The Arboretum was the idea of Commander David Childs CBE who, having been inspired by a visit to Arlington Cemetery and the National Arboretum in Washington, believed a year-round national centre of Remembrance was needed here in the UK to ensure we never forget.
The NMA is a registered charity housed in a 150 acre site. It exists to ensure that:
The Arboretum was officially opened to the public in May 2001.
The NMA is in central England, in the county of Staffordshire. The easiest way to access the site is by car, and its within easy reach of Derby (30 mins), Birmingham (40 mins), Leicester (55 mins) and The Peak District incl. Sheffield (1hr 15 mins).
If coming from London, the easiest way to reach the site is to take the train to Stafford from London Euston or London Victoria, taking around 1.5hrs and then taking a taxi from Stafford to the NMA (40 mins).
It’s not an easy day trip from London so my recommendation would be to take it in en-route via car to The Peak District, one of England’s most beautiful areas and perfect for an off the beaten track England stay. Even better, complete it with a stay at The Tawny Hotel and you’ve got yourself a pretty special trip.
The Arboretum is full of poignant and sobering memorials, which moved me in parts to near tears. It’s a huge site, and there is so much to see and do. Here are some of the higlights.
The largest monument at the NMA was created to remember and recognise those who have given their lives in the service of the country since the end of the Second World War. In a huge open space, over 16,000 names are carved in to the walls in commemoration of those who have been killed whilst on duty, died in operational theatre or were targeted by terrorists. Colleagues who died in the same incident are remembered together. Over 15,000 names were carved by computer when the memorial was created. There is space on the empty panels for 15,000 more names. Since 2007, the names have been engraved by hand on the memorial on a yearly basis.
Oh this one got me.
The Shot at Dawn Memorial commemorates 309 British and Commonwealth soldiers who were shot for desertion, cowardice, striking a senior officer, disobeying a lawful order, casting away arms, mutiny and sleeping at post during the First World War. Most of them were sentenced after a short trial at which no real opportunity for defence was allowed.
Today, it is recognised that some were underage when they volunteered and that many of them were suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which was not recognised as a medical condition until 1980. In 2006 they were officially pardoned by the British Government.
Deliberately located at the most easterly part of the Arboretum where the sun rises first, Shot at Dawn shows a soldier, blindfolded, hands tied, with a target on his front, to be shot by snipers from his own army. Each post in the exhibition represents a person, and their names are engraved at the top of each post.
Another gut wrencher. The Far East Prisoners of War (FEPOW) Memorials and Exhibition tell the story of those captured by the Japanese during WW2. Reading the harrowing stories of forced manual labour, horrific living conditions and jungle death marches were truly horrifying. Many of these FEPOWs were forced to work on the infamous Burma and Sumatra railways, and the Memorial even has original sections of both on display as part of the memorials.
There is also the original Lych Gate, built by POWs held at Singapore Changi prison. I plan to visit Singapore later this year, and will be sure to visit the prison, picturing the resilience and hope these men found even in the worst of conditions.
Personal Note: After my visit, I discovered when doing my family tree research that my husband’s ancestor, Percy Peacock, was stationed in Singapore during WW2. He was captured when the Japanese invaded, and held at Changi Prison. He probably walked under the gate. He was then transported to Thailand to work on the Burma Railway, where he died of malnutrition. He is buried in the war graves next to the Bridge over the River Kwai, part of the Burma Railway. We will be sure to visit in the coming years.
The garden is dedicated to all those who devoted their lives to their country in the RAF, no matter how long they served and regardless of in what capacity. It is open to everyone, including serving and ex-serving RAF personnel and their families.
At the centre of the garden sits a beautiful statue of the RAF Association’s ‘Eagle on the Globe’ emblem. The statue is made from over 1,000 individually crafted feathers and stands three metres high on a black marble plinth.
The Grove is laid out in the form of an “Open Air Book”, where every plaque tells a story. Some a sentence, some a paragraph and a few with whole chapters, where you can read about many individuals, military units and civilians who helped Allied Special Forces in WW1 & 2 and in the many conflicts since.
It’s such a beautifully maintained grove, full of flowerbeds and open green space between the plaques and memorials. The stories told were of bravery, risk, heartbreak and loss, and a couple of them caused me to well up.
Dedicated to all those dedicating their lives to Policing, the memorial remembers the 4,500 police men and women who have given their lives in service. One of the largest monuments on the site, it’s striking and can be seen from the visitor centre despite being quite far away.
There are hundreds of other memorials at the site. I had lots of highlights:
Some others I really liked included the Bomb Disposal Unit Memorial, WW1 Sikh Memorial, Submariners Memorial, Army Pay Corps Memorial (as I’m an accountant), Showman’s Guild, Fire Service Memorial, Desert Rats Memorial and many more.
The remembrance centre, which you have to walk through to enter and exit the NMA houses a great exhibition telling the story of the arboretum and stories of remembrance, plus introduces some of the main memorials.
Also in the centre is a large café serving food, a big shop and a smaller coffee and tea room where you can get some delicious cakes.
So what did you think of the National Memorial Arboretum? I absolutely loved it and think it’s such an important site to have here in England. I hope you enjoyed the visit – stay safe and happy travelling!
]]>To me, the Olympics are the best event on earth. I have always been crazy about the Olympics, and athletics specifically. I have followed them all of my life, with some of my earliest childhood memories coming from iconic moments of the Games. I could write paragraphs on the topic, but instead will summarise to say I’ve dreamed of going my whole life, and I am so so excited to write this post of my experience, and to share my advice on planning an Olympics trip.
It was truly an experience of a lifetime, and I feel incredibly privileged to have done it. If you’re thinking about going one day, or just want to read about what it was like, read on to find out more.
On day 1 of our trip, we travelled down to London late afternoon and enjoyed our tradition of a date night and a Dishoom before the Eurostar. For date night we chose an open air cinema, and then scoffed an absolutely delicious meal at Dishoom – their house daal is unbeatable! We then stayed overnight in London ready for our 6am Eurostar!
After an early Eurostar, we arrived in Paris. I was completely shocked by how well the transport hub of Gare du Nord was managed – there were helpers everywhere, no queues for tickets and it was super easy to navigate. Our first event wasn’t actually in Paris though, it was being held in another French city – Lyon. We therefore transited across Paris from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon (very easy on the metro), to board a train out of the city.
But before we did, we stopped for lunch at a bucket list spot for me in Gare de Lyon, Le Train Bleu. I have always wanted to eat here and I absolutely loved it! Just look at it!!! Luckily when we arrived (11.30am) it was empty as we were the first sitting for lunch.
We then boarded the train to Lyon (tickets purchased in advance), which was smooth and easy. In 2 hours, we arrived in Lyon, and after checking in to our hotel we decided to head to stadium. The organisers had put on a special shuttle to take people from Lyon centre to the event in around 30 minutes, and it was easy to find and cheap at 3EUR per person.
We arrived to watch France vs Egypt in the semi final. It was really cool to see the home nation in action, the stadium was packed and the atmosphere was really good. It felt like a big party vibe – until Egypt went 1-0 up in the second half. France managed to equalise, taking the tie to extra time. It finished 3-1 to France and the celebrations ran well in to the night. The match didn’t finish until midnight, and it took us 1.5 hours to get back to the hotel due to the crowds. I was exhausted after day 1!!!
