Years ago, Stephanie and I became acquainted with Karin and Nicky Mander who live at Owlpen Mander, Gloucestershire.  Caroline, Duchess of Beaufort introduced us, and we have had the greatest friendship–fun times and great laughs!  I have taken friends to Owlpen and have recommended the holiday cottages to our London clients in case they would like to stay in a cottage in the Cotswolds for an additional week after London.  It is an idyllic setting where time seems to have changed little.  Karin is a fantastic chef–it is her hobby, and Nicky is a scholar, antiquarian, and philosopher –there is no other way to describe him.  They are my dearest, dearest friends whom I love entertaining at our homes here in  the States and at home in London.  I thought I would tell you a bit about this amazing couple and about their cottages which you are welcome to consider for a lengthy stay in this magical part of England:  the Cotswolds.  I love it, and I love them.

Thomas Moore   email:  TMooreSr@me.com    Telephone:  801.791.9918

http://www.londonconnection.com

THE ASHMOLEAN MUSEUM in Oxford is easily reached from London.  It is a wonderful day-out-of-London, and the treasures of vast.  Incredible visit.

Thomas Moore   email:  TMooreSr@me.com    Telephone:  801.791.9918

http://www.londonconnection.com

Thomas Moore   email:  TMooreSr@me.com    Telephone:  801.791.9918

http://www.londonconnection.com

Blenheim Palace is the crown of the baroque architecture in England.  While in England several times, I have gone to Blenheim Palace, at Woodstock, Oxfordshire, for a day away from London.  Usually my friend Maureen Walker drives me to Woodstock, but twice I have taken an organized tour from London to Oxford and then on to Blenheim at Woodstock.  This absolutely fabulous site is the residence of the 11th Duke of Marlborough who has made the restoration of Blenheim Palace his life’s work.  The Palace was built during the end of Queen Anne’s reign and during the first years of the Hanoverian Kings–Sir John Vanbrugh was the principal architect;  however, the building was completed under the direction of Hawksmoor.  I encourage my readers to make this visit to Blenheim a primary consideration, perhaps even after Windsor Castle.  It is simply spectacular.  I grew up knowing about the First Duke of Marlborough’s defeat of the forces of Louis XIV at the Battle of Blenheim and about his famous note to his wife:  I have no time to say more but to beg you will give my duty to the Queen, and let her know her army has had a glorious victory. I used to play with my grandfather’s lead soldiers and act out some of the old Duke’s battles–I still have the lead soldiers I used to play with. Knowing some of the history is very worthwhile–of course– before you visit the Palace; but the building, the gardens, and the lavish interiors are visually incredible.  The palace is open spring, winter, and fall, but the Palace is closed during the winter for maintenance and care.  There is a great gift shop, but do have your lunch at the inn in Woodstock which is attached to the grounds of Blenheim.  Years ago, my father told me about the small man-made island which faces the palace with the trees placed as were the infantry at the Battle of Blenheim.  Everywhere it is history, beauty, and magnificence.  Everything is on a grand scale–exquisitely done!  When I was in college, I read a book called the GLITTER AND THE GOLD which was Consuelo Vanderbilt  Balsan’s memories when she was married to one of the Dukes of Marlborough, but after producing an heir and a spare, she decided the Duke was not for her.  Really a great read–I can remember it to this day.  Thanks, Dad.  There are several tours from London for about 65 pounds per person, but I would call Maureen Walker and have her take you.  She will drive you through Oxford on the way.  PERFECT DAY out of London.  I will post a few photographs to stir your interest and enthusiasm.

The Great Library by Hawksmoor

Detail of the Blenheim Tapestry showing the defeat of the French at the Battle of Blenheim

The Duke sending his famous note of VICTORY to the Queen on the back of a dinner bill from a repast the night before the battle

Detail of the red drawing room, showing the lavish interiors of the State Apartments

Thomas Moore   email:  TMooreSr@me.com    Telephone:  801.791.9918

http://www.londonconnection.com

Thomas Moore   email:  TMooreSr@me.com    Telephone:  801.791.9918

http://www.londonconnection.com

Thomas Moore   email:  TMooreSr@me.com    Telephone:  801.791.9918

http://www.londonconnection.com

Thomas Moore   email:  TMooreSr@me.com    Telephone:  801.791.9918

http://www.londonconnection.com

We in the London Connection offices receive questions about how to get to some of the great sites to visit during their stay in London.  STONEHENGE is one of the most regular requests.  I first ask how many people are in the traveling party.  If the group is five or six people, I always suggest hiring one of our drivers, particularly David Norman, to drive clients because there is more flexibility to see other smaller sites on the way.  However, if the group is a smaller group or a group that is trying to do the most in the shortest period of time, I suggest the train.  I tell people to take the train to Bath stopping off at Salisbury to see the fabulous Salisbury Cathedral.  At the Salisbury station, there are always drivers who are sitting there like beetles seeking tourists to take them to Stonehenge–a short distance away.  The drivers take the clients to the pre-historic site, wait, and return them to Salisbury to hop back on the train to Bath.  Then, they are on their way to the glorious Georgian city. Spend the remainder of the day in Bath and take the latest train back to London–arriving very late, after a fantastic day.

