Here We Go!!!

Our Alison Weir Tour Overview

Hopped on the plane over the pond and landed in London. Luckily, all very noneventful. Took a taxi to the Royal Horse Guards hotel which is located on the River Thames. The location of the hotel was right near the Embankment Tube stop, so totally convenient for everything!

Lovely Royal Horseguards

Got myself checked in, put my walking shoes on and took the Tube to Kew Gardens. Luckily it was a very nice day, so the gardens were gorgeous. It was very busy, and I was happily surprised to be able to visit Kew Palace, which was the home of George III and Queen Charlotte, for any of you Bridgerton fans out there! It was not supposed to be open, but it was, and I was so happy to even get to visit the Queen's gardens behind the house, which were lovely. 

Welcome to Kew

Loved the lily ponds

Kew Palace

I left the gardens in the late afternoon, not seeing everything, as it was such a large place, and took the Tube over to the Fortnum & Mason flagship department store. I love this store and used up a lot of my credit on the Visa card on coronation goodies, including a few tea towels, of course. The place was humming with activity and people were buying like there was no tomorrow.  I think everyone was excited for the coronation. It was very fun, and I had a good time just looking at everything.

Coronation goodies

I gathered up all my bags and I took myself back to the Tube (again!) and returned to my hotel a bit to relax. On the way, I met a French bulldog named Ellie and would have adopted her, if it weren’t for my dear Chip at home.

The hotel was really swanky, and I chose to stay there because my tour was congregating and departing from here in the morning. It was great to be in a nice place as I was pretty tired, and London has become a bit overwhelming. I think it has grown since I was last there. Such a multicultural, fast-paced place. Still, I love it!

That evening I walked minutes from my hotel to the Sherlock Holmes Pub, where I enjoyed fish and chips, along with an English shandy.  I then dropped into bed in the hopes the five-hour time change was not going to be much of a bother.

Loved this pub!

Day One

Monday May 1st arrived, and I had a lovely reception by the tour manager and Alison Weir, the writer, later in the morning, after breakfast. I got all my belongings together and got on the bus ready to leave London and start this tour! There were 34 participants including myself; we had four Aussies, and all the rest were Americans. It proved to be a very good group. Everyone mostly got along, and I made some nice friends. I had a great bus mate, with a great sense of humor, so that made the bus much more fun than it might have been! We laughed together throughout the tour.

One of the historians, whose name is Michael Jones, a specialist in military history and also the co-author of the book on the discovery of Richard III (a whole other fascinating subject, if you are interested) spoke on the bus about “chivalry,” which was the tour’s theme. We then arrived at the grounds of Otford Palace in Kent, which are beautiful ruins located in a lovely village, and at one time were as important as Hampton Court to Henry VIII. It was nice to get off the bus and walk around.  

The remains of Otford Palace

This was followed by Alison Weir speaking about Hever Castle, where we would be staying for the next 10 days.  Oh, my heart be still; I love Hever!  We got to the castle in Kent and checked into the part of the castle which serves as a Bed & Breakfast, followed by a drinks reception in the castle courtyard with a musician. We then had a welcome dinner in the Long Gallery. The exciting part of this dinner was that we were joined by the curators of Hever Castle -- Owen Emerson and Kate McCaffrey. Owen was at my table and was a complete Anne Boleyn fanatic, so it was so interesting to listen to him.  Of course, by then everyone was tired, but this tour stuck to its schedule, and at about 10:00 pm there was a visiting historian named Richard, who came in and talked about "magnificence." This mainly had to do with different items throughout Europe that belonged to various kings and queens, which were of great historical value.  It was very interesting but, again, I was tired and happy to drop into bed later.

Fell in love with my room

My lovely view of the back gardens

Day Two

This was a Tuesday and I had put my alarm in my lovely little room, close to my bed. I still, however, almost missed the bus because I turned off the alarm and did not get up! I ran out of my bed, literally, and made it on time.  I was on the bus with my croissant in hand from the breakfast table to listen to Alison Weir discuss the Norman conquest, and Tracy Borman, one of the other historians, talk about William the Conqueror and Matilda, his wife. Lastly, Julian Humphries, a tour guide, talked about the introduction to Battle Abbey and the Battle of Hastings.  I had wanted to see Hastings for a long time.  This is the site of the Norman conquest and where William of Normandy conquered England; it really starts British history in the year 1066. To stand where the Battle of Hastings took place was really special -- an Anglophile’s dream!  

The Norman conquest

Saw this everywhere

Once we departed Battle, we stopped at a vineyard called Carr Taylor, and enjoyed a tasting. I loved the ginger wine, but I certainly couldn't afford – space wise -- to put any wine in my suitcase. Space was limited and I did not want to have to carry so much, let along mess with potentially spilled wine!

At 3pm that day, we departed for Bodiam Castle, which seems to be on the cover of every book known about British history.  Again, our historian Michael Jones spoke about the very pretty medieval castle. It did not serve any defensive purpose, but certainly was very pleasing to the eye. One of our tour members, however, tripped on a tree stump, if you can imagine. She was taken to the hospital and did join back up with the group two days later. She had black-and-blue eyes but was determined to stay with us. It was such a freaky thing, but England is very hilly and so many of the sites are so old! She was bandaged up but was a trooper.  I suspect that when she got home, she had a broken nose. I gave her credit for trooping on. Luckily, this was the only bad event on our trip.

Bodiam Castle

After all that excitement, we were driven to a restaurant at the Brickwell Hotel, where we had drinks (the tour always had evening drinks, which was so nice!) and dinner that evening. Tracy Borman, who is probably the best-known historian on the trip next to Alison, spoke that evening about Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I. She'd just come out with a book on that subject, and I bought the book and she signed it. We then once again dropped into bed. Another great day!

