Germany and Wales

Day 51-53 9-11/8/19 Heathrow to home via Brunei

Spent the morning sorting out and packing for the trip home.

After a final lunch with Mike and Jan we left for the airport, Mike in front for the first few miles so we didn't vet lost, making sure we left I suspect.

Plenty of time to return the hire car and get to the terminal, glass of wine then it was on the plane for the first leg to Brunei.

Topiary Bear in the garden opposite Mike and Jan's.

Not sure if Jan is worried were going or glad to get rid of us.

Impressive hot rod on the M25.

Trailer is nearly as big as the tow car

Final shower before we go.

Don't think this one will fly again soon

Traffic jam getting off the ground

Final glimpse of Motorway

French Coast (I think)

After a four hour layover in Brunei, which didn't seem very long, it was off on the final leg to home.

Landed at 3:30 AM, about an hour to get through the airport and to the car, so we got home about 6AM, a chilly 2C in Avonsleigh to an extremely cold house. A few hours sleep, not to long, then un-packing, managed to stay up till about 9PM then off to bed, hopefully Jet lag won't be to bad.

Till next time, life returns to normal, Dale and Maritta

First (and only) glimpse of Brunei.

Day 50 8/8/19 Petworth House and Park, in the South Downs National Park.

First some photo's of the wildlife in their backyard, we missed the Fox and Jackdaw.

Woodpecker in the garden

Squirrel enjoying the morning sun

Got some lucky shots

And even luckier

Another Woodpecker photo

And a Magpie

Mike and Jan took us to see Petworth House today, a stately home about 35 miles south of them in the South Downs National Park.

We travelled in style in their TF21 Alvis.

Mike and Jan's very elegant TF21

Maritta also enjoys the morning sun

View from the back seat

Somewhere near Box Hill

The house was the home of three interconnected family’s; Percy’s the Seymour's and the Wyndham's.

It was rebuilt in the style of the Baroque Palaces of Europe and was a haven for artists. Turner did a lot of his work here.

Ionic Chapel in the gardens

There are some spectacular trees on the property, not sure what this is but there was a Giant Sequoia that as to big to photograph

And some interesting fungi

Doric Chapel

Unfortunately some parts of the house which would normally be open were closed due to preparations for a wedding. It did give us a rare opportunity to visit the upstairs library and studio where Turner did much of his work.

The National trust displays some of the finest pieces in its art collection here and although we saw quite a bit of it, some is in the parts of the house we couldn’t visit, next time, again.

The property includes about 700 acres of deer farm, however we didn’t see any deer on this occasion, they were obviously in some other part of the property.

The property has been in the same family for 900 years, being the ancestral home of the Percy family. The chapel survives from the grand Medieval Manor house that was fortified in 1308-9. The house was transformed into its current style in the 15-1600’s. In the 1750’s the formal gardens where re-designed by Capabilty Brown and the entrance changed to the side courtyard where visitors still enter today.

In the late 18^th century the then Earl became a great patron of the arts and entertained many artists and sculptures worked within the building. John Constable, also a guest of the early called the house “The House of Art”.

In 1947, the then Lord Leconfield, gave Petworth to the National Trust in the face of massive death duties.

His nephew, Lord Egremont, negotiated the gist of the art collection for the same reason. The current Lord and Lady Egremont still live in the House and it is their son who is getting married there, the house is not normally available for such occasions.

Servants quarters and kitchens

Main House (right)

There are some very ornate wood carving in the part we couldn't visit, this is a selection of the artisans tools

Photograph of some of the wood carvings

Tunnel lead underground from the kitchens to the main house.

Amazing collection of copper, tin and pewter cookware

More copper pots and pans, mike and Jan admiring them

This amazing spit was first installed in Tudor times and operated by a boy with a crank handle, the later mechanism (at the top) was added in the 1930's and is operated by a fan in the chimney using the rising heat from the fire to turn it.

Maritta tries the life of a Scullery Maid, stood besdie steam boiler used to heat various kitchen appliances including an antique form of Bain-Marie

1930's electric over (control panel on the wall) it proved very expensive to run so was only used for special ocassions

Impressive collection of cookee cutters

Un-named bronze statue

Medieval Chapel

Inscriptions above the alter

Very impressive lectern

World Globe given to one of the Earls by Arthur Connan Doyle whilst he (the Earl) was imprisoned in the Tower of London, gentry, although imprisoned for a variety of reasons, mainly disagreeing with the King, couls still carry on their lives.