Last year while I was visiting England, I was lucky to have a personalised London walking tour with a guide who had worked in London for many years. Gill and I were staying with my godmother Sue and her husband Chris, and Sue and Gill were going up to London for a reunion with several of their school friends. Chris volunteered to show me around some of his old haunts. Our first stop was the Shard. The Shard is the tallest building in England (built since I was last in London) and therefore … [Read more...]

Taking a boat cruise down the River Thames from London to Greenwich Village is a great way to get a different perspective of the city of London. The River Thames used to be the main highway for Londoners and many of the old buildings were built to look their best from the river. Today's buildings generally aren't built facing the river in the same way but you can get great views of many of the newer more distinct ones. I had heard some of the names but was amazed to discover that not only did … [Read more...]

A visit to Hampton Court Palace is a must-do activity if you are visiting London or South-East England. Hampton Court Palace is one of only two surviving palaces out of the many owned by King Henry VIII. The palace was built in 1515 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, a favourite of King Henry VIII, but when he fell from favour the King seized the palace for himself and later enlarged it. A century later, there was a further rebuilding and expansion project (intended to make the palace rival Versailles) … [Read more...]

After a week staying with my uncle Keith in Kent, Gill and I moved to stay with my godmother Sue (Gill's best friend through school) and her husband Chris in Hinchley Wood. Keith drove us part of the way and we met Sue and Chris at a pub for lunch, then transferred to their car for the rest of the journey (with a walk in the woodlands on the way home). Hinchley Wood is a village of about 5,000 people in Surrey to the south west of London. Although it is within the Greater London area, it still … [Read more...]

There are many reasons for visiting the City of Canterbury: Gill and I went on a walking tour of Canterbury Cathedral and precincts and a historic river tour while my uncle Keith worshipped at the hallowed grounds of Kent County Cricket. We did visit the cricket grounds at the end of the day when we went to meet up with Keith but he was disgusted that we "didn't even want to watch a ball being bowled". Gill and I had both visited Canterbury before but it was a very long time time ago. So we … [Read more...]

Ightham Mote is one of my favourite places to visit when I am staying with my uncle in Ightham Village near Sevenoaks in Kent. It is a 14th century moated manor house that I have visited each time I have been to England; my uncle remembers playing there as a boy before it became a National Trust property; and my mother remembers her father gifting some furniture to the property, so it always feels like I have a connection to it. It has been described as "the most complete small medieval manor … [Read more...]

Penshurst Place and Gardens is another National Trust property in Kent that is close to where we were staying with my uncle Keith in Ightham (near Sevenoaks). The House was once the property of King Henry VIII, left to his son King Edward VI and granted to Sir William Sidney in 1552. The Sidney family have been in continuous occupation for more than 460 years since and it is still their family home although part of the house and gardens are open for public viewing. Penshurst was the birthplace … [Read more...]

Whilst staying with my uncle Keith in the little village of Ightham in Kent, England last year we went to visit several National Trust properties and walk in their gardens. Knole House and its surrounding deer park Knole Park in Sevenoaks is one that we enjoyed. First a little bit of history: Ightham (short for eight hamlets) is a quaint little village of less than 2,000 people that dates back to medieval times - St Peters church was built in the 12th century. It is about 4 miles east of … [Read more...]

A year ago in September 2016 I visited friends and family in South East England with my mother Gill after a tour of Russia, Belarus and the Baltic States but it was such a crazy year for me last year that I didn't get a chance to write about my visit there. I have lived in New Zealand for most of my life but my mother's family are from South East England and I lived and even started school there as a child. The beautiful countryside and quaint English towns are what I think of when I think of … [Read more...]