After the late night, we had a lie in and then strolled to Lyon’s old town for lunch. It was really beautiful, but also 35 degrees and baking heat so we couldn’t do too much. I’d love to go back one day and explore it further as the architecture was just beautiful.
We then walked to the train station (1hr from the old town) to catch the shuttle bus again to get out to the stadium to see the women’s football semi final between Germany and the USA. Thankfully this one started at 6pm, so we knew we wouldn’t be back as late.
The game had a lot less atmosphere than the previous night, with easily half the stadium empty. The USA fans were super vocal though with chants of ‘I believe we can, I believe we will, I believe we are the best’ in unison (eye roll, sorry to my US readers). Given my connections to Germany, I joined the chants of ‘Auf geht’s Deutschland’ instead. Sadly, my cheering didn’t help and the USA won 1-0. It was a pretty poor quality game to be honest.
We set off from Lyon on the return leg to Paris at 10am and arrived back in the capital at lunch time. I was SO excited to get to the athletics. My heart is in this sport, it is the highlight of any Olympics for me and my favourite athlete Matt Hudson Smith was running in the men’s 400m final that night. So, after checking in to our hotel and making a 30 minute journey out of the centre via the metro, and then a 45 minute walk from the metro to the venue, we finally arrived at the Stade de France.
We were seated in the ‘friends and family’ seating area round the top bend. We had a perfect view of the women’s pole vault final, and many of the vaulters came over to their family a few rows in front of us. We had no British interest in the final so we supported the Finnish athlete instead. She didn’t win – and the title was taken by Nina Kennedy of Australia.
We then watched the 200m semi finals, and saw Tebogo outrun Noah Lyles by a long way. I’m not a fan of Noah and was so was glad for Letsile – it’s amazing for Botswana to have such a talent on the track, and it’s great to see the diversification of athletics. We also saw the men’s discus final, won by Jamiacan Roje Stona who threw an Olympic record to beat Mykolas Alekna.
We then watched the men’s steeplechase final, which included the most horrific accident I have ever seen in 30+ years of watching athletics. The race favourite, Girma, fell on a hurdle and smashed his head on the track, lying unconscious for ages as other athletes jumped over him. Eventually he was stretchered off in a neck brace, and I was so upset by the amount of people taking photos as he was. Thankfully he is now conscious but remains in hospital days later with a serious neck injury.
Then it was time for Matt. I first saw Matt race aged 13 in Birmingham for our local athletics club, Birchfield Harriers. He’s a really shy, really kind, really humble and down to earth person. Even in his teens at Birmingham regional meets he was a class above everyone else, and watching him run for almost 20 years has been a pleasure. If you don’t know Matt’s story, he attempted suicide a few years ago after a string of disappointing results and getting to a lot of debt with health issues in the USA. Last year he won a World Championship silver medal and I shed a tear in happiness for him. I was hoping for one better for him.
I think I probably deafened the poor Swedish boy next to me as I screamed Matt on. Round our bend, he was well in the lead and down the home straight he stayed strong. He ran a personal best, a British record, a European record and the 5th fastest time in history. No-one has ever not won the Olympics running a sub 43.5. Running 43.44, he couldn’t have done any more, but in the final steps American Quincy Hall charged to the line and beat Matt by 0.04 of a second. I was absolutely devastated, but happy for him at the same time.
His lovely Mum Cheryl was sitting on our row, and she ran to the track to embrace her son. Their hug was the highlight of my Olympics.
After getting back to our hotel at 1am, we had to get up again at 7am to get back to the track for 9am. This time it was a morning session and we had a different view on the opposite side of the stadium. The highlight of the session was the start of the women’s heptathlon. We saw the first two events – the hurdles and the thrilling High Jump which saw Brit Kat Johnson Thompson clear 1.94 for the first time since rupturing her Achilles.
We also saw qualifying for the women’s shot put, the 800m repercharges and the men’s and women’s 4x100m semi finals – both of which saw GB go through to the finals.
The session finished at 1pm, and we had tickets to another event at 4pm – a new sport for us in Volleyball. We travelled the 2hrs across town to Arena Paris Sud to get to our women’s volleyball semi final between USA (again) and Brazil.
This was our favourite event for atmosphere by far. The stadium was PACKED and I had no idea how seriously Brazilians took their volleyball. They were bringing the party, and the venue did such a great job as well – between points they played Brazilian and US music so we went from Tupac to a samba in the aisles in seamless unison! We also learnt all the cheers and chants, it was great! We totally fell in love with the Brazilian fans and were really gutted that the USA won. We had emotional tears all around us.
The volleyball finished at 6.30pm, giving us an evening in Paris. We took the opportunity to have our first proper sit down meal in days, treating ourselves to steak and wine, and then a stroll along the Seine. Plus an early night was much needed after 36,000 steps and with a 6.30am alarm set!
When that alarm went off, I didn’t want to get up. Going to these events takes energy, especially for a pair of introverts. The noise, the people, the travel, the heat – it saps you. My body craved a lie in, but my heart and brain knew we couldn’t miss an event. The Canoe & Kayak sprint started at 10am and was the most annoying venue to get to. 2 metros, a shuttle bus and a 3km walk and we were finally in our seats. The venue itself was beautiful – a perfect place to sit in the sunshine and watch some boating!
There was absolutely no GB interest at all in any of the semi finals or finals we saw, so we decided to adopt Brazil again who were represented in one race, and Hungary because we love Budapest. We appear to be a bad omen for whomever we support – we saw 4 Hungarian medals but all silver/bronze and a Brazilian silver. It didn’t dampen the Brazilian mood though – the party continued.
After 4 hours, the event finished at around 2pm. We had to hot foot it back to the athletics stadium for 6pm, and find food on the way – but we were scuppered trying to get the shuttle bus back to the train station and the journey ended up taking us over 3 hours, so we had to forgo ‘proper’ food to make it to the athletics on time.
It was worth it though with a spectacular final night for us of athletics. We had incredible seats, right over the finish line. We were surrounded by fellow Brits on a night full of medal opportunities for us. We watched both 4x100m relay finals. The women’s GB team were narrowly beaten by the USA and could have won if not for awful handovers. The men got a good bronze medal and the two teams celebrated on a lap of honour together which was lovely.
Then it was time for the final event of the heptathlon, with KJT needing to make up 8 seconds on Nafi Thiam of Belgium to take the gold for Team GB. She made an amazing attempt, taking 6 seconds out and running a PB, but it wasn’t enough and she had to settle for silver. Nafi became a 3 time Olympic champion which is truly incredible.
I finished my time at the athletics having seen 3 silvers and a bronze for Team GB. I’m gutted not to have seen a gold for GB – I suppose I’ll have to try and rectify that in 2028 or 2032!
We finished off our trip with another early morning start across town to La Defense Arena for another new sport – Water polo. Yet again it was the USA women in action, this time against The Netherlands in the bronze medal match.
The arena was a sea of orange and we decided to cheer for the USA in the hope that us supporting them would go in The Netherlands’ favour. The game was incredibly absorbing, with the USA taking an early lead and then Netherlands coming back to 10-10 with just a minute to play. In the last 20 seconds, the Netherlands scored, meaning they won the match! We chuckled to ourselves at our supporters curse.
