Lancashire 2 - Carols, turkey dinners, Victorian Tours and another black and white magpie building

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Jack Frost has made an unwelcome appearance. His icy tentacles have crawled all over the car windscreens turning them from glass to thick ice. His icy fingers have spilt white confetti like ice crystals over the lawns. All shining metallic silver in the thin watery December sunlight. Snow has fallen on the ski slopes of Scotland and could be on its way down the country towards us.

Christmas is just round the corner. Town streets are festooned with lights. Some garish multicoloured light bulbs strung from light post to light post . Others more simple tiny star like lights twinkling through the christmas trees like a myriad of tiny stars. Shops are full of potential presents, all the trimmings for those presents and food for the festive season. Turkeys, stuffing, sprouts and Christmas puddings,mince pies and continental delights - panforte a particular favourite of ours. A Tuscan delight made of honey,nuts, candied peel and sugar.

We read that some motorhomers have received their ACSI books. Ours was supposed to be sent out on the 7th and should have arrived today. Perhaps it will turn up Monday as there was no sign of it today. We wait with anticipation to see which camp sites are still open and which have closed. How many new sites will there be? Will they be where we need them? Who knows?

We heard that ADAC the German version of our Automobile Association are allowing one of our camping clubs to sell their camping discount card in 2103. We are looking foward to that as sometimes sites do not use ACSI but do use ADAC. Without the ADAC card we could not use the discounts this year. We have looked at reclining seats for the van. The ones we have are good for a few hours sit watching MotoGP but not good for any form of relaxing. We measured the seats, we checked the dimensions of the wet locker - no they won't fit. We moved things out of the second locker - again not wide nor deep enough. The overhead locker has plenty of room but the door prevents anything wide being put inside the space . So sadly it looks as if next year we will be using our same old seats.

As we approach the end of the year we are running out of places open to visit. So to pass the time away today we decided to head up to a beautiful black and white magpie house close to John Lennon Airport in Liverpool. Speke Hall is a wood framed and wattle and daub Tudor manor house and is said to be one of the finest surviving examples of its kind. This black and white detailing is common in Shropshire, Cheshire, parts of Lancashire and Staffordshire. Construction began in 1530 although it is said there could have been earlier buildings on the site. The Great Hall was built first and then further wings were added to house by the large family who lived there. It seems that at one point there were 19 living children in the home. South wings were added between 1546 and 1547 and the last of the building work took place by 1598. The house stands as most of this type do on red sandstone. Looking at the foundations it is amazing that the building still stands at all. Unlike Little Moreton Hall which we visited a few weeks ago it has not sunk into the ground under its own weight.

We arrived on the last weekend of the year and the house was bustling with visitors and volunteers. Next week the house will be packed up, cleaned and left empty until the new season which will start in February 2013. The free flow entry to the house started at 12.30. As we had arrived early we were invited to join a Victorian Tour of the house. Along with about 8 other visitors we joined a very keen volunteer who was dressed in period costume . He invited us in. We entered via a tiny door cut into the main oak front door. Much ducking and diving required.

The hallway and the entire house were decorated with christmas trees and all the windows displayed handome christmas decorations. The first room we saw was the small dining room. The dining table was decorated with the largest display of red carnations I have ever seen. The room was cosy but unfortunately we could not take photographs which was such a shame. Our host described the building to us and showed us the dried up moat that lay outside the windows. In the past it would not have been defensive but would have been decorative and full of much needed fish used to feed the family.

We were told a little about the Norris family who had built the house and then about the heiress Miss Watt who inherited the house. She inherited as a young girl b spent much of her earlier life in Scotland living with relatives who taught her how to run the house and the estate. She returned to the house when she was 21 years old and lived there off and on until her death in 1921. After her death she left the house to members of the original family for 21 years after which time the house was given to the National Trust. A wonderful gesture and a great gift to the nation.

From the dining room we saw the gun room which was used by the menfolk of the house , the billiards room and other rooms full of beautifully carved oak furniture and William Morris wallpaper. We saw the parlour which had been used by tenant farmers to house their cattle. The cattle and the weather had destroyed much of the fabric of the room. But what was left was stunning. A wonderful plaster ceiling exquisitely fashioned with fruit and flowers, oak settles large enough for the ladies in their hooped crinoline skirts and in corners were chiming clocks. Sadly we could take no photographs of this room and memories will have to suffice.

Upstairs we saw one of the main bedrooms complete with priest hole and Mortlake tapestries and then finally the kitchens with ice boxes and everything needed to run a well oiled efficient household.

By this time it was 12.30 dinner called or at least our stomachs told us it was dinner time and the house had opened to the public.

We joined other Christmas visitors in the restaurant, We chose Christmas dinner, a huge plate of hot turkey thickly cut, roast potatoes, carrots, peas, sprouts, stuffing and sausages wrapped in bacon . We marvelled at how we never get a bad meal at National Trust properties. They seem to employ very good cooks. Our pot of tea was welcoming on such a cold day. We declined on pudding as we were so full after our turkey dinner. The restaurant was heaving and still the visitors came. We couldnt believe just how many people were visiting today. Two buses arrived as we left the restaurant.

We walked back to the house and went into the other rooms we had missed. The billiards room and the Great Hall with fantastic overmantle and oak panelled walls. A choir sang Silent Night the tune drifted sweetly down the corridors. Other bedrooms were opened up and we saw a small perfectly formed library. In a room upstairs a period costumed volunteer made orange pomanders with mauve ribbons and cloves. Downstairs in the kitchen a cook dressed in a pink and white dimity blouse and white starched apron made white icing mice. Silver balls for eyes and pink candy strips for tails. Victorian Christmas was alive and well at Speke Hall.

Then there were the gardens. Of course not many flowers apart from the odd hellibore and a few stray roses that had not succumbed to the weather. The gardens date from the 1850s and were quite formal in parts. In the courtyard there are two Yew Trees called Adam and Eve which are estimated to be between 500 and 1000 years old. These were decorated with cards which told the story of Christmas trees and traditions. The formal gardens are surrounded by yew hedges.

On our way back we crossed the Runcorn Bridge which spans the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal. it is a through arch bridge with a span of 1082 feet. Opened in 1961 it replaced an earlier bridge . The bridge can be seen from quite a distance away and is quite an iconic structure. Running next to the bridge is a railway bridge with castellated towers and along its length a selection of shields. Britannia with her shield on one and a liver birdl on another. The road bridge is designated by English Heritage as Grade II listed structure and looks as if it is currently undergoing a repaint in a pale green colour. We read somewhere that it is similar to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and indeed it does.

Another interesting trip out. Will we make any more this year?. Unlikely. Christmas is just round the corner. The Hobbit is coming to a cinema near us. And we are busy planning next years trips. Bring on 2013. Much to see and we cannot wait.

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Photos

Speke Hall
Over the doorway

Speke Hall
The cheaper side of the house

Speke Hall
The dried up moat