TravelStream™ news feed for member ukpete on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/ukpete en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sun, 09 Nov 2008 06:53:01 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ukpete/1/1226245620/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ukpete/1/1226245620/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ukpete/1/1226245620/tpod.html Sun, 09 Nov 2008 06:53:01 -0500 In search of people I've known, areas I've not visited and all the querky people-events indigenous to my country, the UK

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Grimsby, United Kingdom

Sue and I enjoyed Bob and Marisha Pinion's 25th wedding anniversary garden party and i chatted to Bob's father Roland about his interesting surname and hisfamily history. I'm said I'd help him try answer a few questions.
After there we jioned Sue's brother John Nicholson over from Beverley and other brother Alan with wife Shirley and daughter Helen at the outdoor venue of the new Events Arena for theCleethorpes Proms. The Manchester Camerata were the orcestra
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Friend Sue "Rudd", organized a get-together in Cleethorpes for some of us to meet her new partner Steve. He's a Kiwi from North Island, NZ, and they plan to live over there soon near the beach. We had drinks in the Nottingham pub and then on to the Queens. There was a pool table there, where John Pougher, Steve and Tony Berry showed off their skills, despite the beer. As it turned out, the winner was Georgina Berry, which was a surprise to her; a good time was had by all.
The next day saw the Ordinary National Diploma in Sciences 40 year reunion taking place.This was a press release I penned. "It was a very mature gathering in the Visitor Centre of the wonderful Gibraltar Point Nature Reserve, where we had spent a week ,forty years ago, as young resident Boston College OND Science students. Six of us; Stuart Asher, Mike Ball, Keith Butters, Robin Cosgrove, Mike Hurst and Pete Milsom out of the original 12 on the course, made it to the event on Saturday August 2nd this year, organized by myself and Robin (a regular at the reserve and a widely traveled expert on world ornithology). Over lunch, we retold stories about the good old days in the Sixties at both Boston College and the Gibraltar Point Centre itself, and had look in both the laboratory where we'd studied and the dormitory at the bunk-beds where we'd slept ( and broke a window ) in those far off days. Finally we visited a hide to observe some of the resident and visiting birds before saying our goodbyes. Let's do it again in ten years time ? cheers Pete (pete.milsom@ntlworld.com)".
After that ,Sue and I sped down to the Van Morrison Picnic at Audley End, Saffron Walden. Marvelous music delivered up a rise where we sat and ate with the country house as a stage backdrop.Van ended with a fantastic 20 minute finale of "G-l-o-r-i-a" and was chauffeured away at the end before the band had finished playing, he certainly beat the rush ! Unfortunately Sue's M reg MX5s engine expired at Lincoln. Pleased to say the car has a much younger one in it now.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ukpete/1/1226155740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ukpete/1/1226155740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ukpete/1/1226155740/tpod.html Sun, 09 Nov 2008 04:25:20 -0500 In search of people I've known, areas I've not visited and all the querky people-events indigenous to my country, the UK

