Friday, September 30, 2011

Postcards from Friends - Sue Murray - 27.8.1969

Castle Ramparts, Dover.

From:- Sue Murray - 27.8.1969

Dear Pen and Dave,

     So glad you can come on Friday, looking forward to seeing you.  Piccadilly is the closest station and I think!  you can come up Subway 5.  I'm not sure but if it is not right you will have to ask someone where the Regent Palace is.

     I will wait in my room until you come up.

See you then, love Sue xx

Thursday, September 29, 2011

England - Hampshire-Wiltshire- September 1969

 King Alfred in the middle of Winchester.

A new roundabout and buses today from Google.

 On the A30 to Salisbury and below a couple of new signs... I love 'The Wallops' so I Googled up that road and found Nether Wallop, Middle Wallop and Over Wallop all pretty little Villages with one Pub each.

 Salisbury Cathedral.  After all the beautiful Cathedral's we've seen all around the World, far too many to count, we always come back to Salisbury as our favourite and we especially love John Constable's painting... actually I'm in love with John Constable, well his self portrait anyway.


A post card from 1969 above and below from Google.  You can only get close to Salisbury Cathedral on foot these days so the Google Camera missed out.

The Poultry Market in Salisbury with the 'Haunch of Venison' Pub behind and same today from Google Maps.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Guildford - August 1969 - Taxi Repairs

Back in England, back in Merrow, back at work and David is doing much needed repairs to Tabitha 2 on the right.  He's changing gear boxes inside and out.  Tabitha 1. had to be left in Merrow while we took Tabitha 2. to Scotland, I hope T1. didn't get too upset.  T2's gear box played up on us a bit hence the change over.  And a bit of body work as well.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Postcards from Friends - Sue Murray - 13.8.1969

Brussel, Belgium.

From:-  Sue Murray - 13.8.1969

Hi you two Swingers!

     Well I made it this time, one day out and I'm already having a ball.  Weather perfect and the scenery too much!  Not to mention the Continental men!

     Sorry I couldn't write before I left but a postcard is more interesting than a letter.   Leaving London on Sunday 31st August at 5:30pm so you can take it from there.

     Hope you had a good time in Scotland and enjoyed it as much as I did.  Love to you both, Sue xx

Monday, September 26, 2011

Postcards from Friends - Jenny Noonan - 4.8.1969

Heidlberg, West Germany.

From:- Jenny Noonan - 4.8.1969

Dear Pen and David,

     Been having a beaut time.  Didn't like Belgium much.  Adore Germany, we've just come through the Black Forest.  Met a lot of people, some beaut, others weird.

     Thanks so much for letting us stay the night before we left, we wouldn't have made the boat if we had slept the night in London. The weather has been really hot and we've been swimming quite a lot.

     I hope you enjoy Scotland.  Love Jenny.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Scotland - August 1969 - Edinburgh to Guildford.


Jedburgh Abbey, a ruined Augustinian abbey founded in the 12th century.  The abbey is situated in the town of Jedburgh, in the Scottish Borders just 10 miles north of the border with England at Carter Bar. Jedburgh is the largest town on the A68 between Newcastle upon Tyne and the Scottish capital, Edinburgh.

Below from Google, isn't it a beautiful Abbey, what a shame it was sacked several times during the border wars.

England... We've seen so much of the very beautiful Scotland, travelling up the West Coast, across the North then zig zagging across the middle then down the South Coast but it's time to head back to Merrow and back to work.

Here is a new 'England' Sign on the Scottish/English border at Carter Bar, difficult to see in this shot from Google but trust me, it does say England... because on the other side it says Scotland!

We can't make out what that thing is on that pole?  A Basketball style of rubbish bin?  A light?  What do you think?

Oh dear naughty me, maybe I shouldn't be walking on the old walls of this Roman  Military Station... From the website below... it says... walk along the main street... 

Visitors to Corbridge  can walk along the main street of this Roman garrison town, flanked by the remains of granaries, a fountain house, markets, workshops and temples.
Sitting astride the intersection of Roman Dere Street and Stanegate, Corbridge was initially the site of a series of important forts. But after Hadrian's Wall was fully commissioned it developed into a prosperous town, a tempting leave-centre for off-duty Wall garrisons.
Abandoned after the collapse of Roman rule in Britain, the town centre has been systematically excavated, producing the fascinating array of finds now most attractively displayed in the site museum.


Below from Google Maps.


Heading back home and quickly... this photo below, taken near Sheffield, is the last photo we took until after we'd got home to our little flat in Merrow and gone back to our jobs.  What a truly wonderful time we had, what a beautiful and generous country Scotland is.  Thanks Scotland... I know it took us another 36 years to get back but we did enjoy ourselves once again in 2005.

 On the M1 near Sheffield... Same bridge below, I think!

Below is a new sign at about the same spot as our black and white photo above, mileage is a little shorter but that must be because of the new roads in the area.



Saturday, September 24, 2011

Scotland - August 1969 - Edinburgh.

 We loved Edinburgh, we still do, the buildings, the homes and the people are all very welcoming.  Here we are on top of Carlton Hill looking West.
 The Folly on Carlton Hill.

 View of Princes Street from the Castle.

 The Queen Mary Rooms in Edinburgh Castle.


 Inner Court Yard.

 View of Princes Street from Edinburgh Castle.
 Greyfriars Bobby.  Do you know the Greyfriars Bobby story?  Even if you do refresh your memory by going to this Site.  and having a good read.
 Tourists are still flocking to see his monument.



 Google Maps... Perth to Edinburgh.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Scotland - August 1969 - Perth to Edinburgh.


 From the Firth road bridge to the Firth of Forth railway bridge, Fowler and Baker 1882 - 1890.  1700 feet spans, 5300 feet long.

 Still in use today.


Castle Street, Edinburgh looking across Princes Street Gardens to Castle Hill.


 Princes Street.

One way traffic today.




Castle in the middle of this photo with the Scottish Academy on the left.



Just looking...