“Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.” - Samual Johnson

From the day we arrive on the planet

And blinking, step into the sun

There's more to see than can ever be seen

More to do than can ever be done

There's far too much to take in here

More to find than can ever be found

But the sun rolling high

Through the sapphire sky

Keeps great and small on the endless round

 

It's the Circle of Life

And it moves us all

-"Circle of Life" - lyrics Tim Rice (From the Lion King)

It looks as though Spring has definitely sprung, the skies have been clear and blue for days, it's lovely and warm in the sunshine and suddenly daffodils have sprung up everywhere. Rob and Emma both celebrated their birthdays this week and what better way to celebrate than a weekend in London in the glorious sunshine. After being at home most of the week with Emma's Chicken Pox we were more than ready to shake it off and go and enjoy ourselves. After a quick school pickup we drove over to Southampton Airport, where we left the car in the long stay car park, and jumped on the train and jus over an hour later we were in London. Too easy.

We are very lucky that we have such very good friends back home and we have always felt like our friends are part of a bigger extended family. This fact came home to us this weekend as the grandfather and step grandmother of one of Emma's closest friends offered to have us stay with them for the weekend in their flat in central London. It was really lovely to be welcomed into their home like members of the family and we all had a terrific weekend together. The kids in fact didn't want to come back home to Dorset they were so taken with our new friends, Roger and Julia.

With a plan to meet at the flat at five we decided to have afternoon tea somewhere nice for Rob's birthday. Have you ever noticed that sometimes the plan goes wrong and you're glad it did? Well that's exactly what happened to us. We managed to catch an earlier train to London than we planned and happily jumped on the tube heading, we thought, to Green Park and found ourselves unexpectedly in Bank. So with a few changes we where on our way back and had lost all the lovely time we had made up with the early train. As the train approached Piccadilly Circus we were all sweltering in the heat of the packed train and so the executive decision was made to jump off and walk.

While the kids were transfixed by the big screens in Piccadilly Circus the half price theatre ticket office caught my eye. We had thought to seeing the Lion King this weekend but had forgotten to book tickets as we were so uncertain if we would be coming. The next thing you know we had Lion King tickets for 7.30 that night, Rob's birthday night, clutched in our hand and we are racing to the flat for a quick hello, a lovely meal and a helter skelter dash across town to be at the Lyceum Covent Garden in time.

 We made the show with ten minutes to spare and had a fabulous night. Emma has seen the movie before but Julian is too young as yet for movies and TV so didn't know the story. It really didn't matter as the spectacle of the show was enough to keep them both entranced and wide awake until it finished after ten o'clock. The costumes and sets were out of this world as was the dancing and singing. We are so glad we splurged on the tickets as few musicals come to Perth and it felt like a once in a lifetime opportunity. Of course now Emma points out all the posters for other musicals (particularly Wicked and Matilda) and wanders, loudly and pointedly, what it would be like. But even putting the high cost of tickets aside the Lion King is the only show that they allow a four year old to see.

Despite the need for a sleep in after our eleven thirty bedtime the night before, caused by late night street wandering when our tube station was closed, we were up at the crack of dawn. For Emma's birthday I had long ago booked ticket to Warner Bros Studios Harry Potter Tour and today was the big day. Emma and I were equally excited, at least I think she was as excited as me, and trip to the studio, via train from Euston to Watford Junction and a shuttle from the station to the studio seemed to take ages. But we were finally there and the birthday boy and girl were given badges to wear and Emma was even given the opportunity to open the door to the great hall to start the tour, it was thrilling, possibly a little overwhelming for her.

I had read that you need to allow three to three and a half hours for the, mostly self guided tour. We thought that as we would just walk around and take everything in rather than reading all the displays and watching all the videos as we knew Julian's patience would not extend that far.

Despite this, and the fact I want to come back and read every display and watch every video, we still were there over three and a half hours.

It was absolutely terrific for a Potterite like myself and a junior Potterite like Emma, who had a ball despite having been allowed to read, and watch the movie for, only the first two books to date.

It's amazing to think that these buildings were the home away from home, and the school too for the young members of the cast, for the cast and crew of the movies for ten years.  I must apologise to those who are not fans but there was no way I could show any less photos, and you should see the fantastic ones I left out too.

