Tuesday 31 July 2007

Eden Project pictures
















Eden Project


The Eden Project is very hard to describe. It is a large garden built in an old china clay pit. It has some beautiful flowers, trees, green plants and art work. One of the sphere's is filled with tropical plants and flowers. The other with plants that grow in dry areas. They also have an indoor educational area for children. We really enjoyed the flowers and plants. Plus a couple pieces art were interesting also.

Happy Birthday Alan


We have wanted to get to Cornwall for several months. We decided this would be a good birthday trip. Coco was included and she did very well on the trip. She was welcomed every where we went except the Eden Project and they provided covered parking for people with animals so she was very comfortable. This is Alan and Coco walking at Lizard Point. It is the most southern tip of England. It is a beautiful coastal area where the English channel and Atlantic Ocean come together. We saw some seals out in the water but I understand it is not uncommon to see Orca whales at certain times of the year.

Monday 30 July 2007

Going Going Gone!






I had my first successful trip to the auction last week. I love going to the auctions here. They have "a viewing" the day before the auction so you can closely examine all the items going up for bid. Just going and looking at some of the beautiful pieces is a lot of fun. But to go back the next day and try to get the "can't live without item" is a real rush. You have a card with a number on it (that you hold up) so you don't have to worry about scratching your head or raising an eyebrow the wrong way which was a relief to me. One item I really wanted I was not able to get the price just got to high but I did come away with a couple of things I really love. The blue pitcher was made here in England for Tiffany and Company. The copper samovar is 19th century and I just thought it was unique. I mean how many people do you know that has a copper samovar? But my favorite is the rosewood and satinwood inlaid work box.

Tuesday 24 July 2007

Sudeley Castle


Today I went to Sudeley Castle. It was a beautiful sunny day here in England. This history of Sudeley Castle begins in the 10th Century when King Ethelred gave the Saxon manor house and estate of Sudeleagh and the surrounding Royal deer park to his daughter Goda at the time of her marriage to Walter de Maunt. When Henry VIII came to the throne in 1509 Sudeley was still Crown property. A bed slept in by Henry VIII is still in the castle and still used today. It also has the christening gown of Elizabeth I. It has many beautiful gardens and several species of pheasant. I would have attached more pictures as I took over a hundred today.....but I did not have the disk in my digital camera. So I have no pictures to show!! The only thing keeping me from total melt down is I know I'll be going back for Alan to go thru the property. It is truly a beautiful place and well worth a second trip. If the name sounds familiar it was in the news several months ago when Liz Hurley was married there.

Sunday 22 July 2007

Change of Plans


We had such big plans for this weekend. First of all Friday night we had plans to go see the Air force talent show. Called Tops in Blue. They travel all over Europe and the States performing. The show did not get canceled but all the roads into the base were flooded. A lot of the offices and part of base housing flooded. Then we thought well we can't get to the base we'll go to a cinema. We could not get to the cinema after turning around twice we just went to a pub for dinner then home. So Saturday plans were to go a medieval joust at Berkeley Castle. The M5 was still underwater so I checked the web page for the joust and it had been canceled. The water had gone down enough we were able to get to the cinema so we saw Harry Potter. Today (Sunday) has been a beautiful day. No rain but the grounds are still soaked. Alan was able to get our large yard trimmed! Also in the picture the bird feeder you see he built. We still have not seen any birds but we have high hopes. This evening we went to our favorite Italian restaurant and had a great meal with the other Lockheed guys and their families. The news is reporting this is the worse flooding England has seen in 150 years!!

Tuesday 17 July 2007

Dutchess birthday

Today was the Duchess of Cornwall 60th birthday. She and Prince Charles went to the village of Bromham to celebrate. Bromham is about five miles from Calne. They visited the church, post office, meat market and The Greyhound Pub. I was able to get this picture as they were leaving the church. I met an 87 year old English (well dressed) lady there. She insisted her grand daughter bring her to see the Prince as she thought it might be her last chance before "she popped her cork". The grand daughter was so worried Gram was going to get sick as it was very wet and rainy today. Gram was not worried at all. She said they would go by the pub for some whiskey and she would warm right up.

Sunday 15 July 2007

RIAT







Royal International Air Tattoo



We had a great time at the air show today. Watching the Thunderbirds was the highlight of the day for me. The other air teams put on great shows also. I took a lot of pictures of the TB's but this is one of my favorites. It was over cast today so it's a little dark but you can see how close they fly to each other. I worked as a volunteer on Wednesday and Thursday so I was able to see and speak with a lot of the crews. One of the funniest things that happen (not to me) was one of the British pilots were telling us about the Jordanian pilots offering them some "sweet treats". They accepted and said how really good they tasted!! They made the mistake of asking what they were made with.......sheep eyeballs!!

