I make limited use of Facebook and only recently noticed on the main page of a friend a small application in which participants can indicate every place they have visited, intended to visit or would like to visit and this provided me with the opportunity commence to list those within the UK and then in Europe which I have visited. As I reflected it occurred that this was one way to review a long life. Other ways are books, films, music, sports, paid occupational work, relationships, in their chronology, in their order of importance and in their interaction with each other and with external events.
For this first effort I have used memory and maps without reference to records. The structure and content will be changed and amended as the records are reviewed The present approach is to begin with places of residence, including those for Education and work and cover South London, Surrey, West London and Middlesex, Inner London, Bedfordshire, Glasgow and Central Scotland, Oxfordshire, Birmingham, Manchester and Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Yorkshire West Riding and Cheshire including that which is now Merseyside and then Tyne and Wearside, Northumberland and Durham.
Then there are those places which I visited on residential holidays commencing with those in childhood which included the South Coast of West and East Sussex, Kent, the Isle of Wight. Devon and then in adulthood returning to Devon, and to Cornwall, central Scotland and then the Lochs and the Highland as well as the Border Country and to South Wales.
There were also overnight visits or of a few days, as self contained holidays, for sporting events, when in Transit or as part of courses or work assignments with four weeks at Henley in Oxfordshire and two weeks in Cambridge City as major examples and which widened the to other areas of the UK, including Cumbria, North and East Yorkshire, Lancashire, Suffolk and Nottinghamshire, Greater London, the Midlands and the home counties, Warwickshire and Worcestershire, Shropshire, Leicestershire.
There are places visited to watch sports, mainly football and cricket with some involving a short stay while others a day trip. There are job interviews and short courses and family visits.
I begin the more detailed tour with homes and the surrounding areas. My Permanent childhood home was Wallington (1), then in the County of Surrey, later incorporated into Greater London to form the London Borough of Sutton. Following my birth the first home was in Croydon (2), the adjacent borough and for close on one year I was evacuated with the aunties to Catterick Army camp in North Yorkshire(3), where another aunt was in officer quarters some distance away from the then camp and surrounded by cornfields. Before reaching adulthood we moved two other addresses in Wallington and for a matter of only a few days I was placed in what would have been called a family group home, also in Wallington. During the wartime there were few other journeys that I remember although while the pebble beaches at Brighton (4) were still mined, with barbed wire and anti tank defences I did make my first visit to the seaside.
During the rest of the 1940’s my horizons widened a little further. There were shopping and entertainment visits to Croydon and Sutton (5) by the trolley bus, mainly cinema at weekends, also to Purley (6) as we went to the cinema in Wallington on Monday and Thursday evenings for several years. There was also at least one visit to the musical hall in Croydon and to see opera with Carmen, Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci remembered. There were shopping trips to Tooting (7) Market via Mitcham (8) and to Soho (9) in London for Spanish produce.
On Sunday after mass there were walks before lunch in all directions which included the Waddon side of Croydon airport, to Beddington (10) and Carshalton(11) to the parks, to Purley to look at the large house and where I subsequently went to school and the adjacent Woodmansterne (12) and Banstead (13) where there were small holdings and another park. One a year there was a bus ride Cheam to the Bluebell woods
There were also three memorable short trips during the early part of my childhood, the longest to Portsmouth (14) Naval base to see a first cousin whose father had become a citizen of the United States, a visit to an aunt who was at a Sanatorium near Haselmere in Surrey because of tuberculosis and thirdly, a visit to the home of a first cousin who lived on a farm on the surrey Sussex border (15). However my most memorable and important event was to attend a football match at Highbury (16) between Arsenal and Blackpool at which Stanley Mathews played, followed by fish and chips at the Leicester Square (17) Lyons Corner House and then a Film at the Odeon Cinema. Remembered also were my visits over two terms if not three once a week to St Helier Hospital (18) to correct flay feet.
I cannot remember in which order there were annual holidays to the seaside and day trips to other south coast resorts. Family holidays were to Bembridge (19) and Sandown (20) on the Isle of Wight; To Ifracombe (21) in North Devon and Paignton (22) in South Devon and to Bognor Regis (23) and to Bexhill (24) on the South Coast are remembered. There was also at least one day trip to Littlehampton (25) and I have a query about Hastings but which I did visit later (26). As an adolescent I spent a week with relatives at Folkestone Kent (27) where vests continued for decades and along with Dover (28) for ferry trips to the Continent. My relatives had also lived at Aldershot army base which I visited (29)
There were also family trips to Box Hill (30) in Surrey, Windsor Castle (31) in Berkshire, Hampton Court (32) and Tunbridge Wells (33) and shopping trips to Kingston on Thames, (34) Dorking (35) and Guildford (36) because of buses from Wallington/Sutton. There was also a family trip to Leicester (37) which turned out to be a nightmare.
In the my second year at the John Fisher School in Purley, where occasional visits were also made to one of the two cinemas in the town I was given a bicycle and during the holiday I commenced to cycle around the area with the most memorable event going to the Derby on Epsom Downs (38) later visits to the town (39). During my last year at school, first year at work
On leaving school at the age of sixteen I went to work in central London for two years, then in Croydon and back to central London at Berkeley Square, (40) in the City close to Whitechapel (41), in Kings Cross (42) and in Soho. I joined a cycling club so that on Sundays there were trips remembered round or across London Couldson (43) and Caterham, (44) Godstone (45) out to East Grinstead (46) Chertsey (47) on the way to Windsor, Maidenhead (47) and Marlow, (48) Redhill (49) for Earlswood, (50) West Wickham (51) and Farnborough (52) visited air show once, for Green Street Green (53) . For the greater part of those four years the journey was between Wallington and (54) Victoria, the Thames Embankment via Pimlico (55) to Vauxhall and Kennington, Soho for Cy Laurie through to 100 Oxford Street (56), Kensington Royal Albert Hall (57) and Chelsea (58), Bishopsgate (59), through to Whitechapel encompassing the old Smithsfield Market and Petticoat Lane (60), around around the Circle underground Line, Kings Cross for Houseman’s (61) and Islington (62) decades later for Family Records centre.
Then with Civil disobedience and direction there visit visits to Southend (63) leading to Brixton (64), Isle of Sheppey (65), and Staffordshire Drake Hall (66) and Stafford (67), Northamptonshire (68) and Bedford (69), Liverpool (69), Warrington (70) later appointed SS D0 Manchester (71) Huddersfield (73) Leeds (74) Doncaster 75) , York(76) Hull (77) and Cottingham (78) on two matches across from Coast to Coast , and central London to St Albans (79) and Luton (80), then to Glasgow (81) and Edinburgh (82) in Scotland, Dunoon (83) and Kilcreggan,(84) Port Glasgow,(85) Greenock (86) and Gourock, (87) Helensburgh, (88) Paisley (89) and Clydebank (90) and Dumbarton (91). There was my first visit to Wales and a stay at Merthyr Tydfil. (92)
It was then to Oxford, Old Headington Village (93) and City (94) College and Woodstock (95) and on to Birmingham city (96), Manchester City (97) and Salford (98), Norwich (99) and around Norfolk by bus making by way to Kings Lynn,(100) Sheringham (101) and Cromer, (102) Great Yarmouth (103) and Lowestoft (104), Diss (104), Wyndonham (105) and Attleborough (105) and all the little places in between over three months in the summer of 1963.
