August 18, 2011 - Our 38th Anniversary Day

Greetings All,


The weather made the decision as to how we would spend our day.  It was raining quite hard so we went to visit a couple of National Trust properties in the area.  Our first stop was Snowshill Manor and Garden. It was the home of Charles Wade who embodied his family motto "Let Nothing Perish".  He collected objects, both everyday and extraordinary, because of their craftsmanship, colour or design. Mr Wade did not live in the manor but used it to display his collection.  The manor holds over 22,000 items from the tiniest of toys to Samurai armour.  Fred thought I collected a lot of items with my plates, thimbles, spoons and prints.  Items are displayed somewhat theatrically as per Mr Wade's instructions.  The picture above and on the left is a wall clock that actually works and tells very accurate time.  The picture above and on the right is a small portion of the "wheels" room and shown in the display is a Penny Farthing Bike.  Wade in addition to being an avid collector was also a talented painter and model maker.  In accordance with Wade's request, nothing is labeled and the lighting is kept low creating a sense of mystery.  As the manor house was used to display his collection, he lived next door in what was once the Priest's House in very humble conditions compared to the Manor.

After almost three hours we headed off to Chastleton House located just outside Morton-in-Marsh.  The house was originally built for Walter Jones.  Like many "new men" of the early 17th Century Jones invested his fortune in land.  He purchased the estate in 1604 from Robert Catesby who was the mastermind of the Gunpowder Plot, and demolished the house.  Between 1607-1612 he built another in the most advanced style: tall, compact and outwardly symmetrical.  Unlike other country homes the house is not at the end of a long drive but overlooks the village street.  In 1633 a year after Mr Jones died an inventory was taken of his possessions, some of which are still in the house today.  His descendants were content to live quietly in this isolated area and had neither the money nor the inclination to modernize the house.  In the late 18th and early 19th centuries much needed repairs were carried out.  Between 1828-53 the house enjoyed a brief renaissance with the infusion of funds from a distant cousin.  Money became increasingly short and parts of the house were tenanted for a part of the early 20th century.  The family tried valiantly to maintain the house until 1991.  The lady living there in 1991 only used two room of this great house. What makes this house so unique is that the it is a true representation of a 17th century home as no modernization has been carried out.  Pictures were not allowed in the house due to fragile nature of the interior.

We headed back to the hotel for what we thought would be a steak dinner in the bar as advertised on the website.  However, they were not offering it so we decided to have dinner in the restaurant.  We had not made a reservation, but they did accommodate us with an 8:00 p.m. sitting.  We were asked to go to the bar and told the bar staff would give us a snack and menus to peruse.  Fred had a pint of bitter and I had a glass of wine.  The snack was olives and some type of peppers that have been marinated.  We had just had a nibble of an olive when the restaurant manager says he can sit us earlier should we wish.  Off we went to enjoy a delicious meal.  A mushroom soup was enjoyed as a chefs surprise before our appetizers.  Fred had lobster consume with a wasabi wonton and I had a tomato salad.  Our mains were chicken with lentils for me and duet of pork for Fred.  Dessert was a chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream for Fred and I had the chocolate fondant wit orange ice cream.

All of this was accompanied with a bottle of Etchart Malbec.

Who would have thought 38 years ago that we would be living in the UK and celebrating our anniversary in the Cotwolds.  Not us, but we are certainly enjoying our life to the fullest.

Cheers All,

Sandy & Fred

August 17, 2011- The Bear of Rodborough

Greetings All,

Today, we headed off to the Cotswolds to celebrate our 38th Wedding Anniversary on a special, two nights for the price of one.  The drive south is relaxing for the most part as we stayed off the motorway.  We were a little disappointed when we arrived as the hotel's location is somewhat isolated, being a couple of miles outside of the town of Stroud.  It is 600 ft above sea level and located between two commons (Rodborough and Minchinhampton).  The hotel was originally constructed in the 17th century as an Ale House and derived it's name from the bear baiting activities that took place nearby.  It was conveniently located on the main coaching route from Gloucester to London.  The valley below was difficult to negotiate as it was either swampy or muddy and the climb up to the common was very steep.  Horses would be changed at the Bear while customers enjoyed refreshment before moving on to their final destination.  The following inscription is carved in the beam over the entrance, "Through this wide opening gate none come too early, none return too late."  It is believed to have been designed and carved by Eric Gill who was famous for his type setting.  In 1925-26 the hotel was enlarged to what we see today.  Our room is a good size though a bit tired and could use some refurbishment.

