Cambridge

Posted on August 30, 2019February 2, 2020 by ezypzy5bg

2018 – July/August

Cambridge

After a winter that has brought more than its fair share of wild, wet and windy weather here in New Zealand it feels very fitting to spend time remembering and writing a little more about our glorious summer outings in Cambridgeshire England at a similar time of year during 2018.

Wimpole Estate

I (Liz) was particularly keen to visit Wimpole Hall. One reason being that the most recent person to live in the house was Elsie Bambridge who was Rudyard Kipling’s (famous author) daughter.

The library at Wimpole Hall is home to one of the largest (with over 6,000 books) and most varied libraries belonging to the National Trust which also includes Rudyard’s Kipling’s collection. There seems to be an extra element of interest in visiting a place that has a personal connection in someway to me. The Jungle Book, written by Rudyard Kipling, was certainly an enjoyable part of my childhood story times.

The colour and detail in the design and decoration of each room at Wimpole Hall is stunning. Then to go down to the lower level where the servants lived and worked is equally as fascinating, especially to see the ‘bell’ system which alert servants to their masters requests. Quite a different world to anything Peter and I have ever seen before.

Not only is Wimpole Hall massive and magnificent the grounds and gardens are very extensive and beautiful too so we made a point of going there on more than one occasion to wander through the woodland and garden areas. From almost every angle of the estate grounds there are great views looking towards the stately home. You can certainly while away countless hours here as we did.

Anglesey Abbey

Anglesey Abbey and Lodge Mill was another place we thoroughly enjoyed as we wandered along the canal and through the gardens with grand displays of Dahlias and Roses.

As you step through the door at Anglesey Abbey (which isn’t really an Abbey at all) you feel as if you have stepped back in time to the year of 1938 when Lord Fairhaven was in residence there. Everything is laid out just as it was while he was living there. With a grand library and upper gallery displaying much of Lord Fairhaven’s array of fine clothing, it really brings to life what it was like living in a different era. The most interesting room within the Abbey is the dining room with its vaulted ceiling.

It was very interesting to climb up inside to the top level of the mill and see first hand how everything works. Lode Mill dates back as far as 1086 and although the current building is not original, it is still very old. After a full restoration of the waterwheel the mill is in working order producing freshly ground flour that is sold onsite.

newmarket

One highlight of our time spent in Cambridgeshire was our visit to Newmarket, the heart of England’s horse racing country. We had a personally guided tour by a very good friend of ours, who was brought up in Newmarket and was closely associated with the horse training industry as her father worked for a local trainer years ago.

We drove past many prestigious trainers’ estates, stopped at the gallops to see horses in training (which we find rather fascinating), and visited racecourses, all the while hearing stories of growing up in Newmarket. It was a perfect way for us to see and learn about an area that we were both keen to visit. Once again, Dick Francis comes to life!

duxford – Pete & Planes

Imperial War Museum Duxford – Planes, planes & more planes. Pete on his own – a boys day out. The airfield that was home to the first RAF squadron to fly the Spitfire now houses a huge display of mainly military aircraft spread across a number of hangars. Boyhood dreams were realised as I walked through a Concorde in the AirSpace hangar and drooled over Spitfires & Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain display.

As I walked toward the American hangar there was an airworthy B17 Flying Fortress on the Tarmac. Inside the hangar was a B29 Superfortress, a B52 Stratofortress (it’s massive!), an SR71 Blackbird, a P51 Mustang, etc etc etc. I don’t have the words to do justice to how it felt standing beside aircraft that for a boy who grew up in the 70’s are the stuff of legend. Funny thing too – also inside the American hangar amongst the crowd of visitors was a total stranger who talked to me, in a Kiwi accent, who was ex-RNZAF and who used to work with Air Force guys I know. What were the chances? It’s a small world…

And the final hangar I visited, the Land Battle display with its tanks and armoured cars, brought home the reality of a World War. A sobering finale that emphasised the ugliness of war & the very real human cost of conflict.

Wow, what a day! I walked out the gate right on closing time (or maybe just after) knowing that one day wasn’t enough to see it all. Knowing too that somehow I have to find a way to come back on a day when the Spitfires take to the skies!

And Other Places…

Bury St Edmonds and Peterborough were two other towns we spent time mooching around. Most places we visit have old buildings, castles, an abbey or cathedral and beautiful gardens that interest us as much as ambling along cobbled streets and around town squares where the shops and market stalls are found. Each town has something different to see and do. Our visit to Peterborough coincided with a celebration of 900 years of Peterborough Cathedral & an amazing display of British astronaut Tim Peake’s Russian Soyuz spacecraft.

Many towns and villages have market stalls on certain days of the week so we do try to visit a town on a market day when we can. Bury St Edmunds being a prime example. With mountains of fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, fish and baked goods plus a myriad of crafts and just about anything else you can imagine makes market day mooching an event to look forward to at any time.

