Easter travels ( 21 March - 5 th April )

Friday ( 21 st March ) We left Greenwich early on Good Friday heading South on the M 23 to Brighton where we walked to the end of the famous Brighton Pier on a very windy and cold day.

We then headed off to Portsmouth where we viewed the city from the Spinnaker Tower and also checked out Nelson's ship Victory and the history of the dockyards ( The ship is a replica as you might imagine but I was told that 20% of the ship was original including the keel )

We next headed to Bournemouth and onto Weymouth where we stayed at our first B and B for the night appropriately named ' Ma June ' This completed our first days travel

Saturday ( Day 2 22nd March ) We checked out Weymouth in the morning along the waterfront, where it was still windy and rather cool visiting the Marina and Portland for views over the Bay and Chesil beach. ( This was hardly chiselled out of NZ type sand, it was more like small boulders and a big mound of stones to scramble over to get to the sea ) and we werent too impressed if this is what a beach is supposed to look like.

We then went to the Abbotsbury swannery ( a place of sanctury for swans ) and on thru Portesham ( a small village with many thatched roof houses ) before cruising through Lyme Regis where a cuppa tea and scones was had overlooking the seaside. ( a nice quaint village where ' The French Leiutenant's Woman ' was filmed.)
We travelled on thru Beer, Sidmouth, Budleigh, Salterton and Topsham finally arriving at Torquay where we stayed at Babbacombe Palms for the night. Torquay is a nice place with the nickname ' The Riviera of England ' and it was a lovely place.

Day 3 ( Sunday 23rd March ) We walked to the Babbacombe cliffs and took the Victorian cliff railway to the beachside and walked the waters edge around Babbacombe Bay before retracing our steps before heading off to another key attraction ' The Kent Caves ' for an interesting guided tour underground through several caves. ( Waitomo is just as historic and has a few more glowworms tho this cave is much older in years ) we then visited Torquay's waterfront and Marina and market place picking up some fresh fruit to munch on.

Left Torquay and visited Paignton Beach and Pier heading south to cross the Dart River by Ferry into Dartmouth ( passing by a small Royal Navy college training base ) and on thru Salcombe Bay waterfront / village and eventually on to Plymouth for the night with some English friends ( Roger and Angela )

Day 4 ( Monday 24th March ) Up and off reasonably early to see the sights of Plymouth and its amazing natural port including the Barbican and the Hoe. This city has connections with our City New Plymouth of course and we saw plaques that mentionned the linkage with Plymouth ( USA ) and with us in NZ.

We crossed the Tamar bridge and headed off to St Austell's and turned off to see Mevagissey a delightful small fishing village stopping for a bite to eat and a cuppa at this quaint village just taking it easy before heading off through Truro and Falmouth ( on the coast ) visiting all their beaches ( Castle beach, Gyllingvase beach and Swanpool beaches, all reasonably nice with some surf and sand ( not stones or shingle )

We diverted back a little to visit Arnie and Glenys Dalgleish and their son Jack in Portloe, friends from my SLS days with NPOB. It was good to catch up with them both at their house far from anywhere and talk /walk to their small seaside village. ( Arnie works from home creating custom made jewellery and Glenys is an education consultant. )

We headed off rather later than planned over to Newquay on the other coast where we found another B and B ( called Stones Throw ) to stay the night.

Day 5 ( Tues 25th March ) Off early to check out Newquay ( a nice sunny day ) so it was only natural we would firstly check out the surf spots around this area which is renowned as being Englands Surfing capital. Their beaches are regular beach breaks and although their wasnt much surf when we were there it was easy to see that surf is possible on this western coastline.

We visited St Ives as well as St Agnes and we both liked the natural beauty of St Ives then it was on to Penzance along the coast thru Mousehole ( a small fishing village ) eventually reaching Lands End where we just had to stop and turn around.

We found a nice wee surf area at Sennen Bay where surfers were seen and back through Pennzance ( another nice area and township: home of the Mounts Bay Rugby side I commentated on earlier in the year for BBC Cornwall when they visited London ) we then went out to Marazion to see St Michaels Mount ( a castle on a small island ) before returning to Newquay for another night ( This time at St Becca )

This area is really lovely to visit and the countryside is attractive with a relaxed pace of life.

Day 6 ( Wed 26th March ) We headed North via the coastal route passing thru Mawgan Porth inlet and onto Padslow ( another lovely wee village ) and on to Tintagel ( The birthplace of the legendary King Arthur ) where we stopped and visited the remains of an old castle on the Headlands which required some serious walking up the hill side steps to see these Castle remnants before heading on to Boscastle ( another small village ) and onto Bude ( another beachside area where we visited Summerleaze beach and Crooklets beach where we had a Devonshire treat for lunch ( Tea and scones with clotted cream ) Crooklets beach seemed ok ( It had a surf club and a cafe on the beach )

We then made our way to Clovelly ( an English Heritage site ) and a look at Westward Ho ( a very long and flat beach ) then further around the coast to Ilfracombe ( a nice waterfront town with a chapel ( St Nicholas ) still intact though built in 1321 high above the town on a rock cliff side. I went up the hill to see this old chapel and the view.

