By Michèle Taylor-Rose, Boxmoor Section, Westminster Branch
Since retiring about 6 months ago, I have been recalling some of the people I met, worked with and served, during many decades in the social care sector.
I still remember one elderly couple, from a long, long time ago, whom you could never visit between 12 noon and 2pm. They would sit in their lounge having a sherry, then after lunch they would “travel around the country” revisiting many places, with memories of sites and scenes from their past journeys together.
This got me thinking of my own discoveries, visiting places of interest and exploring the wealth of history in the UK. Ever since my father sadly died 20 years ago this year, my mother and I have gone away for a few days around his anniversary in May and again in September. (I must admit that we avoided school holidays, not just for the price hikes but also the crowds).
So, every winter after the New Year, we got out the Great Britian and Ireland Road Map and pick a part of the country to explore. Accommodation booked, itinerary of which places, we would explore when and where and we’d be sorted. On our first day, I would look for somewhere scenic to park up and eat the delicious picnic my mother provided. Not a stale sandwich in site. She usually treated us to Caesar salad, salmon and prawn mouse followed by perhaps a panna cotta. (We still laugh about the time I waved to the people in the valley way below on their narrow boat, as my mother was convinced, they weren’t watching high up the hillside). We did develop a practiced art with most of our picnic being in disposable containers, so very little to wash up at that night’s accommodation. We would generally go away for 2 or 3 nights, visiting a special place of interest on the way to our first base, followed by full days of exploring, then heading home to Hertfordshire after stopping off to discover another gem on the way back.
Over a 20-year period, you can imagine how many places we discovered and at every place of interest I bought the souvenir guide, so I now have a massive shelf filled with culture and history right on our doorstep. Although some trips stand out more than others, it is impossible to pick out one above the rest. But without any hesitation the biggest memories are all those of days filled with a lot of fun and laughter. More often than not we stayed in Bed and Breakfast accommodation, with wonderful hosts, who would share their wealth of local knowledge over and above what can be found on the internet or from a book.
One trip was to Brighton and Hastings. I drove us to Tunbridge Wells for a visit to the Pentiles, which was fascinating. I stood there quite expecting to see in my mind’s eye an Edwardian Gentleman accompanying a Lady walking on the pavements which are raised above street level. Being a Big Fan of Foyles War, I was thrilled to be able to stay in a B&B literally yards from the house they filmed as Foyle’s home in Hastings. The next day we went to Brighton and included the Pavillion. As my mother wasn’t very good with stairs, she remained in a special room, with a rolling video of the upstairs layout. It turned out to be short film, which she watched 4 times while I explored upstairs…….She gave me “a look” before we both burst into laughter. On our way back to Hertfordshire we stopped to visit Darwin’s home Down House in Kent, another fascinating find.
Other adventures have had a theme: for Artists we journeyed to “Constable Country” and took in Gainsborough’s home in Sudbury, Suffolk. Examples of our musician trips: Elgar in Worcestershire and Holst in Gloucestershire.
We had a wonderful time on the Isle of Wight: visiting Osborne House, Tennyson’s home and wandering round Cowes, as well as sampling delicious fresh fish dishes… well someone must.
One tour which has left powerful memories was to the Bronte Museum in Yorkshire. Standing in the house and looking out at the graveyard in front, is an image that has stayed with me from many years ago. Speaking of Yorkshire, we’ve visited Margaret Clitheroe’s home in The Shambles; noted the plaque on the house where Guy Fawkes was born; been on an open top bus ride; seen the grave of Dick Turpin and explored the Minster.
There have been so many wonderful journeys round the UK, including the potteries of Wedgewood and Emma Bridgewater in Stoke on Trent, and Coldport, Shropshire where we also visited Ironbridge, amongst other treasured landmarks. Lincolnshire was memorable with the Cathedral and viewing the Magna Carta in the castle. But I can’t forget the Ice Cream Parlour which spurred me on the walk up Steep Hill without stopping.
