Cherie's Place

Filed under Anecdotes, Holidays, Norwich & Windsor 2025

Norwich & Windsor – Day Six

We reverted to our normal breakfast time of 8.30 before driving the Hampton Court Palace.

Hampton Court is currently undergoing some restoration which meant the iconic view of the main entrance was covered with scaffolding. The size of the building is impressive but somehow the history of this amazing place didn’t come alive for me.

The one exception was the Chapel Royal which has stunning architecture and is also one of the areas that has maintained its original use since it was built. Maybe I was feeling the atmosphere of a ’space’ that has remained constant but flowing throughout the years…

The artwork displayed at Hampton Court both on the walls and in frames is impressive and we each had our favourite pieces that we lingered over.

We didn’t explore the gardens as much as we would have liked. It was rather hot and we were also running out of time. We did however walk to see The Great Vine, the largest grape vine in the world and also The Royal (real) Tennis Court which dates to 1625. A garden I would have loved to visit is the Magic Garden, I love a bit of fantasy and it has a dragon! But sadly, adults are not allowed in unless they are accompanied by a child. It was suggested that we could borrow a child and come back another day…

We were a little late back to the hotel so we chose to book into the hotel restaurant, allowing us to chill out after our long day out. The food quality was good but the combinations of dishes didn’t quite work for us. When Mr C’s sirloin steak arrived it was a thick cut more like rump, he did query if he had been served the right cut as did another customer. Both were informed that it was sirloin but cut thicker than usual!

Rather than stay in the hotel for a night cap we strolled across Windsor Bridge to the George Inn which was a lot livelier than our previous visits and presumably because it was a Friday there were no calls for last orders as there had been the previous nights.

Tags: Berkshire, Hampton Court Palace, Real Tennis, Royal Tennis, Sir Christopher Wren, Surrey, The Banqueting House, The Chapel Royal, The Field of Cloth of Gold, Vacation, Windsor

4 Comments CherryPie on Aug 31st 2025

Filed under Anecdotes, Holidays, Norwich & Windsor 2025

Norwich & Windsor – Day Five

We went to breakfast earlier than usual so that we could catch a train to London. When we arrived at Windsor and Eton Riverside station, we had to wait several minutes whilst the ticket office assistant was on the telephone. When she had finished her call she informed that there was a reduced service during the summer months and this was advertised on the platform. At this stage we hadn’t got as far as the platform! We were further told us that the next train wouldn’t be for 45 minutes. We decided not to wait and walked to Windsor’s other station, Windsor and Eton Central, where there would be more options. We purchased our tickets which included the London Underground and as soon as we got onto on the platform a train arrived.

We arrived in London next to Tower Hill and the Tower of London without any delays. I purchased a Historic Royal Palaces season ticket for Mr C’s birthday present. We planned to visit Hampton Palace later during our stay so this option provided good value for money. Scaffolding was surrounding the main entrance to the Tower of London so visitors were directed to a temporary entrance.

Once inside the Tower, we walked round the outside of the White Tower to see the ceramic poppy display that had, once again, been installed at the Tower. On this occasion the poppies on display mark 80 years since VE day and the end of the Second World War.

At one stage the Tower’s resident squirrel scuttled through the poppies right to my feet probably expecting a tasty snack. He left disappointed, he needs to see the Yeoman Warders for those. Speaking of Yeoman Warders, we made our way from the poppies to the meeting point for a Yeoman Warder talk. Our guide tuned out to be John, the Yeoman Gaoler. The talk was excellent, bringing the Tower and its history to life. One part of the tour wasn’t possible, The Church of St Peter ad Vincula, which was cordoned off for restoration and repairs.

Next we had some lunch in the busy café where we were lucky enough to find a seat. We left the café to find that there was no longer a queue to visit the Crown Jewels so we took the opportunity to see them next as they are always worth a visit. When we had finished in the Jewel House we found that there was no queue to enter the White Tower which is home to the Royal Armouries so we went in.

It was an unexpected bonus be able to do both, we had thought the queues to get in would be too long and we would only have time to visit one of them. As we were leaving the White Tower, I purchased a couple of books about the Tower of London and a book about the Crown Jewels. It was now time to catch the train back to Windsor. The trains ran smoothly and we arrived back in Windsor at 6pm. We were able to book a table in the Giggling Squid for later in the evening after we had freshened up after our days adventure. The food and service were excellent and we got chatting to a couple of ladies on a nearby table. We returning to the George Inn for a nightcap before turning in for the night.

Tags: 80th Anniversary, Historic Royal Palaces, John Donald, Poppies, Royal Armouries, Slough, The Crown Jewels, The Tower of London, The White Tower, Tower of London, Traitor's Gate, Vacation, VE Day, Windsor Bridge, Wisdom, WW11, WW2, Yeoman Gaoler, Yeoman Warder

8 Comments CherryPie on Aug 28th 2025

Filed under Anecdotes, Holidays, Norwich & Windsor 2025

Norwich & Windsor – Day Four

For breakfast I once again chose a few items from the Full English option. On this occasion my plan for a smaller breakfast didn’t work, the chef added extras of the items I had chosen so that my plate was full!

