#Countryside visits UK

[travelernight]

Unlock Wonder: 20 Most Magical Experiences in the United Kingdom

[maureen2musings]

Country lanes

@lensereflection

[legitedigiulia]

STUNNED

march 2024, Seaford UK

Dramatic view of the majestic Seven Sisters in East Sussex, England

[aperiodofhistory]

Christmas in the Cotswolds

[bryonyashaw]

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10 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙚

📌 𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣

Haven Holidays is a chain of holiday parks in the United Kingdom - we staycay! It operates self catering static caravan holiday parks with many also including touring and camping facilities. The company operates 41 sites in the UK in mostly coastal locations.w

📌 𝙈𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙇𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝

A modern facility in Louth. They have a gym, steam room, sauna, exercise activities plus a swimming pool and more. This photo is from one of their toddler groups.

📌 𝙌𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙣𝙨 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙈𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙥𝙚

The paddling pool at Queens Park, also known as Mablethorpe Splash Park, is free for all visitors and is one of the most popular amenities at the boating lake.

📌 𝙎𝙠𝙚𝙜𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝘼𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙪𝙢

Seafront aquarium offering a range of fish tanks, educational exhibits and marine wildlife encounters.

📌 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙍𝙚𝙨��𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙎𝙠𝙚𝙜𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨

The traditional home of the great British seaside holiday, Skegness is famed for its bright lights, Blue Flag beach and nostalgic amusements. Here the kids can discover all the classics; donkey rides, arcades & candyfloss on the promenade.

📌 𝙎𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝘼𝙙𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙

A theme park in Nottinghamshire, on the Yorkshire border, designed for the under 10's. It's a great value, fun family day out!

📌 𝙂𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙨𝙗𝙮 𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙠

Located next to Grimsby Leisure centre. As well as offering general skating sessions they also offer skating lessons, figure skating and ice hockey

📌 𝙒𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙥𝙚 𝙂𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝘾𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙚

Dinothorpe exhibition is awesome - confined in a small and covered area is a collection of moving and roaring Dinosaur models.

📌 𝙏𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙤𝙣 𝙇𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙢𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙙

For those seeking an active lifestyle, Tallington Lakes is perfect, offering fantastic on-site sporting and leisure facilities to enjoy all year round: On the lake – water skiing, wakeboarding, windsurfing, sailing, jet-skiing, paddleboarding and canoeing.

📌 𝘾𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙝𝙖𝙢

Located in East Lindsey is a 200-acre reservoir and treatment works constructed between 1963 and 1978. There's water sports available and a lovely walk too.

[angelkarafilli]

Wood End Farm in Winter c.1980

[blimbo-buddy]

Twolegplace Folktales: A Molly Named Johnny

Often, some of the folktales and fictional stories spread around Twolegplace to Twolegplace originated not from the UK, but from places far beyond the ocean. Songs of heroes and villains, epics of the protagonist's journey to save something or someone, poems pondering the nature of life through fictional scenarios.

But sometimes, these stories are not about some great journey, or philosophical questions, but rather something as simple as the land around the cats, or the other individuals they may meet, or maybe even the meeting of a cat and a Demonio. One such story is one that goes by many names, "The Demonio and the Fiddler", "The Molly's Fiddle", but the most well-known title of the story is "A Molly Named Johnny".

Cats who came from beyond the sea, from other lands, were the ones who brought the folktale with them onto the ships. This folktale was one of many that caught the ears and attention of many cats, each passing down the tale to the next, and on and on. The plot since then will differ depending on which Twolegplace you visit, some tell of different fates for the characters and some even add new characters. However, the rough summary of the plot is;

A Demonio had wandered the countryside, heart aching for a soul to snatch and add to its collection, it was a trickster and a clever one at that. It stood on two legs and where it's front paws would be was replaced with grotesque, human hands. It's trick was to fool a cat into a fiddling contest, knowing of a feline's lack of proper thumbs to grasp anything, it always won. One dawn, it stumbled upon a lit up barn, bustling with feline life and joy and cheer. And in that barn was music from instruments, but not just any instrument, a fiddle.

It calmly waltzed to the barn, the ceilings decorated with lights and cats eating and drinking the night away, but the fiddle had stopped playing when it reached the barn doors and the Demonio could not figure who was playing it. Cats froze as they laid their eyes onto the Demonio, and it called out, demanding the presence of whoever played the fiddle. Silence filled the air, until a scruffy old molly-cat took a step out from the backstage of the barn and responded back to the stranger. The Demonio offered a deal to the molly-cat, if she could beat them in a fiddling contest, she would get a beautiful golden fiddle. But if she lost, her soul was theirs and they would come back to the barn every year to take a new soul. The air was still, but the molly-cat puffed up in pride and called out, "Well then, my name's Johnny and I'll gladly take your deal, Demonio!"

