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Thursday, January 26, 2006

Gretna Green


Gretna Green is a small town in the south of Scotland, on the border with England.
Its main claim to fame is the Old Blacksmith's Shop where many runaway marriages were performed. These began in 1753 when an Act of Parliament, Lord Hardwicke's Marriage Act, was passed in England, which stated that if both parties to a marriage were not at least 21 years old, then consent to the marriage had to be given by the parents. This Act did not apply in Scotland where it was possible for boys to get married at 14 and girls at 12 years old with or without parental consent. Since 1929 both parties have had to be at least 16 years old but there is still no consent needed. In England and Wales the ages are now 16 with consent and 18 without.
This led to many elopers fleeing England and making for the first Scottish village they came to — Gretna Green. The blacksmith's shop, built around 1712, became the focal point for the marriage trade. It was opened to the public as a visitor attraction as early as 1887.
We did some shopping here and Neil found some nice single malt which made his day!

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

On the Road...


The next morning found us up bright and early. After a light breakfast we boarded our tour bus to set off around England. A quick run around London and we off to Stonehenge.
Stonehenge has been something I dreamed of seeing as long as I can remember. As we approached it it seemed smaller than I expected. I thought it was just because I was on the bus. But alas, it is only about 9 or 10 feet tall. However this doesn't detract from the experience of seeing it. First off it is so incredibly old. You can no longer go right up to touch it, thanks to those who left their initials scrawled on it or chipped pieces off for souvenirs. But it is an amazing structure. Standing there on the bare plain it is overwhelming to think of the somewhat primitive people who dragged the stones, figured out how to stand them and make lintels, and used them for whatever mysterious purpose they chose. We all know the ancient calendar, astronomical, and nature worshipping theories so I won't dwell on them. Just know it is something to see.
We then visited Salisbury Cathedral. It was magnificent! Pretty much started as a Norman Cathedral in 1075, it wasn't actually dedicated until 1258. It's been added to and repaired so many times. What a beautiful building. Then we were off to Bath. I am not a great fan of Georgian acrhitecture but they also had a beautiful cathedral. At Chester we stopped for shopping at one of the places I was most eager to see. "The Rows" are essentially a Tudor shopping mall. The layout of the Rows go back to the 13th century. There were shops or warehouses at street level, with a long gallery above, reached by steps from the street level. Living quarters are on the gallery level. In the Middle Ages this would have been a hall, open to the roof and heated by a central hearth. The private rooms, or solar, were above the gallery.
In the Tudor and Jacobean period the upper floors were built out over the gallery, supported on long poles down to the street level. Shops at ground level used the space between the posts to display their goods to passers-by.
We finally ended up in Bristol for the night where Josh found an amusement park of sorts and went bumper car racing with a fellow traveler. Exhausted already and still days to go. But what a fantastic experience so far...

Photo On Line

My contest entry photo can be viewed here:

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London




We woke up bright and early the next morning and after a hearty breakfast headed off on the tour bus to see London. Touring with a group can be fun but it also tends to be a little rushed. We did get to get off the bus and see things. The most amazing thing to me were the tiny cars speeding on the wrong side of the street. (I mean SPEEDING). Now I grew up in a big city so I know what traffic is like. This was wild! However because London seems to run in circles they have instructions painted on the street to indicate which way to look for oncoming traffic. I thought that was pretty impressive.
We stopped at Westminster Cathedral which is magnificent. Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament rose in the background. All I kept thinking was "I'm really here!" I'd wanted to visit London since I was about 11 or 12 so this really was a dream come true. It was freezing cold and we stopped for a hot chocolate from a street vendor.
We had a big lunch at a pub called The Bag O Nails. It was real English food. Josh had traditional Fish and chips and Neil and I had some kind of steak pie. Talk about stick to your ribs food! We shared Winter Punch and Josh was still amazed that he could have alcohol there.
Then it was off to the Tower of London. The Tower is actually many towers. The Crown Jewels are there. There are guard houses and towers. Characters in costume wander about, King Edward and his entourage passed us on the road. Of course we had to see Torture Tower being the freaks we are. Sir Walter Raleigh was kept in a room there for about 12 years. Now his room was quite comfy looking although I imagine it got pretty cold in those days. We saw the site of the gallows which is also where Anne Boleyn was beheaded. (I have always had a soft spot for this second wife of Henry VIII and mother of Elizabeth I)
After viewing Tower Bridge we hopped back on the Tube and headed back to our hotel. I honestly can't remember where or if we had dinner. We hit some more shops and I am positive Neil and Josh ate something but I had finally begun to come down.
The next morning we would begin our adventure through England up into Scotland and Wales. Would we survive?
Stay tuned!

Monday, January 16, 2006

The UK Experience



Where to begin ... Day 1 I guess...
We left Knoxville and flew to Charlotte, NC. It was Josh's first flight and a short one before his MAJOR introduction to the wonderful world of air transportation. We had a bit of a layover in Charlotte, about 2 hours or so. It was a good thing because we had a LONG flight ahead of us.
We all bore the in-flight movies (Wedding Crashers sucked, can't remember the others off hand) and the food was the usual mediocre airline food. Josh seemed to have fun. Neil slept. I was wired and would remained so for about 24 hours.
Arriving in London was amazing. Customs was quick and painless. The train ride from Gatwick to our coach was wonderful. It was still daylight. A bit of snow fell as we sped through the outskirts of the city. We were met at Victoria Station by our hotel link. Then off to the Victoria Park Plaza. Mercifully they let us check in early. Small room but with a view of the city. Double decker buses, cars on the wrong side of the street speeding everywhere. Neil settled in for a nap but Josh and I set out to explore. Checked out a couple of local shops and a grocery store. Very different but somehow the same. Lots of Indians in the city (not Native Americans but India Indians.) Then back to the hotel where Josh zonked out for a nap. I was still wired so I checked out all the brochures, tv channels, anything to help me wind down.
When the guys woke up it was out to explore. We walked to Victoria Station, along streets with huge stores much like NY. Checked out a few food places while deciding where to chow down. Finally settled on a small restaurant called the Scotch Steak House. Not bad but VERY expensive. We soon learned EVERYTHING in the UK is VERY expensive. Food was okay and our waiter was a hoot.
Then back to the hotel to bundle up for our Jack the Ripper Tour. Neil wanted to take a cab but I had already figured out how to get there on the Tube so off we went. How cool. Clean and efficient. "Mind the Gap" became part of our vocabulary.
We arrived at Aldgate East Station to meet up with our Tour. A great tour guide (a lady) who took us along old streets filled with Victorian buildings and modern buildings. Step by step we followed the Rippers path. For a Ripper fan (if you can call it that) it was a dream come true. Photos taken and viewed that evening seemed to show ghostly apparitions. We still don't know...
After a good two hours or so it was back to our hotel for a good nights rest before embarking on our next day's adventure touring London. Neil and I rested while Josh explored the area, finding an Internet Cafe where he could touch base with his friends back home. Then Neil and Josh headed to the bar while I FINALLY began to wind down. British TV sucks. The guys returned with amusing stories of characters met at the bar. I was glad to have missed it. Next chapter - our tour of London, visit to The Tower and more...