Overview and Index

This page has my overall review of the trip and at the foot a set of links to all other pages which should make life easy for navigation.

Review
Overall, a very good trip.  Compared to our previous trip in 2010 there was not as much birding, and to some extent Cathedrals were replaced by Parish Churches.  There was also a bit more 'personal background' since the areas and topics covered had connections with my past.  I have tried to keep the write up of this to a responsible level and hope it won't be too boring for you!

Ratings of service providers

• Although I still believe the old "Visit Britain" approach was better, in the end Hoseasons did a pretty good job providing agency services for the accomodation.
• Both Gull Cottage and Trap Cottage were excellent places to stay and are recommended if you are in those areas.
• Europcar did what was needed in the car department.
• WRT to airlines::
• Malaysian, the carrier from Sydney to KL were OK;
• KLM flights (Kuala Lumpur to Brum to Amsterdam were all good.  However their administrative and on-line systems need some looking at to make them client friendly.
• China Southern Airlines are in the "close but no cigar" category.  The flights were on time and the aircraft excellently presented but the service on flights was not good.

The trip-overall awards section

• Enema tube insertion point: Worthing, East Sussex.  Due to the traffic problems on the A27.  Other nominations would have to include the junction of the M3 and A34, with Chichester and Shrewsbury getting mentions due to their appalling traffic signage.
• Bird of the trip:  Red Kite.  
• Garden of the trip: Hidcote.  That is probably a lifetime award from me, and I suspect Frances has a similar view.  
• Building of the trip: Worcester Cathedral, narrowly over Uppark House.  The latter gets a walk on the carpet because of the associated story.
• View of the trip:  Many contenders.  I have ended up giving the gong to looking North from Aberystwyth, mainly because it includes both human and natural elements.  The Temple of the Winds at Black Down and the view from the road over Clee Hill also needed consideration.
• Bad taste of the trip:  It is impossible to go past the ceramic clogs in Schipol.  Although, on further consideration, the similar establishment in Guanxhou put in claim for "rising (red) star" status with a kiddies panda suit.  
• Jobsworth of the trip: Very few nominations but it wouldn't matter since the 3F in the Selsey Co-op established an unassailable lead.  Again possibly a lifetime award.  Apart the massive skills displayed by this player, an early contender - the Dean of the Catholic Cathedral in Brum - lost consideration when the similar place in Shrewsbury performed worse.
• Helpful dude of the trip.  Quite a few nominations here, 
• starting with the young bloke at the Brum Information Centre (due to the contrast with their bogan website);
• the guy in the Novtel at Brum who went to great lengths to open a bottle of beer - purchased at Waitrose - for me; and, at the other end of the trip; 
• the cop in Gunagxhou airport who got us through the transfer business and thus enabled us to catch our outwards flight.  He won the award due to the contrast between his actual performance and what one would expect from a person in that employment, which would normally indicate being a strong contender in the preceding category.  His colleague ...
• ... the queue manger doesn't win because it was her job, but gets a walk on the carpet because of the way she;
• spotted a problem;
• jumped us in front of about 150 other punters; and
• raised the speed of action of the desk folk from 0 to Warp Factor10!

Index

July 17 Getting going

July 18 Brum, brum ,brum

July 19 Delights of the A34

July 20 Castles and Rooks

July 21 The 2 Arthurs- King and Uncle

July 22 Possibly back to my roots

July 23 Old fogeys of the New Forest

July 24 Hunting Woolf near Brighton

July 25 Up the Downs

July 26 Sel-see you later?

July 27 The reason for this expedition.

July 28 Three March towns

July 29 Welsh Land meets Irish Sea

July 30 The Bard and The Borders
July 31 A typical Pommie Summer Day??

August 1 Closing off the trip

August 2 Leave Tugford and flight home

Appendices etc

Red Kite feeding post

Bird photo post
Plant photo post
Invertebrate photo post
War memorials post 1
War memorials post 2

The search for a souvenir gazunda

On the topic of airlines and air travel

Here we go again!

