Category: #50places2025

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Guines #50places2025

Over the last few years I have visited France quite a bit. 

I first visited France as a child where it was a regular destination for family holidays, day trips and school exchanges. There was then about a ten year gap. I remember doing a ferry trip to Caen in the mid 1990s, and visiting Honfleur.

I then didn’t visit France until September 2018 when I took the train from London to Brest in Brittany, via Paris, for a library conference. It was quite a fleeting visit. I travelled from London on one day and then travelled back the following day. Arriving at Gard de Nord on the way back I realised that I had been to Paris, but in name only. I had a little time before I needed to pass through passport control, so I popped out onto the street. Took a few photographs and admired the street scene.

My next visit to France was a holiday to Brittany in 2019. We also went to France the following year this time staying in Picardy and visiting Paris.

Last year I was in France again on a driving holiday to France, Germany, Luxembourg, and Belgium.

I did a day trip to Calais and Dunkerque earlier this year.

In July I did another holiday to France staying outside Calais in Guines. This is a lovely French town complete with shops, a regular market and some nice historical buildings. It was more of a base for us, but I did explore some of the town when I was there.

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Nottingham #50places2025

I was attending a conference at Nottingham Trent University. I did have a chance to explore some of Nottingham while I was there.

My first visit to Nottingham was as a child visiting my aunt and uncle. My main memory was thinking how small Sherwood Forest was and how on earth did Robin Hood hide from the Sheriff of Nottingham when the forest was so small… Of course what I didn’t realise was back then the forest was huge in comparison to the size of the forest today.

Over the last twenty five years I have made quite a few visits to Nottingham, for events, conferences, and sometimes staying there when travelling further north.  I’ve also had some nice meals there too.

Exploring the city now I realise I still don’t really know the place and found it hard to get my bearings. I would walk up one street and find myself somewhere completely different to where I expected to be. 

As we approach the half way point in the year, I planned to visit fifty different places and so far I have done thirty six, so well on target.

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Plymouth #50places2025

lighthouse

I have been visiting various universities across the South West with my daughter for their open days. I’ve not been posting those visits here as most times we have just been visiting the university campus, so didn’t really consider it being a place for my #50places2025 posts. However when we went to Plymouth we arrived early, so after visiting the university we had some time, we went to explore Plymouth. We visited the city centre, Plymouth Hoe, the quayside and the old town. The sun was shining and it was a lovely walk around the city.

My first visit to Plymouth was back in the 1980s on a school trip, well not quite a visit but was departing from there to Roscoff in France. It was quite a hike in the coach as at that time I was living in Cambridge.

In the early 2000s I would visit Plymouth quite often for meetings and attending conferences at the University of Plymouth. With changes in my job, I no longer needed to visit Plymouth. We did stop off there once in 2016 when we were travelling down to Cornwall, that was the last time I had been there until now.

Plymouth is an interesting city in many ways, the historic naval connections and the destruction during the second world war has influence how the city has grown and changed over the years.

The city centre is being redeveloped when we were there and you could see that the sea of concrete needed some much greenery and trees.

Plymouth Hoe is so different to the concrete of the centre. The green grass, Smeaton’s lighthouse, and the lido.

I do like the dockside and I remember going to bars there when I was attending conferences at the University of Plymouth.

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Brighton #50places2025

I first visited Brighton in the 1980s when as a family we would sail over to France. Sometimes we would sail from Ramsgate to Calais (or Boulgone), but if we were on our way to Normandy, we would sail from Brighton, arriving in Dieppe, Fecamp, or Le Harve.

I also made a trip there for a JISC programmes meeting in July 2004. Then I had stayed at The Grand Hotel. I remember thinking it was a little too posh for me. I headed out for dinner finding a nice French place in The Lanes. 

I also visited Brighton in June 2005 when I was on holiday in Bognor Regis. Then we stayed mainly on the seafront, visiting the Pier and the Doctor Who Exhibition there.

I had planned to stop there last year on my way to Newhaven on a driving holiday to the continent, but ran out of time and stopped at Horsham instead for something to eat.

This time I was attending a conference all week and it was nice to see Brighton once more.

We had a fun conference dinner on the Brighton Palace Pier and I had some nice meals in some of the restaurants in the Lanes. The conference kept me busy so I didn’t have much time to do too much exploring, but did manage to see the Pavilions, a building I hadn’t got around to seeing on previous visits to Brighton. The conference itself was in the of the Pavilions buildings, The Dome.

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Belfast #50places2025

I first visited Belfast back in the early 2000s as part of a JISC programmes meeting. The last time I was there was in 2017 running a leadership programme for Jisc.