The back to Oxford, Summertown(106) and Headington (107), Eynsham (108) and Minister Lovell (108), Witney,(109) Carterton (110) and Brize Norton (111) and Burford (112) and Standlake,(113) Stanton Harcourt, (114) (118) with visits to Manchester, Nottingham (119 and Wakefield, (120) Staffordshire County Hospital (121) and Shrewsbury (122)
The next move was Teddington (123) in the London Borough of Richmond (theatre and restaurants) (124) working for the London borough of Ealing (125) with my area first covering West Indian land Acton (126) and central Ealing including Greenford (127) with strong Irish and Polish communities and visits all of the greater city area where residential homes and parents, learning to love Richmond and Kingston on Thames (128) , Bushey Park(129) and Richmond Park (130),, Hampton Court (131) and the River Thames boat) trips (132). It was from Teddington that holidays were taken to Devon and Brixham (133), close to Paignton and Torquay (134) , Dartmoor(135) and Dartmouth (136) . I then discovered and fell in love with Cornwall staying first at a quaint dishing village of Mousehole (137) on the opposite edge of the Lands End (138) Peninsular to St Ives )139) and Hayle (139) with its vast stretch of sand dunes and beach which was the stay on the second visit. As had always been my want a day or two on such trips just involves driving everywhere to see everything and get the feel of a country or an area, taking the opportunity to go on any local little railway steam train, or river such Helston and its river (140) on to the nearest towns such as Newquay (141) and Falmouth (142)
Then to Wakefield and Lofthouse (143), discovering Leeds, Barnsley (144), Rotherham (145)and Doncaster and the M1 and A 1 road back to the capital.
Then to Chester (146) and Bromborough (147) in the Wirral where there was opportunity to explore North Wales, with Wrexham (148), Connahs Quay (148) , Holywell (149), Prestatyn,(150) Rhyl (151) and Colwyn Bay,(152) Llandudno(153) , Bangor (154) and the Menai Bridge(155) and across Anglesey(156) to Holyhead, (157) down to Porthmadog (158) and Pwltheli, (159) Ruthin,( 160) Mold (161) and Denbigh (162) , Llangollen. (163) and Snowdonia (164) The Wirral peninsular is distinctive with Neston (165) and Heswell,(166) Hoylake, (177) Birkenhead, (178) Wallasey (179) and New Brighton, (180) ferry cross the Mersey (181) , Bebington (182) and Ellesmere Port (183). Although headquarters based at Chester my responsibilities covered the 15 area field work teams which included those covering Wirral at Hoylake and Ellesmere Port, Winsford (184), Crewe(185) and Nantwich (186), Knutsford,(187) Wilmslow (188) and Hazel Grove,(189) Altringham (190) and Hyde(191) and Northwich,(192) Congleton(193) and Runcorn (194), taking into what was to become part of Greater Manchester and Merseyside Metropolitan areas. At a time of fundamental and comprehensive reorganisation of the personal social services and local government there was not too much free time to explore but there were some weekend trips into Lancashire and Southport Sands (195). There was also a trip back to Devon and Brixham.
And then to, Jarrow (196), Seaburn(197) Sunderland,(198) South Shields (199) and South Tyneside including Hebburn (200), Cleaden Village (201), East (202) and West Bolden (203), Bolden Colliery (204) and Whitburn village (205).
This proved the base for exploring most of Scotland, Northumberland Durham, Cumbria and North Yorkshire, East, West and South Yorkshire most parts of Greater London, South Wales, the Midlands and the East Coast down to the Humber and the Wash
It is possible to make a day’s trip to the Lake District and into Scotland but he roads are such that a overnight visit is more desirable. I did spend a week with a friend and her parents from CND days and Oxford University overlooking Ullswater (206) near Keswick (207), but it was not until moving to the North East that I made regular visits at least once a year. The best route was to go from Newcastle Gateshead to Hexham(208) and then take the road of the hills to Alston (209) and Penrith(210) and from there to Ullswater and to Keswick and Derwentwater (211) where there is a parkland and overlooking one end of the lake and popular walk from the town. where there is still a little theatre which I first visited in 1963. A faster route is to continue on the main road to Carlisle where I have spend a mini break, and then take the M6 down to Penrith. It was on the Carlisle break (212)that I took a good look at the Northern Lake of Bassenthwaite (213).
It is also possible to take a less popular route on the AIM to Durham City (214) , that magical city to which I shall return and then travel through mid Durham to Crook (215), St John‘s Chapel, (216) Stanhope (217), and Weatherhead (218) to Alston. These are all long days and Durham dales and moor lands making an interesting day on their own with one round trip going a little further south to Spennymoor(219) and Bishops Auckland (220) where I once had tea with the Bishop of Durham and then to Middleton in Teesdale, (221) Appleby in Westmoreland (222) then to Penrith and back via Alston.
I have stayed at a Travel Lodge at Penrith over a weekend which also provided an opportunity to explore the Northern Lakeland. I can remember there stays close to Lake Windermere (223). One was an overnight stay in Windermere town (224) , which may have extended to two night booked on the spur of the moment by calling in at the Tourist office. There was a weeks stay where the end of the garden was in sight of the Lake I think on the outskirts of Bowness (225) but it may have been the larger town which reminds of the need to go through the UK holiday information scrapbooks. The third occasion was to a Hotel on the banks of the Lake (226). These visits did provide the opportunity to go on a explore to the western lakes of Wast Water (227), Buttermere (228) and Loweswater(229) and to tour the towns of Cockermouth (230) and Whitehaven (231), down to Barrow in Furness(232) to Grange over Sands. (233) Amble side (234) a favourite town at the other end of Windermere. Conniston Water (235) Ravens glass (236) Scarsdale (237) are other places visited.
Less travelling is involved in exploring the glorious countryside and ancient town of Northumberland where the largest human man made lake in Europe surrounded by the great northern forest is within a 90 mins drive and where I have stayed on at least two occasions at a Lodge lakeside. I feel deprived without at least one visit a year to Kielder(238) and the Cheviots There is a private toll road used to be 50p which goes through Forest and Farmland over the hills for a dozen miles to Otterburn (239). I will return to Kielder and Falstone (240) another time and Bellingham (241) where I have stayed.
