Anyone who knows me knows that I am very much a Victorian/Edwardian girl at heart – complete with a wardrobe to match!  So, when I heard about the opportunity to ride in an authentic and historic 1800s carriage, recreating a nostalgic journey in the actual coach, the ‘Tantivy’, that last travelled the same route in 1895, 122 years ago – I was in raptures!

After getting up when the sparrows were still in their jammies and the sun hadn’t yet peeked over the horizon, Prince (my trusty convertible) and I headed on a long drive north to the starting point for my part of the journey, the beautiful Greyhound Hotel, built in 1778, and now run by the lovely Paul and Tina who took such good care of me (I stayed the night there).  (Here is some history about the hotel)

…and some very rare photographs of yours truly – as you know, I much prefer to be behind the camera these days!

…one lady was fascinated by the back of my jacket…

The trumpeter signalled the arrival of the carriage…

(these people were on the first leg of the journey – I was about to embark on the second)

Btw, I’m not certain about this (and didn’t think to ask at the time) but I am pretty sure that different coaches had different tunes that would be played…

Here is an excellent article about the whole event:  http://www.derbyshirelife.co.uk/out-about/events/the-return-of-the-tantivy-recreating-a-nostalgic-journey-from-belper-to-cromford-1-5223492?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social_Icon&utm_campaign=in_article_social_icons

…and complete with BBC coverage of the event…

Once everyone had disembarked, we headed inside for a delicious lunch…

(photo on the wall of an earlier journey)

Two of my new favourite men…

This couple (below) were so lovely and recently married…

…and we are off…

The Derbyshire countryside is astoundingly beautiful!  It is the first place since I fell in love with South Devon that I could happily be ‘planted’ (as long as it was near water of some description – even if just a river!).

We were overtaken by a cyclist…

Very useful little spot for bag and umbrella!

The sun shining through the clouds was majestic!

Somehow I don’t think we were going fast enough to worry a helicopter…

Our wonderful photographer always racing ahead of us – he did an excellent job…

…but we definitely felt sorry for him when he dropped his phone mid-sprint…

…and safely arrived at our destination, the lovely Lion Hotel…

Early dinner with lovely new friends…

…and then back to the Greyhound to change…

…and back to the Lion for wonderful local music…

Breakfast the next morning…

…and then I was off on my next adventure…

What a magnificently lovely day!  This was indeed one of the best days ever…

~ Bella

 

After travelling from Torquay by rail to Paddington Station (and by the way – there is a new Paddington Bear book that I was excited to read until I discovered, as one newspaper put it, “Paddington Bear will encounter migrants, electronic tagging, and ‘elf ‘n’ safety laws in a brand new story”… Ah, thank you, no) – I then took an iconic London Black Cab to my lovely hotel, where I was greeted by a doorman wearing a top hat…

The reason for this London trip?

A members-only Q&A with Daisy Goodwin, one of my favourite authors and the author of the mini-series, “Victoria”.

It wasn’t really the place for photos so instead here are a couple of stock photos to give you an idea…

First, as the event was in the evening after closing time at Kensington Palace, it was admittance through a private gate (not quite as an illustrious gate as this below), then driving past the residence of Prince William and Princess Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge…

…and for the event itself that began with hors de’oeuvres and a lovely crisp white wine, it was off to the magnificent Orangery, built in the early 1700s for Queen Anne…

Hosted by Lucy Worsley, another of my favourites and Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces…

…what I didn’t know was that Daisy Goodwin was once Lucy Worsley’s boss!

The event was extremely interesting and Bridgit was encouraged that my question to Daisy Goodwin related specifically to her transition from books to screen…

Also in attendance were several of the actors, including Jenna Coleman who plays Queen Victoria.

View as we were leaving…

Back now in my lovely hotel and tomorrow going first-class rail for the four-hour journey back to Torquay – but thankfully we have a direct line from Paddington Station so there are no transfers or changing trains between here and there…

I may not have seen much of London on this trip, but every time I come here I love it!  I wouldn’t want to live here, but I adore visiting London…

~ Bella

PS:  view from inside the train carriage on the way home…

…and Paddington Station…

 

This year, I had the absolute best birthday ever!

Starting last Sunday with Goodwood, then on my actual birthday Gillian and her daughter Ellie took me out for brunch – it was soooooo lovely and delicious!

…then cruising on one of the last horse-drawn canal boat at Tiverton… followed by a boat trip over to Brixham… then a truly glorious evening at the Imperial Hotel with friends and family…

…this man below is named Paul and not only was he friends with John, Gillian and Michael, but Paul also played for me a Gershwin medley for my birthday!  I felt ever so honoured and special…

What a truly lovely evening!

Then the next day, we went exploring to Port Isaac, where the television series “Doc Martin” is filmed…

All in all, the most magical birthday EVER!

Thank you to everyone who helped me celebrate…  I love you all so very, very much…

~ Bella xxx

Goodwood Revival

There are a handful of experiences one has that are so wonderful, there are simply not enough superlatives to describe them – the Goodwood Revival was such an experience!

This was one of the best days I have ever had – ever!

So, what is the Goodwood Revival?  Read below…

When I left Torquay, this was the view from my door – a perfect start to the day!

…and each time I drive this route, the incredible gift of being able to pass so close to Stonehenge is never lost on me.  Visiting the monument had been on my Bucket List since I was a child and now, in addition to having visited it up close, I drive past it once a month or so…  Amazing.

…and speaking of Bucket Lists, I have checked off several things on mine over the past two weekends so need to go back and note them as such on my list.

After checking in to a hotel the night before, for the Goodwood Revival, I treated myself for my birthday (it is this week) to the full VIP treatment – starting with bypassing the crowds and public car parks and having private parking at the Goodwood Hotel.