When we visited Laycock Abbey we experienced the thrill of recognising places used in the movies. Here there was not the same thrill as the two gigantic soundstages are packed to the rafters with props and costumes. It doesn't spoil the experience as such but brings home to you that the movie magic is not "real".

 

It didn't stop us oooing and ahhing over everything from flying Ford Anglia's, Portraits of the Fat Lady, clothing that is so familiar to you that you know you've watched the movies too many times, the Burrow, Hadgrid's cabin, Buckbeak the Hippogriff (one word WOW), Dobby, the Ministry of Magic, and more and more and more until you walk through Diagon Alley and finally see the massive model of Hogwarts which is truly spectacular.

 We all really enjoyed the green screen experience, where we were pretended to fly Mr Weasley's car over the Hogwarts Express and each had a turn of flying a broomstick over London.

We were even given a lesson in wand work, were we were taught the choreography used in a battle scene in Order of the Phoenix and then had to duel each other. This was a lot of fun, and the lady instructor had a laugh when Emma and I were duelling, with the instruction to disarm only, and I yelled "silencio" whilst yelled "expelliarmus". She laughingly told me that as a parent she wishes she could use that one too.

We decided we couldn't stay all day, though it was hard to get Emma to leave, so we headed back to London with the plan of High Tea at the Orangery at Kensington Palace while we were still having birthday treats.

 Whilst it was a lovely experience, the view to the garden blooming with bulbs, terrific service and lovely room the food was nowhere near as good, and the atmosphere was less intimate and relaxing than the Milestone Hotel's afternoon tea that we experienced just across Kensington Park back in January.

The Princess Diana Memorial Playground was just as good as we remembered and we could have stayed much longer but it was time to be getting back to the flat to make plans.

Roger and Julia know all the great places to visit in London with kids as they have experience showing their family a good time when they have come to stay. The suggestion was made that we eat at the Rainforest Café in Piccadilly Circus, and the fact that there friends from home has been there and loved it was all the encouragement the kids needed before heading back out for a great dinner.

The Rainforest Café is a reconstruction of a rainforest in the middle of London, with stuffed animated gorilla's and Elephants, big cats hanging in trees above your head, a huge aquarium of fish, simulated thunderstorms that are so loud it is impossible to talk for a minute until its finished and really good, reasonably priced food. Our safari guide, sorry I mean waiter, even had Emma stand on a chair so everyone could sing happy birthday to her and Rob. It must be the longest running birthday celebration on record.

After another late night Julian and I slept in until ten thirty the next day, which I could regret when you think of the things we have not seen in London, but we were really tired after a long week and such a big weekend. While I took it easy Julia took the kids for a walk to Hyde Park for their favourite activity, feeding the squirrels.

We kept the rest day simple, sending Rob off to meet Roger for a tour of Lords, a real highlight for my sports loving husband, while Julia took the rest of us to Hamleys. Six years before Captain Cook set off on the Endeavour William Hamley opened his first toy store in London and two hundred and fifty four years later our kids thought it was seven floors of heaven. My advice is come to see and buy somewhere else much cheaper. On each floor the staff enthusiastically displayed and spruiked different toys and the kids had a go of the Scalextric cars and remote controlled buggies. While there were areas we skipped, not being fans of mass produced rubbish there was floors and floors of toys we loved, from what appeared to be every Ravensburger Puzzle, to huge displays of Schleich models with a Lego models of the royal family crowning the store. No photos unfortunately as the camera went with Rob, who forgot to take photos at Lords. But trust me no trip to London with children is complete without a trip to Hamleys.

After we had seen enough it was time for lunch and nearby Carnaby Street was a terrific suggestion by Julia. It gave us a chance to see this famous Soho shopping district lined with independent fashion boutiques. Without the kids I can imagine spending quite some time here, even just to sit in a café and people watch. But both little kids and big alike got a kick out of a visit to Choccywoccydoodah. To describe it merely as a chocolate shop would be to do it a disservice. The chefs and chocolatiers from Choccywoccydoodah create amazing cakes that I cannot imagine ever bring myself to stick a knife into. Emma loved high heeled chocolate shoes and Julian wanted a big chocolate soccer ball.
We were given samples of cakes that were divine, the dark chocolate and champagne we adults tried was moist and delicious.

While there was a café upstairs we opted for a late lunch at Pret A Manger, which is our favourite chain of healthy cafes we hope comes to Australia. We ended the day with more feeding the squirrels in Hyde Park. I believe the kids would come back just to spend time in the beautiful parks, I know I would.