And so, the Demonio summoned a case out of thin air and pulled out their golden fiddle. They drew the bow along the strings with a horrible hiss and began to play a fast, screeching, but highly impressive song. They scratched the bow along the strings so harshly that smoke seeped from it and into the air, but ol' Johnny didn't give much care. The Demonio finished, and Johnny was impressed, but she gave a smirk, grabbed her old fiddle, and said, "Let ol' Johnny show you how it's done!". She put her entire heart into her song, each note came from a place that didn't demand attention or praise, but lovingly played for no audience, only herself. She finished, and the Demonio was impressed at her ability to be able to handle a fiddle. The Demonio was a trickster, but they were fair. They put their hands up and admitted Johnny's victory, handing her the golden fiddle, but she declined. She didn't need a fiddle of pure gold, all ol' Johnny wanted to do was entertain and play her old fiddle for the barn. The Demonio was humbled, but accepted Johnny's rejection. And they left with a bow, never to be seen by Johnny or the barn ever again. Johnny cleared her throat, waltzed up onto the stage, and simply began playing her fiddle once more.

Changes to the story often seen

Johnny being portrayed as more egotistical and prideful. In some endings of the story, this Johnny does accept the golden fiddle

The meeting of Johnny and the Demonio being just between the two instead of meeting in the crowded barn

The Demonio implied to previously visit the barn to snatch another soul, to which Johnny put an end to

Tied in to the last one; Johnny's mother or father being one of the Demonio's victims. Characters who never showed up in the old story

The appearances of Johnny and the Demonio in the original story are left as vague as possible, however many versions will often describe Johnny and the Demonio

Adding on; A few popular versions of Johnny's appearance is a brown tabby, an orange tabby, or a tortie

Johnny having six toes on her paws which in some explanations within these stories, "Gave her a better grip on the fiddle"

The Demonio being accompanied by other Demonios to aid in their favor

Conclusion

A Molly Named Johnny is one of fiction, cats cannot properly hold a fiddle as I'm sure we know. However, some cats cite the folktale as being one that gives them bravery to face against a challenge that frightens them. Some also use the folktale as a message that a cat can use a Demonio's own tricks against them if the situation calls for it. Johnny, to many, is a hero. One who stood up to a Demonio and defeated them, one who did not back down or feel fear in the presence of one, something that so many cats wish they could be.

[olympeline]

Now my Hetalia passion has flared up again to early 2010s levels I’m feeling the itch to get back into writing fanfiction…which I really shouldn’t because I’m so bad at finishing things unless they’re one-shots 😂

EITHER WAY I’ve got an idea for a FrUK fic where Arthur’s magic gets so fed up with his centuries of endless tsundere posturing that it rebels against him and starts showering Francis with embarrassing affection. Because magically powerful but inept wizard Arthur is always fun and “character A is in denial about their love for character B, but it comes out through their magic anyway” is a trope I LOVE

It starts small. Arthur tries to hand Francis a pen and it poofs into a red rose when it touches Francis’s fingers. Arthur is flustered but manages to brush it off (Arthur’s Death By Mortification level: 5%)

After a brief scuffle over who gets the last chair with padding (“HAHA SUCK IT, ASSTOWN FRENCHY!!” - the former nation of Prussia) Francis tears his favorite silk shirt. He bemoans it to Arthur…only to find it’s suddenly fixed itself. Arthur denies all responsibility and says France just made a mistake as usual. France is adamant he didn’t (Arthur’s DBM level: 15%)

Francis, already one of the world’s prime gourmets, invites the G7 to dinner and his cooking jumps up another notch to stratosphere levels after Arthur takes his first bite. Everyone notices (Arthur’s DBM level: 30%)

Whenever Arthur visits France the country is blessed by mild winters, springs that would stun a poet, glorious summers, and radiant autumns. Meteorologists are baffled but no one is complaining! Except Arthur. The UK meanwhile suffers constant dark, glowering skies and sulky storms (Arthur’s DBM level: 50%)

