Bath, Edinburgh, Castles and Catch-ups

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Have been a bit quiet over the past few days as we have been busy travelling around England and catching up with family and Friends. Our phones or rather our sim cards have given up the ghost and we are not happy with the Woolworths responses to our requests for help...they keep asking us to call them but when your phone is not working at all...it is very difficult to call them.

Harrow..
We had a great time with Aunty Gaynor (my mum's baby sister) at the retirement village, got to see most of my old haunts and to catch up with my cousins and their wives at a lovely little Italian restaurant called Sambuccas. Gaynor spoiled us thoroughly and it was really good to catch up. Got in some shopping in Watford, we went by bus and the trip was just stunning, took us through villages that had been swallowed up by Greater London and actually went through the centre of Harrow School, past the uniform shop full of striped blazers, straw hats and tails coats. We now have warm clothes to get us through the biting cold.

Alton...
We drove down to Alton through some lovely English countryside. You have to love the patchwork fields and the stone walls. Caught up with my cousin AnneMarie (we really are twins separated at birth.... although she is shorter that me...yes really), her husband Stephen, Rachel and Joseph (who are so grown up). Got to have hugs and chats with my Aunty Nelly who is my dad's sister and is 90 and still full of loveliness, cuddles and stories.

Bath
One day in bath was not enough.... checked in to our b&b with no welcome (via a key box) as they stopped being available for clients after 6pm at night. Our B & B (Brocks) was on Brock Street, one of the 3 Streets that lead off the Circus. It is an impressive Georgian building, but outrageously priced (120 pounds per night) for the lack of service and the moldy grout in the bathroom.

We spent a day sightseeing around bath with the hop on hop of bus, went through the Abbey which contains a memorial to Captain Arthur Phillips. The Abbey was originally founded by Nuns, they must have been doing too good a job as the men took over after two abbesses. Was a lovely building and I found a great Nativity Scene to add to my collection.

Moved onto the Roman baths and was once again astounded by the craft, skills and the architecture that the Romans had, that was somehow lost to the world for centuries.

We learnt about 'ladies of negotiable affection' that accompanied the gambling that was introduced when the Georgian Royals and society came to Bath, We passed by 'St Michael's Without' a curiously named church that was not actually missing anything, but was built outside (without) the walls of the City.

Sadly we missed the Christmas markets here by a week, but as you will see from the photos it did not stop me from trying.

Next blog will be on Edinburgh (a long 7.5 hour drive away from Bath) and York (we are off today to visit Castle Howard)

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Photos

Bath Abbey
Bath Abbey... stunning

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Shops...yep.....lots of shops

The Circus
This is part of the Circus... the facades were built first so that they all looked the same and then houses were built onto the facades, so each house is designed differently according to the needs of the family/person that bought it.

Roman Baths
You have to love the Roman Baths, stunning to look at (although the water is a bit scummy all these centuries on. They even had sauna rooms.

Bath Christmas market
Sadly the Christmas Market did not open until a week after we were in Bath. Here I am knocking hopefully on the door of one of the stalls, just in case.

Comments

[BetBet]

Why is the 158 now the 258?
Did you go down Imperial Drive or High Street? Will you see Ray? Glad you saw Gaynor's mob and Nellie etc

[FairyGodmother]

Who knows why?
The 258 is now the bus that goes to Watford, went past 148, but not 112