July 18 Brum, brum ,brum

As part of the planning for trip Frances decided to consult the tourist board sites for this renowned city.  One of them burbled about filling her computer with cookies “to give her the best experience” so she passed on that (as soon as she had finished chundering).   Next stop was the Council site.  She put in “Public art” and got one listing – of something that burnt down in 2003.

One could say “What else do you expect from Birmingham?” and plan to spend the day in the hotel sleeping.  However, being of a curious mind I Googled “Birmingham UK public art” and got a very large amount of information.  There seem to be at least 20 works in the Centre of the city, including at least one by Anthony Gormley.  (There is apparently a fountain featuring a young lady, not as I first thought Queen Victoria, which is known as the "floozie in the jacuzzi".)  I don’t think we are going to have any trouble amusing ourselves!

We left KL in a nice new 777 just before midnight, but it was after midnight in Australia so I will count it as day 2.  We had Economy Comfort seats which cost extra but were well worth it as we had no-one in front and I was able to get a little sleep.  Frances did quite well.  The first four hours were a bit bumpy and involved at least one major kink in the flight path to go round a storm in the Bay of Bengal. 

At one point there was a call for ''a medical doctor to the rear of the plane” and after someone walked past from Business Class a crew member appeared with a rather large first aid kit.

We were both awake as dawn tried to catch up with us over the Ukraine, but daylight didn't really arrive until well West of Berlin.   When breakfast had been served one of the crew announced that “we are still in German airspace ...” which was an interesting way of saying we aren't in Holland yet.  When we did get to Holland it looked very damp and mist was rolling in from the sea. Not a great snap, but it was grey and misty.

As we landed we could see how neat and tidy all the farms were, with nice regular shaped fields: I wondered if they were tulip farms but Frances said the season was wrong.  During taxi Jackdaws established themselves as first European bird and thus Bird of the day.  Tulips were evident in the airport shop.

As were other things: this array of souvenirs quickly set up an unbreakable lead in the bad taste award (all categories). 

We basically sat around for nearly three hours waiting for our flight to Birmingham: since Schiphol offers a free internet service that wasn't too hard.  We then caught a bus out to our plane (an Embraer jet) which involved a drive that, had the sea not got in the way, would have just about got us to Clacton.  

The flight was pretty much up and down, taking 50 minutes.  We got a good view of some Dutch towns where the developments seemed to have been designed to make nice shapes when seen from 3km above!.

Two middle aged pommie "lads" were behind us talking incessantly about their work with mining companies in various dodgy parts of Africa.  It was quite interesting – for example “I wouldn't want to live in Birmingham City: its better in Africa.”, which wasn't said by the one who worked in Kigali - but rather intrusive.  When I got a look at them on leaving the flight I'd say they were both quite hard blokes: built like brick outhouses, skinhead haircuts and in one case a good crop of tatts.

Unlike Holland the fields were very undisciplined.  It was rare for there to be one straight side let alone 4 at right angles to each other.  

After landing we went to the terminal and my guess is that we were out of there in about 20 minutes.  It would have been quicker but the immigration guy was very chatty and I was in polite mode.  A very helpful lad in the information centre (a big comeback after the shambles of their website outlined above) pointed us to the hotel; explained how to get to the City Centre (train is the go); and provided maps!

Check in at the Hotel (Novotel) resulted in us upgrading our room to get in straight away.  Getting the review of the Hotel out of the way I rated it rather good: the staff were all helpful, it was very quiet and the food good.

We caught the shuttle train to Birmingham International Station from where British Midland took us into the City Centre (New Street).  Yet again the ticket seller was helpful and efficient – what has happened to the traditional English Jobsworth work ethic?  Unfortunately, the Nanny Society has survived Tony Blair - I read a book by Jeremy Clarkson later in the trip in which he refers to "His Tonyness" - so the train ride was accompanied by various and continual warnings to “mind the gap” “don't leave belongings unattended” “Read the security notices”. 

Our travels around Birmingham took us first past an arcade with an ornate ceiling 

and then to Victoria Square where many of the public artworks were to be found.  These included the “floozie in the jacuzzi”

and Anthony Gormley's Iron Man.  