Peterborough Cathedral celebrates 900 Years

Tim Peake’s Soyuz Spacecraft at Peterborough

North Yorkshire & Cambridgeshire

Posted on August 20, 2019May 10, 2021 by ezypzy5bg

August 2016 Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire

Our willing & able staff… The Pancake House

House Sitting in Pateley Bridge for four and a half months gave us plenty of time to integrate into the local community, especially once Liz began working at The Pancake House. Soon after arriving in Pateley Bridge we did the usual rounds to check out the local cafes to see if we could find ourselves a decent cup of coffee (which is not as easy as in NZ). The Pateley Pancake House is on the corner of High Street, at the bottom end of town, in a lovely sunny spot. As we stepped through the front door we were greeted with a very cherry welcome and found ourselves a cosy table for two near the front window. The atmosphere, presentation of food and the customer service was excellent though the coffee wasn’t as good as we serve up in NZ (sorry Jane)! Liz instantly fell in love with the place so a few days later, when we were passing by, Liz popped in to ask if they would need extra staff over the busy summer season.

I am sure you know what it’s like when ‘they’ say give me your phone number and we’ll let you know if anything comes along. You are pretty sure that means you will never hear from ‘them’ at all. Well, you know what, just two days later Liz got a call asking if she could start work the next day as the owner had to urgently go out of town. Not only was Liz going to a new job the boss wasn’t even going to be there. New job, new people, new routines that fit like a glove. A very busy, fun filled and satisfying summer job which has also led to amazing lifelong friendships.

This wasn’t just a new routine for Liz. It was the beginning of Peter’s upskilling in home management duties of cooking, washing and cleaning along with lawn mowing and walking the dog which of course he already knew how to do. It was pretty much a role reversal from our known NZ life which we both embraced enthusiastically.

August 2017 Risplith, North Yorkshire

Walking with Tess the Yorkie the first year was a superb way to explore the countryside. Tess was almost always on lead and quite content to trot along in front of me for an hour or three, at a decent pace. Good for 9-10 miles her owners had said, & they were right. Those little legs just kept going. The Gouthwaite Reservoir loop, around Brimham Rocks, across heather-covered moors. If I stopped too long anywhere for a photo (or to catch my breath…) she soon gently let me know it was time we were moving again. This year with two Labs to walk it was a different ballgame. Just as much fun, but in a different way.

As Ash & Cassie were used to running off lead they moved at a rather faster pace than me… Result being that the best places to go with them were woods with few other people or dogs, lots of room to roam, and the scent of rabbits, deer etc to get them going. Fortunately there are plenty of those places around Ripon. One favourite spot was Hackfall Woods, a gorgeous woodland with its follies and waterfalls on the banks of the River Ure near Grewelthorpe. The river provided a cooling off spot (Labs + water = wet dogs!) and on one visit Ash decided that she was going to swim over to the fly fisherman on the far bank – fortunately discretion won the day & she turned back. Things didn’t always go to plan on our walks though.

On a visit to another local woodland, which shall remain nameless, there were large numbers of pheasants (early August, just before shooting season). Unfortunately one of the pheasants wasn’t quite quick enough & Cassie proudly brought me a present. (ooops, sorry Mr Gamekeeper…). Walking in the great outdoors of the Dales was something I had always looked forward to doing, and to do it with such great companions as Tess, Ash & Cassie brought that dream alive. There’s more places still to walk – I want to go back!

August 2018 – Toft, Cambridgeshire

Our early morning, or in the cool of the evening, walks around the village and through the nearby fields in Toft are very pleasant. It almost feels as if time is standing still as we amble along keeping pace with Hershey who is not in any hurry whatsoever. During the heat of the day we happily relax under the shade of the large trees in the backyard and feast on the fast ripening delicious figs (well, maybe not Pete but Liz does for sure!)

House sitting duties always take precedence over sightseeing when planning our days. We are careful to work out suitable time slots to go off exploring the local area. With it being so hot it wasn’t suitable to take Hershey on outings with us as we so often do which was a pity.

Every place where we stay has a myriad of things to do and places to visit so Peter spends our downtime, which is usually in the evenings, researching what will be of the most interest to us. A house sitting life doesn’t lend itself to frequent paid outings unless you have a job on the side with a regular income (which we don’t), so we look for low cost or no cost things to do as often as possible.

We are members of Heritage New Zealand which is recognised and accepted in the same way as National Trust and English Heritage cards are in England. National Trust and English Heritage sites are renowned for their fabulously restored buildings and immaculately kept gardens and grounds so while in Toft we visited Anglesey Abbey, Wimpole Hall and Audley End. Our visit to Audley End was particularly interesting and enjoyable as it was on a “Bringing Audley End To Life” day where you step back in time to experience a day in and around the grounds as it was in the 17th century. It was a fabulous day as we wandered through the magnificent big old house watching cooks baking and preparing food and chatting with stable hands while they worked with horses in the yard. It was great to see crowds of local folk and tourists supporting and thoroughly enjoying this well run annual summer event.

Speaking of locals getting out and enjoying the countryside……we joined a long line of cafe going, picnicking bunch of people at ‘The Orchard Tea Garden’ in Grantchester. We had been told of its popularity so really weren’t surprised at having to search high and low for a spare seat to sit in the shade while we ate our very rapidly melting ice-cream.

