Goose

Captain Cook, Herman and others, I read your posts some time back about Gloucester (was it?) and the other parts of the UK you are all keen to return to. My wife and I are planning a slow camping holiday through England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland and I am keen to have alook at the areas that you have waxed so lyrically about. What were those areas again?

Herman

I am from South Gloucestershire. Within the area we like:

Country villages/pubs - millions to choose from (We like Oldbury-on-Severn and Tetbury)
Slimbridge (canal, wildfoul park)
Cotwolds
South Wales (Gower, Tintern Abbey, lots of choice for hills, forests, walking tracks).

I'm out of time, meeting to go to!

captaincook

grew up in surrey near guildford - market town, great countryside nearby but commutable for city. ugly modern cathedral

lived in london at putney - on the thames. boat race, richmond park, great pubs, restaurants, great for city. also vrey very busy.

moving back hopefully to southampton, hopefully hamble or winchester. hamble yachting centre but only 5 miles from centre of southampton. great pubs, village but busy in summer. winchester medieval town with beautiful cathedral, kings arthur's round table etc, beautiful countryside.

have a great trip - hope to see you there we are planning 1 june move !

Goose

Thanks Herman and Captain Cook,

I had a look on the internet today at Tetbury, Slimbridge and Oldbury-onSevern. They look like lovely villages with plenty of rural surroundings and good quality of life. I found some info at www.upmystreet.com and more by searching on the cotswolds.


I'll have a look at Hamble and Winchester.

My wife and I were lucky enough to stay with some really good people in Guildford Dec 93 on our honeymoon (it was my first visit to the UK - we didn't have 2 pennies to rub together and the folk we stayed with had a mansion and were very kind to us). From what I remember it is a charming village. I imagine it would be quite expensive to buy there now, though. We should be in the UK by mid to late April.

Ceri

Where do I start for Wales?? , I'll go with the Gower region as that's where I grew up around - try Llangennith, there are two camp sites by the beach behind the dunes - One is just a farmers field, the other is Hillend which has more amenities on site, but the site gets booked up quick during the summer months with surfies. I've spent many an hour walking around the surrounding countryside there. In my opinion you won't be disappointed with the beaches and countryside. There's also a lovely old village pub up the road from the camp sites in Llangennith, Kings Head hotel - which serves in my opinion beautiful meals - salmon etc - but a word of warning if you go in August peak time, you will be surrounded by hoards of young surfies and tourists - best time to go would be in April, May, or end of Sept - peace and quiet (non school holidays) ! No tourists

a few links - I just came across for the area, top link is the tourist board for that area

http://www.swansea-gower.demon.co.uk/frmain.htm

http://www.greatbeer.co.uk/walkihe.htm

http://www.btinternet.com/~lingwood/llangennith.html

http://www.geocities.com/swanseateam/bluepool.html

http://www.christopher-darcy.com/gower/gower006a.htm

http://www.surfsup-mag.co.uk/wavesea...nith-Beach.htm


And here's my own page which I did ages ago, but never got around to finishing it/doing it properly- blanked out myself of course , I'm shy. http://www.geocities.com/cerie666/pics_of_wales.html

The beach which I'm standing on is in Llangennith, Burry holms in the background (where you can walk around around, or onto at low tide - go crabbing around the rocks of the island at bottom tide(edible crabs - tastes very similar to the Aussie Mud crabs - and just as expensive )
, or if you like fishing - on the island for Bass in April, Mackerel during the summer - you will be cut off if you stay on the island too long - check the tides unless you don't mind staying on there until the tide goes out again


I could write about lots of places around there (crawly woods another one) - but wouldn't know where to start - too much to write about.


cheers

P.S
And for England - Cornwall and Devon is a must! Looe, mousehole, Lands end can't remember half of the village names there without digging out my old photo album, I used to go camping/holidaying in Cornwall. Beautiful little old fishing villages, old pubs , beautiful countryside, beaches - plenty to do, Cornwall is a must if you are travelling through England.

Herman

We lived in Putney in London. Loved it, just could'nt take the rest of London! We actually move back to Putney or Fulham in May. I have a job in London to go back to and all expenses and flights paid for so its a convenient way back to the UK. We'll do it for a while, until either they make me redundant or we have saved some more money for our Czech business venture. Personally I'm hoping for redundancy - there's a new boss since I left for Sydney and he is contractually obliged to take me back, but he's made it clear his hands are tied and he does'nt like it.
We have been having lots of negative thoughts about going back to London. Then yesterday one of my old colleagues who left Sydney 14 months ago turned up at the office here. She has been living in Putney for that whole time and, much to confusion of many here, she raved about London and said its her "home" now. Almost everyone who came up to her said "welcome back", to which she replied "just visiting the folks, I go back in a few days" and invariably the response was "why the hell are you going back?". I just could'nt get enough of hearing her tell allcomers how fabulous London is and how she could never go back to living in sleepy Sydney! She made my week.

muppetking

And that post just made my day! Thank you! I get the same look of abject horror from Kiwis who can't understand why I would wish to leave their marvellous country! Of course, none of them have actually BEEN there.

captaincook

Herman you made my day as well. Would love to have seen some of those little ozzie faces.

I really enjoyed our time in London and will always go back and stay around Putney / Fulham / Wimbledon. Its the greatest City in the world. Having said that having grown up there I don't want to live and raise kids there and happy to just visit from now on.

However, if I had a deal like yours I might reconsider !