I was back in Belfast last week for a conference. I didn’t get a chance to explore much of Belfast, but I did see quite a bit of the area around the hotel and the university. Part of the conference was a gala dinner at Titanic Belfast, a new(ish) attraction about the construction of the infamous Titanic.

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Brussels #50places2025

I have visited Belgium quite a few times over the years, we went to Ostend a lot when I was a child.  When I did some college trips to Amsterdam in the 1990s we obviously travelled by coach through Belgium, we also stopped at Bruges, which I am planning to visit again in the future.  Last year on the way back from Germany we stopped for a flying visit to Ghent. We had thought about visiting Brussels, but time was against us.

I was in Brussels for a couple of in-person meetings. I had caught the Eurostar from St Pancras, having travelled up to London from Weston to Paddington. I find it quite amazing that the train from London to Brussels takes just two hours. In between my meetings, I did have some free time for exploring and taking some photographs.

Brussels is a beautiful city with some amazing buildings and parks.

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Killerton #50places2025

After enjoying my National Trust membership in 2023, I decided I would rejoin the Trust for 2025. 

Killerton

A family home and a great estate. Glorious landscape garden surrounded by parkland with fine 18th-century house.

Current saving £142.10
One adult £17.00
Parking £4.80
Total saving £21.80
Cumulative saving £255.10
Membership cost £91.20
Net cumulative saving £163.90

I visited Killerton back in June 2023. Having just visited Knighthayes down the road, it was a short drive to Killerton for a return visit. 

I was pleased to see they had EV chargers in the car park, so I put the Funky Cat on charge.

They had dressed the house as a 1920s summer party with music and “dancing”. It was a lovely house and lots of rooms to explore. The first floor is more of a museum to a collection of dresses and clothes that were left to the National Trust.

The grounds and gardens are really nice as well.

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Knightshayes Court #50places2025

After enjoying my National Trust membership in 2023, I decided I would rejoin the Trust for 2025.

Knightshayes Court

A great post-war garden,19th-century parkland and grand Gothic Revival architecture by Victorian visionary William Burges.

Current saving £120.30
One adult £17.00
Parking £4.80
Total saving £21.80
Cumulative saving £233.30
Membership cost £91.20
Net cumulative saving £142.10

I visited Knightshayes Court back in January 2023 and enjoyed the visit. We rushed the house back then, so on my return visit in May I took a lot more time exploring the house. This was very much a gothic mansion and some really interesting painted ceilings.

There are some beautiful gardens and grounds to explore as well.

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London #50places2025

In 2025 I have planned to visit a minimum of fifty places. Each time I visit a place I will post a blog post and some photographs.

Of the many places across the UK, I actually visit London quite a lot. I have made a trip to London at least ten times this year already. However, all those trips have been for work, either meetings in out London office, or events and conference. However in May we travelled to London for a show in the West End. We went to see Mischief Comedy’s production The Comedy About Spies.

When a rogue British agent pilfers plans for a top-secret weapon, CIA and KGB spies converge on London’s Piccadilly Hotel in pursuit of the elusive file. Add to the mix a clueless young couple, a hapless actor angling for the role of James Bond, and enough double agents to confuse even the sharpest operative, and you’ve got a mission that’s hilariously out of control.

In the past we have enjoyed their productions of The Play that Goes Wrong, and The Comedy About a Bank Robbery. However in both those productions there was none of the original cast. This time The Comedy About Spies had just opened and had the original founded members of Mischief cast in the various roles.

It was an excellent production and I did laugh all the way through the play.

Afterwards we went for a bite to eat before walking along the banks of the Thames. 

We then headed back to the station for the journey home.

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Hanbury Hall #50places2025

After enjoying my National Trust membership in 2023, I decided I would rejoin the Trust for 2025. 

I visited Hanbury Hall in 2023 in a flying visit and had always intended to return. Something I didn’t do with my last membership.

Hanbury Hall

A country retreat in the heart of Worcestershire. The William and Mary-style country house and garden, originally a stage-set for summer parties, offer a glimpse into life at the turn of the 18th century.

Current saving £103.30
One adult £17.00
Parking free
Total saving £17.00
Cumulative saving £211.50
Membership cost £91.20
Net cumulative saving £120.30

So with time to spare I made a return trip to Hanbury Hall. The sat nav sent me down narrow lanes, but I arrived and parked the car. Despite it been a quieter day, the car park was very busy.

Having had my membership card scanned I made my way to the house.

I really love the walk up to the house, the impressive entrance and front lawns.

I really enjoyed exploring the house and the murals are a real highlight of the entrance hall and staircase. I also liked the concept of the green room, where you are able to sit and read for a while.

After exploring the house, I stopped for a coffee in the Stables Cafe, and it was warm enough to sit outside.