Today we’re off to the UK. EasyJet from Barcelona. Pick up a car at Gatwick. Karen's doing the driving because I’ve left my licence at home. Then it’s down the M6 to visit Matt Alderton in his oasthouse near Tunbridge Wells. It’s good to catch up with him, Karen and Sophie.
They recommend Hever Castle, home of Ann Boleyn and built in 1382. Lord Astor moved from the USA to the UK in 1890 having declared that the USA was no place for a gentleman to live. It seems like little has changed.
He refurbished the castle from 1903-1908 including having 800 men dig a lake over 18 months. The gardens are extensive, the tulips are out and some topiary has turned a table and chair into a tortoise.
A good meal at the local pub for dinner and home for a good night's rest.
This morning we take a walk around Scotney castle grounds. There are a number of friendly walkers out with their dogs. Quintessentially English, rolling green fields, cattle and church bells tolling in the distance.
The afternoon sees us back on the road again. Sunday is Uncle Hutch's 95th birthday and we’re celebrating tomorrow with the family in Manchester. Google tells us it will take 5 hours but with a Bank holiday and British traffic we decide to drive part way to Rugby today. A planned 3 hours still turns into 4 but we’re happy that we’ve broken the back of the journey.
Saturday dawns and we head up the M6 to Manchester. We go looking for some Australian wine but the labels leave a bit to be desired.
Hutch is looking well and it’s wonderful to see him, Karen's cousins: Robin, Steve, Laura and her daughter Isla, and Sally as well as Karen’s sister Jenny from Australia. We spend the day catching up and celebrating as a family.
Sunday morning we go to church at Altrincham baptist then meet Laura to wander the shops. A little difficult as the Manchester marathon goes through the middle of Altrincham today. The crowds aren’t as big as those in Seville but it’s still difficult crossing the street through the myriad of runners.
Back to Hutch's for a late lunch before walking with Laura to the station so she can catch the train back to London.
A final day in Manchester, the Wedgwood factory is not far down the road and we decide it’s worth a visit. The process is labour intensive with barely any automation. Every piece is hand cleaned, may have several firings and is individually decorated or painted. I’m not sure I could spend all day painting single lines around the rim of a bowl. We begin to understand why it’s so expensive.
Amazingly pieces in the gift shop, able to be picked up and handled, range in price up to £26000. We learn that any imperfect pieces are broken up and recycled for use as road base, makes for expensive gravel, and that potholes are named from the times when clay diggers would source their clay from the middle of the road.
A wander through the small village of Lyme then back to Hutch's for dinner and farewell. It’s an early start tomorrow to fly to Bucharest.
No comments:
Post a Comment