606 Chelsea, Jazz, LVP, Teenage Haunts

So to the last full day of our trip, Sunday 16th November 2014.  Plan was to leave home by 11 am and Paul to drive to Chelsea to the 606 Jazz Club in London. 

The London Vocal Project performing two sets while we lunched.  The drive took me through many of my old haunts when a teenager living in South Norwood London SE25.

 

 

The London Vocal Project is particularly special because my cousin Nikki also daughter to Christine and Paul is not only a singer in the LVP she also manages the group.

I include an LVP arrangement of Way Over Yonder by Carole King which was actually played live in November although this version was from March 2014.

The LVP has amazing accreditations and collaborations from Johnny Dankworth to Kenny Wheeler and Bobby McFerrin

The 606 Club is unusual in that its has the feel of a speakeasy and the back entrance to the London Tube network.  Immediately apparent to me as we reached the bottom of a dark iron staircase was the smell of electricity immediately followed by sight of circuits and breakers on the walls.  The club itself is bijou and basement.  The atmosphere prior to music amazing; an air of expectation just hanging there.

The buzz once the LVP started performing was evident but on respectful silent until each 'a capella' or song closed out. 

It was wonderful and a very personal musical experience and the lunch?  Well...

...Few choices but excellent food.,  Lamb again and cheesecake to close the deal.  Stella Artois Cider?  Who would have thought it.  Cider is really a growth industry.

Our company for the 606 experience included Colin and Pauline as well as Christine and Paul 9both visitors to our home in the past year.  Nikki and son Oscar joined us in the break and we gushed appreciation.  I now have a CD Mirrors which includes the LVP with Kenny Wheeler and Norma Winstone;  a gift from Christine.

It was a great day and we headed home sated to pack and spend a last evening nattering and ejecting old clothes and shoes to be replaced by gifts and purchases in our baggage.  We also managed to eat again.  Going home to a diet I can tell you!

Family Ancestry & Coq Au Vin Delight

After the events of yesterday Kim and I both slept well.  Not often the M25 collapses in lane two close to Leatherhead.  Christine was to head off back to Storrington for 10 am to air her wares again as it were.  After the sales success of the previous evening things are looking very positive indeed.  Today is Saturday 15th November despite the date applied the blog.  Playing catch up and almost there.

 

Nice healthy breakfast lovely Ceylon Tea and then Bodium Coffee.  Had planned trip to Brighton but an early-ish morning conversation between Chris and I generated a change of plan, helped somewhat by the weather and as it turned out the closure of the rail service between Hassocks and Brighton.  While I showered and pruned myself Kim headed off walking to Hassocks Town Centre with Paul primarily so that Kim could raid Barclays Bank for more cash in pocket.

 

We convened in the front room before heading out to Hayward's Heath and the Cemetery.  The change plan was my desire to visit the headstone of my Grandad Frank and Nana Hannah,

 

 

 

to see the headstone and grave of my cousin Peter Franklin who died at 11 months old; Peter would have been 3 years younger than me had he survived.  It was

 

 

 

and to see the headstone and grave of my Great Grandfather William Albert Sutton who died in 1964 aged 84 years. 

 

 

 

Kim and I both have an interest in tracking our family histories and my sister Cherie and Chris are both  working ancestry here in the UK and Sheila Cavanagh Marks in the USA tracking the Greggaines family tree which connects to Nana Hannah. 

 

Todays visit will kick start our efforts on our individual trees.  I now need to know what has become of my father Michael William Franklin who, if still alive, would have reached 78 on 4th July this year.  Ancestry here we come...

Mid afternoon and a visit from Maggie, my aunt.  Maggie changes not one bit with time and is one of life's givers.  We spent 90 minutes catching up on family and relating out travels.  It was and always is a pleasure.

While Maggie was with us the England Rugby Union team managed to lose another test against South Africa.  Not looking good for the world cup next year unless a more settled and established side comes to pass.  I find some of the selections in the squad to be counter to that outcome.

The evening had us at Steven's home in Redhill for a Coq au Vin supper.  All in all we had a fantastic evening chewing the fat and catching up. Steven and Matt great hosts.

