Weekend away to Cardiff, Wales for Those Damn Crows 14-15th December 2024

On Saturday 14th December 2024, Mel and I drove down to Cardiff to see Those Damn Crows play a gig there.

We arrived at the room at 189 Cathedral Road CF11 9PN we had booked only to find there was no parking outside due to Rugby in town. I managed to find parking at Pontcanna Field Car Park that was free to park at the weekends and half a mile from the room.

 We unpacked in the room and then walked into town to see the Christmas markets before the gig.

We walked through Sophia Gardens and up to Cardiff Castle to see the Christmas Market here.

Cardiff Castle  is a medieval castle and Victorian Gothic revival mansion located in the city centre of Cardiff, Wales. The original motte and bailey castle was built in the late 11th century by Norman invaders on top of a 3rd-century Roman fort. The castle was commissioned either by William the Conqueror or by Robert Fitzhamon, and formed the heart of the medieval town of Cardiff and the Marcher Lord territory of Glamorgan. In the 12th century the castle began to be rebuilt in stone, probably by Robert of Gloucester, with a shell keep and substantial defensive walls being erected. Further work was conducted by The 6th Earl of Gloucester in the second half of the 13th century. Cardiff Castle was repeatedly involved in the conflicts between the Anglo-Normans and the Welsh, being attacked several times in the 12th century, and stormed in 1404 during the revolt of Owain Glyndŵr.

After being held by the de Clare and Despenser families for several centuries, the castle was acquired by The 13th Earl of Warwick and Comte de Aumale in 1423. Lord Warwick conducted extensive work on the castle, founding the main range on the west side of the castle, dominated by a tall octagonal tower. Following the Wars of the Roses, the status of the castle as a Marcher territory was revoked and its military significance began to decline. The Herbert family took over the property in 1550, remodelling parts of the main range and carrying out construction work in the outer bailey, then occupied by Cardiff's Shire Hall and other buildings. During the English Civil War Cardiff Castle was initially taken by a Parliamentary force, but was regained by Royalist supporters in 1645. When fighting broke out again in 1648, a Royalist army attacked Cardiff in a bid to regain the castle, leading to the Battle of St Fagans just outside the city. Cardiff Castle escaped potential destruction by Parliament after the war and was instead garrisoned, probably to protect against a possible Scottish invasion.

In the mid-18th century, Cardiff Castle passed into the hands of the Stuart dynasty, Marquesses of Bute. John, 1st Marquess of Bute, employed Capability Brown and Henry Holland to renovate the main range, turning it into a Georgian mansion, and to landscape the castle grounds, demolishing many of the older medieval buildings and walls. During the first half of the 19th century the family became extremely wealthy as a result of the growth of the coal industry in Glamorgan. However, it was the 3rd Marquess of Bute who truly transformed the castle, using his vast wealth to back an extensive programme of renovations under William Burges. Burges remodelled the castle in a Gothic revival style, lavishing money and attention on the main range. The resulting interior designs are considered to be amongst "the most magnificent that the gothic revival ever achieved". The grounds were re-landscaped and, following the discovery of the old Roman remains, reconstructed walls and a gatehouse in a Roman style were incorporated into the castle design. Extensive landscaped parks were built around the outside of the castle.

In the early 20th century, the 4th Marquess of Bute inherited the castle and construction work continued into the 1920s. The Bute lands and commercial interests around Cardiff were sold off or nationalised until, by the time of the Second World War, little was left except the castle. During the war, extensive air raid shelters were built in the castle walls; they could hold up to 1,800 people. When the Marquess died in 1947, the castle was given to the City of Cardiff. Today the castle is run as a tourist attraction, with the grounds housing the "Firing Line" regimental museum and interpretation centre. The castle has also served as a venue for events, including musical performances and festivals.

We had a wander through the Castle Arcade.

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Built in the late 18th century, Castle Arcade is famed for its beautiful balcony that offers spilt level shopping and superb views of its Victorian architecture.

Back out onto Castle Street we walk around towards Winter Wonderland.

But first we ducked back inside the Castle to see it lit up for some photos.

We leave the Castle, wander onto Duke Street and over to Gorsedd Gardens.

We approach Winter Wonderland.

As we walk to Winter Wonderland, we could see just how busy it was and decide not to enter, probably just like London's, over priced and silly busy.

We wander down St John Street and through a busy Christmas market.

St John The Baptist City Parish Church looks great lit up behind the market.

The church was built in 1180 as a chapel of ease for the larger St Mary's Church, itself founded by Benedictine monks from Tewkesbury Abbey. Originally constructed of blue Lias, a Jurassic stone with layers of fossilised shells, it was sourced from Aberthaw. The walls were then originally dressed with freestone - limestone sourced from Dundry.