From here rather than from Wearside a trip can be organised to Bamburgh (242) with its headland Castle, once home for the Duke of Northumberland, a boat trip to the Farne Islands (243) Bird Sanctuary or the low tide road crossing to Holy Island (244). The Duchess of Northumberland has created a wonderful series of gardens including water gardens and fountains in the grounds of Alnwick Castle (245) to one side of the ancient market town. Amble(246) is another coastal town. There are beaches where you may see another human being on a hot summers day and similarly there are countryside spots to yourself as well as the forest of Wark.(247) having come from Corbridge (248), and a detour to Consett the former steel works town where the great north walk was undertaken one year (249)
The Northumberland towns of Morpeth (250) , Bedlington, (251) Washington (253)and Blyth (254) are all stepped in the history of coal mining and the great footballers and cricketers which emerged in the latter half of the 20th century, the Charlton, Jackie Milburn, Alan Shearer and the Harmison brothers. Newcastle (255) has also become one of the famous cities of the world for its nightlife but the former seaside town of Whitely Bay (256) now serves only for day trips and the teenage clubbers and bar lovers. The famous Spanish City amusement centre is closed. I can see Tynemouth Castle(257) and former Priory from the headland outside my home and in summer I cross over by the ferry to North Shields (258) and a special bus to the street music festival where on one stage there are traditional jazz and swing bands performing for two days as part of the Whitely Bay Jazz festival where 20 bands perform from midnight to midnight for three day with an entrance charge of under £100. There is also Belsay (259), Cragside (260) Wallington Hall (261), Hadrian’s Wall forts (262)
The coast from South Shields to Sunderland comprises seven miles of rocky headlands and coves which can be walked but that from Sunderland via Ryhope, (263) Seaham(264) to Hartlepool( 265) is only of interest to locals but Stockton (266) and coastal city Middlesbrough (267) are all recovering from the closure of shipbuilding, coal mining and steel making throughout the North East but worth visiting.
I have and seasons tickets at Roker Park (268) and the Stadium of Light(269) Sunderland AFC and at St James Park(270), Newcastle for all but three of the past thirty five years and visit Carlisle (271), Middlesbrough and Hartlepool to also watch football. My summer home from home is at Chester le Street (272) riverside on the banks of the Wear where Durham County Cricket Club have won the county championship for two years in succession. For the first four years I enjoyed visits to club grounds used by the county at Durham University (273), Hartlepool, Darlington (274) , Stockton and wind swept Gateshead Fell, (275) and where Gateshead also is the location of the largest indoor shopping complex in western Europe, the Metro Centre (276), also the home of the International Athletics stadium (277) and the Sage Concert Halls (288)
My cricket experience commenced in 1948 at the Kennington Oval (289) in London, nearest railway station Balham, to watch the last innings of Sir Donald Bradman in a Test Match. I continued visit during my boyhood especially during the four years when I worked in central London and the continued went living elsewhere usually to one day of a Test Match while visiting my family relatives who continued to live in Wallington. I also had one visit to a test match at Lord and then since the Durham years commenced in the early 1990’s, I would arrange to visit the family whenever Durham played at Lords (290) or the Oval. I was also able to visit Durham at Canterbury (291) with its Cathedral and Maidstone, (292) usually taking family to visit their eldest sister at Folkestone, also so to watch Durham play against Sussex at Hove (293) or Horsham (294). Last year I stayed a week in Brighton and Worthing )295) for the cricket at Hove. It has usually been possible to visit Yorkshire at Headingly (296) Leeds without an overnight stop but I have also done this over recent years and also visited when they played Harrogate (297) which is also on conference attending list. Harrogate and Rippon (298) have also been alternative routes to the AIM going south with Wetherby (299) also a stop for a meal, places for a meal when the journey was being broken up overnight along the way. I also had overnight visits to watch Durham at the Hampshire Ground (300), Lancashire Old Trafford (301) staying on M62, Warwickshire M63 at Birmingham where I also spent a year at the university which is close to the ground and last year to Worcestershire (302) at the county town, staying South Birmingham (303) and to Nottinghamshire (304) staying on the M1 as part of a longer visit to the area. There has been one coach trip there and back to Leicestershire ay Grace Road (305).
Day trip starting in the early morn and returning in the early hours have been more common and covered a substantial number of the clubs playing in the various football Leagues with my boyhood club Crystal Palace (306) and the mentioned visit to Arsenal. I have been to most London area clubs, Mill wall (307) at the old ground and also Charlton at the Valley (308)., Queens Park Rangers (309) and Brentford(310), and to Fulham(311) as well as the other the other two glamour Clubs of Tottenham Hotspur ( 312) and Chelsea.( 313) I got a Cup Final Ticket because of an association of with Wimbledon (314) AFC to win the cup from Liverpool. I have been to Wimbledon fortnight (315) and to the town for the theatre and the cinema.
When in the North west I went to Liverpool but it was from the North East I have been to Everton (316) and Wrexham (317), Preston, (318) Manchester United (319) and Manchester City (320) Blackburn (317) and Bradford,(318) Wigan (319), Leeds (320) , Sheffield United(321) and Sheffield City (322), Barnsley,(323) Hull (324) and Grimsby (325) then to the Midland clubs of Birmingham (326) and Aston Villa,(327) West Bromwich Albion(328) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (329), Coventry(330) and Derby (331), Leicester(332) and Nottingham, Forest(333) and City,(334) Shewsbury(335), Oxford(336( when I was student, Cardiff (334) the Club and Cardiff the International stadium(336), Swansea (337), Ipswich(338) and Norwich (339), Watford(340) and Luton (341) and Brighton (342). I have been to Rock Concerts at St James, Roker Park and Sheffield United and Torvill and Dean at Nottingham (343) and Wembley (344). I have been to three Cup Finals at Wembley as well as Live Aid and the Rolling Stones, Athletics at Gateshead, White City(345) and Crystal Palace(346) which was also the venue for a rock concert.
The Conference, short training, speaking , special work and interview venues have included, Blackpool 1n (347), Lancaster University 1n,(348) Newcastle 1n (349) from Cheshire, Hull also from Cheshire(350) 1n York 3n (351) Liverpool 3m (353) Manchester 4n (354) Nottingham University, 4 visits (355) including two of a week each, two of 3 to 4 nights Manchester University (356) two of 3 or 4 nights, Cambridge University two weeks (357) , Oxford one Conference 4 nights (358) and two other visits one of three nights, one of a week. Harrogate 3 nights (359) Keithley one week (360), Bradford In (361) and Liverpool 3 n (362), Leeds 1-2n(363) Oldham 4nts (364), Preston 3 (365) and 1n Chester City (366) In Wakefield 1n (367). Cardiff 1 n (368). Coventry 4 n (369). Ealing 1n (370). Ipswich one week (371), Marlow 4 n (372), Bletchley 3n (373) Richmond 1 week (374) , Lewes 3 n (375). Bournmouth 3 n (376) Brighton 3 n (377), Glasgow 4 (378) Henley on Thames one month (379), Greenwich two months (380) and London one month and 6 x 3 (381), Sutton 4 times 1 week (392) Central London Committee meetings included Association of Child Care Officers Local Authority National Children’s Bureau Drugs Forum Officers and Members Meetings, Home Office Sub Committee and Charity Committee all concerned with Drug Use prevention and HIV and AIDS all involved over night visits to London but some the red eye train with breakfast and evening return with dinner 100 plus occasions (382) involving either stays at Wallington where accommodation and food was not claimed or hotels ( 383)