Another excellent day drew to a close and slept like a log barely describes the night.  Our next day was to be the finale for our trip and a trip into Chelsea and the 606 Jazz Club.  More news tomorrow.

Road Collapse, Stained Glass, Scadden's Lamb, Norfolk Arms

We were on the road by 09.05 next morning pretty much on schedule.  Breakfast on board and tea taken it was farewell first to Diane heading to work at 08.30 and then to Cherie just before leaving.  It had been a great few days and a lot of fun. 

Now, hindsight is 20/20 and never truer than on this day when the M25 southbound turned into gridlock.  Had we checked the news that morning we would have been able to divert; had we read the Facebook message from Christine also sent that morning we would have been able to divert.  Fact is the middle lane collapsed close to M25 junction 9 Leatherhead.

We didn't and a 2.5 hour run became a 5 hour run.  It was dramatic and testing but would have been far worse if we had not driven into the Cobham Services for a rest break.  Tempers among other travellers were also escalating.  A truck driver attempted to cut me off as I drove onto the slipways and a few choice words accompanied the horns.  The Megane horn was actually quite impressive and not one of those parpy farty horns that embarrass.

Once in the services we found the traffic no less thick.  Rest Room visited we then found we couldn't exit southbound back into the gridlock.  The directing staff at the services which you can see above right were re-routing traffic back north to exit 10 then south on smaller roads via Cobham towards Esher and then Oxshott. 

Credit to them.  What they were explaining made great sense reducing frustrations in drivers.  The diversion signs were quite clear and the sat nav very well behaved.  We emerged onto a clear motorway at Junction 9 twenty minutes later.  Even a short spell in traffic behind a hearse could not deflate us.

Regular calls back to Christine enabled her to delay lunch and the slow cooking lamb did its own thing.  Roast Lamb two days in a row and this leg of lamb was from family farmers and relatives in Somerset.  David and Diane, Paul's family.  Happy memories of Scadden's and the Nest in Rodney Stoke going back to the late 80's.

The late afternoon was about assembling Christine's stained glass for a Christmas Craft exhibition in the home of long time friend Tina.  The house in Storrington.  An evening exhibition to be followed by a day on the Saturday.  The quality of the stained glass pieces is amazing to me and Kim and I would buy two pieces to take home.

 

 

 

 

Christine, Paul, Kim and I drove the 40 minutes to Storrington, spent some time meeting up with co-exhibitors and reconnecting with Tina, husband Mike and daughter Rebecca.  Once assembled Paul, Kim and I headed out to Steyning and a pub for a couple of hours.  We were looking for the White Horse but unable to easily locate settled on the Norfolk Arms. 

 

 

It turned out to be a real locals pub a place where the Lord of the Manor and the head gardener would not have looked out of place chugging an ale of two.  It also turned out to be a cash only establishment, rare in this day and age.  Searching on line it became clear this was a rugby pub and that perhaps went some way to explaining the community integration.

We enjoyed the ambience and then refreshed took to the road again returning to pick up Christine.  The stained glass sales news was also extremely encouraging and while I am not at liberty to disclose sales it was smiles all round.  I have included some more pictures of pieces here.

 

 

 

 

Our day concluded with a late supper.  Pork Pie, Cheeses and Chutney and the expected indigestion eating so late did not materialise.  So it was to bed after an eventful day.

 

Walk, Lamb Finale, Shears and Piggy Pig Afloat

Thursday 13th November and our last full day in Pilning.  I managed to shift my bones and join Kim and Cherie on a walk with the dogs.  The weather was a little challenging but nothing compared to the downpour that would arrive later.  Good timing with the walk as it turned out.

Cherie and Kim on SS Great Britain with Brunel's Office behind

The main event today was the Roast Lamb Dinner and guests from Easter Compton Caroline and Shirley Shears, daughter and mother respectively.  A top quality dinner in very good company and a fitting finale to our time in the west country.

Here Piggy Pig shed on the SS Great Britain.  I suspect the life expectancy to be no more that breakfast on day one.

Today was a chilling day which included a treatment in the clinic for both myself and Kim.  two remedial massages later and the release is amazing.  Highly recommend booking in to West View Clinic even though as brother of the owner I might have some bias.

