Ashwell

The village of Ashwell didn't disappoint. Lots of chocolate box style cottages, houses and church and still has 3 pubs, Post Office, Village Stores, run by a turban wearing, grey bearded, gentleman, who looks like he used to be in  'It Ain't 'Arf Hot. 

Ashwell also still boasts a Bakery 

Well, we had to sample the goods!

And a traditional Butcher.

Our first morning there, we had the most stunning sunrise, that was on Thursday 5th December

And then in the evening we were treated to a spectacular display from a very bright Venus, who was flirting with the Moon.

And as usual, no matter where we are, Rowley does what he does best and only stirs himself when an interesting walk is offered.

Back Home

We arrived home on Friday 31^st for what was going to be a busy weekend.

Firstly there were some vehicle things to sort out. First was to fetch the Clio back from the garage after having a new driveshaft fitted, this was as a result of having the oil leak from the gearbox sorted in October. Bless her, she’s so old she wasn’t up to having her insides jiggled about. I’m afraid the next major thing that goes will see her off to the scrap yard.

Then I had to reimburse the next door neighbour for scraping my bike rack over his bonnet.

Then was The Goddess, she needed a Service. I’d noticed she had a small oil leak too but she also needed two new brake pads. So all in all, that’s an eye watering £1,400 in 2 months. Christmas is going to be a bit low key this year.

Friday evening we went off to the Victorian Fayre in Worcester. Just what’s Victorian about it I don’t know, certainly not the prices! We went with the boys and their families. Although we enjoyed ourselves, the little boys were a bit small to really enjoy it, due to the crowds. Louie had to be confined to his pushchair, as he wanted to run free. Even sitting on his Dad's shoulders didn't please him. He knows what he wants and sitting in the pushchair wasn't it!

Saturday was lunch with Mum at The Crown at Hallow, always a lovely cosy place to go in the winter months, with their log burners and amazingly good value food.Then babysitting Edward in the evening, while Mum and Dad had a night out. He was so tired he was falling asleep while I read his bedtime story, so unusually, he was asleep before 7 and slept until 8 the next morning, allowing everyone to have a good night for a change.

Sunday  lunchtime we went over to Mike’s son’s for a meal and Sam cooked us a delicious Moroccan Lamb.

Monday, we went up to Shifnal to spend the night at my Sister’s, where we had yet another excellent meal plus a visit to the pub.

I had been losing weight with all the walking we’ve been doing but this weekend really messed that up!

Tuesday morning, we headed back to Newport Pagnell, for another night at the In Laws, breaking our journey to Ashwell in Hertfordshire. This was a site I was really looking forward to, as the village sounded ideal.

Family Time

Exactly a month since we were last home, so we planned to go home for a few days, see everyone and catch the annual Victorian Fayre in Worcester.

As it was en route, it was also a perfect opportunity to break the journey and stop off at the In-Laws in Newport Pagnell, it was two months since we’d last seen them.

This time we had Rowley with us, which meant a bit of juggling with the dogs. Rowley can be a bit anti social with some dogs, Dodger is huge and Mutley is a yapper and we weren’t brave enough to allow all three to have the run of the house.

I’d really like to get them together next time we’re there.

Mum in Law is nearly 94 and still as bright as a button, she still trots round faster than I can and the only real sign of her age is she just gets smaller and smaller, in fact we don’t think she’ll die. We think one day she’ll just disappear. 

Her eyesight is failing somewhat and hearing her and my Brother in Law, who sadly is suffering from Dementia but can see perfectly, arguing over the Daily Mail Crossword, is very entertaining.

My Sister in Law has her hands full looking after the pair of them and deserves a medal. I’m hoping we can go and stay for a bit longer and between us and the Carers, who come in 4 times a day, maybe we can give her a bit of a break.

Discovering The New River

The best thing about what we’re doing, is the way we can go from visiting towns and cities, to exploring swathes of countryside we would never, ever have seen in our normal life.

After a day in London, a day discovering the area surrounding the site was the plan.

I haven't mentioned, just down the road from the site and over the bridge that crosses the M25, is the Spurs Training Ground. With constant security on the gates, it’s a hive of activity. It’s an odd mix of countryside here, cottages and big roads, very much right on the very edge of London.

On our walk we set off up the lane towards the big house, Theobalds Park, totally hidden from site by trees in its large grounds and now part of the De Vere Group, possibly their Head Office, it all seems very secret with its security gates.

We skirted almost the entire Park and didn't get a glimpse of the house.

When we’d gone at least halfway round we crossed a bridge and followed along the banks of the New River Walk. This was a bit of a puzzle. As it looked man-made, far more like a canal. We knew this was going to come out near the pub we walk to, so would make a good circular walk.

Then we found out just what the New River is.

