Author: Kev

Singer, Drummer, Husband, Father, International Traveller, International Business Entrepreneur, Travel Blogger

Salisbury, Wiltshire

Salisbury Cathedral was built between 1220 and 1258, in a style now called ‘Early English Gothic’. The spire, the tallest in Britain at 404ft (123 metres) was one of the last parts of the cathedral to be completed, in about 1330. It has undergone repair several times during the following centuries, the most famous occasion being when Sir Christopher Wren (regarded as the greatest British architect of all time) was commissioned to undertake an architectural survey. Wren surveyed its “wonkiness” in 1668 and determined that the spire was leaning off plumb by 30 inches, so he had iron rods inserted, to strengthen the structure. Centuries later Wren’s work was checked, and modern measurements revealed that the tower had not moved so much as an inch. Other interesting facts: The cathedral houses, the oldest working clock in Europe (1326), one of only 4 original copies of the Magna Carta and the cathedral itself is 473ft (144 metres) long. Blake tried to sell ice cream, then when that venture failed, he built his own version of the spire out of orange traffic cones. Bailey liked the ‘bug cathedral’.

Stonehenge

Stonehenge was produced by a culture that left no written records. Many aspects of Stonehenge, such as how it was built and for what purposes it was used, remain subject to debate. A number of myths surround the stones. Proposed functions for the site include usage as an astronomical observatory or as a religious site. Stonehenge is regarded as a British cultural icon. It has been legally protected since 1882, and the site and its surroundings were added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in 1986. Whatever its original purpose, it is one of the most famous landmarks in the United Kingdom, but of all the quotes on the wall in the information centre, the one I like best is: “No one knows who they were, or what they were doing…” – Nigel Tufnel (Spinal Tap)

Havant

Wed 19th July 2023 – Trav phoned last night to advise that he’d booked a flight and would be arriving today at 5pm. Havant is a beautiful town, located in the south-east corner of Hampshire, between Portsmouth and Chichester. It’s only 10 minutes from where we’re staying in Emsworth. Due to Travers arriving from Brussels in the evening, we decided to spend a chilled day doing some grocery shopping followed by lunch at the oldest pub in town. Havant was destroyed by fire in 1760. The only buildings left standing were the church and adjacent cottages which are now known as ‘The Old House At Home’. After lunch we worked off the bangers & mash in the local park kicking the footy around. Then ‘Nanny’ (with Lou) made her 4th trip to Heathrow in as many weeks to collect Trav.  

Windsor Castle

The oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world. Built by William I in the aftermath of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. For nearly a thousand years it has been a symbol of monarchy. It houses one of the world’s greatest collections of paintings, furniture and other treasures. It is also home to St Georges Chapel, the final resting place of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. It was special to be able to pay our respect to a much beloved Queen. Windsor Castle was one of her 3 official residences, and was her favourite place to spend her private weekends. Windsor, was also a favourite weekend place for our own little princess, ‘Lou Lou’ to hang out, in her teens, at the local McDonalds.

Queen of the Skies

I’m a little bit of an aeroplane geek. One of my bucket list items was to experience business class, upstairs in the upper deck ‘bubble’ of the ‘Queen’ before she disappears from service forever. There are only 44 passenger versions of the 747 still in service in the world. Lufthansa remains the largest operator of the passenger version of the B747-8, with 19 in its current fleet. What an amazing experience! It was everything I hoped it would be and the service from Lufthansa was excellent. With Lou Lou already in England, and Trav in Berlin, it was special to be able to share the experience with Bailey, Blake & Josh.  

Singapore – in transit

We spent a few hours in Singapore. We had a cocktail at ‘The Warehouse’ in Clarke Quay, then took a walk along the river to Merlion Park, before heading back to Changi T2 to catch our midnight flight to Frankfurt. Bailey & Josh had a lovely nap on the floor of the Silver Kris Lounge. Oh the glamour of travel.