Taken for granted...

A couple of weekends ago I saw something I'd never thought I'd ever see - but unbelievably I failed to appreciate its value. Walking with friends in the countryside of the Elham valley, we saw a red kite soaring above us. I'd heard various reports of red kite sightings in Kent over the last few years, but this was the first time. How times have changed.

Back in the 1980s the red kite was on the verge of extinction in Britain with just a handfuls of pairs left in mid-Wales. Thankfully the RSPB began a breeding programme which has helped the kite return in healthy numbers.

In 1990 we stayed on a mid-Wales farm for a holiday. In that week we managed to get a fleeting glimpse of one bird. However, these days they're such a common sight on our returns to the same location that sighting one over Kent didn't have the impact on me (at the time) that it should have.

Thnakfully, that evening, as I wrote up the details of our walk, I appreciated the value of what we'd witnessed that day.

The photos on this page were all taken in Wales over the past five years.

The sun has already set...

on the empire, but it seems that the Conservative party (a collation government partner running our country) has forgotten that we no longer have an empire to trade with.

In its blind panic to re-engage with those attracted to Ukip's sudden appeal to the man on the Clapham omnibus, the Conservative party, or at least a significant number of its MPs, seems to have overlooked the fact that we live in a global economy for which it becomes increasingly difficult for a single nation to make its way in the world without friends and allies. Here's somebody urging caution. Does the UK (potentially with the loss of Scotland) really believe it can continue to make its way in the world on it's own? Perhaps once these politicians have sorted out the EU, they can also arrange for England to win the world cup again...

Going off the rails with Mr Bradshaw

Inspired by one of Michael Portillo's journeys through Kent with his trusty Bradshaws guide, we decided to spend a day exploring parts of Kent by rail.

From Strood we took the Medway Valley line, stopping at Maidstone West to change trains. Waiting on the platform, we noticed the architecture of the buildings and canopy were distinctly different for each platform. A quick "chat" with Dr Wiki revealed that the townsfolk of Maidstone were frightened of the prospect that the coming of the railways in the early 1840s would kill the town, so they opposed a station. Only later did they realise the error of their ways and allowed a branch line to be built from Paddock Wood to Maidstone West; subsequently the line was extended along the Medway valley as far as Strood and the Medway Towns.

Just as the HS1 and then HS2 routes have caused recent controversy, so the Victorians must have contended with similar fears and concerns. We might grumble at today's railways, but we take them for granted, not realising what our forebears also struggled with as Britian pioneered travel for the masses. I wonder how many Victorian towns went into decline due to a lack of railway service, while other towns prospered?

Onwards through Paddock Wood to Tonbridge and another stop. It must have been at least thirty five years since I last travelled this line which forms the main line from East Kent to London. The architecture at Tonbridge reminded me of my "home" station of Dover Priory and Dr Wiki quickly confirmed that both were rebuilt in the 1930s.

Off again to Sevenoaks and another transfer to head off up the Darenth Valley line to Swanley. First stop, Bat and Ball. Having heard the station announced many time over the years, I'd always wondered why it should have such a curious name - goodness knows what foreign visitors must think! Anyway, Dr Wiki advised that it it was named after the long-gone pub of the same name in the road beside the station.

Continuing, we caught glimpses of the lavender fields, which will soon be in full blossom, as well as a snatched view down the valley from the viaduct near Eynsford, although we were unable to see either the castle or Roman villa at Lullingstone. Having driven under the viaduct on numerous occasions, it was interesting to see the countryside from above it.

Arrival at Swanley brought back memories of a mistake I made back in the '80s when returning home from London. In a rush to catch an earlier train than normal, and with moments to go, I caught the train standing on my regular platform. As it pulled away I realised I didn't recognise a single face in the carriage and the guard confirmed we were heading to Sevenoaks. In the days before the internet and mobile phones, I was totally reliant on the guard to assist me with timetable information to get me home. Changing trains at the first stop, I was soon back at Swanley and a long wait for a slow train home. The one consolation, though, was that as I stood in the evening sun at Swanley, I could at least enjoy a steam-hauled Orient Express as it raced through the station.

As Michael Portillo, Michael Palin, and Suggs have all noted, there's more to a train journey than just arriving. An interesting, educational and enjoyable day. More photos on Flickr.

Here comes the sun...

As the George Harrison continued, "Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter".

