Oh, to be in England
Now that April’s there,
And whoever wakes in England
Sees, some morning, unaware,
That the lowest boughs and the brushwood sheaf
Round the elm-tree bole are in tiny leaf,
While the chaffinch sings on the orchard bough
In England—now!
Pier Review: A Road Trip in Search of the Great British Seaside by Jon Bounds
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
A Road Trip to cover all fifty five piers in England and Wales- starting at Weston-Super-Mare in the Midlands and finishing at Penarth in Wales. Writers Danny and Jon, with Midge the driver.
I love a road trip, but this ended up feeling a bit downbeat, enforcing all the reasons why I prefer to go overseas and seek sun and adventures, rather than holidaying in the UK- even if it is seaside England.
Their journey started off up-beat, but somewhere in the middle the tone changed to a darker, bleaker trip. It reminded me why I have resented every moment of having to holiday in the UK over 2020/ 2021.
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We’ve enjoyed a beautiful Indian summer for the past week here in Eastbourne. A morning cycle around the harbour always has something new to look at and today was no exception.
The Navy cadets were hitting the waters.
And the seals were back!
Life was good 😊
Yanni
“For me, a T-shirt, a pair of shorts, barefoot on a beach and I’m happy.”
We had a little Road Trip down to Dorset and Somerset a couple of weekends ago. The weather was rubbish so we went inland to the city of Bath.
A true high point for me was the Royal Crescent.
This is one of Bath’s most iconic landmarks, was built between 1767 and 1775 and designed by John Wood the Younger. This impressive landmark is arranged around a perfect lawn overlooking Royal Victoria Park and forms a sweeping crescent of 30 Grade I Listed terrace houses.
It is iconically Georgian. I wanted to look behind that sweeping bank of closed doors. Have a wander. Stay a night. Play at being mega rich.
Oh! There was also a cricket pitch…
We didn’t do the Roman Baths- the obvious Bath attraction. Still in COVID times pre- booking online is the way to go- obviously 🤦🏽♀️.
‘…Whose limbs were made in England, show us here
The mettle of your pasture; let us swear
That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not;
For there is none of you so mean and base,
That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game’s afoot:
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
Cry ‘God for Harry, England, and Saint George!’
William Shakespeare (from Henry V)
Happy St. George’s Day 🏴
“Winter is a season of recovery and preparation.”
– Paul Theroux
Every colour of the rainbow visible.
‘Look, look
Look to the rainbow.
Follow it over the hill
And the stream.
Look, look
Look to the rainbow.
Follow the fellow
Who follows a dream.’
Look to the Rainbow. Finian’s Rainbow (Musical fantasy , 1968)
Somewhere over there might be a better 2021 for us all.
busker/ˈbʌskə/Learn to pronouncenoun
Definitions from Oxford Languages
‘…Performs in a public place…’
Even in a bin…
Skegness (Skeggy) is a seaside town in Lincolnshire, England. On the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea.
I went to the Butlins Holiday Camp in Skegness as a child. My partner played gigs on Skegness sea front in his early band career. Everyone I know has a Skeggy memory- work day trips, family holidays. Just a mention brings a smile to people’s faces.
Billy Butlin’s slogan was ‘Our True Intent is All For Your Delight’
It was originally a quote from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Nights Dream. Butlins feels a long way from Shakespeare- but maybe not. They both entertained the masses.
We didn’t go to Butlins on this occasion, but we were delighted in Skegness.
Today we did a rural village walk. Our route around the village of Northiam was taken from East Sussex Walks. In and around the rural villages by Sandy Hernu (ISBN 1857700597)
Our three and a half mile walk was quintessentially English on this late summer day.
An unexpected point of interest was Queen Elizabeth’s Oak. The remains of this huge oak tree is where Queen Elizabeth I chose to sit beneath and rest on her journey to the nearby town of Rye on August 11th 1573. She was served a meal under its branches brought from a nearby house. She then changed her shoes , leaving behind the original green damask ones as a momento of her visit. Apparently they still exist.
Milly Space 