We left Devon behind as we then headed into Somerset passing Lynton, Lynmouth and Minehead and the green forests of Exmoor National Park. Our next port of call was Weston Super - Mare where we stayed at the Beaches Hotel for the night. We decided to splash out for a change so went out for tea at an Italian restaurant and consumed a glass of wine or two and a nice meal.

Day 7 ( Thurs 27th March ) Checked out Weston as it is frequently called by seeing a nice waterfront taking a few photos before continuing our journey via the M5 to Bristol and on to Bath where it was time for a few hours of essential sightseeing.

We visited the Roman Baths and Pump room, and the Jane Austen centre ( a famous Bath resident of days gone by ) saw the Royal Crescent ( a half circular large building built between 1767 - 1774 ) visited the Circus ( a perfect circle of housing comprising 33 houses in 3 blocks entered by 3 separate streets ) We also saw the 3 arched Pulteney bridge lined with shops and built in 1774 as well as a 1 hr river cruise on the river Avon. Bath is a must see place and we enjoyed our brief time here. I also catched a glimpse of the Bath rugby side training around 10.30am ( A Heineken cup side who we have seen play in London )

Bath is a nice city with plenty of old architecture where most of the buildings incl the houses are in Bath sand stone. We left Bath via Chippenham and Cirencester eventually passing through the Cotswolds ( rolling green pastures much like NZ countryside ) calling into Bourton - on - Water ( a really delightful small village with a stream running through the village ) where we stopped for a cuppa and a scone or two and on through Stow - on - the wold, Moreton - on - march and finally to our evenings destination Statford - upon - Avon. Our B and B for the night was ' The Croft '

Day 8 ( Friday 28th March ) A cold and drizzly day dampened our visit here but we still managed to see the River Avon, Shakespeares birthplace, and Anne Hathaways House ( some repair work was taking place on the thatched roof at this time ) as well as a quick visit to the Public library where we managed some free time on the internet.

We then headed off to Redditch, Bromsgrove and Kidderminster and the A 442 to Telford finally on to Chester for an early arrival this time which allowed us to see some of the city before finding a B and B for the night ( Laburnum House ) opposite an indoor swimming complex so later on in the evening I went across and donned my togs to do some laps (2000m ) yet again without my flippers cause the authorities would not allow this )

Day 9 ( Sat 29 th March ) Today we headed off to Birkenhead and then drove under the river Mersey via tunnel to arrive in Liverpool. We bought a ticket on a hop on hop off open decker Bus tour of the City getting off at the Albert Docks where yes, you guessed it, we just had to see the Beatles Story. I had been there before on the UK npbhs rugby tour of 2002 but it was still a buzz to see this again.

Walked around some other city sights and the Waterfront / Albert Docks area and although it was a bit wet and showery at times we still managed to see quite a bit of this European city of culture. We made a surprise visit to Junes nephew Daniel who is living here at his flat for a quick cuppa and chat before heading further north to Southport for the night where our B and B was called Andora.

Day 10 ( Sunday 3oth March ) Today we looked around Southport to start the day especially the waterfront area and the Pier and splashworld just taking a few photos.

We then headed north through the renowned Lakes District which has many different types of terrain including Lakes and hills of different colours ( greens reds and browns on the hill sides not to mention the blues of the lakes. ) We stopped at Windermere for a coffee before heading on through Troutbeck, Kirkstone Pass, Glenridden and past Lale Ullswater crossing the border into Scotland and on to Glasgow.

We stayed in Glasgow for about 3 hours or more, did the open deck hop on hop off Bus tour of the city as well as just strolling through the city area ( June taking time out for some retail therapy while I was simply an on looker ) and then journeyed east and into Edinburgh to stay the night at yet another B and B (Strathallan House ) We went out to a restaurant close at hand for an evening meal before retiring to our nice large room.

Day 11 ( Mon 31 st March ) we were out n about early to see this majestic city by firstly taking an open deck hop on hop off Bus tour, visiting Edinburgh Castle and seeing exceptional views of Edinburgh ( the Old city and the New ) as well as a tour of The Palace of Holyrood House ( The Queens residence when in this city ) as well as seeing the Royal Mile and just absorbing all the sights of this city.

Yet again, it was my 2nd visit here and I was easily able to recall the places and sights. we saw the Dynamic Earth attraction ( an attraction that explores our planet ) We also drove to the waterfront terminal area to see the Royal Yacht Britannia but did not see inside and spent an enjoyable day in this fine city. We left Edinburgh at around 4.30 pm heading south as our next overnight stay was to be Durham just past Newcastle upon Tyme. We travelled around the coastline passing through Berwick on Tweed and other places before finally arriving at around 7.30 pm staying at The Garden House ( a small Guest house / hotel ) on the outskirts of Durham.