St John's was sacked during a rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr in 1404. The church was rebuilt in the second half of the 15th century and given a perpendicular tower with a peal of ten bells. Today it still has a crown of openwork battlements, reminiscent of churches in the West Country of England, and is dated c. 1490 because of the similar Jasper Tower of Llandaff Cathedral which was built at this time.

After the foundations of St Mary's were destroyed by the Bristol Channel flood of 1607, the two churches were worked as a dual-location parish until all main services were moved to St John in 1620.

In 1843, the 2nd Marquess of Bute paid for the construction of the Church of St Mary and St Stephen in Bute Street as a permanent replacement for St Mary's. This allowed the reconstruction of St John, with extensions to the church made in 1886–1897 using carboniferous limestone quarried from Culverhouse Cross. The churchyard wall was also rebuilt, using original Lias mixed with red sandstone in the walls, topped with coping stones of Devonian sandstones from the Forest of Dean.

In 1851 the Cardiff firm of Messrs. Thomas & Norris were engaged for repewing of St John's with the work to be completed by Christmas that year.

St John's stained glass windows date from circa 1855, in the north chapel, with references to the Bute family. Those in the north inner aisle date to 1869, by Morris & Co, with a top row of apostles designed by William Morris himself.

The church was increased in width with outer aisles added to St John's in 1889 and 1891. The old aisle windows were re-set and all the new building was re-surfaced with Sweldon limestone.

The graveyard, already full, was divided by a new public pathway in the 1890s connecting Working Street with Cardiff Central Market. As part of the agreement for the new path, Cardiff Corporation agreed to take responsibility for the graveyard south of the path. This later became St John's Gardens. The path is still owned by the church and is closed every Good Friday. Brass numbers on the path mark the location of graves and family tombs.

In 1952 St John's became a Grade I listed building, of exceptional architectural and historical interest.

The church serves as the priory church for Wales of the Order of Saint John.

We reach Hayes Place where there is a huge advertisement for the new Squid Games 2.

We walk over and find the Utilita Stadium where the gig is, but we are too early for entry so we walk back to Hayes Place.

We then headed into St David's Shopping Centre to a Costa for a drink.

Eventually it was time and we walked back to the Utilita Stadium for the gig.

The first act was the Himalayas. Okay band but wasn't blown away by them.

Himalayas are a Welsh rock group from Cardiff, Wales, formed in 2015. The group currently consists of Mike Griffiths (lead guitar and backing vocals), Joe Williams (rhythm guitar and lead vocals), Louis Heaps (bass) and James Goulbourn (drums).

The group are described as energetic live performers, offering music with "seductive guitar lines, hip bass parts that will groove you to the core all driven by an avalanche of drums."

Next up was Sophie Lloyd, and boy can she play, enjoyed this set!

Sophie Lloyd (born 22 October 1995) is a British guitarist. Since 2011, she has gained international recognition on YouTube as a rock and metal guitarist. She has been a guitarist in Machine Gun Kelly's touring band, which she joined in 2022. Her debut EP "Delusions" was released in 2018. Her debut solo album, Imposter Syndrome, was released in 2023.

Finally what we have waited for , for so long, Those Damn Crows!!

The band Those Damn Crows' biggest headline show to date was at Cardiff's Utilita Arena on Saturday, December 14, 2024. The show was the band's only UK headline show of 2024.

Those Damn Crows are a Welsh rock band formed in 2014 in Bridgend, Wales. We started following them in 2016!

The band quickly started building a loyal following and gaining traction through appearances at the likes of Steelhouse Festival, and receiving airplay on BBC Radio Wales as well as being declared "Ones to Watch" by the UK's Planet Rock radio station in November 2017 and "New Band of the Week" in Metal Hammer magazine in 2018. The band signed a worldwide, multi-album deal with Nottingham-based independent record label Earache Records on 14 May 2018 and released their debut album Murder and the Motive on 5 October 2018. The album landed at number 5 on the Official UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart and number 5 on the Independent Album Breakers Chart. (The album had previously been released by the band in 2016 as a self-financed project with several different tracks. This copy is highly sought after by fans.)

The band formed in 2014 in Bridgend, Wales, with vocalist Shane Greenhall, guitarist Ian "Shiner" Thomas, bassist Lloyd Wood and drummer Ronnie Huxford, with second guitarist David Winchurch joining the band soon after. The band's name came from Huxford's father—himself a former musician who played with some of the most famous names of the day, including Shirley Bassey, Dusty Springfield and P.J. Proby—who was feeding the birds in his garden one day when he shouted "Those damn crows!". Ronnie took the idea to the other members and they quickly settled on it as their band name.

