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Published: June 10th 2012
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The Sutton Hoo Mask
a replica of the reconstruction made from remains in a 600 AD Saxon king’s burial chamber found near Woodbridge in Suffolk I don’t think you could find two countries so different yet so similar.
Britain is as far away from New Zealand as you can get before you start going back again, but sometimes they feel like the same place, superimposed on one another as if we’ve fallen through an Alice-in Wonderland wormhole in the time/space continuum.
Or maybe it’s because my first 12 years were spent in England and I sometimes get a momentary lapse of reality, saying “back in England” when we
are in England and what I really mean is “back in NZ”…
I didn’t return to the UK for 30 years, but each time we’re here it’s like coming home – even to places I’ve never been.
There’s always the thought in the back of my mind…where would it be better to live? New Zealand with its benign climate or Britain with a wealth of history everywhere you look… NZ with its nice climate or Britain with its culture, museums, galleries, theatre… NZ with its good climate or Britain with its public transport and lovely public pathways criss-crossing the nation – I’d walk the length of
Woodbridge
With Moya we walked around picture perfect villages... it if I had the time.
Everywhere we go people are very kind about NZ – they rave about its scenery. But Britain is full of scenery…it is very British scenery and I must admit often obscured by an overabundance of moisture in the air, but driving around the country we are constantly saying – isn’t this just beautiful!
Just stay out of the grottier bits of cities and most places are fascinating in one way or another.
The Queen’s Jubilee has brought the history of this little bunch of islands into sharper focus.
When we were planning the trip the Jubilee didn’t register. We made sure we were no-where near London for the Olympics, but underestimated the big deal that having one queen rule the country for 60 years meant to the British.
It has dominated the news for weeks and most places we travelled though are be-decked with flags and bunting. And there is the obvious lasting effect of the monarchy being elevated beyond rock star status, ensuring the institution will be around for many generations to come. Republicans must be feeling pretty
Explored castles
this is the lovely Framlingham Castle in Suffolk depressed right now.
The final impression of the Jubilee celebrations is of an amazing feat of organisation – the Mall in London as an extended venue for the Jubilee concert then all pristine the next morning for the Royal balcony wave…the impressive flotilla down the Thames where spirits were not dampened by a bout of English summer, when the choir of young people on top of the London Philharmonic barge seemed to revel in singing Jerusalem while being lashed with wind and rain.
Yes, it’s been patriotic, with t-shirts, bags, beer coasters – anything printable really, emblazoned with the Union Jack, but it’s been polite, restrained, even self-deprecating (that most English of traits).
On the bank holiday Monday we drove through villages having street parties with bouncy castles, teenagers wearing Union Jack onesies and women of my age with cardboard Queen masks – unnervingly realistic!
We had a pint in the oldest pub in Pembroke where a big screen TV was showing yet another retrospective documentary on the royal family.
The woman next to us commented on whether or not there had been a DNA test on
Orford Castle
This is imposing Orford Castle, only the Norman keep remains as the outer walls have been pillaged over the years Harry to determine his real father, we joined in the conversation for a few minutes – even in Wales the royals are talked about with a mixture of fondness and familiar rib-poking, like actual relatives.
In a National Trust shop – that bastion of patriotic merchandising – I saw a Royal Dress Up book, where you can push out various costumes and place them on cardboard Camilla in saucy underwear, Prince Harry in leopard-print boxers or the Queen in a Union Jack petticoat. Disrespectful? No – it was quite delightful.
The pub group got up and left, wishing us well for the rest of our trip – they knew we ‘weren’t from round ‘ere’ but our spontaneous conversation had been so natural and it struck me that had we been from a neighbouring country, say France or Germany, that probably wouldn’t have happened. But we, from the other side of the earth, are in on things. We belong.
After a wonderful 10 days when Moya, now living in London, came to visit us in Suffolk, we skipped along the south coast to Cornwall – a favourite county that we couldn’t resist
Orford church
We wandered around lovely old village churches... visiting again.
Then up into Pembrokeshire, a very popular part of Wales where the coastal walks are famous. Unfortunately we didn’t walk as much as I’d like due to the arrival of the English summer in the form of days of rain and freezing wind.
Thankfully we had full days of Jubilee TV coverage to keep us occupied. Let’s hope there’s going to be more sun now…I don’t think I could stand days of watching the Olympics…
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Dancing Dave
David Hooper
GREAT BLOG
You have a good eye for the photos & a nice way with words...keep them coming