Day 86 - St. Andrew's Day

On the 30th day of November, the Scots take a national holiday to celebrate their patron saint, St. Andrew. Having Scottish blood in me from my paternal grandmother's side (thus the curly hair, the poetry writing and the sarcastic wit), it seems only appropriate that I should get the day off too...or, at least I should write about it if I must work.

The St. Andrew's Cross (also called a saltire) is the diagonal cross you see on the Flag of Scotland, and is one of three crosses that make up the Union Jack. The others are the red cross of St. George -- the patron saint of England -- and the cross of St. Patrick -- the patron saint of Ireland.


At the time the flag was created, Wales was part of the Kingdom of England, so it wasn't included. But Wales 'patron saint is St. David, and in case you're curious, the St. David's cross and flag is to the left. There was an interesting article in The Atlantic about the possibility of changing the Union Jack, if you want to see ideas for what a new flag could look like.

Now, back to St. Andrew's Day. Andrews was Jesus' first disciple and was baptised by John the Baptist. It is thought he was crucified on November 30, 60 AD and was tied to an X-shaped cross. He was noted for his generosity, believing you should give as much as possible to those in need. Today, committing acts of kindness are often part of St. Andrew's Day celebrations.

The early Picts and Scots modelled them selves on St. Andrew. In the 800s, King Angus of the Picts was preparing to battle the Saxons. The night before the battle, he had a dream in which he was told he would see a cross in the sky and would then be able to conquer the Saxons in the name of that cross. The next day, the saltire is said to have blazed across the sky, and the Picts won their battle. From then on, the cross became the symbol of the nation.

Eilean Donan Castle ablazened with the St. Andrew's flag. Source: https://twitter.com/scotfoodawards/status/539187522308685824

Day 85 - Discover the treasures of one of the world's oldest libraries

While Phil headed off to the environs of the London area, I travelled with him on the train as far as Oxford. Much-needed hair salon visit for me, but in actuality a chance to squeeze an extra hour out of the day to have a meander around Oxford and see what new discovery was awaiting me.

Today it was the Weston Library. The Weston is part of the Bodleian Library system at Oxford -- the largest library system in the UK. In addition to the 30 major libraries across Oxford, there are other research libraries, and faculty, department and institute libraries. In total, the system houses more than 100 libraries, holding "more than 12 million printed items, over 80,000 e-journals and outstanding special collections including rare books and manuscripts, classical papyri, maps, music, art and printed ephemera."

The beautiful entrance to the Bodleian Library.
Source: www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk

The Weston is across from the old Bodleian Library, which has a fascinating history. You can tour this library, which I had the pleasure of doing one sunny afternoon while Phil was presenting a paper at a conference in one of the Colleges here a few years back. I highly recommend it to all my book lover friends out there (which is almost all of you...like minds and all). I won't get into the history here, so as not to spoil your visit (oh, you will visit). However, if you can't wait to find out more, the Library website offers a video and page detailing the history. And if you want to imagine yourself working in one of the libraries, they even offer live "sound" feeds of the various sites (I suppose so you can listen to find out how often the librarian hisses "shhhhhhhh!" at people).

The Weston Library. Source: www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk

Today as I was passing the Weston Library (the new library built to accommodate the growing Bodleian collection), I noticed a sign for an exhibition called "Designing English." Couldn't resist. However, although the listed times indicated it should be open, the entrance to this exhibition was blocked by one of those red tapes used to gently tell you to "back off." As luck would have it, another exhibition beckoned in a nearby room: Bodleian Treasures. The exhibition of 21 displays pairs up items. Their description explains it best: "Some pairs show the influence of one book on another; some explore a similar theme, evoke a particular period, or provide a visual dimension to the display; others consider the very idea of a ‘treasure’. Rare books are joined together with manuscripts while modern ephemera sit alongside 400-year-old rolls, drawing out themes and unique stories that bring the pairs together." You can view all of them here.

My favourites:

• pages from Handel's Messiah showing his own handwritten score and notes; 
• one of J.R.R. Tolkein's lovingly handwritten Father Christmas stories he wrote each year for his family; 
• absolutely exquisite and intricate handpainted drawings of tropical birds created before the age of photography; and 
• the first folio of Shakespeare's collected works.