And with that our time at the Olympics drew to an end – we headed back to our hotel and on to the train station to head home on the Eurostar after an exhausting but wonderful week at the Olympics. In total Team GB took home 65 medals, more than at Tokyo and the same as at London 2012, however were 7th in the medal table due to such a low proportion of golds (8 less than in Tokyo). Hopefully in LA2028 we can climb back up the medal table!
The most common question I’ve been asked is how affordable a trip to the Olympics is. In total, our week long trip cost us £6,226 for 2 people in 4 main cost buckets: Tickets, Hotels, Travel and Expenses, and there’s plenty of scope to make it more affordable than that. For transparency, here is our cost breakdown.
My biggest concern about the Olympics was safety. I thought the public transport networks would be overwhelmed and vulnerable but I have to say at no point did I feel unsafe.
And there you have it – my experience of a full on but absolutely INCREDIBLE week at the Olympics. The Hannah of 1996 making medals out of cardboard and tin foil and running around the house pretending to be Michael Johnson, the Hannah of 2000 getting up at 3am to secretly watch the canoe slalom before school on a tiny old black and white TV in her bedroom, the Hannah of 2004 crying at Darren Campbell being beaten to Gold, the Hannah of 2008 watching Usain Bolt catapult athletics to a new level, the Hannah of 2012 so upset not to get any tickets in the ballot and not able to afford to go, the Hannah of 2016 screaming at Max Whitlock’s double golden afternoon, the Hannah of 2020 who couldn’t go on the planned trip to Tokyo due to COVID….led to the Hannah of 2024 living her best life finally there. It was a privilege, an honour and one of the best weeks of my life. Now, can I have a nap please?
]]>The South Bank refers to the area that runs along the south bank of the River Thames between Lambeth and Blackfriars Bridge. It’s home to one of London’s major rail stations, Waterloo, and you can also use other Tube and Overground stations – such as Blackfriars, Southwark and Lambeth North – to visit the area.
The area has so much to offer, and includes lots of well known London landmarks, including The London Eye and Imperial War Museum, as well as a few more off the beaten track options.
Please note, some people often refer to ‘The South Bank’ as anything south of the River Thames, meaning they include attractions in Southwark too – the two are perfect to combine for a long weekend.
My absolute favourite thing to do in the area is the Imperial War Museum. You could easily spend a whole day here (in fact, I’ve spent 3 whole days here) as there are really detailed exhibits on WW1 and WW2. There is also a Holocaust Gallery, an Extraordinary Heroes Gallery, and an exhibition on post war Peace and Security. There have also been temporary galleries, for example on the Afghanistan War, Iraq War and I’m sure at some point there will be a gallery on the current wars facing our world.
It’s a sobering experience to visit this museum, but it’s done beautifully and well worth at least a few hours of your time.
From one of the most well known of my favourite London locations, to my absolute favourite hidden gem in the whole city. Wow – this little museum packs a punch. You can easily spend an hour here, exploring the museum within the church – and the highlight is definitely a climb up the church tower for magnificent views out over The Thames.
The London Eye is undoubtedly a bit of a tourist trap; expect to queue for at least 30 minutes even with an advanced purchase ticket with the time you book for your time to join the queue, not to ride The Eye. However regardless, it’s undoubtedly beautiful and a unique experience when in London.
If you do want to save the money (The London Eye costs between £17-30 depending on ticket type, under 4s go free), then in my opinion the view from the tower of the Garden Museum above is just as lovely, and you’ll have it all to yourself, not packed in to a viewing pod!
Another special location on the South Bank is the Archbishop of Canterbury’s London residence, Lambeth Palace – which is one of the oldest buildings in London and is open for tours on certain days of the week. Inside you can visit the Tower, Crypt, Great Hall and even Cramner’s study – where Thomas Cramner plotted during the reign of King Henry VIII. In the grounds of Lambeth Palace you will also find Lambeth Palace Library, which houses the largest religious collection outside of the Vatican.
The Queen’s walkway is a walking route which runs alongside the Thames river’s south bank. It is absolutely stunning and my favourite route to walk in London. It runs all the way from Tower Bridge round to Lambeth Palace, so join the walk at any point to suit you, stopping off along the way at any attractions that take your fancy. I particularly love the section between Westminster Bridge and Lambeth Bridge for its views of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben.
Strolling along the river
Another unique thing to do on the South Bank is to watch a special play called Witness for the Prosecution. It’s a detective play, but is performed in a real life court house – so you effectively act as the jury and make up your own mind on the character’s guilt, before all is revealed. It’s so brilliant; I went with one of my closest friends earlier this year and we had the absolute best evening.
Taking to the water is well worth it when in London, and there are many boat trip departure points along the South Bank. You could combine your ticket with the London Eye to get a reduced rate, or try to find a less touristy option. You could even go for a lunch time cruise, or a dinner, drinks and sunset cruise which makes for a special evening out.
Another really interesting spot on the South Bank is the Florence Nightingale Museum, telling the story of her life and work. She was the founder of modern nursing and is a Victorian female icon transcending her own life time.
The Museum takes us through her childhood, how she fought against her parent’s wishes, nursed injured soldiers during the Crimean War and how she campaigned for better healthcare for ordinary people. You can even see the actual lamp she carried to become known as The Lady with the Lamp. Plus did you know she owned over 60 cats during her life and had a pet owl called Athena? Nope – me neither.
The graffiti tunnel on Leake Street is cool for a little stroll through. It’s just another off the beaten track kind of cool place to explore which most tourists aren’t aware of.
The South Bank Centre is a really unique venue, being Europe’s largest centre for the arts – home to the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room, Hayward Gallery, National Poetry Library and Arts Council Collection. Come here to just have lunch in the lovely café and soak it all in, head to the rooftop garden, or come to watch the National Orchestra perform – whatever takes your fancy.
There are also a number of other things to do on the South Bank which I haven’t yet explored that you might be interested in, including:
The South Bank is my favourite area of London in which to stay, and for me there’s only one choice – the wonderful Sea Containers.
I love this hotel because the rooms are bright and modern, the bar is lovely, and nothing beats waking up to a sunrise out over the River Thames with the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral glowing in the morning light from across the river.
So what do you think of the South Bank? Hopefully this post gives you some incentive to spend a bit more time on the South Bank though! Stay safe and happy travelling.
]]>This post is actually going to mark the start of a series coming up over the next few months where I publish my London area guides, which will continue to grow as I explore more of the capital – and I’ve created a dedicated ‘London’ section on the blog especially to house them.
Getting off the train and walking to our hotel, we instantly felt out of place. This place is WAAAY too cool for us – we passed people in full length leather jackets, someone in all red with a feather boa round their neck and someone walking a goat on one side and a pig on the other. Shoreditch is a reflection of its roots in London’s East End. Over the years it’s been well and truly gentrified meaning you now have a mix of expensive developments, luxury hotels and shops, but with a DNA of amazing markets, diversity and individualism. I really liked its unique character.
After recovering from the goat/pig walking, we had a wonderful 36 hours hours exploring this little piece of London and here’s my guide of the best things we found to see and do.
Every Sunday from 8am-2pm, London’s famous flower market hits the streets of Shoreditch. Set against a background of loud London market calling and street musicians, the market is full of gorgeous flowers and plants, lots of lovely little shops/coffee spots and cute arts and crafts galleries. It’s also REALLY good value, so if you’re relatively local it’s definitely worth stocking up – I came home with some lovely winter peonies.