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Grimsby, United Kingdom

I don't know why its called the Latitude Festival despite spending the weekend there at Henham Park near Southwold, Suffolk, and despite hearing literary "snippets " recorded there, ever since on radio 4. On the way we called in on Pat Wallis in Boston, Lincs.; she's helping me find old friend Andrew Penman. Pat was a family friend of the Penmans of whom all but Andrew are deceased. Pat knew my parents, Don and Connie Milsom, and her daughter was at Kitwood Girls Secondary School with my sister Amanda. After parking up at the venue and then carrying the tent etc a great distance to its pitch near to the arena entrance, we remembered why daughter Eloise and Danny had taken a sack barrow when they went to this years Glastonbury Festival . For those who haven't caught up with festival going these days- there is an abundance of staff manning every field, path and gateway. The camping areas are divided by fire-breaks and are watch over from high scaffold towers with an extinguisher person at the base. No bottles or cans are allowed in to the arenas area (so it's plastic bottles only) and no illegal substances either! So quite what that "Herby" aroma was that I was forced to passive smoke I don't really know. The couple moving white powder about with a credit card must have missed the rules too. Other changes to the "old days ", include having a supermarket, debit card cash machines,Samaritans and free ear plugs on site,(some young children and babies were wearing "headphone" earmuffs too, though not all). Sanitation has advanced in leaps and bounds: from returning home smelling awful in the same clothes we went in, to todays youngsters getting daily showers and seemingly endlessly cleaning their teeth. The loos are unisex and sat way above the reception tank providing gruesome sights and sounds, but no fear of splash-back! and you no longer wash your hands just alcohol gel them like in hospitals. The entertainment of this "not just music festival" came in the forms of book and poetry readings, theatrical plays, mime,dance and cabaret. So much to see and do, so we decided who to listen to by socializing with the young people either side of our tent and by talking to my son Rob Milsoms' mate Lewis Duckworth who was there with friends Afra, Dan and Carol. Regarding the music, needless to say, not all of it was to our liking; Sue likes Disco and I'm into Prog. Rock and because of the different stages and when we could attend we missed a lot of the good groups including the Guillemots(who we enjoyed at the Hop Farm concert), the Coral, Blondie, Noah and the Whale, Nizlopi(remember the JCB song),the Crystal Castles and the Maybes. But amongst others we did get to see and enjoy the music produced by Johnny Flynn, Beth Rowley, The Mars Volta, Martha Wainwright, Amadeus and Mariam, Joanna Newsom, Fields, the Twilight Sad, White Lies, Team Water Polo, I am Kloot, British Sea Power, the Go Team, Deus, Seasick Steve, Elbow, Deathcab For Cutie, Franz Ferdinand, and of course Sigur Ros who put on a fantastic show and to say they left the audience stunned would be an understatement.
On the way back home from Southwold we called in at the Old Kings Head, Laxfield ,still genuinely unaltered, this friendly16th century Inn serves real ales and home cooked food. Commonly known as The Low House, this fine old pub has NO BAR( only one other similar left in the country), but dispenses the beers straight from the casks in the tap room: the high backed settles and a warm open fire adds to the appeal..We sampled some Adnams"carbon neutral beer", a bit modern for this place but it still tasted good.
Finally we called in at, old mate, John Vellams new place in the wilds of Norfolk He and Lily (now married) are doing an impressive double barn conversion and plan to invite us to a bit of a do there when finished next year.
The following Saturday saw a group of us from "childrens services" Dudley St, Grimsby, form the Barnardo's walking float (all in fancy dress) in the Parade at Cleethorpes (part of the annual Carnival). All went well and we had fun interacting with the spectators while collecting for the charities "pot", on that, for a change for this event, sunny day.
Sadly, the last day of July saw the funeral in Grimsby of Susan, a striking, gifted, and long suffering friend, Linda Mortlocks sister, and ex partner of Roger Coult (who also tragically died this year). I'll always remember them both as valued regulars on the real ale bus trips and at the boozy parties at my old flat at 8A Abbey Drive West, in the Seventies.
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Sue and I and our tickets to see Neil Young and others at the first Hop Farm music festival went down to Kent and the new home of the very friendly couple Felicity "Flea" Elvidge and Bob Pyke.It is a lovely 16th century cottage near Northiam and they and daughter have a great view across farmland. We went for a tour round the area in the evening and ate at the Queens Head at Icklesham with its wonderful view of the now landlocked town of Rye on its"island" and the newly installed and controvertial wind turbines.Somewhere round there Spike Miligan has his Gaelic headstone reading "I told you I was ill".We later chatted and looked at old photos. Early next morning I was up and metal detecting before breakfast. I found nothing of any real note, but the several items were interesting to Bob and Flea.I had strawberrys and a radish I'd dislodged whilst digging, for breakfast, while the others had the Lincolnshire sausages we'd bought at Pettits in Grimsby. We said our goodbyes and set off to the Festival site and arrived a litle late, missing two groups. We did manage to listen to Rufus Wainwright, the Guillemots, Supergrass, My Morning Jacket and and Primal Scream despite the inclement weather and finally Neil Young. He can still sing and very much play and gave us a good time, eventually destroying the strings on his guitar to forestall any more encores. Pleased to get back to the car out of the cold, it took us over two hours to force our way out of the field and the rest of the night to drive back to Grimsby.
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I had a day on my own to spend in Boston before the old boys from Boston Grammar School and the Boston High Schools old girls' 1st joint picnic. I decided to track down old Grimsby flat mate Paul Rawlinson having got his address earlier from the Internet,(him being a company director).He wasn't at home ,but his wife Joy and son Paul were and I had a coffee and chat with them. She'd already heard stories of him living in the large hallway at 8A, but not the bit about him leaving so that we had somewhere to put the usual huge Christmas tree.Paul senior is a world traveler and was away for a while, so we've arranged to meet up in October for a meal in Boston before the family move to Peteborough, where according to Joy it is a bit more multicultural. I think alot of people would say Boston is overly multicultural at the moment, but maybe not with Malays such as Joy. Of interest, is that I'm in touch with Twigg Richmond who with Paul in the Seventies were THE stylish couple in the Boston New Inn circle. I then visited The Party in the Park and initially found John Paine to talk to before renewing an acquaintance after a 35 year gap with Dudley Walker, whom I last remember seeing with Mick Launchbury at the 1972 Bardney Music Festival at Tupholme Abbey. Dud asked about Willie Newsam and Big John Killingworth and I was able to provide info and address's. Diane Smith (nee Wolverson ,who initially married Steve "Bucket" Payling-- Steve is officially missing and may well have been eliminated, possibly in Holland, by "business colleagues" ) found me , and later we set off to Fishtoft Grange to the Picnic. On the way I called in on old Cleethorpes house mate Liz Adkin, who along with ex-partner Colin Stones, had lived at 75 Kingsway for a year. The "take you own food" picnic was in lovely grounds but bitterly cold and the only people I knew were Paul Mould OBA President and organizer of the Do, storyteller Ty Dalby, and Tessa Hills (Spud Murphy's sister)who is a teacher at BHS . Diane knew more people than me and chatted to them, compensating a little for the Arctic conditions. Luckily the big band played Glen Miller style music to dance to, which warmed us up a bit, and I found one of the more memorable moments was when I had a quick dance with Helen McEvoy the first joint Head of both Schools.After dropping Diane off at her mums, I filled up at the useful unmanned petrol station at Boston ASDAs, and headed back home stopping briefly in Louth for a burger( which are available from a van there until 3am!).
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ukpete/1/1215773820/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ukpete/1/1215773820/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ukpete/1/1215773820/tpod.html Fri, 11 Jul 2008 07:41:21 -0400 In search of people I've known, areas I've not visited and all the querky people-events indigenous to my country, the UK