Francis and Arthur stroll through the French countryside, Francis points out a historical excavation sight, and oh look what do you know: they just happen to pull out some ancient treasure that will be a crown jewel of the Lourve. Francis ecstatic (perhaps it was even something he lost centuries ago). Arthur quickly excuses himself and runs home (Arthur’s DBM level: 70%)

Pre-meeting, Arthur overhears Francis sighing that the Italy brothers are a shoe-in to take the world prize for best cheese this year (because that’s a real contest that France and Italy have an annual slap fight over) since the French cheese makers have had a bad year. Only oh no they actually haven’t! Seems there was a late entry that blew the judges socks off and gets France another gold. Francis is ecstatic again…and getting a little suspicious by this point. Arthur hides in a closet and wishes nations could know the sweet release of death (Arthur’s DBM level: 85%)

Francis brings up the Olympics at a World Conference and Romano, still sore over the cheese, loudly remarks that of course France will top the medal board with England “helping” so much with his “fucking Harry Potter wizard BS.” Suddenly all eyes on Arthur, France included. Kill him. Kill him now (Arthur’s DBM level: about 5 million)

Arthur when he gets home: STOP FUCKING DOING THESE THINGS FUCK YOU

Arthur’s magic: Nah fuck you, man *Flips him off twice and gives Paris another tourism boost*

[legacygirlingreen]

May 1889 // Farmer Sebastian Sallow x Reader (part 1)

The prologue.

Warnings: parent death

Word count: 800

Masterlist here

Life is emotionally abusive… 

When their widowed mother dragged her and her younger siblings from the only home she had ever known, she was angry. Kicking and screaming, she fought the decision all the way to the United Kingdom.  Their mother brought the remainder of their broken family to the Scottish highlands, where she’d grown up to move in with the kids' dying grandmother. Having spent her childhood rarely visiting the small hamlet of Feldcroft, it hardly felt like home, but instead a strange land in which she was dragged a handful of times. 

The rugged countryside with its cold winters and windy coastline were a far cry from the ever stretching fields of lavender on the Mediterranean she had grown up with. The way the sun cast the lovely bronze on her skin, despite its more fair nature - thanks to her mother’s northern roots unfortunately - always made her feel alive. Moving to a place that hardly experienced a summer at all, instead of the many months of warmth, only further added to the cold and isolating feelings she bore at the loss of her father.

Her father, the ever charming and playful man, had met her mother while visiting London for work. The two, having made such a profound connection in only a matter of days, lead to him whisking her away from the UK to marry and live with him in the south of France. Their whirlwind romance had always been an epic tale of love, devotion and laughter, told over the dinner table and as a bedtime story. 

His passing had been so sudden. The man unfortunately had been killed for his research on magical plants, by a traveling rogue wizard. Later apprehended in Wales, the British ministry reached out to offer condolences. Pairing that with a pain existing in a place without her love, it made sense to her why her mother had left France, despite how much it hurt her and her siblings. 

As they finally arrived via the floo flame in Feldcroft on a late May evening, they were greeted by the sight of their very old, sickly looking grandmother. Their grandfather passed away a few years back, and they’d revived the owl. Their mother left for the funeral alone, before she returned to take care of them. 

Standing in the brisk May air with her siblings, and a simple suitcase housing all her possessions she tried not to grimace. Rickety looking houses, ruins of a castle nearby, cows just simply walking around unattended. The place looked… interesting. 

As her Scottish grandmother made her way down the line reuniting with her younger siblings and mother before making the way in front of her. Reaching out, sensing the panic and fear rolling off her in waves, her grandmother simply offered a small hand, allowing her to take it instead of forcing affections on to her. A fact she appreciated. 

Allowing her grandmother to cup her palm in her old hands, she leaned up to kiss the old woman on the cheek in greeting, before continuing to scan the area. At the house next door she could see broken fences as well as a man grumbling around trying to force sheep back inside. Distracted, she stared until her grandmother broke her out of a trance.  

“That’s Solomon Sallow, former auror. He’s an… interesting man I admit. Has a set of twins in his care a few years older than you, but they are off to Hogwarts this time of year. Their parents died a few years ago, poor things. Anyways, come along dear, you’ll have the loft entirely to yourself” her grandmother said with a small smile and a comforting squeeze before dropping her hand. She tore her eyes away from the gentleman having successfully used his wand to repair the broken fence around his sheep. 

“Did you say former auror?” Her mother, Evelyn, asked her Gran, as the old woman nodded. 

“Yes. He’s a bit grumpy, but it’s nice to know someone who can put dark magic in its place is nearby” Gran said, hoping to ease the tension. 

