In the heart of Hertfordshire

Recently we've been doing a lot of cycling around the area where we live, known as Hertfordshire. We have a wonderful map which shows all the possible routes including footpaths, bridalways, country lanes and even elevation.

CW cylcing off down a country lane

Our trips have taken us to a handful of tiny little villages, hamlets and collection of farms such as this one called Childwick Green, which is on the Childwickberry Estate, formerly owned by Stanley Kubrick the director and now by his widow and children. Once the homes of the people who worked on the estate, the cottages are now home to people who fair a bit better (not all one house, three or four in the photo, but nevertheless a wonderful place to live).

As we cycled, we came across this church, Ayot St Lawrence, which is now just in ruins. The church dates back to the 12th century but was left in ruin and then picked apart in the 19th century. Today it has been restored to its former state of picturesque ruins for all to enjoy.


Nearby, we also went past a mysterious gate that looked as though it led to nowhere. Through the bramble and stinging nettle, however, lay a beautiful little forgotten cemetery. The graves dated back to the 1800s, and even some from after the World Wars, but sadly, it has gone uncared for.

Still loads more to explore in this beautiful part of England...

A Blacksmith's BBQ

Recently we got together with a couple of our neighbours and decided to put together a street BBQ. Being a really small street, and one with a dead end, we thought it would be a great idea to close it off, move out the cars and set up a BBQ in the middle.

Though it was almost postponed due to the weather - or rather, for a few pints at the pub instead because of the poor weather - a few Blacksmiths Lane residents were adamant about having it so we did. Miraculously, even though it was damp and relatively cold, the rain did hold off until just at the end of the night.

Food was aplenty, as were drinks, including some Sloe Gin one of the neighbours at the end of the road had made himself as well as a bottle of wine he made in 1977 which everyone thoroughly enjoyed. With the exception of two houses, every resident joined including the woman that lives across the street from us in her early 80s who was born in that same house and grew up there. The street is also home to a lovely Canadian couple, a Slovak woman married to an English guy with a Goan background and another couple who travelled the world until recently. Oh and of course, a few dogs - namely Guinness and his neighbour friend Douggie, a black cockerspaniel.

So all in all, it was a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon/evening and a great way to get to know our neighbours.

The Maillot Orange

The Maillot Jaune is perhaps the most famous single jersey in sports. The sight of it gleaming in the July sun as the cyclist careens along the roads of France is a truly magnificent sight and one that we got to see very close and personal recently.

Le Tour started this year on the northern shores of the English Channel for the first time in history and London treated the cyclists to a truly Grande Depart. More than 3 million people showed up to line the routes of the Prologue in central London on Saturday and the first stage from London to Canterbury on Sunday. It was truly an amazing sight, not least of all watching these incredible men power their bikes at upwards of 40 mph!

We actually volunteered to act as a crowd safety marshal for the Prologue and were rewarded with a truly minted spot. We were stationed in Parliament Square, just across from Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament and literally in the shadow of Westminster Abbey. Anyone visiting couldn't have missed us in our bright orange tabbards - our own take on the maillot jaune.

Not only was the setting wonderful, but that corner was the first on the course, so the riders came charging out of the start house down Whitehall and then screamed around that corner onto Victoria Street. Let me tell you, they have incredible control of those machines. The angulation and power of going around a sharp corner is phenomenal!

We unfortunately didn't have the camera with us, since they had asked volunteers not to bring personal items like that and we obeyed the letter of the law, however we do have a couple of pictures that a really friendly South African couple took. They are huge cycling fans and we had really enjoyed ourselves by their side chatting to them and watching the racers went charging by.

This was the killer first turn - if you look closely just below the rider's wheels you can see quite a few professional photographers. They got some amazing shots which were splashed out across the papers in the following days showing the amazing angulation of the riders and Big Ben as a backdrop.

Just in front of us was Parliament Square seen here where loads of people sat to watch the big screen.

Thanks Pauline and Etienne for sharing some of your pictures!

We also managed to go into London to see the peloton go by on Sunday, though they were merely ambling past us, as this was the pre-start warm-up area on their way to Greenwich for the real start. Oh well, still neat to see 189 riders go by!

So, we have now partially fulfilled a lifelong dream of seeing the Tour de France in person, now CW wants to dress up like a devil and charge alongside a rider as they grimace and torture their bodies up one of the big climbs in the Alps... maybe next year!

A Very British 4th of July

So, how does an American spend the Fourth of July when they live overseas? At a proper English Folk Music Festival of course! Yes, we expat Americans were deprived of our day off, fireworks and all day baseball, though we salvaged a BBQ from the rain. However, instead of hearing technicolour pyrotechnics filling the night's sky, we had bagpipes and accordians and the tinkling of Morris dancers' bells.

Morris dancing is a slightly bizarre thing even in the best of times, but when the road is cordoned off and they are milling about in droves, it becomes all the stranger I don't mind saying. Throw in some Celtic dancing and a splash of Flamenco for a latin feel and you have the St Michael's Folk Music Festival.

