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Exploring Shirehampton and Kings Weston House.
Shirehampton, an overgrown village tucked away in the Northwest Corner of Bristol is not the first place that comes to mind for a Bristol walk. Yet it offers a lot of variety from sweeping views of the River Avon to historic architecture and interesting local history. The village still has a traditional high street with…
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Castles, coastlines and countryside a mid Wales adventure
Mid Wales is a sparsely populated region of rolling hills, small market towns and stunning coastline. It is ideal for over sixties who enjoy the nostalgia of steam trains, afternoon tea and gentle countryside walks. Bill and I have just returned from a short coach holiday to mid Wales staying at the Metropole hotel in…
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William Champion’s garden in Warmley near Bristol
This weekend I had a chance to take a tour of William Champion’s garden. William Champion (1709 – 1789) was one of Bristol’s most important industrial pioneers. In 1738 he patented the first successful commercial process for separating zinc from its ore. He went on to establish a thriving brass works which became one of…
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Luminescence at Westminster Cathedral
Last weekend I visited my son Richard in London and we went to see a Son et Lumiere show at Westminster Cathedral. Luminescence told the story of the cathedral using light projection and classical music with a live orchestra. The history of the church was narrated by Hugh Bonneville who is better known for Paddington…
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A daytrip to Salisbury
Salisbury is a beautiful medieval town in Wiltshire just eight miles from Stone Henge. It is chiefly famous for its magnificent early English gothic cathedral which has the highest spire in England and the best preserved copy of Magna Carta. Last Saturday some members of our walking group met at Temple Meads railway station in…
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A stroll through Kingswood
On Sunday about twenty of us enjoyed a short stroll through Kingswood on the outskirts of Bristol. The walk was part of the annual Bristol walk festival. It was led by a very knowledgeable guide. She had been working with a local reminiscence group and was able to share some of their memories with us…
