15th June: 1215 – 2015

Magna Carta 800th - The River Relay

Two days before the official ceremony at Runnymede to mark 800 years since Magna Carta, a river relay took place starting at Hurley and arriving at Runnymede on 15th June. This received very little TV coverage by comparison. We were there at Hurley Riverside for that start at 9am, to witness the re-enactment of the story and the first boats leave to row down river.
Later in the day we caught them at Cookham Moorings. Joined by the Queen's Row Barge 'Gloriana' and an extended cast of players for another performance all about the Great Charter. (We took a 13 minute video - which unfortunately is way to large a file to post here).
For more on Magna Carta: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Carta

This way to Runnymede.
Queen's Row Barge 'Gloriana' arriving at Cookham accompanied by numerous river craft.

Transporting the Charter, the lady (centre) wearing glasses, has the scrolls.

'Gloriana' on route to a place in history.

May 2015

We're back down the van, messing about by the river…

Floral Flotilla

Labelled as part of the Chelsea Fringe, an alternative garden festival, held at the same time of the year as the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Henley's Floral Flotilla mustered at Mill Meadows on a lovely sunny Saturday morning in May.

Powered and un-powered craft of various sizes, dressed and decorated in horticultural harmony, filled with participants as colourful as their vessels, paraded up and down the Thames, waving and singing their merry way. 

A catamaran with a circular table and chairs, all very civilised with glasses of Pimms and a mad-hatter. Boats with wicker arbours covered in lilac, lupins and dangling wisteria. Pink wigs - at least it looked like false hair? A home-made coracle that rather waddled along from side to side, moving slower than the ducks and a boat that was actually a car that was a boat. Not really James Bond 007, more Mr Toad & Wind in the Willows.

Brilliantly eccentric and loads of fun. 

Pimms anyone ?

Is it a boat ?  Is it a car ?

Hout Bay Flat

Some new photos, in and around our flat.

Dining area and kitchen.

Up the steps, first floor balconies, that's us.

Oh no, another panorama shot.... view from the balcony in the morning.

Small but well appointed pool.

April...

As a direct follow on from the previous posting about the fires around Cape Town, we thought we'd show a few of the pictures we took while we were there.
More news of this trip will appear on: http://mandbtrips1.blogspot.co.uk

At the top of Silvermine, Table Mountain Nat Park, looking east over sand and burnt remains.

Ou Kaapseweg road sign, at Silvermine.

March 2015

March madness maybe the best way to describe the month. We've been on fire watch.

It began with reports from Cape Town of fires in the area heading towards Hout Bay. With no news coverage in the UK, we had to contact friends and family and search online for information and hope that it didn't spread as far as our property. It certainly looked bad but in the end it didn't affect us, though next week we will see for ourselves the extent of the damage caused.

These are NOT pictures of Mt. Doom from "The Lord of the Rings"

Flora Bay, very near Hout Bay.

The Cape Town Cycle Tour (formerly known as the Cape Argus Pick 'n' Pay Momentum Cycle Tour) had to be reduced from the normal 109k to just 47k as many of the roads became too dangerous to use or were closed. The change, unprecedented in 38 years of racing history, went ahead in support of the brave men and women who had risked their lives to battle the fires that had wreaked havoc on the Southern Peninsula.

We had a report from our friend Lynne, in Hout Bay, which I reproduce here. 

(A glossary will appear at the end to translate some of the words used): 

*dagga (marijuana)

*bergies (mountain homeless people)

*stompie (cigarette butt/fag end)

*sms (Short Message Service - SA version of text  message)

Then no sooner had the situation eased, when we heard of a fire in Clapham Junction. Late on a Friday afternoon, the London Fire Brigade were called to the Battersea Arts Centre on Lavender Hill. The air was choked with ash and smoke and those nearby were told not to open their windows. Unfortunately, the Grade II listed building was badly burnt, but at least no one was injured. The smoke had spread to such an extent that by the time Margaret got off the bus at Wandsworth Bridge and walked home, she had inhaled so much smoke, she wouldn’t have needed the smoked nuts we usually ask for at one of our new favourite pubs ‘The Cat’s Back’.

Battersea Arts Centre - Friday 13th March 2015

February 2015

This month has involved extensive armchair travelling.
It began with a visit to 'Travel Destinations' at Olympia, which was pretty much the same as previous years but always fires the imagination and the possibilities. Added to this we have been following my son and his girlfriend as they make their way in and around South East Asia. This has resulted in our atlas being dusted off and google searches galore, as we locate them in places we have never heard of before.
Planning future trips to Venice and finding a hotel there has taken up part of our waking hours with the remaining time divided between discussing our visit to Cape Town and arrangements for staying there in our flat. 
All this following the whereabouts of the gadabouts (7 hours ahead in Vietnam), our own mind expanding travelling, reading books and viewing websites* is exhausting and I'm getting itchy feet.
'Chocks away ginger', nearly time to fly and leave the armchair for awhile.

Relax and enjoy the flight in luxury with armchair-airways dot con !