So, go grab a cup of tea and a biscuit and allow yourself to go on a tour of this priceless, awe-inducing collection, then let me know which ones were your favourites.

Day 84 - Feeding a nation: Part II

Now let's turn our attention to something that is found in many towns in Britain and that is the modern "allotment."  As Angela wrote yesterday, the concept of the allotment has been around for hundreds of years, but today's allotments are really an extension of a time in the early 19th century when social welfare policy was non-existent so a solution to help the disadvantaged was to set aside land for the poor so that they could grow food for their own consumption.

In the First World War, the UK government encouraged the development of allotments to assist in providing food as part of the war effort. All municipal properties,such as parks, commons or building plots, were turned over to be used for growing food. Prior to the war, there were approximately half a million allotments, and after the war that number was three times larger. It was estimated by that point the production of vegetables had reached over 2 million tonnes of produce.

When soldiers returned from the First World War they were then also given access to land, thus expanding the concept to include more of society. In the mid 1920s, the UK government enacted legislation that required local authorities to set aside lands that they could not sell without government consent and these lands would be used for the purpose of public allotments that would allow anyone to garden fruits, tubers and vegetables.

When the Second World War broke out, the blockading of the UK again put pressure on producing local food. However, because the concept of allotments had been in place for decades, they were able to add 500,000 more allotments within the first year of that war. They continued to be useful after the end of the war as rationing meant limited food availability until when rationing finally ended in 1954.

The concept went into decline during the 1960s and '70s as pressure to expand housing meant local councils were hesitant about allocating land for allotments. Yet the allotment has helped the country through two world wars, and today there still remain 300,000 local council-owned allotments with another 90,000 people on a  waiting list to get their little patch of garden.

Ange and I walk past them all the time when we head out on our local walks, and now we see them in a slightly different light.



Ale of the Day: Hoggett, Cotswold Lion Brewery, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

Day 83 - Feeding a nation: Part 1

Source: Geograph.org.uk

Two work days in a row, and while both have involved walks around town, they have not been anything too extensive. So, today and tomorrow, Phil and I are going to discuss with you some interesting things about how Britain has fed itself in the past and continues to do so today.

Source: Geograph.org.uk

This idea comes from our walks in the area. At least once on almost every walk in the Cotswolds we find ourselves trekking across pastureland that is undulating. Now, what makes this so unusual is that the undulations are man made. These two pictures will give you an idea of what I'm talking about. It's really quite fascinating, and in all cases, the land we are crossing is not being farmed with vegetables; it's often empty or being grazed on by sheep.

This made me curious and I had to discover why these rather large, long ridges were there. Now, how do you even begin to research this when you're an ignorant urbanite. I googled "undulating hills," "humps across farmland," "bumpy row in fields." Well, you get the idea: I won't be winning any research awards, so the Nobel Prize people can cast their gaze elsewhere.

I finally hit on it when I typed in "ridges in fields" and discovered this is known as ridge and furrow, a pattern of farming used by the Romans who lived in Britain and then used into the Middle Ages. At that time it was a type of communal farming, with each family having one of the ridges to farm. The ridges were formed over time as a plough used only turned the soil in one direction. As a result, when the got to the end of the row, they picked the plough up, walked a few steps, dropped it back down and started ploughing again, pushing the soil back in a small hill toward the previous strip they had ploughed. After a time, this sort of clockwork-style ploughing started to build up small mounds. Today, the mounds are about a couple of feet high, but when they were in use, they would have been much higher -- up to six feet. Traditionally, they would be a furrow long (the origin of the word "furlong"), about 220 yards (200 metres). Crops that needed better drainage, such as wheat, would be grown at the top, while things such as peas that could tolerate damper soil would be grown in the furrows.

Its rather amazing to think you are walking over mounds created from such extensive human effort. People lived and worked here. Somewhere nearby would have been their homes. All that effort to ensure you and your family were fed. But according to The Guardian, in the east Midlands part of the UK, about 94% of ridge and furrow left by medieval farmers was destroyed in the 1990s by modern farm machinery. Occasionally that has meant the destruction of burial mounds, intricate Roman tiles, stone circles, and who knows what else. Like driving a combine through a museum!

In a previous blog, I talked about a TV show about metal detectorists. When I cross these fields, I now understand the desire to know what just might rest beneath waiting to be rediscovered. Hey, Christmas is coming, if anyone is wondering what to buy me!

