history – Wattle and Ash

The Tudor house

August 7, 2017January 18, 2018by wattleandashLeave a Comment

Love him or hate him, King Henry the VIII, certainly played a huge part in English history. I knew of him, but it wasn’t until my first trip to the United Kingdom in 2010 that I learnt more about him, his wives and his legacy. That holiday sparked an interest in the Tudor era that I still retain (and a bit of a crush on Jonathon Rhys Meyers and his depiction of Henry in The Tudors television show :)) and I’m always keen to learn a little more.

So the other day I made the short train journey north to Worcester to Greyfriars’ House, a Tudor era National Trust property, in the city centre…

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Food, Local sights, Travel

Lunch in Bristol

July 31, 2017January 20, 2018by wattleandashLeave a Comment

Before Adam headed off on his work trip abroad, we took a lightning fast trip to Bristol.

We weren’t in the mood for a big day of sight-seeing, so opted for a leisurely few hours wandering around Harbourside, right in the city centre…

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Local sights, Travel

By the canal

May 25, 2017January 20, 2018by wattleandash4 Comments

I’m sure I’m not the only person who, when thinking about canals, thinks about Venice. Oh the romance of narrow waterways passing by historic stone houses in rainbow colours, a gondolier in a straw hat and stripy shirt and lazy warm days on the water, gelato in hand!

Canals though aren’t just restricted to Italy – hundreds of places have them, England included. The U.K. canal system really rose to prominence during the Industrial Revolution and given the Midland’s strong association with this era, there are plenty of examples of canals near to Malvern.

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Travel

A postcard from Riga

March 13, 2017January 21, 2018by wattleandash1 Comment

Ever walked around a place and been awestruck at the beauty that surrounds you? When you get that excited grin on your face and have to keep telling yourself, ‘Yes, this is real’. That’s the feeling I got strolling through the Latvian capital Riga the weekend before last. It’s a city that’s got a history dating back to before the Middle Ages, is starting to find its feet after so many decades of occupation and is filled with just some really lovely people.