As we are still extremely limited in foreign travel, owing to the current unpleasantness, for the second year running I am spending my holidays in Northumberland. This involves a good deal of driving, from south western England to the North West. It is noticeable that a lot of the HGV lorries have adverts on the back searching for new drivers. A lot of pubs, restaurants … Continue reading Travelling along the motorway

Nunney Castle. Built in the French style (unusual for Somerset) with a moat in the 14thC and bombarded by Cromwell’s army in the 17thC. The wall bombarded didn’t collapse until 1910. Sculpture by the Lakes. https://www.sculpturebythelakes.co.uk A private park with a range of sculpture around lakes and water features. They have seats and a cafe as well as cottages you can rent for events (not … Continue reading Various visits around the south west

Henry II of England is said to have said this about his friend and ex-chancellor, Thomas Becket, who he had made Archbishop of Canterbury in an effort to curb the powers of the church. Unfortunately, the promotion did not have the desired effect and Becket’s support for the king diminished as his church powers increased. The king’s frustration was overheard by four of his knights … Continue reading ‘Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?’ or the plausible deniability of powerful men.

“I would rather own a little and see the world than own the world and see a little of it.” ~ Alexander Sattler London may be only an hour and a half away by train but, when you haven’t been further than forty miles for months, it feels like a major outing. To the Epic Iran exhibition at the V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum for … Continue reading Travel during the world wide unpleasantness – continued

As things have started to open up again, there have been visits to various local places, although very few events so far. However, given that we may be in lockdown again by the autumn (see many press and political references to ‘freedom day’, despite exponentially rising numbers), I suppose we should be taking advantage. The Courts Garden (https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/the-courts-garden) This is a house built in the … Continue reading Random wanderings

Although, the continuing battle between the rise in Covid variants and numbers of infections and vaccinations may not mean we are as secure as we would like to be. Watch this space. My last post was many months ago, after the first lockdown in the UK but before the second and third. Since then, I have moved house and the UK has irrevocably left the … Continue reading And, finally, a journey resumes

In February, having returned from my circumnavigation of the globe, my mind turned to where I would go next. Being of a solitary cast, not of my own free will, I purposed to travel with a group, being more friendly. To that end, I visited an agent, at the sign of the Barley Mow. This gentleman does assemble groups of pilgrims and the like, wishing … Continue reading I essay travel in times of plague.

Starting in Nenthead, the highest village in England, (https://www.picturesofengland.com/England/Cumbria/Nenthead) I went over Overwater – a road that goes up and over the watershed between the Wear and Tees valleys. This road is NOT to be travelled at night or in the winter unless you are local. I passed a range of happy cyclists going down and exhausted ones going up. I have taken a few … Continue reading Journeying south again

Paxton House, built in the mid 18th century, is a lovely example of a classical layout, built by Robert Adam. It apparently has a major national collection of Chippendale furniture as well as Adam interiors. Unfortunately, you can’t visit inside (COVID) but the gardens are lovely. (https://paxtonhouse.co.uk) The River Tweed runs alongside the gardens and the dog and I careered downhill to it before letting … Continue reading Paxton House and Berwick-upon-Tweed

Lindisfarne is a small island, just up the coast from the Farne Islands, and was a major religious centre for hundreds of years. There are still pilgrimage groups that come here. In the 6th century a group of monks went to the island of Iona on the west coast of Scotland, from Ireland, and set up a monastery. At the time there was very little … Continue reading Holy Island – or Lindisfarne, depending on preference.