Day Out: Burpham Court Farm Park

On perhaps the coldest day of the year so far, Sara decided that it would be a fabulous idea to walk about in the mud and sludge at the Burpham Court Farm Park in Surrey. I interpreted this to mean that my beloved almost-three-year-old godchild Keira was tired of being cooped up indoors and so we readily agreed.

It was so cold today that we noticed that even the ducks were cold! Before we disturbed these two their heads were completely tucked under their wings.

Still, they do look healthy and that is what impressed me the most about Burpham Court - all of the animals looked really healthy and well looked after.

Some of the ducks seemed to be involved in a biathlon type of event which involved swimming across the pond, running around it and swimming back across it again. They seemed to be very intent upon their purpose and it was interesting to watch their ritual!

We were quite taken by the geese as they were so majestic and they had such beautiful blue eyes. I think these might be West of England geese with the grey-headed female and the all-white males.

We wandered into a barn with many sheep and their little lambs. The sheep seemed to like Keira but they did not like me and my camera! Still, I got one picture of a little lamb. Keira's nickname is Lambchops and she was very intrigued to meet the real Lambchops.

They have llamas at Burpham Court and these animals are not shy! There was one scary moment when we were certain that one of the llamas was going to eat Keira's Teddy but it all seemed to end alright.

Did I mention it was cold? After visiting the llamas (and teaching Keira to say "llama" and not "banana") we visited the goats. Sara and I had great fun at this stage trying not to get into mud up to our ankles.

At 3pm we were lucky enough to catch up with Farmer Bob as it was time to bring the goats and the llamas in and feed them. First he involved all of the little children in collecting the animal's buckets and putting them in the right pens. Then he took them on a tour of the chicken coops while they looked for any eggs.

Then all the little children helped herd in the goats and the llamas so that they could eat.

Burpham Court is a rare breeds conservation park and I was really interested to see some rare breeds of pig and goat there. Despite the cold, it was a really nice opportunity to introduce Keira to life on a farm and for her to interact with animals on a deeper level than just a petting farm at a funfair. The animals are in excellent condition and the whole experience is just long enough to keep a small child's attention before they spot the playground at the end. I'd definitely consider going again in the summer as I imagine it might be nice to stop off in the tea garden for some refreshments.

I'd also like to keep an eye on developments at the place because the farmer has been given quite the legal runaround by the National Trust and Guildford City Council. They certainly need support!

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Road Trip (North): Liverpool part 2

Previous post: Road Trip (North): Liverpool part 1

So after planning our route for the day, we headed straight down into Mathew Street to see the club where The Beatles first played back on 21 February 1961.

Possibly the most successful band of all time, The Beatles played 292 appearances at The Cavern Club between 1961 and 1963 and it was at the club that they were discovered by Brian Epstein. Their last appearance was on 3 August 1963, a month after they recorded "She Loves You". Brian Epstein had promised they would return one day to play at the club but then Beatlemania exploded all over England and there was no way a tiny little club like The Cavern could have accommodated them anymore. And it is tiny - heck, I don't even know if the whole of Mathew Street could have coped with the phenomenon that was The Beatles.

  
  

The Cavern Club today has been designed to resemble the original club as closely as possible and it still functions as a live music venue. The bar staff absolutely did not even bat an eyelid as we walked in with our cameras and took some pictures. That's okay - I've stopped for drinks there before so I know I haven't always just been a camera-wielding flash-tourist.

The Beatles aren't the only famous band to have played at The Cavern or to have hailed from Liverpool so I took the opportunity to snap the Wall of Fame and a nice young man that was sitting there. (That is Mister Emm for those who don't know).

The Cavern is attached to the boutique arcade, Cavern Walks. They have a Vivienne Westwood store there and they had a sale on. Unfortunately, spending £350 on a cardigan is not my idea of a bargain so we moved on swiftly. It is worth walking through Cavern Walks to get a picture of the Fab Four in action though.

Next it was time for a visit to the pier head. Just as well as it was shaping up to be a stunning day. I'll have to update about that on the weekend though - it is definitely time for bed!

