Monthly Archives: August 2011

around home, history, UK

Chartwell House

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One of the great delights of being back in England is the accessibility of interesting historical things. The previous few days had struck a similar pattern – miserably wet & cloudy in the morning before clearing to a reasonably nice afternoon. The same happened yesterday, so Trish & I were looking for somewhere to go. Initially the Hop Farm looked like a good idea, but it seems to have turned in to a family park which would be teeming at this time of the year. Eventually we settled on a shorter drive south to Chartwell House in the Kentish countryside.

I’m not sure how I wasn’t aware of this place on my last stay here as it’s quite close & satisfies my historical interest being the home of Winston Churchill from the early ’20s until just before his death in 1965. We managed to snake a parking space – of course many other people thought it would be a good time to visit such a nice spot. The grounds aren’t particularly large, but there is a nice big lawn sloping down towards a couple of ponds & looking out over the Weald of Kent. There were also plenty of ponds & walled gardens – the first walled one we came across was a very nice rose garden. Further past the house & the croquet lawn was an extensive kitchen garden – some of the walls for this were built by Churchill himself. Also out in the grounds is the studio where Churchill pursued his love of painting.

The house isn’t from the outside overly exciting or ostentatious. Entry inside was timed so that one could still move comfortable in & between the rooms. No photos allowed inside – interesting to see where Churchill had written most of his many books. Shortly after taking over the house, Churchill had a lot of work done including adding a wing facing out towards the lawn & ponds. This at least gave a lot more space & light to the interior. More of Churchill’s better paintings & an extensive library abounded. Upstairs there was a small museum detailing some of his life & achievements, as well as many of the various ceremonial & other clothes that were very interesting. Overall a very pleasant afternoon pottering around & enjoying the Englishness of it all.

around home, London, UK

Settling back in to London

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From the lofty heights of a prolific 80+ posts since the USA Roadtrip began at the start of May, I have comparatively little to mention of what has been a very pleasant first week back in the UK. Being quite familiar with the place I haven’t even taken any photos – shock, horror.

In amongst the sorting & storing in my room (which has had a great makeover since I left) I’ve managed to get a couple of trips in to the city already. Saturday afternoon was a great catch-up with Levi, a school friend from my earliest, & in fact all of my, Te Puke days. We wandered a round a bit, I finally had a curry on Brick Lane (which was prolonged as we waited for the rain to pass – which it did) & was in the strange position of giving a brief London history lesson. Somehow we ended up on Charing Cross Road, with a bus ride back & a brief Tesco stop (alcohol is so much cheaper here than in Canada) we were back at Levi’s where Marki soon had a huge roast chicken in the oven. Although still quite full from the curry, it was a great meal & very good company.

Monday I do remember actually getting stuck in to updating & revising my CV (including getting rid of 26 ampersands – I do like ampersands!) and even sending one off. But that enthusiasm has fallen by the wayside as birthday season settled in. Trish & I dashed off to London one afternoon to catch the matinee of Mousetrap in the West End. Catching a show was one of those things that never quite happened last time I was here, so with the recent (& still going) Agatha Christie spree it was appropriate that I went & saw the Mousetrap. It was great fun to be sat high up on very steep seats & see typical Christie characters come to life on the stage. It was funny in parts, as the books most assuredly are, but a little odd being set all in one room. A few of the plot devices, particularly the identity of whodunnit, reminded me throughout the play of a few of her books I’d read recently – but I’ll say no more on that subject. Good pleasant fun – followed up with great cake, hot chocolate & a wander to Trafalgar Square. Alas, the New Zealander, Sir Keith Park has gone from the Fourth Plinth (another statue of him can now be seen in Waterloo Place).