Spitalfields Market is a special place. Lying in the heart of the East End, it initially started as a market on the outskirts of the city in the 1600s. Due to its popularity, more and more people moved nearby and this area of London grew. Today the market is home to independent stores selling everything from books, to clothes, to food, to coffee, to knit wear and lamps. It’s a great place to stroll around for an hour or two, and enjoy breakfast or lunch.
Brick Lane is probably one of the most famous streets in London. The heart of London’s Bangladeshi community, the street signs are in English and Bengali, and the area’s curry houses are truly unbeatable.
The area is also one of London’s true foodie hotspots. Whilst the curries are a highlight, it’s also known for its bagels, with Beigel Bake being the most famous of the Brick Lane bagel offerings. Also along Brick Lane is the incredible Upmarket, a food hall with independent food stalls serving everything from Singaporean, to Korean, Brazilian, Japanese, Chinese, Bao Buns, Mexican, Empanadas and much more. You’ll need to spend at least a few hours here to sample it all!
Shoreditch is one of the best areas of London for street art. Where else would you find a glorious mural with tables laid up for public, drop in games of chess?! The best areas to find the street art are King John Court, along Brick Lane and New Inn Yard.
For something a bit different for your trip to Shoreditch, try Flight Club. It’s an amazing place which serves lovely cocktails as you take to a fun competitive game of darts for 2+ people. There are loads of interactive games you can play and even though I was rubbish, I had the best time!
One of my favourite food choices in Shoreditch is Dishoom. Dishoom is now very well known with branches all over London, but it still retains its quality. Based on the Iranian cafes of the 1900s in Bombay, the menu mixes Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine and it’s delicious. For something a little different, the breakfast naans are yum.
A totally unique experience, Nobu (the hotel in which we stayed), in the heart of Shoreditch offers an all you can eat Japanese brunch. As my husband is crazy about sushi I knew we had to try it. It was SO good – the sushi, salads, main meals, miso, edamame, tacos, deserts – everything was just delicious. We spent 2 hours eating, and my favourite dishes (as a non sushi lover) were the veggie tacos, chicken teriyaki and banoffee pie.
I dislike Bingo. My husband loves a bit of Bingo. So begrudgingly I was dragged in to this Bingo Hall, with my husband promising there was a cocktail bar and the prizes included a European weekend away. Well…I had the BEST time. It’s like Bingo as you’ve never seen it, with multi-sensory live entertainment including lights, live music, a cocktail bar, good food, and awesome prizes. I didn’t win the European holiday but I was converted to a bit of fun Bingo.
Another fun thing to do whilst in Shoreditch, Junkyard Golf is a crazy golf spot offering 4 unique courses to play. We played ‘Gary’ – an all out assault on the senses in a disco setting, and ‘Bozo’ – a circus themed course. Junkyard Golf is set up to be social, with a large bar and bars on the courses too with places to sit as you go round. We found it just a bit *too* busy and drunk people on a crazy golf course annoyed me. On the plus side, I won and got a hole in one!
The three elephant sculptures on Brushfield Street are so cute and really beautifully done. Make sure you include them on your Shoreditch itinerary for a few photos!
Another awesome Shoreditch restaurant, Gloria is famous for its authentic Italian food. We both had pasta for main course, and then had the world famous Lemon Pie for dessert with its 6 inch meringue!
Shoreditch is easily reachable from Central London and is about a 30 minute walk north from The City of London (the area of London which is home to The Tower of London).
The closest rail station is Shoreditch High Street, which is on the East London Line. Alternatively, Liverpool Street Station is just across the road, served by the Central, Elizabeth, Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan tube lines.
Liverpool Street is also easy to get to if you’re coming from outside of London. There are direct trains to/from Cambridge, Reading, Heathrow Airport, Stansted Airport and across town from London Paddington.
Shoreditch has so many hotels to choose from. We chose Nobu, which was a great option for location and food. The rooms were quite dark though, and I think overpriced for what they were (you can read my full review HERE).
Other high end options include The Mondrian and Montcalm East. If you’re looking for a more budget friendly stays, hotels in the area with good reviews include Z Shoreditch, Hart Shoreditch or the local Travelodge or Premier Inn.
You are forgiven for thinking that all we did all weekend was eat and drink – because that’s exactly how we spent our time in Shoreditch – and I don’t regret a second. Shoreditch wasn’t my favourite area of London, but if you’re in to food variety and markets, it’s definitely an area for you. I’m so glad to have visited, and now need to pick the London area for 2025!
Stay safe and happy travelling!
]]>Now, I am going to preface this review with moan. We stayed in a lovely room, BUT it was the room type below the one I had booked and paid for in advance. They provided no compensation or refund, and when I emailed to follow up with the central reservations team after my weekend stay, they replied trying to convince me that I had in fact been upgraded (and offering a free breakfast on my next stay by way of apology).
I know that is really not a big problem, but it’s still not great behaviour/service from a 5* hotel. OK moan over, the rest was wonderful.
Nobu is located in the heart of Shoreditch, one of London’s coolest areas. The hotel is in walking distance of a whole host of incredible restaurants, including Dishoom and Gloria. It’s also close to the famous Brick Lane and Spitalfields Market, as well as Colombia Road Flower Market which runs on Sundays.
It’s also easy to reach from central London, being around a 30 minute walk from The City, and on lots of tube/train/bus routes from across town.
The room was large and spacious with a nice big comfy bed, table and 2 chairs and a small sofa area, as well as a huge TV unit at the end of the bed. It was very clean and nicely finished with nice Japanese touches such as a tea set provided in the room.
As a small point, one of our water bottles had a broken seal and was half empty on arrival which meant we didn’t drink it just in case, though of course not the end of the world.
The bathroom was modern and clean, with a nice powerful shower over a bathtub. The bath was so hard to get out of though as the side was so wide and the bath so deep I had to straddle it like a sumo wrestler and risk it all to a painful slip!
The room was also quite dark. The room looked out on to a street and had 2 layers of sliding wooden shutters. The first against the window was a blackout wooden blind that slid across acting as the curtains. However, the second (in front of the first) was immovable slats covering 2/3rds of the window. The slats block the natural light at all times as you can see in the picture below, and on a dark wintry day it probably felt even worse.
The room was absolutely lovely, please don’t get me wrong. It’s a beautiful hotel. However for the price paid, compared to other 5* hotels I’ve stayed in, it didn’t make it to the top of my list of accommodation recommendations.
Now, this is where Nobu is special. The food was AMAZING. Nobu as a chain was created by a Japanese chef based in America, and as a result its menu is largely Japanese, with a bit of a South American twist.
Whilst it does serve variety at breakfast, the highlight of staying at Nobu is the weekend Japanese Brunch on offer. All you can eat absolute deliciousness of sushi, curries, salads, rice, tacos, and lots of other treats including a huge dessert buffet with banoffee pie, cheesecake, brownies and pavlovas – heaven.
Even though I didn’t *love* the accommodation (for a 5* hotel), the brunch alone means I would still consider coming back and it was so worth experiencing.