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Road Trip (North): Liverpool part 1

I can't believe it has been a week since I last updated and I apologise for that. I've been sick with an incredibly sore throat and an irritating cough that doesn't let me get much sleep. 'Fed up' and 'exhausted' are the terms that would best describe me right now. The worst part is that this is all caused by the remaining dregs of the flu virus and nothing can be done for it except to treat the symptoms. My Dad is suffering from the same thing and wasn't even able to watch the match at the pub today! Big shout out to my Dad then and I hope we both get better soon.

On 27 December we went to my favourite city on the whole planet - Liverpool. From the time I was about 18 months old until just before my 9th birthday, we lived in St Helens which is a town situated right inbetween Manchester and Liverpool. We moved to South Africa in 1982 and I cannot begin to describe how much I missed 'home'. The city of Liverpool reached mythical proportions in my mind as I dreamed time and time again of returning to England. There was always the danger of a Great Gatsbyesque experience and that when I eventually did return in 1989, it would somehow disappoint. But it didn't.

I wish I was back in Liverpool, Liverpool Town where I was born.
There ain't no trees, no scented breeze, no fields of waving corn
But there's lots of girls with peroxide curls and the black-and-
tan flows free,
With six in a bed by the old pierhead and it's Liverpool Town for me.
- From "I Wish I Was Back in Liverpool" by Stan Kelly and recorded by the Dubliners

It's incredibly hard for me to put into words what it is about Liverpool that I love so much. There is something for everyone there with the history of the Beatles, museums, galleries, music, pubs, the heavy shelling in WW2, the pierhead and the stories of Irish immigrants, trade and commerce and the incredible strength to carry on. For me personally, Liverpool was the town that my Dad and I walked around time and time again as we visited all of the pubs and got to know each other again as adults. Hopefully some of the photos in these next couple of posts will communicate my love for this city and explain my glee at it being a nice sunny day that day.

As you come out of Lime Street Station, you see St George's Hall, one of the finest examples of neoclassical architecture in Europe. (I was told that it was the biggest but I can't find a link for that online). St George's Hall is part of the World Heritage Site at Liverpool and it is a Grade I listed building. As a former property manager, perhaps I find this more interesting than most people!

The hall has just been restored and was reopened in 2007. Apparently it is amazing inside but we didn't see anything to suggest that it was actually open to the public that day.

Liverpool was the European Capital of Culture 2008 and the city really caters towards tourists. There are sign posts and map boards everywhere and a street vendor gave us a tourist map for free! Liverpool has also really changed since last I was there and it was difficult to decide what to show my in-laws. In the end we decide on taking the Beatles tour and then heading down to the pierhead and the Albert Dock. We came back up through the brand new Liverpool One district before going home but unfortunately did not make it to St Luke's Church this time. St Luke's is a bombed out shell of a church that still stands in the centre of Liverpool - maybe I can go back in the summer and do a bit of a WW2 tour.

Well, all of those exciting travels will have to wait for during the week as I am about to fall asleep right now!!

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Road Trip (North): Warwick Castle part 2

Warwick Castle part 1

This was taken just before my mum-in-law and I gave the men the slip.  Men can get so testy on road trips!

Back to the tour then:

Medieval Living

Okay.  I know I had flu but I'm struggling to find out why there was a Henry VIII exhibit at the castle even though he never had any history there.  I think the purpose of the castle is to show you how people lived through the ages so this part of the exhibit gives a beautiful glimpse into medieval privileged living.

 

Chapel, Great Hall and State Rooms

The castle went into a state of disrepair in the late sixteenth century and the name of Warwick itself became extinct as the last Earl of Warwick, Ambrose Dudley, died in 1589.  In 1604 the castle was given to Sir Fulke Greville by King James I.  Greville converted the castle into a country house and some of the opulence and beauty of that time is reflected in these rooms. 

Royal Weekend Party

This last bit was lovely because it was so tangible.  The story revolves around an event in 1898 where Daisy, Countess of Warwick hosted a weekend party at which the Prince of Wales and Winston Churchill were guests.

 

And finally, I don't often post pictures of myself because I am shamelessly vain but here is a self-portrait:

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Interview with Emm

I don't often stray off topic here at Emm in London but I saw Ivanhoe's interview over at her blog and thought that it sounded like a great idea.

