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Category Archives: Peak District

What to pack for a vacation in Great Britain?

01 Thursday Aug 2013

Posted by pat in Cornwall, England, London, Peak District, Scotland, Travel, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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launderette, packing

What should you pack for a vacation in Great Britain? Layers. And more layers.

Down to the sweater layer in Asford in the Water in the Peak District. Photo by My Beloved Brit.

Down to the sweater layer in Ashford-in-the-Water in the Peak District on a summer morning going for a walk. Photo by My Beloved Brit.

It is positively the only way to go. The thing about England is, no matter what the weather is at the moment, it is sure to change shortly. And it is almost impossible to predict the temperatures for any given season. When we were in Scotland last summer, everyone assured us it would be damp and chilly.  It was sunny, bright and in the 80s–for days!

A very warm, sunny day in the gardens at Balmoral in Scotland in June. Photo by me.

A very warm, sunny day in the gardens at Balmoral in Scotland in early June. Photo by me.

Very unusual, yes. But we have learned in the UK to expect the unexpected and pack accordingly.

The crowds head to Buckingham Palace to see the Queen on the Diamond Jubilee weekend June 2012. Photo by me.

The crowds head to Buckingham Palace to see the Queen on the Diamond Jubilee weekend June 2012. Notice the light jackets, and brollies in hand. Photo by me.

Now, granted, we tend to go for long stretches of time…sometimes 5 or 6 weeks (we have a lot of family and friends to visit).  But the basics are the same.

1.  Don’t pack for a year.

There are laundrette’s all over the UK, and it is a great way to pass an hour or two with the locals and catch up on your reading. You can easily go online, google the town you will be in, and “laundrettes”, or ask at your B&B or hotel.  They will know. Service wash means the laundrette will do your wash for you and you can pick it up later or the next day.  Self Service means you do it yourself, which is what we do. Usually we are driving, and at the beginning of the trip we stop at a grocery store and get a small bottle of laundry detergent. Or the laundrettes usually have them available for purchase. Our detergent stays with us for the trip and makes it even easier to do laundry on the road.

Our favorite laundrette in Burnham on Crouch, England. Photo by me

Our favorite laundrette in Burnham on Crouch, England. Photo by me

2. Make it easy and comfortable

Pack things that are wrinkle free if you don’t want to iron, although many hotels now have facilities to iron.  I usually bring a pair of jeans for those country walks, and a couple of pairs of lighter washable slacks–one that is dressier for dinners out.  Instead of shirts, I bring knits–t-shirts for me, polos for him, and light, washable cotton sweaters (jumpers in Brit speak). My Beloved Brit always likes a few buttoned collared shirts of the wash and wear variety for when we go out. I bring one or two washable wrinkle free skirts just in case it gets really warm.  MBB does bring one pair of shorts just in case.  But we find even when all his friends have shorts on, we might have two or three layers of long pants, t-shirts and jumpers on. MBB calls it being unclimatized. We’ve never regretted not packing a bathing suit.

A fine, sunny day in England and the shorts have appeared. Photo by me

A fine, sunny day in England and the shorts have appeared. Photo by me

3.  Outerwear and an umbrella

Bring a scarf or two for around the neck, and preferably a rain-resistant jacket (or coat depending on the season) with a little warmth to it, just in case. I also usually pack a light, packable small umbrella.  It is England after all. Rain comes and goes. When I did the Diamond Jubilee week in London last year, it rained lightly off and on over the weekend.  I was fine with my layers, my little “brollie” and a smile.  It was a great time.

Jubilee weekend.  Brollies are up for a moment but the crowds don't care.  Notice the layers of clothing. Photo by me

Jubilee weekend. Brollies are up for a moment but the crowds don’t care. Notice the layers of clothing. Photo by me

4. Shoes.

Always a dilemma.  First and foremost is comfort.  England is known to be a wonderfully walkable place, so plan on taking walks in the country, through villages and footpaths, or long rambles around London.

My Beloved Brit and his cousins walking in to Foey, Cornwall for Fish 'n' Chips.  Notice the English women have sandals on! Photo by me.

My Beloved Brit and his cousins walking in to Fowey, Cornwall in search of Fish ‘n’ Chips. Notice his English cousins have sandals on! Photo by me.

There’s usually public transportation, but walking is how you really get to see a country, and get a sense of the natives.  I usually opt for two pairs of very comfortable walking shoes that I can wear with socks, one pair a bit dressier to wear with the nice slacks. I also like a good pair of sandles in the summer for those days when you just feel like wiggling your toes in the sun, and to wear with my skirt.

My Beloved Brit actually has shorts on again as we check in to our room in England. Notice the limited amount of luggage. Photo by me.

My Beloved Brit actually has shorts on again as we check in to our room in England. Notice the limited amount of luggage. There’s also always one large duffel for sailing gear. Photo by me.

5. For those special occasions.

Dressed for a wedding reception at a sailing club.

Dressed for a wedding reception at a sailing club.

 

Then usually I bring one nice dress, often a very packable light knit, and a sweater I can wear with it for cold evenings.

For most restaurants and gatherings we go to , this is as dressy as we need.  I bring my pearls and good earrings in case it gets really dressy.

MBB does bring a solid colored sports coat and one tie, just in case there is a sailing race dinner at a club that requires it.

 

 

 

And that is pretty much it.  You start out on a summer morning with a pair of cotton slacks, a t-shirt, a sweater and maybe a rain jacket with a scarf around your neck.  By noon hopefully you’re down to the t-shirt, but more likely you are at sweater level.  And of course just when you think you have it all figured out, it changes and the temps are in the 80s for five days in a row.

