Travel – Page 16 – Wattle and Ash

Ombersley

May 4, 2017January 20, 2018by wattleandash2 Comments

In my life as a journalist in regional Australia, one of my favourite parts of the job was exploring and getting to know the towns that made up my ‘patch’. In most places I knew where the cleanest public loos were (vital when you’re on the road!), which cafe/bakery to stop at and the best route to follow to catch glimpses of favourite houses/gardens/parks.

Now that I’m getting to know the west Midlands, I’m finding myself doing the same thing here in England. Earlier this week I had to drive up to near Kidderminster for a meeting. I took the opportunity to pop into nearby Ombersley – a gorgeous historic village Adam and I visited briefly during our first few weeks in the U.K.

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Everyday life, Local sights, Travel

A walk to Welland

May 1, 2017January 20, 2018by wattleandashLeave a Comment

A few weeks ago during a bout of absolutely gorgeous spring weather (read more here!) Adam and I got invited to our first barbecue of the year.

It was in the nearby village of Welland, just outside of Malvern. It normally only takes us 10 minutes or so to drive to Welland from the house Adam and I live in, so instead of taking the car we decided we’d make use of the local public footpath network and walk.

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Everyday life, Thoughts, Travel

The six month mark

April 27, 2017April 24, 2017by wattleandashLeave a Comment

I was chatting to a stranger the other day about moving to Malvern from Australia and it dawned on me that Adam and I have been in England for six months now. The time has truly flown ever so fast.

Malvern really feels like home now. Old buildings that I caught myself staring at in awe are now just part of scenery and picking a posey full of flowers from our rambling cottage garden seems second nature.

I know short cuts around town, can recommend pubs and cafes and am starting to sound a little bit English… well in a way!

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Everyday life, Local sights, Travel

Bluebell watch

April 24, 2017January 20, 2018by wattleandash3 Comments

After months of patiently waiting and a few false alarms, I can now accurately report the annual bluebell show has started here in Malvern.

I saw my first glimpse of bluebells en masse over the Easter long weekend when Adam and I went camping in the Cotswolds. It was a pretty magical sight – a sea of tiny purple-blue flowers under a canopy of the sweetest smelling pine trees.

The day after we arrived home, Adam and I took to the Malvern Hills to see if a similar sprouting of wildflowers had occurred. We were in luck.

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Local sights, Travel

Camping in the Cotswolds

April 20, 2017April 18, 2017by wattleandash3 Comments

I love being outdoors but until I met Adam, camping was never really something I did. My mum loves a clean bathroom, comfortable bed and warm shower, so growing up the closest I ever got to ‘roughing it’ was staying in a self contained cabin in a national park!

When Adam suggested we camp over the Easter long weekend with a group of friends I was excited for the experience but also a little worried about how I would handle it all. Adam’s family have a long history of camping holidays and when we arrived back in England there were boxes of his own equipment, plus countless other relatives we could call on for a loan of gear. We took advantage of their generosity and on Good Friday packed up and drove to Thistledown Farm, a camping ground in the neighbouring county of Gloucestershire.

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Everyday life, Thoughts, Travel

Make hay while the sun shines

April 17, 2017January 20, 2018by wattleandashLeave a Comment

“Whan the sunne shinth make hay. Whiche is to say.
Take time whan time cometh, lest time steale away.”

~ John Heywood, A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the Englishe tongue, 1546 ~

There’s one thing that I’ve noticed time and time again since moving to England – its residents well and truly embrace good weather. Australia on the whole can generally expect a good few months of clear, warm sunny days every year. Sometimes it’s great, sometimes it’s not (like when it leads to a drought), but that period of delicious, it’s-good-to-be-alive sort of weather is pretty much expected. In fact sometimes the poor ol’ Aussie can get a bit grumpy and peeved off if the sun doesn’t come out for a few days.

Here in the U.K. though the weather’s a little more unstable and a lovely sunrise can quickly disappear into a drizzly morning, then a cool and cloudy afternoon, before clearing again in the evening. That’s why when the sun does shine over consecutive days, people get out and enjoy it.

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Everyday life, Food, Local sights, Travel

102 English things to do

April 13, 2017January 20, 2018by wattleandash3 Comments

Last Christmas Adam’s brother John and his partner Sally gave me the book ‘102 English Things To Do’ by Alex Quick. I had a lovely scan through it in the days after Christmas, but never really got stuck into reading it properly.

I’ve now had the opportunity to look it more thoroughly and have started making a list of some of the ‘things’ I’d like to do, particularly over the next few months.

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Local sights, Travel

Glorious Gower

April 10, 2017January 20, 2018by wattleandash2 Comments

England has been well and truly blessed with some beautiful spring weather over the last week. This weekend just gone has been the warmest of the year so far and I’m looking forward to sharing what I got up to soon. Today though is all about my first trip to the ‘seaside’.

Last week Adam and I jumped in the car and drove down to the Gower Peninsula in Wales. Adam described the region to me as the ‘Riviera of the U.K.’, a place where there were beautiful beaches and charming villages.

Rhossili Beach, Gower Peninsula, Wales. — Rhossili Beach.

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Everyday life, Travel

Vegetables on the terrace

April 6, 2017January 20, 2018by wattleandash2 Comments

The weather is warmer, the days are longer and all of sudden Adam and I have the urge to garden. I’ve been picking flowers from our little patch of green for a good few weeks now. I enjoy wandering around spotting what’s coming to life and picking out what species I recognise. It feels like every time I go for a look something new has started to flower, or a plant I didn’t notice during the winter is suddenly bursting with new leaves.

While Adam appreciates having fresh flowers in the house, it’s the practical plants that get his heart racing. We picked up some pots of fresh herbs, specifically rosemary, mint and thyme, when we did the grocery shopping last week and they’re now sitting proudly at the window that’s in front of our kitchen sink.

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Everyday life, Local sights, Travel

A very British Sunday

April 3, 2017January 20, 2018by wattleandash1 Comment

I could tell yesterday was going to be a good day, even before I got out of bed. There was a bright glint creeping in behind the closed curtains and the birds outside were chirping their happy little songs.

The morning was cool and clear and beams of sunlight were falling in just the right places, giving the landscape outside of the windows that magical warm weather feel. Adam and I had decided a few days earlier we’d go for a lovely long walk on Sunday, and it was like Mother Nature was rewarding us for our decision.