Trip Home

Last day in England domestic duties, cleaning up Patrick and Margaret's flat and packing for the return trip .

Mixed emotions shutting the door and putting the keys through the letter flap and heading down to the DLR station and Patrick's route to Heathrow that did not involve steps. Mild panic started to set in as the train stopped in the middle of suburbia with a power cut for about half an hour, the temperature was over 30 c and the train chockers with communters. Finally we were on our way luckily we had plenty spare time and made it through customs.

The flight seemed to take forever although we slept a bit. The stop in Dubai was as usual pointless and annoying being searched as we got off the plane then searched as we got on again with just enough time to go to the toilet in between.

It was great to fly with Quantas the flight crew and the Aussie accents from the flight deck made it seem real we were heading home.

We landed in the predawn dark and had to wait half an hour for a dock (great to see how private ownership can improve efficiency - NOT) . Once on home turf we were quickly through friendly efficient customs only to be held up waiting for ages for our bags to arrive. Finally through to be met by Ashley, Jenny and Shae what an amazing group hug !! Of into the predawn light for a yummy breakfast at the cafe at Jenny's place then home to Fletch, so nice to be picked up and driven home.

It has been a great trip made special by kindness and interest of the relatives we met and our generous friends Patrick and Margaret. Having Mike and Dot drive us round France was brilliant and we could not of seen all we did without them.

When is the next holiday Kerry ??

Last Day in London

Well it is our last day to be part of the history and sights of London.

Geoff had planned a jam packed day and we spent quite a bit of time running between things.

First stop was St Lawrence Jewry. This church was destroyed in the Great Fire and rebuilt by Wren. In 1940 it was destroyed in the Blitz and was destroyed in the Blitz. It was rebuilt again in 1957 to the Wren design.

Then it over to the Guildhall across the square. Although we have been in the square several times we hadn't been inside. There is an interesting art gallery and below the floor level is the remains of the Roman amphitheatre.

Someone had told us to pop our head into the actual working part of the Guildhall as it was worthwhile. We were not prepared for the magnificence of this original building. It has been used as a town hall for several hundred years, and is still the ceremonial and administrative centre of the City of London and its Corporation. The term Guildhall refers both to the whole building and to its main room, which is a medieval great hall.

The current building was begun in 1411 and completed in 1440, and it is the only stone building not belonging to the Church to have survived through to the present day.

 

Then it was a race to get to the starting point of our tour around Bermondsey.

Apparently these streets were some of the worst slum areas in London. Great improvements were made by a Dr Salter and his wife who devoted their lives to the improvement of the local people. This set of houses were built by the Salters as an example of how quality housing could be made available to the poor. He was also the local labour MP for the area and was greatly loved by the people.

The people of Southwark raised the money for the statues of Dr Salter and his wife Ada and their cat.

Their daughter died when she was eight from Scarlet Fever which was prevalent in the slums. Apparently they never got over it but continued to work for the poor.

We walked past King Edward III manor house. When the residence was constructed in around 1350, Rotherhithe was a small hamlet set in low lying marshland. The manor house itself was built upon a small island directly next to the River Thames and consisted of a range of stone buildings around a central courtyard.

There was a moat on three sides of the complex, with the north side being completely open to the River Thames. This allowed the king to arrive by boat and at high tide to moor up against the steps that led from the river to a gatehouse located in a tower. There was also a hall with a large and imposing fireplace, the king's private chambers, kitchens and other buildings. Further south, on drier land, was an outer court with other buildings surrounded by an earth bank.

The most popular theory about its purpose is that this was where the king practiced his falconry, with the birds being able to stay within eyeshot across the flat marshlands and the River Thames.

The pub where Captain Kidd used to drink and he was executed on the waterfront in front of it.

The Mayflower sailed from the wharf in front of this pub.