Holidaymakers in Charlestown, Cornwall.  There were kids swimming nearby. Photo by me.

Holiday makers in Charlestown, Cornwall. There were kids swimming nearby. Photo by me.

No matter.  A laundrette makes it all workable, and no one cares if you wear the same three outfits over and over.  Just pick what you love and what you are comfortable with.  It’s a snap.

An early morning walk on a summers day in England. Photo by me.

An early morning walk on a summer’s day in England. Photo by me.

And then My Beloved Brit needs to bring all his sailing gear–boots, foul weather gear, thermals–which is a whole other story, and why we try to pack so light otherwise…

MBB dressed in many waterproof layers for sailing. Photo by me.

MBB dressed in many waterproof layers for sailing. Photo by me.

 

A day in an English (or not) garden

04 Friday Nov 2011

Posted by pat in England, Gardens, Peak District, Uncategorized

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England, gardens

I spent the day working in my garden. I like to think that it has hints of a proper English garden.  It is the end of the season, and everything is in wild disarray.  It is the last burst of color before it all goes quiet for the winter.

My garden in autumn

My Beloved Brit wanted roses in our garden.  They remind him of England.  This variety is “Don Juan”, a climbing rose that blooms all through the summer and in to fall.

The last rose?

I know it is the end of summer when the white hydrangea blossoms turn purple and green.  I pick a big bouquet and put them in my favorite blue and white vase in my studio at this time of year. They slowly dry and last the winter. It keeps me hopeful that spring will come again.

The sage has gone wild this year and covers the garden path.

I love gardening. It is everything that I am most comfortable with…color, flow and composition.

I think gardening is just one of the many reasons that I have always felt a strong connection to England.  Residents of the UK take their gardens very seriously. It’s a personal point of pride, and no matter how large or small the outdoor space, you will probably find a garden tucked in. The gardens there are everywhere, and everyone has a lovely story about theirs.  Is it all the rain?  Everything is always so green and lush.

A small house garden in the village of Ashford-in-the-water

Maybe I should get a gnome?

A dear friend of ours in England has a small fisherman’s cottage where we have stayed while MBB was racing.  In the back courtyard she has the loveliest garden, and this particular summer it had the tallest sunflower I had ever seen. I believe it was involved in a friendly competition between neighbors.

Jo's garden, Burnham-on-Crouch

The next summer I saw a field of sunflowers near a farm market in the Hamptons on eastern Long Island while we were on holiday.  I couldn’t resist, and a series of conte crayon drawings was born.

It always amazes me how images stick in my brain, and float and tumble and fall out after many days (or even months) on to paper or canvas.

The studio wall

That sunflower in that English Garden on a far coast kept popping up when I thought of things to explore in my art.  Who would have thought the seed from that garden would transform into a field of sunflowers and be one of the first works on paper series that I had tried in ages.

I post all of my work on my personal art website, or you can visit the website for Gallery 50 where my “Sunflower Fields I-IV” are displayed. Gallery 50 is a tremendous gallery run by Jay Pastore in the ocean side town near Washington, DC, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, USA. If you get a chance, go by and see him and his gallery that never disappoints for its quality of art and its diversity of styles. Thank you Jay.

Public Footpaths in Great Britain: Walk This Way

30 Friday Sep 2011

Posted by pat in Art, England, paintings, Peak District, Uncategorized

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art, Ashford-in-the-Water, England, Footpaths, Peak District

No matter where you go in Great Britain you can find people “walking”, which is the American equivalent of hiking. They can be sole walkers, or in small groups, but they take to the countryside with such determination, often with stick in hand and a sensible pair of brogues on their feet.

The beauty of doing this in GB is that the country so whole heartedly supports the idea with the availability of public footpaths. I find this a splendid alternative to gated communities. These “rights of way” offer the most serious of long distance walkers easy access to the countryside and wilderness areas. In England and Wales, these walkers have legally protected rights to “pass and repass” on footpaths, bridleways and other byways which have been declared public, even as they cross private property and farmland. The paths are marked with simple posts at junctions, and once you start noticing them you see them everywhere.

The wonderful part of all this is that they connect the loveliest villages, and you can often find a tea shop at the end of the path, where you can set your stick down and take a break.  Of course there is always the pub on the next corner for those who need a bit more fortification before continuing.

One of our favorite places to visit is the classic walking area in the UK, the Peak District.  And our favorite village there is Ashford-in-the-Water.  Now, we are known for our short walks, compared to those hardy soles who take out over the hills and dales for hours on end.  But on this particular morning in late summer, we took off from our lovely warm hotel, crossed the footbridge over the river, and opened the gate to cross on to the nearby footpath. Observing the very necessary courtesy of firmly closing the gate behind us so the cows wouldn’t decide to go on their own walkabout, we started up the hill and across the field.  It was spectacular.

Within a short distance we discovered a small farm house that seemed to reign over these rolling hills and monumental sky.  It seemed so simple. But it took my breath away (or was that the hill).

The painting I did of this farmhouse still hangs in my living room, living proof that I had actually crossed over in to the realm of the footpaths. Every time I see it I can’t help but smile.

"The Stone Cottage" oil painting, 12 x 10", artist's collection

 

Artist’s note: When I start on a painting, I often work out the basic composition, and equally important, the undertones of light and shadow.  Will it be warm, or cool?  Will there be high contrast, or muted tones?  This is often done with a quick underpainting. I found a photo of this original underpainting for “Stone Cottage” in my files, and thought it would be fun to share.

 

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