      

Albums

Murder and the Motive (2018)

Point of No Return (2020) No. 14 UK[10]

Inhale/Exhale (2023) No. 3 UK

Inhale/Exhale Expanded Edition (2024)

Singles

Blink Of An Eye (piano version) (2018)

Wake Up (Sleepwalker) (2022)

Man On Fire (2022)

This Time I'm Ready (2022)

See You Again (2023)

Takedown (2023)

Let's Go Psycho! (2024)

Glass Heart (2024)

Still (2024)

Eagerly awaiting the fourth Studio album in April 2025. The three released songs from this album are amazing!

 

Well what a gig! Fantastic set with pyrotechnics and more. Great to see TDC play such a big venue. Sad that the local gigs to me in March 2025 are sold out. Small venues and the first time since Ive followed them we haven't been able to get tickets :( 

We walked back to our room after a great gig. I retrieved the car and parked outside the room now the road has emptied.

Sunday 15th December 2024

We woke up the next day and drove over to Cardiff Bay, as Mel hasn't seen it before and we could grab some breakfast from the Wetherspoon there.

Cardiff Bay is a diverse waterfront built around a 200 hectare freshwater lake known as ‘the Bay’. Find a great mix of Cardiff attractions, entertainment and events, coupled with vibrant bars and shops that create a truly unique atmosphere worthy of any capital city!

The Norwegian Church Arts Centre (Welsh: Canolfan Gelfyddydau'r Eglwys Norwyaidd) is a point of cultural and historical interest located in Cardiff Bay (Tiger Bay), Wales. It was a Lutheran Church, consecrated in 1868. Under the patronage of The Norwegian Seamen's Mission it provided home comforts, communication with family and a place of worship for Scandinavian sailors and the Norwegian community in Cardiff for over a hundred years.

In the 19th century, Cardiff was one of Britain's three major ports, along with London and Liverpool. The Norwegian merchant fleet at the time was the third largest in the world, and Cardiff became one of the major centres of its operations.

Sjømannskirken – the Norwegian Church Abroad organisation, which is part of the Church of Norway – followed in its footsteps. Under Carl Herman Lund from Oslo, a Church was built in 1868 in Cardiff Bay between the East and West Docks on land donated by the John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, to serve the religious needs of Norwegian sailors and expatriates.

Consecrated in December 1868, the church was clad in iron sheets on the instruction of the harbourmaster, to allow it to be moved if necessary. However, the construction form allowed it to be extended many times:1883: Reading room enlarged

1885: Gallery and bell-tower added

1894: Reading room enlarged, reclad in wood

Known until this point as the Norwegian Iron Church, it now became known as the Little White Church, and became a welcome home point for sailors. Resultantly, and open to all sailors as a mission offering food and shelter, between 1867 and 1915 the number of visiting sailors to the church rose from 7,572 to 73,580 seamen per annum.

We walk around the bay and pass the Welsh Senedd (Parliament).

The Senedd, officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English and Senedd Cymru in Welsh, is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, it makes laws for Wales, agrees to certain taxes, and scrutinises the Welsh Government. It is a bilingual institution, with both Welsh and English being the official languages of its business. From its creation in May 1999 until May 2020, the Senedd was officially known as the National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru) and was often simply called the Welsh Assembly.

The Senedd comprises 60 members who are known as members of the Senedd (Aelodau o'r Senedd), abbreviated as "MS" (Welsh: AS). Since 2011, members are elected for a five-year term of office under an additional member system, in which 40 MSs represent smaller geographical divisions known as "constituencies" and are elected by first-past-the-post voting, and 20 MSs represent five "electoral regions" using the D'Hondt method of proportional representation. Typically, the largest party in the Senedd forms the Welsh Government.

A National Assembly for Wales was created by the Government of Wales Act 1998, following the result of the 1997 referendum. The Assembly initially had no powers to make primary legislation. Limited law-making powers were gained through the Government of Wales Act 2006. Its primary law-making powers were enhanced following a Yes vote in the referendum on 3 March 2011, meaning that the UK Parliament or the Secretary of State for Wales were no longer consulted when passing acts of the National Assembly for Wales related to the 20 devolved areas. These powers were further extended by the Wales Act 2014 and Wales Act 2017, with the latter moving the Assembly to a reserved powers model of devolution like that of the Scottish Parliament. In May 2020, the Assembly was renamed to "Senedd Cymru" or "the Welsh Parliament" when section 2 of the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020 came into force. The Senedd's powers in economic matters are significantly restricted by the UK Internal Market Act 2020, a primary purpose of which is to constrain the capacity of the devolved institutions to use their regulatory autonomy. Matters devolved to the Senedd include health, education, economic development, transport, the environment, agriculture, local government and some taxes.

We the pass The Pierhead Building another iconic building.