The Art Gallery ...

... was also there and yet again was notable for a lack of Jobsworths.  All staff were helpful - and not just to us: I saw a security guard find a chair for a guy who was sketching Using A PENCIL!!!- and photography was welcome everywhere except a special exhibition and the Staffordshire Hoard. So here are a couple of samples 

 

As well as these traditional works there were some modernish stuff (although this by "Rock Drill" by Jacob Epstein comes from 1915 so emphasises the 'ish'.

and this collection reflects the industrial nature of the Midlands

The ban in the Hoard may be to promote book sales or possibly to reflect its shared ownership (with another gallery).  This was an astonishing collection of gold jewellery and artefacts found in a ploughed field in 2009 by a guy using a metal detector.  I think he ended up scoring £3m for it!  Well done that boy!  It seems they are still working on it (eg one item was found last year embedded in a lump of clay) but have not been able to decide why it was deposited.

Great graffiti on the Public Library

... and I liked this building, and its contrast with the glass brick beside it,  enough to photograph it.

 Next stop, was St Phillips Anglican Cathedral which was brilliant.  It was surrounded by lawns that were covered with Brummies eating their lunch in the sunshine.  (Very reminiscent of Bryant Park in New York.)  Inside was very well decorated 

and there weren't too many signs begging for money.  I took a photo of a set of Memorial plaques

 although I probably won't submit them to the Register of NSW War Memorials).   That being said, my interest having been stirred by NSW Memorials I did find looking for memorials added a fair bit of interest to the trip.  The design of them varied greatly and some of them told interesting stories so I have created a special post - or possibly 2 - in this blog to hold information that didn't fir with the overall narrative. 

We weaved our way past this wicker statue

to the Catholic Cathedral which was designed by Pugin, the father of the Gothic Revival in the mid-19^th Century.  Unfortunately 'Security' meant you couldn't take snaps.  I asked a lady why not and she said  “I don't know;  It was the Dean's idea so ask him if you can find him.” Obviously the Dean has attracted all the jobsworthiness of Staffordshire and I convivially wish him the best of luck. See also a Pugin-related comment under Shrewsbury some days below.

We briefly visited a Waitrose (as Stephen Fry has commented, kept clear of scum by the activities of Sainsbury's) to get something to eat for tea and some bottled goods.  Back to the hotel to try to stay awake.  I failed and was asleep by 3pm Brum time (1am Carwoola time) in which state I remained until about 3am Brum time the next morning.

I was surprised to find that there was very little of what I regard as the traditional Brum accent to be heard and no-one said 'each' anywhere in my presence.  Possibly this was because most of the folk we spoke with were of NESB.

Bird of the Day: Jackdaw at Schipol (first European bird of the trip).  A Peewit seen as we took off gave it a run as it was the only one seen all trip while Jackdaws were in flcoks of 50 aroundTugford, but first in, best dressed.

Building of the day: Birmingham Art Gallery

Garden of the Day: No contenders

Bad taste of the Day: Ceramic clogs in Schiphol

View of the Day: Nothing really startling but I have grown rather alarmingly fond of the mixed shapes and colours of fields in English farmland.

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July 20 Castles and Rooks

Arundel, Wildfowl place.  Pulborough (RSPB towards Storrington), Petworth House – Archaeological event.)

Awake fairly early so did some typing while supping coffee and then off for a walk along the shingle to the West.  Many dog walkers around early in the morning and all friendly.

We walked back down the main drag, noting a seagull sitting on a chimney and wondering if they are the Pom equivalent of the Storks in Continental Europe)

and this sign about police bait and wondering if it was entrapment for thieves or an anti-corruption initiative aimed at Mr Plod.

We stopped in at the busy bakery for fruit buns and, talking of the police and their tastes, doughnuts.  Yummo.  they got visitd on  daily basis from then on.

After a digestion break we took off towards Arundel.  A first issue was Ernie's descendant: you remember the Benny Hill song about the fastest milkman in the west.  The version we found was the slowest milkman in the South: 10mph at best along a B-road with lots of traffic.  After being forced to follow him for about 2 miles we got by.   Here is a picture of this model of lassitude delivering the gold-top in the little road opposite Gull Cottage.