As we needed to be at Waterloo station in the early afternoon we had to pick one special place to visit in the morning and what could be better in all this glorious sunshine than to join the hoards of people in front of Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guard.

We took up a vantage point near Australia Gate and while we didn't see the ceremony through the gates we had a great view of the Band of the Irish Guard marching right by us. Later we moved to a new spot on the Mall to watch the guards march back to their barracks.

Walking back to the flat to collect our bags we were lucky enough to see the tail end of the St Patricks Day parade moving along Piccadilly. While we had missed the big names who had led off the parade we did get to see some gorgeous little girls dancing, huge green balloons and a giant inflatable green worm. We had to laugh at the sight of people dressed up in all their Irish Leprechaun attire with cans of Fosters in their hands.

And after collecting our bags and walking together to the nearest tube station our time with Roger and Julia was up. We had the most wonderful weekend which we will never forget and neither will we forget their kindness to a group of strangers, taken as friends into their home and hearts.

And now after a busy couple of days I have finally gotten up to date. Emma has a big ballet concert this weekend which we are all very excited about and then eleven days from now the kids have a three week school holiday. It seems as though they are never at school, but of course we are making every day special and so time is flying by. I'm glad to have you joining us on this journey. I would love any feedback or advice you might have to offer.

 

 

 

Enjoying the Early Spring in the New Forest

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome." - Anne Bradstreet 



When people ask us for our reasons for having such an extended holiday we often answer that we want to let the children see the season change on the other side of the world. Now we are coming out of winter and into spring our wish has come true.

13 degrees - time to hit the beach

This winter has been quite wet, well to be honest it was the wettest winter for one hundred years, but it hasn't been any colder than winter in Perth. But suddenly, as if by magic, over night spring has arrived.

 Until today, which has given us a brief return to winter, we have had a few weeks now of sunny skies, warmer temperatures (13degrees here feels like 18degrees at home at least) and daffodils popping up every where. People are wearing colourful clothes, the winter coats have been put away and the beaches are packed with people. 

Hengistbury Head

Before the lovely weather arrived we had a visit to Kingston Lacy, renowned for its beautiful gardens. Unfortunately it was before the daffodils bloomed and after the snow drops had finished so no glorious flowers for us. We were very lucky however to be there for the opening weekend and so we were treated to a lovely display of regency era dancing performed to beautifully played recorder music. Sadly the photos are on Emma's camera which I cannot locate at the present, but I will add later when it is found.

 

Children might not always enjoys hours in a museum or gallery and that's where big houses come in handy for parents. Kingston Lacy has some wonderful artworks by Rubens and Sir Anthony Van Dyck, and as a lover of all things ancient Egyptian, the biggest private collection of Egyptian artefacts in the UK. In a house like this we can see a few things before the kids attention span fails and we moved onto things that are fun for them. In the case of Kingston Lacy, Julian was keen to leave the house after the dancing but Emma and I were able to enjoy the rest of the house while the boys went outside to play.

Since coming back from our half term break our plans were somewhat disrupted by a couple of cases of Chicken Pox. Two weeks after we arrived back Emma's spot appeared, it could have been a disaster for her as it was only a few days before her birthday but disaster was averted due to Emma's good friend Meli's family. They had us over for a birthday dinner a few days before the big day, as the whole family has already had Chicken Pox, and with birthday dinner, cake, streamers and good friends it was a wonderful night. Even better Meli came back with us for a sleepover and the girls had a ball.

 

 On the actually day of Emma's birthday she was still infectious, so no school, but not at all ill so we had to come up with a great plan for the day. We decided on hiring bikes in Brokenhurst and taking a nine mile ride through the New Forest.

 

 I must admit the original plan was thirteen miles, taking a route through the forest that would lead us to a gorgeous town called Bank, where we would have lunch and then ride back through a Deer sanctuary. We found a table away from everyone else and enjoyed a lovely birthday lunch with ponies peeking their heads over the fence to watch us eat. It was about three o'clock and we were concerned that we wouldn't make it back before the hire place closed and so we skipped the deer sanctuary and the extra four miles.

By the end of the ride we were all tired and had sore bottoms but were very proud of ourselves. We plan to go back soon to walk through the deer sanctuary to see what we missed. We are so pleased that we chose the area around the New Forest as our base, it must be one of the most beautiful places on earth.