The last week or two has seen warmer weather in these parts of the country, but what a long old slog it's been to get here. This past winter must have been the longest, darkest, coldest winter I can ever recall. While we might not have had prolonged periods of seriously cold weather or snow and ice conditions in this part of the country this particular, it was consistently cold, dark and depressing.

I now appreciate what it must be like for folk living in the north of Scotland (I hear it was snowing there yesterday) or on the islands or in the Nordic / Scandinavian countries. No wonder they do so much to celebrate the arrival of summer and mid-summers day.

PS - spooky. Since writing this blog, I've visited Wikipedia and seen that George Harrison is today's headline feature.

Birdsong

They say that every family in Britain had some sort of connection with the First World War. However, up until some six years ago, I always thought we were an exception. My paternal grandfather did join up but by the time his training was complete the war was over. Beyond that I didn't think we had any family involvement. And then I discovered that my maternal great grandfather was one of seventeen children, a discovery which also brought with it two known WWI family connections.

Unbeknown to him, my maternal grandfather had a great uncle who died during the conflict and a cousin who finished the war with a gunshot wound to his head. Having visited northern France on numerous occasions, I decided it was time to pay another visit.

Day one, visiting the family sites, was a series of heavy showers and grey skies interspersed with bright sunshine and a chill wind - the weather in its own way reflecting the extremes that many soldiers must have endured in France 100 years ago. First stop was a hamlet called Mont Des Cats which is a actually a Catholic abbey atop a small hill. During the war the Abbey was used by the allies as a casualty clearing station for triaging the wounded. It was here that the cousin was treated and assessed before making his way via two hospitals and Boulogne back to Canterbury and recuperation.

The great uncle's story was probably typical of many men of the time. He joined the army in the 1880s and served in India and the second Boer war, both locations where illness and action saw many casualties. Having endured those, he then went throughout the whole of the First World War only to succumb like many others

to the great flu epidemic three months after the war. He's buried in a Commonwealth War Graves plot in the public cemetery in Lille.

Day two may have been brilliant sunshine but it was still very chilly. Having travelled south to the Somme region and stayed overnight in Albert, the next stop was a visit to the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, at Thiepval. Over 70,000 names are etched on the memorial, which may not be breathtaking in its beauty but which is a sobering reminder of the carnage that must have taken place over the summer of 1916. Crossing the River Ancre, next stop was the Newfoundland memorial park which is maintained by the Canadian government. Walking across no-man's land in the bright sun, with only the chirping of birds to break the silence, it's hard to imagine what life would have been like back then, though  Sebastian Faulks's book, Birdsong, which is set in this area, vividly portrays a sense of what it must have been like. More of my photos of the Somme are available on Flickr.

My girl's mad with me...

A dead cat, a lost father, the children grown up...

Suggs, my life story  is a one-man show (with some support) which sees Suggs, front man for  Madness, setting off on a personal quest which is interspersed with flashbacks to his childhood, the lead-up to the formation of Madness and what happened thereafter. Along the way there are some familiar songs and some interesting impressions.

An intimate show, in complete contrast to last year's Madness Buckingham Palace and Olympic stadium gigs, but still very much a part of London. If you get a chance, see it - it'll take you at least one step beyond.

Sunny seaside days...

 A melange of experiences on a return trip to Margate.

Four years ago our visit was in sharp contrast to the fond childhood memories. Gone were the candy floss, fun fairs and masses of people, replaced by boarded-up shops, a lack of people and the air of a has-been seaside town.

This time the experience was so much more enjoyable. The seafront seemed so short compared to childhood memories and space on the beach wouldn't have been a problem if we'd wanted it. The shone brightly on the new steps set into the promenade near the harbour, a new development that adds character and brings visitors together with the beach and the sea which is what Margate is all about.

On this occasion the exhibitions at the Turner were a little disappointing but something different will come along with time. Outside, the community recognised the dedication of local seafarers, predecessors of the RNLI, when the crew of the Victory gave their lives in 1857 trying to rescue the crew of a ship in distress. A new memorial was unveiled to those selfless souls.

Memories fade - we struggled to remember exactly where the entrance to the town's pier, wrecked in a storm in the late '70s, was. And the seaside rock and beach-spade shops were small  in number. But a wander around the variety of shops, and lunch, in the Old Town was a delight, crowned with afternoon tea in the Mad Hatters Tea Room (a must do when visiting Margate on a Saturday).


