Nottinghill Festival:
I met L and K at 10.45am at Bayswater Station, which I did without a hitch. Felt like a local with my Oyster Card.
We walked for ages to find a spot to watch the parade, and aside from moving across the street, we stayed there all day. The parade was a hoot – a couple of floats – then an hour or so later a couple more. Eventually the floats came thick and fast. Or not so much “floats” as trucks with blaring reggai music, followed by groups of people in colourful costumes (often not really identifiable, just colourful), dancing/walking behind them. Many of them looked as if they might have been last year’s Dance Concert costumes – metallic fabrics, feathers, sequins, floating bits. That wasn’t the point – the point was that it was colourful and good natured and noisy. Besides the music there were whistles and horns. Probably the best part was watching other people - people dressed for the carnival. Wearing whatever they could find (rabbit’s ears, Irish hats – this in a Caribbean festival - and so on. My two favourites were a bearded bloke wearing a full length medieval dress, and another dressed conservatively but he had taken a soft toy (a giraffe) and opened the tummy stitching and removed the stuffing – then wore this as a hat!! For lunch we ate “Jerk” Chicken, which was delicious.
Hever Castle:
Hever Castle is only a little Castle , but lovely with a moat around it. It was acquired by the Astor family and restored and the internal walls are carved timber an covered with oodles of portraits of previous owners and their hangers-on. It was the castle of the Boleyn (sometimes spelled Bullen) family. Anne became Queen – Henty VIII’s second wife. But her older sister was also his mistress and had a son with him. Eventually the whole Boleyn family perished and Hever was given to Anne of Cleves – Henry’s eventual widow. So paintings of all of them, Set in beautiful gardens. Then we went off to the Henry VIII Pub cross the road where we all had lamb roasts, and sat around till the taxi man came.
Day Tour to Glastonbury & Avebury:
Stonehenge was pretty much unchanged since 2005. (That’s a joke, Joyce!) Still amazing. Bought picture for M taken in 1997 of the Hale-Bopp comet overhead. Of course I took photos.
Back on the bus and on to Glastonbury. Scene of most of the “Mists of Avalon” – in fact, Avalon itself. I didn’t climb the Tor. Really wished I was younger, but thought I need to be sensible. Sometimes!! But this gave me more time in the Chalice Gardens, which I loved.
The Chalice Gardens was everything that I love. Beautiful English cottage wild look – bees buzzing, With all the mystical aspect of the myths and legends – did Joseph of Arimathea bury the Chalice here? Do the ley lines meet in the King Arthur Court? The Springs – the red and the white. That’s the water the “priestesses” in “Mists” used to drink. I drank some – the red one tastes of rust – which is because it is iron-rich. Then to all this they have added the female Goddess aspect – so little niches hold female statues. Absolutely beautiful. I cold have spent all day there. The “Goddess” theology honours that “gentle way”, the female spirit. I am so grateful to be female.
After leaving the gardens we went into the town and visited the remains of the Abbey, Where Arthur and Guinevere were supposedly buried. And lunch in town. I walked around the shops – so much New Age merchandise. But bizarrely mixed with Buddhas and African artefacts. Yet somehow comforting. Outside the Church (not the Abbey) was a man busking by playing the bagpipes. I thought that was a bit optimistic! I bought a few cards at the Celtic Shop.
Our final stop was Avebury where we saw the largest (in diameter) Stone Circle in Britain. Not as imposing as Stonehenge, but impressive nevertheless – and you could walk around inside the circle and touch the stones, I loved the way that it’s part of the town – sheep graze inside it and there are buildings inside the circle. The henge is also visible – the built up wall around it which was built by chipping away chalk and piling it up to protect the inner circle of stones. Not surprisingly, it’s World Heritage listed.
Day Tour to Brighton:
I caught the train at Clapham Junction and it took no time to get to Brighton. Off the train and down the hill towards the water – detouring through all the little back alleys and quaint shops. And a coffee shop that boasted “Australian trained baristas”. Aussies on working holidays? I shouldn’t have been surprised – yet I was, that the beach is covered in pebbles. Impossible to walk on, let alone to dip your toes into! So I walked along the edge, past merry-go-rounds and funny little shops. Suddenly that old song “ I do love to walk along the prom prom prom while the old brass band played diddley-om-pom-pom” popped into my head and wouldn’t leave. Eventually I found the Royal Pavilion – what a strange building for an English sea-side with its Indian looking domed roof! Amazing gardens.
Last Night of the Proms:
What a fun night! The last night of the Proms in the Park – lots of UK flags; Union Jacks, England, Scotland Ireland, Wales and a gold flag with 2 lions, which I assume is the London flag. At the end they crossed to the Albert Hall for the finale there – that’s when we got to sing “Land of Hope and Glory”, and “Rule Brittannia” (after which K remarked that it wouldn’t be a good time to reveal that’ she’s German), and “God Save the Queen” – and my favourite “You’ll never walk along” I felt like part of the Barmy Army – although L said I hadn’t had enough to drink!
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I love England. The land of my ancestors. My other home. I cannot imagine a time when I won't be able to return here.
