CORNWALL (Part 1)

This particular visit to Cornwall, was in August 2004. I went with my Danish pals and it also Included a couple of days in Devon too....though here I'll just Include Cornwall.
We stayed In Bodmin, which was a great place to use as a base to visit other places.
So we visited Lands End, Penzance & St Ives, all of which were nice places to see.
Lands end being a very dramatic coastline with its rugged rocks & coves.
Always a queue for the photo at the Signpost!.....where you can have it altered to include your particular town or city, with it's distance In miles from there.
St Ives has a lot of narrow streets to explore, with a variety of Interesting shops .
The beaches are very nice too and plenty of Art Galleries there to browse as well.
Also on our trip was Tintagel & Boscastle. Tintagel was a tester for climbing!...at the Castle ruins. But the struggle was worth it, with again, plenty of Coastline to admire and the sea crashing against the rocks. The weather was not great on our visit, but still enjoyable.
Also In Tintagel, was the National Trust owned "Post Office"(Photo above).
Other places we went, included Lanhydrock House In Bodmin, with spectacular gardens (Photos above) and Impressive inside the house too. Also "Jamaica Inn", the famous Smugglers Inn, that has a gift shop there, as well as the Resturant & Bar. We visited the village of "Alternun" too, which was on the way to Tintagel & Boscastle. A nice Village with fine cottages & Church, (Photo above).
Another day we went to Looe & Polperro, Old Fishing villages and full of Character.
On the way, we visited St Neots & Bodmin Moor Itself, seeing the old Tin mines & and desolate landscape, which adds to the Character of Cornwall. The weather is unpredictable, due to having two coastlines, so weather fronts can come in from both directions.
This year I plan to visit Cornwall again In June, which will Include other places I did'nt manage to see last time. Though a week would not be enough to see all of Cornwall.
Certainly an area of great landscapes and Interesting places to visit.

BOSCASTLE (Cornwall)

This was my visit to Boscastle on August 16th 2004. A day the people living there will never forget! Not because of my presence, or my Danish friends who were with me, but because of the Floods which pretty much destroyed the village an hour or so after we had left there, that afternoon. These photos were some of the last taken, before the torrential rain down the valley slopes, made the river swell and created havoc that day. The weather whilst we were there , had been unsettled and umbrellas were the essential item. The dark clouds were almost hovvering over that village and the sky was looking very ominious Indeed. We had been to the "Cobweb Inn" for lunch and the thunder & lightening started then. A later visit to the "Witchcraft Museum", was cut short though, as I felt a need to leave the place altogether.
Fortunately we did!....though my car park ticket was to run out at 3pm I seem to remember.
So we were lucky we left then, missing the disaster that was to follow later on.
It was a miracle that no-one was killed or seriously Injured. Though people had to leave their homes and the flooding caused terrible damage. Some airlifted by Helicopters to safety.
A few buildings like the "Harbour Light", which was 400 years old, was Destroyed. A photo of it (above) showed how it looked. With its dipping roof!. Amazing how it lasted that long I guess.
The village itself is looked after by the National Trust.
At the moment it's getting back to normal, after extensive re-building and work to get peoples lives back on track. An area which pretty much relies on Tourists to make a livelihood for its residents & businesses. I hope to re-visit there In June this year. Hopefully the weather will be much Improved!!.

HAWORTH (West Yorkshire)

I visited Haworth last August 2005. I had visited it before a few years ago, but it seemed to have Improved since the previous visit. The shops being quite Interesing and varied.
Haworth is the town famous for the Bronte Sisters, who lived at the Parsonage, next to the Church. In fact In the Graveyard, the sisters are buried and the stone can be seen too.
The Parsonage museum is worth a visit and you can view the writings of the Bronte sisters there and learn more of the family history.
The "Black Bull" pub is a feature of the town and was a local haunt of Branwell Bronte.
It is said he still haunts the pub! His chair is still situated there and some say his Ghost has been seen sat in it! It is certainly a pub full of Character, as are most the buildings in the village.
The "Old Apothecary" is an Interesting shop, which sells soaps, lotions and anything scented..in an "Olde Worlde" setting. Even the staff dress up in Victorian clothing!
The town was also used in the Film "The Railway Children"and the Parsonage was the Doctors house in that film. The local Railway station "Oakworth", was the actual location where the Children used to visit and the countryside around it.
The nearby moors were the Inspiration for the book "Wuthering heights" too.
So the area has a lot of History attached to it. The towns main street is on an Incline, so it's wise to be aware of that, should you visit. The streets are also cobbled and hardly changed at all.