The Pierhead Building (Welsh: Adeilad y Pierhead) is a Grade I listed building of the National Assembly for Wales in Cardiff Bay. It stands as one of the city of Cardiff's most familiar landmarks and was built in 1897 as the headquarters for the Bute Dock Company.

The clock on the building is unofficially known as the "Baby Big Ben" or the "Big Ben of Wales", and also serves as a Welsh history museum.The Pierhead Building is part of the estate of the National Assembly for Wales, which also includes the Senedd and Ty Hywel.

Incorporating a French-Gothic Renaissance theme, the Pierhead boasts details such as hexagonal chimneys, carved friezes, gargoyles, and a highly ornamental and distinctive clock tower. Its exterior is finished in glazed terracotta blocks supplied at the end of the nineteenth century by JC Edwards & Co of Acrefair near Ruabon in Wrexham – once described as one of the most successful producers of terracotta in the world.These features, along with the Pierhead's role in the development of the docks, Cardiff and industrial Wales earned it the status of a Grade One listed building.

Merchant Seaman’s Memorial, Cardiff.

Merchant Seaman’s Memorial is an award winning sculpture, fusing together a sleeping head and a ship’s hull. The sculpture is sited in front of the Welsh Parliament in Cardiff Bay. It was constructed using the traditional ship building technique of riveting plates of metal together.

We stopped in the Wetherspoons pub here (The Mount Stuart) for breakfast and a cuppa before a fleeting look at the bay.

This former dock building was erected in the 1880s and served as the long-time offices of the Mount Stuart Dry Docks Company Ltd. The offices were built alongside Graving Dock No.1, part of Cardiff Docks, built by the Marquesses of Bute. The now-demolished Mount Stuart public house stood just outside the dock gates. Both the dock offices and the pub were named after the Marquesses’ ancestral home on the Isle of Bute.

Mel and The Pierhead Building.

We leave the pub and a final walk around before heading back to the car.

We passed The Millennium Centre and had a quick look inside on our return to the car.

Wales Millennium Centre (Welsh: Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru) is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales.

The centre has hosted performances of Opera, Ballet, Dance, Theatre, comedy and Musicals.

The Centre comprises one large theatre and two smaller halls with shops, bars and restaurants. It houses the national orchestra and opera, dance, theatre and literature companies, a total of eight arts organisations in residence. It is also home to the Cardiff Bay Visitor Centre.

Inscribed on the front of the dome, above the main entrance, are two poetic lines, written by Welsh poet Gwyneth Lewis in the Welsh and English languages. The lettering is formed by windows in the upstairs bar areas and is internally illuminated at night.

The idea of this monumental inscription comes from Roman classical architecture. The Romans brought Christianity to these islands, along with the custom of engraving stone. The form of the Celtic cross embodies the cross-fertilisation of indigenous and Roman cultures, from which the Welsh nation first emerged. The monumental inscription is a familiar feature of Roman architecture. The inscription over the entrance of the Wales Millennium Centre is a revival of this classical tradition, and also a recognition of the formative influence of Roman culture upon our nation. We’re lucky to have two languages; one that we share with half the world and one which belongs just to us. Words in songs, stories and poems have helped to make Wales the proud country that it is. —architect Jonathan Adams.

Now back at the car for the journey home. Another great weekend in Cardiff and a great gig as always with TDC!

Weekend away in Kent 26th-27th October 2024

SATURDAY 26TH OCTOBER 2024

DEAL KENT

Mel and I made our way down to Deal in Kent to spend the weekend in Kent to escape life for a bit. We parked up on the seafront just out of town for free and walked back into Deal. First along the seafront and then along Middle Street. We reached the Saturday market here and had a look around, nothing spectacular I my add!

The Middle Street area of Deal, Kent was once known for its smuggling activities. Smuggling was a notorious part of Deal's history from the 17th to the early 19th century:

Smuggling gangs adapted to the changing tax laws, bringing in goods like tea, spirits, and tobacco.

We pass The Rose PH on the High Street.

A significant landmark on Deal’s High Street for over 200 years.In the Victorian and Edwardian era The Rose was one of the town’s most popular venues for ‘smokers, evening entertainments and posh dinners’. At the time it boasted seven bedrooms, with a commercial room and a billiard room on the first floor and a bar, a smoking room, a parlour and large kitchen on the second floor. In an advertisement from 1897 it describes itself as a ‘Family and Commercial House’ with ‘spacious hall for public and trades dinners and every comfort for golfers, cyclists, anglers etc’.

There was a WWII jeep here supporting the many Poppy sellers along the High Street.

We walk back out onto the Seafront and pass the Deal Timeball Tower.

The Deal Timeball is a Victorian maritime Greenwich Mean Time signal located on the roof of a waterfront four-storey tower in the coastal town of Deal, in Kent. It was established in 1855 by the Astronomer Royal George Biddell Airy.

