Wisley...

Wednesday, 8th June - (Catch-up)

We had planned to meet cousin Andrew at Wisley on a nominated day, but hadn't heard from them, and so decided to go by ourselves, as we'd always wanted to see the gardens. It is owned/run by the Royal Horticultural Society and is their "showpiece", and as we found out, is very popular. We did the early thing again, and although we had no clear idea how to get there, and took a couple of wrong turns, but finally came at it along the A3, after a fairly 'circular' trip.

The car park is VAST, and needs to be when so many people turn up, as they did later. The gardens are also quite extensive, and so we didn't feel 'crowded' at any time. Had coffee first, and the paid £10.95 each to get in, which may seem a lot,but is worth it. We think if we lived in the UK we would certainly join the RHS.

It is really a botanic garden, and plants are well labelled, and there are separate sections for alpines, fruits, vegies, herbs, and rock plants & cacti., etc.

The weather was really kind to us, with some patchy cloud, and the only time we had some spots of rain threaten, we had our lunch, and beat the crowds.

The buildings look older than they are, but are in that sort of Tudor look, and everything in the grounds is so well maintained and not a weed in sight. The first area we walked through was the rock garden, which has to be one of the best we've ever seen, and is so well done. None of the rocks look out of place, and the water features and cascades give it a great look. There were plants we might have only ever seen in books, and some, like pitcher plants, growing outdoors. 

These few photos are not enough to convey how lovely it all is, and we spent three hours there. Near some glasshouses which house alpines, set in pots, there is an outdoor setting which is most interesting with all these tiny rock plants growing in the crevices. Not a look you could have at home, but is seemed to be fairly newly done and so might look better over time. 

There is a wonderful area for showing how fruits are grown and this had so many ideas we could use here. The problem is of course the difference in our climates, for so many plants, and all this great information is happening at the wrong end of our lives. It's the stuff we should have known more about, much earlier. The other area which was interesting were the model gardens, giving ideas of how to plant courtyards, town gardens etc.
There is a new garden commemorating the late Queen Mother and has not been open long. 

Bought some different tomato seeds, and everyone says you can get them back to Oz because they are sealed in foil packets. NOT SO! (when we got back to Sydney, we declared them, and the customs lady was very nice about it, and looked them all up on her computer, but as they are not listed, she had to take them. I asked her what would have happened if I hadn't declared them, which I almost forgot to do, and she said simply that we might have introduced a disease, so fair enough. Perhaps those in the UK should stop telling people it's OK)

Not sure how to get back to Woking, but headed off on a different road which went by a lovely pub on a canal, and looked so idyllic and English, we should have stopped for an ale! Went round in circles once back near Woking town, and finally got ourselves sorted and back to the hotel. 

There was rain in the late afternoon, so we opted for the pub meal, and then waited to meet Barry and Judy. They arrived on time and we took a table inside, as it was a little cool. We yakked on for around 2-3 hours and found we had similar interests, like vegie growing, and Barry had bought a parcel of land from am old estate that was being sold off, and grows his veg there. He had been on an allotment waiting list for two years.

They are walkers and spend a lot of time tramping around the countryside, and had just returned from several days walking Exmoor. It was a nice, quiet, pleasant evening with new acquaintances, and tho we probably won't see them again, it was great to catch up after the time we had with them on the small cruise.

London and family stuff and new friends...

Tuesday, 7th June - (Catch-up)

We had been to London before on our last trip in 2007, and loved it. If I was rich I would go back (by boat), and live in London for a year, and see everything I could.

Today we decided we'd go into London and go to the Guildhall Library and Shoreditch to see if we could find out any more about Gordon's side of the family, back to Robert and Mary Christmas, etc.

We had also planned to contact cousin Andrew and his wife Veronica, and our new friends from the small cruise around Mull, Barry and Judy. We were not sure of Andrew's number so emailed him, and left a phone message with Barry.

Got a cab down to Woking station as it was further than we had thought when we arranged this accommodation, and got Off-Peak tickets which allows you to travel more cheaply if you go after 9.30am.

Also found a map book at a local shop, as without it we'd never find the places we wanted.

The train fares, at 38 Pounds for two all day train tickets, which allowed us to transfer to Underground etc., was good value.

Back at the station the train was late, (see later story about Norwegian trains), and three trains all arrived together, and we initially thought we'd have to stand all the way to London, but got seats, tho not together.

Waterloo was almost overwhelming, as we weren't sure which way we had to proceed and so Lee consulted the map book we bought, (whilst we had coffee), and we thought we were then OK, but on asking a railway attendant, he said we'd have to use two underground trains to get to Moorgate, which we needed for the Guildhall Library. Once there, you can use what they call "high walks" which are a series of linked walkways over several streets, thus avoiding the traffic etc., at street level.
Lee is so good with this library thing, and we registered and filled in the forms for the documents we thought would cover the period(s) we wanted. They are very security minded and you have to use a locker to stow bags, etc., and you can only use pencil. The attendant who brought us the books, was very helpful and proivided incline rests to use the books at the table. Whilst Lee was checking out the Christmases, etc., I had a look along the shelves, and did my usual thing of trying to find any form of the Bezear surname in any of the indexes. 
Unfortunately we didn't find any of the references we'd hoped for, and by this time it was nearing luchtime, and in this part of the city, everyone seems to spill out of all the offices at the same time! We found yet another "Pret a Manger" (ready to eat) shop and they do great fresh sandwiches and juices.