The next roundabout involved a slight navigational disaster which did have the good effect of getting Bognor Regis out of our system.  When pronouncing this name emphasise the “Bog”: way worse than Selsey (or Bateman's Bay)!

On arrival in Arundel we faced a common problem.  Where the heck do you park?  We found somewhere about 500m out of the centre which was way in front of the game.  When we left we found people parked about 2km out!  Our first point of call was the Catholic Cathedral where a service was going on so we didn't hang out for long.

We crossed the road to the Anglican Church of St Nicholas (being upgraded/repaired but still very interesting)

This backed on to the Fitzalan chapel, accessible from the Castle but visible dimly from St Nicks

We passed on going in to the (huge) Castle

 and went to the centre of the town where a Farmers Market was the order of the day.  Frances found a stall selling excellent artisanal meat pies after pointing me at the stall where the Arundel Brewery was offering free beer!  OK: after I had bought a polo shirt and a pack of three beers

perhaps it wasn't really free, but I was going to visit the brewery and buy those things anyway.  The Town Crier

 – I suspect not Dawn French moonlighting – was making a noise, as employed to do.

We wandered around the town a little and returned to look more closely at the Cathedral

– very Gothic and surprisingly free of pleas for money.  Then on down Mill Lane – a lovely avenue of trees - towards the Wetlands and Wildfowl Trust place – people were still parking in the road here and walking back to the town!  This was well set up, but there were few interesting birds other than the captive breeding populations.   These Black-necked Swan cygnets were attractive – definitely not Ugly Ducklings.

The final stop for the day was Petworth House reached by a circuitous route because I followed the truck signs rather than those through the town.  This was the home of the Percy family and its descendants. Things got tricky in 1837 when the only heir was illegitimate and thus couldn't inherit the title but did get the huge money.  Of course with that much money a new title was eventually found for him.  There were a lot of punters present and a lot of stuff for them to see.  This began with a bunch of folk demonstrating medieval  jobs.  I think this bloke was a doctor, but all his talk was about stools  so I referred to him as a turdologist.

I was particularly interested in an archaeological dig happening in the the Park.  This was a 9 day project and part of the first efforts by East Sussex County Council to understand the history of the area.   An excellent  talk was given by their archaeologist to explain what they were up to, and what they now understand.

It seemed the area had originally been owned by the Crown and 'Enery VIII had had a place here for hunting etc.  This was then acquired by the Duke of Northumberland who turned out to have a republican bent or a least an unconventional view as to who should be Monarch (he supported this role going to the Duke of Northumberland).  Queen Lizzie 1 disagreed and the Duke became both unenthroned and headless.  His descendants were restricted to the South of England.  Thus they had lots of money and could only spend it on Petworth.

The main way they spent the money was getting Capability Brown to do do some landscaping which basically involved completely changing the landscape.  His approach was:

• decide what shape he wanted for the land;
• remove and store the turf and topsoil;
• muck around with the rock underneath to achieve the required shape (often shifting many tons of material);
•  return the soil and turf.

This plays hob with the things that archaeologists wish to study.  At the end of the talk our guide commented that they try to minimise their digging as it basically destroys what is there.  They try to leave as much as possible for later more advanced people to study.  He commented that 20 years ago no-one would have been able to do the research to identify the recently discovered corpse of Richard III, and who knows what possibilities might exist in 20 years time.

I then joined Frances in looking around the House, free as we are members of the National Trust of NSW, which had a massive collection of paintings by many famous folk.

Turner was very well represented and the focus of interpretive signs in many rooms.  I also noted a few Joshua Reynolds, several Gainsboroughs and a Titian.

We then went for a stroll out to the Lake (totally invented by Capability Brown) marvelling at the number of people exercising their dogs.  The NT is quite relaxed about this as long as the dogs are controlled and not allowed to chase the deer.  My goodness, couldn't the NSW Sparks and Wildfires Service learn something from them!