The proximity to Scotland led to one holiday Tour of three weeks, three stays of two weeks and eight stays of one weeks as well as four stays of less than a week. Places stayed or visited or where stayed included Dunoon 1 week (384), Oban 3 days (385), Lochgoilhead, one week (386) near Dumfries 1 week (387), Tay Valley twice (388) (389), one week and two weeks Pitlochry one week (390), near Dollar 3 days (391), near Loch Earnhead one week (392, Loch Lomond 2 visits one week and 4n (393), Isle of Skye 2n (394), Loch Rannoch one week, (395) Loch Lochy 2 visits of one week (396) and Aviemore 3n (397). Among places visited rather than travelled through include Ullapool (398), Inverness(399), Loch Ness(400), Loch Katrine(401), Portree 0402), Mallaig(403), Stirling(404), Edinburgh(405), Gretna Green (406), Braemar(407), Aberfeldy(408), Killin(409) and Kemore(410), Loch Tummel(411), Glenn Lyon(413) Ben Nevis visited (414) and Ben Lawers climbed (415), Glen More Forest Park(416), Dunked (417) , Cairngorms by cable car twice (418). Loch Lynnhe(418) and Loch Eil(419), Perth (420), Comrie (421) Loch Earn,(422) Callander,(423) Inverarray, (424) Fort William (425), Fort Augustus(426) Berwick (427), Jedburgh(428), Coldstream,(429) Rothesey (430), Mull of Kintyre (431), Campbeltown (432), Crianlarich(433), Glenn Eagles(434) , Crief (435), Kyle of Lochalsh (436). Places visited on the way or separately additions including Northumberland Brampton (437) Halt whistle (438) Burdon Mill (439), Hayden Bridge ( 438) Ardrossan (439) and Troon(440) Galashiels (441). Kelso (442) Coldstream (443) Wooler (444) Belford (445) Chilling ham (446) Netherton Park (447) Loch Long (448) Ardentinny (449) Strone Point Youth Hostel 4nights. (450) Balloch (451) Lake of Menteth (452) Grange mouth (453) Bridge of Allan (453) Loch Leven (454) Loch Awe (455) Tarbet (456) Loch Venacher (457) Tobermory (458) Loch Sunnart (459) Isle of Mull (460) and Iona Community (461)
Other places in County Durham include Sedgefield (462) Whicham (463), Blanchland (464) Bowes (465) Hamsterly Forest (466) Willingham (467), Lanchester (468) Houghton Le Spring (469) Washington (470) Billingham (471) Peterle2 (472) Lumley Park Hotel 1n (473) Hetton le Hole (474) Beanish Museum (475). Barnard Castle (476) and Dipton( Stanley) (477) Newton Aytcliffe (478)
The North Yorkshire Moors are within a days travel and feature the villages made famous in series Heartbeat Goatland (479) and Grosmont (480) and which are also stop on the North Yorks steam railway. Which I have travelled. I have enjoyed visits to the small Robin Hood’s Bay, (481) to the fishing port of Whitby (482) and the great Yorkshire seaside town of Scarborough (483), including for a conference and short holiday. I have visited Redcar (484) and Saltburn (485) now Teeside/North Yorks. The Infamous Sutton bank (486) Pickering (487). Further south in Yorkshire there is Knaresborough (488), Pately Bridge (489) Grassington (490), Masham (491) Harewood House (492) Ilkley Moor (494) Haworth (Bronte Couny), stayed 3nights in area (495) Woolley Edge is a motorway stop for food usually lunch or sea but have stayed 1night, Driffield (496) Bridlington (497) and Hornsea pottery on the coast visit (498).
I have stayed in Beverley (499) at New Year over Christmas and a New Year using the best hotel in the town (twice) and Pub Inn once as well as the close by at South Cave Travel Lodge twice (500) and even closer Innkeepers Lodge twice (501) and the Humber Bridge Premier Lodge twice possibly three times (502). I have also stayed at Lodge on the outskirts of Hull (503) The Ferrybridge Motorway Service area is a frequent stop when travelling on the A1 route I have made one night stops here several times (504) I have stayed at a travel Lodge Wakefield a couple of times (505) Denby Dale (506) and Penistone (507) are places visited and not previously mentioned. When stopping overnight in south Yorkshire going South I have visited the Cineworld in Middleborough twice (508) in addition to making other visits from home and back for films not shown at Bolden and have also visited he Cineworld Sheffield twice en route. I have forgotten to mention Scotch Corner the major service area north for southerners going to Scotland and a good place for a cuppa, petrol and the toilet. I may have stayed here at the Travel Lodge. (509)
My only recollection of Derbyshire the county other than its football tam is a night spent in a bus shelter just after Christmas at Matlock en route to Liverpool. It is only over the past three years that my interest in Nottinghamshire as a county has developed with two stays of a week for the cricket at the Forest service area and another planned for this year (510) I have had several stays at Mansfield Travel Lodge of two to three nights (515) I would have stayed at South well (516) with its wondrous Minster if the accommodation was cheaper. Separately from my interest in Nottinghamshire I have made several one night stops at Travel Lodges along the AI with Blyth (517 being one destination stopping three or times to date. There is Morrison’s at Retford (518) where good breakfast can be obtained as well as stocking up of emergency rations and petrol. The South Muskham Travel Lodge (519( is on the going south side and I have learnt how to get to this from Newark (520) which is always worth a visit, and other parts of Notts with several visits over the past decade. In the past I have also stopped at Grantham Travel Lodge (521) on both side of the motorway depending on direction of travel. Although there is a cross over and recently I stayed at Donning ton (522) just off the M1 having used the service area from time to time. I have been to Melton Mowbray of the pie fame or its sausages or both (523)
I have been to Silverstone (524) for the Grand Prix racing, once when living in Oxford and once with an overnight stop before and after at Teddington, a service stop used several times en route to Wallington. While at Oxford I did visit Bourne on the Water, (525) Evesham (526) and Broadway (527) Cotswolds Country. This reminds of two visits to Stratford on Avon (528). It also reminds that I did stay one night at a Travel Lodge (529) near Burford in a torrential storm on the way to collect my car from repairers at Kidlington. It also reminds that I have stayed at a lodge in the Nottingham area on a visit south some time ago.(530) I have been to Warwick and its castle (531) I have also stopped at the Stevenage Travel Lodge visiting he Cineworld cinema (532) In addition to coach stops at Milton Keynes (533) I have visited the town once as well as getting lost trying to get round traffic jam on the M1. I have been to a conference at Hertford staying three nights (534). I looked around the bookshops at Hay on Wyre (535). There are places in Greater London not previously mentioned which have significance including Hampstead (536) and Stratford (537) Bexleyheath (538) and Balham (539) Also Hounslow ( 540)
Turning to the wider South East I have not mentioned Hythe (541) in Kent or Shoreham (542) by Sea in Sussex or my recent stay in a travel Lodge near Littlehampton (543), or a little village near Andover (544) I have visited Epping Forest (545)
I am nearly done. I have never a great looker around country houses and old furniture and the finery. Most dwelling appeared to me uncomfortable to live in and a misspending of resources which could have better directed. However for a few years I was a member of English Heritage and used my visit to London with stop overs to may the maximum use of membership so to be added are Lindisfarne Priory(546) Warkworth Castle and Hermitage, (547) Brinkburn Priory (548) Belsay Hall and Gardens (549), Tynemouth Prior and Castle (550), Prudhoe Priory (551), Finchale (552) Barnard Castle (553) St Bedes World at Jarrow, St Paul’s Monastery, (554) Finchale Priory (555) Barnard Castle (556) Fountains Abbey (557) Mount Grace Priory (558) Rievaulx Abbey, (559) Kirkham Priory (560) Richmond Castle (561) Bolsover Castle (562) Whitby Abbey (563) Scarborough Castle (564) Eltham Palace (565) Kenwood previously (566) Battle Abbey and Battlefield (567).
