Postcards from the UK !

Karim

Thank you so much for following this visit to the beautiful Birmingham German Christmas Market and see you soon for another Postcard from the UK ...

Karim:)

Return to Llandudno for the Victorian Extravaganza & Steam Fair !

Those of you who have followed my escapades around the UK already know Llandudno, Wales largest sea side resort which I first visited a couple of years ago.

And it did not take me more than a minute to decide myself to return to Llandudno again, this time for the colorful and vibrant Victorian Festival as soon as the final dates were announced !

I loved my first visit to this beautiful and quite grand Victorian seaside resort with its miles long promenade by the beach, elegant white seafront Edwardian hotels and spectacular views from the pier and this year, I was in for another treat !

The Victorian Festival being hold on a popular bank holiday week-end in England, I visited Llandudno at its busiest time of the year and should I also say at its sunniest !

The entire town centre was turned into a giant fair ground with beautiful traditional merry go rounds, costumed Victorians, fascinating Victorian steam engines, yummy food displays from pancakes to fish & chips listening to the tunes of magnificent fair organs.

The Steam Exhibits were the stars of the show with their great variety of traction engines and one could admire the beauty of these intricate machines from another age and the effort involved in maintaining such full sized engines in operating conditions is truly commendable.

And just a few meters away the promenade with its invigorating sea breeze.

I walked with the seagulls till the end of the pier and had a refreshing Guinness at the Ocean Cafe and came back to the effervescence of a town in full celebration and parade.

And as this very special day by the sea came to an end, what better sight than four happy Victorians enjoying a chocolate ice cream on the Promenade    ...

Llandudno on the UK Map



Map of Llandudno



Return to Llandudno !

Welcome to the Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza & Steam Fair !

The Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza was founded in 1986.

Every year, the May Day Bank Holiday is the date for a lavish display of traditional Entertainment to compliment Llandudnos outstanding Victorian splendour including street theatre, maypole dancing in the street, carriage rides, teddy bears picnic in Happy Valley for children, Sandcastle competition, visit of Queen Victoria, parade of Victorians, window dressing competition, a Grand Victorian Ball, classic cars race and of course, a spectacular Steam Fair.

And to me, the Llandudno Victorian Festival is above all the many smiles encountered throughout one extraordinary day, smiles from the hundreds of volunteers who are preparing this wonderful Extravaganza every year and smiles of the visitors who are just happy to be there !

The Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza is also one of Britain's most popular Steam Fair with an exceptional gathering of Steam Engines from all over the UK !

The Llanduno Victorian Festival présents each year a unique collection of perfectly and lovingly preserved Steam Engines of all types...

The Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza offers a unique collection of vehicles from all types and all ages :

And no visit to Llandudno would be complete without a ride on the famous Great Orme Cable Car which will take you from the sea resort up to the Great Orme offering on the way some truly magnificent views over the Bay  :

Here are a few pictures of my amazing day at the Llandudno Victorian & Steam Fair Festival ...

Karim

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Thank you so much for following this visit to the extraordinary Llandudno Victorian & Steam Fair Festival and see you soon for another postcard from the UK ...

Karim:)

Hi Karim,
i'm interested in what you're suggesting, I live in Lincoln, have you ever been here?
Peter

Thank you so much for your comment

Lincoln is a place I have heard a lot about and which is especially magical at Christmas from what I have heard

Karim

A very good evening to you all

As winter is knocking at our door with the first snow falls and as I am about to open a Christmas Markets special in my topic "Escapades around the 3 Borders Country", I must tell you the dates of some of the most beautiful Christmas Markets around England starting with the Birmingham German Christmas Market which has enchanted me for many years :

Birmingham German Christmas Market



The Birmingham Christmas Market is celebrated in association with the town of Frankfurt and is the largest German Christmas Market outside Germany with millions of happy visitors each year and which was awarded Best UK Market 2013.

It is located between Victoria Square, New Street, Centenary Square & Chamberlain Square.

Opened from 14th November 2013 to 22nd December 2013.

Covent Garden Christmas Market in London



There is always something happening in the busy Covent Garden which dresses up for Christmas with lights and magic its Apple Market immediately recognizable with its giant hanging apples and which offers a great variety of handcrafted créations and gifts amongst the many colourful cafés, bistrots.

Access through the Tube which is for me the easiest way to travel within London. Picadilly line - Covent Garden station.

The Apple Market célébrates Christmas from 07th December to 02nd January 2014.

And not to forget is the revisited traditional pantomime "Once upon a Christmas", a world's first and original open air play interactive with the public which will include a discovery of the well known and also little known Covent Garden.

Once upon a Christmas



Interactive pantomime played between 18th November 2013and 15th December 2013.

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland



A winter wonderland in the heart of London in the magnificent Hyde Park from 23rd November to 05th January 2014.