At various points during the day we actually saw some rooks (a form of corvid that travels and. particularly, nests in very large groups).  So it was a very chessfull day.

On returning home (we passed on an RSPB reserve near Pulborough as the day had been rather full) I heard a roaring sound in the sky.  The rise and fall sounded like aerobatics but it didn't sound quite right for a Pitts Special.  Cast a pebble at the corvids: it was a Spitfire!  I had been hoping to see one of these at Goodwood (about 10 miles inland where a guy has set up a Spitfire flying school) but this was great.  All it needed was a Messerschmidt 109 chasing it (or, being patriotic, for it to chase).

The evening finished with a bottle of Duchy Organic Ale (thank you, young Wales) and a glass of Argentinan Malbec from the Off licence.

Bird of the Day: Robin at Arundel

Building of the day: Petworth House

Garden of the Day: Rhodedendrons leading up to Petworth

Bad taste of the Day: the crawling milkman

View of the Day: Mill Lane in Arundel

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July 22 Possibly back to my roots

Pagham Harbour (birding), Chichester- cathedral, Goodwood, Kingsley Vale

You will be pleased to know the roots element of the title of this post refers to an American usage and not the Australian meaning.  The 'possibility' refers to the difficulty we are experiencing in finding out whether Goodwood is open for gawping on the week we are in the area.  I sent them a nice note explaining my links to the House, through Mum having been in service there in the 1920s or 30s but thus far they haven't replied to this missive.

For the first time I watched the TV news which was to use an appropriate Pommie term, naff.   It appears Ms Cambridge has not yet popped out the next in line so they are having to celebrate a Kenyan (raised in South Africa winning the Tour de France.  I wonder if, like Australia claiming Phar Lap and John Clarke,  the Poms would be claiming him as theirs if he was Wamaasai rather than a Mzungu?

At about 6am Ms Cambridge has snuck into hospital in early labour (perhaps not early New Labour).  Wait for the uproar.  At 5pm she still hasn't done the business but Sky News is interviewing Poms in the street who are apparently expressing opinions on the matter.

We decided to have a slow start to the day and Frances wandered off to the sea wall to draw fishing boats while I had a shower and wrote up yesterday.  When I joined her, after noting yet again the collection of plaster pigs – one being ridden by a gnome - in a front garden 

opposite the Lifeboat pub,

she excitedly pointed out some Turnstones busy on the shingle

where there were many stones to be turned,  Sometimes they took a breather on the groynes.

On the way back I noticed that the lifeboat shed doors were open so wandered out there.

Some vital supplies (in bottles and cans) were being installed – apparently left overs from a station BBQ on the weekend.  I chatted to the coxswain and found out many interesting things.  He and a mechanic were paid employees and they need three others to run the big boat and a further three for a Zodiac.  It is difficult to get the volunteers because most people work out of Selsey and many employers are so strapped for resources they can't – or won't - give people time off for such duty.  Night time rescues are OK because the commuters are back home.

They have boards up showing their tasks.  

It works out to about £750 per board to get it made, painted and the words written up.  They need another 10 boards , but the RNLI won't fund it.  There are definitions of when someone is 'brought in' or 'saved': it seems that to be a saving the boat really has to be sinking with no chance of anyone else doing the rescue.   My favourite of those listed is the 9 people and 1 dog brought in.

As we got to shore I noticed an artistic array of rope on a shed door

before there was more overhead noise in the air which turned out to be the Red Arrows out for a hoot.  This almost distracted me from sign of the day (if not the trip).

On leaving we first went to the Chapel of St Wilfred in Church Norton.  (The 'Norton part of the name simply means "North Town".)

Wilfrid seems to have arrived about 725 CE and been given land for a monastery.  We read on a sign about Selsey's history that he had taught the Saxon natives how to fish.  This is repeated in one of the windows in the Chapel,

but the idea seemed bizarre so I asked a lady visitor who was in there about it and she didn't.  She did ask her son, who coincidentally was an historian and he said it was true, at home in Saxony the Saxons were farmers and didn't know how to fish.

We added a few birds to the trip and caught a fleeting glance at a seal in Pagham Harbour.  A great little area which seems popular with the locals and will be revisited.

