Tag Archives: Norfolk

Sandringham at Christmas, and a Year to Remember

24 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by in The Royal Family, Travel, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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It was so lovely to see Sandringham this past summer when we were in England.

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It was just on the heels of the Jubilee Celebration in London, and we managed to visit one day ahead of the Queen, who was holding a very large garden party on the lawn the next day.

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With all the excitement over the Duchess of Cambridge’s pregnancy this Christmas season and will she or won’t she be at Sandringham with the Royal Family as tradition usually dictates,  it brought back memories of this beautiful place set in the Norfolk countryside.

This winter I can now actually visualize The Queen sitting with her family in the lovely drawing-room, perhaps working on a particularly tricky corner at her special jigsaw puzzle table. And I am hoping the Duke and Duchess get a chance to enjoy the cottage his grandmother gave him on the estate in honor of his 30th birthday. But perhaps this will be the year they spend Christmas with her family, and squeeze in a visit to the royal side of the family sometime over the holiday week. That is what the word is.

Still, when the English news shows the Royal Family walking to chapel on Christmas morning, I will remember it from last summer. When we were there, it looked so familiar from all the past Christmas photos. And this year the Queen did her Christmas message in 3-D…the old and the new.  Ever the modern Queen who also honors tradition.

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St. Mary Magdalen’s Church across the gardens and fields from the Queen’s Sandringham Estate. Photo by me

2012 was a year to remember, with not one, but two visits for me this year to England.  One in the late spring and early June, just in time for the Queen’s huge Diamond Jubilee Celebration in London.

The night of the Jubilee Concert at Buckin

The night of the Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace. Photo by me June 2012

And later in November to work on the creative workshop we are planning for next September in Bath.

The River Avon runs through Bath. Photo by me.

The River Avon runs through Bath. Photo by me.

In between was the Olympics (which I devoured on TV), and lots of happy news from relatives and friends on both sides of the pond (including my first grand-niece !!!!!).

And then of course, right before Christmas the announcement of the royal baby on his or her way.  Lovely that it will wear the crown either way–boy or girl. As long as the new future monarch is happy and healthy, what does it matter.

What an incredible year.

A Royal Garage at Sandringham

17 Wednesday Oct 2012

Posted by in cars, England, History, The Royal Family

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When we travel through England, I find My Beloved Brit approaches a house tour with much more enthusiasm if there is a display of cars involved.  One of the best I found was Sandringham, the Royal Family’s Norfolk estate.  The old stables have been converted to a museum, and cars were a major feature of the displays.

The road from the main house to the museum at Sandringham was a lovely walk, even in the rain. Photo by me.

We walked across the park and arrived at the gates to the courtyard…

The entrance to the museum at Sandringham. Photo by me

…of what was formerly the stable block and coach house for the estate.  Inside was the museum with lots of photos and story boards showing the history of Sandringham, and whole rooms full of memorabilia and gifts given to the Royal Family through the years.

An arrangement showing bits from the stables earlier days. Photo by me

Every time we went in to another room, there was something interesting to see.  But when we turned the corner into the beginning of the car exhibitions, MBBs eyes lit up.

MBB thought it was a bit embarrassing to see something in a museum that he remembered from his childhood, but he was still delighted to see it. Photo by me

The first thing he saw was a tiny car, which was very similar to one he had as a boy.

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There were several of them in the room, and people were thrilled to see them.

Further on, the cars got grander.

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I loved that you could look in to the interiors, and just imagine what it was like for the Queen.

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There was a variety of cars used for the Royal Family and the staff.

Another beauty. Photo by me

A country car the staff used to bring the luggage from the train station.

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And cars for all occasions.

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For once, my Beloved Brit was speechless

Photo by me

Houghton Hall, The Deer Park

05 Thursday Jul 2012

Posted by in England, Travel, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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Last but not least in Norfolk, we visited the large, beautiful estate of Houghton Hall.  We often found that these grand family estates had something that made it a twist different from the next, and this estate was no exception.