All in all a lovely birthday which shall be remembered for more than just the Chicken Pox. Also a few day later Emma was back at school and looking forward to a weekend away in London. I'll tell you all about that terrific weekend very shortly.

 

 

 

 

 

 



Four Fantastic Days Visiting Wales and Herefordshire

“The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.” – Samuel Johnson

 With four days left blank in the itinerary of our half term holiday I decided to explore our family roots and I began investigating the idea of visiting Herefordshire. My mother, a gifted lady in family research, had told me the story of some of our convict ancestors who came from this area. The family were millers and had mining interests in the Forest of Dean and Hereford before things went sour and my ancestor was transported to New South Wales for committing fraud. Also I have also been to Wales before and hoped to get to visit again. So when hunting for somewhere to stay I was happy to find a wonderful place just over the boarder into Wales, but still close enough to Hereford and Leominster to visit.

 

To break the journey, and have time to visit the Forest of Dean, we stayed one night in Tintern, in the beautiful Wye Valley in Monmouthshire. While Rob was driving into town I had my head down looking at a guide book when Rob made the cheeky comment "so I wonder if it will be hard to find the Abbey then". Looking up my jaw dropped at the sight that met my eyes.

We pulled straight into the car park and had one of those fantastic visits, combining awe at the ability of gothic architects to create such a thing of beauty over seven hundred years ago;

sadness, at the fact that the Cistercian Abbey fell into ruin following Henry VIII's reign and the dissolution of the monasteries (not him again);

and lots of fun and adventures getting lost, playing hide and seek, splashing in huge puddles in the cloisters, and laughing at the plumbing (kids love toilet humour). The kids even decided it was a good place to practice their gymnastic abilities, the big kids that is.

 We stayed at a lovely B&B, The Old Rectory, which I would highly recommend. The room we had, a family room, was more like a suite of rooms, at a very moderate price. The lovely Canadian owners not only provided friendly conversation and great recommendations for dinner but also an extensive breakfast menu that was the best we have had in the UK.

If we had more time I would come back for a few days to Tintern and use it as a base to explore the gorgeous Wye Valley. This little corner of world is incredibly beautiful and judging by the fact that there were only a handful of other people at the Abbey, perhaps it is a little overlooked. And if we were to return it would definitely be to the Old Rectory, with its stunning views of the Wye River.

After our delicious breakfast we drove over to the Forest of Dean to have a look at a few towns our ancestors lived in. The most beautiful of which was Welsh Bicknor, which sits at the top of a hill looking out over the Wye Valley.

We never found the chapel we were looking for, but the views over the valley of Symonds Yat and out to Goodrich Castle were breathtaking. We wondered how barren Australia must have seemed to our convict ancestors after this little corner of paradise. 

In the afternoon we made our way to our next B&B, in the Radnor Valley . The drive from Herefordshire to Mid Wales took us through Brecon and Crickhowell, both lovely towns. We came this way, though it took longer as there was rumour that it might snow at Breacon this day and as we drove through sure enough on a mountain near by we saw a dusting of snow but still no luck for the kids so far. We also took a wander through Hay on Wye, a town made famous for its large of second hand book shops. I am glad that I have seen this town before on a lovely sunny summer day, as on a cold grey rainy afternoon it was far less memorable.

Near Brecon, Wales

Hindwell Farm was to be our home for the next three nights and the kids are still asking when we can go back. It's another fantastic place to stay either in a group or as a couple, but with a young family it was perfect. There was a lovely self contained apartment on the top floor but that was already booked for the first two nights we were there. This did not bother us as we had two lovely rooms on the second floor with views over the lake and its swans, and we also got to enjoy a lovely breakfast each morning.

Hindwell Farm has history dating back as far as Neolithic times. Here there once stood a Neolithic enclosure, made from some 1400 six metre high oak trees, and in its time it was a major ceremonial location in Wales.

A Roman bath house is believed to lay beneath the lake with evidence of a fort sitting adjacent to the water. More recently in the early eighteen hundreds, poet William Wordsworth holidayed in the very room where Rob and I slept, and was much taken with the views of the lake.