* fyi see:
http://www.thethinkingtraveller.com/thinkpuglia/guide-to-puglia/towns-and-cities/alberobello.aspx
and
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/vietnam/northeast-vietnam/halong-bay

2015: January

New idea for 2015. We'll post a monthly blog, about just anything we've been doing, with news and links to our other page 'trips' when relevant.

Square-eyes….

This month we have mostly been watching telly. (And going to the pictures).
Whether this has all to do with January being grey and dull and it makes you want to hibernate, or following Christmas you're now trying to save money after dispensing with too much of it the month before, take your pick. All I know is Margaret hit the button on our 'Sky TV on demand' and 'Download Abbey' was in progress. Over the next few days all forty odd episodes appeared in our Planner box and the Downton Abbeython had begun.
Somehow over the last four years we have not, like most of the world, got caught up in watching this TV series. But hooked we are now. Trying to avoid people telling us what has happened isn't easy, though we are racing through the episodes at such a rate we'll soon be up to date, if that's correct terminology for a period drama set nearly a 100 years ago.

Contributing further to our square-eyed persona has been a number of movies. 'Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb' - 'The Hobbit: the Battle of the Five Armies' (Bill) - 'Interstellar' - 'Paddington' (Margaret) - and 'Birdman'.

Hopefully February will see us come out of hiding and more sociable behaviour will resume.
x M&B

Seasons in the Sun

To show that there's more to Hurley than just pictures of water…..

Spring - Rain - Bluebells.

This one is not in the sun, but note the matching umbrella I'm wearing.

Tithecote Manor, Hurley

Driveway envy.

House on the Littlewick Green. 

Not a made up place, but a quintessential English village.

The Rising Sun Public House.

'Our local'

Retro Weekend

This banner really says it all. A weekend of retro fun for old retro people. The air display was worth the entry fee alone but for the price they threw in stalls full of clothes and memorabilia (also a lot of junk), vintage cars, bikes and caravans. Loads of fun and already in the diary for next year. Here's a few pictures I took:

Air Display

Annie's Cake Bar

Amazing clouds too !

Van Improvements

Sporting a new look for the summer, latest picture of our weekend retreat at Hurley showing off some home improvements.

1. Boxing in around van (to keep out the cold and wind).

2. New replacement fencing at back. 

3. Repainted picnic table (half hidden by garden re-arrangement).

4. Painted green gates. (even if you hardly notice, please tell us how nice they look, as they took us ages to do. I thank you).

First year Wedding Anniversary - photo call

This picture is brought to you by Seven Seas Trying for a baby - vitamins and minerals - proud sponsors of the ITV weather.

Shocked ? We all look it !

*Actually 4 months old Jack is my second cousin's little boy. We just borrowed him for a while.

Cape Town (Part 2) finally!

As students and followers of our blogs may have noticed the final 'part two' of our Cape Town holiday has yet to make an appearance.
After taking longer to conclude than anticipated we can finally reveal "THE PLANS".

While 'it' was rather long winded, it's best that we aren't, so here's a summary, some pictures and the location, location, invitation!

I have previously mentioned this part concerns swallows and flying south, which is roughly how it all started....
Having spent the best part of last year searching and looking for properties we thought we'd just take a look around after friends spoke of people coming to Cape Town to escape the northern winter, calling them 'swallows'. This certainly appealed to me.We eyed up Hermanus first and then, in Hout Bay, realised this too was affordable. We wanted a simple lock-up and go that we might be able to rent out. Hout Bay, which as well as being a lovely place to be, offered the added bonus of good friends living just around the corner.

KEY:  25 minute drive to Cape Town centre         30 minutes to the airport.

We were shown a place we liked and with the owner selling the flat fully furnished and at the money (plus a favourable exchange rate) it appeared like a good investment. "Let's give it go and see how it works out" was my view.

We made an offer, agreed a price and our final day in Cape Town took us back to the agents Rawsons to go through the paperwork and sign documents on a two bedroom, fully kitted out flat. Confident in the ability to complete the purchase via email we retired to the 'Woodcutters Arms' for a celebratory drink with Lynne Fouche (our appointed inspector and henceforth known as Agent Fouche).

Following a number of hold ups, beyond our control, we have finally completed. Have a tenant in place for a year, after which, we hope to go out next year to spend some time there ourselves.

We've had slightly mixed reactions to all of this and not wanting to get to philosophical - but "Life's to short" and "Nothing ventured, nothing gained" are two cliches that spring to mind and this philosophy has been under-pinned since by various friends and family who have recently suffered serious health problems. So YOLO. ("You only live once").

Our invitation to everyone is you're welcome to come to Cape Town. We have the ideal place to stay.

First floor flat – front door and separate balcony to the right. Parking space below.

Living Room

This aerial shot probably doesn't tell you a huge amount unless you know Hout Bay. 
But it does show the sea (bottom left), about half a kilometre away. We're near Hout Bay Manor.
For more location info, check out www.houtbaymanor.com/contact-us