Last additions to this edition Clapham (568) Wandsworth (569) and in Wales Caldy Island (570) Pontypridd (571) Laugharne (572)and Solva (573) Dylan Thomas Country
For this first effort I have used memory and maps without reference to records. The structure and content will be changed and amended as the records are reviewed The present approach is to begin with places of residence, including those for Education and work and cover South London, Surrey, West London and Middlesex, Inner London, Bedfordshire, Glasgow and Central Scotland, Oxfordshire, Birmingham, Manchester and Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Yorkshire West Riding and Cheshire including that which is now Merseyside and then Tyne and Wearside, Northumberland and Durham.
Then there are those places which I visited on residential holidays commencing with those in childhood which included the South Coast of West and East Sussex, Kent, the Isle of Wight. Devon and then in adulthood returning to Devon, and to Cornwall, central Scotland and then the Lochs and the Highland as well as the Border Country and to South Wales.
There were also overnight visits or of a few days, as self contained holidays, for sporting events, when in Transit or as part of courses or work assignments with four weeks at Henley in Oxfordshire and two weeks in Cambridge City as major examples and which widened the to other areas of the UK, including Cumbria, North and East Yorkshire, Lancashire, Suffolk and Nottinghamshire, Greater London, the Midlands and the home counties, Warwickshire and Worcestershire, Shropshire, Leicestershire.
There are places visited to watch sports, mainly football and cricket with some involving a short stay while others a day trip. There are job interviews and short courses and family visits.
I begin the more detailed tour with homes and the surrounding areas. My Permanent childhood home was Wallington (1), then in the County of Surrey, later incorporated into Greater London to form the London Borough of Sutton. Following my birth the first home was in Croydon (2), the adjacent borough and for close on one year I was evacuated with the aunties to Catterick Army camp in North Yorkshire(3), where another aunt was in officer quarters some distance away from the then camp and surrounded by cornfields. Before reaching adulthood we moved two other addresses in Wallington and for a matter of only a few days I was placed in what would have been called a family group home, also in Wallington. During the wartime there were few other journeys that I remember although while the pebble beaches at Brighton (4) were still mined, with barbed wire and anti tank defences I did make my first visit to the seaside.
During the rest of the 1940’s my horizons widened a little further. There were shopping and entertainment visits to Croydon and Sutton (5) by the trolley bus, mainly cinema at weekends, also to Purley (6) as we went to the cinema in Wallington on Monday and Thursday evenings for several years. There was also at least one visit to the musical hall in Croydon and to see opera with Carmen, Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci remembered. There were shopping trips to Tooting (7) Market via Mitcham (8) and to Soho (9) in London for Spanish produce.
On Sunday after mass there were walks before lunch in all directions which included the Waddon side of Croydon airport, to Beddington (10) and Carshalton(11) to the parks, to Purley to look at the large house and where I subsequently went to school and the adjacent Woodmansterne (12) and Banstead (13) where there were small holdings and another park. One a year there was a bus ride Cheam to the Bluebell woods
There were also three memorable short trips during the early part of my childhood, the longest to Portsmouth (14) Naval base to see a first cousin whose father had become a citizen of the United States, a visit to an aunt who was at a Sanatorium near Haselmere in Surrey because of tuberculosis and thirdly, a visit to the home of a first cousin who lived on a farm on the surrey Sussex border (15). However my most memorable and important event was to attend a football match at Highbury (16) between Arsenal and Blackpool at which Stanley Mathews played, followed by fish and chips at the Leicester Square (17) Lyons Corner House and then a Film at the Odeon Cinema. Remembered also were my visits over two terms if not three once a week to St Helier Hospital (18) to correct flay feet.
I cannot remember in which order there were annual holidays to the seaside and day trips to other south coast resorts. Family holidays were to Bembridge (19) and Sandown (20) on the Isle of Wight; To Ifracombe (21) in North Devon and Paignton (22) in South Devon and to Bognor Regis (23) and to Bexhill (24) on the South Coast are remembered. There was also at least one day trip to Littlehampton (25) and I have a query about Hastings but which I did visit later (26). As an adolescent I spent a week with relatives at Folkestone Kent (27) where vests continued for decades and along with Dover (28) for ferry trips to the Continent. My relatives had also lived at Aldershot army base which I visited (29)
There were also family trips to Box Hill (30) in Surrey, Windsor Castle (31) in Berkshire, Hampton Court (32) and Tunbridge Wells (33) and shopping trips to Kingston on Thames, (34) Dorking (35) and Guildford (36) because of buses from Wallington/Sutton. There was also a family trip to Leicester (37) which turned out to be a nightmare.
In the my second year at the John Fisher School in Purley, where occasional visits were also made to one of the two cinemas in the town I was given a bicycle and during the holiday I commenced to cycle around the area with the most memorable event going to the Derby on Epsom Downs (38) later visits to the town (39). During my last year at school, first year at work
On leaving school at the age of sixteen I went to work in central London for two years, then in Croydon and back to central London at Berkeley Square, (40) in the City close to Whitechapel (41), in Kings Cross (42) and in Soho. I joined a cycling club so that on Sundays there were trips remembered round or across London Couldson (43) and Caterham, (44) Godstone (45) out to East Grinstead (46) Chertsey (47) on the way to Windsor, Maidenhead (47) and Marlow, (48) Redhill (49) for Earlswood, (50) West Wickham (51) and Farnborough (52) visited air show once, for Green Street Green (53) . For the greater part of those four years the journey was between Wallington and (54) Victoria, the Thames Embankment via Pimlico (55) to Vauxhall and Kennington, Soho for Cy Laurie through to 100 Oxford Street (56), Kensington Royal Albert Hall (57) and Chelsea (58), Bishopsgate (59), through to Whitechapel encompassing the old Smithsfield Market and Petticoat Lane (60), around around the Circle underground Line, Kings Cross for Houseman’s (61) and Islington (62) decades later for Family Records centre.
Then with Civil disobedience and direction there visit visits to Southend (63) leading to Brixton (64), Isle of Sheppey (65), and Staffordshire Drake Hall (66) and Stafford (67), Northamptonshire (68) and Bedford (69), Liverpool (69), Warrington (70) later appointed SS D0 Manchester (71) Huddersfield (73) Leeds (74) Doncaster 75) , York(76) Hull (77) and Cottingham (78) on two matches across from Coast to Coast , and central London to St Albans (79) and Luton (80), then to Glasgow (81) and Edinburgh (82) in Scotland, Dunoon (83) and Kilcreggan,(84) Port Glasgow,(85) Greenock (86) and Gourock, (87) Helensburgh, (88) Paisley (89) and Clydebank (90) and Dumbarton (91). There was my first visit to Wales and a stay at Merthyr Tydfil. (92)
It was then to Oxford, Old Headington Village (93) and City (94) College and Woodstock (95) and on to Birmingham city (96), Manchester City (97) and Salford (98), Norwich (99) and around Norfolk by bus making by way to Kings Lynn,(100) Sheringham (101) and Cromer, (102) Great Yarmouth (103) and Lowestoft (104), Diss (104), Wyndonham (105) and Attleborough (105) and all the little places in between over three months in the summer of 1963.
