A visit to Buck House

We left home mid afternoon (Am I excited. ....  you bet your life I am!!!!!)

As we have travelled up and down to Prickly Green we promised ourselves one day we will stop here and there on the way.  Today we made our first one. ........ McD's.   you didn't think we could just keep driving past did you?   really?!! 

Two free glasses and a meal later we continued on our merry way. 

The weather was a day of rain and traffic but it all kept moving out of our way and we arrived safe and sound at P G.  We chatted, drank tea and eventually went to bed at 23.00hrs although we had to be up at 06.45hrs the next day.

We met up with all the other ladies. and a few men. in the rain at a village hall deep in the English countryside. 

This was a WI outing and I had never met real WI women before, very nice ladies, all sorts    short, fat, thin, tall, elegantly dressed, casually dressed.  Some of us – casual in jeans – were off to enjoy ourselves, some of us came straight from the farm, some of us thought we might meet the Queen – heigh ho! She's in Balmoral!!!!!!

We boarded our coach and drove off down the bendy lanes.  English countryside peers through the low cloud showing views that cannot be seen from the car.  Magnificent!  Wonderful! 
Some MORE places to visit.

Great Witley Church



Great Witley Court

We joined  the motorway at 08.00hrs and after several breaks arrived in London at 10.30hrs which was good as we didn't have to be at the Palace until 13.00hrs.

We wandered around the shopping centre near to where the coach stopped, which turned out to be a food place with a M & S – so after coffee on the motorway we now had another coffee (not me ………… I'm thinking 'Palace .. toilets?!).  I could have made better use of this time but there you go!  When in a group we must stay together – who says!!!

I saw this building through the shops/eating places

Westminster Cathedral

I am sure this was used for some Royal Occasion so I will have to research .........

Eventually we went to the Palace and joined the queue – the great British pastime of queuing!!!  We did the Palace – photos were not allowed although I did manage to take some of the garden.

See separate post for all the goss

We left by the back gate where our coach was waiting and we were going home by 16.45hrs.

Hyde Park was very busy and I was surprised to see so much going on there.  It has been reported in the English media that London is deserted and it was very quiet – except round by the Palace of course!!!!   

The reason for the crowds was that Hyde Park was the place to be if you didn't have any tickets for the real thing.

Free entrance to enclosures that has big, big – ok! Large – screens so that families could enjoy the Olympics. 

There were a fair few people in pink hi-view vests, which I presumed were some of the volunteers, oh yes! and bikes – the 'Boris Bikes' as well as others (The Lord Mayor of London provides electric bikes at certain points to enable people to get around the parks, so I understand, and these are known colloquially as Boris Bikes).

 You might be able to see them across the green in this photo - the paths are rammed with people and bikes!!! Best view that I could get from a coach window!!!

Some of the buildings we passed were magnificent, I had not come into London from this angle before so I was a bit camera happy.

 



this block looked really lush and green
but I think it is just the planting in the entrance



We arrived home about 21.45hrs and we all settled into G & H for tea – unexpected pleasure – Spaghetti Bolognese H style.  Very nice but my bed was calling  shouting me – had been since about 17.00hrs …………… I started at 06.45hrs remember!!!

A very good day and one we shall repeat but making our own way and on our own, perhaps stopping overnight at D's. 
Our ticket was 'double stamped' at the exit so that we could come back again at a cheaper rate. 
We did this so that we could do a tour of the garden – I mean a house is just a house after all!!!!