Bletchly Park

On the coach at some unearthly hour of the morning, it was shortly before 10am when we arrived at Bletchley Park courtesy of the Billericay Resident's Association. 

The house and grounds are stunning, if a little odd at times, as the building is relatively recent, with older features added in as the owner decided he liked the idea.

Bletchley Park is, of course, the place where the code breaking was done in WWII.  It was selected because:

- it was available

- far enough from London to not be a target

- between Oxford and Cambridge, where the employees would be selected

There are fascinating displays all around the place about espionage and code breaking.  How the codes were broken, for Enigma, and Lorenze.  There are stories of the code breakers, the conditions they lived in, and the 'unique skill sets' required for the different functions.  Most of all, the secrecy they worked under, being unable to tell even their spouse what they were doing.

We were on a tight timescale, as is the way with organised trips, so we did not see it all.  Maybe I missed the computing parts that I was so interested in, or maybe they are elsewhere.  We did, at least, get to see a model of the Bombe machine, apparently 'working'.

There are also some vehicles on display in the garages. This is my favourite:

1947 Sunbeam Talbot

1947 Sunbeam Talbot description

We were early enough to get the last two tickets for the guided tour, on the way to the meeting point, we passed this amazing copper beech.  I wonder how big it was in 1939, or if it was even there?

Alan Turing is now well known, because of the film Imitation Game, but he features only in a small part of the whole story.  The Commander Alistair Denniston features much more prominently, and was apparently very good at managing his group of brilliant 'mis-fits'.

Another lovely day out, thanks BDRA.
 

 

RSPB Rainham Marshes (14 May 2025)

RSPB Rainham Marshes is a relatively local RSPB site that we had not visited until yesterday.  So, taking advantage of the lack of child care responsibilities for the day, we set out shortly before lunchtime for "The Albion".  You can read what others thought of it here: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g2052502-d2509265-Reviews-Albion-Rainham_Essex_England.html. We had a very nice older person's meal in an almost empty pub, but we did arrive at 11:50. 

After that, it was only a short drive to the reserve.  The Visitor Centre is an impressive building, sadly it was almost unoccupied.  No refreshments of any sort available, despite it being a warm, bright day.

We walked the 'wrong' way round, so the first hide was some distance away. 

This hide is quite a distance from the scrapes, so the Grey Heron is very small. It flew around a few times.  An impressive bird. We also saw: Sandpiper Lapwing Canada Goose Grey Heron Greylag Goose Mallard M&F Pochard Lapwing Great White Egret Northern Shoveler M Oyster catcher Black Headed Gull Red Shank Moorhen

Coming at this time of year means we also get to see some young. Here a Greylag family are scouring the edge of the scrape, near where we're walking.  We also heard (according to the Merlin App): Eurasian Blackbird Canada Goose Greater Whitethroat European Goldfinch Cetti's Warbler Common Cuckoo Eurasian Wren House Sparrow European Robin Eurasian Blackcap Eurasian Blackbird Eurasian Blue Tit Common Chiffchaff Great Tit Great Spotted Woodpecker

By far the most exciting of those was the cuckoo. I hadn't heard a cuckoo for years.

Sadly, the reserve has suffered some damage. This level of vandalism is appalling. The hide will be out of action for a considerable time.

The reserve has a considerable war time (WWII) heritage. The RSPB also do their best to preserve this and make it accessible to the public.

	There is also, of course, loads of plant life.  There are also quite a lot of these in various places, pretty now, but don't eat the berries later in the year.  It's Deadly Nightshade, if you don't recognize it.

Allotment - Just Watering -29 Apr 2025

 

The grass has grown since our last visit, but not much else.  IT has been very dry.
The main activity today was watering, in the hope that the other potatoes will start to grow. We have decided to strim the grass and have bought a battery strimmer.

Today's visit was just about 20 minutes.

Highland Cattle at Norsey Meadow

 The Meadow is closed.  Despite what it says on the notices, when the Highland cattle are there, the meadow is not open to the public.  This appears to have something to do with idiots and horns. Idiots, because people have tried to feed them things they're not supposed to eat.  Cows eat grass, I thought that was obvious, just leave them to it.  Horns, because the horns are both awesome and terrifying at the same time.  The lady grooming them has received bruises from contact with the horns.  Having said all that, go and see them.  They are due to move to Hannikins soon, and are expected back in the Meadow in September.

 

We're going on a bear hunt

Well, actually a cow hunt, and we've been.  It was significantly less dangerous than a bear hunt.  It has it's own hazards, of course, but no more rambling (pun intended).

Our destination is Mill Meadows, Billericay (just up the road for us).  They have recently introduced Aberdeen Angus cattle.  Here are some of the pictures I took as we wandered around.  The pictures are in reverse order, so the cows are at the bottom of this post, because we found them very quickly. 

The birdsong was amazing, we used 'Merlin' to identify the birds: Wren, Blackbird, Robin, Blackcap, Song Thrush, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Greenfinch, Chiffchaff

The hedge bordering the Southend Road, I think it's mainly Blackthorn, always lovely in early spring.