Piccadilly Line - Knightsbridge or Lancaster Gate stations.

And no visit to London during the festive season would be complete without the open air Alexandra Palace skating rink in its enchanting decor :

Alexandra Palace open air Skating Rink



Opened every day.

Piccadilly line - Wood Green station then Bus No W3 which will take you directly to Alexandra Palace.

And for a little touch of "bling" which also part of the festive season...

The festive lightings of the iconic Harrods



Piccadilly line - Knightsbridge station

And finally, one of my favorite places in London for its Old World charm and its Victorian atmosphere, a must see at Christmas  :love:

The One & Only Fortnum & Mason



Piccadilly line - Piccadilly station

Karim

I will end this little tour of an England with Christmas accents and the most beautiful and popular Christmas Markets located in historic cities, a must see in the festive period

Lincoln Christmas Market



Lincoln - Lincolnshire - from 05th to 08th December 2013

Bath Christmas Market



Bath - Somerset - 28th Novembre to 15th December 2013

Winchester Christmas Market



Winchester - Hampshire - 21st November to 22nd December 2013

Without forgetting the wonderful Victorian Christmas Festival celebrated in Portsmouth which recreates the colours and the atmosphere of 19th Century England...

Portsmouth Victorian Christmas Festival



Portsmouth - Hampshire - 29th November to 15th December 2013

And finally, the open air Blists Hill Victorian Museum, a unique concept in England with the recreation of an authentic Victorian Village inside and out, which is a must visit throughout the year and especially at Christmas times ...

Blists Hill Victorian Museum & Village







Blists Hill Open Air Museum - Ironbridge - Shropshire - opened all year round !

I wish you all a festive season in England

Karim

Welcome to the North Yorkshire Country !

The first of my escapades of the Spring took me to the stunningly beautiful North Yorkshire Country.

From the spectacular scenery of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park covered in heather moorland to the picturesque charm of the fishing harbour of Whitby where I walked in the footsteps of Captain Cook along the cobbled streets and up the 199 steps to the hilltop St Mary's church surrounded by ancient graveyard and the impressive ruins of Whitby abbey to stepping back in time aboard the steam trains of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, this truly was an unforgetable journey experience !

Being a fan of James Cook ever since I first read about his life while I was living in Russell, Bay of Islands; NZ - a place discovered and named in 1769 by the great Navigator himself - a visit to the picturesque harbour of Whitby which saw him "learning the ropes" and take to the sea, was already a treat in itself but nothing could prepare me for the wild beauty of the North York Moors National Park.

The park covers a total of 544 square miles and is at its most spectacular in summer and early autumn when the common heather that covers the wide expanse of moorland turns the scenery into a picture perfect purple color .

After driving through the wilderness of the Moors National Park, I felt really welcomed at the charming harbour of Whitby with its eclectic mix of picturesque fisherman's cottages, storied Georgian town houses, cobbled streets, nooks and snickets.

Whitby's unique beauty, snugly straddles the mouth of the river Esk facing out into the rugged North sea, and rich history which saw the town playing a major role in the creation of the early Church in the middle ages and becoming the major centre for the whaling industry in the 18th century with the first whaling ship setting sail to Greenland in 1753.

No visit of Whitby would be complete without climbing up  the 199 stairs leading to St Mary's Church and the romantic ruins of Whitby Abbey which offer a panoramic view over the town and coastline, and are literary renown as the backdrop to Bram Stoker's Dracula, the Victorian novel which has made Whitby the 'Goth' capital of Britain.

Some of you may already know my appetite for history, anecdotes and British traditions of all sorts but I enjoy the most discovering quaint and cosy tearooms and the Marie Antoinette Patisserie is a delight of its own and well worth discovering !

Then what better way to spend the afternoon than stepping back in time aboard the North Yorkshire Moors Steam Railway which runs from Whitby to Pickering with much whistles and rumbles through one of the most spectacular scenery in England.

And I cannot close this introduction without mentioning the picturesque village of Goathland which some of you know from the popular TV show "Hearbeat" which action is set in the sixties, launched in 1992 and still running...

Yes, I can definitely say that the North Yorkshire Country has ticked all my boxes and is a place that will for sure, enchant your senses too 

North Yorkshire Country on the UK Map



Map of the North Yorkshire Country

Karim

Whitby

The historic town of Whitby, currently a fishing port and popular tourist destination, has had a diverse and influential past. Situated on the North East coast of England, in the district of North Yorkshire, Whitby snugly straddles the mouth of the river Esk facing out into the inimitable North sea. Whitby's unique beauty, rich history features an eclectic mix of picturesque fisherman's cottages, storied Georgian town houses, cobbled streets, nooks and snickets.