Day 82 - Cheltenham: The Cultural Centre of the Cotswolds

Off to the town of Cheltenham on this fine Sunday...well more formally, Regency Cheltenham Spa. Phil was to meet up with a potential PhD student looking for some info on what academic life might be like at Ryerson.

That was excuse enough for us to take a trip. We've wanted to get to the town as it is at the end of the bus line that travels from Moreton in Marsh through Stow on the Wold and Bourton on the Water, and then onto Cheltenham (about 1.5 hours through gorgeous countryside). But being Sunday, no buses were running, so we opted for the train. This took us back to Worcester (see last Sunday's blog) where we would catch a second train on to Cheltenham. And also being Sunday, we had to put up with a few train "issues." We arrived in Worcester to find that we had about an hour to kill. So we walked back into town to admire the old buildings and pick up another delicious hot chocolate from Hotel Chocolat (this week's variations: hazelnut for Phil and salted caramel and clementine for me....yum). Well, there was a chill in the air, after all!

Back at Worcester Shrub Hill station, we were standing on the platform admiring the beautiful design and tiling of the station's Victorian waiting room, when it was announced that the train to Cheltenham (and beyond) had been cancelled due to "not leaving the depot on time." We supposed it hadn't left the depot at all, probably because a driver was still suffering from one too many at the pub last night.

Phil pulls an Incredible Hulk
move on learning that a second
train he has travelled on this
weekend has been cancelled.

We went to the ticket counter to get a refund, only to be advised that a replacement bus had been called and we basically had two minutes to get to where it was loading. Somehow, we had missed the announcement to that effect (because there hadn't been any).

The journey was pleasant enough (well, despite the five ladies seated across the back row behind us all of whom seemed to be suffering from some form of cough or cold...thus the reason I never travel without a light scarf, a.k.a. urban surgical mask). As we travelled we could see off in the distance the beautiful Malvern Hills (perhaps a future hike for Phil and our son Alex as it seemed from my vantage point to be very much an uphill walk).

Cheltenham Spa rail station is about a 20-minute walk from the town centre, and we enjoyed a lovely stroll to the pub where we would be meeting Phil's lunch guest, Andy.

But first a quick historical look at Cheltenham. About 300 years ago, mineral springs were discovered here, and a health and holiday spa soon developed. George III came for a visit in 1788, and Cheltenham Spa become the fashionista place to be. The town is considered to be the most complete Regency town in England, and the architecture really is something to behold, very different from the towns and village of Cotswold stone which surround it.

Source: thebeehivemontpellier.com

Lunch was at a lovely traditional pub called The Beehive which is located in a very fashionable part of the city called Montpellier. Andy had booked us a table in the restaurant located on the second floor. It was a gorgeous and completely unexpected space. Our waiter was a wonderful gentleman named Johnny whose girlfriend had gone to school in Montreal (another Canadian connection). And for those of you still following along with our Sunday Roast Lunch adventures, I had the pork today, and it was fabulous. I only wish I had saved room for dessert as sticky toffee pudding was on the menu. In one of his blogs, I'm sure Phil will share with you the humorous name of one of the ales on tap! Highly recommend this pub if you ever find yourself in Cheltenham. It's not far off the town centre, and is worth going a bit off the beaten path for.

Dining room at The Beehive Pub. We sat at the table near the chalkboard.
Source: thebeehivemontpellier.com

After our enjoyable lunch and conversation with Andy, Phil and I took a walk about the area, before heading back to the train station. We crossed our fingers hoping that there actually would be a train this time instead of a bus (although Andy told us we were now officially British travellers as we had experienced replacement bus travel). Luck was on our side and we enjoyed a quiet trip back, ignoring the leg pains from yesterday's 20km walk.

We plan on to visit to Cheltenham again when we will get a chance to provide you with a more fulsome description of the town...as soon as our legs stop throbbing.