…and I met up with one of my dearest friends who came over from Hastings for the event to help me celebrate my birthday – Karen and I started the day by meeting for breakfast at 7:30am…

Then it is off to the event… courtesy of being chauffeured in a vintage car!  (the first of many this day)

This Mercedes (below) was our first form of transport.  The vehicle was purchased new by this man’s parents.

…and we were deposited at one of the entrance gates… where a man came up to us and thought I was someone famous but he couldn’t remember her name…

…before changing to a different type of chauffeur…  See the buggies below?  That was to be our next form of transport!

What was interesting and quite lovely, was that Karen and I agreed, we already felt as though we had experienced a whole day’s worth of fun and adventure, and we had barely made it through the gates at that point!  …and the day only continued to get better!

…and here (below) is our chauffeur – and he was wonderful!  Not only chauffeuring us around the grounds, but also running errands…  We felt like royalty.

…and we were perched on the back…

By this stage of the day, my cheeks were sore from smiling soooooooo brightly!!!

There was sooooooo much to see and do, we have already decided that next year we are doing the entire weekend, not just one day – and VIP all the way, of course!

Up, up and away!

Our first destination?  Past all the vintage aircraft for our helicopter ride!

This was the departures lounge…

…and our next form of transport – Willy’s Jeeps from the lounge to the helipad area…

The entire team at Elite Helicopters were wonderful – as was everyone we encountered!

Some go-go juice for our chopper…

…and we are up!!!

This was the onsite camping…

What a fabulous experience!!!  This was my first helicopter flight (another check off the Bucket List) and I loved every minute of it!  I want one!  🙂

…and our chauffeur was there to collect us when we landed…

I love private access!

Ref photo below, remember, we are shooting from the back of the vehicle – they are now closing the gates behind us after we have gone through…

We had ever so many people turning around to look at us, chatting with us, laughing with us…  We felt like local celebrities!

Our buggy chauffeur dropped us back to change vehicles yet again – heading back to the Goodwood Hotel for a special VIP chef’s lunch…  This, below, was our next mode of transport…

You know you’re in England when you see a sign that says…

Oh, and here is a shot of some of my accessories I was wearing on the day, complete with flared skirt and tailored jacket with frill to match umbrella…

…and then back to the event via a new limousine.

…and then it was off to the track to watch the racing!

It was SO exciting!

…the noise was incredible – and nothing like modern racing…  I loved it – and the smell of racing fuel!

It was so sad – this car and another one had been going back and forth with first place for ages – but then his car caught on fire…

…and as the rain was about to set in, we decided to call it a day…

This collection (below) looked like a handful of M&Ms…

…and our final chauffeur in a vehicle that was unknown to me – a Jowett (British made during the 1920s and 30s)…

Then in to my final mode of transport – my glorious convertible I just bought a couple of weeks ago.  His name is Prince and I love him!

It was lovely leaving the Goodwood Estate, to still see a variety of classic vehicles, including this one (below) with Ohio plates…

…and if you would like to join me next year, here is the link to get notification when tickets go on sale…

All in all, this was truly an incredible experience!

It was honestly one of the very best days of my life…

…and a huge “thank you” to Karen for coming over to share it with me.

~ Bella

 

No sooner did I pick up the keys to my beautiful apartment, I dropped my luggage, repacked, and was off across the country…

First stop after an overnight rest-break part-way, was collecting the car I just bought – a black Volvo C70 convertible, with black leather interior and wood trim – he’s just lovely and I have named him Prince after a beautiful black Shire horse I love.  It was funny that while I was at the car yard, a couple was also there who lived only 10 minutes away from my place in Charleston, South Carolina, at the same time I lived there several years ago – and they also now spend six months of the year in England.

Then Prince and I headed down to Hampton Court and checked into a glorious suite complete with private balcony in an historic hotel, immediately across the road from the Palace.

Dating back in parts to 1665 and located on the Thames, The Mitre Hotel originally served as lodging for courtiers who could not be accommodated at Hampton Court Palace opposite.

…and the final destination for my journey…

The magnificent Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace.

My welcome kit for the Concours…  I decided to go all out and purchased a full VIP package that gave me access to the Owners tents etc…

Across the road to the gates of Hampton Court Palace…

…and if you are not up on your history, Hampton Court Palace was originally built for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, who was at the time a favourite of King Henry VIII. In 1529, Wolsey fell from favour and Henry VIII seized the palace for himself.

From this angle, it looks like she is hitting him on the head with the jug!

What an incredible ceiling!  (below)

Through these doors is heaven…………

With literally hundreds of millions of dollars worth of classic and historic vehicles on display, I felt so incredibly privileged and honoured to be there.

There were film crews from all over the world…

Relaxing for a while in the Owners’ Enclosure (one of the VIP perks) and enjoying a cup of tea, I met several owners and had some wonderful conversations – including what it takes to ship such a vehicle internationally.

This man (below) looks like he is praying… perhaps for one to be delivered for Christmas…

British fashion is unmissable…

…and even with such magnificence on display, this crew from Europe were still glued to their phones…

This lovely example below was awarded “Best In Show”…

Unfortunately, my body was in too much pain to stay for the entire day but I am still glad I went for the time I could.  So, then it was back through the Palace and back to the hotel…

…and so now I am curled up resting and watching the Burghley Horse Trials on the enormous television in my suite.

Sending love and smiles to all…

~ Bella

PS:  am now watching a program about auctions that deal with this level of vehicle, and for one car, the bids are going up by 1 million Euro per bid!  The car was magnificent and eventually sold for $$18 million.

Bonhams Veteran Car Run is the longest running motoring event in the world!  Photos now, details to come…

                                                                            

What a magnificent night!  I have never experienced anything like it.  Will provide full details later, but at least want to get the photos up…