George's crazy chicken who thinks she's a sheep

Hindwell is now a working sheep farm, and owners Jess and John work very hard. It was terrific for the kids to see the reality of life on the farm thanks to our hosts and their son George. Jess got little sleep while we were there as we arrived in the middle of lambing and she was most of the night helping the sheep that get into difficulties and teaching the orphan lambs how to feed from the milk machine. And then of course she's up early to make breakfast for her guests.

We were so very pleased to be invited on a once in a lifetime outing with John and it was a day to remember always. There is a twice weekly event that really holds this rural community together and that is riding to a scented trail. Prior to the banning of fox hunting this group of local farmers, not a group of privileged aristocrats, but hardworking local men and women, would hunt foxes on each others properties. This has been replaced by the goal of riding to the end of a scented trail. However from our observations the goal seemed to be to enjoy spending time on horseback with a group of likeminded people.



The day started with the group gathering at a local pub, where the master of the hounds had arrived with his gorgeous hounds. He was able to tell us the name of each and every one of his charges, a large group of Welsh and English Fox Hounds, whose ancestry could be traced back around two hundred years. 



Once all the riders and the hounds were ready a red coated "huntsman" blew his horn and the riders and the hounds set off down the street, an amazing sight. We spectators went into the pub for a warming drink before heading off in four wheels drives, quad bikes and on foot to catch a glimpse of the riders.

 As we were driving across some common land looking out over Builth Wells we caught up with the men laying the scent for the riders. They encouraged John's son George, who was out with us for the drive, to take up the job of laying the scent to keep the tradition alive into the next generation.

Dragging the scent

The views were saw that day were amazing, the visual splendour of the riders, horses and hounds set before stunning landscapes for miles around our vantage point.

 We couldn't stay all day as we appreciated the amount of work that John had waiting for him at home with lambing. So while we were not there to see the horses catch the scent it was still a marvellous expedition. If you asked me before this day whether I would consider watching riders out on a hunt I would have thought the idea appalling but what we saw today, an adaptation of an ancient tradition which holds this community together, my opinion has completely reversed.

While we all would have enjoyed our time if we simply stay all day at Hindwell, it was the perfect base for visiting nearby towns. Many people come for the excellent walks on Offa's Dyke but with a weather quite cool and blustery we settled instead for a nice drive along Herefords black and white village trail, starting in nearby Kington, heading through Pembridge, Monkland and into Leominster.

Leominster, another place my forbearers frequented, was a lovely spot for afternoon tea and we even managed to look around an antique shop. A lovely treat for me, accompanied by a chorus of "yes Julian that is lovely, please don't touch it".

On Sunday, our last whole day for exploring, we visited Croft Castle and had our traditional Sunday Roast in the National Trust tearooms. The kids loved completing the Jack Frost winter trail, in search of clues that would solve the mystery to help spring return again.



 And of course the was dressing up to be done, which always makes Emma's day. She is serious in her desire to live in a castle and has decided if she can't be a princess she will get a job as a maid, as long as it doesn't require any serious cleaning work.

 While the gardens were damp and muddy we went in search of a lovely thousand year old oak tree and it was worth braving the elements to visit this old beauty.

The next morning we packed up for our trip home and said goodbye to Jess. Some people you meet on the road give you good advice, some feed you well, some give you the bum steer and you end up lost. But then there are people that you meet that you know you would be good mates with if they lived around the corner from home. It's these people you hope to meet again and you take them away with you in our hearts. Thanks Jess, John and George for showing us a different way of life, one you are justifiably proud of, and we hope to see you in Australia one day.

Our journey home could have been shorter, but what fun would that be. So we decided on a route that would take us through the beautiful towns of Hereford, Ross on Wye and through to Bourton on the Water in the Cotswolds. 

 I had never been to the Cotswolds before, and knowing how highly it rates on most peoples favourite list I was very excited. While we had time only to properly visit Bourton on the Water and drive through the Slaughters we agreed it was stunningly beautiful.

 The caveat I would add to that would be however that we have seen villages, both on this February half term break in Cornwall, Devon, Herefordshire and Wales, as well as at "home" in the New Forest that have equal appeal with perhaps less people and tourist hype.

And there you have it, after a month I have managed to finally wrap up this 1140 mile odyssey. We managed to pick Chicken Pox on the road somewhere that Emma had two weeks back into the school term and Julian has come down with now, another two weeks later. While it has slowed us down a little perhaps a break is just what we needed. Especially as the April holidays are drawing ever nearer and surprise surprise we have some big plans.