OR

Take a guided bus tour where everything is organized and planned.  I have not taken the tours in this article, but for those who don’t feel comfortable making their own arrangements, this company’s arrangements sound good to me.  Give it a try, and let me know what you think.

Thomas Moore   email:  TMooreSr@me.com    Telephone:  801.791.9918

http://www.londonconnection.com

Day trips out of London do add variety to a London visit.  Coach tours and trains allow London visitors to have a day out of London, and it is easy to arrange.  Choose your day trip which interests you and then decide how you wish to achieve your destination.  Some people rent cars;  for me, that is a horrible idea when trains and coach tours are so readily available.  Why spend your day out of  London trying to figure out British roads and cars when you can quickly reach your destination by train allowing longer periods to visit your chosen destination.   Often, there are coach tours which combine two or more desired destinations–makes good sense and are often reasonable.  I have been hopping on and off trains in Britain all my life and have found the train to be the quickest and most economical means to reach the destinations I have chosen to visit.  This morning over the Internet there appeared a listing of ten suggested day trips outside of London.  I thought I would post their recommendations and make  comments and suggestions of my own.  There are certainly two I will add and one I will discourage.

Leave London by train early in the morning and take the train to Bath with a stop in Salisbury.  Hop off the train in Salisbury, grab a taxi tour car at the train station–they are all over the place–and proceed to Stonehenge.  The taxi will wait for you at the historic site and bring you back.  They do it day after day.  While you are in Salisbury, have a look at Salisbury Cathedral.  It is spectacular.  Then back to the train for your ride on to Bath for the remainder of the day.  Check at the station for the latest return to London so you will have a good period of time to see Bath.  You will arrive back in London late, but what a fabulous day.  Do a bit of study about Bath before you go.  There is so much to see.

Winchester is an easy ride from London by train. I did this trip two years ago and loved it.  It is more of half-day trip or a bit more, but it is worth the ride.  I would do it on its own, not combined with Stonehenge.

This is a fabulous day trip out of London.  I would definitely do it by coach tour or by private escort service in a private car–Contact David Norman who works with the London Connection.

I love Shakespeare, so from time to time, I feel I must make my way to Stratford, especially if my grandchildren are along.  My suggestion is to take the train to Stratford and then work a deal with a local taxi driver to visit Warwick Castle and then return you to Stratford.  There are many, many bus tours that combine these two stunning destinations.  I find it hard to do a bus tour where I have so little control over the amount of time I want to spend in one place or the other, but the bus is an efficient way to see two sites.

This is a full day trip, but last year, I hired a driver in London and visited Cambridge and combined it with a visit to Sandringham, the Queen’s Norfolk estate.  It was a great day.  With five of us, hiring David Norman for the day made sense.  We had a great trip.  Cambridge’s Gothic style buildings combined with the fabulous visit to Sandringham made for an outstanding day.  Fantastic.

This tour is a must!  It is an short train ride from London and you can wander through this university until your feet are sore and then hop back on the train to London.  It is an easy visit, and I find it very uplifting.  Oh if I were 19 again!  I like to take my grandchildren to Oxford to give them ideas–perhaps?

This is an easy ride from London by train.  LEAVE LONDON EARLY as the lines are long in the tourist season.  My favorite time to go to Windsor is during the holidays with the Queen has decorated the castle with Christmas decorations and the tables are beautifully set.  AND, there are NO LINES.  You feel like you in the castle on your own.  Also, many of the semi-state rooms are open which are closed in the summer.  One benefit for visiting in the summer is the Round Tower which is now open for summer visitors.  BUT ARRIVE EARLY or you will be in line for over an hour.  I hate lines, especially when you can take an early train from Paddington Station, change at Slough, and take the connecting train to Windsor–all very easy.  You can’t get lost;  just follow the others coming to visit.  This is my favorite day trip out of London.  I have spent many hours wandering through this old castle.  I don’t like it when they move paintings around or send them on exhibitions;  I like it to stay the same all the time.  Some things in life just ought to be reliable and unchanging.  Sign of age, I suppose.  But, there you go.