We had to go just one more station on the underground to Liverpool St., which is a much larger station than Moorgate, and up at street level, tried to orientate ourselves amidst all the chaos which is London at lunchtime! A very helpful young lady with a cockney accent offered to help us and showed us in which  direction we should head.

We eventually found Holywell Row, where Thomas and Robert Christmas had lived in the 19thC, but it is now all newer buildings, but we did manage to find the actual street signs, both old and new.
After this sleuthing, we had thought we might do some shopping, but by this time were so tired and it would have involved wending our way back via undergrounds, etc.,and we really didn't have any idea where we should go for "shopping", so went back to Waterloo and 'home' to Woking. Having left so early, we didn't get back until 3.30pm and had a nap.


Tiring of hotel food, we decided to walk down to the town centre for dinner, and it wasn't that far for just a quiet stroll, and found two pizza restaurants, and opted for one called Pizza Express, which ended up being quite a nice meal, with some Peroni Beer (italian). As with most places like this, it was only spoilt by the presence of loud younger people and kids.

We had heard back from Barry and Judy, and they said they would come up from Godalming, (not far) in Surrey and meet us tomorrow night for drinks.

Salisbury Cathedral and on to Woking...

Monday, 6th June - (Catch-up)

As with most Premier Inns, you don't have to check out until 12.00 midday, and so we packed everything up after breakfast, and headed for the nearest Park and Ride. You park for as long as you think you'll need and then get a bus all the way into the heart of the city. (I suppose there is always that risk that everything in the car could be taken, but that could happen in the city as well, and they have CCTV cameras in most of these places). At GBP3.50 for a car with up to four people, you get return tickets on the bus, which is pretty good value, and saves the hassle of trying to drive into an unfamiliar town and find car parking.

It is obvious as you enter the High Street, that there are some ancient buildings, and one building had Roman numerals for 1683. After you pass through an old gate, you emerge into a large square, with buildings all around, including Mompesson House. The girl in the National Trust shop remarked that it wasn't unusual for a place to have uneven floors, as the building she was in, dated to 1613!

There is a huge open space in and around the cathedral, and there had been a music festival, and they were dismantling all the stage and seating, etc. So you get a good look directly at the front of the the cathedral, and it is like most of them, quite impressive. There are modern as well as ancient things within the cathedral including a dreadful metal sculpture which looks like no more than a huge roll of barbed wire, and in our opinion is so ugly and out of place here. The "look" is different inside and the columns seem to be higher and of a darker stone. They have a copy of the Magna Carta in a special and beautiful round room, called Chapter House, but don't allow photos.

One of our favourite cathedrals, and equally impressive in its own way. 
Had coffee in the cafe, which is well done and blends in with the cathedral quite well.

Across the square there is Mompesson House, which is National Trust, and was built in 1701, and used in the movie "Sense and Sensibility"

It is in the Queen Anne period with a beautiful staircase, and a wonderful collection of glassware, and some beautiful furniture.

The garden is lovely although small, but very well maintained with some attractive plantings.

On the way back into town the hordes had arrived, again by the busload, and we shared a panini in a small restaurant attached to M & S (?), and then went up to wait for the bus to take us back to the car.

Getting out of our part of Salisbury was quite easy and we knew we had a fairly straight-forward drive up to Woking for our few days doing London things. Lee had initially thought it would be 77 miles, but it ended up shorter than that and we used the M3 for all but the first 12 miles.

I don't mind the M's. They are horribly congested, and fast, but once you get the hang of them, most other drivers perform in the same way, and you get over when you can, and make way for the zoomers, and as we've said before, all the exits are well marked and always off to the left.

Mompesson House

We had good directions to the next hotel (Pr.Inn), and after only one wrong turn in the actual centre of Woking, we found it quite easily. It is next to the Basingstoke canal, which is now not used for barges, but the locals certainly use the canal paths for exercise and as a pedestrian through-way.

Codford St. Mary...

Sunday, 5th June cont. - (Catch-up)

Fred Johnstone had been stationed nearby to Codford St. Mary when he first got to England from Australia in December 1917. He said in his notebook that it was a "cold hole", and not surprising, given that he was there in January and February.

We first went to Codford St.Peters, and there was a service under way, so didn't go in. We later spoke to a local gentleman, who, after hearing our story, said it would have been Codford St.Mary, and not C. St. Peters.