Dr. Tracy Borman

Day Three

It was such a pleasure to wake up at Hever Castle every morning, looking out at the garden. I would pinch myself every day.   Each day each participant could choose between two trips for the day. The day trip I had chosen this day was to go to Rye, which is in the south of England, on the ocean, and is known for its smuggling past and its famous residents. Sarah Gristwood, another resident historian and author, spoke to us on the bus about what to expect, but seeing it was even better. It is a beautiful town on the ocean with many small houses, restaurants, and tea rooms.  I had my first tea and scone in England at the Cobbler’s Teahouse and all was right with the world.

Beautiful Rye

First tea and scone

After going to Rye, we also went to a wonderful and beautiful home called Great Dixter. This was probably my favorite stop on the trip. It is a beautiful medieval home, and the garden was designed and planted by Christopher Lloyd, a very well-known gardener. It was so beautiful that words cannot describe it. I think because we were there right when all the spring blossoms were blooming really made it perfect. It was lovely to spend time walking through the gardens and we even had tea at the end in the shop.  I only wish that the gardeners in our family had been with me!

Great Dixter-my favorite

The small courtyard near my room at Hever

When we got back on the bus, there was this a talk by Alison Weir about Eleanor of Aquitaine, a famous medieval Queen. We returned to Hever and went to dinner that night at a restaurant called the Plough and Lee. All the restaurants were very nice, and Alison really liked to do it up for dinners. By the way, all the food was great, so maybe the British cuisine’s reputation is changing? There was a talk that evening over coffee and dessert by a very young historian named Sophie Ambler, who wore her trainers and a cotton dress. I wondered how such a young person would know anything. Boy was I wrong! She got up to speak and I was mesmerized.  She knew her subject completely, forward and back, and was fabulous. She spoke about Simon de Montfort, a medieval aristocrat who planned a rebellion against Henry III. We didn't get back to Hever Castle until about 11:00 pm that night.

The Plough and Lee

Every night I would check in with Allen, post my pictures of the day on Facebook, organize for the next day, and then go to bed. There was not much time to just dawdle. But I loved every minute!

Day Four

On Thursday I had my breakfast, which I did every morning at the castle dining room. The breakfast was always the same, but I got addicted to the chocolate croissants and tea (ah, the English and their tea!) so it was great. On this day, my group went to visit Chartwell, the home of Winston and Winnie Churchill. Dad would have certainly enjoyed this, as it was not only a beautiful garden and a beautiful art studio, but the home itself had so many political and interesting things of historical significance.

Chartwell

Winston

Winnie 

Winston's studio

Tired but happy tourist

This tour was followed by a tour of Sissinghurst, the home of Vita and Harold Nicolson.  Sarah Griswold talked to us about both Chartwell and Sissinghurst, which was very interesting, but Michael Jones spoke about Churchill himself. The highlight was that Michael really had the stature of Winston and could do voice interpretation and we all loved it! To return to Sissinghurst without my mother was a bit sad, but to be able to go back and sit in the garden was a highlight. It is such a special place and for anyone who is interested in Sissinghurst, there is a book by Sarah Gristwood on Vita and Virginia, and the whole story associated with their lives.

Sissinghurst

Vita Sackville West

Beautiful gardens at Sissinghurst

The Kent countryside-LOVE!

More Sissinghurst garden

A happy day

The infamous white gardens of Sissinghurst

We then, of course, went back to the castle and had another lecture by a visiting historian. The subject was tournaments in medieval history. It was a bit grizzly and demonstrative, so I didn't listen to much of it. We then had dinner that night at a pub called the Leicester Arms in Penshurst, not far from Hever Castle. Love the pubs!

The pub!

Day Five

By Friday I think the group was a bit tired, so it was good that this day was entitled “Hever Day.” We got to just enjoy being at the castle. We had a wonderful tour just for our group of the castle itself, and then we also had a special tour by the head gardener. Both tours were very nice and quite interesting.  They also had activities in the gardens, like a falconry display and archery, but I never even had time to get out there! All through the day the tour had a rolling program of talks, so you could come and go to what held your interest. I ended up going to a presentation by the historian Nicola Tallis, which was about the crown jewels.  By itself, the subject may not have interested me, but she related it to the coronation, which was going to be happening that weekend.  I found a lot of it fascinating because it explained a lot of the items that the king carries, and all of the jewels and the crown and what all of that signifies. So, it turned out to be a good choice. I also made time for the Hever Shop and Tearooms, where I had my first, and hopefully not my last, Bakewell tart. We had drinks that night before dinner in the Astor suite (the Astors at one time owned the castle) and then there was a murder mystery dinner, and people could dress in 1930s- Agatha Christie-era costumes. Some people had brought them, and it was the most fun time. They had actors come in and you had to decide who did it and everybody thoroughly enjoyed this.

Beautiful flowers everyday

The Long Gallery

The back view is even pretty

Hever gardens

Love Hever!

So cute for our mystery dinner

Day Six

The next day, of course, was THE big day! Coronation day in England! Most of us were up very early to begin watching all the festivities. The whole day was spent glued to the screen. We had a celebration buffet lunch with champagne and then we had a walking tour of Hever church, which is where Thomas Boleyn is buried. It had begun to get cold and wet -- true England weather -- and I caught a cold on this tour. However, I took my medicine and kept trooping! A lot of others also had it and I think it was due to it suddenly getting cold, grey, and damp. That evening, the historians on the tour, who were staying at a home on the property, invited us for cocktails, and then we had a barbecue on the lawn at Hever Castle.

What a  memorable day!

Hever Church

Thomas Boleyn, Anne Boleyn's father's grave