In its youth Whitby played a central role in the creation and power structure of the early Church in the Middle Ages and has since grown and been shaped by advances in mining, shipping and commerce. Its unique rugged beauty where the cliffs meet the North sea and the quaint atmosphere found along the cobbled and eclectic streets.

In the reign of Elizabeth I, Whitby was a small fishing port. In 1540 it consisted of around twenty to thirty houses and had a population of about 200. In that year, Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries, including Whitby Abbey.

In 1615, two new industries thus arrived in the port of Whitbythe transport of alum and that of the coal used in its production.

Whitby grew in size and wealth, extending its activities to include shipbuilding, using local oak timber as raw material. Taxes on imports entering via the port raised the finance to improve and extend the town's twin piers, improving the harbour and permitting further increases in trade. In 1753 the first whaling ship set sail to Greenland initiating a new phase in the town's development, and by 1795 Whitby had become a major centre for the whaling industry.

In 1839 George Hudson built the railway connecting Whitby to Pickering and York which played a part in the development of Whitby as a tourism destination

Captain James Cook, one of the Whitby's most famous résidents

Captain James Cook was born, 1728-1779, in Marton, Cleveland about 30 miles from the town of Whitby. An adventurer and navigator in the Royal Navy, Cook is best known as an explorer and most notably for reaching the south-eastern coast of the Australian continent on 19 April 1770 where his expedition became the first recorded Europeans to have encountered the Australian Eastern coastline.

Cook enthusiasm for life on the ocean and his determination to go to sea, took him to Whitby where he was introduced to the Walker family; Quaker ship owners engaged in the coal trade between the North-East and London. The Walker's ships traded between London and the North and it was on this route that Cook began his sailing career on board the Freelove carrying coal to London in 1747. He stayed with the Walker's company, having positions on various ships and voyages until after 8 years, in 1755, he was offered command of his own ship.

Karim

Whitby Abbey

Whitby Abbey was founded by St Hilda in the year 657. The ruines, which overlook the fantastically picturesque Whitby harbour.

The imposing ruins belong to the church of the Benedictine abbey refounded on its site by the Normans. Begun in about 1220 in the Early English style of Gothic, the pinnacled east end and north transept still stand high, richly carved with characteristic 'dog's tooth' embellishment. Time, war and nature have left their marks. Parts of the church collapsed during storms, its west front was hit by German naval shelling in 1914, and centuries of wind and rain have added their own etched and pitted decoration.

These supremely romantic ruins enjoy panoramic views over the town and coastline, and literary renown as the backdrop to Bram Stoker's Dracula, the Victorian novel which has made Whitby the 'Goth' capital of Britain. The ruins share the headland with the Cholmley family mansion, begun after Henry VIII's suppression of the abbey.

St Mary's Church

Located right next to the ruins of Whitby Abbey, St. Mary's Church, the parish church of the North Yorkshire fishing town of Whitby, combines a fortress-like exterior fit for the stormy North Sea weather.

Karim

North Yorkshire Moors National Park

The North Yorkshire Moors National Park is an area of spectacular beauty which covers 544 square miles. The heather moorland which covers the ground has given the area its name of "moors". Driving through the national park is truly an experience like no other.

North Yorkshire Moors Steam Railway

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway provides some 18 miles of preserved steam railway running through the spectacular scenery of the North Yorkshire Moors.

Goathland Village featured in the popular UK TV show "Heartbeat"

Goathland is also a station on the magical North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

"Heartbeat" is a very popular TV show in the UK which runs from 1992 to this day. It is set in the beautiful North Yorkshire Moors National Park in the picturesque village of Goathland. The action is set back in the sixties

Karim

Here are a few pictures of my day in the beautiful North Yorkshire Country  ...

Whitby

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St Mary's Church



Abbaye de Whitby

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Whitby

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Goathland Heartbeat Country"





North Yorkshire Moors Steam Railway

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Thank you for following this Postcard of the beautiful North Yorkshire Country 

Karim

Welcome to Cambridge !

I visited Cambridge by a temperature of 30o + celcius in mid April which is in itself quite an usual experience as far as England is concerned !

I was really looking forward to discovering the City of Science & Knowledge which has inspired so many ground breaking discoveries over the centuries through the works of famous scientists such as Issac Newton, Charles Darwin and many more.

Cambridge is of course well known for its prestigious universities and 31 colleges featuring magnificent buildings like the iconic Kings College completed under the reign of Henry VIII.

The city reminded me somehow of Bruges and I really enjoyed the refreshing presence of the river Cam - hence the name "Cam-Bridge" - which flows gracefully through this architectural jewell of a city.

For those who also enjoy outdoors, Cambridge offers a great variety of parks which are truly delightful at this time of the year and I escaped the busy streets for a while by having a lunch at the Botanical Gardens which are refreshing heaven of peace and beauty just minutes away from the historic town center.

I invite you to follow me through a journey of discovery of one of England's most iconic city  ...