Aside from the incredible bar and restaurant mentioned above, Nobu also offers a really nice café area to sit and relax just by reception with a tea, coffee or drink. Try a miso brownie to go with it and you’ve got yourself a great start to the day!
Nobu also offers a highly rated spa with a range of treatments, making it the perfect destination for a pamper weekend in the capital if you want to splash out. For once I didn’t actually use the spa, as the prices weren’t justifiable. For hubs and I to have a massage would have cost us £300 for the shorter version and over £400 for the longer option which seemed totally extortionate!!
Nobu doesn’t offer a concierge, or any experiences outside of the hotel. The hotel is uniquely designed and I really liked how modern it looked, but it definitely lacks outdoor space (though I suppose to be expected from a city centre hotel). I found there wasn’t a lot to do in the hotel other than to sit and eat/drink, which isn’t all bad of course!
So what did you think of Nobu? It was a beautiful hotel, but I don’t think it provided value for money. I’ve been disappointed recently with hotels in London – I know they charge a premium for location, but I’ve still been underwhelmed. Undoubtedly Sea Containers remains my ‘go to’ in the capital that I’d return to time and time again. Stay safe and happy travelling!
]]>I’d planned a couple of Christmassy trips prior to the big day this year (a London Christmas lights visit, Winter Wonderland and a Christmas lights walk at Sandringham), but didn’t get to do them as I was knocked for six with the new COVID variant. That left me with just one trip I’d managed to squeeze in before being taken out – to Anglesey Abbey.
Anglesey was once a monastery, founded in the 1100s and yet again dissolved by Henry VIII and his havoc. After it was shut down in 1536, it was converted in to a Jacobean house which was lived in until 1966 when it passed to the National Trust.
Today the house is open to the public, and it’s one of my favourite stately homes to visit to see the interior Christmas decorations.
It had been raining for days, but on the day of my visit the sky was a beautiful blue with the sun shining, although deceptively so as the air was still bitterly cold. It was one of those days where the wind is so biting your nose turns red and your fingers feel numb, but the photos look like you could have basked in the sun.
I arrived to the gardens and started off with a beautiful woodland walk around the trails – there are huge grounds here and I followed a 45 minute round route. It was really striking in the light with it shining through the trees.
After blowing the cobwebs away it was time to take a peak inside the house. I absolutely love seeing houses ‘dressed’ for Christmas, and it always gives me a nice, warm festive feeling. Anglesey’s decorations are some of my favourite, with the dining room being particularly special. I loved the cosy displays and couldn’t help but ‘ooo’ at some of the trees.
After visiting inside, I decided I’d walk another of the marked trails before heading home. This time I decided to do the river walk up to Lode Mill. The sun meant the reflections in the water were truly stunning and I couldn’t help but smile to myself at how beautiful everything was. Solo walks are really good for my soul, always giving me time to think, plan, and take time out.
After spending my entire morning exploring, I headed to the restaurant for lunch and then drove home. As always with a bit of time to myself, I reflected on Christmas.
I find the Christmas season is often a reminder for all of us of what we don’t have, and I think we can often idealise how we might spend Christmas if it were perfect. I envision myself in a family with 2 children and an idealised notion of how happy we’d be. I’m sure others imagine it abroad somewhere, or with absent family members, or with people who have left their mark on us but are long gone. I think sometimes this can mean we don’t appreciate what we have today because really that’s all any of us have. I’m so very lucky to be able to spend Christmas with my parents and my husband, to see my friends, to enjoy calm and peace in a house that is a true home. Living in the moment and not idealising is freeing – because one day the ‘today’ could well be what we idealise, and by then the reality may have already passed us by.
I hope whatever you’re doing, whomever you’re with, where ever you are – you enjoy your Christmas and can find happiness in the today, whatever it looks like for you. Merry Christmas everyone.
]]>In my opinion the old product is one of the worst products in the market, and the new product is one of the best so it’s really pot luck as to what you get. More planes have Club World than the new Club Suites so statistically speaking you’re more likely to get the worse experience.
I’ve reviewed both below so you can see the difference. I have flown multiple routes in BA business class, but this review uses photos from London Heathrow to/from San Jose, Costa Rica and London Heathrow to/from Hong Kong.
Whichever option you’ve got, your airport experience will be the same. All BA flights route via London and BA has hubs in both Gatwick and Heathrow airports. I always fly out of Heathrow, and flying business means you get access to the Club World lounge. The lounges are always pretty busy but the food and drink available for free is really great quality. They normally have a choice of hot meals, an extensive salad bar and alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks. They also have biscuit jars so that’s me sorted. Also on offer are showers and toilet facilities which are clean and well appointed.
Returning to London from other airports, BA has lounges in Geneva, Milan Linate, Rome Fiumicino (Europe), Boston, Chicago O’Hare, Newark, New York JFK, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington Dulles (USA), Cape Town, Johannesburg (Africa), Dubai and Singapore (Asia).
BA is also part of the One World Alliance, alongside Alaska Airlines, Fiji Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Royal Jordanian, American Airlines, Finnair, Oman Air, Royal Air Maroc, Iberia, Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Qatar Airways and SriLankan. This means if there’s no BA lounge in the country you’re departing from, you will be able to use these lounges instead.
On the way home from Hong Kong for example, I was able to use the Cathay Pacific business class lounge which was very similar with what it offered to the BA lounges.
BA lounge score: 7/10
This is where the two business class options are miles apart. Let’s start with Club World, the older product. There are 7 seats in a row in Club World – set up 2, 3, 2 – with the seats alternating backwards and forwards facing. It’s the weirdest layout ever because if you’re by the window you literally have to climb over the person in the aisle on the row behind you to get out, and if you’re in the aisle you have the other person’s food passed over you all flight. I hate it when that person is asleep and you’re trying to step over them, very awkward.
The Club World seats are also old and worn, they’re quite short. I’m 5’6 and can only just lie fully down so my 6’3 husband has no chance. The TV screens are also poor as they are just pull out ones, not touch screen and quite glitchy. The footrest is also stand alone and you have to pull it down.
The Club Suites on the other hand are wonderful. The layout is much better with only 4 seats in a row, simply 1-2-1, meaning loads more space, privacy and no awkward climbing as all open directly on to an aisle. All suites are forward facing. The suites are also contained with privacy screens (rather than just a plastic roll up screen as per the old product). The TV is built in so is much more seamless, and is all touch screen. There are lots of compartments for storage and the bed is longer. I honestly felt like I was in true luxury.
All products are The White Company. You are provided with a blanket and sheet for the seat, plus a toiletry bag including an eye mask, flannel, toothbrush & toothpaste, moisturiser, hand cream and lip balm.
You can tell what you’re going to get when you pick your seat based on the plane layout – just hope you see that lovely 1-2-1 layout.
Club World Cabin Score: 3/10
Club Suites Cabin Score: 9/10
I don’t love any airplane food really, but BA’s is decent. On arrival, it’s a drink (orange juice or champagne) and a snack. There’s then a menu offering one or two meals depending on flight time.
Three main course dishes usually include beef, lamb, fish or poultry, and pasta. Dessert features a sweet option or a fine fruit and cheese plate. Classic afternoon tea is available on select long-haul flights, and destination-inspired dishes will reflect the flavours of the regions, such as herb-grilled mahi-mahi fish on Caribbean routes, and noodles on my Hong Kong route.