Day 12 ( Tues 1st April ) We visited the sights of Durham city which included their Castle which is now used as a University and the Cathedral, both impressive buildings in a quaint small city with a river running through it and some cobblestone streets.
We then drove to York via the M1 ( a major motorway ) and visited the York Minster Cathedral inside as well as take the 259 steps to the top of the cathedral for a wind - blown view of York. This bout of exercise required us oldies to have a small rest which we did by having a cuppa and another scone. We had a look at the wall ( 2 miles of stone wall ) which is now a walking route of parts of the city
We headed south out of York skirting the big cities of Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester ( we may visit these later ) to arrive in Rugby at around 5 pm ( The birthplace of our National Game ) to locate a Bed for the night at the Grosvenor Hotel. This place had a bath so a nice soak in the bath was called for.

We had a small meal and watched a bit of the Manchester Utd v Roma football match on TV seeing a quite remarkable goal by the star striker ( Ronaldo ) to round off our evening.

Day 13 ( Wed 2nd April ) Today was the day to see Rugby and a visit to Rugby school was essential. Although the school was on holiday I located a groundsman who let me in and on to the hallowed ground he was mowing for some photos and a photo of the famous plaque on the school grounds and school buildings.

We also visited the Rugby musuem and spent a delightful hour or so chatting to a master craftsman who was making souvenir Webb Ellis leather rugby balls ( His trade for over 40 years ) We just happened to be in the city on a day when he works in the small shop at the back of the museum so that was a bonus. He works 2 days a week only since he is 75 now, to hand sew these special leather balls. Before we left a photo was taken of the Webb Ellis statue in the town.

We left Rugby at around midday and headed for Cambridge ( I needed some academic inspiration to balance up the rugby influence from the morning ) and to get some Higher learning culture. We walked around this pedestrian- cycle student- dominated city seeing many of the Colleges that make up the University ( 32 in all ) and we just had to take a punt on the river as you see in all those photos you see of Cambridge.

This was where Kevin took June for a romantic punt along the river. It was hard work using the long pole and getting the technique right but I had almost mastered it within our hour on the river. After such hard work we had a cuppa at a small tea room called Aunties before heading north to drive to Hunstanton in Norfolk.
We found a nice guest house ( The Station House ) for our evening stay. We were now on our final few days and were about to take in some more coastal scenery.

Day 14 ( Thurs 3rd April ) A long day ahead of us but since there were no major must see cities and sights we just cruised along the coastal roads taking in the small villages and sights and the lovely countryside views including Cley next the sea, Salthouse village, and Sheringham ( a nice village where we stopped for a while and used the internet at their public library ) and on to Cromer beach ( quite nice ) and saw some large caravan parks and eventually through to Great Yarmouth, a seaside city with lots of amusement attractions along the waterfront promenade.
We saw several wind propellors situated in the sea which help to generate power for the city but the beach did not impress ( sand dunes / grass for dog walkers along way from the actual ocean )
We travelled further to Lowestoft, Kessingland as well as Felixstowe heading south to our next evening stay at Southend on sea ( where more amusement attractions were seen as well as a Pier.) Our B and B for the night was to be The Elizabeth Guest House.

Day 15 ( Friday 4th April ) We had a good look around Southend on Sea including a fishing village ( Leigh on Sea ) before heading toward London and detouring around the coastal route to take in some sights of Kent. Our first stop was Whitstable where we had a cuppa tea and cake at a yacht club / restaurant on the waters edge, before on to Herne Bay, Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate.
Broadstairs was by far the best location with a nice bay and beach. It was then on to Dover where we saw 'The white cliffs ' and the several ferry terminals for the Ferry crossings to France. It looked a nice place as well but we simply drove on by stopping at Folkstone for a wee while before carrying on to Hastings where we also stopped for a while.

Hastings has a historical significance ( something about 1066 and a battle, I'm sure you all know, The battle of Hastings ) and is quite a nice place although yet again the beachside is stone covered and walled.
It was next on to Eastbourne ( a lovely seaside resort with many fine buildings close to the long waterfront section of town ) before deciding to carry on to Brighton and up to Burgess Hill to see if we could make contact with Jill and Peter ( Friends of Rob and Jo Ridland New Plymouth NZ ) June made contact and we were invited to stay the night with them which was great and we chatted away till late swapping stories of our travels with many memoirs of times in NZ and elsewhere.

Day 16 ( sat 5th April ) Up and breakfasted with our hosts and then headed off home to Greenwich to return the rental car to Lewisham by noon. We travelled on the A 23 and the M25 and off loaded all our gear at our unit and then delivered the car and walked back to Lewisham Station and on to Greenwich. Relaxed mid afternoon and checked our emails.

Our 2 week trip around England was now over and we have enjoyed a great time. We travelled some 2700 miles and saw some great sights and countryside of England and Scotland.