The back to Oxford, Summertown(106) and Headington (107), Eynsham (108) and Minister Lovell (108), Witney,(109) Carterton (110) and Brize Norton (111) and Burford (112) and Standlake,(113) Stanton Harcourt, (114) (118) with visits to Manchester, Nottingham (119 and Wakefield, (120) Staffordshire County Hospital (121) and Shrewsbury (122)
The next move was Teddington (123) in the London Borough of Richmond (theatre and restaurants) (124) working for the London borough of Ealing (125) with my area first covering West Indian land Acton (126) and central Ealing including Greenford (127) with strong Irish and Polish communities and visits all of the greater city area where residential homes and parents, learning to love Richmond and Kingston on Thames (128) , Bushey Park(129) and Richmond Park (130),, Hampton Court (131) and the River Thames boat) trips (132). It was from Teddington that holidays were taken to Devon and Brixham (133), close to Paignton and Torquay (134) , Dartmoor(135) and Dartmouth (136) . I then discovered and fell in love with Cornwall staying first at a quaint dishing village of Mousehole (137) on the opposite edge of the Lands End (138) Peninsular to St Ives )139) and Hayle (139) with its vast stretch of sand dunes and beach which was the stay on the second visit. As had always been my want a day or two on such trips just involves driving everywhere to see everything and get the feel of a country or an area, taking the opportunity to go on any local little railway steam train, or river such Helston and its river (140) on to the nearest towns such as Newquay (141) and Falmouth (142)
Then to Wakefield and Lofthouse (143), discovering Leeds, Barnsley (144), Rotherham (145)and Doncaster and the M1 and A 1 road back to the capital.
Then to Chester (146) and Bromborough (147) in the Wirral where there was opportunity to explore North Wales, with Wrexham (148), Connahs Quay (148) , Holywell (149), Prestatyn,(150) Rhyl (151) and Colwyn Bay,(152) Llandudno(153) , Bangor (154) and the Menai Bridge(155) and across Anglesey(156) to Holyhead, (157) down to Porthmadog (158) and Pwltheli, (159) Ruthin,( 160) Mold (161) and Denbigh (162) , Llangollen. (163) and Snowdonia (164) The Wirral peninsular is distinctive with Neston (165) and Heswell,(166) Hoylake, (177) Birkenhead, (178) Wallasey (179) and New Brighton, (180) ferry cross the Mersey (181) , Bebington (182) and Ellesmere Port (183). Although headquarters based at Chester my responsibilities covered the 15 area field work teams which included those covering Wirral at Hoylake and Ellesmere Port, Winsford (184), Crewe(185) and Nantwich (186), Knutsford,(187) Wilmslow (188) and Hazel Grove,(189) Altringham (190) and Hyde(191) and Northwich,(192) Congleton(193) and Runcorn (194), taking into what was to become part of Greater Manchester and Merseyside Metropolitan areas. At a time of fundamental and comprehensive reorganisation of the personal social services and local government there was not too much free time to explore but there were some weekend trips into Lancashire and Southport Sands (195). There was also a trip back to Devon and Brixham.
And then to, Jarrow (196), Seaburn(197) Sunderland,(198) South Shields (199) and South Tyneside including Hebburn (200), Cleaden Village (201), East (202) and West Bolden (203), Bolden Colliery (204) and Whitburn village (205).
This proved the base for exploring most of Scotland, Northumberland Durham, Cumbria and North Yorkshire, East, West and South Yorkshire most parts of Greater London, South Wales, the Midlands and the East Coast down to the Humber and the Wash
It is possible to make a day’s trip to the Lake District and into Scotland but he roads are such that a overnight visit is more desirable. I did spend a week with a friend and her parents from CND days and Oxford University overlooking Ullswater (206) near Keswick (207), but it was not until moving to the North East that I made regular visits at least once a year. The best route was to go from Newcastle Gateshead to Hexham(208) and then take the road of the hills to Alston (209) and Penrith(210) and from there to Ullswater and to Keswick and Derwentwater (211) where there is a parkland and overlooking one end of the lake and popular walk from the town. where there is still a little theatre which I first visited in 1963. A faster route is to continue on the main road to Carlisle where I have spend a mini break, and then take the M6 down to Penrith. It was on the Carlisle break (212)that I took a good look at the Northern Lake of Bassenthwaite (213).
It is also possible to take a less popular route on the AIM to Durham City (214) , that magical city to which I shall return and then travel through mid Durham to Crook (215), St John‘s Chapel, (216) Stanhope (217), and Weatherhead (218) to Alston. These are all long days and Durham dales and moor lands making an interesting day on their own with one round trip going a little further south to Spennymoor(219) and Bishops Auckland (220) where I once had tea with the Bishop of Durham and then to Middleton in Teesdale, (221) Appleby in Westmoreland (222) then to Penrith and back via Alston.
I have stayed at a Travel Lodge at Penrith over a weekend which also provided an opportunity to explore the Northern Lakeland. I can remember there stays close to Lake Windermere (223). One was an overnight stay in Windermere town (224) , which may have extended to two night booked on the spur of the moment by calling in at the Tourist office. There was a weeks stay where the end of the garden was in sight of the Lake I think on the outskirts of Bowness (225) but it may have been the larger town which reminds of the need to go through the UK holiday information scrapbooks. The third occasion was to a Hotel on the banks of the Lake (226). These visits did provide the opportunity to go on a explore to the western lakes of Wast Water (227), Buttermere (228) and Loweswater(229) and to tour the towns of Cockermouth (230) and Whitehaven (231), down to Barrow in Furness(232) to Grange over Sands. (233) Amble side (234) a favourite town at the other end of Windermere. Conniston Water (235) Ravens glass (236) Scarsdale (237) are other places visited.
Less travelling is involved in exploring the glorious countryside and ancient town of Northumberland where the largest human man made lake in Europe surrounded by the great northern forest is within a 90 mins drive and where I have stayed on at least two occasions at a Lodge lakeside. I feel deprived without at least one visit a year to Kielder(238) and the Cheviots There is a private toll road used to be 50p which goes through Forest and Farmland over the hills for a dozen miles to Otterburn (239). I will return to Kielder and Falstone (240) another time and Bellingham (241) where I have stayed.
From here rather than from Wearside a trip can be organised to Bamburgh (242) with its headland Castle, once home for the Duke of Northumberland, a boat trip to the Farne Islands (243) Bird Sanctuary or the low tide road crossing to Holy Island (244). The Duchess of Northumberland has created a wonderful series of gardens including water gardens and fountains in the grounds of Alnwick Castle (245) to one side of the ancient market town. Amble(246) is another coastal town. There are beaches where you may see another human being on a hot summers day and similarly there are countryside spots to yourself as well as the forest of Wark.(247) having come from Corbridge (248), and a detour to Consett the former steel works town where the great north walk was undertaken one year (249)
The Northumberland towns of Morpeth (250) , Bedlington, (251) Washington (253)and Blyth (254) are all stepped in the history of coal mining and the great footballers and cricketers which emerged in the latter half of the 20th century, the Charlton, Jackie Milburn, Alan Shearer and the Harmison brothers. Newcastle (255) has also become one of the famous cities of the world for its nightlife but the former seaside town of Whitely Bay (256) now serves only for day trips and the teenage clubbers and bar lovers. The famous Spanish City amusement centre is closed. I can see Tynemouth Castle(257) and former Priory from the headland outside my home and in summer I cross over by the ferry to North Shields (258) and a special bus to the street music festival where on one stage there are traditional jazz and swing bands performing for two days as part of the Whitely Bay Jazz festival where 20 bands perform from midnight to midnight for three day with an entrance charge of under £100. There is also Belsay (259), Cragside (260) Wallington Hall (261), Hadrian’s Wall forts (262)
The coast from South Shields to Sunderland comprises seven miles of rocky headlands and coves which can be walked but that from Sunderland via Ryhope, (263) Seaham(264) to Hartlepool( 265) is only of interest to locals but Stockton (266) and coastal city Middlesbrough (267) are all recovering from the closure of shipbuilding, coal mining and steel making throughout the North East but worth visiting.