But what I love about BA business is its Club Kitchen concept which provides sweet and savoury snack options which guests can just go and get themselves. A refrigerator features cans of drink, sandwiches, fresh fruit, and sometimes even ice cream in a separate freezer section that passengers can help themselves to midflight, and those biscuit jars are back – the dream!
Food & Drink Score: 6/10
Flight attendants are formal yet friendly. It is the typical British-reserved service delivery you might find in a hotel or restaurant in England. I definitely noticed flight attendants switching their style depending on who they were talking to. Where a passenger was chatty, they were chatty back, and where they weren’t, they just got on with serving. I prefer not to chat so they didn’t really talk to me which was totally fine.
A new uniform has also been introduced, which I really liked. And a new inflight safety video has also been recorded which I thought was a massive upgrade on the previous version.
Talking of videos, the entertainment selection on flights is amazing. There are new releases of films, loads of TV boxsets and lots of games. I love a good mid air game of Boggle – ha!
Service Score: 7/10
Whichever business class option you get on your flight, prices are the same. Whenever I fly business, I am usually using my Avios points, which I collect during the year. I collect Avios pretty easily – via spend on Amex credit cards, on short haul BA flights, the weekly shop and as much other shopping as possible via the BA shopping portal, all hotel bookings via Booking.com, plus my husband’s work travel adds a chunk. Every year we earn an average of 400,000 Avios from the above.
Here are the points cost vs outright £ value of the two BA business class flights I’ve flown in the last 12 months and reviewed above.
It’s worth noting you can also book partner airline flights using Avios, my favourite of which is Qatar Airways. This is more expensive and always needs a change in Doha. I’ll be reviewing QA soon.
As you can see BA is a cheaper business class option, both in cash value and points. I’ve seen other people talk about crazy Avios deals getting business/first class flights for 25,000 points but I’ve never seen such a deal!
Price score: 8/10
What do you think? Would you like to fly BA Business Class? If you’re interested, you can also compare it to my review of Qatar Airways Business Class Review. Stay safe and happy travelling!
]]>The first stone castle in Knaresborough was built in 1066 after the Norman conquest. In the 1200s it was extended by King John and used as his Yorkshire base. The castle was a very important centre in the 1200s and King John even made the first known Royal Maundy presentation here – clothing 13 paupers in the town.
The castle that stands today was built in the 1300s by Edward II, and John of Gaunt (a famous Duke of Lancaster) inherited the castle in 1372 and it has belonged to the Duchy of Lancaster ever since. This means it’s ultimately Crown property and owned by the King.
During the English Civil war in the 1600s, the castle was a Royalist stronghold, firmly loyal to King Charles (rather than Oliver Cromwell, who fought for Parliamentary rule rather than monarchy). In 1644, Cromwell’s troops marched on the town and the castle surrendered. The castle was demolished, other than one tower which was kept as a prison. This is what you see today and you can still visit the underground tunnel and Tudor courthouse.
Another Royal link in the town is St John the Baptist Church. Records of a church on this site date back to at least 1114 when records show that King Henry I granted the “Church at Cnaresburgh” to the canons at Nostell. Today the church is beautiful inside and out, perched high above the River Nidd.
Knaresborough lies alongside the River Nidd, in the Nidd Gorge – carved out of sandstone by nature over 16,000 years ago. Nidd comes from the Celtic word meaning hidden – because up the valley a little, the river disappears underground.
Water has always been central to Knaresborough, being a source of food and drink, a transport route and a vital part of the economy once waterwheels had been invented and mills were up and running. Mills here powered paper mills, cotton mills and enabled linen making too. In fact, so good was the linen made here, the local company (Waltons) was appointed by Queen Victoria to supply all the royal households in 1838. The historic Dye House is virtually all that’s left now of the industry, although you can still explore the river by hiring a boat.
The most famous landmark in Knaresborough is its mighty Viaduct, erected in 1851 (after its first attempt in 1848 fell in to the water and caused the river to rise by 12ft!). The Viaduct was open as a railway line from 1862 which ran to Harrogate. Trains still go over it today, and it’s a feat of engineering that’s for sure.
Just as a complete aside, I also absolutely loved the story of Blind Jack in Knaresborough, who despite being blind played music, rode horses, and even built roads, living to the age of 93 (quite an achievement in the 1700s)!
I found Knaresborough a really interesting place to visit, and enjoyed my day trip there. Yorkshire in general is such a stunning area of England, and if you’re interested in learning more please also check out my other posts:
Thanks for reading – stay safe and happy travelling!
]]>But the skies here are big and give you a feeling of your place in the world. I’ve come to appreciate the beauty of this unique Fenland I call home. I was inspired to write this post following a walk on New Years Day 2023 which epitomised how these vast, flat, wet marshes can be seen in a beautiful light, which hopefully I can showcase to you all.
The Fens are an area in eastern England, ranging roughly from north Cambridgeshire up to Lincoln, an area of 3,800 square KM.
Most of the Fens lie within a few metres of sea level. Much like in the Netherlands (many Dutch came over to England to develop our Fens back in the 16-1700s), much of the Fenland originally consisted of fresh or saltwater wetlands. With the support of their drainage system, the Fenland has become a major agricultural region for grains and vegetables and are particularly fertile, containing around 50% of the grade I agricultural land in England – but at a cost. Once this area was 99.9% wetland, and today it is only 0.1%.
The city at the heart of the fens is Ely (literally the Isle of Eels) which was built on this marshland. Whilst draining these lands made them habitable, there have been so many unintended consequences – firstly because they’ve been drained, the peat shrinks at a rate of 2cm a year and not enough alkalinity gets in to the water anymore. This means that plants and wildlife living here are starting to change and we’re losing a lot of species.
Another consequence is the constant flooding. Of course, The Fens are literally designed to flood – having drained the low lying land there are still two major rivers running through the Fens – The River Ouse and River Nene. The banks of these rivers often overflow and the Fenlands are natural flood plains. However, with all the rain we’ve had in 2023, floods have been consistent and a part of every day life here rather than a seasonal occurrence which drain and dry out in summer. Constant flooding causes the land level to sink and the dykes have been built higher and higher to protect inhabitants.
The best way to explore the Fens is on foot. They cover a huge natural area, and I’ve explored many of the walks through them. There are multiple individual Fens making up the overall landscape and some of my favourites include:
My favourite walk is around Mare Fen and you can find the route HERE, and I also loved Stow cum Quy Fen, following the route from Lode to Bottisham HERE.
Walking in the Fens is both super easy and hard. Easy because the land here is completely flat – there are no hills or mountains anywhere, but also hard as it’s pretty much always wet and you can easily sink in the mud and peat – it’s really important to wear wellies or proper waterproof hiking boots. It also means that if the rivers are in flood, you won’t be able to walk the routes as they can flood by up to 6ft of water, and obviously no wellies are going to save you from that.
It’s also hard walking in the Fens because it’s so exposed. Being so flat means if it’s windy you’re blown over and if it’s misty you have limited visibility. As you can see from my walk in winter it’s beautifully atmospheric but very murky.
There are some Fens which are run as their own sites, such as Wicken Fen and Lopham Fen, so have better walking trails and board walks to help with the mud. These Fens are also home to the famous Konik ponies – and if you watched the latest David Attenborough documentary, they were featured!