It’s neither New, nor a River!  It’s an Aqueduct built from 1609 - 1613 from near Ware to Islington, to bring fresh water from Hertfordshire Springs to the City of London. Today Thames Water still use this as a source of drinking water for the City. As well as providing a new 25 mile footpath.

It’s really surprising how out in the country you can feel, when you are so close to such major routes, carrying vast amounts of traffic.

We saw where the Aqueduct crossed the M25 and then decided to take advantage of a small bridge, that gave us a short cut back to the site.

In fact we were amazed to find the New River ran along the bottom of the Site and we could see The Goddess but the old, cast iron facing wasn't going to let us take on even shorter cut. Just as we had nearly reached the road a few hundred yards from the site entrance, we came across an Ivy covered fallen tree. Now we could have gone back but to be quite honest, I needed a wee! We’d been walking for nearly an hour and I didn't relish either of the other two options of going back. So needs must when the devil drives, or, in this case, the bladder. Hands and knees in the mud it was. Which is why I ended up doing a Hobbit impression.

Big Day Out

I can’t help it. London excites me. I don’t think, even if I had the money to buy somewhere decent, that I’d want to live there but to visit, it's wonderful.

I am fascinated by history and old buildings and people who passed this way before us and London has it in spades!

We walked to the nearest railway station, which we’d never heard of and was about 30 minutes away from the site. Jill, a local Dog Walker, had been booked to come in and feed Rowley and take him for a walk, so we could take as long as we wanted.

The day had dawned bright and crisp and we got onto the platform at Turkey Street, just as the train was pulling out! So had to wait half an hour for the next one but nothing was going to get me down on my day out.

Liverpool Street Station was huge and busy but we made a rough plan of the day and caught the Tube to Marble Arch

and then walked across to Hyde Park, to see their Winter Wonderland, which is a large fairground and much larger German Style Christmas Market. 

Silly prices of course but we shared a large Bratwurst and bought 3 of the most stupidly expensive Chocolate and Marzipan sweets that you ever saw in your life.

By now we were feeling quite Christmassy and walked back across Green Park and found ourselves at the top of Shepherd’s Market. This place fascinates me. There is a shop there that sells everything a man could possibly want in the world of ‘Gentlemanly’ shaving and you can go in and probably for the price of a decent meal out, have a cutthroat shave with all the hot towels etc.

Mike tells me that Shepherds Market was notorious as a place for ‘Ladies of the Night’ back in the 50s and 60s. It isn’t now, it has eateries and pubs and is a very civilized place. Rather how it was meant to be in the 18^th Century, when Edward Shepherd was commissioned to develop the area. There was even a duckpond, hard to imagine now.

http://shepherdmarket.co.uk/history.htm

Windows in Selfridge's

A pint in a pub by a fire was the next event of the day, then we headed to Leicester Square. Disappointingly the lovely Italian Restaurant just over the road from the square is now a Proper Hamburger place and even the delightful windows and shutters have gone. After half an hour of muttering and moaning,  we decided on dinner at The Garrick Pub, which looked far better than the other places in the area and I had a good steak there. So that was OK.

Back on the Tube to Liverpool Street, even though it was getting near to 7pm, it was still packed and we couldn't get on the first Tube. Can't imagine how folk cope with that every day. Most disappointed too in that we didn't see Kim Wilde drunkenly singing Christmas songs.

Epping Forest & Waltham Abbey - 24-11-13

Time for a quick Selfie, before we set off for the day.

To be fair, Epping Forest was more of a ‘drive by’. It did look beautiful but the small parking  areas were full, well it was a Sunday and when we did find a space, there was a slightly dodgy looking group of men, who were dismantling motor bikes and racing round on a quad bike. They may have been totally honourable but when you’re parking not only your vehicle but also your home and your life, I wasn’t leaving The Goddess out of my sight.

Apart from the security issue it was bloody muddy, in the serious, trying to pull your boots off way. So we let Rowley have a little run and met some exquisitely shaped and constructed trees that must have lived through the reigns of several British Monarchs. Keeping one eye on our home all the time we were soon on our way back to Waltham Abbey.

What a lovely building the Abbey is. Prior to the reformation it was very much larger and the hapless King Harold, who caught an arrow in the eye at the Battle of Hastings is said to be buried there. Supposedly behind the High Alter, the land where he rests in peace is now some distance from the remaining Abbey buildings.

This is a most unusual burial vault, the figures below the couple represent their children at the time of their parent's death. The boys wearing swords were old enough to bear arms. The young girl and boy on the right, linking arms, were twins.

 The believed site of Harold's grave.

The walls of the much larger Abbey are clearly seen here.

Some churches exude a feeling of peace and communion with the Earth and those who went before us. This was one of those.