I love castles 2 - Ashby castle

A trip to Tesco....leads on to Ashby castle, ahh the benefits of Membership with English heritage.

What a spectacular ruin, another fantastic castle built in the 1200's and has faced a number of siege's and battles. We have been so lucky to tour many of these fabulous places and be pretty much the only people at them. We walked in and around ashby castle, right next door is the manor house school, the kids there were at recess and running and screaming alongside this fabulous structure and their school which itself must be 500 years old...and yet they have no idea of the history that surrounds them.

We have discovered so very much about history and the lives of people throughout time, moving here has been such an eye opening experience. 3000 year old Roman ruins of markets that effectively were no different to our markets and town of today... 1000 year old medievil  (do we even understand when and what "medievil is?) towns that again are pretty much the same as our towns and lives today.

The castle itself is just wonderful and the opportunity to climb to the top of the somewhat crumbling tower and see the fantastic views out across the country side..spectacular.

leicester lost 6-1 on friday night.. wow.. thats the worst result i can remember for years.. and we now sit comfortably at the bottom of the championship...and yet, i still feel confident about them, although another loss or two and we will be back on the managers merry go round and that wont be good.

ahh a beautiful sunset on the road..

I like castles -1 (Bolsover Castle)

A quiet few days,  Leicester got beaten in the league, but won in the cup. I played football on monday night after missing last week due to a cold. (thats A cold.. not THE cold, which is was again...its interesting when the other players tell you they missed 3 nights last year due to the snow being too thick... apparently the frost isnt a problem though.. oh dear). We decidedthat having invested in our membership of English Heritage we would head out to Bolsover Castle, this is a beuatiful castle set upon a hill in the north of Derbyshire.

Yet another trip up the M1, wow thats much further than we thought, but we arrive on a glorious sunny english Autumn day, few clouds and about 22 degrees, just perfect. Built in the 12th century and re-built in the 16th, the castle is made up of 2 distinct areas, the old castle and the little castle the old which is in ruins also contains a large room used for showing the dancing horses when the weather wasnt pleasant enough out side and the lord could sit inside and watch them... below is a picture of nic.. being a dancing horse... ahh if only i havd the video on.

The buildings are huge and the views over the surroundings are incredible, the walls are 2 foot thick and so high, we walked around for hours just amazed by all that was or had been there. Inside the" little castle" much has remained or been restored, some of the glorious paintings and exquisite wood and gold leaf.

Rather than rabbit on about sstuff again, ill just put up some pics...

 hehe i took rather a lot of pics :)

and a lonnnng video to finish

Castles part 2 to follow.

Downtown Derby

A drive into Derby for the afternoon was rather challenging, it seems every road in.. is either blocked or to thin... took a lonnnng time.

Was lovely once we were there, a wander around the Museum and Art gallery, they werent large, but some very interessting bits and pieces... a 3000 year old long boat was very cool.

Also a Mamoth Tusk... yes... think about that... a Mamoth Tusk... how very cool is that???

I mean seriously.... this thing could be up to 4 million years old ????


We then made our way to Dorreen and Trevors, we spent a lovely few hours laughing with them and meeting Maureen, Alistair and Kim.. lots of laughs a good fun.

The ashby "Eye" (Statutes)

Well, i have had to leave it a couple of days before posting, the excitment has been overwhelming, in fact, take the excitement level experienced at the Heather scarecrow festival and multiply it by 1000... then you will get somewhere close to the Ashby De la Zouch "Statutes".

Yes a 4 day extravaganza of fun and frivolity, Market st in Ashby is closed and in come the rides, the games and the people. We were lucky enough to have 2 delightful experienced "statutes" guides to make sure we saw all of the highlights.. where to begin... as we walked toward the main st, we all strained for a glimpse, the lights could almost be seen, the smells of candy floss, popcorn and other such delicacies filled the air... finally we had arrived, the Ashby eye was visible above the rooftops and the buzz of teenage chatter echoed through our heads.

but.. the highlight was yet to come....

What to do first... Hook a Dook?... the Ashby eye?... The Raging Bull?... so many decisions.

Nic and I leapt enthusiastically onto the the "Eye", you may have seen the London Eye.. but really... you havent lived until the Ashby eye.....as we rode majectically above the Ashby skyline, the cool air caressed our skin, and the rickety mechanics creaked with every turn... after a couple of minutes, we decided we were not going to die on this particular ride and decided to sit back laugh and enjoy it.

but... the highlight was yet to come...

A wander along the packed street, stopping briefly to point at the foolish young folk going onto the the crazy vomit inducing rides...not to mention the "raging bull"  where they are placed in groups of 6 or so onto bucking bulls, the machine is turned on.. the bulls buck.. everyone instantly falls off and spends the next 30 seconds of the "ride" trying to get back on.. they eventually manage it.. only for the ride to end.. ahh such fun :)

but the highlight was yet to come...


