12 Comments CherryPie on Nov 8th 2022
12 Comments CherryPie on Nov 1st 2022
This afternoon I went in search of a giant spider. My quest took me to Leegomery Pool where I found two swans. It was a pleasant surprise, I have not seen swans on this pool before. It would be lovely if they took up residence there.
I was successful in my search for the giant spider he was lurking in the location I thought he would be.
4 Comments CherryPie on Nov 1st 2022
Mr C surprised me with an impromptu visit to Hodnet Hall Gardens, a place I planned to visit (alone) the previous week but having tested positive for Covid I chose to stop at home to keep my bugs to myself.
We had lunch before walking round the gardens and grounds on one of the last open days for this season. The weather wasn’t entirely kind to us with a lone black cloud deciding to shed its watery load at just the wrong moment. The randomness of that cloud added to the enjoyment of our visit.
Thank You Mr C 
16 Comments CherryPie on Oct 30th 2022
After completing my Queen Elizabeth II memorial walking challenge; 96k (60 miles) by virtually walking from Sonning Common to London, I retraced my steps on the virtual route from London back to Windsor (just under 29 miles). I concluded my challenge with a ‘real’ walk along the 2.64 miles ‘Long Walk’ from the Windsor Castle Cambridge gate entrance to the Copper Horse statue of King George III.
We enjoyed the views and seeing the deer herd as we got closer to the large statue of King George III that is at the far end of the walk. I enjoyed the sense of achievement and reflected on Queen Elizabeth II as I took in the view from the elevated location before walking the pathway back to Windsor.
My medal didn’t arrive in time for it to be presented at the end of The LongWalk . When it arrived I had it presented in one of my favourite local places, Hodnet Hall Gardens which also has lovely tree lined walks.
All the proceeds of medal purchases were equally donated between selected Queen’s Animal Charities. I have made additional donations to two of them; RSPB and the Dogs Trust. I have also made a donation to The Queens Green Canopy which was an initiative to plant trees to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The initiative has now been extended so that trees can be planted in memoriam to honour Her Majesty.
10 Comments CherryPie on Oct 27th 2022
Bekonscot in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, is the oldest original model village in the world.[1][2][3] It portrays aspects of England mostly dating from the 1930s.
Bekonscot was first created in the 1920s by a Beaconsfield resident, Roland Callingham (1881–1961). Callingham, an accountant, developed the master plan for his miniature empire as an addition to his large back garden, drawing in help from his staff: the gardener, cook, maid and chauffeur. Together they developed the model landscape portraying rural England at the time. The swimming pool became the first “sea” and the undulating rockeries were built up as hills. Bassett-Lowke, the large-scale model railway manufacturers, were commissioned to build an extensive Gauge 1 railway network for the project.[4] Callingham named the village Bekonscot after Beaconsfield and Ascot, where he had lived previously.
Bekonscot was not conceived as a commercial visitor attraction but as a plaything to entertain Callingham and his guests. It was only after 1930 that its existence became widely known, catching the imagination of the press and public alike. Frequent newsreels, such as Pathé, and international and national newspaper coverage, ensured a steady stream of visitors, all of whom were invited to make a donation to the Railway Benevolent Institution.
8 Comments CherryPie on Oct 25th 2022
Mr C overslept which meant we were a little late for our breakfast timeslot. As the day evolved the reason for his oversleeping became apparent; he had come down with the lurgy overnight.
After breakfast we loaded our luggage into the car and drove to Bekonscot Model Village, a place that Mr C had wanted to visit for a long time due to seeing it signposted on his many journeys along the M40 The miniature village didn’t disappoint with its well crafted models, fine attention to detail and whimsical names. I learned that Queen Elizabeth II and her sister, Princess Margaret, loved to visit Bekonscot as children.
When we had finished the tour of the village it wasn’t quite time for lunch so we headed off to Berkhamsted to tick off another item on Mr C’s bucket list, Berkhamsted Castle which he had seen often as he travelled by train to London. By the time we arrived in the village it was time for lunch. We dropped lucky with the only parking space available being outside The Dower House Coffee where we both indulged in a slice of Lemon Fudge Cake that was delicious.
We had time to visit the delightful Parish Church of St Peter before moving our car nearer to the castle. Parking near to the castle proved more of a challenge. It was next to the railway station and most nearby parking was blocked by double yellow lines. It took a few circuits around the site of the castle before a suitable space presented itself.
The castle didn’t quite live up to the Romantic Ruin that was teased by those glimpses from the train, but Mr C was glad to have ticked it off his bucket list.
Whilst in Berkhamsted we picked up a ready meal from Waitrose before continuing on our journey homeward, stopping at the motorway services for a leg stretch and choosing to sit outside on the picnic benches with bottled water from the car rather than fight the chaotic options within.
We arrived home to find that a couple of family members had come down with the same lurgy as Mr C…
10 Comments CherryPie on Oct 22nd 2022