The medic on SS Great Britain treating a cut to his patients hand.  probably first class only!

I would be clutching at straws to fill today with text so I have included some of the other photos taken during our stay here.

A shop that needed to be visited but from the car not achieved

Almshouses in Bristol near the docks

 

 

Poop Deck Shout, Brunel, Rats and Slavery

Wednesday morning and post breakfast Cherie, Kim and I headed back again into Bristol.  On the agenda a visit to the SS Great Britain and then see where the day would take us.

 

Isambard Kingdom Brunel had an office top right in the building pictured.

 

 

 

The SS Great Britain is an experience and the level of access for visitors is unparalleled in my view.  We had our own personal tour guide Mike a friend of Cherie's; we also had another local contact in Carol in the souvenir shop.  So good of both to take the time to make our visit special.

 

The tour begins in a very well assembled interactive museum before taking us under the SS Great Britain and its Hull.

 

 

 

At the waterline the museum and dry dock engineers have produced a glazed platform covered in water.  The effect viewed askance is that the ship is afloat when seen from above. 

 

 

 

The hull under the glass is interesting.

 

 

 

The ship has three decks and a numerous areas of interest.  Key features are the talking toilet which although pre-warned, snook up on Cherie as she tried the door.  "Gadzooks" cried the male inside, "this stall is occupied". 

 

 

 

I was further amused when I noticed that the washbasins on board were made by Thomas Crapper, a gentlemen also renowned for the flushing lavatory.  Modern days words come to mind.

 

 

 

The kitchen proved no less entertaining with the cook blasting the cat for failing to control the rats.  Running in the cupboards the silhouettes of rats.

 

 

 

 

 

Surrounding the dry dock a very authentic scene on all sides, spell only broken when the eye is drawn to the distance and the more modern City.

 

 

 

Bristol is a very vibrant City with a dark past.  Its role in the slave trade a black mark.  Today and in this shot the colours are far from black.

 

 

 

Next stop after the SS Great Britain was meant to be the Cider Barge on the river for lunch and apple beverage.  It unfortunately was closed until 5pm so alternative was sought and lo and behold next door the Spyglass and Three Brother Burger Company.  Plus at least 15 cider choices on the menu.  Bristol is a University City in Cider Country so makes huge sense.  Lunch was excellent and great value.

 

 

 

Bristol and its history are a visual experience and here are a couple of pictures to demonstrate.  The first the Llandoger Trow is an historic public house in Bristol, south west England. Dating from 1664, it is in King Street, between Welsh Back and Queen Charlotte Street, near the old city centre docks.

 







 

 

 

The second an imposing Tower and part of the University of the West of England.  The evening included fine food yet again and a lovely pork meal.  The order is now placed for the stair lift to enable us to get up the stairs to bed.  G'night!

 

Camilla Thriller, Vindaloo, Singing Moose

Was always going to be a tough day bidding farewell to Samantha and Marcus in one go.  Alan, (Samantha's partner) knows just how tough the separation is for Samantha so he arranged to drive from Northampton to Bristol and then after a 10 minute pit stop, turn right back round and do the return trip.  Credit to him for the sacrifice.

 

It was a quiet and fiddly morning; one of those periods in time when you are not sure what to do, a time when you don't want to start something only to curtail it.  A time when planning is put on hold.

 

The allotted hour arrived, hugs and tears followed and Samantha and Marcus departed.  I should clarify that it was not Marcus weeping thereby protecting his masculinity.  I can only re-iterate how good the time with our children was on this trip; again and I care not that I repeat myself, they make us so proud.

 

So after the dust settled we then did make a plan to head into Bristol to find nightwear for Kimberley later; preceded by a trip with Cherie to the Mall at Cribbs Causeway.  The second trip would be minus Cherie who had booked appointments for the afternoon.  First trip included the Highgrove shop. 

 

 

 

Visit the link to see what Prince Charles and Camilla do in their spare time.  Kim managed to pick up some lovely gifts here.  Prior to Highgrove we visited the Gromit Unleashed Shop. 

 

 

 

 

 

Our middle of the day outing concluded with Coffee and cookie at Marks and Spencer's.