The Timeball Tower stands on the site of an earlier Shutter Telegraph. This early form of optical telegraphy was one of a chain of stations between the Admiralty in London and the Naval Yard at Deal. The telegraph line opened in 1796 and closed in 1814. Its purpose was to allow rapid communication between London and Deal, the latter being an important Naval anchorage during the Napoleonic Wars. In 1805 news of the naval victory at Trafalgar and the death of Nelson was brought to Deal by the schooner HMS Pickle (after calling at Falmouth), and transmitted by the telegraph to the Admiralty in London.

From 1821 to 1831, the Tower carried a semaphore mast, another form of visual telegraphy which was used signal to ships at anchor in the Downs or passing in the English Channel. it was employed by the Coast Blockade for the Suppression of Smuggling to pass information along the coast. The Blockade was under the auspices of the Navy, and was staffed by their personnel.

The Deal Timeball Tower Museum features exhibits about the history of the tower and its use for navigation aid, fight against smuggling, signalling, and the mechanics of the time ball.

We walk along the beach passing the fishing fleet up on the beach and the closed huts from which the fresh fish is sold.

Deal became a 'limb port' of the Cinque Ports in 1278 and grew into the busiest port in England; today it is a seaside resort, its quaint streets and houses a reminder of its history along with many ancient buildings and monuments.

We reach Deal Castle on the seafront.

Deal Castle is an artillery fort constructed by Henry VIII in Deal, Kent, between 1539 and 1540. It formed part of the King's Device programme to protect against invasion from France and the Holy Roman Empire, and defended the strategically important Downs anchorage off the English coast. Comprising a keep with six inner and outer bastions, the moated stone castle covered 0.85 acres (0.34 ha) and had sixty-six firing positions for artillery. It cost the Crown a total of £27,092 to build the three castles of Deal, Sandown and Walmer, which lay adjacent to one another along the coast and were connected by earthwork defences. The original invasion threat passed but, during the Second English Civil War of 1648–49, Deal was seized by pro-Royalist insurgents and was only retaken by Parliamentary forces after several months' fighting.

Although it remained armed, Deal was adapted by Sir John Norris and Lord Carrington during the 18th and 19th centuries to form a more suitable private house for the castle's captain, which was by now an honorary position. In 1904, the War Office concluded that the castle no longer had any value either as a defensive site or as a barracks and it was opened to the public when the captain was not in residence. Early in the Second World War, the captain's quarters were destroyed by German bombing, forcing Deal's then-captain, William Birdwood, to move to Hampton Court Palace and the castle became an observation post for an artillery battery placed along the shore line. The castle was not brought back into use as a residence and was restored by the government during the 1950s to form a tourist attraction. 

We back along the beach passing the way we came and back pass the fishing fleet.

Deal is first mentioned as a village in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as Addelam. It is referred to as Dela in 1158, and Dale in 1275. The name is the Old English dael meaning 'valley', cognate with the modern English 'dale'. Deal developed into a port by the end of the 13th century. In 1495, the town was the site of an attempted landing by the pretender to the English throne Perkin Warbeck. His supporters were driven off by locals loyal to Henry VII at the Battle of Deal, fought on the beach. Sandown, Deal and Walmer castles were constructed around the town by Henry VIII to protect against foreign naval attack.

In 1699 the inhabitants petitioned for incorporation, since previously the town had been under the jurisdiction of Sandwich and governed by a deputy appointed by the mayor of that town; William III by his charter incorporated the town under the title of mayor, jurats and commonalty of Deal. Deal Town Hall, the former meeting place of Deal Borough Council, was completed in 1803.

In 1861, the Royal Marine Depot was established in the town. In 1989, it was bombed by the Provisional Irish Republican Army, killing 11 bandsmen.

We are now approaching Deal Pier.

Deal Pier is the last remaining fully intact leisure pier in Kent. It is the third pier to exist in Deal and was opened in November 1957 by the Duke of Edinburgh. Its structure was extensively refurbished and repaired in 1997, with work including the replacement of much of the concrete cladding on the pier's main piles. Work began in April 2008 to construct a new pier-head with a modern restaurant which opened the same year.

The present pier, designed by Sir W. Halcrow & Partners, was opened on 19 November 1957 by the Duke of Edinburgh. Constructed predominantly from concrete-clad steel, it is 1,026 feet (313 m) in length and ends in a three-tiered pier-head, featuring a cafe, bar, lounge, and fishing decks. The lowest of the three tiers is almost permanently underwater except for the lowest tide and has become disused. A notice announces that it is the same length as the RMS Titanic, but that ship was over 100 feet (30 m) shorter. The pier is a popular sport fishing venue.

