Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Category: UK

  • Rochester – Catalpa Tree

    This quirky looking tree near to the main entrance of Rochester Cathedral is a Catalpa Tree, apparently over 150 years old. It snapped in two in 2015, but it appears that the tree surgeons were able to work their magic to keep it going and some new fencing was built around it (it had partly collapsed onto the railings around it).

    This is how I knew what kind of tree it was, as I’m not very good at identifying trees….Most sources do put the tree at over 150 years old, although I haven’t yet ascertained exactly how long it has been there.

  • Rochester – Rochester Cathedral (Golf Course)

    I saw this mini golf course on BBC News last week, although I had forgotten where it was, so this was a nice surprise. It’s a wonderful way of engaging families and children with the cathedral, all funded by the Rochester Bridge Trust. The trust is well financed, primarily through ancient land holdings, so it’s able to look after not only the bridges under its guardianship, but also give grants and support the community.

    One of the cathedral’s staff, who saw me looking excitedly at a medieval book elsewhere in the building, told me that the cathedral was thrilled with all of the publicity. And so it should be, there was a long queue of mostly families waiting to give the course a go.

    Compare and contrast to Ely Cathedral where I’ve seen children not going in because their parents didn’t want to pay…. I’m not suggesting that Ely Cathedral should install a Greggs in its nave (although I wouldn’t oppose such a move), but it’s a shame they have to charge so much.

    The golf course takes up the main part of the nave and the staff member mentioned to me that the seating had been taken out for a deep clean and so the space was easy to temporarily convert.

    And, in addition to the BBC, apparently NBC were also in the cathedral, so this project has attracted international attention. I noted that a few people complained about this on the news, including someone who said it was “desperation”.  This cathedral is one of the most welcoming I’ve been to, I didn’t sense a great deal of desperation here, but quite a lot of hope. How very lovely.

  • Sittingbourne – Red Lion

    This pub is listed in the Good Beer Guide and in its previous incarnation it is thought to have hosted Henry VII, Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey. It has been a coaching inn for centuries, although is now smaller than it used to be.

    The fantastic courtyard area, steeped in history and quite beautiful.

    And this wins my award, which is a new one, for the worst pub redecoration I’ve ever seen. The interior of the pub has been gutted and replaced with a pool table at the rear, in the once relaxed dining area, and the seating has been mostly ripped out. Indeed, there’s little seating left in the pub at all.

    More space is now used on darts boards and there was loud music blaring out during my visit. And there weren’t many customers, which is perhaps fortunate as they couldn’t have all sat down unless some went into the beer garden. The seating that is in the pub isn’t really appropriate or functional and it does feel a complete mess. Wetherspoons may have their faults, but they do seem to understand the importance of a well designed and functional interior.

    But, back to the pub, the service was polite and efficient, although I was told my beer selection was £1.40 and when I handed over £1.50 the staff member didn’t burden herself with giving me any change. I would say it was busy to excuse this, but it wasn’t. The beer selection was limited to two real ales and I opted for the Timothy Taylor’s Landlord, which was well kept to be fair.

    There was no soap in the male toilets and the wi-fi didn’t work very well, although the landlord did come over and tell me that, which I did appreciate. Actually, the landlord seemed quite sensible and welcoming, but I’m really not sure what on earth Craft Union are trying to achieve here.

    This pub should be a goldmine if a decent selection of real ale was served and the interior was ripped out and the pub returned to be a food based venue. Taking out nearly all the seats and filling the rear half with a pool table and darts board is what I’d call brave, but perhaps there is a plan which will evolve and that it’s something that I haven’t understood. But, if that theory does work, why do it in such an historic pub?

  • Norwich to Dereham Tickets….

    Next on Julian’s list of things to complain about….

    Why does the live feed for Norwich railway station departures include a service to Dereham, which doesn’t even have a Network Rail station….. There is admittedly a bus that goes there, but there are buses that go to a lot of places from the railway station.