As we make our way along the street Nic and i are sucked into the good old darts games... however, i am yet to work out of it was possible to win.. ok, so to win you had to score over 56..but...
off the board counts as 10
Doubles...  counts as 10
trebles ..count as 10
bullseye...... counts as 10
you can only hit each score once... wait, i just worked it out, to win you have to throw...
1x20
1x19
1x18
=57... easy huh...anyway.. nic and i both walked away happy with our tiny teddys :)

But... the highlight was yet to come....

Ahh a good old fashioned knock em down... thats more my game, lob a wooden ball at some tins and knockem down win a prize... my first effort is.. to say the least, poor, the first 2 balls miss, the third knocks down 3.. 2 left... Encouraged by my 3rd throw.. i had to have another go... mm better, first one takes 1 down... 2nd ball takes out 3 more, just need to pick off the last one.. and the big teddy (or possibly a way cool giant spiderman ) is mine... damn.. the 3rd ball hits the shelf.. no teddy for you!.

But the highlight was yet to come....

As we began heading back down, our delighful guide was fianlly drawn in by the overpowering allure of the a shooting game... 4 slugs... knock down 3 things to win... a sense of anticipation fille the air, the gun was loaded, Gill carefully took aim...was told how to hold the gun properly.. carefully took aim... was told how to hold the gun properly again.. took aim and fired........... one thing was hit and went down... oh yehhhh!

the gun was loaded again, the stall holder ducked as the barrel briefly aimed between his eyes... Gill took aim... and fired.. oHHHH YESSSSS... 2 down, 1 to go and 2 slugs left... the same is repeated with the nexct  2 slugs... ladies and gentlemen.. we have a winner... we stood in awe, what would she choose.. the giant tiger...giant teddy... was there a chance of a giant spiderman?.. oooh the excitiment.... ohhh, wait, so, knocking them all down once, only gets you a prize off the bottom shelf?

Now... for many, this may have led to disapointment... but... not this group of carnival goers... we infact celebrated the fact.. and joy abounded when the selection was made... and... yes youll never beleive it... the prize chosen was a take home "Hook a Dook" game... be still my beating heart.

needless to say a this point we pretty much rushed home thrilled by the prospect of playing Hook a Duck to our hearts content...

All in all, we had a wonderful night, lots of fun and laughter and wonderful company, a cup of tea and choccies rounded the evening...

Oh...and the Hook a Duck... well, suffice to say that if real ducks float in the way that these DONT, they would now be extinct.... not from hooking mind you :)

Heart rate -

I have a resting heart rate of around 70, you may wonder why i would tell you this...well the following is why...

Off to an interview this morning, leave the house heart rate 70 beats per minute.

Programme the satnav...grr stupid little buttons... HR 80 BPM

Begin on the way to notts, pleasant drive up the m42...... HR 70 BPM

Chat to mum on the motor way... HR 70 BPM

oh.. whats that satnav man?.. Damn.. missed the turn off, im stuck on the motorway... HR 90 BPM

ok... turn off 4 miles further down the road... HR 80 BPM

ahh back on track.... HR 75 BPM

Satnav man says turn left at next roundabout, i turn left... as i am turning left.. he says 2nd left... too late ive gone 1st left... HR 90 BPM

Instead of telling me to turn around where possible.. satnav man leads me around the back streets... HR 100 BPM

back on track, going the right way... HR 90 BPM

satnav man says turn left at next roundabout, i turn left.. AGAIN he tells me 2nd left after i have already taken 1st left AHHHH.... HR 110 BPM

This time i turn around and get myself back on track... HR 80 BPM

Now might be a good time to mention that i needed petrol, we hadnt bothered to fill up since the holiday as we knew i was going to Notts and it would be cheaper there. I decided i would wait until after the interview to get filled up.

I continued driving.. woohoo, theres the building i want, easy, now just to find a place to park.. HR 75 BPM

Ahh theres a spot.. perfect, a couple of minutes walk from the building, all too easy HR 70 BPM

Better check how long this park is for... oh wait, its only a 1 hour park, im a 5 minute walk and assuming the interview takes at least an hour,  thats an hour 10 minimum... HR 80 BPM

Now as im looking for change for the meter... i discover... i have forgotten my wallet, yes, that contains everything, i have no money, no credit card... nothing .... HR 150 BPM,

It is now 10.12, the interview is 10.30...and oh wait, thats a parking inspector there.. hmm, he is checking cars now... one can assume he will be back in around an hour to check again.. if im still here.... HR 170 BPM

I cant stay there, i have found a total of 4 pound 80  in the consol, it is now 10.16, I drive off and find acar park just nearby.... oh dear.. 2 pounds 80 for 2 hours, oh well no choice ... HR 180 BPM

Realisiation...Oh NO... im almost out of petrol, after the interview,  ive got to get back to Measham 26 miles and i have no money.. HR 190 BPM

I park the car, its now 10.22 i have 8 minutes to get from the highrise car park to the building... i walk out of the car park into a bus port..out of there and realise..i am not really sure where the building is from here??? ..... HR 200 BPM

I go one way about 30 steps and decide its wrong.. still unsure where i am going.. i turn and go up another road.... HR 210 BPM