In 2018, the pier underwent restoration at a cost of £500,000, in addition to installing more than 300 metres (980 ft) of gas mains supply, as the pier's own gas supply had developed problems. Refurbishment works included resurfacing, replacement and repainting of railings and an upgrade to the drainage system. The works coincided with the 60 year anniversary of the pier's official opening.

We stop for lunch at Deal Beach Parlour before we walked on popping into an amusement arcade.

Back at the car we drive onto St Margaret's Bay where we are staying for the night.

St Margaret's Bay,Kent.

We arrive at St Margaret's Bay and park in the car park after driving down the steep narrow run down. We sit there trying to get a phone signal to pay for the parking using Ringo, our phones had registered  onto a French network and signal too weak to get a data connection. We move the car to the Coastguard Pub car park instead.

This beautiful hidden gem of White Cliffs Country has at its heart the picturesque seaside village of St. Margaret's-at-Cliffe and secluded cove at St. Margaret's Bay.

First appearing in the Domesday Book as "Sancta Margharita", St Margaret’s is an historical treasure trove. Experience “First Light” at the South Foreland Lighthouse – the first lighthouse to use electric light and the site of Marconi’s first ship-to-shore radio transmission. 

St Margaret’s has been home to some famous faces including Noel Coward and Ian Fleming. Fleming’s book, Moonraker, is largely based in St Margaret’s and nearby Kingsdown.

The surrounding countryside is spectacular at all times of the year, offering an inspiring backdrop to a range of activities. Discover The Frontline Britain Trail, a 4 mile circular route on which you can learn about the role of St Margaret's during the Second World War.

Britain’s nearest pub to France, the Coastguard has kept watch on the sea-front for more than 300 years – and after its refurbishment means you can take in those spectacular bay views in style.

The pub’s look is inspired by maritime heritage, with a red and white lighthouse-style fascia and boat-shaped planters and lifebuoys dotted around the beautiful front veranda – where an outside bar and barbecue set the scene for summer. In winter, the pub offers a haven for those enjoying a bracing walk along Dover’s famed White Cliffs. Inside, the nautical theme continues, with a warm welcome offered to all who come aboard.

We visit The Coastguard pub, Mel has a hot chocolate whilst I get myself a Shepherd Neame Spitfire  Lager and we sit in the garden overlooking the beach. Its too hazy today to be able to see France.

We walk along the stony beach and this is hard going as the stones move beneath your feet.

We visit this unusual cliff bunker used for WW2 located in St Margaret’s Bay, Dover. Tunnel was used as an anti invasion site to counter German forces.

We walk over to what looks like a cave, but on closer inspection it doesn't go back far at all!

Walking away from this cave, the rocks move away from my feet and I end up on my arse!

We walk back to the car and drive the short way to our hotel room at Parkdean St Margaret's Bay, we get ourselves booked in and have a short rest. We then decide we'd take a drive down to the National Trust White Cliffs at Dover.

Dover,Kent

We arrive at the NT White Cliffs of Dover and make use of my NT membership using the free car parking otherwise £6!

We walk down and can see down into the Port of Dover.

The Port of Dover is a cross-channel ferry, cruise terminal, maritime cargo and marina facility situated in Dover, Kent, south-east England. It is the nearest English port to France, at just 34 kilometres (21 mi) away, and is one of the world's busiest maritime passenger ports, with 11.7 million passengers, 2.6 million lorries, 2.2 million cars and motorcycles and 80,000 coaches passing through it in 2017, and with an annual turnover of £58.5 million a year. This contrasts with the nearby Channel Tunnel, the only fixed link between the island of Great Britain and the European mainland, which now handles an estimated 20 million passengers and 1.6 million trucks per year.

The modern port facility features a large artificial harbour constructed behind stone piers and a defensive concrete breakwater. The port is divided into two main sections: the Eastern Docks serve as the main cross-channel ferry terminal, while the Western Docks contain a cruise ship terminal and a yacht marina along with cargo facilities.

The Port of Dover has a long history and possesses several listed buildings and structures. The port is owned and operated by the Dover Harbour Board, a statutory corporation formed by royal charter in 1606 by King James I. Most of the board members of the Dover Harbour Board are appointees of the Department for Transport. The port has its own private police force, the Port of Dover Police. The current port traffic volumes and urban population categorize Dover as a Large-Port Town.

The White Cliffs of Dover are the region of English coastline facing the Strait of Dover and France. The cliff face, which reaches a height of 350 feet (110 m), owes its striking appearance to its composition of chalk accented by streaks of black flint, deposited during the Late Cretaceous. The cliffs, on both sides of the town of Dover in Kent, stretch for eight miles (13 km). The White Cliffs of Dover form part of the North Downs. A section of coastline encompassing the cliffs was purchased by the National Trust in 2016.