“Well… that’s comforting to know. Did you hear that y/n? She said that he takes care of twins not much older than you. Perhaps you could make a friend or two” her mother offered and she shrugged, wanting to curl up in bed and sleep. The fatigue of missing her father daily still weighed heavily and after traveling she just wanted to rest. 

In hindsight, she wished she had paid more attention to the conversation between her mother and grandmother as they ushered the family inside, as it told all about the boy next door…

[melrosing]

If you don’t mind me asking what were the symptoms of your dad’s tumor? I hope you and he are doing okay, thinking of you. X

Thank you anon, he’s doing really well out of surgery (the site of incision on his head is a faint line just two weeks on) and has recovered so much of himself ❤️ I am still feeling shit lol but better than before 👍🏻

I don’t mind you asking about the symptoms and to be honest they were very difficult to call so maybe it’s useful info bc all our theories were wrong.

“Dizzy spells” - The earliest sign was August last year when he suddenly felt extremely nauseous, dizzy, and though he could talk and walk it made him feel worse to do so. He could name the prime minister (and if u recall, in UK politics that was a tricky thing to do in summer 2022) and lift his arms, so we ruled out things like strokes, and figured it was some kind of vertigo?? Then the episode concluded and he went back to normal. That one lasted maybe 2 hours, but subsequently it was a steadily increasing number of similar episodes that lasted much shorter periods, i.e. seconds. We suggested he get it checked out but didn’t worry too much bc lots of people get “vertigo”. Anyway turns out these episodes were minor seizures, just with none of the trademarks that we recognised

Posture & Gait: suddenly his posture was awful?? Starting 4 months ago maybe. He was hunched over like a man in his eighties, and even when we tried to get him to stand up straight he physically couldn’t do it. He started dragging his feet a bit and navigating whilst walking suddenly became a conscious effort for him 2-3 months ahead of diagnosis. A week before diagnosis he fell and couldn’t arrange his limbs to get up again

Stamina & Fatigue: his stamina got steadily worse. I went to visit my parents a couple of times this year and we went for walks in the countryside, and vaguely registered that dad was lagging behind a bit. That got more and more noticeable until around July where he would be trudging by the end of a walk, and then a week before we got the diagnosis he could hardly manage 200 steps without intense fatigue. Also for months he was yawning and napping within a few hours of waking up and then all through the day. All the housework he did was done extremely poorly and he often left things in a mess bc he couldn’t find the energy to complete tasks

Voice: dad usually has a very powerful voice, but it was gradually thinning for months till he could barely raise it. He also was less open to conversation, because talking was suddenly an effort

Memory: this was really hard to spot for a long time, but a month or so ago he would occasionally get the day of the week wrong, and start prepping food he’d planned for Sunday on a Saturday. He kept buying milk even though they already had bottles. He wasn’t able to follow the precise nuances of a TV show (though he’d normally have no trouble with this). But long-term memory was absolutely fine, working memory was the problem and then not always

Mood: he wasn’t low exactly, but just kind of absent - and he’s usually very emotive. He didn’t engage with things he enjoys like usual. His friends couldn’t get him to chat for more than five mins on the phone, nothing really made him laugh anymore. When he really started deteriorating we were like ‘can you not understand how worried we are’ and he was just like :\ very dismissive like

Right-sided weakness: a week or so after my parents came back to stay w me I suddenly noticed my dad smiling w one side of his mouth which is not normal for him at all. He retained full control over his face but at that point we clocked there was a distinct right-side weakness and took him to A&E

I’m describing things in this longwinded way because I think it was hard for us to name what we were seeing for a long time, especially when the changes happened so gradually. At some point or another whilst desperately googling his symptoms I did see ‘brain tumour’ pop up but I dismissed it bc:

He had no headaches or indeed any pain at all. He had nausea occasionally but apart from the first episode it was never protracted

His vision was fine

The seizures didn’t look like what I thought seizures were (no twitching or blackouts etc)

The memory issues were not obvious, he’d follow a recipe fine and not miss any steps etc

He wasn’t having any real speech/language difficulties

Mood/personality changes weren’t obvious, he was just more subdued

I think if there had been any fucking results on google telling me what these ‘dizzy spells’ actually were we might have got somewhere a little sooner (for whatever that would’ve been worth), and if I had known how variable the symptoms of a brain tumour can be depending on where the thing is…. etc etc. a lot of things feel painfully obvious in hindsight but they weren’t at the time: GPs and paramedics both were fixated on neuromuscular issues. But yeah tumours present in complex ways, I think (hope) that the reason we found dad’s so hard to define is because it’s actually in a pretty good spot (as these things go) where it wasn’t really affecting his functions till it was the size of a small satsuma. anyway there you go that’s what happened