A dandelion, supporting insect wildlife, and bringing so bright colours to the meadow.

Broom, another plant contributing to the colours in the Meadow.

The Oak Tree is dominant on the left, but has competed with something else on the right.

Picnickers on the other side of the valley, we can hear voices, but not words

Aberdeen Angus, mother cow

Aberdeen Angus youngsters (no horns)

The cows are looked after by 'cow checkers', who visit regularly to ensure they are healthy.  this was true when the Red Poll were in Mill Meadows too.  We met one, he was collecting rubbish in a bag.  As he approached the cows they assumed the bag contained food and gathered round.  Was that a cunning plan, or just good fortune?  There are new water troughs, only the ones where the cows are have water in them, the water doesn't look very pleasant to the human eye, but for cows I expect it is fine.

Allotment 27 March 2025 and 11 April 2025

We visited the allotment on 27 Mar 2025

 

Before

After: The digging is complete and the potatoes have been planted

.

 

 Our next visit was 11 April 2025 (too long!)

Before

We pruned the pear tree (which should have been done last month), dug the vegetable patch and the flower patch at he other end, and did some general weeding.

Whitstable in April - Tuesday 8th

Yesterday we had just missed the sailing of the "The Chieftain", a 1920s lifeboat.  Today the tour around the bay was the first order of the day. 

After another big breakfast, we headed down to the harbour.  We had done a lot of walking yesterday (for me), so decided to take the bus.  There are three buses that cover that route.  My bus pass didn't work on the first one, but after the driver examined it more closely we were allowed to travel.  

Arriving at the harbour, we booked our tour, chatted to the staff and made friends with more Labradors.  Today, the wind has dropped a little, so the trip is more pleasant than it would have been yesterday.  While waiting, we also watch aggregate being unloaded from a ship.  The company at the end of the harbour makes asphalt.  Once on board, almost taking a dog with us (apparently he does go out on tours sometimes), we enjoyed a commentary about the harbour, the boat, and Whitstable in general.

Views of Whitstable from the boat

In the afternoon, we travelled to Broadstairs.  We had been advised that it was better than either Margate or Ramsgate.  It was a lovely afternoon, after a light lunch in the Albion Hotel, we walked along the sand and looked for evidence of the old funicular railway.  We sat on a terrace, drank tea and watched the gulls.  I had done more than enough walking.  Other birds included parakeets, but they went before I could get a photo, of confirm their calls with the 'Merlin' app. We also found out how expensive the beach loungers are, so we moved on.

A turnstone, possibly a young one

A recovered figurehead from "The Scotsman" on the old lifeboat house.

A herring gull

 

Part of the beach at Viking Bay, Broadstairs, with Bleak House in the background.

To round out the day, and because we hadn't yet had fish and chips, we ate here:

We had decided a while ago that we would not try oysters.  There is too much going on to suffer an upset stomach.

Whitstable in April - Monday, 7th

After a nice breakfast, we headed into town once again.  This time we kept going, because on the other side of town is 'Whitstable Castle'. Our host called it a folly.  It is really only a large house, built in the late 1700s and the garden was originally an industrial site.  The garden was very nice, the roses looked particularly healthy, but are, of course, not in bloom yet.

Whitstable Castle Gate house.

Whitstable Castle Welcome Board

The Castle and Tearooms

The Castle Garden, looking to the bowling green

We sat outside, even though it was quite chilly in the shade, watched the children play, and made a fuss of a Labrador. 

Then it was back to town, we had lunch in "The Tudor Tearooms".  I went in for the crab cakes.  While the meal was good, and the service excellent, the crab cakes themselves were lacking the essential crab flavour.  It meant that we had had two large meals in succession.  

Another of the oddities on the way back to the B&B is this creature (?).  I couldn't get a picture yesterday because the light was all wrong, but today in the early afternoon with a carefully chosen angle, here it is.

We bought some light food for dinner and drove to Herne Bay, where we had a drink in "The Ship", then sat in the car and watched the sun go down. Several people got in the way of this shot, so it is my first attempt that survived. The road we are parked on is next to the sea wall. There is a prohibition against parking on the sea wall (you'd need wheels the size of tractor wheels to get up there!). The road is narrow and has a 20MPH speed limit. Cars were passing us at probably double that, our car moved as they passed. It was lovely watching the sun go down, but I didn't feel that safe. We drove back home in the dark. There is nothing else to do in the evenings on Monday's and Tuesday's.

 

Whitstable in April - Sunday, 6th

Our only chance of a break comes at the beginning of the Easter Holidays. So we have booked ourselves into a B&B. After church on Sunday, we make our escape. The weather forecast is good, dry and sunny for the whole week. It's only about an hour to Whitstable, and travelling after 3pm on a Sunday afternoon is a good time - the traffic is light. When we arrive at the B&B we have to find our nominated parking space. We have been warned that they are small, so driving down Norfolk Street, (a very narrow road with cars parked down the left-hand side) we get to the parking space and turning into it is not possible. From our space onwards, the cars are parked on the right. I drove down to the end of the road, turn around, and return. Now there is room to turn in. Each time we do this, we will have to use the same procedure. The room is lovely, just what I was expecting. We are given the guided tour by our host, and then left tour own devices. 