Cambridge on the UK Map



Map of Cambridge

Karim

Cambridge

Karim

A little History...

The modern city of Cambridge was founded in 875 when the Danes conquered Eastern England. They created a fortified town called a burgh (from which we derive our word borough) on the site. Cambridge would have been surrounded by a ditch and an earth rampart probably with a wooden palisade on top.

By the 10th century Cambridge was flourishing and it had a mint. It was also the administrative centre for the area and so it was a town of some importance.

In 1068 William the Conqueror visited Cambridge and ordered that a castle be built there. At first it was of wood but in the 12th century it was rebuilt in stone.

The town of Cambridge was severely damaged by a fire in 1174. (Fire was a constant hazard when most buildings were of wood with thatched roofs). Another fire raged in Cambridge in 1385.

In the Middle Ages Cambridge had a weekly market and by the early 13th century it also had a fair. In those days fairs were like markets but they were held only once a year for a period of a few days. People would come from all over Eastern England to buy and sell at a Cambridge fair.

Cambridge prospered because it was located on the river Cam that in turn flowed into the Great Ouse. That river flows to the sea at Kings Lynn, which in the Middle Ages was a large and important town. In those days it was much easier and cheaper to transport goods by water than by land.

Wine, the drink of the upper class, was imported into Cambridge. So was salt and fish from the sea. Reeds and rushes were also brought to Cambridge by river.

Karim

In Cambridge there was also a leather industry. By the 15th century there was also a wool industry in Cambridge. After it was woven wool was fulled. That means it was pounded in a mixture of water and clay to clean and thicken it. The wool was pounded by wooden hammers worked by watermills. After it had dried the wool was dyed

In 1207 Cambridge was given a charter (a document granting the townspeople certain rights). From then on the merchants of Cambridge elected a mayor.

The Round Church was built in 1107.

Then in the 13th century friars arrived in Cambridge. Friars were like monks but instead of withdrawing from the world they went out to preach. In Cambridge there were Dominican friars (known as black friars because of their black costumes). There were also Carmelites (known as white friars) and Franciscans (known as Grey friars).

The School of Pythagoras was founded in Cambridge in 1200. The university was founded in 1209. The students were a market for the craftsmen's goods yet they were unwelcome. The townspeople were often accused of overcharging the students. In 1231 the king forbade the townspeople to charge the students excessive rents. In 1262 a fight broke out between students from the north of England and some form the south. Some townspeople became involved in the fight and afterwards 16 were hanged. Anti-student riots occurred again in 1304, 1322 and 1371.

In time Cambridge University came to own large parts of the town, which caused much resentment. From 1317 the bailiffs of Cambridge (officials who assisted the mayor) were forced to swear an oath to uphold the privileges of the university which they bitterly resented.

The first colleges of Cambridge university were founded in the Middle Ages, amongst those : Peterhouse was founded by the Bishop of Ely in 1284. Corpus Christi College was founded in 1352. Kings College was founded by Henry VI in 1441. Queens College was founded in 1448.

Karim

In 1538 Henry VIII closed the friaries in Cambridge.

In 1653 Cambridge was connected to London by stagecoach.

More colleges of Cambridge University were founded in the 16th century like Christs College which was founded in 1505 and St Johns College was founded by Lady Margaret Beaufort in 1511.

The first newspaper in Cambridge appeared in 1744. Shire Hall was built in 1747 and a new Guildhall was built in 1782. Senate House was built in 1730 by James Gibbs

In the early 18th century Daniel Defoe said of Cambridge: 'the trade of the town very much depends on them (the colleges) and the tradesmen may be said to get their bread by the colleges"

In the early 19th century goods were still transported to and from Cambridge by river. Coal was brought to Cambridge and agricultural goods such as grain and butter were taken to Kings Lynn to be transported to London.

The railway reached Cambridge in 1845. It stimulated the growth of industry in Cambridge by connecting the town to a huge market in London

There were a number of improvements in Cambridge in the 19th century. Fitzwilliam Museum was founded in 1816 by Viscount Fitzwilliam. Cambridge gained gas light in 1823

From 1880 horse drawn trams ran in the streets of Cambridge. The first electricity was generated in Cambridge in 1893.

Karim

Cambridge's most famous Students...

Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin ( 1809 - 1882 ), the famous Naturalist who published his ground breaking book "On the Origins of Species" in 1859 following his researches and travels through the World on the HMS Beagle.

Isaac Newton

Isaac Newton ( 1643 - 1727 ) the famous Mathematician, Physicist and Astronomer published in 1687 a scientific book in which he described the universal gravitation and the three laws of motion which have dominated the scientific view for the next three centuries to follow.

Karim

Here are a few pictures of my escapade to Cambridge in summerlike weather and temperatures  ...

Karim

Karim