Download GNE Twente June 2006 - Genootschap Nederland

GNE Twente trip to England
and Wales
7-20 June 2006
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Let’s start by mentioning that again several members of other branches
[Alkmaar/Amsterdam and Deventer] participated in this trip. They were
warmly welcomed in Deventer and Amersfoort by all the ‘so-called
Tukkers’. The mutual feeling of meeting old friends was the excellent start
of what at the end proved
to have been a most
successful holiday!
The weather was glorious,
so was the countryside.
In Wales it was
spectacular:the
rhododendrons in bloom
covering the mountains,
the red, pink, white
valerian [official name:
centranthus] flourishing in
nooks and crannies of
drystone walls, the
millions of trees, the
hundreds of brooks and
the verges white with
daisies. Let’s not forget
the gardens, National
Trust ones or otherwise.
Was not Mottisfont Abbey
a good start: long-spurred aquilegias in all colour combinations, roses as
big as cabbages and smelling as roses should,glorious too were the
centuries old trees there. Let us not forget what we saw in later gardens
or roadsides; liriodendrons with their pale green tulips, the laburnums that
were still yellow or rather gold in the middle of June. Thus we saw
Bodnant’s world-famous laburnum arch not perhaps in full but in quite
passable bloom. Yes, I know, not all of the group are ardent gardeners but
it was surprising to see how many of us already were or became
converted.
Luck was with us in another respect too: this was the third G.N.E. trip and
the third visit of heroic firefighters;this time late in the evening, so we
could
admire
each
other’s
nightwear,
e.g.Klaas in
pyamas
plus
umbrella,
There was
sightseeing
in Bath,
Chester and
Wells,
shopping
too. We
could buy ‘
three for
the price of
two’in Waterstone’s bookstores, but books could also be found in the
many charity shops and, a new phenomenon, in the quite big and wellstocked bookshops in National Trust Houses. We loved Wells and its
Cathedral and its clever medieval scissor-like support of one tower. In this
Cathedral we discovered that it is quite acceptable nowadays for a mother
to escort her daughter-bride to the altar.
We stood up in the bar of our hotel to sing our national anthem at one of
the football-matches. Don’t ask me what exactly the score was, but
Rosine and Susanne got it right and divided the winnings! There were
white and red flags for England on cars etc but not so many as the orange
ones here. I did spot a blackboard outside a pub stating: Football-free
zone. A nice pub for nice people. [Basketball caps forbidden too!]
All of us loved our tour of the Wedgwood factory [not all of us had
expected that]. We started off with an interesting film on Joshia, the
founder, an enlightened factory-owner; we toured the factory where we
could talk to all the workers and where we realised why Wedgwood
products are not exactly cheap.Yes, I would love that new ‘Garden’ teaset
with anemones and freesias!
The buildings of Portmeirion?
Is there an English term for
‘edelkitsch’? Gardens and views
were lovely, though. We loved Plas
Newyd of the Ladies of Llangollen,
that was fun! What a good idea of
these two ladies to grab all the
carved Tudor wooden panels,
chairbacks etc and ‘pimp’ their
house with them. I loved the bits of
their diaries e.g. ‘Mary[the maid]
had an altercation[!]with the
fishmonger she came out tops’
I could go on for a few more pages,
I have not even described the 11th
Marquis [Burghley] having an
animated conversation with Susanne
Stolte but this will have to do!
Anne Hartley.
Since Anne and I are working in good team-spirit, I am very pleased to
continue this report and
to complete it. Yes,
Burgley House,
impressive!
The house was built
between 1565 and 1587
by William Cecil, Lord
High Treasurer to
Queen Elizabeth 1. The
house remains a family
home for his
descendants. In
February 1571 The
Queen made Cecil a peer as Baron Burleigh of Stamford Burleigh in
Northamptonshire. Working for the Queen was not an easy task; but his
life’s work was his life’s passion, as he said himself some years later; ‘My
service hath been a piece of my duty, and my vocation hath been too
great a reward’[From:Elizabeth the Great by Elizabeth Jenkins.
]Burghley’s treasures:paintings, wood carvings, porcelain, sculptures and
the beautiful grounds and parkland are gorgeous!
It is always amazing how many Houses have survived throughout many
ages.
Chatsworth e.g. changed little since the 6th Duke’s time[1790-1858.]The
interior and ceilings are decorated with a great many works of art. The
tour ended in The Sculpture Gallery where we could see the magnificent
and lovely ‘ Veiled Vestal Virgin’ by Raffaelle Monti [1818-81]. It was
purchased by the 6th Duke in 1848.
The weather remained fine during our visit and many people were sitting
in the grounds with their picnic baskets, and choirs and soloists were
rehearsing for a concert. Good to see and to hear!
Haddon Hall, visited by some of us during a day of free choices, is on the
contrary a fortified [really fortified!] manor house, impressive, built of
gritstone and limestone but the garden….... an absolute pleasure- garden!
The Hall of the manor seems originally to have been Norman. In the
Chapel we even saw the circular Norman stone font, late 11th to late 12th
century. I loved being there! In the meantime seven members of our
group were walking in the hills above Bakewell. some 7,5 miles! Rama
demonstrated for them the ‘berggeitversnelling’ to walk on the double
uphill. Ask Theo!
Tintern Abbey, St.Asaph
Cathedral
and Caernarfon Castle
have not yet been
mentioned, but you can
take it from me that
visiting them were three
out of numerous
magnificent choices
Hans made when
drawing up the
programme! When
William Wordsworth visited The Abbey for a second time after five years
he wrote a beautiful poem. ‘ Google’ will deliver it to you within a few
seconds ! St Asaph Cathedral is the smallest Cathedral in England.
beautiful stained glass windows and in the Lady Chapel the carved ivory
sixteenth-century Spanish statuette known as the ‘ Spanish Madonna’,
probably part of the ‘loot’ taken from the Spanish Armada. And
Caernarfon Castle? Beyond expectations! We had a good time in England
and Wales!
Joosje Meijer.
Thank you a million times. Hans,keep up the good work in future!