The cliffs are part of the Dover to Kingsdown Cliffs Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation. The point where Great Britain is closest to continental Europe, on a clear day the cliffs are visible from France, approximately 20 miles (32 km) away.

The chalk grassland environment above the cliffs is excellent for many species of wild flowers, butterflies and birds, and has been designated a Special Area of Conservation and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Rangers and volunteers work to clear invasive plants that threaten the native flora. A grazing programme involving Exmoor ponies has been established to help to clear faster-growing invasive plants, allowing smaller, less robust native plants to survive.[18] The ponies are managed by the National Trust, Natural England, and County Wildlife Trusts to maintain vegetation on nature reserves.

The cliffs are the first landing point for many migratory birds flying inland from across the English Channel. After a 120-year absence, in 2009 it was reported that ravens had returned to the cliffs. Similar in appearance but smaller, the jackdaw is abundant. The rarest of the birds that live along the cliffs is the peregrine falcon. In recent decline, the skylark also makes its home on the cliffs. The cliffs are home to fulmars and to colonies of black-legged kittiwake, a species of gull. Since bluebirds are not indigenous to the UK, some believe that bluebirds, as mentioned in the classic World War II song "(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover", composed by American artists, may actually refer to swallows and/or to house martins, which make an annual migration to continental Europe, many of them crossing the English Channel at least twice a year.

Its started raining so we make our way back to the Visitor Centre, have a quick look around.

We leave the White Cliffs and drive down into Dover, passing Dover Castle to visit a supermarket. We then drove back to the hotel, where we rested before going to the clubhouse for dinner and drinks and of course bingo for Mel.

Sunday 27th October 2024

Canterbury, Kent

The next day we checked out and drove half hour up the road to Canterbury. I've visited many times before but still love this city.

Canterbury is a popular tourist destination, with the city's economy heavily reliant upon tourism, alongside higher education and retail. As of 2011, the city's population was over 55,000, including a substantial number of students and one of the highest student-to-permanent-resident ratios in Britain.

We park up at Toddlers Cove Car Park (CT2 8BG) and walk along the beautiful River Stour into the city.

The site of the city has been occupied since Paleolithic times and served as the capital of the Celtic Cantiaci and Jute Kingdom of Kent. Many historical structures fill the area, including a city wall founded in Roman times and rebuilt in the 14th century, the Westgate Towers museum, the ruins of St Augustine's Abbey, the Norman Canterbury Castle, and the oldest extant school in the world, the King's School. Modern additions include the Marlowe Theatre and Kent County Cricket Club's St Lawrence Ground. Canterbury Cathedral is known for its architecture, its music, and for being the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury; it receives a million visitors per year.

We walk through Westgate Gardens beside the River Stour, with a 200 year-old plane tree and a Victorian Tower House.

The Westgate beside the River Stour

The Westgate is a medieval gatehouse in Canterbury, Kent, England. This 60-foot (18 m) high western gate of the city wall is the largest surviving city gate in England. Built of Kentish ragstone around 1379, it is the last survivor of Canterbury's seven medieval gates, still well-preserved and one of the city's most distinctive landmarks. The road still passes between its drum towers. This scheduled monument and Grade I listed building houses the West Gate Towers Museum as well as a series of historically themed escape rooms.

The Westgate

Canterbury was walled by the Romans around 300 AD. This has been consistently the most important of the city's gates as it is the London Road entrance and the main entrance from most of Kent. The present towers are a medieval replacement of the Roman west gate, rebuilt around 1380. There was a gate here at the time of the Norman conquest, which is thought to have been Roman. From late Anglo-Saxon times it had the Church of the Holy Cross on top, but both church and gate were dismantled in 1379, and the gate was rebuilt by Archbishop Simon Sudbury before he died in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. It has been suggested that it was built primarily as an entrance for pilgrims visiting the shrine of St Thomas Becket at the cathedral. However the rebuild as a defensive status symbol was paid for partly by Sudbury and partly by taxation for military protection against expected raids by the French.

In 1453 Henry VI permitted the Mayor and Commonality to keep a jail at the Westgate, so the building was Canterbury's prison from the 15th to the 19th century, while Canterbury Castle was the county jail. In January 1648, after the Christmas Day riot, Parliamentarians burnt down all the wooden doors of the city's gates. They were all replaced in 1660, but these replacements were removed at the end of the eighteenth century. They were similar to the surviving wooden Christ Church gates at the cathedral. After repairs to the Westgate and jail in 1667, a pound was built on the north side for the hail; this is now gone, but Pound Lane remains. The guard rooms, heavily wood-lined in the eighteenth century, became cells for both debtors and criminals, and the room over the arch became the condemned cell with the portcullis now laid on top. Until 1775 there was a grated cage in the prison gateway, where certain prisoners were allowed to beg for alms and speak with passers by. Capital punishment was normally the gallows, plus the stake at Wincheap for religious martyrs in the time of Queen Mary.