Driving in the Fens is normally OKish as the roads are well protected. That said, most of the smaller roads run to the side of waterways, and it’s common to have flooded roads especially in the areas around Ely- it drives me nuts as during rainy periods it’s rare I can drive anywhere beyond the main A-roads without a detour at some point!
Away from the actual Fens themselves, Fenland has lots to offer people wanting to visit. Of course, you have to do a Fen walk, but there are lots of great cities, towns and villages in the area which are worth a visit too and you could choose as a base to exlore the area.
The most famous Fen city is Ely, one of the most beautiful cities in the country – though I’m biased. Peterborough is also an important Fenland city and offers lots to see, including the Cathedral where Catherine of Aragon is buried. Lincoln is the northern most tip of the Fens and Cambridge the southern most tip so both also make good places to stay as gateways to the Fens.
There are also a number of smaller towns and villages to visit – I’ve mentioned Lode, Bottisham, Over and Swavesey but there are also Huntingdon, St Ives, Spalding, and Kings Lynn which are all nice to explore.
You could easily spend a week exploring all that the area has to offer – just make sure you visit at a time where it’s not too wet so you can enjoy it to the fullest.
So what do you think of the Fens? I hope I’ve managed to showcase a unique side to where I live, beyond the city lights of Cambridge and in to the rural side of this beautiful place I call home.
I used to hate the Fens, but now I can appreciate their vastness and peace. I love bracing myself to be exposed to the elements if I’m going on a walk round a Fen – whether it’s sunny, snowing, raining or misty, I’ll experience it in abundance and I quite like that. That said, I’m genuinely concerned about how the area will look by 2050 – with horrifying climate change predictions and the seemingly never ending building of new houses across the flood plains here, I worry that we are sleep walking in to more floods and rising water levels in this area which will be unsustainable.
]]>My Dad was walking the Pennine Way back in April/ earlyMay – 268 miles taking him almost 3 weeks – meaning my Mum was at home on her own over two bank holidays. I decided to go and visit and look for things for us to do together and whilst googling I discovered Morton Hall Gardens Tulip Festival, so off we went!
Approaching the main gardens I’d already lost my Mum in a meadow. My parents bought a field to stop it being developed on and have since converted it to a wild meadow, so she was off noting all the plants and grasses for inspiration.
Once we finally got to the main garden we were greeted by beautiful views out over the local hills. I couldn’t believe someone lives here as their private home – it’s truly beautiful. We meandered through the tulip display tents, and then through some pretty blossom toned with white and purple pastel tulips.
In to the main formal gardens and we were taken aback by how perfect all the beds were – with tulips of all shades from red, to orange, to black, to purple – mixed with a stunning selection of other plants too. It had been so well done and was an absolute joy to walk around.
There’s then also a less formal section surrounding a small pond area, with lots of snowdrops and willow trees which was nicely done and very peaceful. Overall we spent about 1.5 hours exploring the gardens – it’s only a small site but absolutely beautiful around every corner.
After exploring the gardens, we headed to the refreshments tent and had the most delicious cake and a cup of tea before heading to the next stop of our day, Coughton Court and Handbury Hall. I’d definitely recommend the tulip festival here to anyone, it’s absolutely stunning and it’s even run to raise funding for the nearby Royal Shakespeare Company’s costumes for its plays. Win win really.
I hope you enjoyed all the tulips -stay safe and happy travelling everyone!
]]>Let’s start at Coughton. The craziest thing about this house is that the same family have lived in it since 1409 – yup, that’s 600 years of uninterrupted Throckmortons. The current head of the family is Magnus Birch Throckmorton (only in England) and his family now occupy the house under a 300 year lease from the National Trust, meaning even better – we get to snoop around their house too!
The present building dates to the 15th Century and has since survived in a family who for much of that time were impoverished, persecuted or imprisoned for their adherence to the Catholic faith.
Let’s start there with the historical stories. Coughton is home to a sixteenth-century double layered priest’s hole, used to hide Catholic priests from being captured and (likely) killed during the Reformation. When the hole was discovered in 1910 still inside were a rope ladder, a small tapestry, bedding and a folding leather altar. The double layer meant that if anyone chanced upon the first empty compartment, it was unlikely that they would have found the second compartment below, where the priest would have been hiding.
Coughton’s most famous historical link is to the gunpowder plot. This was a plan by a small group of young Catholic extremists to blow up the House of Lords, together with the King and the entire Protestant government – which in turn they hoped would lead to a new regime that sympathised with Catholicism and allowed them to practice. The ring leader of the plot was Robert Catesby, son of Anne Throckmorton of Coughton Court.
Guy Fawkes was chosen to prepare and ignite the 36 barrels of gunpowder that had been hidden in the cellars underneath the House of Lords. Early in the morning of 5 November the cellars were searched and Guy Fawkes was captured. He was taken away and tortured to reveal the names of the other plotters. Ultimately the plotters were all tried and convicted of treason and subsequently hung, drawn and quartered in 1606. The country celebrated the defeat of the plot with bonfires which we continue to this day as Bonfire Night. (Not sure we should celebrate the brutal murders of a group of young men who just wanted to practice their faith, and I can see why many Catholic countries see it as offensive).
Another famous Coughton resident was Bess Throckmorton, who was Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Elizabeth I. She secretly married Sir Walter Raleigh in 1591, much to the fury of the Queen. They were both sent to the Tower of London. When Raleigh was executed in 1618, Bess was rumoured to carry his embalmed head around with her in a red leather sack. Lurvely.
And the final historical fun story is that of Katherine Vaux who married Sir George Throckmorton in the early sixteenth century was the aunt of Katherine Parr, the sixth and final wife of Henry VIII. She had no fewer than 19 children and 112 grandchildren. Poor woman!
After all that historical excitement, it’s time to head to Hanbury with a stop for lunch along the way at one of the many nearby pubs.
Hanbury was built later than Coughton, in the 1700s. Its original owner was Thomas Vernon, who amassed a fortune as an eminent barrister for 40 years, as well as becoming Whig MP for Worcester in 1715. He married but had no children, so the estate was passed to his cousin, Bowater Vernon (again only in England).
The most famous part of the house, by far, is Thomas’ legacy at the hall – the wall and ceiling paintings that he commissioned Sir James Thornhill to create. These depict the story of Achilles and, having been recently restored, are Hanbury’s crowning glory. Thornhill also painted St Paul’s Cathedral and Greenwich.
The Vernon’s owned Hanbury until the 1920s and, like the Throckmortons, were a colourful bunch. A young heiress, Emma Vernon inherited Hanbury at the age of 16, but eventually eloped with a local curate (assistant vicar), which her husband Henry Cecil wasn’t happy about. He closed the hall and sold all of the furniture. Henry himself later married again bigamously and moved to his family seat at Burghley House, where his second wife died in child birth.
Later, Lady Georgina Vernon and her husband Sir Harry took great interest in the care of other people, opening a site as a convalescent home for soldiers injured in the Boer War in 1900, and both becoming involved in the Red Cross. Lady Georgina was a Vice-President for many years, and at the outbreak of the First World War their home became an auxiliary Red Cross Hospital. I decided I liked her the most of all the characters I’d met during the day.