I have and seasons tickets at Roker Park (268) and the Stadium of Light(269) Sunderland AFC and at St James Park(270), Newcastle for all but three of the past thirty five years and visit Carlisle (271), Middlesbrough and Hartlepool to also watch football. My summer home from home is at Chester le Street (272) riverside on the banks of the Wear where Durham County Cricket Club have won the county championship for two years in succession. For the first four years I enjoyed visits to club grounds used by the county at Durham University (273), Hartlepool, Darlington (274) , Stockton and wind swept Gateshead Fell, (275) and where Gateshead also is the location of the largest indoor shopping complex in western Europe, the Metro Centre (276), also the home of the International Athletics stadium (277) and the Sage Concert Halls (288)
My cricket experience commenced in 1948 at the Kennington Oval (289) in London, nearest railway station Balham, to watch the last innings of Sir Donald Bradman in a Test Match. I continued visit during my boyhood especially during the four years when I worked in central London and the continued went living elsewhere usually to one day of a Test Match while visiting my family relatives who continued to live in Wallington. I also had one visit to a test match at Lord and then since the Durham years commenced in the early 1990’s, I would arrange to visit the family whenever Durham played at Lords (290) or the Oval. I was also able to visit Durham at Canterbury (291) with its Cathedral and Maidstone, (292) usually taking family to visit their eldest sister at Folkestone, also so to watch Durham play against Sussex at Hove (293) or Horsham (294). Last year I stayed a week in Brighton and Worthing )295) for the cricket at Hove. It has usually been possible to visit Yorkshire at Headingly (296) Leeds without an overnight stop but I have also done this over recent years and also visited when they played Harrogate (297) which is also on conference attending list. Harrogate and Rippon (298) have also been alternative routes to the AIM going south with Wetherby (299) also a stop for a meal, places for a meal when the journey was being broken up overnight along the way. I also had overnight visits to watch Durham at the Hampshire Ground (300), Lancashire Old Trafford (301) staying on M62, Warwickshire M63 at Birmingham where I also spent a year at the university which is close to the ground and last year to Worcestershire (302) at the county town, staying South Birmingham (303) and to Nottinghamshire (304) staying on the M1 as part of a longer visit to the area. There has been one coach trip there and back to Leicestershire ay Grace Road (305).
Day trip starting in the early morn and returning in the early hours have been more common and covered a substantial number of the clubs playing in the various football Leagues with my boyhood club Crystal Palace (306) and the mentioned visit to Arsenal. I have been to most London area clubs, Mill wall (307) at the old ground and also Charlton at the Valley (308)., Queens Park Rangers (309) and Brentford(310), and to Fulham(311) as well as the other the other two glamour Clubs of Tottenham Hotspur ( 312) and Chelsea.( 313) I got a Cup Final Ticket because of an association of with Wimbledon (314) AFC to win the cup from Liverpool. I have been to Wimbledon fortnight (315) and to the town for the theatre and the cinema.
When in the North west I went to Liverpool but it was from the North East I have been to Everton (316) and Wrexham (317), Preston, (318) Manchester United (319) and Manchester City (320) Blackburn (317) and Bradford,(318) Wigan (319), Leeds (320) , Sheffield United(321) and Sheffield City (322), Barnsley,(323) Hull (324) and Grimsby (325) then to the Midland clubs of Birmingham (326) and Aston Villa,(327) West Bromwich Albion(328) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (329), Coventry(330) and Derby (331), Leicester(332) and Nottingham, Forest(333) and City,(334) Shewsbury(335), Oxford(336( when I was student, Cardiff (334) the Club and Cardiff the International stadium(336), Swansea (337), Ipswich(338) and Norwich (339), Watford(340) and Luton (341) and Brighton (342). I have been to Rock Concerts at St James, Roker Park and Sheffield United and Torvill and Dean at Nottingham (343) and Wembley (344). I have been to three Cup Finals at Wembley as well as Live Aid and the Rolling Stones, Athletics at Gateshead, White City(345) and Crystal Palace(346) which was also the venue for a rock concert.
The Conference, short training, speaking , special work and interview venues have included, Blackpool 1n (347), Lancaster University 1n,(348) Newcastle 1n (349) from Cheshire, Hull also from Cheshire(350) 1n York 3n (351) Liverpool 3m (353) Manchester 4n (354) Nottingham University, 4 visits (355) including two of a week each, two of 3 to 4 nights Manchester University (356) two of 3 or 4 nights, Cambridge University two weeks (357) , Oxford one Conference 4 nights (358) and two other visits one of three nights, one of a week. Harrogate 3 nights (359) Keithley one week (360), Bradford In (361) and Liverpool 3 n (362), Leeds 1-2n(363) Oldham 4nts (364), Preston 3 (365) and 1n Chester City (366) In Wakefield 1n (367). Cardiff 1 n (368). Coventry 4 n (369). Ealing 1n (370). Ipswich one week (371), Marlow 4 n (372), Bletchley 3n (373) Richmond 1 week (374) , Lewes 3 n (375). Bournmouth 3 n (376) Brighton 3 n (377), Glasgow 4 (378) Henley on Thames one month (379), Greenwich two months (380) and London one month and 6 x 3 (381), Sutton 4 times 1 week (392) Central London Committee meetings included Association of Child Care Officers Local Authority National Children’s Bureau Drugs Forum Officers and Members Meetings, Home Office Sub Committee and Charity Committee all concerned with Drug Use prevention and HIV and AIDS all involved over night visits to London but some the red eye train with breakfast and evening return with dinner 100 plus occasions (382) involving either stays at Wallington where accommodation and food was not claimed or hotels ( 383)
The proximity to Scotland led to one holiday Tour of three weeks, three stays of two weeks and eight stays of one weeks as well as four stays of less than a week. Places stayed or visited or where stayed included Dunoon 1 week (384), Oban 3 days (385), Lochgoilhead, one week (386) near Dumfries 1 week (387), Tay Valley twice (388) (389), one week and two weeks Pitlochry one week (390), near Dollar 3 days (391), near Loch Earnhead one week (392, Loch Lomond 2 visits one week and 4n (393), Isle of Skye 2n (394), Loch Rannoch one week, (395) Loch Lochy 2 visits of one week (396) and Aviemore 3n (397). Among places visited rather than travelled through include Ullapool (398), Inverness(399), Loch Ness(400), Loch Katrine(401), Portree 0402), Mallaig(403), Stirling(404), Edinburgh(405), Gretna Green (406), Braemar(407), Aberfeldy(408), Killin(409) and Kemore(410), Loch Tummel(411), Glenn Lyon(413) Ben Nevis visited (414) and Ben Lawers climbed (415), Glen More Forest Park(416), Dunked (417) , Cairngorms by cable car twice (418). Loch Lynnhe(418) and Loch Eil(419), Perth (420), Comrie (421) Loch Earn,(422) Callander,(423) Inverarray, (424) Fort William (425), Fort Augustus(426) Berwick (427), Jedburgh(428), Coldstream,(429) Rothesey (430), Mull of Kintyre (431), Campbeltown (432), Crianlarich(433), Glenn Eagles(434) , Crief (435), Kyle of Lochalsh (436). Places visited on the way or separately additions including Northumberland Brampton (437) Halt whistle (438) Burdon Mill (439), Hayden Bridge ( 438) Ardrossan (439) and Troon(440) Galashiels (441). Kelso (442) Coldstream (443) Wooler (444) Belford (445) Chilling ham (446) Netherton Park (447) Loch Long (448) Ardentinny (449) Strone Point Youth Hostel 4nights. (450) Balloch (451) Lake of Menteth (452) Grange mouth (453) Bridge of Allan (453) Loch Leven (454) Loch Awe (455) Tarbet (456) Loch Venacher (457) Tobermory (458) Loch Sunnart (459) Isle of Mull (460) and Iona Community (461)