After breakfast we checked out of the hotel and drove to Bury St Edmunds in order to visit St Edmundsbury Cathedral. It was one to add to my Cathedral passport which details my pilgrimage to British Cathedrals since the passport was launched in 2020. Starting the pilgrimage off was a bit of challenge, shortly after the pilgrimage passport was launched England and other parts of Britain were put into lockdown due to the Covid 19 epidemic.

At the Cathedral, a lady from the tourist information area pointed out some highlights and suggested we also visit the nearby St Mary’s church where Henry VIII’s sister, Mary Tudor is buried next to the high altar. She also told me to look at the spectacular Angel vaulted ceiling.

We enjoyed our tour of the Cathedral where we learned that the tower and crossing were quite modern and completed in the 1950s. We had enough time to visit St Mary’s where we were greeted by one of the guides who shared detailed history of the building including the location of Mary Tudor’s (Queen of France & Duchess of Suffolk) tomb. Mary Tudor was married to Louis XII of France until his death after which she married the Duke of Suffolk.

Besides the two beautiful church spaces the town of Bury St Edmunds is delightful. We didn’t have time to explore the town but we had just enough time to visit the Abbey gardens before continuing our journey to Windsor.

We broke our journey for lunch in The Old Butchers at Balsham a place recommended on the Extra Mile website. On arrival we found the menu was not as extensive as the website suggested but the food (in my case a cherry flap jack with yoghurt topping) was both excellent and delicious. The weather was warm and sunny allowing us to sit outside.

The remainder of the journey to Windsor was tedious; lots of motorway and duel carriageway driving. On arrival at the hotel we checked in and found that we had been booked into the same room we had stayed in on our previous visit. Initially we were a little dismayed, we had been hoping to stay in the annex near to the car park and station. We also remembered the bed being a little on the small side, which it is not.

Later I realised the problem was the mattresses were tired which meant I kept rolling into the middle (small bed space). The mattresses have been replaced and are now super cosy.

We chilled out in the hotel room, cooling off from the muggy heat before enjoying our free pre-dinner drink in the hotel bar. Then we walked the short distance across the bridge into Eton where we dined in the Cote Brasserie. Before returning to our hotel for the evening we had a nightcap in the George Inn.

Tags: Abbey Gardens, Balsham, Berkshire, Bury St Edmunds, Edmusbury Cathedral, Hotel Christopher Wren, Mary Tudor, St Mary's Church, Suffolk, The Extra Mile, The Old Butchers, Windsor, Windsor Bridge, Windsor Castle

12 Comments CherryPie on Aug 27th 2025

Filed under Anecdotes, Holidays, Norwich & Windsor 2025

Norwich & Windsor – Day Three

We had another refreshing night’s sleep; the bed was so comfy. To manage my breakfast portion sizes, I chose a few selected items from the full English breakfast.

After breakfast we relaxed in our room before it was time to visit friends (Wiggia and Mrs W). As we left the carpark, we got a bit confused by the one-way system around the Assembly Hall, our SatNav which is normally reliable was just as confused as we were. Perhaps we shouldn’t have had those few minutes in our room after all! Eventually we were on our way, arriving at our destination a short time later.

It was lovely to see them both for a chat and catch up. We were treated to delicious scones and cakes followed by a tour of their lovely garden with its amazing view looking over the countryside. As we were leaving Mrs W presented Mr C with a card and present for his birthday.

Back at the billet we couldn’t find a parking space in the hotel car park so we tried the other nearby car park where there were spaces. Mr C didn’t want to pay the price, we had already paid to stay the Assembly House car park at a discounted rate. We returned to the Assembly House to find one lonesome parking space waiting for us.

It was time to chill out in our room some more before heading to Norwich castle, stopping along the way for a refreshing drink in the same café as the previous day. The castle has only recently re-opened after five years of extensive renovations to make the castle and museum collections more accessible to visitors. We visited the Boadicea and antiquities collections first followed by the Norfolk Regiment’s regimental displays. Our next priority was the Castle Keep with its related collections and roof top view. I was impressed with the way the castle and museum collections are presented. We didn’t have time to see everything, even though we left just a few minutes before closing. Hopefully we will get the opportunity to return soon to see what we missed and re-visit some things that we enjoyed most.

With time to spare we returned to the Murderer’s Arms for a glass of wine (for me) and beer for Mr C which we enjoyed in the afternoon sunshine before returning to the Assembly House. Back in our room we chilled out some more before it was time to dine in the nearby Paolo’s Italian restaurant. The food, service and ambience were perfect. The sun was shining and as I looked out towards the market square and church, I almost felt I was sitting outside in continental Europe.

The Murderer’s Arms called us for one last drink; the next day we were leaving the Assembly House for Windsor and the Sir Christopher Wren.