We then gave battle with Chichester.  Parking was both a pain and a ripoff.  A pain because it was not possible to tell where the cathedral was (and thus to know where to park) and a rip off because instead of telling you how much time you got as you pumped in coins you had to get to a thresh‑hold value to get the time you need.  I failed this so we were pushed for time and didn't give the Cathedral 

the attention it probably deserved. 

The Chagall window was brilliant 

as were various other art works.

Coming back the Market Cross was a good example of its type.

I also noted this mural - I don't think it can be classed as graffiti!

On, on to Goodwood where I spotted the motor racing track and airport.  We swung in to munch some baked goods acquired in the pedestrian area of Chichester.  I then went to ask if we could get to look at the Spitfires and was given directions to the aero club.  One appeared in the air above us and I got a fair snap.  After finding the tunnel to the Paddock walking through same – where else can you see a Ferrari, several Porches, a Bentley and a McLaren just sitting parked? - we found a Spitfire sitting on the ground. 

Cars were hammering round the track but we were able to wander over to the Pit Counter and just watch them hammer by: that is what I call motor sport.  I can't quite work out what brand of car this was: suggestions welcome!

I asked another punter (carrying as helmet so probably a little more involved than us) what was going on and he said it was track day, which wasn't really racing just “.... having fun and spending lots of money on fuel, tyres and brakes.”

On to Goodwood House 

where my Mum had been in service in the 1930s.  As noted in the preamble, I tried to use this to get some special treatment but failed miserably.  I did find out that there was a Clarke family associated with the Estate for many years which I assume would be some relatives on Mum's, who got her the job.  We took a tour of the State rooms of the House and I was able to establish that the Duke and Duchess Mum worked for were the Grandparents of the current Earl of March who runs the place.  The various titles come and go, but the family started off with a bastard son of Charles II being made the first Duke, and unlike many of the other Houses we have visited, the line has been maintained since then.

The current Earl has re-established some elements of Goodwood tradition, including use of the car race track with a huge historic event in September and Speed Week, which had been the week before (and the marquees etc at the House were still being dismantled.

On the way back to Gull Cottage we called in at the Coop where we had got great service on the weekend.  I assume they were all immigrants, because this afternoon things were back to the level of client service I expect to receive in the UK.  They have a nice little deli section and when we arrived there keen to buy some cheese, pork pie and olives.   There was no-one behind the counter and on asking a young person for help she said she'd have to get someone who was currently on the tills.  After a short while a 3F (fat foolish female) person appeared.  She advised that:

•  it would be difficult to give us cheese or pork pies as they weren't allowed to use the slicer.  On being asked, it emerged that;
• this was because they hadn't been trained to do so.  On being asked why there wasn't someone who had been trained;
• this was because the person doesn't work after 3pm so they cut a few bits to be sold after they leave.  If you want something else, tough.
• While we thought about this Frances asked for some olives (which didn't need cutting).  At this point 3F became the amazing disappeared woman.  When she returned after some few minutes it appeared that:
• she couldn't find the tubs in which to put the olives. 

The pelcian we were trying to communicate with didn't think once about 

• using a knife to cut the cheese (perhaps the institution in which she resides doesn't allow the inmates to use sharp things); nor
• putting the olives in a suitably sized plastic bag.

Nearly two weeks later Frances still shakes her head at this performance.    We never got any olives and took a 1kg chunk of cheese to save cutting it. Asking about the pork pie would probably have caused WWs III through IX so I didn't bother.  I may go back one morning – without Frances – to amuse myself in that matter. 

Beer this evening kicked off with the Hinton Ampner Ale I acquired from the Trust yesterday.  A very full flavoured golden ale.  This was followed by an Arundel Special Bitter which had adequate hops and very pleasing malt!  Probably beer of the trip thus far.

Bird of the Day: Turnstone

Building of the day: Chichester Cathedral

Garden of the Day: Gull Cottage

Bad taste of the Day: the plaster pigs in Albion st.

View of the Day: the marshland of Pagham Harbour

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