Where’s the Deckchair Attendant?

Sue and I went to Harry Ramsden’s for my birthday meal – I like fish and chips!
Outside of Harry’s was this deck chair. It is the largest one in the world  at 8.5 metres high, 5.5 metres wide and it weighs in at 6 tonnes! I didn’t get to sit in it.

To continue with the blue sky photos, here are a couple from one of the rambles lead by David and Lyn. At one stage David had to find another route due to recent heavy rains. David whilst exploring other possible routes found himself up to his thigh in mud.

 

With the present government initiative of free cavity wall insulation we, along with other neighbours, have had our cavities filled. I wasn’t too happy seeing the chap standing on top of the conservatory – I didn’t think it was that strong.

 

A spaghetti of hoses

Last weekend we visited Maggie and Andy in Gloucestershire. We still have the blue sky, but the temperature has plummeted, hence the winter woollies.

View towards the Severn Estuary and Wales from Uley Bury

On Sunday morning we went to Gloucester Cathedral to see
‘The Architecture of Cloth, Colour and Space’ by Anna Glasbrook and Ptolemy Mann. We liked the two dimensional work, but the 3D work wasn’t to my liking. However, the new oak lectern and chairs in the nave were very impressive.

Coloured discs

Looking up at the coloured cloth

At the cathedral

More of the exhibition

 Oldie photos – Dortmund 1991

Assembling at David and Carol’s prior to the Masked Ball at the Mess.
Sue made four of the masks.

Stuart and Sue

Partygoers

  

Maggie and Andy

   

Oldbury Hill – Kent

Our next site was a Camping and Caravanning Club site at Oldbury Hill. It takes its name from the Anglo Saxon fort which is next to the campsite. On the summit of Oldbury Hill is one of the finest Iron Age hill forts in the Medway, with substantial earth ramparts 2 miles in length. Ancient woodland and scrub disguise its complete outline.

Close to the campsite is Ightham Mote, a National Trust property.   This is probably the most complete small medieval manor house in the country and it remains an example that shows how such houses would have looked in the Middle Ages.

This is the only Grade 1 listed dog kennel in the country.

The Great Hall

    

The gardens although not extensive were very well kept and a pleasure to walk in.

All Saints’ Church, Tudeley

The windows in this church were all painted by famous Russian artist Marc Chagall. This has given the church the unique status of being the only church that has all its windows designed by the artist.  The first of these windows was added as a memorial to Sarah d’Avigdor-Goldsmid, who died just off Rye coast in a sailing accident.  Her parents Sir Henry and Lady d’Avigdor-Goldsmid commissioned Marc Chagall to design a memorial window to be placed in the east of the church.                     

East Window

 

Sue at All Saints’ Church

We were only at Oldbury Hill for four days, but we managed to visit four properties in that time. Today's visit is to Knole House, Sevenoaks. Wikipedia describes it as ‘an English country house in the town of Sevenoaks, surrounded by a 1,000-acre deer park’. One of England's largest houses, it is reputed to be a calendar house, having
365 rooms, 52 staircases, 12 entrances and 7 courtyards.

      

Lead guttering

Weather vane

View across the deer park.

On our last day we visited Chartwell. When it became clear to the Churchills in 1946 that they could not afford to run the property, a consortium of wealthy businessmen purchased the estate. The arrangement was that for payment of nominal rent both Sir Winston and Lady Churchill would have the right to live there until they both died, at which point the property would be presented to the National Trust. When Sir Winston died in 1965, Clementine decided to present Chartwell to the National Trust immediately.

Waiting for our tour to begin.

Chartwell

Reception at Oldbury Hill

    

This concludes our September trip.

The Broads – Ludham

We all moved on to Broadlands Caravan Club site close to Ludham. Ludham is a medium sized riverside village with the main residential area on one side of the main road and the church and staithe (landing stage for on/off loading goods onto the boats/barges ) on the other. The village staithe gives access via boat to Womack water and then the River Thurne.

  

On our second day here we had made arrangements to meet friends Roger and Margaret. On that afternoon four of us went for a walk along the River Thurne for a bit of geocaching and to see the wherry Albion pass by with Roger skippering it. He can be seen in the stern looking this way.

 

The Albion is a 114 year old traditional Norfolk wherry and known as a ‘black sailed trader’.  She is one of only two remaining trading barges built specifically for the Broads. At their peak there were over 300 of these craft.

St Benet's Level wind pump.

Found the cache

 

Later that day – in the awning with Roger recounting his nautical tales.

A few minutes before our friends leave for Harwich and then home.

After everyone had left we went to the Horsey windpump which was about a 30 minute drive away.
The windpump or drainage windmill was working until it was struck by lightning in 1943. It was acquired by the National Trust in 1948 from the Buxton Family and has been restored.

Horsey windpump

Fantail detail

  

The view from the top.

  

From the windpump we made the short journey to Waxham Barn –
this is the longest thatched barn in the country.

A very impressive interior

 

Then down to the coast, a ten minute walk – not a lot of people around.