It’s May, it’s May, the busy month of May
It’s been a right royal month hasn’t it Darling! This edition of Hello is no exception, because we are back from vacation and we have everything ‘royal’ to share with you. Grab your tea and come on vacation with us.
Mid-May we celebrated Dr T’s birthday in style at London’s The Wolseley Piccadilly (Remember she is a Burnout ‘Queen’so that makes her part of the royal tour). Class all the way from menu to service and even an unexpected surprise birthday dessert was brought to top it all off. Perfection! After cake it was off to shop (The Burnout Queens consider shopping an art form) and enjoy the display of banners and decorations celebrating the upcoming Royal wedding.
The vacation officially began with the relatives arriving. Their wish list this visit (it’s their third so far) was royal castles, homes, and gardens; ancestral sites, and as much history as we could see. This is England, they won’t be disappointed. This trip ‘Flash’ (our great new car) created some fun and crazy moments in the countryside, especially on roundabouts and when getting lost with sat navs. Thank heavens Dr T set us straight with her trusty paper maps.
First stop Hever Castle, Kent. Drizzly day, but this is the family home of Anne Boleyn. What a beautiful place inside and out. The Astor family lived here for a time and it is still a working home. I’ll give you a smattering of the pictures we took, but we’ve decided to mail you an extra edition of the whole day because it’s too beautiful to miss and we know many of you will never visit in person.
Two days later we were back in ‘Flash’ and landed at Dr T’s ancestral cottages on the south coast. A quick drive to a great lunch, then a trek through cow pastures and gun turret sites to the coastguard cottages on the white cliffs (which were absent in the mist). Last year we did the same trek with her niece, but this trip we added another generation, so they counted a few more titles of great, great, great onto the relatives who lived here. We paid homage to the Canadian soldiers who were killed during a German flyover, as they camped in the fields at Cuckmere Haven, and enjoyed watching a flock of Canada Geese and their goslings by the river as we walked back to the car park (Canadian theme going strong).
More history! We drove to Alfriston, a little village (pop 700+) that now has a famous vineyard, but historically was a route for religious marches and smuggling. Dating to Neolithic times (!) some of the buildings on the narrow high street dated to 1394. The architecture and layout of the village is stunning in the middle of the South Downs. I’m sure you will agree. We can’t wait to go back for afternoon tea!
Hope you aren’t getting bored, but this last royal venue was beyond fabulous.
We hopped the train into London and went to Buckingham Palace (always a family stop) and toured The Royal Mews. The coaches, town cars, coronation coach, horses and bridle apparel are all housed here. Beyond interesting, especially when you often see all of these being drawn through the streets to Parliament by horses and cavalry. The best way to end the everything ‘royal’ visit and having a little ‘royal’ moment for Dr T.
Sad to say the relatives have gone back to Canada, but not before we had an East meets West meeting. You see Lewes falls smack dab along the Greenwich meridian so we are the 0-degree divide between the eastern and western hemispheres on the planet. How cool is that! Couldn’t resist dipping our toes into the divide just before taking one last walk with The Burnout Pups through the ancient monastery ruins at The Priory (great dog walking park don’t you think).
Hope you enjoyed the royal tour. Now go get yourself a cuppa and cake and enjoy your day.
Until the special Hever Castle issue,