While in Grantchester we had time for a walk along the banks of the river Cam where we came across a popular swimming spot and local punting tours coming and going along the river with their passengers. Everyone lapping up the perfect summer weather.

Liz was very interested to learn that Grantchester is home to author Jeffrey Archer (one of her favourite authors), Rupert Brooke an English poet and David Gilmour (Pink Floyd). It was also the inspiration behind Roger Waters’ (Pink Floyd) song called Grantchester Meadows and David Gilmour’s song Fat old Son.

EzyPzy 3,2,1 (3 Years, 2 Years, 1 Year Ago)

Posted on August 7, 2019October 14, 2019 by ezypzy5bg

August 2016 – Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire

Guise Cliff looking toward Pateley Bridge

The first week of August 2016 finds us in the most picturesque Yorkshire Dales village called Pateley Bridge. Securing our first medium term house sit with Trustedhousesitters before we left home lead us to this magical place. It couldn’t have been a better introduction to living in England. A 17th century old vicarage stone house with a delightful and very energetic Yorkshire terrier (what else?) to care for, along with George the rooster and his 4 ladies who supplied us with fresh eggs every day, was a warm welcome to house sitting in Yorkshire.

The Yorkshire Dales is well renowned for its stunning scenery and hiking trails so Pateley Bridge is a very popular summer holiday destination. The somewhat sleepy winter village suddenly transforms into a buzzing hive of industry with the local cafes, hotels and B&Bs filled to overflowing. Mobile ice-cream carts can be found almost anywhere there is a crowd of people gathered.

On Sunday afternoons during summer the Pateley Bridge bandstand also comes alive with free entertainment from surrounding village bands. While people play bowls, basketball, walk along the banks of the river Nidd or visit The Oldest Sweet Shop in England you can hear the echo of music resound through the village. It sure didn’t take long to feel right at home here though we often had trouble trying to understand the local Yorkshire accent. And eeh by gum, they also had trouble understanding ours…

As we didn’t own a car we did a lot of walking, which is of course the best way to explore any new place. We didn’t keep a log of how many miles (not km’s as in NZ) we walked but oh how we wish we did. Peter and the Yorkie clocked up many miles up hill and down dale, with one of their favourite walks being up to Yorke’s Folly and along the bluffs for spectacular views back to Pateley Bridge and Gouthwaite Reservoir.

August 2017 – Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire

Fast forward to the exact same time the following year and here we are again back in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. The primary reason for our return was so that Liz could rejoin the team working at The Pancake House. With such a swell in numbers of people visiting and holidaying in the area, cafes in particular need extra staff. This of course suited us (Liz) perfectly as she thrives on people contact, has excellent service industry skills and had an absolute blast the previous summer season. That’s a whole story of its own……..for another day.

We had several moves in a short time while back in North Yorkshire. From staying with friends near Ripon to holiday accommodation in the village of Middleham then on to house sitting with two enthusiastic labradors in Risplith and back to staying with our friends in Ripon again.

Middleham is the heart of North Yorkshire’s horse breeding/training country which we found very fascinating. With Johnston Racing stables (“Britain’s winningest trainer”) next door to where we were staying we saw first hand the morning (6am start) routine of Jockeys and trainers riding horses up through the cobbled main street to the gallops for their daily run. Brilliant – Dick Francis books became more than just words on a page for us.

This year we had the advantage of a car (an el-cheapo £550 Ford Focus) to get around after our first year of traveling solely by public transport, which meant we could explore North Yorkshire in a lot more detail and go deeper in to faraway places. We saw enough of the Dales to know that however many times we go back there’ll always be more to explore!

August 2018 – Toft, Cambridgeshire

Hershey, our fave Choc Lab flat out in the heat…

This was our second visit to Toft, a village of only a few hundred people just west of Cambridge. Our first visit was a very brief three day house sit so we were thrilled to be invited back to look after our favourite chocolate Labrador for a second time, especially for three weeks during the summer. With an absolutely fantastic English summer (in fact too hot for walking the dog believe it or not) and a vegetable garden producing copious quantities of delicious vegetables for us to help ourselves to (and keep well watered) we lapped up an English summer as good as any in NZ.

Cambridgeshire has very significant connections to us personally. Firstly, Peter’s grandfather, Frank Collin was born in Chesterton, Cambridge and at the age of 17 he moved to New Zealand to live. It was also from the farm lands of Cambridgeshire that Peter’s ancestors on his grandmother’s side (the Adams family…) originated from before coming to live in New Zealand. With some info from cousins and helped by google we spent several days searching out villages like Hatley St George and Graveley, places we knew Peter’s ancestors had called home, and also hunting out family grave sites in their churchyards. We both felt quite emotional knowing that we were walking the ground our ancestors once trod.

One very interesting thing that we noticed while traveling in and around Cambridgeshire was that the lie of the land felt to us very much like Canterbury, with the fields golden with wheat. It is no wonder that T W Adams (a Canterbury pioneer) and Papa Collin felt so at home on the Canterbury plains in New Zealand.

Oh so much more to write about – so check in here again soon and also keep an eye on our Photo Gallery, Facebook and Instagram pages @ Ezypzy Life