    Just to add more confusion…. The ticket to Dereham, which is a coach ticket, is priced at £2.60. Unless you read the top section which says that the train is £2.60 and takes 48 minutes and the coach is £8.30 and takes 30 minutes.

    As clear as mud….

  • Norwich – WH Smiths Railway Station

    Cheery little selection of books at the railway station bookshop in Norwich. Nice to get some light reading in on the train…..

  • Cambridge – Calverley’s Brewery

    Since I was in Cambridge for a couple of hours today, I thought I’d visit another pub from the Good Beer Guide. This one seemed a little quirky, as the description said it was in a garage and I’d never heard of it. But, I like an adventure, so I thought I’d go along. From the exterior, I think it’s fair to say that it’s not the most obvious of locations.

    But, for the good bit. This is the best pub that I’ve visited this year, and I’ve gone to a lot, of which many are mediocre. The Old Post Office in Ingleton was my current favourite (and they e-mailed me after reading this blog, so I’m glad that my visit was positive), but Calverley’s is now right up there.

    I wasn’t quite sure where to go when I arrived, as there’s a small tap room and some outside seating, so I headed for the tap room and mentioned that I’d never visited before. The staff member was full of enthusiasm and gave me a beer to try straight away, which was the Star Dawg. This hoppy beer was refreshing and had an excellent depth of flavour to it.

    I was then offered a sample of the Goes-Uh when I mentioned I liked sours, and this was another top rate option. Wonderful afternotes, again a refreshing taste and full of flavour. Quite marvellous. I said in passing that I’d usually have a porter, but that as it was 11:30 in the morning, I didn’t think a 9% beer was appropriate. The staff member gave me a very generous sample anyway, and I have to say, that was a delicious porter.

    I ordered two thirds of the Goes-Uh and it was delightful.

    Motivational messages   🙂

    There hasn’t been a vast sum of money spend on the interior, but this is just perfect. It’s quirky, individual, independent, fun, welcoming and absolutely everything a pub should be. Sometimes I go to pubs and feel that my expectations are too high and that I should lower them just a little. Then I go to places like this and realise that it can be done. Quite brilliant and my new favourite pub in Cambridge, which is quite rightfully in the Good Beer Guide.

  • Heathrow T5

    I hadn’t realised that BA has introduced this into Heathrow T5, what could also perhaps be known as a job replacement programme. There were rows of manned check-in desks here once (well, last year), now just self-service kiosks for bag drop. Such is progress I suppose….

  • Heathrow T5 at Night

    I haven’t been at Heathrow T5 at night for some time and I had forgotten just how impressive a building it is. It has been open for twelve years now, but it still has a modern feel to it and it’s one of the more impressive structures when looked at from the side.

    Inside the terminal. I think that passengers are discouraged from staying in the terminal at night, instead it’s better to be at terminals 2 and 3 which have a more conducive environment for resting. T5 is big, empty and also quite cold….

    Looking down from the departures floor all the way down to arrivals, a reminder of just how big the building is.

  • Heathrow – Off to Luxembourg

    A quick breakfast in the BA lounge at Heathrow T3 early this morning, before my flight.

    Today I’m off to Luxembourg for the day, then getting the Flixbus to Bern. Given my past experiences with Flixbus, it’s anyone’s guess just whether I’ll actually reach Switzerland, but we’ll see. It’ll be an adventure.

  • London – Puma Court

    I walked down this street whilst following the Jack the Ripper Ramblers Route, otherwise I’m not sure that I would have ever found this street.

    It’s hard to imagine this quaint street is actually in the heart of Spitalfields. The street was formerly known as Red Lion Court and the Red Lion Court Chapel which was once on the street has long since been demolished.

    The text of this tablet reads:

    “These almshouses were erected in the year 1860 for poor inhabitants of the liberty of Norton Folgate in place of those taken down for the new street”.

    The original almshouses were in Blossom Street, but a road widening was needed there, so compensation and new land was provided to the charity.