Day 81 - Sunshine, Saturday and Sore Feet

"I really think there's nothin' quite so fine
As lettin' the sun rejuvenate your mind"
(this post is dedicated to Skip Prokup (1943-2017) of the legendary Canadian rock band, Lighthouse. He was a neighbour of mine growing up in Mississauga, Canada)

A Saturday morning bathed in brilliant sunshine means only one thing...a long cross-country walk on a path we have not yet encountered. The night before, we had seen that the forecast was for sunny weather all day, so we awoke early to catch the first bus out to Chipping Camden where the walk would begin. We had used this lovely town as a starting point before, but this time we were going to head north along the Heart of England Way on a 20-kilometer hike that would take us eventually back to Moreton-in-Marsh. But first we had to go in an opposite direction from MiM that would eventually take us to the Diamond Way where we would then turn south. Just outside of Chipping we came across cultivated fields filled with late autumn vegetables, such as red cabbage and Brussels sprouts. Now I know why we're served these vegetables as part of Christmas dinner.

The first village that we encountered was Ebrington, which I am advised is pronounced Yubberton by the locals. It is renowned for the number of thatched-roof cottages and for its ancient church, said to have been founded in the early 14th century. The village lies on the side of one of the Cotswold Hills and has a lovely pub (2017 London Times Village Pub of the Year) called the Ebrington Arms, which has been on that site since 1640.

We continued southerly along the Diamond Way, but sometimes with great difficulty as it is not as well walked as other footpaths in the area. Most times we found ourselves at the edge of well cultivated fields with no indication of a path at all.  Thankfully Angela's diligent map reading found us the corresponding exit from the field on the other side.  You can tell which farmers are okay with walkers and which ones are not by the way they plant their fields. The pasture lands of course provide the best conditions for walking, but when they are ploughed or seeded you find yourself with plenty of mud wrapped around the soles of your hiking shoes.

Paxford

Our next encountering of civilization was the pretty village of Paxford, which lies nestled at the base of a hill.  By the point our feet were too muddied to allow us to enter the fine village pub, so we continued onward along the road leading out of the village. We had now entered a relatively flat portion of the valley in which the Cotswold trainline runs. If it weren't for the fact that this narrow lane was paved with asphalt I would swear we were following the yellow brick road.

We passed the Alpaca farm, crossed under the trainline and began our trek up the last hill before we would descend down again into Moreton.  With great surprise I found a raspberry bush still brimming with berries! The end of November and fresh raspberries...yummy.  It was also here that Angela had her brush with the electric chair, or should I say electric fence. Our footpath crossed through some pasture where the farmer had put up an electric wire to keep his livestock in the field. Unfortunately Angela hadn't heard my warning and as she stopped to review the map poor Ange accidentally brushed against the wire and received a shock. It took me 15 minutes to catch up to her!

As our day ended, we both knew that we had covered quite a distance.  So a rest was in order but not before we joined in with the crowd in Moreton to see the Cavalcade of Lights, the annual lighting of the town for the Christmas season.... but more about that another time.

Oh, yeah the answers to the turkey trivia from the end of our Day 79 post: 1. Lincoln  2. Benjamin Franklin  3. Plymouth U.K. 4. A Tom and 5. Superman.

Ale of the Day: Wickwar Bob Amber Ale, Wickwar Wessex Brewing, Wickwar, Gloucestershire

Day 80 - "Tea without sugar is just vegetable soup"

I'm pretty sure I got my love of minutiae from my Mom. The small details never ceased to evade her. Case in point: her favourite flower is the Lily of the Valley. She can't look at one without commenting on how tiny the petals are, and how the tips gently curl up. And from within that tiny nymph's shower cap comes a sweet scent so strong you'd expect it to be coming from a plant 10 times the size. Mom remarks on how simple, yet perfect they are.

Every time I see a Lily of the Valley, I'm reminded that my Mom is right. I'm also reminded to stop and look closer at the world around me.

It's this love of discovering small things that I think leads to my love of a British television comedy show called The Detectorists. It's a sweet, seemingly simple show that in reality is an subtle, intelligent look at the complexities of life, love and friendship. Like the Lily of the Valley, when you look for the small details you discover something bigger.

The show is written and directed by Mackenzie Crook (you may recognize him as Gareth Keenan in the UK version of The Office, Ragetti in the Pirates of the Caribbean films, and Orell in  Game of Thrones). He stars in The Detectorists alongside Toby Jones (most famous for playing Truman Capote, but in a slew of other productions...and for Harry Potter fans, he's the voice of Dobby).

Mackenzie Crook.

On the surface, the storyline is simple: two friends, Andy and Lance, regularly set out to spend the day scanning their metal detectors over a farm field. They live in the fictional town of Danebury in northern Essex and are members of the Danebury Metal Detecting Club (DMDC). The series is shot with a single camera, which adds to its simplicity.