The highlight of the tour was hearing about Brunel's tunnel. At the start of the 19th century, there was a pressing need for a new land connection between the north and south banks of the Thames to link the expanding docks on each side of the river. This tunnel is beneath the river connecting Rotherhithe and Wapping. It measures 11 m wide by 6m high and is 396 m long, running at a depth of 23m below the river surface measured at high tide. It was the first tunnel known to have been constructed successfully underneath a navigable river and was built between 1825 and 1843 using Marc Isambard Brunel's and Thomas Cochrane's newly invented tunnelling shield technology, by Brunel and his son Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

The tunnel was originally designed for, but never used by, horse-drawn carriages. It now forms part of the London Overground railway network.

After a quick meeting and goodbye with Patrick we had some lunch. In the afternoon we visited the Florence Nightingale museum which I have wanted to do for ages. It was very interesting from a historical point of view as well as being able to pay my respects to someone I have always admired!

And then we just hung around and gazed upon our favourite piece of London. It was sunny and warm and the Houses of Parliament just shone.

So it with great ambivalence that we go home tomorrow. We still love the UK and there is still so much to see. But we have missed our wonderful family so much over this long time of being away. So torn!

 

 

Westminster at War tour

Back on the no 25 bus into Bishopsgate for church. We feel like locals now.

 

Church service was great as usual.

Then off to the nearest Wetherspoons for our Sunday Roast. For the first time we were quite disappointed with these pubs. The vegetables were frozen, the meat rubbery and the waitress had no idea what Horesradish cream was. What is England coming to!

We decided to do another walking tour. This time we chose Westminster at war. It was OK but not great.

This is a Charing Cross Station where the casualties in WWI arrived back in London. Apparently no one was allowed to whistle as men with shell shock would think it sounded like bullets.

After the tour we wandered around a bit through St James Park.

Old Admiralty House

Horse Guards Barracks.

This Spitfire was found where it had crashed and had been restored. It is being auctioned and is expected to be sold for over 2 million dollars.

An old favourite or two.

Only 2 more sleeps and we will be leaving. Mixed feelings.

 

Trial separation

After many weeks of being together 24/7 we decided today to do our own thing. I went off trying to buy presents to take home which despite my best efforts over the past couple of months, has been proving very hard to do.

Geoff went off walking for the day in Epping Forest. Geoff recounts the story.

Travel to Epping was so easy it is on the central line, trains leave Stratford station every 3 minutes and 20 minutes to Loughton station. From the station about 30 minutes walk through suburbs and I am walking in the Forest. My first stop is at the Forest field centre and purchase an OS explorer map ( 1: 25,000) so I can find my way arround - I am not confident using the phone based sat Nav.

First stop is Loughton Camp An ancient ( 500BC ) earthworks used to house and protect animals at times of threat or attack. It is one of the highest points arround so also served as a lookout. The earth banks enclose over 4 hectares of land.

After exploring some more tracks and walking through Monks Wood l came upon another ancient earthworks - Ambresbury banks the place is very atmospheric

Walking out of the ancient forest I briefly needed to navigate my way over a 21st century obstacle - the M25 then out into rural England and Cropped hall park. The estate dates to the 12 th century. In 1537 an abbot gave it to Henry VIII hoping to save the dissolution of Waltham Abbey . Henry still dissolved the abbey but never resided there, later it was used to inprison Queen Mary.

Through the years many of the movers and shakers of English history have resided and changed and rebuilt the structure that exists today. In 1902 there were at least 31 gardeners and 27 house servants . The first world war saw the loss of many of the servants ,with the death of the last wealthy owner in the 1950s the buildings were stripped of any thing of value leaving them derelict . In recent years with developers circling the corporation of London purchased the estate to add it to Epping forest.

As we have seen so often a walk of 5 minutes can move you hundreds of years in history . Here is part of the defensive line of London they are all over the place, reinforced strong points thankfully never needed to hold out against Hitler's invading army in the 1940s

View from the strong point

I continued my walk back into the 20th century into the post WW2 development of Epping to Epping station the start of the Central line. Waited 2 minutes for the train to leave, back in Stratford in half an hour.

A great days walk about 16 km and 3000 years of history.