Cattle roam freely on the two commons between May and October, as a result cattle grids are in front of most properties to keep the cattle out.  After we settled in and had some refreshment in the pub we headed out to explore the Common.

A Common dates from medieval times and is a parcel of land with its use being open to all people unconnected with ownership or tenure of land.  In this case it is pasture for the cattle.  There was cow poop everywhere so we knew the cows truly wander anywhere they pleased.  We came across a large number of wild blackberries and Brianagh came immediately to mind.  She would have had a feast on the berries.

It started to rain so we headed back to our room to enjoy a glass of wine, snacks and relax before supper which we ate in the bar.  The portions are very generous, I can't finish my meal and Fred struggled with his.  Tomorrow, depending on the weather as the forecast is not promising,  we are going to either exploring some of the villages or National Trust Sites.


Ta Ra,

Sandy & Fred

July 24, 2011 - Powderham Castle, Devon

Greetings All,

This was the last day of our mini honeymoon and we visited our last stop in Devon before making our way back home to Liverpool. Powderham Castle, a 600 year old castle situated on the edge of the Exe estuary, is the family home of the Earl and Countess of Devon.

We were on the first tour of the day and learned that the castle's original name was Polderham, which is derived from the Dutch word "Polder" (reclaimed land) and thus means hamlet of  reclaimed marsh land.  The river Exe has built up with silt over the years resulting in large tracts of land being reclaimed.  The castle has remained in the same family since Sir Philip Courtenay began building it in 1391.  There have been many changes to the castle over the years, and having withstood the ravages of a civil war in the 17th century, it was extensively embellished both in the 18th & 19th centuries.  The picture on the right shows some of the alterations made during the Victorian period.  As this is a family home pictures were not allowed to be taken in the castle, so we purchased postcards and scanned them to add to our photo collection.  The picture on the right shows the great staircase and the plasterwork on the walls.  It took 3 men 3 years to complete the work.  Our guide was very informative  and we were taken through many secret doorways as we toured the castle.

Weddings were held at the Castle until, in May 2008 Lord Devon reportedly said that requests for gay civil partnerships clashed with his religious beliefs.  Devon County Council revoked the license to hold civil ceremonies effective January 1, 2009 as the Lord was contravening the Equality Act 2006. 

After completing our tour of the house we continued with an  exploration of the grounds.  The back of the castle has a lovely road garden and chapel.  We took a number of pictures in the chapel which can now be seen on our Flickr site.  The castle also has a deer park that is home to a herd of fallow deer.  We did not do the deer park safari as the wagon ride was not until after 1:00 p.m. and we wanted to be on our way home by then.  Our last stop before heading out was a tour of the Victorian kitchen.  We had a lovely chat with the lady who was the hostess.  She explained what they now do in the kitchen as well as its history.  She asked us were we lived as it was obvious we were not from Britain.  We explained that we are from Liverpool but originally Ontario, Canada. Once we had related our story she became very excited and started introducing us to people as they arrived.  Goodness, who would have thought we would cause such excitement.  We finally excused ourselves and thanked her for her time.  As we left the grounds we were lucky enough to see a small herd of male deers grazing near the road.  The deers segregate themselves until rutting season which occurs in mid September to mid October.

Our trip home was uneventful as it was mostly on the motorway.

Finally home after five weeks for me.  We hope you have enjoyed this segment of our travels.  Look for more in late September when my son Jonathan and his wife Amy arrive for a long awaited visit.

Ta Ra for now,

Sandy & Fred

July 23, 2011 - Buckfast Abbey and Dartmoor National Park

Hi Ya,     

We started the day seeing the hotel's receptionist, a male helping a very old dear put in her hearing aids.  Now that is what we call going beyond the call of duty. I also tried Marmite a spread that I heard either you love or hate. Well I will tell you it is really gross,salty and a bit bitter. Marmite is a yeast base spread made from concentrated yeast sludge. Needless to say my vote is hate it.
After breakfast we headed off toward Exeter so that we could cross the River Exe and then drove down the coast road into Teignmouth, stopping on the way at Labrador Bay to take some photos.  From Teignmouth we headed inland to  Buckfast Abbey a Living Monastery.

Buckfast  Abbey was founded nearly a thousand years ago and stood for five hundred years before it was closed by Henry VIII.  The present community of monks returned in 1882 and rebuilt the Abbey on its medieval foundation, finishing the abbey church in 1938.  True to the Benedictine Rule all are welcome and the monks lead a life of prayer, work and study.  The Abbey is famous for its Stained Glass and the picture on the left is a excellent example of their work, which covers the whole of the front wall of the chapel used for prayer services.

