England Adventure #1

We survived our first full day in England. I will tell you, it is nothing like I experienced in my fours years of living in London! We started the day in nippy weather and woke up an hour earlier than planned thanks to our ill-timed wake up call. So, we put on our jackets and headed to Reading. Unfortunately, 1 hour and 30 minutes later, we stopped to buy the ever needed and now treasured, 2008 Big Easy Read Britain, Britain’s clearest mapping guide! We skipped Reading, ended up in the country on extremely small two-lane roads and cheered when we rounded the corner to find Basildon Park, a dream come true for Daughter 1. Basildon Park is Mr. Bingley’s estate, Netherfield, in the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice. We strolled through the rooms where the famous five minute ball room scene was filmed – in fact, we went around twice! The National Trust guides we so pleasant and understanding! We walked the grounds where the carriage left the ball and did have a look around the small garden. After a couple hours we were forced to get on the road to head north. With our trusty map in hand the trip was a breeze. Oxford was our next stop. We drove to look at the colleges, but spent over on hour in an antique print shop where Daughter 1 spent Sir’s money! Broke and happy we headed north to a little village called Weekley. Now, you have to remember one thing – Daughter 1 planned this trip. I am just the driver and Sir is just the financer. So needless to say, I was a bit shocked when upon arriving in the village, I asked, “Where is the church and rectory,” and Daughter 1 just replied –“I am not sure, it just said Weekly Village.” Well I do like Pride and Prejudice, but do I like it enough to drive in and out of dead end roads? Well, I love my daughter enough. So, in and out we went. I turned around about three times and by golly, there it was! - the rectory and church where Mr. Collins and Charlotte lived in the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice. The rectory is now a private residence – but that did not detour us from taking pictures. I am sure we are not the first do so. On we traveled, heading north to a small village outside of Stamford called Careby. After checking in at our farm house and snapping a few pictures, we headed 2 villages away, just a short 3 turns in 3 miles to a nice pub, The Castle Inn. Sitting by the fire, eating a lovely chicken dish, we sighed a big sigh of contentment. We made it! We were only at the end of our first day!