We are back in London after our clockwise northern excursion (London > Chester > Ramsbottom > Rishworth > Keswick > Edinburgh > York > London). Since my last posting we have visited Edinburgh and York.
Two highlights: 1 - lunch in Biggar on the way to Edinburgh was amazing. I love Biggar. I could live there and eat their cottage pies and yo-yos (called custard creams in Biggar) for the rest of my days. It is a terrific stop off before the hurley burley of Edinburgh, and never disappoints.
2 Castle Howard, just out of York, was also amazing but for different reasons (no cottage pie and yo-yos but a passable scone with raspberry jam and clotted cream) which were mainly about the walled garden and the grand rooms and artwork in the castle/house. It was used as a set for different editions of Brideshead Revisited (Irene please note as you watch your box set). Jacky had a dilemma - either a pricey teddy bear or some blue Wedgewood style stuff. She went with the blue Wedgewood style stuff.
Note the fact that Edinburgh is missing from the list. Overall all it is dirty and crowded and a sad reminder that the UK is in a period of austerity. Even Jacky who adores Edinburgh was shocked. London in comparison is clean, open and vibrant (still).
For me the sadness was increased by the closing down of major CD outlets like FOPP and Avalanche, with only an HMV holding the fort (the FOPP in Rose street has been taken over by HMV and is a pale shadow of its former glory). Even the Hard Rock Cafe was a let down this time - way too loud (at times I couldn't even make out the song it was so loud and muffled) and way too many people squeezed in. A shame!
Tomorrow we are off to Paris. My ipad won't do a global whanau email so check in over the next few days for progress and highlights.
Love and peace - Wozza
2 comments:
The closure of the large UK CD stores is a real disappointment to those of us who like to touch our music source.
I recall my first visit to Tower records and being amazed at the sheer number of discs...
Still some decent second-hand places up Nottinghill way. (Usually heaps of bootlegs!)
G.
Thanks for the heads up, Greg. I'll aim to check this out before we leave England. I did a similar post on my music blog which expands on my feeling of bereftment. Seems second hand will be our only outlet soon and they don't exist in the middle east ,where I live until next July, or in NZ ,where I'm from.
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