Sunday 2^nd October 2016

Weather this morning was sunny and 17° with the chance of a shower.

We had breakfast at 8:30am, finished our packing and checked out of the hotel at 10:00am.

A taxi had been arranged for 10:15am to take us to Euston Station where we boarded the 11:15am train to Liverpool. The trip was good with plenty of legroom and luggage storage space. The train arrived at Liverpool Lime Street Station on time at 1:54pm. Time to catch another taxi to our hotel “30 James Street. It is actually the old headquarters of the White Star Line and has now been converted into a very grand hotel, which is a fantastic location only one street back from the waterfront and docks. Our room is the 5^th floor is very large and decorated in the 1912 style with ornate ceiling rose and chandelier, velvet padded walls and period bathroom fittings.

AS it was still only mid afternoon we walked to the docks for a look around and caught the ferry across the Mersey, stopping at Woodside on the other side of the river to a German U-boat (the last to surrender in WWII) which was raised from the sea off Denmark and is now on display in 4 sections. It did not contain Nazi gold as was first thought.

At the conclusion of our ferry trip we walked around more of the docks then had a lovely dinner at the “PumpHouse” pub before heading back to our hotel.

Liver & Pool Building

When I booked the hotel I let them know that Heather & Michael, Lynne and I were celebrating our 38^th & 40^th wedding anniversaries and they kindly left a bottle of champagne in each of our rooms, so we brank one tonight and have saved the other one for tomorrow evening.

Liver Bird Statue

Basil on train to Liverpool

Conning Tower of U 534

Damage to U534

Our Hotel room at 30 James Street

Saturday 1^st October 2016

Today’s weather was more typically English. Predicted maximum today is 17°. The  morning started with clear blue sky but in the time it took us to get up two floors in the lift from breakfast it was grey, cloudy and raining.

We decided to do one last load of washing, which should be the final lot until we get home.

The rain eased off about 11:00am so we set off on the tube to Notting Hill to have a look at the Portobello Road Markets, which was very crowded. The markets run the full length of Portobello Road and each end is blocked off to traffic.  There were a lot of antique shops and arcades selling every thing imaginable. We spent some time looking for walking sticks and Lynne settled on a Victorian timber stick with a silver top. The silver has a hallmark and the fellow we got it from said he thinks it dated to 1901.

There were plenty of other lovely antiques but we would have struggled to get them home.

We had a sandwich in a pub in Notting Hill then headed back to the hotel  at 2:00pm for a cuppa and to wait for Hearther & Michael to get back from Guildford.

The four of us set off at 3:30pm for one last look at London from The Thames. Had dinner in the Founders Arms pub on the South bank of the Thames then walked back across the river via the Millennium Bridge, more commonly know as the “wibbly wobbly” bridge as when it was first opened it swayed from side to side. After walking round St Paul’s Cathedral was got back on the tube and headed back to the hotel. Tonight is our last in London so we need to pack and get organized for the next leg of our UK trip to Liverpool tomorrow morning.

Portobello Road Markets

Antique shop

Market stalls along the road

Millennium Bridge & the dome of St Pauls Cathedral

Looking down the Thames towards Tower Bridge

St Pauls Cathedral at night

Friday 30^th September 2016

Up at 6:30am this morning, as we needed to have breakfast and catch the tube to St Pancras Station for our tip to Dover.

Weather is expected to be fine but cool with 18°.

Caught the tube from Lancaster Gate at 8:30am then changed at Oxford Circus to the Victoria line for the tip to St Pancras.

We boarded the Javelin Train (Very fast trail) at 9:37am and disembarked at Folkestone Central at 10:50am and got a taxi to Dover Castle. The Taxi driver asked why we got off at Folkstone. When we told him we had been told the rail line to Dover Priory was out of service due to a storm washing away part of the rail bed. He said it was reopened about a month ago.

Dover Castle is fantasticly preserved. Henry II built the tower in 1180’s. His son’s King John and Richard The Lionhart added to the castle, which was completed by King John’s son Henry III. There is an intact Roman light house in the grounds.

Herny VIII also used the castle.

The castle sits at the top of the White Cliffs of Dover and there is an extensive tunnel system through the cliffs dating back to Napoleonic times. Most recently the tunnels were used during the cold war to as a bomb shelter for the British Government in the event of a nuclear attack.

We did the tour of the WWII tunnels and saw an audio visual display of how the evacuation of Dunkirk was planned and managed which saw 345,000 Allied soldiers evacuated.

AS it was starting to rain we had lunch in the café at the Castle. The rain stopped just as we were finishing lunch so we climber to the top of the Castle Tower where the views were excellent and we got a great view of the “White Cliffs”. As the cloud also cleared we were able to see across the 21 of the English Chanel to The coast of France.

The castle also has a lovely Church, which dated to the Saxon times, and is the finest preserved Saxon church in Kent.

The church continues to be used for worship today. During WWII services were actually conducted during air raids.

We finished at 4:00pm and walked into Dover. On the way I saw a barbershop so stopped and got my hair cut.

When we got to Dover Priory Railway station we bought an extension ticket which so we would not have to go back to Folkestone. The train left Dover and arrived in St Pancras at 6:00pm.

We hopped on the tube back to Lancaster Gate and had dinner at the Swan Inn, Steak & ale pie and a pint of ale for me. Lynne had fish & chips and a glass of wine.

All up we walked 10.5klm’s today so did not feel guilty about the chips.

The Javelin

White Cliffs of Dover

Dover Castle

Dover Harbour from top of the Castle

At the top of the Castle Tower

Dover Harbour

Queen of The Castle

Roman Lighthouse

French Coast line from top of the Castle Tower

Thursday 29^th September 2016

Weather today is expected a cooler 18° and rain this morning.

We had breakfast at 8:30am and then set off for another day of sight seeing.

Left the hotel and walked to Paddington Station to buy tickets to Liverpool for Saturday morning. Also got tickets to Dover for tomorrow to see Dover Castle. While we were there we found Paddington Bear and bought a Paddington Bear for Zac. Also did some shopping in Oxford Street.

Back on the tube to Green Park to look for Lynne’s British Bull Dog Walking stick in Jermyn Street. Unfortunately there weren’t any. Had lunch in the Richou Café again then walked to down to see St James Palace, which was built by Henry VIII and used, as the Royal Palace until Buckingham Palace became the Royal Residence in London. Also got a fleeting glimpse Clarence House where the Queen Mother lived. Prince Charles and Camilla now live there.

We have walked 5.5klm’s so far today so it was time to head back to the hotel to rest our feet and have a well earned cuppa.

The plan is to go to the Mitre Pub just round the corner from the hotel for dinner. They serve great food and have some great dark beers.

Paddington Station

Paddington at Paddington with Paddington

St James Palace Gate House

St JamesPalace