It was a unique thing to see without a doubt, especially seeing our peaceful little street and pubs so overcrowded with people. We had an enjoyable time as night fell talking to some of our neighbours and watching the various acts. All in all it was an interesting experience and let's face it - the British were never going to really celebrate American Independence!

Canterbury Tales

We have recently been host to Cora’s cousin Ashley, who came to visit England for two weeks. For an experience outside of London, we decided to take a day trip to Canterbury. The four of us, Guinness included, hopped on a train to London and then another to Canterbury where we roamed the streets and saw the sites.

The main attraction in Canterbury is of course the cathedral which is the home of the head of the Church of England. With its roots stretching back to 579AD, the cathedral has seen the political and religious machinations of England over the last 1500 years, but the day we went it was blissfully quiet, albeit a bit blustery.

Situated in the centre of the city, the cathedral is an imposing and magnificent structure. As you enter the grounds, you are invited to explore the various ruins, gardens, cloisters and even a crypt, as well as the main edifice. A beautiful space with high ceilings, the stained glass windows are a particularly magnificent sight to see.

Cora's cousin Ashley with Guinness

Upon leaving the grounds, you find yourself wandering the old medieval streets and lanes, though now occupied with modern ‘high street’ retail shops and cafes. Still, it maintains its quaintness and there is always something new to discover around each corner like a cute little candy store, unfortunately already closed, and a group of children preparing for their role in weekly mass.

One such thing is the ruins of the old castle which still stands and is free to all to explore. While it is small and hardly a shell of ruins, it still offers a feel of what it might have been. Even Guinness got to explore it with us...

Upon leaving the castle, we had a pleasant walk back to the city centre alongside River Stour, a quaint little river which meanders through the city right against old buildings, to such an extent that some are even hanging over it. To get a closer view, there are a view boat tours on offer but unfortunately we didn’t have the time on our short stay.

Canterbury offered us a unique day in historical settings which we enjoyed immensely.

For more about Canterbury visit http://www.canterbury.co.uk, or for the Cathedral, visit http://www.canterbury-cathedral.org

Legend of Saint Alban

As some of you may have realised we live in a city named after a Christian saint; Saint Alban. Alban was not actually an early Christian convert, but rather a citizen of Roman Verulamium who gave shelter to a Christian refugee and when the Romans came to claim the other man, Alban instead took his place. He was executed on a hillside opposite the Roman city, on which now stands the cathedral of St Albans. So on June 23^rd, the city celebrates the death and martyrdom of Alban.


The celebration takes the form of a re-enacted pilgrimage - from outside the Museum through the park to the top of the hill where the execution took place. About 200 children, adults and priests had a role. Some in costume, dressed as soldiers or fathers, even the rare castle structure or horse. This year the pilgrimage even had the honour of Archbishop Tutu's presence.



It is a strange occurrence indeed to see hundreds of people following three large puppets and a couple of eyes on sticks. Yes, eyes on sticks (note the eye behind the girl in the picture above). Apparently when the Roman soldier decapitated Alban, the soldier’s eyes popped out of his head, so there were two eyes following the progression throughout, which must have been one of the odder things involved. (Saint Alban in the one in blue by the way, accompanied by two Roman soldiers - see below...)

You could tell it was like a regional theatre production, but some of the attendees were quite in awe, especially when the fire brigade re-enacted the up swelling of a fresh water spring by shooting water from a hose out into the lake.

At the top of the hill people huddled around and listed to a brief narration of what happened the day Saint Alban became a martyr. This was following by an actual re-enactment of what happened, including 'cutting' off his head.

Saint Alban here awaits his fate as the Roman soldier approaches to get the ax.

The head priest shows Saint Albans head to everyone. Note the eye nearby, which as legend has it, popped out of the Roman soldier's head when he killed Saint Alban (slightly strange, especially in its re-enactment... )

Anyway, it was an interesting sight to see and we can now cross off, re-enactment of saint’s martyrdom from my list of things seen in this world.

Shakespeare's London

Last week my staff association organised a trip to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre to see The Merchant of Venice. For those who do not know, the Globe is a near exact recreation of the original Globe which stood in Southwark back in Shakespeare's time. This one has been built right along the Thames, just across from St Paul's and is the only building in London with a thatched roof (this is because of the Great Fire of 1666). The Globe has three tiered seating which stretch in a half-circle from one side of the stage to the other (see below) and the Yard. Historically the Yard was where the poor stood to watch a play and they were called Groundlings. They were often unruly and if the play was not worth the price of admission, tended to throw moldy veg at the actors!

Cora and I chose to stand in the Yard and it was well worth the sore back the next day. This production used two staircases from the Yard to the stage as major entry/exit points throughout. At times the set of stairs we stood next to - made to look like a bridge over one of the canals - had parts of scenes enacted upon them. It is quite strange to have to make way for actors as they enter or leave the stage, as well as peer up at them from no more than an arm's length away! It made for a very exciting and enthralling couple of hours, made all the better for the dry weather, since as you can see, no roof overhead!

A highly recommended unique theatre experience for any of those planning a future visit to London.