Toby Jones

The Detectorists is in its third and, most likely, final season (well, if you could call it a season...as each one contains just six 30-minute shows). As they search for Roman gold, but instead find ring pulls and pieces of old farm instruments, we discover that Andy and Lance are also two socially awkward people trying to find what will make them happy in life (beyond metal detecting). It's a subtle gem of a show, beautifully written. And if you watch carefully, you'll find what's hidden inside: the truth behind what it is that makes up true friendship.

Oh, and the title comes from a line Lance says. Classic!

It was on Canadian Netflix last time I looked. Take a quiet moment to watch, and I hope you enjoy.

Day 79 - Happy Thanksgiving to our American Friends

Let's try a change of direction. On a day when not much was done on our part, aside from working, why don't we explore facts about Americans and Thanksgiving in the U.K.  For example, did you know that there are almost 200,000 U.S.-born immigrants who are living here? A large number are here work for multi-national companies in London and a number of Americans came here through their military connections and either continue to work in that capacity or decided to stay (perhaps having met the man or woman of their dreams).

Another interesting fact is that in the late 1700s, any African American who was enslaved was offered their freedom if they fought with the British against the American revolutionaries.  And when the British were defeated, they were given free passage to reside in England. They were referred to as the Black Patriots,and estimates suggest there were anywhere from 70,000 to 100,000 slaves who took their freedom and left for not only England, but also Nova Scotia, Jamaica, the Bahamas and Sierra Leone.


Even though the concept of Thanksgiving may not be thought of as British, we must remember that the first Thanksgiving was said to have taken place in 1621 by the Pilgrims in Plymouth, Massachusetts, which at the time was a British Colony. The Pilgrims were predominantly British  and it was their celebration of their first Autumn harvest with the help of local native Americans. So actually, Thanksgiving was started by the British.

In a 2015 article in a national UK paper it was noted that Thanksgiving on the 23rd of November was becoming more of a tradition here along with Halloween, Black Friday and "an upper inflection in the language"... whatever that means.  In that year, turkey sales during Thanksgiving were up 39% over other times of the year, suggesting the British are getting into it. They do not get a holiday like our American friends, but it now has a local moniker "Brits-giving."

So, today Americans and Brits alike are sitting down to turkey dinner and celebrating this day of thanks.  To finish, see if you can answer the following turkey trivia questions courtesy of that same national newspaper (answers at the end of this Saturday's post):

1. Which U.S. President established the holiday on the 3rd Thursday in November? Washington, Lincoln or Teddy Roosevelt.
2. Which Founding Father wanted to make the Turkey the national bird of the U.S. instead of the Bald Eagle? Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin
3. From which English town did the Pilgrims sale? Portsmouth, Plymouth, Falmouth.
4. What do you call a male turkey? A Tom, A Tim, A Todd.
5. What is the longest float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade? Superman, Spiderman, Ronald McDonald.

Ale of the Day: Samuel Adams Rebel IPA, Samuel Adams Brewery, Boston MA

Day 78 - 'Tis the season for Christmas Markets! - Part II

Winchester Cathedral

You're bringing me down

You stood and you watched as

My baby left town

Do you recognize that song opening? It's was written in 1966 and released by a British novelty group called The New Vaudeville Band. You can listen to it here. I can't think of the words "Winchester Cathedral" without having at least the first line of the song play in my head [I have the same problem when I see a "Way Out" sign on the London Tube, although in that case I hear the "Way Out" song from The Flintstones... and if you remember either of those, then welcome to my world...and sorry that you'll be singing them for the next 24 hours].

But I digress.

Today, we woke earlier than we really wanted to. It would have been lovely to have the time to lounge about in our lovely B&B room. Judy, who runs the B&B had generously agreed to prepare breakfast for us a bit earlier than usual so that Phil could make it to his class on time. Fried free-range eggs, local bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, toast and jam, and Phil was ready to face the day...and the steep hill he had to climb to get up to the business school at the University of Winchester.

Judy of 3 Worthy Lane B&B.