Their stained glass designs are now in over 150 churches.  Bee keeping, food production, wine making with a special tonic wine and the making of wares for sale have made the monks self-sufficient.                                                               
After a couple of hours at the abbey, we headed off to Dartmoor National Park.  The roads are winding and the the scenery is beautiful. We came across more wild ponies that look Shetland and Exmoor ponies.  These ponies are not in the least bit shy, surrounding a SUV sticking their heads in the open windows we suspect looking for food though you are not supposed to feed them.  As we came off the moor we drove into a forested area where we stopped for another photo opportunity and an ice cream off a truck in a parking lot at New Bridge and the River Dart as seen on the left.  We continued on, traveling

on more narrow winding roads, stopping at Two Bridges for a pint of Jail Ale brewed by the Dartmouth Brewing Company, half pint of cider plus a bag of crisps (chips).  The village, if you can call it that, is aptly named as it has two bridges and a pub.  We were amazed that the parking lot was full as the pub was in the middle of nowhere.  An explanation was soon found when we entered the pub as a wedding was about to start.  The young men were outfitted in their military dress and the girls in their fancy dresses.  We also saw some truly horrible dresses.  Refreshed we headed back to Exmouth on slow meandering roads.

Once back at the hotel we headed downtown and purchased a bottle of wine to enjoy on our balcony as we watched the sunset before supper.

Cheers,

Sandy & Fred

July 22, 2011 - Exmoor National Park to Exmouth

Greetings All,

We decided to take the 50 mile scenic tour though Exmoor National Park to take in the scenery and hopefully some of the wildlife that inhabits the moor.  Starting out from "Little Switzerland", the area that encompasses the twin villages of Lynmouth and Lynton we headed along the A39 toward Dunster.  After a couple of miles we crested a brow and to find moorland and a herd of Exmoor Ponies.  We had read that the Exmoor Pony is a very rare breed and one of Britain's oldest.  They almost fell into extinction in the 1940's when the herd had only 50 ponies and just 4 stallions.  Stocks have now increased to 1000 but it is still classified as endangered by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.  Before 1950 almost all Exmoor Ponies lived on the moor but today in order to ensure the survival of the species some have been moved outside of Exmoor.  There are now only around 200 ponies on the moor that roam freely and breed in their natural habitat.  We were very excited to be able to stop and get some great photos of the ponies. The picture above is of two colts who just crossed the road with mom and were just a few feet away from us.  The moor is also home to Red Deer, Horned Feral Roaming Goats and and two endangered species of British Butterfly's.  There are also four varieties of Whitebeam Trees that are found no where else in the world. The Whitebeam berries are edible and were once sold in local markets.

We made our way along the winding roads taking in the beautiful landscape.  The picture below is  Exmoor and the Bristol Channel.   The day started out overcast and unfortunately the weather turned as we drove along with rain falling quite heavily.  We passed through some lovely little villages that would have been nice to explore had the weather been dryer.

We made our way along the moor and onto some very narrow lanes wide enough for a single car with  8 to 10 foot hedgerows on both sides of the road and passing points alternating on either side of the road. With the hedgerows being very tall when you meet a car it made for a heart stopping moment for me.  Fred of course has no issues and drives like he has been motoring on these types of roads all his life.  We come off the moor into the seaside town of Ilfracombe and had some great views of the Bristol Channel and a large cruise ship anchored in the bay.  We learned later in the day that the cruise ship was the first one to ever visit Ilfracombe.  From Ilfracombe we headed back onto the moor and headed to Exmouth, our next stopping point.

We arrived at Exmouth, a typical seaside town and our base for the next two nights.  Our accommadtion was a Coast and Country Hotel which caters to more senior people (older than us) so there were no rugrats under foot.  The accommodation is half board,  breakfast and supper being included in the price.  We opted for the late sitting for supper as most of the real seniors prefer to eat at the earlier sittings.  The picture on the left was of the water front as viewed from our room.  Once we had dropped our suitcase we headed off to explore the waterfront and find a place for a late lunch, as supper was not until 8:00 p.m.  We found a nice pub where we had a light lunch of sandwiches with a pint of cider for me and bitter for Fred.  Once refreshed we continued to explore looking for downtown Exmouth.  We never did find what we were looking for as we went along the water front when we left the hotel.  Had we gone up the hill away from the water front we would have been in the heart of downtown Exmouth less than a two minute walk away.  We returned to the hotel for a drink at the lobby bar and use the free WiFi before supper.  Supper was somewhat disappointing given our previous experience in Bath with the same chain.  After supper we had an early night as we planned to be out bright and early the next day to explore the south Devon Coast and Dartmoor National Park.