Tuesday 10 July 2007

Le Tour de France











What an exciting weekend. We left Friday around 2 p.m. and arrived in London about 4:30. They were already starting to block off the streets for the opening ceremony in Trafalgar Square. There are always a lot of people in the square but this was amazing. People every where you looked. Everyone seemed to be in a very festive mood! I'm sure it is no surprise to anyone that the French and English people do not like each other but






everyone there was to support the riders regardless of the country they came from. We saw the teams introduced and a little history on the bicycle also. They also had some "funky dancing" for the youngsters that I could have done without.....but what do you do? We left to get something to eat but the celebration continued with band groups I did not recognize but the crowd seemed to really like them. Saturday we went to find a good spot to watch the first event. It's a 5k ride with each rider trying to get the best time. They also had a parade of the different sponsors giving away little goodies. Saturday night we went to see Spamalot. I've never seen any of the Monty Python movies but Alan and I both enjoyed the play.


Sunday we got up and went for the actual start of the race. We positioned ourselves down from Big Ben and managed to be in the front row of the crowd. It was so much fun watching the people as well as the riders. Everyone was enjoying them self. The weather was great which was a big help. The summer here is getting a very late start. After the riders swooshed by we headed for the car and our attempt to leave London. That was an adventure it's self with all the street closures. But we (Alan) managed just fine and we arrived home safe and sound.

Friday 6 July 2007

4th of July


They do not seem to care much about the fourth of July here. It's not even a holiday so Alan had to work as usual. After work we went to the base and had a wonderful celebration. With bar b q ribs and hot dogs. There was also rides for the little ones and black jack and horse racing (with funny money of course) for the adults. The only thing that was missing was apple pie. Since it does not get dark here until 10:30 or so the fireworks were to late for us to stay. I heard it was a great show but ever so quiet. They have to take the bang out of the fire works as the cows complain by not producing as much milk the next day. Which makes for some unhappy base neighbors. Happy Fourth!!

Sunday 1 July 2007

I didn't know that!!


It was a delightful day last Friday. Sorry I did not write about it but was a very long day. We left out 8a.m. heading to London. The first stop was the London Eye. I had never really had a desire to ride it but it was included, the crowd was small so why not. It was a very nice ride since we had plenty of room. It also made a very pretty picture at the end of the ride, you are warned about this so you know where to stand. While we were at the top we had a very clear picture of Big Ben and the Parliament building. Then we rode the boat down to Tower of London area. We did not have time to go into the tower but we had time to walk around shop and just people watch. Then back on the boat back down to the Parliament buildings.

We first went into the jeweled tower which use to store the crown jewels. They are now at the Tower of London. In the Jewel Tower they had artifacts and important papers. Then we walked over to the entry where the Queen enters the one time each year she addresses Parliament. Her scepter arrives before her and she come in to the Robing Room to be fitted with her Royal crown and cape. Then she waits! The Queen is not the first person greeted by visitors of state or even the PM. It is done with the Queen last as "no one rules the people"
(I didn't know that). Then after the MP, Archbishop and all have come in to say hello they go and are seated in the House of Lords (no special setting first come first serve). The Queen is then settled into her throne robing room. She sends her court of arms the 1/4 mile across the hallways and he knocks on the door it is opened he says The Queen demands your attendance and the door is then slammed in his face....another gesture the people do not answer to anyone.

He knocks again harder with a black rod and the door is open and the people come over to greet and escort the Queen into the Lords Chamber. If you even have a chance to go in there I don't care how tired you are don't sit down. It get them all in a dither as no if allowed to set in the seats of the Lords even when it's empty. I stood at the box where William Churchill gave his speeches and pounds his fist. The marks are still in the table. I stood where Margaret Thatcher and many before her. It was a goose bump moment! Then we went over to the Commons Chamber. Very much the same. I learned if you are on a committee and have a question you can send it in writing. The list of questions are typed up there may be hundreds of them but they'll pick three or four at random to discuss and answer. Everyone but the Prime Minister know the question and who asked them. That is one of the reason they were so impressed with Tony Blair. He had such good research he would come in with a 8 inch hard back book with taps. He had sent people out to gather information. With there help he had a pretty good idea of who was asking the question and a list of questions they might ask all color coded and tabbed. I didn't know that the prime minister was not allowed to know the questions in advance. I'm not sure why they think this is better. The Queen is there once a year to give her speech of what she wants government to accomplish the next year. It should be a do able plan as government writes the speech (I didn't know that). We've always been told the Queen was a figure head but she actually does have veto power. Now to show you what a really smart lady she is she has never used it. But she got it. (I didn't know that). Also debates on laws have to be approved by here. The only debates she has continuously refused is the taking away the right to declare war by the monarchy. (I didn't know that). We went on this tour with about as many Brits as Americans we were all amazed at the beauty, the continued traditions that are exercised and find our about three laws a day are passed each and every day! Now the draw back from that is the British Constitution is not written in a way to grant freedoms......it only takes them away. This did not set so well with our British friends. They mumbled the rest of the trip we loose three freedom a day and shook their heads. The last part of the tour was the Westminster Hall. It is the oldest part of the original palace. It was designed Rufus Alexander son of William the Conquer in 1013. I stood on the step in the place where King Charles I (1649) pleaded for his life. Only to receive a death sentence. Queen Victory, Wallace and Fox all pleaded and lost.