After a good dose of English history, it was time to head home after a glorious day out. I had such fun visiting these homes with my Mum and learning about their very interesting residents. I hope you enjoyed following along – stay safe and happy travelling!
]]>East Anglia is my home. I’ve lived here for a decade, but have roots here on my maternal side dating back generations. My husband has also lived in East Anglia his entire life, and his family before him for literally generations and generations.
So I hope I’m qualified to pull together a 2 week itinerary to take in the area (apologies my photos are so varied, they span all the seasons and multiple years) – there’s just so much to do here it’s really worth the time, but if you can’t then just pick the days you like the best with however much time you have. Everything is close together so it shouldn’t matter too much. And throughout this post, I’ve linked in my familial ties to each place to tell my story of East Anglia too. Let’s go!
On day 1 arrive in Cambridge and over this day and the next, explore the historic city itself. Be sure to visit the University buildings, go punting along the river, visit the Fitzwilliam Museum and walk the Backs. You could also explore pretty Grantchester and the Botanic Gardens – you can pick what you’d like to do from my list HERE, or just follow my 2 day itinerary HERE.
What it means to me: Cambridge is a special place to me – we live close by and my aunty and cousins live in the centre so I’ve spent a lot of time here. If you see Waterstones bookshop, that’s where I went on my first date with my now husband!
Start the day by driving or taking the bus from Cambridge to Houghton, and spend your morning on a beautiful walk in the Cambridgeshire countryside. You can visit gorgeous villages full of thatched cottages, have lunch in a traditional pub and take a stroll along the historic waterfront in St Ives – follow the route HERE.
After a morning walking, explore some of the other picture perfect villages of the area – Abbotts Ripton, Barrington and Bourn will all be close by (post HERE). Alternatively, head back towards Cambridge and spend the afternoon exploring an incredible stately home at Wimpole Hall (post HERE and HERE), before returning to the city centre for dinner and a good night’s sleep.
What it means to me: The morning walk will take you past my house. This area is my true home and safe space. I love exploring but home is my place of peace – long walks, lots of conversations, major moments of my life – they’re all from here.
Today take a day trip to Ely (post HERE) on the train, a city famous for its cathedral on the Fens. The Fens are an area across East Anglia basically built on water. The land is very flat and wet – but Ely is gorgeous and a must for any history buff as it’s the home of Oliver Cromwell, whose house you can visit. You could even time your visit for the annual eel throwing competition, marking the city’s namesake animal.
What it means to me: Ely is my favourite city in the county. My Grandpa did his clergy training to become a vicar at Ely Theological college (you’ll spot a theme through this post of my familial vicars everywhere across East Anglia), my best friend and 2 ‘nephews’ live here, my mother in law is here, and I’ve spent special nights with special people over a few too many glasses of wine here.
Wake up in Cambridge and set off after breakfast to Bury St Edmunds (post HERE). It’s a lovely market town where you can explore the cathedral, do some shopping and grab some food before heading to Ickworth House for an afternoon stroll. Continue on to Dedham Vale, which will be your overnight base for 3 nights.
What it means to me: This is the area where I got married! Plus my maternal grandpa’s family are from this area and my favourite recent visit was to see my absolutely adorable goddaughter for a walk around Ickworth.
Today head to Dedham Vale, one of the most beautiful areas of Suffolk and a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It’s known as Constable Country as its where he painted his famous works of art. Spend the day exploring Flatford, East Bergholt and Dedham on a walk voted in the top 20 in England for picture perfect views. You can read more about it HERE.
From your Dedham Vale base, drive north to Lavenham – one of the most famous places in East Anglia. Home to ancient timbered houses which were even used in the filming of Harry Potter, beat the crowds and arrive early. Spend the morning there before heading on to Long Melford (post HERE). In Long Melford, visit Melford Hall, a favourite haunt of Beatrix Potter. Also stroll up to the church and across to Kentwell Hall if you have time.
What it means to me: In Long Melford, one of my ancestors was vicar. And in Lavenham, my Uncle is the current vicar. If you need help at any point, head to the nearest vicarage – they’ll probably be housing or know one of my relatives!
Leave Dedham Vale and head north to Southwold, but first stop off at Woodbridge (post HERE) to explore the town and most importantly visit Sutton Hoo, the world famous Anglo Saxon burial ground. If you have time, also make a stop off in Framlingham to visit its incredible castle, which once imprisoned Mary Tudor.
What it means to me: Woodbridge was where my grandpa was vicar in the 1990s, and I spent many childhood holidays sailing my boat on the pond and visiting the toy shop. My grandpa was also vicar at Framlingham for 15 years and it’s where my Mum grew up. Fram castle is a special and emotive place for me – the photo above was taken on the day of my beloved Granny’s funeral.
Spend the next 2 days enjoying some of the best beaches in England (post HERE). In Southwold enjoy the Pier, beach huts, lighthouse and picture perfect streets – maybe even take a walk via the passenger ferry to Walberswick where the beaches are quieter. Also head down the coast to Orford and its historic castle and postcard houses, and take a walk between Aldeburgh and Thorpeness to see the ‘House in the Clouds’ and the windmill. Along the way, tuck in to seaside fish and chips, a stick of English rock and sample the local breweries.
What it means to me: I have the happiest of memories of exploring this area with my Granny and Grandpa as a child, eating fish and chips on the beach and long walks. My uncle was also vicar here until this year (I know you’re shocked!).
On day 11, head north in to Norfolk and to your base for the final 3 nights – in or around Burnham Market in North Norfolk. Instead of driving straight there, stop off in Norwich for the day en-route. Here be sure to explore Elm Hill, visit the castle and enjoy the huge cathedral and its famous close. After spending the day there, continue on to your hotel.
What it means to me: It might surprise you (not) but my great grandpa was also in the church – actually as a Bishop. Whilst his most exotic post was most definitely as Bishop of Singapore, his last church post was in Norwich. He was able to live and retire in Norwich’s beautiful Cathedral Close. As a child I used to think it was the most beautiful big house and I loved visiting.
Spend the next 2 days meandering along the Norfolk Coast from your base in Burnham Market. You can go on a boat trip to see the seals at Blakeney Point, visit one of the most beautiful white sand beaches in the country at Holkham, as well as explore Holkham Hall. Wells-next-the-sea is also a must visit, with a ride on the mini steam train to Walsingham a fun way to spend an afternoon. You can see my full write up HERE.
What it means to me: The Norfolk coast is a healing place for me and where I tend to come for long walks alone to clear my head. I’m so grateful for having this close enough for me to escape to.
It’s time to head out of East Anglia, but before doing so, head to Sandringham (post HERE). You can’t visit Norfolk and not go and visit the royals! Sandringham is the Royal Family’s Christmas retreat and you can visit the grounds and inside the house. If you have time, you could also pop down the road to Oxburgh Hall (post HERE), which is one of the most picturesque old houses in the country.
After all that exploring it’s time to head home – after a hopefully brilliant 2 weeks in East Anglia.
If there are things here that don’t appeal to you (or you want to stay for longer!), then you could also substitute days with some of the ideas below:
What do you think of East Anglia? I hope I’ve done some justice to the beautiful area in which I live and which most of my family still calls home – and that you think it might even be worth a visit. I hope you can see that every place here has a connection to who I am, and I couldn’t be more proud that this is my little piece of the world to call home. Stay safe and happy travelling everyone.
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