Friday 10 March 2017

Postcards for the Weekend - from the U.K.

For this weekend, Maria has given us the PFTW theme
from a country/ favorite place you have visited”

The foreign country that I have visited the most, even if it was long ago, is the U.K. In recent years, I have also received several postcards to remind me of those holidays spent in England, Wales and Scotland back in the 1970’s. Some have come from strangers via Postcrossing; but even more have dropped in from one particular postcrossing friend. 

GB-612364_2014 Caernarfon Castle
Postcrossing card (GB-554872) 2014: The Houses of Parliament – London
Our first family holiday to Britain was a week in London in 1969.
I also visited London again in 1972.

 

London Pavillion, Piccadilly Circus
From John, January 2016 - Piccadilly Circus, photo from 1893/94
This photo was taken a bit before my time! Winking smile
But I have been there.

Windsor Castle
Windsor – The Henry III Tower and Round Tower
From John, 2014

While in London in 1969, we also went on one or two bus tours out of the big city, and visited both Windsor Castle (above), and Anne Hathaway’s cottage in Stratford-upon-Avon (below). (Anne Hathaway was the wife of William Shakespeare, and this cottage is where she lived as a child.)

Anne Hathaway's Cottage
Anne Hathaway’s cottage, Stratford-upon-Avon – from John, 2014

130513 UK John Devon Cottages
Devon Cottages - from John, 2013

My memories of Devon are rather vague, but I know we must have passed through there in 1974 to get to Cornwall…

EnglandDevon.png

Thatched roof cottages always remind me (still) of a book my mum used to read to me when I was even younger, about a little English girl by name of Milly-Molly who lived in such a cottage. Actually (I have learned more recently), in English she is called Milly-Molly-Mandy. But in the Swedish translation they skipped Mandy. So I know her as just Milly-Molly.

160313-160317 from John 169
Little Moreton Hall, Cheshire - from John, 2016

One day on our family trip in 1971, my parents left me with a penfriend of mine and her family in Stoke-on-Trent. (First time I was left “all alone” with no choice but to speak English!) Together with them I visited this magnificent Tudor manor house from the 1500’s – Little Moreton Hall. I don’t think there was a straight angle in the whole building!

140928-141003 UK John
Scotland - From John, 2014

In 1971, we also drove up to Scotland (as far north as Inverness and Loch Ness). Lots of moors and sheep and hills and mountains… And I do seem to remember that we may also have seen/heard some bagpipers at Edinburgh Castle. (Not THE famous Edinburgh Tattoo event, but something minor, for tourists. Or perhaps my memory deceives me? Not sure…)

140919-141002 UK John
Scottish Bagpiper – from John, 2014

GB-612364_2014 Caernarfon Castle Wales
Postcrossing card (GB-612364), 2014

  We also visited both these castles in Wales.
▲Caernarvon in 1971, and Conway in 1974.▼

160612-160615 from John 180 Conwy Castle
Conwy Castle, Wales – from John, 2016

 

140612-140617 UK John
Llanfair… – from John, 2014

And also the Welsh village Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, or…


(Wikipedia)

The long form of the name was invented for promotional purposes in the 1860s. With 58 characters it is the longest place name in Europe... And my dad, railway and steam engines enthusiast, wanted to visit it to get a platform ticket from there – and photos of the station house with sign, of course.

2017-088
Platform ticket (scanned from my photo album from 1974)

 

2017-089
My dad’s photo of the railway station
which I recently found in a “surprise” envelope that fell out of an old writing pad that I must haven taken home when we emptied the House a few years ago. Besides this photo the envelope contained  a cutting from some magazine with the Swedish translation of that long name + two other railway photos.

(Now that you’ve seen that name four times in a row, you know it by heart, right? … Just kidding…) 

Postcards for the Weekend

11 comments:

  1. these are all beautiful and I enjoyed seeing them. since I have never been in another country it is almost like traveling. oh my word on that long name

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  2. The only person I have known who could actually say that Welsh place name was John and my maternal Uncle who happened, in later life, to live on the Isle of Anglesey where the village is.

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  3. I lived in Scotland during the 70's and have seen some of the places you mentioned in your post. Many of the cards bring back good memories, so I thank you for posting them Sadly, I haven't been to Wales at all. We didn't have time I believe.

    It is quite difficult to pick a favourite, so I won't, but I really like the Piccadilly Circus card as it gives such a sense of the hustle and bustle, even back then!

    Thank you for posting your cards!

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  4. The name of this town is even worse than supercalifragilisticexpiladocious in the movie! Your dad got an excellent picture! Did you get to tour inside Anne Hathaways's cottage? It's a real beauty, and quite large. Is the roof still thatched? My next favorite are the Devon cottages, so sweet! Moreton Hall is gorgeous, and I think now that IT is my favorite! Conwy Castle it amazing. And the lone bagpiper cuts a rather mournful figure. It makes me think of the bagpipes being played on hills at Scottish funerals, so plaintive.

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  5. This was like browsing a coffee table book about the UK, lovely post!
    I remember John's post about Little Moreton Hall. What an intriguing place! It is unlikely I shall ever see it for myself, as we are always in Yorkshire when we're in the UK, but I can "visit" all those places via your and other people's blogs.

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  6. England and Scotland were the two first countries I visited outside of Asia. Thanks so much for sharing these postcards and photos Monica! You make me very nostalgic of that trip back in 2012. Now I want to search my old hard drive to watch again that video I took in Edinburgh of three men playing bagpipes.

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  7. I love your postcards. I have been to England some times, and I think it is time to go back...

    John sent me the same postcard from Little Moreton Hall:)

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  8. Interesting collection and good memories. My first trip to England was in 1973 and we've returned many times.

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  9. Hi Monica, Wow, I sure enjoyed all your cards from the UK. My favorite, since I am a rail fan (train enthusiast) is the one from Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Big smile … had to copy and paste that! Love the Souvenir Platform Ticket too! The Scotland card is beautiful. Little Moreton Hall … How did they build that place? :-) Great selection of cards … Thank you for sharing!

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  10. I have family in both Scotland and England and have been many times - though I rarely get to see the tourist destinations (was taken to Stratford, but my cousins had no interest in Anne Hathaway's cottage! The highlands of Scotland are breathtakingly beautiful, no matter the weather ;)

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  11. Thanks everyone for your comments... ♥ The U.K. does have a very special place in my heart, and whether or not I'll ever go back there "IRL", no doubt I'll keep going back many more times in my thoughts and memories!

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