Other places in County Durham include Sedgefield (462) Whicham (463), Blanchland (464) Bowes (465) Hamsterly Forest (466) Willingham (467), Lanchester (468) Houghton Le Spring (469) Washington (470) Billingham (471) Peterle2 (472) Lumley Park Hotel 1n (473) Hetton le Hole (474) Beanish Museum (475). Barnard Castle (476) and Dipton( Stanley) (477) Newton Aytcliffe (478)
The North Yorkshire Moors are within a days travel and feature the villages made famous in series Heartbeat Goatland (479) and Grosmont (480) and which are also stop on the North Yorks steam railway. Which I have travelled. I have enjoyed visits to the small Robin Hood’s Bay, (481) to the fishing port of Whitby (482) and the great Yorkshire seaside town of Scarborough (483), including for a conference and short holiday. I have visited Redcar (484) and Saltburn (485) now Teeside/North Yorks. The Infamous Sutton bank (486) Pickering (487). Further south in Yorkshire there is Knaresborough (488), Pately Bridge (489) Grassington (490), Masham (491) Harewood House (492) Ilkley Moor (494) Haworth (Bronte Couny), stayed 3nights in area (495) Woolley Edge is a motorway stop for food usually lunch or sea but have stayed 1night, Driffield (496) Bridlington (497) and Hornsea pottery on the coast visit (498).
I have stayed in Beverley (499) at New Year over Christmas and a New Year using the best hotel in the town (twice) and Pub Inn once as well as the close by at South Cave Travel Lodge twice (500) and even closer Innkeepers Lodge twice (501) and the Humber Bridge Premier Lodge twice possibly three times (502). I have also stayed at Lodge on the outskirts of Hull (503) The Ferrybridge Motorway Service area is a frequent stop when travelling on the A1 route I have made one night stops here several times (504) I have stayed at a travel Lodge Wakefield a couple of times (505) Denby Dale (506) and Penistone (507) are places visited and not previously mentioned. When stopping overnight in south Yorkshire going South I have visited the Cineworld in Middleborough twice (508) in addition to making other visits from home and back for films not shown at Bolden and have also visited he Cineworld Sheffield twice en route. I have forgotten to mention Scotch Corner the major service area north for southerners going to Scotland and a good place for a cuppa, petrol and the toilet. I may have stayed here at the Travel Lodge. (509)
My only recollection of Derbyshire the county other than its football tam is a night spent in a bus shelter just after Christmas at Matlock en route to Liverpool. It is only over the past three years that my interest in Nottinghamshire as a county has developed with two stays of a week for the cricket at the Forest service area and another planned for this year (510) I have had several stays at Mansfield Travel Lodge of two to three nights (515) I would have stayed at South well (516) with its wondrous Minster if the accommodation was cheaper. Separately from my interest in Nottinghamshire I have made several one night stops at Travel Lodges along the AI with Blyth (517 being one destination stopping three or times to date. There is Morrison’s at Retford (518) where good breakfast can be obtained as well as stocking up of emergency rations and petrol. The South Muskham Travel Lodge (519( is on the going south side and I have learnt how to get to this from Newark (520) which is always worth a visit, and other parts of Notts with several visits over the past decade. In the past I have also stopped at Grantham Travel Lodge (521) on both side of the motorway depending on direction of travel. Although there is a cross over and recently I stayed at Donning ton (522) just off the M1 having used the service area from time to time. I have been to Melton Mowbray of the pie fame or its sausages or both (523)
I have been to Silverstone (524) for the Grand Prix racing, once when living in Oxford and once with an overnight stop before and after at Teddington, a service stop used several times en route to Wallington. While at Oxford I did visit Bourne on the Water, (525) Evesham (526) and Broadway (527) Cotswolds Country. This reminds of two visits to Stratford on Avon (528). It also reminds that I did stay one night at a Travel Lodge (529) near Burford in a torrential storm on the way to collect my car from repairers at Kidlington. It also reminds that I have stayed at a lodge in the Nottingham area on a visit south some time ago.(530) I have been to Warwick and its castle (531) I have also stopped at the Stevenage Travel Lodge visiting he Cineworld cinema (532) In addition to coach stops at Milton Keynes (533) I have visited the town once as well as getting lost trying to get round traffic jam on the M1. I have been to a conference at Hertford staying three nights (534). I looked around the bookshops at Hay on Wyre (535). There are places in Greater London not previously mentioned which have significance including Hampstead (536) and Stratford (537) Bexleyheath (538) and Balham (539) Also Hounslow ( 540)
Turning to the wider South East I have not mentioned Hythe (541) in Kent or Shoreham (542) by Sea in Sussex or my recent stay in a travel Lodge near Littlehampton (543), or a little village near Andover (544) I have visited Epping Forest (545)
I am nearly done. I have never a great looker around country houses and old furniture and the finery. Most dwelling appeared to me uncomfortable to live in and a misspending of resources which could have better directed. However for a few years I was a member of English Heritage and used my visit to London with stop overs to may the maximum use of membership so to be added are Lindisfarne Priory(546) Warkworth Castle and Hermitage, (547) Brinkburn Priory (548) Belsay Hall and Gardens (549), Tynemouth Prior and Castle (550), Prudhoe Priory (551), Finchale (552) Barnard Castle (553) St Bedes World at Jarrow, St Paul’s Monastery, (554) Finchale Priory (555) Barnard Castle (556) Fountains Abbey (557) Mount Grace Priory (558) Rievaulx Abbey, (559) Kirkham Priory (560) Richmond Castle (561) Bolsover Castle (562) Whitby Abbey (563) Scarborough Castle (564) Eltham Palace (565) Kenwood previously (566) Battle Abbey and Battlefield (567).
Last additions to this edition Clapham (568) Wandsworth (569) and in Wales Caldy Island (570) Pontypridd (571) Laugharne (572)and Solva (573) Dylan Thomas Country
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