[geekcavepodcast]

Jessica Jones Kicks Off New Series of Adult Crime Novels from Hyperion Avenue and Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics has announced a new Marvel Crime fiction series for adults from Hyperion Avenue, an imprint of Disney Publishing Worldwide. The first novel in the series is Breaking the Dark: A Jessica Jones Marvel Crime Novel from Lisa Jewell. Later novels in the Marvel Crime series will include characters Luke Cage, written by S.A. Cosby, and Daredevil, written by Alex Segura.

Having one been a spandex-wearing crimefighter, Jessica Jones now works as a private investigator in Hell's Kitchen, New York, with an off-again, on-again relationship with Luke Cage. One day, distraught mother Amber Randall's barges into Jessica's office with an unusual story.

"Amber is adamant that something happened to her teenage twins while they were visiting their father in the UK. The twins don’t act like themselves, and they now have flawless skin, have lost their distinctive tics and habits, and keep talking about a girl named Belle. Amber insists her children have been replaced by something horrible, something 'perfect.'

Traveling to a small village in the British countryside, Jessica meets the mysterious Belle, who lives a curiously isolated life in an old farmhouse with a strange woman who claims to be her guardian. Can this unworldly teenager really be responsible for the Randall twins’ new personas? Why does the strange little village of Barton Wallop seem to harbor dark energies and mysteries in its tight-knit community?" (Marvel Comics)

Breaking the Dark: A Jessica Jones Marvel Crime Novel goes on sale on July 2, 2024.

(Image via Marvel Comics - Cover of Breaking the Dark: A Jessica Jones Marvel Crime Novel)

[grandmaster-anne]

9 March 2023 Sophie, The Countess of Wessex during her visit to The Countryside Education Trust, Beaulieu, Hampshire, UK Photos by Tim Rooke

[bryonyashaw]

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10 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙚:

📌 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙔𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙇𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝

A lovely space for relaxing in, with a children's play area, kiosk selling food and drinks and even it's very own Art Gallery! Events take place throughout the year.

📌 𝙒𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙨 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙠

The wildlife park is home to magnificent animals of all shapes and sizes, from lions and a leopard to brown bears, capybaras and ring-tailed lemurs

📌 𝙃𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙣 𝙁𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝘽𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝

A stretch of golden sand separated by groynes at the south end of Cleethorpes, plus a lovely walk

📌 𝙇𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙇𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝

Imaginative role play areas based on Louth.

📌 𝙀𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙚 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙣 𝙑𝙪𝙡𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙠

Locked In A Mysterious Room With 60 Minutes To Get Out. Do You Have Split across two fantastic Lincoln venues. Could you escape?

📌 𝘾𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙥𝙚𝙨 𝙎𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙋𝙞𝙩

Cleethorpes Boating Lake is a a fun day out for locals and tourists alike. It’s the home of a range of free and paid activities and a key place to visit when you’re in the resort. You can also hire a boat, to paddling at the paddling pool to playing at the sand pit.

📌 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝘾𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙢𝙖 𝙇𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝

It was built in the 19th Century as a Congregational chapel. A cinema showing current releases from the UK and abroad, with senior screenings and a classics club.

📌 𝙅𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙘 𝙁𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙎𝙠𝙚𝙜𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝘼𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙪𝙢

As you explore the lost world of Jurassic Falls, beware there will be dinosaurs at every twist and turn along the winding trail. They will be hiding in the bushes, grazing in the tree tops, and towering above your head, even crocodiles at the bottom of the falls.

📌 𝙎𝙩 𝙅𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝘾𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙝 𝙇𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝

St. James’ is the historic parish and civic church of Louth. It is the probable burial place Saint Herefrith – of one of the Saxon bishops of what became the Diocese of Lincoln.

📌 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙇𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝

The centre has two soft play areas one for 5 years. Both of the play frames have places to climb, slides, bumpy steps, places to look out and more.

