Week 172 · Portobello Road · Little Venice · Rolling Stoned · Corfe Castle · Old Harry's Rocks
Saxons
Another UK bank holiday so Sharon came over for a quick weekend — remember the flight from the east coast is only 1.5 hours longer than going from DC to LA. We didn't really have any plans. The weather didn't cooperate much either — light rain and in the 50s. But as always just wandering around the UK is rewarding as you run into something.
On Saturday we were walking from Portobello Road to Little Venice and were met with a boat parade and festival. Saturday night the sun came out — stays light until 9pm — so we hit a pub and restaurant on the river in our old neighbourhood in Barnes. Then saw that a Rolling Stones tribute band was playing nearby in Putney. We showed up with no ticket, cash only for tickets, no cash or ability to get cash (ATM card was frozen), and it was sold out.
Three options for sneaking in: a) someone inside to open a fire door, b) jump the fence, or c) act like you know what you are doing. Option C almost worked but in getting caught they felt sorry for us and we eventually made it in — but in my old age it took two songs to make it in.
Odd for a tribute band — they played the hits (and were very good) and also their personal lesser-known favourites. So every 3rd song no one had heard.
Sunday we were heading to the coast for some hiking and on the way was a castle — Corfe Castle. We stopped for a quick tour through the ruins (1,000 years old) and since it was May Bank Holiday it must be time for a Vikings vs. Saxons battle re-enactment. Both sides were fervent hobbyists and played the parts. Vikings still lost.
Corfe Castle in Dorset dates to the 11th century — built by William the Conqueror shortly after the Norman Conquest — and was used as a royal residence for several centuries. It was destroyed by Parliamentary forces in 1646 during the English Civil War after a prolonged siege; the ruins were left as they fell. The castle sits on a prominent hill in a gap in the Purbeck Hills, giving it commanding views of the surrounding countryside, the steam railway, and mustard fields visible from the top — exactly as described. Old Harry's Rocks are chalk stacks and stumps at the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, formed by wave erosion over thousands of years. The main stack was named "Old Harry" after the Devil; the smaller stump beside it was known as "Old Harry's Wife" until it collapsed in a storm in 1896. The Jurassic Coast stretches 95 miles from Exmouth in Devon to Swanage in Dorset and contains rock sequences spanning 185 million years.
Eventually we made it to the cliffs — cut the hike short because of the wind and light rain. Even had to dig the orange sweatshirt out of the trunk because of the weather. Monday was a trip to Hyde Park and we went into Kensington Palace to see the Diana dresses — so points for me.
"No ticket, no cash, ATM frozen, sold out. Three options: fire door, jump the fence, or act like you know what you are doing. Option C eventually worked — but two songs to get in."