Backpackering 8 - Day 1

 

On our way to Bilbao by train, first from Cardiff to Paddington, London. Walking from Paddington to St Pancras station, due to the tube strike,  we rested in Regent's Park for pizza lunch.

Whitworth Art Gallery

The Whitworth Art Gallery. A name sake. Sir Joseph, no relative, was a famous mechanical engineer in the 19 century. Famous for, among other things , a screw thread standard.

Strong on so called 'Modern Art'

Interesting fiber optic installation.

If you look carefully you will see that the points of light vary in intensity over the square of lights. Got Gek's attention. New 'how to' for the artisan I think.

People and things

Manchester China town. Cold.

Me and the lads. Bless them.

Gek with her long time friend Diane. We met up at Manchester Piccadilly station after Diane travelled across the Pennines just to see us.

Gek with my uncle Granville. I have on occasion been mistaken for Granville's older brother. Hummm. Clearly pays to be laid back!!!

OK, I know, an old chair. Until I put them straight, Gek's friends were convinced that this chair design originated from China. Oh no, it did not. Europe. This particular chair belong to my grandma but the same design can be seen at Singaporean coffee shops......a Kopitiam Coffee Shop chair.

Bolton, November 2008

An unexpected return to the UK had us visiting Bolton, the place I was born. Had not been there for decades.

Christmas decoration up, of course. Damned cold too. We managed on a budget of 40 pounds a day, excluding hotel costs. Not a small amount and we used public transport at that!!!

Bolton, a Lancashire mill town as was. The town hall's claim to fame is that it is identical to the town hall in Portsmouth. This gave rise to stories that the town councillors had been duped by the commissioned architect. Neat trick if true.

Tyldale Silver Band playing outside M&S. The dummies outnumbered the audience. Cold and damp Sunday morning in late November. No surprise there then?

Play the video and listen to the lovely sound of a silver band. So mellow.

Blackheath

Next port of call, Ruth and Richard's place. My friend's for over 40 years. Another cool place to stay.

Whitstable

Neat composition Richard!!!!!

Wide sky's and pebble beach.

A rare fine day by all accounts. Beautiful blues in sea and sky

My first bitter shandy for god knows how long. Tasty.

Getting in was a lot easier than getting out!!!!! Nearly became a new permanent beach attraction.

Whitstable is still a working fishing port. I particularly enjoyed a pint of cockles. That is a lot of cockles!!!

Chartwell

Chartwell, Winston Churchill's home. And it is home.

On the day we visited the house, there were special events on to mark the 100 years since Winston married Clementine and on display was this rather splendid old Ford automobile. If you think it looks very much like a boat, that is because the body started life as a boat build but got converted to a car before it could reach the water.

Of great interest to Gek was the art studio that Winston had set up in one of the out houses. Loads of his paintings are on display there. You come away from a visit to Chartwell amazed at the man's breath of interests and the energy he must have had to keep up with them all. You cannot help but be inspired to 'get on with it' yourself. Visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churchill

Manlleu

Gek's friend for over 40 years, Yin Yoke, invited us to stay at her place in Catalonia. We had a much welcomed relaxing week. Lounging around reading and taking the odd walk. And with the wonderful home cooking, we were loathed to leave!!!

Nature in Art

At Wallsworth Hall, near Twigworth in Gloustershire.


The main house houses paintings and conventional sculptures,

but the grounds are littered with these metal works.


most of them are made up of scrap iron from horse shoes to petrol engine parts.

Tetbury

Looking smug with a cream tea.

Cardiff Bay

The gathering dusk.


Good place to spend an evening, as long as it isn't raining!!!!

Wedding and VSO reunion.

All the usual suspects. Scotish, Canadian, English, Singaporean, Welsh, ex-Finnish and Irish. A great event. Luxury cruiser on stand by. Congratulations to the newly weds. Note the shawls. Must be a new fashion.

Chatsworth

Just the same old Chatsworth. Always worth a visit.


A quirky 'Squirting Tree' in the huge rock garden. Strange chap in the background.

The 'House' was setting up an out door sculpture exhibition in the grounds,

including this over sized baby. Where is his nappy?

Nottingham, England

The River Trent looking towards the city. The Trentbridge Cricket Ground is on the right, just past the bridge.

Tetbury, Gloustershire, England

A very different town. Tetbury is close by High Grove, Prince Charle's pad.


The Snooty Fox Hotel. Oh and the market. Very oldie worldie.

Darwen, Lancashire, England.

The Circus at the centre of Darwen, my home town.

And view up the road to Bolton. On the right the small white building used to be a Chinese restaruant. I wonder if that is where Hiew used to work???


Darwen library.

And the entrance hall. The place is exactly as I remember from 40 odd years ago!!!

Departure Date

Friday, 18th August.

Gek had a successful VSO assessment day on Tuesday and we are now both set to be volunteers in UB, although the details of Gek's placement have still to be worked out. But the main thing is, we are going to be together!!! How cool is that???

Time is now being spent sorting out our things for storage, getting the bungalow ready to renting, making plans for Gek's training days in Harbourne and visiting friends and relatives before we leave the island. This is so exciting, I cannot begin to put it into words. We have contacted quite a few people we now know are connected in some way with Mongolia and gained a lot of information on accommodation and what things to take and what to buy in country. Thanks to you all, ......you know who you are!!!!!!

Morgan Revisited

Following Gek's tour of Eastern Europe, we have had a hectic week traveling up and down the country doing a general "sort out " of things. One "must do" was to visit the Staffordshire Morgan Car Club centre's gymkanna event in Stoke on Trent.


Janet and I started the Staffs. Mog. Centre 20 years ago this year. I will not be in the country for the official celebrations in September, but the members presented me with an all weather coat and woolly hat with "Morgans over Mongolia" on it!!! Thanks guys, it was really appreciated. Who knows, there may be Mogs. in Mon.


Of course, this was the first meeting between Gek and the Morgan, and although I cannot say it was love at first sight, it did bring a grin to her face. Particularly strongly when Bob kindly let me drive us round the field in his beautiful +8. The smell, engine sound and the feel of the Mog was overwhelming. It all can flooding back, ........How can you love a car so much???

Exhibition

Gek's final year sculpture exhibition went off extremely well. The 7 forms which represented the stages of Gek's life from ending her education at university through the present day and to a perceived but uncertain future, were well received, as the visitors book records!!! Just a couple of photographs from the exhibit.






This is the first form, representing the end of education and socialisation, very ordered and symmetrical,











followed by a walk though to the future, which is glimpsed in the distance. Mid-life crisis is on the left. A very sad, fallen form!











And here IS the future!! Much more flowing and free form, with an acceptance that change and uncertainty are acceptable and desirable.