Tags: Art Gallery, Cake, Cakes, Friends, Museum, Norfolk, Norwich, Norwich Castle, Scones, Tea, The Assembly House, Wiggia

7 Comments CherryPie on Aug 26th 2025

Filed under Anecdotes, Holidays, Norwich & Windsor 2025

Norwich & Windsor – Day Two

Feeling refreshed after a good night’s sleep in the bed that was as comfortable as it looked, it was time for breakfast. There were interesting and unusual options on the menu. I opted for the American style pancakes with fruit compote and when it arrived the portion was huge. As other dishes were delivered to nearby tables I noticed that the other choices were also huge.

We had a few hours available before our ‘Afternoon Seas’ lunch, which was part of Mr C’s ’special birthday’ present in 2024. Circumstances got in the way so we only managed to enjoy the present just – before his next birthday. The ’special lunch’ was in the Assembly House which is why we chose to stay there.

We walked into town to find the lovely art shop that is part of the Jarrold’s department store. There were a lot of things to tempt me but I have enough colouring pencils and resisted the urge to add a new make of pencils to my collection. I bought a few smaller (useful) items that will enhance the enjoyment of what I already have.

There is currently a GoGoSafari animal trail around Norwich and I took the opportunity to photograph the sculptures that we saw on our morning walk. Our walk took us past the colourful market stalls where Mr C bought his first Christmas present when he saw the perfect present of 2025 for one of his friends. Our walk took us past the model shop where on our previous visit Mr C had made a purchase. He didn’t need anything new this time but couldn’t resist going inside because we knew they stock a few board games.

I saw Castle Combo which looked interesting but rather than impulse buy I researched it on the Board Game Geek whilst having an Elderflower Presse in a nearby café. The game had a favourable write up so I purchased it before we returned to the billet to freshen up for the main event of the day, the long awaited ‘Afternoon Seas’.

The ‘Afternoon Seas’ lived up to our expectation, the service was impeccable and the food was both delicious and beautifully presented. After our indulgent lunch we chilled out on the patio next to our room before walking back into town to visit the Cathedral.

It was good to see the Cathedral without the scaffolding that had surrounded the organ on our previous visit. Now the building felt complete rather than split into two halves and I was able to feel and enjoy the atmosphere of the space within.

We then returned to the billet where I had a refreshing shower to wash away the afternoon heat before another lazy chill out on the patio. Well, a chill out was the intention but it was interrupted by a rather noisy demonstration in the nearby square.

Our evening meal was in the Gem of Norwich which serves Turkish cuisine. Mr C had miscalculated how far the restaurant was in relation to where we were staying. It was a long walk… The menu was extensive, I chose chicken salad which I thought would be a light option. I was wrong, the portion could easily have fed two people and the dish Mr C chose was just as large which, unusually, left him over faced by his portion. From where I was sitting, I could see most people were going home with doggy bags. The food quality was excellent but for me it wasn’t the best dining experience due to the enormous portions.

On the way back to our billet we returned to the Murderers Arms for a nightcap which we enjoyed sitting outside in the warm evening air.

Tags: Afternoon Seas, Art Shop, Birthday, Birthday Present, Board Game, Castle Combo, Gem of Norwich, GoGoSafari City Trail, GoGoSafari2025, Jarrold's Department Store, Murderers & Gardeners Arms, Norfolk, Norwich, The Assembly House, There's Always One, Vacation

8 Comments CherryPie on Aug 24th 2025

Filed under Anecdotes, Holidays, Norwich & Windsor 2025

Norwich & Windsor – Day One

Unforeseen circumstances led us to setting off later than we had planned but once we were on our way our journey ran smoothly. The route was just as tedious as we remembered it from our previous visit to Norfolk, although on this occasion we arrived without a cracked windscreen.

We broke our journey at Cambridge services for lunch. The options were limited and uninspiring, leaving me to succumb to the call of a Crispy Kreme doughnut which was plain, simple and delicious.

Our long journey required a second break for a refreshing drink before continuing our journey to the Assembly House where we were staying for the first part of our two centre holiday.

On arrival at the Assembly House, we checked into the B&B and were shown to our amazing room which had an outside patio area that was just perfect for the hot sunshiny days that we were being treated to.

We unloaded the car and chilled out on the balcony with a cup of tea and homemade biscuits that we found in our room. The weather was so warm and lovely that it was just calling for a glass of wine to enjoy on the patio.

Mr C went out to recce the area and find out where we had booked in for our evening meal. He returned with a nice bottle of Rose wine which we enjoyed whilst I was relaxing with one of my colouring books and pencils.

We dined in Middleton’s Steak Bar where I opted for a chicken burger. There were several fish options which I would normally choose but the following day we were having ‘Afternoon Seas’ for lunch, a fishy version of afternoon tea.

Before returning to our billet for an earlyish night we had an after-dinner drink in the Murderers & Gardeners arms which we found to be cosy and friendly.

Tags: Crispy Kreme, Jemima, Murderers & Gardeners Arms, Norfolk, Norwich, Patio, Pinot Grigio Blush, Room Eight, Ted, The Assembly House, Vacation