I was leading the more leisurely life, and so stayed at the dining room table, enjoying my coffee and the last of my toast, while having a wonderful chat with Judy. She is the perfect person to run a B&B: she takes great pride in what she does, she is genuinely nice and she enjoys meeting people. We chatted about life, family, work. travels...and what to see in Winchester. I could have chatted with her for hours, and we would have become lifelong friends, I am sure! But she had a hair appointment and I had some sightseeing to do and shops to browse before meeting up with Phil at noon, so we had to part.

First up, a walk to Winchester Castle. The original castle was build in 1067, by William the Conqueror. In 1222, Henry III constructed the Great Hall  -- the only part of the castle that remains today, although you can see the foundation of other parts. On the wall at the end of the Great Hall hangs the Round Table... yes, like the one linked to King Arthur.  Thomas Malory, the 15th century author of Le Morte D’Arthur, identified Winchester as the site of Camelot. But in reality, it's not THE round table of legend. In the Middle Ages, tournaments were held called Round Tables, and this table is thought to have come from one of those. It has been dated back to the 1200s.

From here, I walked down the main shopping street, stopping in at any shop that took my fancy, while trying to avoid the Cornish Pasty shop and the bakeries. Success!

Although I did not go into the Cathedral on this visit, I was inside several times when I lived in Farnham. Winchester was also a great day out from there with whoever came for a visit. We'd ride on the upper level of the double-decker bus which would offer us great views over the hedgerows to the surrounding countryside.

You'd think by now one cathedral would be looking like the next. But it isn't so. Each one has a wealth of unique history, and Winchester is packed with it! What's fascinating about Winchester in particular is the famous women buried within and without it. Let's start with Jane Austen. She is buried within, having died at the very young age of 41 (so much accomplished). Interesting is the fact that when she was buried, no mention was made on her tombstone of her writing. It was still a time when it wasn't considered proper for a woman to be a writer, and so her novels were published anonymously. Although they were well received when published, she did not receive any fame for it. In the 1870s, another plaque was placed in the Cathedral by her nephew, this time mentioning her as the writer of books which by now bore her name as the author.

Mary Sumner is also buried here. She founded the Mothers' Union, a worldwide Anglican women's organisation.

Here too is Victorian feminist and social reformer, Josephine Butler, noted for her work in trying to end human trafficking of young women and children into prostitution. She was a suffragette and campaigned for the right of women to better education.

Also buried here is St. Swithun. We was born in Winchester around 800. During his life, he counselled the Saxon kings Egbert and Ethelwulf. For the last 10 years of his life, he was the Bishop of Winchester. St. Swithun's Day is celebrated on July 15. It has a proverb associated with it that reminds me a bit of Groundhog Day:

St Swithun's day if thou dost rain

For forty days it will remain

St Swithun's day if thou be fair

For forty days 'twill rain nae mare

Source: Winchster.cathedral.org.uk

The remains of King Cnut lie in chest in the cathedral. Cnut was king of Denmark, before forcing his way into the role of King of England in 1016. Winchester was his capital city. 

Winchester has a host of other interesting connections to royalty. You can read more here.

Before I knew it, it was time to meet up with Phil. We'd plan to meet at noon, so I decided to give myself half an hour to walk up the hill to the University and find the business school. I needed a full 28 of those minutes! 

Phil's class over, we walked back into the Christmas market to enjoy lunch and soak up the atmosphere before heading back home on the train. On the menu: a sausage in a baguette covered in melted French cheese then a Kouber Kusse for dessert.

Phil trying to decide what Kouber Kusse to try.

We purchased a bottle of single malt whisky from Morrison & Mackay Whisky and then a German handmade Christmas ceramic house, before heading back to Moreton in Marsh in time to watch what have become our two favourite shows: Peaky Blinders and The Detectorists (which couldn't be more different from each other). More on those another day.

Day 77 - 'Tis the season for Christmas Markets! - Part 1

Work and pleasure collided today, as Phil and I headed off to Winchester. Tomorrow, Phil has an early class and I had been looking forward to strolling about the renown Winchester Christmas market. So, it took no convincing at all that perhaps we should travel to Winchester the day before his class, get a B&B, see the Christmas market, and then meet up with Lord and Lady Tanqueray for dinner.