 

The second run was into the City where we parked at Cabot's Circus in a multi storey  We were immediately struck by the arrival of all Christmas including a spectacular German Christmas Market.  Canada had not gone full blown Christmas when we left so this came as a surprise.  Particularly the beer Keller with the singing Moose...

 

 

 

 

 

History in the UK has a habit of creeping up on you so it was a chance glance that led to my finding the oldest Methodist Chapel the new room Bristol

 

 

On my vacation bucket list visit to an Indian Restaurant so a rapid alteration to an earlier plan found us in Bradley Stoke enjoying fantastic food and atmosphere.  The national dish in the UK has become a curry and there are fewer places better on earth.  I'm not suggesting there is an authenticity to the dishes but they sure as hell taste great.  I stretched my legs here with Keema Naan, Mixed Bhuna, Lamb Vindaloo, Pilau Rice....All in all seventh heaven.  Kim also found a very palatable dish which bodes well as Indian food is not her first choice.

 

 

 

Stuffed, chuffed and enough....Back to Pilning and soon to bed.

 

Gromit, Puffs, Markio, Ding, Cheraldinho, Helium Boy

Megane, Monday and Motorway...No sense in driving onto the latter until rush hour done and dusted.  Left the Rings at 9.05 and headed south to Northampton.  Arrived at Samantha's and collected her but not Alexa who sadly had to stay behind for a school assessment Wednesday.  Next stop Shutlanger to collect Marcus then on the road west by 11.15 am.

 

A5 then remembered the right road was the A43 so Marcus fiddled with the Sat Nav and we re-routed via the A422 reconnecting with the right road at Brackley.  M40 then A34 then Swindon then M4 M5 to Bristol.  Arrived around 2 pm to be met by Cherie and 3 excited Spaniel's.  Here's the view from our bedroom window.

 

 

Light lunch with Leek and Potato Soup and other delightful snacklings washed down of course by Thatcher's Cider.  The West Country is after all Cider Country so it would be sacrilegious not to imbibe.  It was a fun filled day packed full of laughter with Samantha and Marcus also reconnecting with Cherie. 

 

 

Fifa Football Game on PS3 and me realising that I had not only lost my touch but that I was damn near abysmal.  Great embarrassment as my sister beat me good and proper.  Played also with Marcus who walloped me as well.  Need to rehearse before engaging again.

 

Cherie had a bed present for us in the shape of Gromit the Dog in Jack livery.  Wallace and Gromit is a show put together by Nick Park from Bristol Wallace and Gromit Website. 

 

 

 

More detailed insight into what occurred under the following link.  Wallace and Gromit Unleashed

 

Finally a clip on YouTube Were-Rabbit Clip.  Tomorrow we will visit the Gromit Unleashed Shop at the Mall Cribbs Causeway.  Do you detect and emerging theme here?

 

The day moved forward at a pace and the evening meal which would also include sister Nicky and Niece Hannah loomed large.  Cherie produced a fine table with sausages naturally a lovely Quiche and salads followed by what can only be described as heaven puffs.  Puff Pastry filled with fresh fruit and whipped cream.  More-ish barely describes it.

 

 

 

We spent a wonderful evening together and started to discuss a plan for all of us to visit Tralee in Ireland and Ann and James as well as visiting the grave of our brother Mark.  Early days but definitely a plan.  Watch this space again.  Marcus introduced this childish grandfather to the delights of a phone app called crazy helium booth.  I have already posted an example of this foolishness to FaceBook and my sister Manda feels Broadmoor should follow.

 

Farewell's on this trip followed with Nicky and Hannah and then utterly shattered Kim and I climbed the extremely steep stairs to bed leaving Samantha, Marcus, Cherie and Diane to chunter and chuckle into the early hours.  I believe 1.30 am passed before Marcus and Cherie turned in.  Must make sure we get to Hereford on our next trip so I can revisit places of significance to me circa 1976 when I was being trained at RAF Hereford.

 

It had been a fantastic day and we were glad to have spent more time with Samantha and Marcus.  Marcus because his time is so tied to the Plough and Samantha because if she had her way we would be staying in the UK.  If only life were that simple.