Cheers,

Sandy & Fred

July 21, 2011 - Lynmouth & Lynton, Devon

Greetings All,

After a month away dealing with the death of my Mom, Fred has arranged what I like to call a mini honeymoon.  This was the longest period of time that Fred and I have been apart since we started going out in 1969, so hence the honeymoon.  For our first night we were booked in at a hotel in Lynmouth located in Exmoor National Park North Devon.  We stayed at Shelley's, a bed and breakfast where the poet Percy Shelley honeymooned in the summer of 1812.  Lynmouth is located on the shore and from our room we have views of Lynmouth Bay and on a clear day you can see across to Wales.  Once we were settled in we set off to explore the village.  It was very picturesque and we took

a ride on the Cliff Railway which was built in 1888.  It is two single cars that work on a pulley system that is water powered.  Lynton the village at the top of the cliff is also very quaint.  From here you get some amazing views of Lynmouth Bay as seen on the right. We walked around the upper village which really did not have much compared to Lynmouth but managed to see an old Prefect car.  The man driving stopped to chat to a shop owner so we got a perfect picture as well as sharing a laugh with the gents.  We also came across a cute sign above a small phone box for how to contact the police when the office was closed.  Village living at it's best.  We took the train back down the cliff and manage to get into the very front of the car so I was able to get a great video of our trip back.  We headed back to our room for some refreshment and to get an idea of how we wanted to proceed to our next destination tomorrow.

Once plans were in place we headed back out to find a place for supper or tea as it is called in the UK. We decided to opt for a pub as we really did not want a big 3 course supper that was being offered at some of the restaurants.  The Village Inn was a great little pub with the owner greeting everyone and asking were you were from.  It was also a dog friendly pub.  We were entertained by the owner and a regular visitor with his dog doing tricks while we enjoyed a cider and pint of ale.  I also tried a new cider on the recommendation of an old couple who came in for a pint or two, unfortunately we can't remember its name.  Supper for me was a burger and Fred had a lamb shank.  I also chatted with a young couple who were hiking as they had shoes on that looked like heavy neoprene but they were the shape of their foot, toes and all.  According to them they helped with knee and back issues as they made you walk more naturally.  As well they were sturdy enough for walking on trails.  Maybe something to check out especially for me and my awful knees.  After an entertaining evening in the pub which also offers rooms on a bed and breakfast basis we did a short walk about taking a few more pictures.  We headed back to our room picking up a bottle of wine from the hotel's honesty bar.  It is a fully stocked and unmanned bar, which you take what you want and leave a chit on the bar.  What a fantastic idea as well they did not gouge you on the price.  Just a couple of pounds more than if you bought it in the store.  This is definitely a return to location as we could not explore all we wanted to as I only had sandals and flipflops that I had taken with me when I left for Canada so not good for walking the trails.

Cheers,

Sandy & Fred

June 30, 2011 - My Mothers Passing

It is with great sadness that I post this blog dedicated to my Mom.  How does one truly measure what such a loss means and the range of emotions you go through.  Mom lost her battle with cancer after a relatively short time when it reoccurred after almost 40 years of being cancer free.  I returned to Canada and was able to spend quality time with her.  She remained at home until the very last day when breathing difficulties made it impossible for us to provide her with any comfort.

I have always been very negative about funerals and feel that one should celebrate life something my Mom did from a very early age.  She wore many hats throughout her 88 years and was successful in most of her endeavors.  A true women's libber before the phrase was even known.  Outspoken and stubborn, qualities that sometimes got her in hot water but it was who she was.  As a mother she instilled in us honesty, integrity, strength and the desire to love life to the fullest taking on life's challenges head on.

Mom had two real loves in her life, dogs and the Legion.  Training German Sheppards while in Toronto, then raising Redbone Coon Hounds while in Moravian Town.  Her favorite dog was a boarder collie Tonto who went everywhere she did until he passed away less than a year ago.   In the Legion Mom was the go to person.  A stickler for doing things properly and by the book as a Sargent Major in the army she ruffled feathers but ensured that protocol was followed at all functions.

There is so much more I could share about Mom, her life and my feelings but as many of you know who has lost a mother words are not sufficient.  Mom will be greatly missed by all whose lives she touched.

I miss and love you, be at peace Mom.

Sandy