"Believe me, my young friend, there is NOTHING--absolutely nothing--half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Simply messing,' he went on dreamily: `messing--about--in--boats; messing----" (Water Rat to Mole, Wind in the Willows, Chapter 1, Kenneth Grahame). So it is for Bill and I, as we make our way down to Richmond pier … Continue reading A Day on the Thames
Retirement
A Journey to the North of England: Cartmel and surrounding areas
We have made our way to a north-western corner of England, to stop for a couple of nights with friends at their home in Burton-in-Lonsdale. It is a quiet village of around 600 persons. Their postal address is Lancashire, but the signpost not far out of town says they are in Yorkshire, and I always think of it as … Continue reading A Journey to the North of England: Cartmel and surrounding areas
Summer’s days at Westgate-on-Sea
I read somewhere that the Carlton Cinema in Westgate-on-Sea was originally built as the Town HallWhenever I visit my English "family", my base is either Westgate-on-Sea or Birchington-on-Sea, two towns that lie a little further along the coastline from Margate. There is a sound that is synonymous with these visits. The type of sound that if … Continue reading Summer’s days at Westgate-on-Sea
The Reluctant Retiree 