WHITBY

My visit to Whitby, was on a lovely warm Sunny day In August 2005.
Whitby was famous as a Whaling port in the 18th & 19th Centuries. Though in the Mid-19th Century the developing railway's bought Whitby a new and welcome livelihood too, with holiday makers arriving there. Whitby lies clustered along both sides of the River Esk as it ends it's journey to the sea, the streets of the town remain unspoiled.
Quite a few places to explore there, Including Whitby Abbey, approachable by scaling the 199 Steps, from Church St , to St Mary's Church then to the Abbey at the top.
The first stones of St Mary's Church were laid in about 1110.
The famous "Magpie Cafe" is the recommended place to have the traditional Fish n'Chips!
Though you may well need to queue up outside, as it does get so popular with tourists.
There is the Sightseeing tour bus available too, for those wishing to take a guided tour of the Town by bus. You do get a good view of many of the buildings & streets from the upper deck.
You pass the "Whalebones" feature, on the seafront and the Captain Cook statue too.
It's also well worth exploring the "Old Town" Streets as well, narrow & cobbled, as in the old days. The shops are very Interesting , selling various things and also souvenir & gift shops too.
Certainly one of the most Interesting & scenic towns on the East coast of Britian.

YORK

The City of York, a place I've visited often over the years.
So much going on there and so much to see & do. It's a magnet for tourists generally and every visit seems different from the one before. "The Shambles", a collection of narrow cobbled streets so close together. It has a lot of atmosphere there and has loads of gift shops and specialist shops, together with cafes and bars. You are reminded of days gone by, as you see the buildings almost touching each other, in those narrow streets. The upper windows, where people used to throw rubbish out of !!!!....onto the pavements below. Not a place you'd wished to have been standing at the time!!!. Nowadays there are the street entertainers, which are fun to watch. Also around York is the National Railway Museum, housing many famous Railway locomotives, such as "Mallard" and "The Flying Scotsman", to name two. Now it has "Free" Admission....and its a large place to visit too.
The Minster is also very Impressive and dominates the landscape of the City of York.
The largest Cathedral In Britain too.
You can also walk the City Walls, which gives you another view of the City.
On the River Ouse you are able to take River Boat trips.....some with a Theme, such as the "Ghost Cruise", In which a costumed guide tells you Spooky tales, as you sail up the River in the Evening. There is a bar onboard too....so you can find "Spirits" onboard as well!!!!
There are a number of Evening Ghost Tours around the City, for those brave enough to venture out to hear stories of Murder and Yorks dark past. Dick Turpin was also hanged In York....the Famous Highwayman spent his last hours in Yorks Gaol, now part of the "York Museum", another worthwhile tourist attraction. It features many items of days gone by and an old street scene, together with shops as they used to be.
There is also the Sightseeing Bus tours, which are a great way to rest your feet and listen to a guide telling you much about Yorks history, as you ride around Yorks streets.
You'll also pass Yorks Racecourse too and many other places, including the graveyard , where Dick Turpin is buried.
The "jorvik" Viking museum is also a place popular with tourists and gives a detailed history in sights & Smell!!! of how York used to be in those days of The Vikings!
You need at least a weekend stay to see many of the places In York.
To see more about the City of York, visit these sites >
www.visityork.org
www.vikingjorvik.com
www.yorkminster.org
www.ghosthunt.co.uk
www.nrm.org.uk
www.yorkboat.co.uk
www.york.castle.museum

CHATSWORTH HOUSE & GARDENS

Set in the Derbyshire Peak District,
My Visit to Chatsworth was on April 15th.
Easter Saturday and turned out Sunny again.
Chatsworth House is always popular with Tourists at most times of the year and even with the Gardens not having much colour yet, it still was very well attended. I did'nt go around the house on this occasion, but have done before.
The gardens are large enough for a visit alone and Include quite a few Interesting features, including scultures and an Impressive Water Fountain. Also a water cascade that is popular with families & children. The gardens were designed by Capability Brown, a very highly respected Garden designer in his day. Though they have been kept very well over the years and new features added over recent years. There is a Farmyard & Adventure playground for children and also a well stocked couple of Gift shops and resturant too.
This is also the home of the Duke & Duchess of Devonshire, who play an active role in Improving the facilities there and also a number of Summer events are held in the grounds.
A place well worth visiting and one of a number of scenic spots in the Peak District.
Further Information on Chatsworth House > www.chatsworth.org

STRATFORD-ON-AVON

This was a
visit to
Stratford,
On April 8th.








Stratford-on-Avon is a very busy town and attracts tourists from all over the World.
It had been my first visit there in over 15 years!.....though its only an Hour away from where I live. So it was time I re-paid it a visit. I was also lucky with the weather that day.
You can get a ticket to visit all of Shakespeares Houses, which is maybe a good Idea, as it saves money, rather than buy Individual house tickets. A Tourist Sightseeing bus service is also an Ideal way to see Stratford and learn some of it's history too. It also Includes a visit to see Anne Hathaways Cottage, in the village of Shottery. Well worth seeing.
Then the River Avon is a relaxing place, with its Boat trips up the River , or just to sit and watch the World go by. The town has many Black & White buildings and many Interesting shops too.
So it was a worthwhile visit and I got my share of decent photo's as well.
Only Ten minutes away is the Historic town of Warwick....also well worth seeing!
Stratford is also famous for its Royal Shakespeare Theatre & Productions.
The Oldest Inn In Stratford is the Garrick Inn .