Drove back a short road, which connects the two villages,  to C St.M, and found the little church, and were able to go inside. A very pretty church, and after we came out spoke to a lady who was walking her dog. Turned out she was involved with the local history society, and they are working on some histories for the centenary of the 1914 war. She said there were hundreds of soldiers stationed there during the war as it was close to the railway, and they camped in tents!!! 

 
We have a postcard of the village that Fred sent back home, and we tried to replicate the scene in a photo, but not sure we got precisely the same view, and there is much growth in the stream, and so some of the view is blocked by trees.
The lady, Stephanie, also told us of the local cemetery of Anzac war graves, which are just across the road from the church, and are beautifully maintained. They are most likely graves of those who died whilst in the area during their training, of whatever disease or accident, but the cemetery is a credit to those who maintain it.

There is also a depiction of the Anzac Cap badge carved into the hillside, just outside the town, and Lee caught a glimpse of it on our way out.We were told that every year, on the 18th June, Australian and NZ military service people who are stationed in the UK, and some locals, go up to the 'badge' and trim back the grass etc.

"The cap badge on the slope above Foxhole Bottom, made by Australian troops, 1916-17, incorporating glass beer bottle bases.  Polishing the bottles became a punishment duty, giving rise to the site's colloquial name, 'Misery Hill'. Turfed over during the Second World War to prevent its use by enemy bombers, the outline was restored in chalk and last scoured in 1999 by Australian troops."

Our photo 2011

Fred's postcard 1918

We will contact Stephanie and see if we can supply anything towards their centenary celebrations in 2014, and perhaps she might have some photo's of the camp, etc that we could use.

Stourhead, Salisbury Plains, Stonehenge, and Codford St.Mary...

Saturday,4th June and Sunday, 5th June - (Catch-up)

Today would be a relatively short trip across to Salisbury, but we thought we'd have a look at Stourhead, whose gardens and vistas we'd seen over the years in garden books, etc. 

We didn't count on Saturday traffic and roadworks, and so the drive was a little longer than we wanted, and warmer too.

 

Stourhead is National Trust, and we discovered it to be very extensive and hilly with quite steep pathways, and we decided that we didn't have the energy for a prolonged tour of the gardens, and instead took some photo's across a gully to the 'temple' and views of still flowering rhodo's and beautiful japanese maples. We had brought our lunch, but had left some of it in the car, and so settled for what we had with us, e.g. cheese and biscuits and some juice. The estate, like most others of its kind is huge and even the trip out of the gardens and grounds takes a while before you get back to main roads, etc.

We had good directions this time to get to the hotel near Salisbury, and caught glimpses of the cathedral on the way.

We'd been asking for ground floor rooms, partly to not have to lug the cases up stairs (very few Premier Inn hotels have lifts!), and also because Lee had been having problems with her knees, and the stairs weren't helping.

But, this room, although as good as all the others we've had, had shrubs up to and over the windows and so any breeze there might have been had no chance of cooling the room. (They don't do cooling either in most places, and also still have duvets/doonas, but hey, they are very good value).

Had some cool drinks over in the pub, and then watched Lee Na win the ladies French Open, before going back for dinner.

Sunday, 5th June

Today we are off to Stonehenge, and thankfully it is much cooler, although we'd have liked some sunshine to get shadow shots, etc., of the stones.

BIG TIP - for this and other popular sites, GO EARLY!!

We headed up there straight after breakfast and got to the carpark around 9.10am, and there were already quite a few cars, and some buses. There were also those people who were not prepared to pay money to see the stones, and Gordon heard one English man say " I'm not paying good money to see stones stood in field!", and so he and quite a few others simply walk up and peer through the mesh fence!

It isn't the same!

We had joined the English Heritage, who manage Stonehenge, (and quite well), and after passing through turnstiles, you access the site via an underground tunnel, and come up on the henge side. There is a large painted mural of how they think it looked in its heyday, and it was worth taking a photo, just to have in our photo collection.

Once on site, it is hard to describe how you feel, finally standing in front of one of those things you'd always heard about, and there it is, and they are HUGE! (If you arrange it , ahead of time, you can get a special guided tour in and around the stones, with only a few other people. That would be great to do, but we were unaware of it before we got to Salisbury).

There is a designated path around which you can walk, in either direction, and you can linger as long as you need to, and with each step, something else takes your eye with the arrangement of the stones. We decided to ring Mel at this point and tell her where we were, and so have a photo of Lee talking to her whilst standing in front of the stones.

Apparently the larger stones are from elsewhere in Wiltshire, and some of the smaller ones are from South West Wales!  You cannot comprehend the effort it musty have taken to do it all, and then there are the reasons why.

We were out there for an hour, but by then the hordes were arriving, including busloads of very loud teenaged schoolchildren, and so we headed back, and got the book about the site and a few souvenirs.

Just a wonderful experience, and so glad to have been able to do it.

We ended up leaving via the wrong road, but went on to Codford St. Mary, which is mentioned in Gordon's maternal grandfather, Fred Johnstone's 1st World War diary. He was stationed there during his time in the UK, and we thought we'd like to see it for ourselves.

next - Codford St. Mary