The rest of my birthday was pretty quiet – but it did clear up nicely in the afternoon & Trish & I spent a good while strolling around the beautiful grounds of Hall Place. Followed by scones with clotted-cream & jam – very nice. Here’s a picture of Hall Place from my visit almost two years’ ago – I assure you it looks the same.

bikes, Canada, MTB

29er testing over

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So now that I’m leaving Canada & the house of 29-inch wheels behind I’ll give my final thoughts riding those big wheels.  I don’t think much has changed since my initial impressions.  With the larger diameter wheels & a set-up tending towards the XC side of things – those bikes just climb & climb oh so well.  I’m usually a handy climber, but could get up so many more things than I remember last summer.  It makes it seem easier, but I think you end up going a little faster & therefore don’t save much energy (also the gearing was a little different – larger granny-ring & smaller big-ring.

On the undulating/flat terrain & going downhill I never felt that I was enjoying the trail as much as I should have been. I still think that’s because the bike feels disconnected from the trail & it’s more difficult to move the bike around & get a little bit of air. I never got used to less grip on the downhills – still don’t know why the rear tire never gripped as a Crossmark should; this led to less confidence for me.

So I’m looking forward to getting back on my bike sometime – it may be old & scratched up, but it’s been a lot of places with me & is still a good steed. On that note, I still haven’t got the dogbone for my bike from GT Canada. While they make good bikes, if you’re considering buying a GT bike in Canada or the USA – don’t bother, the service from the distributor is truly awful. I could have had such a simple part shipped from New Zealand in the time it’s taken for my part not to turn up (three weeks for a 10cm strip of steel with a hole in each end – would have got a homemade one if I had have known). Well, it looks like boarding is starting two hours late, so that can be the end of my little rant.

*A big thanks to Megan & Alex for letting me use/try out their bikes while mine was out of action during my brief return to Canmore.

Canada, travel

So long, Canada

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With a long delay on the cards, I could be sitting here in Calgary Airport for some time.  Air Canada slides from their position of decidedly average in my mind to somewhere worse.  But never mind, I have no pressing engagements in London.  The last week has been spent enjoying summer, riding, entertaining the resident child, cleaning, packing & snatching the last few moments with various friends.

Wednesday last we had an early first birthday celebration for Finn. I remember eating a lot of cheese, sliced meat & chocolate (fondue will do that) before Megan served up a delicious spiced chocolate cake – in true Australian Women’s Weekly, it was shaped as the digit one. Finn particularly enjoyed his first taste of cake – as the photos here show. On Friday we were off to the airport as Megan, Alex & Finn headed in a big metal tube to Iceland for near on three weeks of hiking, being cooked in hot pools & chasing geysers. I wonder, given his fondness for eating dirt & rocks, if Finn will fancy a drink from a mud-pool. So the round of Canada good-byes started there as I farewelled great friends that have been so helpful & the source of many varied adventures (not to mention many games of Settlers). Funny to think it all started well before we, or even our parents, were thought of – as Megan concisely explained.  I hope I see them again soon – Canada, UK, Australia or NZ – any of those will do.

It must have been Thursday that I sold my car, got the cash in my hand & now have just the registration plate as a lasting souvenir of all that driving in the States & a winter of sending the wheels through a lot of snow. Rides for the last week have included the Montane Traverse (which was very boring by myself), Riders of Rohan & the Highline (which may have been a little optimistic to take Joel & Steve on – but we did get nice & close to a big herd of elk along the riverside), & a nice little jaunt with Steve around the Nordic Center’s Orange Loop for the last time.

This is definitely the most luggage I’ve ever taken on a plane with me – in there is my bike, my hiking backpack, my skis (& boots), a suit bag & a small backpack as hand luggage. It only cost me $275 for the privilege too – a bargain compared with shipping skis.

So after final farewells with good friends over (also my last plate of yam fries from the Drake), I’m heading off to London. Checking in all that baggage took a while, just as well the flight was delayed so I could pop off back into Calgary to see Anya & go to Tim Hortons one last time (Timmy’s wasn’t important). Last week with all that rioting I wasn’t overly keen on heading to London – but more unknown adventures await in all manner of places I hope. But I sure will miss the mountains, the riding & the skiing – but it’s probably a good thing not to be facing another winter like the one past. Knowing I was only doing one was probably got me through all those days when it was below -20ºC.