The Top End of England

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Hello again all!!!

We have been up in the North West of England now for just over two weeks visiting Jimmy's relatives, with a bit of sightseeing on the side.

We got bad news the day before we were to arrive in Preston - Jimmy's grandad had passed away. So we had the funeral on Monday 4th June which was a really nice service and also very sad. Jimmy's parents had made the trip over as well and it was very strange to see them - it felt like just yesterday we'd left home. The positive spin we put on the otherwise sad and unfortunate situation, was that his grandad must've picked his timing just for us, as we experienced a full blown family reunion, with Jimmy meeting great aunts he'd never even met before and me having to meet everyone in one go!!

So in between all the planning for the funeral, Jim & Anna (Jimmy's parents) still found the time to show us a bit of their old home town which was nice. They took us for a drive to Liverpool which is close by and currently it's a bit of a mess as they're doing it up to be the 'European City of Culture 2008' or something along those lines, and there is work going on all over the city. Once it is all finished though, the city will look great. We went to the Docks which was a nice area and had a quick look in the Maritime Museum. We walked around the city and also made a stop at The Cavern, where The Beatles started out. They then showed us the local 'hood of Preston/where they used to live etc., and took us out for a carvery dinner at one of the local pubs. Lovely day. 😊

We then spent a day exploring Preston Town Centre on our own and visited Deepdale which is Preston North End's (Championship League) ground. They also have the National Football Museum there which we had a look in as it was free. Not bad really, quite interesting and followed football from the very beginning and what was going on in the world during these times. Funny to see how football was always priority to some - even during the World Wars!!

Jimmy's cousins (Peter & Jon) took us out in Preston that night for a few drinks and we went to a pub called the Black Bull where we stayed all night. Was beautiful weather (I forgot to mention that we've been getting much better weather up here) and we just stayed out in the beer garden all night. Jimmy's younger cousin was a bit worse for wear though, using the bin in the front beer garden as his spew bucket. Mind you...noone even batted an eyelid. I think it's quite normal for these poms...hehe!! 😊 Poor Jon though...we got photographic evidence and he's been the butt of everyone's jokes since that night and has now sworn to get James drunk before we leave. 😊

Saturday we went through the countryside near Preston to a famous ice-creamery called Bonds...was perfect ice-cream weather, and then went to Blackpool. For anyone who hasn't heard of Blackpool, it's a bit of a tacky seaside town where all bucks and hens weekends go. They have a Luna Park type place (a bit better though I think) called Pleasure Beach, and about three piers with amusement rides and games on them. I couldn't believe the number of people in these day/night clubs. It was about 1pm and these 'nightclubs' were pumping like it was 1AM!! And every female in there had pink cowboy hats on or were in some other shameful outfit on a hens night. It's all a bit run down and IS very tacky, but it's a fun day out. Reminds me a bit of Venice Beach in the fact that it's tacky, a bit dirty and great people watching, but you have to go and it's lovely on a nice sunny day which it was. So that was fun.

Then Sunday Peter and Jon took us to York which is just amazing. There is a roman wall which goes most of the way around the city, a beautiful Minster and the whole city just looks like you've been transported back to the 1500's or so. It's all so pretty and we loved it. Got a bit snap happy on the wall too, with Jimmy's cousin amazed we could take so many photos of one wall - but there was a different view at each stage Peter, and we ARE tourists!!! Geez!

We went to Jimmy's Aunty Kathleen's place in Derbyshire. They live in a really cute little town called Dronfield and it's about the same distance between Sheffield and Cehsterfield. We went into Sheffield just to have a bit of a look around, had a look at the Cathedral and just had a walk around. Was ok, but not all that much to see for such a big city - some nice streets, but some of the people there were a bit rough.

Kathleen took us to Chatsworth House which was gorgeous. It is the Duke of Devonshire's property and not just the house, but the town around, the scenery surrounding it, everything, is just gorgeous. They have a garden which is just massive and so beautiful. It really is a shame that most people that come to England only see London...a real big shame. The countryside out here is just awesome. We went to Bakewell as well which is a small little town, all in stone and just lovely. It's all in what they call the Peak District of Derbyshire. I just can't believe most people in London probably would never have seen it. And that's only one part of the country...I can only imagine what else is around! Hopefully when we get back from Europe we'll get to see a bit more of England.

We went for another night out in Preston and we weren't expecting much as everyone talks down where they live, but it turned out to be a great night out. You're certainly not spoiled for choice for pubs/bars/clubs in Preston, and the beer prices are much cheaper than in London!!

We've now moved on to yet another aunty's place (Sandra) who lives in Wilpshire, which is just outside of Blackburn...still in Lancashire. Jimmy's two cousins, Peter and Jon have been taking us all over the countryside, and we have now also been to Chester which was similar to York...very lovely, but not quite as much to do as in York; to Clitheroe, a small town nearby where Jimmy's aunty and uncle run a sandwich shop/deli; Skipton where we visited an old castle; and we even had Jon take us to Hadrian's Wall on possibly the worst 'summers' day imaginable.

We drove about 2hrs to a small town in the North of England towards the Scottish Border (obviously!) called Once Brewed to see some of the wall. Only problem was, it was 9 degrees celcius, constant (rather heavy) rain, and 17mph winds!! It's a lovely place and it's amazing that the wall goes all the way across Britain, however the weather didn't make it the most pleasant experience we know it could be. We trekked a small way up a cliff face along the wall, and went to Housestead's to look at some ruins from a roman fort on the wall.

Once we were totally soaked through, we decided that a nice pub meal at Twice Brewed Inn, a beer, and a drive home to dry clothes would be the next move on our itinerary. I'd like to go back on a nice day though...there is a bus which goes the whole 73miles across the country for only £7 and stops at all the historic places along the wall. We really enjoyed seeing it (me not so much loving the weather), but I don't think Jon was too happy at driving 2hrs to get out in the rain and look at a big stone wall which probably looked like any other stone wall to him. 😊

Yesterday we spent a quiet day with Jimmy's parents driving through the countryside. We went to some cute and quaint little towns past Clitheroe. We stopped at Dunsop Bridge and Waddington, and had a short walk in the Forest of Bowland. Today is a bludge day and tomorrow a lunch in Preston with the whole Carter family before Jim & Anna head back to Australia on Monday.

On Tuesday we're going to Edinburgh for two nights with Jimmy's cousins which I'm really looking forward to and it's a bonus because I didn't think we'd get to Scotland at this stage of the trip!! We'll drive up after Peter finishes work on Tuesday (approx. a 4hr trip) and come back on Thursday evening. I will post an Edinburgh update when we get back. So until then...

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Photos

Little John's (from Robin Hood!!) grave in Hathersage, Derbyshire
...and I think that might be his spirit saying g'day. :) (Or perhaps just some bad photography!)

The Sculpture Gallery at Chatsworth House
(Supposedly used in the recent film Pride and Prejudice) Dunno...never seen it! :)