We stroll along the High Street, popping in and out of a few shops.

The siege of Canterbury saw a large Viking army besiege Canterbury in 1011, culminating in the city being pillaged. Remembering the destruction caused by the Danes, the inhabitants of Canterbury did not resist William the Conqueror's invasion in 1066. William immediately ordered a wooden motte-and-bailey castle to be built by the Roman city wall. In the early 12th century, the castle was rebuilt with stone. Canterbury Castle was captured by the French Prince Louis during his 1215 invasion of England, before the death of John caused his English supporters to desert his cause and support the young Henry III.

Black Death reached Canterbury in 1348. At 10,000, Canterbury had the 10th largest population in England; by the early 16th century, the population had fallen to 3,000. In 1363, during the Hundred Years' War, a Commission of Inquiry found disrepair, stone-robbing and ditch-filling had led to the Roman wall becoming eroded. Between 1378 and 1402, the wall was virtually rebuilt, and new wall towers were added. In 1381, during Wat Tyler's Peasants' Revolt, the castle and Archbishop's Palace were sacked, and Archbishop Sudbury was beheaded in London. In 1413, Henry IV became the only sovereign to be buried at the cathedral. In 1448 Canterbury was granted a City Charter, which gave it a mayor and a high sheriff; the city still has a Lord Mayor and Sheriff.

We stop by Old Weavers House on the High Street and beside the River Stour.

The Old Weavers House is a gorgeous half-timbered building on the River Stour. The river quite literally laps at the side of the building, which currently houses a popular restaurant.

The Old Weavers House takes its name from the influx of Flemish and Huguenot weavers who settled in the area after fleeing from religious persecution during the 16th and 17th centuries. Elizabeth I granted the Flemish weavers the right to establish their businesses in Canterbury, and they are known to have used this and other similar buildings nearby.

Despite the date 1500 which can be seen prominently displayed above the door, this house probably dates back to at least the 14th century. The current building largely dates to a reconstruction in the second half of the 16th century, not the first, as you might assume by the sign!

At the rear of the Old Weavers House is a medieval ducking stool, jutting out over the river. This ducking stool was historically used as a method of punishing 'scolds' - women accused by their husbands of talking back too much! The stool may also have been used as a more severe punishment for suspected witches. The suspected witch was dunked under the water and held there for several minutes. If she (it was usually a female) did not drown, she was proved a witch. If she drowned, at least her name was cleared!

We pass the Canterbury Museum, Visitor Info and Beaney House of art and knowledge.

We walk down Mercery Lane with great views to Canterbury Catherdral.

Canterbury Cathedral is the cathedral of the archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of the Church of England and symbolic leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Located in Canterbury, Kent, it is one of the oldest Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site. Its formal title is the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Christ, Canterbury.

Founded in 597, the cathedral was completely rebuilt between 1070 and 1077. The east end was greatly enlarged at the beginning of the 12th century, and largely rebuilt in the Gothic style following a fire in 1174, with significant eastward extensions to accommodate the flow of pilgrims visiting the shrine of Thomas Becket, the archbishop who was murdered in the cathedral in 1170. The Norman nave and transepts survived until the late 14th century, when they were demolished to make way for the present structures.

Before the English Reformation, the cathedral was part of a Benedictine monastic community known as Christ Church, Canterbury, as well as being the seat of the archbishop.

The Cathedral was open for service only as its a Sunday.

We are now standing in Buttermarket.

In 1519 a public cage for talkative women and other wrongdoers was set up next to the town's pillory at the Bullstake, now the Buttermarket. In 1522 a stone cross with gilt lead stars was erected at the same place, and painted with bice and gilded by Florence the painter.

The Canterbury War Memorial.

This memorial commemorates the residents of Canterbury who were killed or missing in the WWI (531 names) and the WWII (261 names).

Tower of St. Mary Magdelene

The tower is all that remains of the medieval church of St Mary Magdalene, which stands near the eastern end of Burgate, in the heart of historic Canterbury, a short stroll from the cathedral. The church was pulled down in 1871 after it had become ruinous. The tower is a 1503 rebuilding of an earlier medieval structure.

In a specially built display area at the base of the tower is a fanciful Baroque memorial to the Whitfield family, dated 1680. This monument is in the Flemish style often associated with Grinling Gibbons and Arnold Quellin. It has been restored with the help of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Beside the tower, in the area formerly occupied by part of the old church, is a pleasant garden area, behind which is the 19th-century Catholic church of St. Thomas of Canterbury.

We walk on through the city.

Visiting a market and more shops

View down Butchery Lane back to The Cathedral.

We stop for a Cornish pastry and coffee on the High Street.

We now walk back along the Stour back to the car for the drive home.