our first excursion barn church

GRADE 1 MRS TAYLOR'S FIRST OUTING THIS YEAR. WE WENT TO BARN CHURCH, AROUND THE CORNER FROM THE SCHOOL TO HAVE THE PRIEST PETER HART TALK THROUGH THE ADVENT CALENDER, THE FOUR WEEKS TO CHRISTMAS WITH THE CANDLES AND EVERYTHING ELSE. A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING, MADE PRIMARILY OF ENGLISH OAK BEAMS WITH THE SMELL OF BARNYARD, c.1630'S, A BARN PRESUMABLY ATTACHED TO A MANOR HOUSE OR A COMBINATION OF LOCAL GARDENS AND FARMS.

pastor/ peter wonders what the hot bit does? and is surprised when it burns him!

dark at four

richmond 3.30 p.m. picking up merric from school - walking home.

STRATFORD 3 - BLENHEIM PALACE

TRAVEL DOWN THE ROAD A BIT TO THE ROLLING ROCKS SITE.

BRONZE AGE STONE CIRCLE SET ON A MERIDIAN [EARTH'S ELECTRICAL POINTS AND LINES] BLOOMIN FREEZING WINDSWEPT AND SLEETING!

THE KIDS POSED IN FRONT OF THE NORTH STONE IN THE CIRCLE, YOU CAN TELL BECAUSE MY SHADOW INDICATES DUE SOUTH.

ACROSS THE ROAD A BRONZE AGE BURIAL MOUND DATED TO ABOUT 2500 b.c., 4500 YEAR AGO! A SPOOKY PLACE ATOP A MASSIVE HILL WITH EXTRAORDINARY VIEWS OF THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE.

THE LARGE STONE IS KNOWN AS 'KINGS STONE' PRESUMABLY BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE BURIAL? A LOCAL CHIEFTAIN PERHAPS? A SPECIAL AURA HERE SOMETHING OTHER WORLDY.

THEN, A SPOT OF LUNCH AT THE 'TITE INN'

LOCAL SAUSAGES, LAMBS KIDNEYS, THE KIDS [HOW ORIGINAL] ETT FISHNCHIPS! A COUPLE OF LOCAL ALES INCLUDING A SWEET PORTER TO WRITE HOME ABOUT.

TOWARD THE M4 AND HOME, WE DECIDED TO VISIT BLENHEIM PALACE, ALTHOUGH I THOUGHT PALACES WERE ONLY NAMED FOR ROYALTY, BUT THEN MAYBE THIS GUY WAS AS CLOSE AS YOU GET. A MOST EXTRAVAGANT GEORGIAN MANSION BUILT BY WINSTON CHURCHILL'S ANCESTOR, GEORGE?, FIRST? LORD MARLBOROUGH AFTER HE WHUPPED THE FROGGIES AT BLENHEIM, 17-SOMETHING, QUEEN ANNE GAVE HIM A BUCKET FULL OF CASH AND HE BUILT THIS GRANDIOSE PLAYGROUND WHERE WINSTON GREW UP, WITH SILVER SPOON!

STRATFORD 2 - BARDS HOUSES, BIRDS

TOUR AROUND THE DISTRICT REVEALED THE OTHER HOMES OF WILL, HIS MUM MRS ARDEN INHERITED A LARGE COUNTRY FARM WHICH IS WELL PRESERVED AND A GOOD EXAMPLE OF 16TH CENTURY LIVING, CUTE PIGGIES AND CHICKENS AND CRAZY OLD HOUSES WITH FLOORS GOING IN ALL DIRECTIONS BUT NO INSIDE FOTOS; THE DRIVE HOME [WE DIDN'T DO IN THE RACING GREEN CART], ALONG COUNTRY LANES, THROUGH THE ROLLING HILLS OF THE EASTERN COTSWOLDS WAS PLEASANT ENOUGH, PUNCTUATED BY CLOUDBURSTS AND SPELLS OF MAGICAL SUNSHINE [WHENEVER WE DECIDED TO STOP AND LOOK AT SOMETHING]. OFF THE BEATEN TRACK WE FOUND A WETLAND AND BIRD SANCTUARY WITH RABBITS AND HAMSTERS, CANARIES, EMUS, OSTRICHES, CRAZY LOOKING COOS AND THE MOST COLOURFUL BIRD WE'VE EVER SEEN. AND HAND MADE THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE. WIERD.