We have explored figures in the literary world: visiting Thomas Hardy’s House as well as Max Gate and then up north to the wonderful worlds of Wordsworth and the Lake District with Beatrix Potter’s home nestled in the countryside. We have stayed in Bath: visiting Jane Austen’s home, as well as her home in Hampshire (and that day we also stumbled upon the home of explorer Lawrence (known as Titus) Oates. We went to Portsmouth to see where Dickens was born (and seeing the Mary Rose, HMS Victory and HMS Warrior), and his home in London. We have visited Greenway of Agatha Christie fame, and Bernard Shaw.
A Winston Churchill/Second World War theme took us to the Cabinet War Rooms underneath Whitehall, Chartwell and Bletchley Park, and to Clouds Hill, the home of T.E. Lawrence (aka Lawrence of Arabia). But by far the best was a trip to Petwood: home of the Dam Busters. I cannot begin to tell you how blown away I was when the wing of a Lancaster Bomber literally passed over our heads as it taxied out of the hangar.
Not to be forgotten were the science visits. We have had memorable visits to Isaac Newton’s home, Florence Nightingale, Old Apothecary and the Old Operating Theatre, London, and the Ashmolean in Oxford.
Our travels have taken us to Scotland, to Wales and to Dublin. In Scotland, with a wealth of wonderful sites to visit, we picked Edinburgh and the Castle, Britannia, Greyfriars Bobby Fountain (from an open bus tour) and the Roselyn Chapel (of Da Vinci Code fame). The intricate masonry work of the latter is breathtaking.
Wales provided some amusing moments. As well as visiting Horseshoe Falls (on the Llangollen to Nantwich Canal) and beautiful Powis Castle in Welshpool, we journeyed through many stunning vistas. I was determined to be able to pronounce Llangollen and the names of all the other places starting with Ll…… with some dreadful errors initially, I did manage it in the end – an achievement to this day. Driving down through Wales towards the Severn Bridge, we went through the Brecon Beacons (or Bannau Brycheiniog in Welsh). A beautiful road winding its way south. We had the road to ourselves, until we saw the red flags followed by a sign saying live ammunition was being used!!!!! What a relief to see the end of that road.
One journey, on which I didn’t take my mother, was to Dublin: what an amazing place. With the advance help from an Irish friend, I managed a very long day by catching an early and a very late evening return flight. I visited the Guinness Store House, before parting company with my son (my flying companion). Handed a pint of ice-cold Guinness, my son asked if I wanted mine. I think he would have “bravely” drunk it too. He certainly gave me a “I didn’t know that” look when I told him that I used to drink Guiness while a student studying in Manchester. I’m not sure if his look was one of disappointment as well!!! While he went off to Temple Bar to watch an Ireland/Italy Rugby Match, I went to see the Book of Kells, the Castle, and Kilmainham Gaol.
As I look back at what I have included, I realise this has only scratched the surface of 20 years of amazing experiences, fabulous trips and a wealth of discoveries right on my doorstep. I haven’t touched on amazing visits to Hever Castle (home of Anne Boleyn) and Sudeley Castle (where Catherine Parr is laid to rest), Kent, Rudyard Kipling, Vita Sackville West, Sissinghurst, Leeds Castle (with the black swans taking more than a casual interest in my mother sitting in the wheelchair). She didn’t appreciate my sniggers at her shooing them off! Although the memories are still vivid, I haven’t included Newcastle, with Hadrian’s Wall and Earl Grey’s monument; Doncaster; Dorchester; Chichester; Salisbury; Norfolk and the beautiful lavender fields, or Hunstanton with its amazingly divided rock formation. Then there is Derbyshire and the Blue John Caves; Cambridgeshire; Chatsworth – the home of Bess of Hardwick; Waddesdon Manor; Highclere Castle of Downton Abbey fame; the scenery of the Cotswolds… the list goes on and on and on.
So many cherished memories, that I find myself tripping down my own memory lane which is peppered with fun times, amazing sites, fascinating facts and much laughter. The clock is now approaching 12 noon, time for lunch and to go on holiday, revisiting in my mind’s eye Compton Acres and the spectacular coastal scenery of Dorset……..back at 2pm.