The gates to Houghton Hall. We were first in line. Photo by me

Houghton Hall is a beautiful country house built in the Palladian style and renowned for its many deer that roam the 1,000 acre estate.  Houghton actually has a purebred controlled breeding program of descendants from royal stock from Sweden and Denmark as well as other countries. And the deer were out in force, roaming the large sweeps of lawn.

These white deer are not albino, just a particular breed

Or they could be found hiding behind a grove of trees on the front lawn.  There are many species including European Red Deer, Chinese Water Deer as well as stock from India and Japan.

Shy Red Deer Photo by me

The perfect setting for them, they seem amazingly docile and tame, but i still managed to keep a bit of distance between us.

Roaming free, the happy deer of Houghton. Photo by me

Just wandering around the grand front parkland I walked down to see them hiding in the groves of trees…

Just having a bit of a rest under the trees. Photo by me.

The front view from the Deer Park. Photo by me

and as soon as I walked back to the house, they came out for a graze.  They were as interested in me as I in them.

The deer came out from the trees as soon as I moved away.

A beautiful spot for grazing.

Norfolk, on the Edge of the Sea

14 Thursday Jun 2012

Posted by in Art Museums & Exhibitions, England, Gardens, History, Travel, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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Flat as yer hat. That’s what My Beloved Brit’s comment was as we drove north through Norfolk.  And he was right.  Huge expanses of level fields and hedgerows to the edge of the sea were everywhere we looked.

The flat fields of Norfolk. Photo by me.

We are staying in a great Best Western (Le Strange Arms…a strange name) right on the edge of the sea in Old Hunstanton and used it as our base this week to explore Norfolk. It was perfect.

Our escape next to the sea. Photo by me

We were pleasantly surprised to have a room with a separate living area with many large windows facing the sea, and have had great pleasure viewing it at all times day and night, no matter what the weather.

Our view. Photo by me.

The sky and sea is always dramatic.

Sunset at Le StrangeArms comes late. Photo by me.

We have gotten out and about during the day exploring the area.  And the week has turned from chilly and rainy at the start in Sandringham…

Sandringham in the rain. Photo by me

…to chilly and partly cloudy at Houghton Hall. A definite improvement. It is all relative.

Houghton Hall and the skies are clearing. Believe it or not, this is good weather. Photo by me.

I promise future posts on the amazing homes and gardens we have seen this week, but for the moment I am focusing on what makes Norfolk Norfolk…at least to me.

The north coast of Norfolk near Wells-next-to-Sea. Photo by me.

It is very rural, with lots of farming (from lavender to cows) and many beachy seafront villages that cater to the family on holiday.

The beach in Hunstanton. Photo by me

It reminds me a bit of Holland with the scattering of windmills about…

A windmill in Cley, on the Norfolk Coast. Photo by me

and the many canals with dikes separating the flat fields of cows from the irrigation.

Thoughtful cows at Holkham. Photo by me.

There are a scattering of excellent large estates that were well worth the visit.

The estate at Holkham on the chilliest day of our trip so far. Photo by me

I love the buildings in the area, faced in different patterns of red and white stone.  Everything is done in these stones in a huge variety of patterns.

The stone on the buildings in Norfolk are in all sorts of patterns. Photo by me

Stone like mosaic on the sides of buildings. Photo by me

But the beaches seem to be the main attraction, and even in this chilly grey month of June (everyone keeps telling us this is the coldest June in 8 years), the beaches are busy with dog walkers and children running in the sand.

Little beach huts line the shore in the resort town of Wells-Next-to-Sea. Photo by me

The beach is busy, even on a cold June afternoon. Photo by me

The area does seem a bit hard hit from the economy downturn with lots of For Sale signs and empty storefronts, but people are still very cheerful and extremely friendly. One of the things I notice over and over again in England is how absolutely polite people are.  Manners are still very important, especially in rural England, and Norfolk is no exception.

The seaside resort town of Hunstanton where there seems to be more ice cream and Fish ‘n’ Chip shops than anywhere we have seen on this trip. Photo by me

I will miss this area.  It is always wonderful to make a new discovery. But tomorrow we head south again for a weekend of sailing for MBB…the forecast is for cold and rain.