STRATFORD-ON-AVON

UP TO THE COTSWOLDS LAST WEEKEND STAYING AT A 18TH CENTURY GEORGIAN MANSION, NOW A YOUTH HOSTEL [RECOMMEND U GET MEMBERSHIP WHEN TRAVELLING] FOOD WAS ALRIGHT [FRESH] BED WAS A BIT BUMPY, WEATHER WAS RUBBISH. EARLIER VISITED WARWICK CASTLE [THE COUNTRY IS FULL OF CASTLES] THE BEST PRESERVED AND LARGEST CASTLE IN ENGLAND BUILT FROM 1068 TO ABOUT 1500, OWNED BY THE NEVILLE FAMILY FOR A LOT OF IT, FAMOUS FOR THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THE WARS OF THE ROSES [1460'S TO 1485]. PLENTY OF GHOSTS AND DARK ROOMS FULL OF SECRET PASSAGES, TORTURE CHAMBERS AND ARMOUR. HOME OF THE BARD, WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE WAS ALIVE WITH FOLK, ALL DOING THE CHRISTMAS THING, CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT THE PLACE MUST BE LIKE IN SUMMER! DID THE TOUR OF HIS HOUSE ATE LUNCH AT THE DIRTY DUCK KNOWN EUPHEMISTICALLY AS 'THE BLACK SWAN', WHICH, OF COURSE, THEY DON'T HAVE IN THIS COUNTRY?

cuter babies

NO MERRIC DOES LIKE GUINNESS BUT HE'S NOT DRINKING MINE!
SCHOOL PICNIC OCTOBER - SUNNY!

PUPPETS ON A BOAT ON THE THAMES @ RICHMOND

NEW CUTE BOOTS AND FOUND HAT!

and then there were more with some scenery thrown in just to prove I'm not a doting daddy

our cute babies

just a small selection of the enormously cute and photogenic little darlings with friends, etc.

CANARY ISLANDS

MID TERM BREAK WE DECIDED TO GET AWAY FOR SOME SUN TO LANZAROTE, A STRANGE VOLCANIC ISLAND WEST OF AFRICA WITH PALMS, CACTUS AND BOUGANVILLEA, NO NATURALLY OCCURRING WATER,VERY CHEERFUL LOCALS AND A BUNCH OF BRITISH, SITTING AROUND IN BRITISH LOOKING PUBS, DRINKING BRITISH BEER AND WATCHING TELLY! THEY ALL WORE ENGLAND FOOTY JUMPERS, AS IF TO REMIND THEMSELVES.

WE TRAVELED ABOUT IN A HIRE CAR TO SEE THE INTERIOR, NORTHERN AND WESTERN - LESS POPULATED - COAST. SOME STUNNING LANDSCAPES WITH ONE ESPECIALLY NICE BEACH AND A TERRIFIC FISHING VILLAGE, ARRIETA WHERE THE PEOPLE WERE FRIENDLY AND HAPPY TO HELP. THE KIDS LOVED THE FISH AND CHIPS!

LOCAL ARTIST, HENRI MANRIQUE HAS HAD AN EFFECT ON THE LOCAL ART SCENE BY PUTTING UP HIS OUTLANDISH AND INTERESTING ART EVERYWHERE! HE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH PICASSO AND MATISSE IN PARIS AND SPAIN

THEY GROW GRAPES FOR WINE ON LANZAROTE, VERY STRANGE METHOD!

MERRIC'S PRIMARY SCHOOL IS DARELL, WE CALL IT DAZZA, NATURALLY. ITS A 10-15 MINUTE WALK AWAY; ITS ARTSY AND CREATIVE HAS HEALTHY EATING PROGRAM AND PE AND EXERCISE CLASSES, THEY TEACH A THING CALLED PHONICS, THE SOUND OF THE LETTER? HUNH! A GOOD FRIENDLY NON-BULLYING POPULATION, VERY MUMMY ORIENTED, ONLY A COUPLE OF PART TIME DADS IN THE PICTURE. MIX ON THE PTA AND GETTING INVOLVED LIKE ALWAYS

family home, wotton, surrey

John Evelyn's birth place and home. Now a conference and hotel complex, he did the gardens and collected an extensive library as well as wrote books and finished the diary. still owned by the evelyn's from the Godstone, Nutfield side of the family. the manor dates from 1100's as a moated building; evelyn surname is first listed publicly as WILLIAM AVELYN fl.1440; george the patriarch from 1550's made billions in gunpowder! bought property at nutfield, godstone, wotton for his sixteen children