories: A3Traveller, Europe, Historic Heritage • Tags: Kodak Box Brownie Camera, Surrey Hills, Travel, Travel iron, travelliing in the 1920s and 1930s, UK, Vivian and Lou-Lou Brace

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The French Nativity

25/11/2015 by a3traveller

When I travelled over to the French Riviera last winter, I didn’t expect to be spending an afternoon looking at nativity scenes – but I am so pleased that I did. High up in the hills, an easy 30 minute drive from Nice, is the village of Lucéram, a medieval perched village which in 1988, decided to decorate the entire village with crèches or nativity scenes as a tourism initiative. Since then, this annual “festival” is drawing in the crowds […]

Categories: Art & Culture, Europe, France • Tags: Christmas, Cote d'Azur, Crèche, France, French Riviera, Lucéram, Nativity Village, Nice, Travel, Village des Crèches

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My introduction to a Liquid Deli!

23/09/2015 by a3traveller

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. It’s actually Demijohn – the Liquid Deli – a rather lovely idea started up by husband and wife team, Angus and Frances Ferguson and now […]

Categories: Art & Culture, Europe, UK • Tags: Demijohn the Liquid Deli, England, Mercure Oxford Eastgate Hotel, Oxford, Personalised Gifts, Travel, UK

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The return of Hermione to Rochefort

09/09/2015 by a3traveller

As readers of this blog will already know, I love Hermione – the idea behind her creation, her physical existence and much more – the spirit and love she engenders. Hermione is, of course, a painstakingly accurate recreation of the ship that took Lafayette to the Americas in the War of Independence – her participation helping the rebels win a victory which saw the colony slip away from British control. She followed in her ancestor’s sea miles across to the East […]

Categories: Art & Culture, Europe, Historic Heritage, Travel • Tags: Corderie Royale, France, Hermione, Lafayette, Region Poitou-Charentes, Rochefort, Travel, War of Independence

To car boot or not to car boot

02/09/2015 by a3traveller

I have just participated in my very first car boot sale – not knowing quite what to expect or what it was all about. I have to admit, I enjoyed it too – possibly more as a buyer than as a seller which, as anyone who knows me will tell you, is totally in character. Together with a couple of friends who had basically slimmed down several sizes and wanted to offload their entire wardrobe, we set out our store, so […]

Categories: Art & Culture, Europe, Hampshire, UK • Tags: Car Boot Sale, England, Rogate, Rogate Car Boot Sale, Travel, UK, West Sussex

A3 Traveller

The Adventures of a Southern Traveller

Tag: Travel

London’s largest Royal Park

Inspired by the Malvern Hills

A sea of Bluebells

The Model Village

The real Cockleshell Heroes

The sweet sadness of memories

The French Nativity

My introduction to a Liquid Deli!

The return of Hermione to Rochefort

To car boot or not to car boot