[annamiasworld]

Know Me Tag Game

thank youuu @thinlinez for the tag! I'm at home and bored anyway so this was fun :)

relationship status: dating (unofficially? idk, it's complicated but I'm enjoying it)

favourite colour: blue

song stuck in my head rn: Nonesense by Sabrina Carpenter 😅 it's caught up to me too by now

last song I listened to: You Need To Calm Down by Taylor (while getting ready yesterday morning)

favourite foods: lately it's been fries. But also my all time fav, fish, rice and veggies

last thing I googled: baby names for girls (for a rpg)

dream trip: I'm planning 3 amazing trips atm and all of them are kind of dreams coming true.

a trip to the UK with friends, seeing the countryside, revisiting Liverpool but also London, visit Harry Potter related places

visiting @silver-inked ♡

seeing family in Greece, going island hopping and maybe meeting a friend's family there, showing her my hometown

tagging: @silver-inked @hide-in-imagination @shadathebookworm @mariamibbrahim @sapphire374 @gaybarbiegirl @funkyliloboist @anyone

[timelessweddingstudio]

Capturing Timeless Moments: Wedding Photography in the UK

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Tuesday 30th April 2024

We were allowed to sleep in today, well until 6.45 at least. We had to have had breakfast, a wash behind the ears and present ourselves out on the platform for an 8am departure. For some unexplained reason we had spent the night parked in Bulawayo Station which was fine because there was no motion from travelling along the tracks, but there was a fair bit of noise from the engines that needed to be running to provide power to all our Aircon devices. So the train disgorged all of us and repackaged us into a plush coach. Bulawayo is an intensively poor city and full of the signs of what it once was. The station was a lovely redbrick reminder of UK stations as they used to be. Buildings built without budget to house all the admin features required of a terminus of this importance but sadly falling on desperate times and having allowed it's grandeur to diminish along with it's status. Passing through its portals we found ourselves on its forecourt and viewing Bulawayo critically for the first time. To our left was a colonial building of once great importance but now gutted and roofless. As our coach pulled out onto the main thoroughfare immediately to our left was a huge coal powered power station. Things hardly improved as we drew closer to downtown. Huddles of men stood on street corners awaiting work, shops with little provenance or purpose were opening for the day, rubbish stood piled on the streets, pavements were churned up in disorder, little traffic flowed and third world rather than modern city was its flavour. We drove on and fairly soon the streets became more manicured and bungalows more suited to a comfortable Surrey town became more prevalent. Mormon, JW, Catholic, CofE churches filled one street. Strangely, martial music of military bands filled the coach sound system. 40km passed quickly and we reached our destination, the Matobo National Park. Here we swapped vehicles for Land Rover Defenders ready for a tour of the Game Reserve. Just to be different, I chose the seat that sat forward on the nearside front wing offering a great view, feeling a direct attachment to the surroundings, albeit out on a limb and at the mercy of any oncoming potholes or branches. Pulling over into a clearing were invited to get out of the vehicle, joining two guides armed with what appeared to be kallashnicoff rifles and move silently into the undergrowth. There in front of us was a young male, and female white rhino grazing. The accompanying information from our guide was that the pair could charge unexpectedly. Frankly we were half expecting it so we kind of kept to one side. However, the encounter was in many ways primeval and surreal to be that close and on foot and on the same level to such large and dangerous beasts. Their tusks had been cut back to make them less attractive to poachers but they were now growing again.

We were then shown some ancient rock paintings left by bushmen of old. We were told throughout the region there were similar examples which have been dated to 50,000 years ago indicating this area of Africa to possibly being the birthplace of humanity.

And then back to the Land Rovers for perhaps the main event; the visit to the grave and final resting place of Cecil John Rhodes. We parked up and started to climb the rock scree up to a ridge with stunning far reaching views across the plains of bush and trees. There surrounded by huge boulders and in a prominent imposing position was the simple tomb of the man, still highly regarded here as a benefactor and founder of the country of Zimbabwe, formerly known as Rhodesia. In his time; founder of De Beers diamond company, Prime Minister of the Cape Colony, peace maker with the Matabele people, established the Rhodes Scholarships which still exist today and many other achievements. Dying in March 1902 in the Cape and buried at his request here in the Matobo Hills. We have been so impressed with the richness and beauty of the countryside here in rural Zimbabwe, but the extremes of wealth set alongside the more prevalent state of poverty; the despair instilled by a political system that seems overwhelming to the individual in the street and the impossibility of rectifying it, excruciatingly high inflation at 104%, high unemployment, the cheerful long-suffering and peaceful nature of the people, have all continued to surprise us on this trip.

We were returned to our coach and hence to the train in time for lunch.

What a fantastic day!