Huzzahh, i find the building at 10.26.... HR 100 BPM

Interview goes very well ................. HR 90 BPM

I get back to the car (1 hour and 15 mins later)... pay the parking 2 pound 80 and sit in the car, the much loved rover very kindly announces with,  a noise... a little light on the dash and the trip computer telling me i have "LOW FUEL"........... HR 120 BPM

I now have 2 pounds... a roughly 30 mile drive and the trip computer saying i have 47 miles left... HR 100 BPM

I do about 3 miles and the trip computer announces i now have 39 Miles of fuel left... a substantial difference.... HR 150 BPM

Fortunately, i finally arrive home some 35 minutes later, with the trip computer saying i still have 15 miles left... HR 70 BPM




Moral of the story.. Dont forget your wallet when you go out... coz think about it.. what can you do????

day 2 part 2 - Gainsborough Hall WOW! (scroll down before reading this un)

Well, what a highlight to finish our couple of days.

Built in the 1400's the hall is Still very much as it was originally, it was used to host many of the kings and english leaders and is a spectacular example of quality building etc, the kitchens are as big as a house and the kitchens have 2 fireplaces that are 7-8 metres wide each..

interesting fact 1,
William the 1st introduced a curfew bell tto be rung at 8pm, at which time all fires in houses must be extinguished, supposedly introduced to reduce house fires,(there is a belief it was actually introduced to prevent opponents of the king meeting undercover of darkness)

Interesting fact no 2,
the word curfew is from the french Couvre-feu which is the french word for a little tool used to put out fireplace fires.

A spectacularly huge building ... just incredible.

Note.. for the impressive quality of the building.. the beam i am leaning against is quite clearly on a hell of a lean....i assume it was built this way originally as i know that all skilled craftsmen biuld stuff crooked.


All in all, a fantastic 2 days... in and around sunny downtown Hull  :)

Oh a question .... Why do all houses etc in England.. have a bowl in the sink for washing up?, i mean.. isnt that what the sink is for... can anyone please explain?

day 2 part 1, the humber bridge etc

We headed out Monday morning to take in the view of the fabulous Humber Bridge, (yes another bridge, my obsession is stsarting to show isnt it), a superb bridge

Interesting Fact...It was the largest suspension bridge in the world from 1981 to 1998 and is now the 5th biggest. Was a sunny morning, but a cool breeze/wind blew up the river.

We then headed on to Fort Paull, what a surprisingly impressive place, it is a 500 year old Napoleonic fortress, originally built by orders from Henry VIII  in 1542 to protect the north from the French etc... it has since been used and upgraded consistently for every war (and geez there have been a few) that England has been involved in, right up until the 1970's. It took way longer than we thought and has too much to talk about here, but a wonderfully enjoyable couple of hours.

From there, it was on to a beuatiful 12th century church.. which was closed... then on to a field.. well, more than a field... its a field that housed a medievil villageand whilst you can only see hummocks and stones, the idea that this was once a thriving metropolis, does kinda make you think that... society has been here and done all this before?

and on to Thornton Abbey - still 12th part 3 (suggest you scroll down to part 1)

so from skeggy up the coast to a stunning building from 1139... yes i know.. 1139?? like cmon, building stuff like this nearly a thousand years ago??... anyway.. i guess it goes without saying just how spectacular it was,  the gate house is awesome, oak stairways and HUGE sandstone and stonework.


Once youve walked through all around the gatehouse inside its walls and large rooms, you can head out to the ruins of the abbey it protected... watch out for mad Monks...

see the little Nic up there  :)

and so to the end of  day 1... our little cottage in Barrow upon humber... the princely sum of 22 pounds for the night (less a cashback of 10% woohoo)was a lovely little cottage just what we needed.

and so to Skeggy.... still 12th - part 2

We had'nt planned for a trip to Skeggness, but it was close and figured it might offer a memory or insight to you. First a walk along the beach, now this is September so it clearly not summer, but nevertheless the english holiday makers were out in force, there were heaps of people about, sadly we did not see a single person with a knotted hanky on their head. however we did enjoy watching the donkeys and the sun loving folks :).

Im assuming not too much change since the 60's?

Im going to put up a few pics... of skeggy.. we had a nice walk along the pier, then some lunch.. a lovely stop indeed.

Heading East and beyond - 12th - Part 1

We headed out for a couple of days across the east/north east, perhaps i will spread this over a couple of pages.

We head of to "the wash", having seen the beautiful sights on a tv show "the coast" we expected to see the thousands of birds feeding and flying on the huge area where the sea comes and goes. Of course this was us, so... planning took something of a back seat, lets face it, its a big area.. we cant really miss it, can we. Of course not missing it doesnt equate to seeing it...damn Tv and their helicopters etc...it just doesnt seem the same from the shore.

Nevertheless it was beautiful, with a spectacular sunrise and lots of birds feeding in the wetlands a fabulous noise, we also discovered an unmentioned memorial to the first attempt of the Pilgrims to leave for the America's, they were thwarted in leaving by being set up by the local authorities and when they boardeed the boat to set sail, they were all arrested.

A drive onward took us through a lovely little village (whos name ive forgotten) and then onto Bolsover castle, a falling down ruin built in the 1200's and is just beautiful.

part 2 follows...........