At this time of year, there's still plenty of light left, so we stroll into town. There are a few interesting things to see on the way into town.  The first is this diver on the railway bridge, and soon after a tribute to Somerset Maugham.

Further on there is the "Peter Cushing", a Weatherspoons Pub.  After a walk around the harbour, we had dinner in the Duke of Cumberland.  A nice well cooked meal, with good service.  Then back to the B&B to try to get some sleep.  We are not used to sleeping next to a main road, so our night was a little disturbed.

Woodbridge and Sutton Hoo

The half-term holiday provided an opportunity for a long weekend.  On Friday morning we booked a hotel - The Grove House for three nights.  On Friday afternoon, we arrived there after a little over an hour's drive and settled in.  That evening, we ate dinner at The Fox, down some very narrow, dark roads in a village just outside Woodbridge.

Saturday

We visited Sutton Hoo, where in 1939 they discovered an Anglo-Saxon boat burial.  For once, the National Trust has done a great job on the site.  We looked around the ground floor of the house, displaying the story of the dig, a dramatic story of warring archaeologists, if you believe the film "The Dig".  But the real drama was the time pressure cause by the impending war with Germany.  These were politer times, with more reasonable attitudes and a spirit of cooperation.

Sutton Hoo - burial boat outline model

The national trust site has more detail of the burials, found https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/suffolk/sutton-hoo.  We, however, got our information from one of the guides, who was very knowledgeable, and spoke very well. 

Sutton Hoo - House

 

The house is impressive, standing on a promontory on the Deben Estuary.  The guides in here were also friendly and knowledgeable.  The presentations were videos, audios, and lots of printed material.

The burial ground has one mound that is noticeably larger than the others, this is because it has been reconstructed and is being used to estimate the decay rates for the mounds:

In the background there is a viewing tower, which gives an excellent view of the whole burial ground.  Most of the burials have been robbed, it is thought that this happened in the time of Elizabeth I, who was desperately short of money and may have encouraged the search for buried treasure.  The main ship burial was not undisturbed, but the robbers failed to find the treasures because they entered in the wrong place.

There are some lovely walks around the estate, and a short diversion from one takes you along the Deben, with some great views of the river.  

Dinner was at The Bull, in the town.

An excellent day out.

Sunday

We attended St John's, which is a New Wine Church.  It had a great feel and made us both nostalgic for the New Wine days at Christ Church.  We also met a couple who used to live in Billericay and worship at Emmanuel.  It's a small world.  In the afternoon we took a short walk along the Deben, then a late lunch at the Coach and Horses.  I had walked enough, beyond the tolerance of my left knee.  So we returned to the hotel early.

Monday

After a brief visit to Woodbridge, we returned home, arriving about lunch time.

Brooklands Museum

1991 McLaren MP4-6 show car

On Thursday, 20 February 2025, we got up early for us (me), and made our way to the bus stop.  The coach arrived on time, and we made our way around Billericay, then off to Brooklands Museum. The journey was about 2 hours, and comfortable enough despite us sitting further back than usual.

On arrival, we were greeted by the guides, who split us into smaller groups.  The weather was threatening rain, but the stopping points are mainly inside.  We saw a few old F1 cars — a replica of James Hunt's championship car included, and Ayrton Senna's McLaren. A lot of aeroplane engines and aeroplanes.  The highlight being the Hawker Hurricane, and the Rolls-Royce Merlin.  There were more Hurricanes in WWII and at the Battle of Britain, than there were spitfires.  That was because the company took a risk and prepared for the big order they were hoping for before it was signed.  It meant there were enough planes in the sky to win the fight.

We also saw the test chamber where planes and other vehicles could be tested at very low temperatures and very low air pressures. We learnt that Barnes-Wallace was a dedicated family man and saw his office — from the outside.  

The tour ended outside on the pit straight, in clear view of the awesome and terrifying banking; it's there because they couldn't test the speed without it, being unable to corner well on the narrow, primitive tyres of the day.

We ate our lunch undercover because the drizzle had started, then queued for way too long for a cup of tea.  We now had not-long-enough before the Concorde experience.  We visited the bus museum and paid homage to the Routemaster, among others. Waiting for the Concorde, the heavens opened, so we 'hid' under the plane.

Concorde 003

The experience felt hurried; it was well put together and good to see how Concorde looked to its passengers. There was much to look at and read, but the narrow gangway and the number of people meant I did not get to see most of it.  The 'flight experience' was underwhelming in today's simulator world.

On the return journey, there were RTCs on both the southern and northern routes on the M25, so we took a route inside the motorway.  The journey time approached 4 hours, I'm so glad I wasn't driving.