Source: 3worthylane.weebly.com

After working until about 1:00, we threw a few necessities in a bag and grabbed the train to Winchester. Well, really it was three trains: Moreton in Marsh to Reading, Reading to Basingstoke (where I used to work), and then on to Winchester. We arrived around 4 p.m., and our B&B -- 3 Worthy Lane -- was only a few blocks from the station. We were warmly greeted by Judy, the proprietress who, after showing us to our very comfortable room, headed off downstairs to make us a nice cup of tea. This was served along with some lovely biscuits in her dining room. Very civilized. [I will chat more about Judy and her delightful B&B in tomorrow's blog.]

I wanted to see the market all lit up while it was dark, so we walked into the town centre at about 5:00 (already very dark). Along the way, the streets were lit with overhanging lights, and major historical buildings had gold and silver icicle lights twinkling from their eaves. [Kudos to those in town responsible for that!] The main thoroughfare in Winchester has a number of historic buildings and has been pedestrianized, which is really wonderful. [Why don't more cities find a way to do this...Yonge St/Queen St. in Toronto: hint, hint!].

The market is organized by and is setup surrounding the Winchester Cathedral. It is an absolutely stunning location. Even prettier than I had imagined. Since 2006, the Cathedral has set up wooden chalets and an ice rink, similar to a German Christmas market. It's proven a huge success, bringing a lot of visitors to town -- between 350,000 and 500,000 people during the month it's on. The Cathedral hand-picks vendors, selecting those offering only the best in handmade, well crafted goods. No mobile phone companies or insurance companies here trying to sell you services. Just a feast for the eyes ... and the nose as the aroma of cinnamon, cloves and citrus fills the air from vendors selling homemade wreaths, freshly baked minced pies, and huge copper vats of warm mulled wine. It's a tough gig to get a spot at...one gentleman with a whisky stand informed us he had been trying to get in for four years. Nice to see the Cathedral team responsible keeping this such a wonderful experience.

Over 100 Germany-style chalets are on display around the Cathedral.
Source: http://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk

Farnham, by Louise Braithwaite. We used to live up this
street, past the castle at the top of the hill.

We were really hungry, but as we were meeting his Lordship and her Ladyship for dinner, we decided we'd come back tomorrow to indulge. However, we did take a look at some of the Christmas wares to be had, including stopping to chat with an artist whose work I immediately recognized. Louise Braithwaite is a lifelong friend with one of my British clients, Lorna. Louise's work is very colourful and fun, depicting scenes from the local towns and villages. We bought a card showing an image up Castle Street in Farnham where weO used to live. You can see more of her work here.

The market started to slowly close up for the evening around 6:00 [no one was rushing people away...so nice to see], so we wander about the town for an hour before our dinner reservation.

The river Itchen runs through Winchester, coming very close to the Cathedral. On the main bridge crossing, a miracle was said to have occurred in the 9th Century. A woman dropped a basket of eggs as she crossed the bridge. St. Swithun came along and made the whole again. St. Swithun was a bishop at the Cathedral and he is buried there. Interesting history to St. Swithun if you want to read more.

John Keats. Who wouldn't be
inspired wandering the streets
of Winchester?

Our walk along the river brought us to an old mill. It's a lovely area, where gardens run down to the river, and lovely painted doors open out of stone walls along the river as if just waiting for you to draw a boat up along side them and then come into the garden for tea. Two historic figures are thought to have lived on Colbrook street, near the river. One was Nell Gwyn, Charles II's mistress [we mentioned Nell in a previous blog as it is claimed she is responsible for the site on which the Chelsea Hospital now stands]. Poet John Keats wrote his "Ode to Autumn" during some time spent here in the early 19th century.

Source: thebookshoparoundthecorner.co.uk

We passed a fantastic looking bookstore, P&G Wells and spent time browsing the window display. We knew if we went in, our wallets would be done for.  Don't you just miss the paper smell and displays of the independent book store?!

Phil tries to resist going into the
 Wykeham Arms for his
ale of the day.

Nearby was the Wykeham Arms; the bar side was filled with those having an after work/pre-dinner drink, while the dining room was set for those coming later. It had that look of a perfect English-style library, with dark wood, paintings and a jumble of other items to catch your eye all set off by candlelight.

We joined up with Lady and Lord Tanqueray at the Palm Pan Asia Restaurant. The Thai food here was excellent. The usual lively conversation and laughter ensued, over good food and even better libations. Too soon it was time for us to call it an evening...work day tomorrow.

Stay tuned for more on Winchester tomorrow!