Fond memories and a wonderful day out.

From prime minister to car salesman in three weeks

Three weeks can be an awful long time in politics. Then again it can shoot by.

One week you're you're prime minister and responsible for the police mission to locate a kidnapped child, and then you're selling cars and pleading with the new prime minister Birgitte Nyborg for the Danish government to rethink their military policy in Afghanistan.

Ah, perhaps that's just Nordic actors popping up in alternate series. After all, it seems entirely possible to get bumped off as Sarah Lund's police partner in The Killing I only to become a TV editor back in Borgen. Anything's possible in Norse sagas.

The roller-coaster ride of Borgen is back for series two and as good, if not better, than series one. Intrigues, wheeling and dealing, compromises, heart-tugging home life. Be careful what you wish for.

And welcome to 2013...

What happened to the last three months of 2012? Apologies for such a long gap. I hope that 2012 was good for you and wish you a peaceful and healthy 2013.

Respected BBC expert talks of Medway filth

Would you be insulted by a respected BBC expert who turned up in the locality and went on to talk about Medway filth? That was exactly the dilemma we found ourselves in the other day? So how did we react? Walk away? Contact the BBC to register our complaint? Or laugh?

Antiques Roadshow recently visited Chatham Historic Dockyard. We've never had an attic full of old bits and pieces, so we've never had the opportunity to discover an old master or some other valuable artefact, but over the years we've acquired one or two things we were interested to find out more about. The Roadshow was the perfect opportunity.

Beautiful weather formed the backdrop to what was to turn out to be a morning's entertainment.

Waiting in the queue that snaked around the site, it was fascinating to watch the production crew well under way almost from the moment the gates opened. A camera on a boom swinging high over our heads capturing shots of the crowds while three cameras recorded another expert discussing a couple of watercolours. Visitors, like us, had trolleys and bags with weird and wonderful things poking out, all of us waiting to see what the appropriate expert would say. While we're not regular viewers of the programme, we saw some well known faces offering advice and filming short sequences which will ultimately be edited down to form the two episodes from the day.

We queued to see the "miscellaneous" and "ceramics" experts, the latter providing a valuable insight to the various pieces that we took. And then, with a warning, we made our way to the "glass" expert Andy McConnell.

"Madame, the next time I visit Chatham from my antiques shop in Rye, I'm going to bring something that Medway is clearly lacking." A pregnant pause... "Washing up liquid. Your glassware is covered in Medway filth." Rather than feel insulted, the lady, along with the rest of us gathered around his table fell about laughing. Andy had already dismissed another lady with a comment about her piece of mass-produced glassware. And now it was our turn.

He picked out our bud vase and studied the hard water staining that lined it before holding it to his ear. "This has been used as an ear trumpet," he suggested, "and now it's full of ear wax." His banter continued, a mixture of pure entertainment interspersed with information on how to clean glassware and facts relating to the period the objects where made in, where, and why the demand for similar objects existed.

And did we witness a special Antiques Roadshow moment? We think so. Two ladies described how their father found the glass bottle they were showing in a skip. After Andy explained some of the "behind the scenes procedures" and took the girls away to production crew staff, he returned to say that that was the most valuable glassware object he'd discovered on the programme. Entertainment for the gathered crowd or a genuine statement? We suspect the latter but will only find out when we watch the programme later this year.

A great morning out and wonderful entertainment - well worth the license fee. I've more pictures on Flickr.

After thirty years...we nearly end up right up the creek...

A couple of travel blogs - both venues come highly recommended.

Firstly thirty years on...

and then up the creek.

Two weeks on

Olympic stadium - Lego-style

I'm sure that two weeks ago I wasn't that bothered about sport...

Sports watching has always been something I could take or leave - certainly not something to organise my life around. However, last week I found myself watching rowing, basketball, handball, volleyball, horse-riding, swimming, canoeing, clay-pigeon shooting, indoor-cycling - probably missed something there! In fact the only thing that wasn't especially new was road cycling.

Slightly more self control this past week! What a fortnight...

Can you believe it?

A warm welcome home to Suntanned Daffy Duck. Daffy is one of our geocaching travel bugs - a little toy with an ID tag and a mission that is entirely dependant on the goodwill of fellow geocachers to achieve the mission. Daffy's mission was to travel the world and cover more miles than his fellow travel bug Suntanned Spider Man. Spider Man covered 28,209 miles - how many miles did Daffy Duck cover?