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Grimsby, United Kingdom

Sunday and it's the Humber Bridge Half Marathon on the North bank; I don my (Blue Peter construction style) Postman Pat outfit and do the funrun and then carry on to complete the race in a record 4hrs! The elite runners catch me up entering Barton , the south side of the bridge,(which used to have the longest single span in the world), having taken 30 minutes to cover what took me 90 and I ultimately finish last and have a super cup of tea at the Marie Curie Tent. Why do I do it? I understand it's "attention seeking"; but that's not the full story , my fee and sometimes if my character has arms "collection" goes to charity, I'm at last losing weight, I love the delight or confusion on the faces of the tots with their mums and the back slapping from the proper runners.I'll put a photo on the blog when I've learned to "weave" one in. On a very different note the beautiful Sue Rudd visited Grimsby to see her mum and friends. Hil Pougher, Sue and myself met at Tony Berrys place for an excellent chat about the old days, in the early seventies, and look at some old photos I'd dug out. We were later joined by Georgia Berry and drank fruit teas and took photos outside. Sue is to move back to N
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Grimsby, United Kingdom

I donned my headband and set up the tent at the first of the two annual music festivals at the Badger Farm Collectives' site at Red Hill, overlooking Asterby in Lincolnshire. What a wonderful vista, from the top of the bluff, of the valley below as you listen to the various bands playing on stage, who range in styles from traditional folk to the down and dirty rock of Grimsbys own Starvin' Sid. Despite the weather, the Ecofest was a success, it is small and friendly and quite gripping too, at times, especially when a giant wicker guitar was burnt after a marriage had been blessed, the wedding party linking arms around the edifice to the stirring sound of the drums of Sambalada. An all drum band who included friend Annie from the heroic "Artlandish" -art teaching company . Also I met Billy Anderson and Sharon Davis of Grimsby, both colourful and crazy, whom Sue and I last saw dj ing at a karioke contest, fellow tent erector, good company, and computer site designer, Dave Clark of Naveby, Nick and Lyn Barrett now of Lincoln, whose spiritual home is Louth and it has been over 35 years since I last met up there, with the then often barefoot Nick, and finally a trio of friends from Boston. Katie Abbott, the widely appreciated gravel voiced singer, who unfortunately I never got to hear this year, her partner, ex pub landlord and crayfisherman extrordinaire, Rob Endyke, and a good friend of my sister Amanda Newbery, (who is now in Lafayette, Louisianna), Sue Tunnard. The camp site was abley supervised by the well travelled Wayne and Julie Walker (I think) of Bronco Bunnie Bashers touring fame in their huge 4-wheel drive. I'd love to contact them (and any one) if possible.
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Grimsby, United Kingdom