I enjoy the train ride and day in Brighton.  It is a straight ride from London to Brighton, and on a spring or summer day, the city is wonderful.  King George IV’s Pavilion in Brighton is a must.  Wander the lanes and shops and then spend a bit of time on the Victorian Palace Pier.  For several years, the city looked shabby, but in the past few years, it has been looking good.  When you feel that sea breeze, you will understand why the Regency court loved spending the summers here.  Very interesting.  Easy train ride.

I don’t know why you would come to London and spend your time at this theme park, but I suppose it is an option.  Not for me.  Sorry.

Paris for a day?  Why not?  But, here are my suggestions.  Book your ticket on the Chunnel weeks and weeks in advance–do it on line. You can get the return ticket for 70 pounds instead of 300 pounds if you buy it on the day.  Leave London on the first Eurostar train from St. Pancras –not the Waterloo Station as noted in the above article.  It is around 7:30 AM.  Return to London on the last train leaving Paris Gare du Nord–it is around 9:00 PM  arriving back in London at 10:30 PM (you get the hour back that you lost when you arrived in France).  If you want to see a lot for your day, hop on the first open top bus and do the city tour.  I did it a couple of weeks ago, and it was fantastic.  You can go to a site, jump off and visit, and then hop on the next tour bus which comes by every fifteen minutes–mas o menos.  For me, I just stayed on the bus and enjoyed the panorama of this spectacular city.  If I had had a whole day as you will have, do the trip all around once and then do it again by staying on the bus– jumping off and on all you want.  It is one price for the day.  Great fun.  Find a cafe for a bite to eat, but I would not waste a day trying to find a place to experience French cooking.  I guarantee you, you will be disappointed.  Toughest meat in Europe.  My opinion.

The day trip which has been left out of this group is for those who love Victoria and Albert.  It is a day trip to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight–Ryde.  I take this trip at least once every two years.  You catch the train from Waterloo Station to Portsmouth Harbor.  Jump on the ferry and cross the Solent to Ryde.  I ride the little shuttle train to the town of Ryde, have fish and chips in the local seaside cafe, and catch the green bus to Osborne House.  You leave the bus at the Prince of Wales pub, near Osborne House.  The bus driver will direct you.  Spend the day at Osborne, and return to Ryde and on your back back across the Solent to Portsmouth Harbor and off to London.  Caution:  when you buy your ticket at Waterloo, be sure you say you want to be a return ticket to Ryde, Isle of Wight, via Portsmouth Harbor.  I really enjoy this trip.  Another caution:  if you are taking this trip on a Sunday, the bus from Osborne House back to Ryde comes infrequently.  Step into the Prince of Wales pub and ask him to call a taxi.  That is what we did when we were there three weeks ago–it was too cold to wait for a public bus.  Another option is to take a taxi from Ryde who will bring you to Osborne House and wait for you.  That’s an option.  But, if you have time, don’t miss this wonderful day.  I wrote an article about our visit which I posted on this blog about two weeks ago.  Check it out.  I give more details.   I enjoy the train from London,  I enjoy the ferry across the Solent, I love my fish and chips in Ryde, and I could wander around Osborne House thinking about all that happened here for an entire day.  Read about Queen Victoria’s life before your visit.  Fabulous.

Thomas Moore   email:  TMooreSr@me.com    Telephone:  801.791.9918

http://www.londonconnection.com

While in London this week, Stephanie and I were determined to find some time when we could take the Thames River Cruise to the Royal Naval Academy at Greenwich.  I enjoy this 1/2-day trip for a lot of reasons, but for sure it is a wonderful opportunity to take excellent photographs.  I had a family reason for taking this trip while in London this week.  My father had an American  friend named Edmond Webster Kittredge who joined the British forces before the United States entered the Second World War.  He joined a group of his friends who wanted to get into the action when the US was hesitant to come to Britain’s aid.  In my father’s diary, he writes that there is a tribute to Kittredge in the Painted Room at the Royal Naval Academy, Greenwich.  My father states that Kittredge was an air force pilot, but when I arrived in the Painted Room, I see that he actually joined the Royal Navy.  When my father left Britain in 1945, he said that Edmond Webster Kittredge was killed in battle in 1943.  With all this information, I sought out the honorary plaque to my father’s friend and his companions who jumped into the war before Roosevelt went before Congress with a proclamation of war.  Defeat the Nazis or die was their goal.

Let me publish a few photos of the great Painted Room where Horatio Viscount Nelson lay in state after the Battle of Trafalgar and before his body was taken to London for national grieving and burial in St. Paul’s Cathedral.  The great Thornhill paintings of the early Hanover Dynasty are spectacular as is the ceiling portrait of William and Mary.

Our trip to Greenwich was wonderful.  I took hundreds of photographs, and I will do an article on the monuments along the River Thames as soon as I catch my breath.

Thomas Moore   email:  TMooreSr@me.com    Telephone:  801.791.9918

http://www.londonconnection.com