Spider Man was despatched in February 2005, returning home October 2006. His mission was to travel the world, visit New York and climb the Empire State Building. In those twenty months he achieved his main goal up the Empire State on a very misty day, (see right) courtesy of a fellow US-based cacher, and visited four countries South Africa, USA (eight states), Norway and Sweden.

Bear in mind that we had no control over Daffy Duck. He was placed in a "cache" (a lunch box hidden in the UK countryside), retrieved by a random cacher, moved to another cache, retrieved by another cacher - and so the chain went on. Daffy took a little longer - one month short of five years - and visited three countries Australia, Canada (six states), and Germany. At no time were we able to control his journey. So, the big question, did he beat Spider Man's journey and, if so, by how much? Yes he did - by one mile! 28,210 miles.

So here they are safely home.

A timely footnote. Sadly, not all travel bugs make it. On Saturday 9 July 2005, we despatched a travel bug to celebrate London being awarded the Olympics and to remember those affected by the 7/7 London bombs the day after London was awarded the Games. The mission was to visit each of the 2012 Olympics candidate cities - Madrid, Moscow, New York, Paris (in any order) and return to London. Unfortunately this bug made it to America and was in Pennsylvania en route to New York when it vanished without trace.

Inspiring a generation...

Yep, we're inspired.

If Helen Glover can watch the 2008 Olympics, take up rowing and then win gold four years later, what's to stop us?  The last time Mr & Mrs W were out rowing was six years ago (probably to the week) on the Royal Military Canal in Hythe - that time we spent quite a bit of time going around in circles.

Just need to check whether there'll be a mixed doubles race, book our flights and then we'll be Flying Down to Rio. Keep an eye out for us...

What a way to start...

Follow that... Following Beijing was always going to be a challenge but Danny Boyle, his creative team, and the cast of volunteers rose to the challenge and exceeded it.

Even many of the Olympic cynics seem to have enthusiastically embraced the ceremony. Quirky and eccentric in places, the global media's reviews of the opening ceremony were equally supportive. Well done everyone.

This is the big one...

Today at 8.12 BST the BigBong kicks off the countdown to tonight's opening ceremony and the start of the Games.

London has been transformed with overseas representatives creating pop-up hospitality facilities and TV companies setting up pop-up studios anywhere and everywhere - Denmark TV (will Sarah Lund be one of the presenters?) even featuring a Lego version of the Olympic Park. Olympian teams and BMW official courtesy cars are everywhere.

My insider reports that the opening ceremony will truly reflect Great Britain, a spectacle not to be missed.

Did I say BigBong? There I go again, mixing fact and fiction. I'll leave the final words of fiction to Ian Fletcher, Head of Deliverance at the Olympic Deliverance Committee and his handover speech, reproduced below from an interview in the Daily Telegraph earlier this week.

From this morning onwards this is for real. Let the Games commence...

"Well, here we are at the finishing line. Which, as so often in life, is of course where the starting line is. So that’s all good. And what a journey it’s been to this point. 

It was a tremendous shock for all of us when we were awarded the Games back in 2005 – I can still remember the look on Kelly Holmes’s face now. But we recovered. Those of us who stayed on regrouped and we dug deep – quite literally of course in the case of the Aquatic Centre – and the really great news there, by the way, is that the leak is now basically controllable, so we’re controlling it, which is another big positive to take out of this whole thing going forward.

If these Games are about one thing then it’s not just Sustainability but also Legacy. But, of course, they’re about much more than one thing, more even than two things. They’re about many things, each one uniquely central to everything we’re about and everything we do. Who would attempt to say where Inclusivity ends and Diversity begins? Only a fool. And as we all know we don’t have time for fools in the Deliverance Team. Look around you.

Yes, there have been problems along the way. Of course there have. But in Deliverance what we like to say is that problems are solutions waiting to happen.

So let’s not be afraid today to acknowledge what it is that we’ve achieved. Seven years ago there was literally nothing. Now there’s definitely something. And we delivered that something out of that nothing. 

Let us take that achievement with us going forward towards a future beyond Deliverance, wherever that actually means. So thank you to each and every one of you and I suppose what I’m really trying to say is that basically, it’s all good."