Without further ado, here are my answers to the questions that Ivanhoe gave to me:

1. What/who do you miss the most from South Africa?

I miss my Mum as she is still there.  Hopefully she'll move over here in the next three months.  I also miss my best friend Heather and my friend Patrick who we used to spend the most time going to movies and hanging out with. 

I also miss the landscapes and beauty of South Africa although a England in summer is one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

2. How did you end up in London?

The major reason was that my husband needed to move to a country where his field is taken seriously.  He is a health and safety manager but companies in South Africa often break the law if they can get away with it and certainly don't take the field of health and safety seriously.  As a whole, people in South Africa are not as acquiescent as they are overseas and there are high crime rates too - another reason that we moved over here.

3. What things do you enjoy doing on the weekends?

After studying last autumn and having the in-laws over in December, I am currently enjoying just relaxing in my free time.  I watch lots of television, read books, watch films, listen to music and then blog all about it over at my media blog.  This year I have a couple of projects that I will start putting into place in the next week: I'm learning Italian with my friend Cristina in Portugal; making Valentine's cards; learning HTML and XHTML; and doing lots and lots of exercise.  The biggest thing I like to do is to tour around the countryside taking photos and blogging about it here but I do tend to do that less in winter than in summer!

4. If you won a round trip ticket to anywhere in the world, where would you go & why?

My absolute dream is to go to New York City.  I have been obsessed with new York for a long time and have a huge picture of the Manhattan skyline hanging in my sitting room. I decided that as with so many other of my dreams in the past, 2009 was the year and so I am going in June along with Heather and my co-worker Marilyn.  Cannot wait. 

To answer the question though, if I won a ticket right now I'd go somewhere tropical like the islands in the Pacific Ocean.  Or maybe I'd go on a grand tour of Thailand.  That's only because I am craving sunshine!

5. What is the first thing you do when you get home from work?

Make myself a nice cup of tea and enjoy five minutes alone before my husband and brother arrive home.

Now if you'd like to be interviewed:
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me." 
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions).
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

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Road Trip (North): Warwick Castle part 1

We had a lovely Christmas and spent the day with our South African friends Sara and Donovan and Keira. Donovan's Mum was visiting from South Africa and together with Stephen's parents and my brother, it was a lovely, festive Christmas Day. Having lived in England until I was almost 9, I find that a snowy, cold Christmas makes much more sense to me than a day of lounging by the swimming pool in the sun and eating cold cuts for lunch.

On Boxing Day, we headed up to Rainhill for the northern leg of our road trip. Our first stop along the way was Warwick Castle. Warwick Castle is an amazing establishment and easily my favourite of the tourist attractions we got to see over December.

Warwick Castle is a medieval castle that was built in 1068 and bought by the Tussauds Group in 1978. The castle is broken up into several sections where you can view scenes of what castle life might have looked like in the various eras. I had known nothing about the castle before we visited and was finding it hard to drum up enthusiasm for anything at the stage, given my flu. Well, I landed up really enjoying myself in spite of all my ailments!!! My mum-in-law and I managed to 'accidentally' lose Stephen and his dad and we investigated most of the eastern side of the castle that we could (the Ghost Tower was closed that day). It was brilliant and I would really recommend it. I definitely need to back sometime and finish off the rest of the castle too.

The sun was playing hide and seek that day and we were really struggling to get some decent photos. Click on these to see larger pics:

   

 The Dungeon

  

I find dungeons fascinating in that they display the infinite capacity of humankind to extract great pain and suffering upon their peers. This dungeon dates back to the fourteenth century. Basically, prisoners were brought into the dungeons and left to rot. The last pictures represents a grate over a simple hole in the ground where a prisoner would be left to rot in his own waste.

Kingmaker 1471

English history is just fascinating! In fact, once I have completed the numerous new year's resolutions I set for this year, I think I will set my mind to English history in 2010.

Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, was known as the Kingmaker because he fought to restore Henry VI to the throne. This section shows the household preparing for Richard's final battle in 1471 as they made weapons and clothed the army.

 

 

Well, that's all for now I'm afraid. I'm still in bed and tomorrow is my first day back at work (yay!). I am generally a grateful person but nothing makes you more appreciative of your good health than spending a full six days in bed with flu and an ear, nose and throat infection!

Visit: Road Trip (North): Warwick Castle part 2.

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