tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post8106255233383295241..comments2024-03-28T10:51:42.237-07:00Comments on FURROWED MIDDLEBROW: The agony and the ecstasy, or, The (semi-)final plan for our trip to England and ScotlandFurrowed Middlebrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-73565335957751979972016-08-22T03:33:20.999-07:002016-08-22T03:33:20.999-07:00Scott ~ so sorry for muddling name ..my typing fin...Scott ~ so sorry for muddling name ..my typing fingers obviously were not thinking. And I love the covers for the new books - thrilled to be associated in even this nebulous way with Ravilious who has long been an utter favourite. ElizabethElizabeth Crawfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06572868641853206995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-62671464953530135052016-08-19T09:41:13.777-07:002016-08-19T09:41:13.777-07:00I am sorry to learn you will not doing your best F...I am sorry to learn you will not doing your best French Lieutenant's Woman/Meryl Streep impression - I would have lent you my black cape from my old Dracula storytime days! TomAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-89844927647397450832016-08-19T02:30:29.629-07:002016-08-19T02:30:29.629-07:00If your visit to Edinburgh coincides with the 2nd ...If your visit to Edinburgh coincides with the 2nd Sunday of the month, you MUST pay a visit to the Mansfield Traquair Church to see the fabulous murals. Scotland's Sistine Chapel, they call it, and it's all the work of one woman, the amazing Phoebe Traquair. Only open to the public 1-4pm, 2nd Sunday of every month. https://greatscottishart.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/traquair3.jpgOscar Dowsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12643795090397551437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-64399021683897281722016-08-17T12:31:39.403-07:002016-08-17T12:31:39.403-07:00Thanks, Elizabeth. I'm Scott, actually, thoug...Thanks, Elizabeth. I'm Scott, actually, though I have a co-worker named Steve and people are always mixing the names up for some reason, so I'm used to answering to Steve! :-)<br /><br />We're very excited to stay at the Mermaid Inn. Wish it could be more than one night, but we're quite hoping for a ghostly visitation while we're there!<br /><br />And I have to say, folks have a real treat in store with your intros to our Ferguson and Peck editions. Love them both, and love to think that you were reading Ferguson while at the Mermaid!Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-10275306187951921652016-08-16T09:28:52.802-07:002016-08-16T09:28:52.802-07:00Steve ~ I stayed for a night at the Mermaid Inn in...Steve ~ I stayed for a night at the Mermaid Inn in Rye three weeks or so ago while I was re-reading 'A Footman for a Peacock' in order to write the Rachel Ferguson Introduction for Dean St Press - so perhaps some spooky vibes will still reverberate among its timbered beams. Have a wonderful tour. ElizabethElizabeth Crawfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06572868641853206995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-45673329123939055242016-08-16T07:38:21.398-07:002016-08-16T07:38:21.398-07:00Look forward to hearing from you!Look forward to hearing from you!Abbeybufohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09943340447141277258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-11537442505764994172016-08-15T07:37:43.238-07:002016-08-15T07:37:43.238-07:00Thanks, Elizabeth. You and everyone else! And th...Thanks, Elizabeth. You and everyone else! And that will give us more time in Cambridge as well.Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-71443619505627713692016-08-15T07:36:59.521-07:002016-08-15T07:36:59.521-07:00So many votes for Ely, how can I resist? We do hav...So many votes for Ely, how can I resist? We do have the Great Hall on our list for Winchester--I know Andy will want a pic of the round table, even if it's not the real thing! And thanks so much for your suggestion of meeting up--I'll get the exact date and email you to see if it works out.Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-34627336551512119412016-08-15T07:35:17.775-07:002016-08-15T07:35:17.775-07:00I did try to work it in, but the logistics just di...I did try to work it in, but the logistics just didn't work out. Next time!Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-84142076692541071022016-08-15T07:34:11.802-07:002016-08-15T07:34:11.802-07:00Thanks, Susan! We do have a little flexibility, S...Thanks, Susan! We do have a little flexibility, Susan, and we could always decide to do something we've just come across instead of something we've planned. I'm sure we'll insert a bit of spontaneity here and there as we have in previous trips--even when folks said we were trying to do too much!Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-19412618956970776742016-08-15T06:26:41.307-07:002016-08-15T06:26:41.307-07:00Thanks, Jerri! I hope we'll have some flexibi...Thanks, Jerri! I hope we'll have some flexibility on the Loch Ness tour, if we do it, and we should certainly see lots of scenery in the course of the day. I think you've read Bill Bryson's book about England, and I'm reminded of the opening, where he notes that anything over a few miles away seems impossibly far to the locals, while Americans will cheerfully drive an hour for a taco!Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-57817812288765412952016-08-15T06:23:25.172-07:002016-08-15T06:23:25.172-07:00Well, neither Andy nor I are first and foremost ab...Well, neither Andy nor I are first and foremost about scenery, but perhaps on our next trip. And since I'm married to an immigrant and live in a city that's only 40% caucasian, I don't think I'd mind a place with a large immigrant community!Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-72740785218926005552016-08-15T06:18:21.897-07:002016-08-15T06:18:21.897-07:00Thanks, Deb. See all the other comments in agreem...Thanks, Deb. See all the other comments in agreement with your recommendation. I can see I'll have to bow to consensus!Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-72131593125526360072016-08-15T06:15:08.775-07:002016-08-15T06:15:08.775-07:00Thanks, Jim. Well, we're only driving for fou...Thanks, Jim. Well, we're only driving for four of the days--after that, it will be trains and we won't care what the traffic is like!Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-90665043286322601062016-08-15T06:13:44.268-07:002016-08-15T06:13:44.268-07:00Thanks, Darlene! Yes, we're always told the sa...Thanks, Darlene! Yes, we're always told the same thing, too, and I'm sure we'll be exhausted, but we can always scale back a bit here and there if fatigue gets the best of us. We like to aim high though!Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-25501810222291250302016-08-15T06:08:04.615-07:002016-08-15T06:08:04.615-07:00Thanks, Michelle Ann. We do have some flexibility ...Thanks, Michelle Ann. We do have some flexibility built in, and we like to see a lot when we travel. I wish we had several days to spend in each place, but alas!Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-10580767314965792152016-08-15T06:04:17.380-07:002016-08-15T06:04:17.380-07:00Thanks, Sandy. What with all the other comments sa...Thanks, Sandy. What with all the other comments saying the same thing, I think I will have to accept the advice abut Ely!Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-20669053186818138922016-08-15T06:03:17.944-07:002016-08-15T06:03:17.944-07:00Our philosophy seems to be that vacations are for ...Our philosophy seems to be that vacations are for wearing ourselves out! Ooh, I meant to mention that Hay-on-Wye was one of the painful cuts. Sad but true. But I think there might be good bookshops in some of the places we are going, so I'm sure I'll accumulate a few new books to weigh down my suitcase!Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-77425570889749552962016-08-15T05:59:46.906-07:002016-08-15T05:59:46.906-07:00I really tried to work in Norwich, Sue, based on s...I really tried to work in Norwich, Sue, based on some recommendations, but it just didn't work out. Next time!Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-64949925552917739512016-08-14T09:44:58.671-07:002016-08-14T09:44:58.671-07:00I vote for ELY CATHEDRAL!I vote for ELY CATHEDRAL!Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03964291132366262298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-25247554638394232022016-08-13T15:18:07.753-07:002016-08-13T15:18:07.753-07:00Agree that Ely is a better cathedral to do from Ca...Agree that Ely is a better cathedral to do from Cambridge than Peterborough or Lincoln - much shorter trip and a wonderful cathedral - if you can get to do the 'angels tour' up into the lantern it will be even better.<br />If you want a guide to Winchester, I'd be happy to meet you if you're coming after I'm back from France - but in any case I recommend the Great Hall as well as the Cathedral - The Round Table there is *not* Arthur's but has an interesting history, and 'Queen Eleanor's Garden' is lovely.Abbeybufohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09943340447141277258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-3057349410286042732016-08-13T14:39:54.491-07:002016-08-13T14:39:54.491-07:00Fantastic, 1 big ommision, Hay on Wye, book capita...Fantastic, 1 big ommision, Hay on Wye, book capital of Britain and the place of a real life 1920s murder, a consideration perhaps? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-30717002820666710472016-08-13T14:01:14.833-07:002016-08-13T14:01:14.833-07:00Oh mon dieu. Well, whatever you see, you'll h...Oh mon dieu. Well, whatever you see, you'll have a wonderful time. Have you left any time for a spur of the moment sidetrip, when someone at the B&B says, oh, you MUST see X, and it's just a short drive from here. Sorry, just adding to the madness, I know.<br /><br />If you feel you're short shrifting Scotland, just remind yourself you can make that the destination of choice next time. And do it. And never leave its borders.<br /><br />Bonnest of Bon Voyages to you both.Susan Dhttp://www.susandaly.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-10363153873740237642016-08-13T10:39:36.397-07:002016-08-13T10:39:36.397-07:00Well, you can't do everything, and every speci...Well, you can't do everything, and every specific plan will suit some and not others. I wish you both a safe and enjoyable trip. <br /><br />On the vote of "to Loch Ness or not Loch Ness", if considering a day trip that direction it isn't just to "see Loch Ness", there will be other stops and the drive through some delightful scenery. If the mini-tour gives you any choice, I would take the castle down the road rather than The Loch Nexx Experience or whatever they call the museum/tourist trip in the village, but even if they stop at the "Experience" you can walk about the village and the loch side, etc, you don't HAVE to go inside or stay there as long as you are ready when it is time to go.<br /><br />Of course, I would want to do both, in fact several days in Edinburgh and the three day Highlands and Islands mini-tour that included Loch Ness and much more, but you can't do it all.<br /><br />Have fun and best wishes,<br /><br />JerriAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-22563220102514280292016-08-13T06:04:50.422-07:002016-08-13T06:04:50.422-07:00Do not waste your time in Peterborough,it can best...Do not waste your time in Peterborough,it can best be described as an armpit of a place and awash with immigrants. It has nothing to recommend it and you'll regret wasting your time there. I would also suggest giving Avebury a miss.............you can see it in 20 minutes and the national Trust run the only car park and will charge you £8. <br /><br />What I would encourage is Loch Ness. Avebury is more of a " tourist trap " than Loch Ness. The Scottish countryside is not to be missed and is stunning. Sadly I think you have missed out on a lot of better options when planning your route......going to the Lake district and the Peak district would be a better option than the Whitby area from a tourist point of view. Good luck but please take my advice re Peterborough !!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com