We've just had a great holiday at Elsdon and Joan Franks' Cretan home in the olive grove above Tavronitis on the NW coast .Our host introduced us to several friends and Taverna owners( the men mostly being called Manoli!) and showed us the local sights including the oldest olive tree in Crete , the newly found Roman mosaics in Kissamos,the birds at Lake Agia(the small Bittern being a first for me),and the still part traditional indoor market in Hania .We dined on Cretes greatest foods including wild herb fed rabbit and goat, with lemon and olive oil drenched salads and local caught fish, washed down with Raki and for me, "being dry", some tasty mountain tea.I very much enjoyed a modern Gyros(zakziki kebab) too.Their balcony is in sun from sunrise, when you can hear Reveille being sounded at the nearby army camp at Maleme to sunset over the promontory to the left; altogether a stunning 200+ degree view of the Med.We walked down the impressive Imbros Gorge in 30+ heat, with plenty of water in my trusty ConocoPhillps shoulder bag, and were amazed by the numbers of walkers coming up! We swam several times in mask and snorkel and I encountered several fish which would have been a home in a tropical? fish tank back in Grimsby.Being an early riser I explored the area by foot and bike and when John and Lesley Raisen (ex-award winning grocer /newsagents in Melton Mowbray) arrived to spend a couple of nights I had a companion and we toured further, sampling oranges and peaches where we could.They were having a short and very cheap break in Hersonissos and had hired a car. This proved to be very useful in that we got a lift back with them to their place and spent the rest of the day in the pool.Later they dropped us off at Heraklion Airport and we spent the night in the spacious waiting/sleeping area with all the facilities we needed apart from a comfy bed. The flight to Humberside in the morning went well and we then caught the bus for the 35 minute journey home for £2.70 each!
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On the 2nd, Sue and I met up with Murray and Cate Basingthwaite in the "Yarborough Hunt" pub in Brigg, recently constructed in what was the brewery tap of the old Sergeants Brewery which was devoured by Grimsby brewery Hewitt Bros in the sixties. A new pub is an unusual occurrence these days when pubs are shutting down due to the indoor smoking ban. They are over here for a break from their Alpaca farm in New Zealand and amongst the others there were the super-cool Jim and Ros Gower . Saturday 3rd saw us in Spalding with Stu and Linda Asher at the 50th Tulip parade, not terribly interesting but a people sized event with a carnival queen, unlike the Juggernaut train we have at Cleethorpes.Stu and I met on a science course at Boston College 40 years ago. Also recently I've found through some research two other course members, Pat Truepenny and Robin Cosgrove who join a short list comprising myself , Mike Ball, &Tim Ibbott. Shaun O'Hara succumbing to the sands of time. Still more to find for that reunion. After Spalding we experienced Bostons renown 9day street May Fair, which takes over the whole of the town centre. I much regretted a rash move to show how young I am by going on one of the rides that swings you about in all directions through the sky, never again . I still managed the Humberston funrun as Postman Pat , the next day though.. Last weekend we attended a charity football game between ConocoPhillips and Fabricom, we won 2-1 , no doubt due to me finding :-) ex Grimsby Town prospective player Ben Higgins and him playing for the refinery.On Sunday last we had a bike ride in fabulous weather in the local Bikethon for Leukeamia research; in fancy dress of course, why make it easy? We were a knight and his lady, ...in helmets! Yesterday I was part of a cleanup group of the local small river ,the Freshney. There were lots of volunteers and the days task was soon accomplished. Some no small interest was aroused when an evil-looking long stainless steel carving knife was found, which may well turn out to be the murder weapon of local victim Ben Tilling .
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Friday 16th saw me taking part in a clean-out of the Sue, Ellie and I spent Saturday Evening (17th) at niece Emma Marie Nicholson and Scott Middletons' new home housewarming barbecue in Barnetby and luckily it was warmer than the garden. Sunday saw us tidying the garden ready for our trip to Elsdon and Joan Franks'place in Crete. I dropped off my beach combings with my Grimsby Flower Lovers contact; it will be interesting to see what they think of the driftwood and antique jetsam I've supplied, for them to be creative with. Sunday and I missed giving my niece a phone call on her 27th birthday. Lorna, my sister Amanda Newbery and my great-niece Maddie have been a 3G household in Lafayette since they left New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.Things are now working out for them after a lot of hard work and studying. Spoke to Robin Cosgrove, field ornithologist and double-glazing salesman extrordinaire and he thinks we should use Gibraltar Point for our college reunion, when it comes about
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