bilboburgler

As an Engineer I promise you the cast iron compression bridge is a little dull at Ironbridge Ann. But the Greenwood Trust (based there) is amazing.

MmePerdu

Called what "the Broad," Bilbo?

Do you refer to Morris's Red House? I loved seeing it, especially in the context of his life and the movement. But he may have agreed with you since he was only there 5 years after all that effort and Kelmscott was the place he loved, if his and his family's tenure there is any indication.

bilboburgler

Hi MmeP. What the signpost called Broad Street and you term "Broad", I always called "the Broad". Still love the writing which is way better than mine

MmePerdu

Ok, I understand, the geographic name eqivilant of "rental car." If I hadn't abbreviated, I'd have used "Street," not "the". The ideosyncracies of dialect that keep us amused with one another (or not). I appreciate the compliment very much.

annhig

As an Engineer I promise you the cast iron compression bridge is a little dull at Ironbridge Ann. But the Greenwood Trust (based there) is amazing.>>

Bilbo - I finally got there 2 or so years ago when DH and I were staying in Shrewsbury. Dull? perhaps from an engineering PoV but from an aesthetic one it was gorgeous [perhaps the wild flowers that they had planted underneath had something to do with it, and also the bright sunshine] We had a great time exploring and i loved it.

flanneruk

"Nice write-ups, all these years I've called it "the Broad". "

You're showing your age.

Virtually all those phrases are now mocked as "Varsityspeak." The majority of the university community shun them (though there are inevitably a few Rees-Mogg style young fogeys) and they're practically unheard of among local residents under 60.

People "do" rather than "read" PPE or whatever, their final exams are "finals", the main river's "the river" or "the Thames", and the street Balliol's on is "Broad St." Ordinary English has taken over.

Which means Broad St is ALWAYS "Broad St". Linguistic fads come and go - but the colonial "Broad" truncation sounds weird, as well as being ambiguous.

MmePerdu

Colonial weird ambiguous, my favorites.

bilboburgler

The good thing is my age is my age. Surely the river is still the Isis? Or is it a case of stop calling me shirly?

thursdaysd

@MmePerdu - great TR, great photos, great trip, thanks. I envy you the William Morris houses, although I did make it to the William Morris Gallery trip before last.

@julies - the best way to see the UK countryside, is, of course, on foot - or maybe bike or horse. And staying in the countryside with a car is the easiest way to get around. However, if you don't want to drive it is perfectly possible to get around a lot of areas by public transport. I spent a month in England and Wales last year, and aside from a weekend with my sister I did the whole thing by public transport. I didn't hike, but that wasn't because there were no hikes available (although I did walk - er, stroll - from Richmond to Ham House with a NT guide).

See: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-transport.cfm

For hiking see: http://www.ramblers.org.uk/

@StCirq - I had hoped to visit Cornwall, the Scillies and the Channel Islands this May, but ill health is keeping me at home in NC (where temps are already reaching the high 80s....). So am looking forward to following your trip.

bilboburgler

what is varsity?

PatrickLondon

Tsk. Surely you haven't forgotten:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ap9sNjz8L0

annhig

Thursdaysd - i'm sorry that you're not going to make it down our way this year. I hope you are better soon and can visit us next year.

thursdaysd

Thanks ann - if I don't get any better I may have to think about arriving by ship.

MmePerdu

Thursdaysd, I haven't been to the Morris gallery but hope to next visit. Worse things could happen, as I see it, than arriving by ship. I wish I could afford to do it every trip. Not for the frills as they dont interest me, but like you seem to, I love the experience of surface travel and feeling where I'm going as long as it isn't uncomfortable for too long. Ships aside, get better.

annhig

well, to get to the Scillies you may well have to go by ship, unless you are prepared to fly in one of those little aircraft that they are using at the moment. There is however a light at the end of the tunnel with the helicopter service due to start again in 2018. whoopee!

thursdaysd

I don't get seasick, so would be fine with the boat to the Scillies (famous last words, perhaps). Since I have developed a problem with heights as I get older I would prefer that to the helicopter.

I get bored on boats, but I would like to see the Azores and I believe some of the repositioning cruises stop there.

I certainly hope to be doing better by next year - I am very tired of the current situation!

MmePerdu

I used to get seasick, motion in general, but much improved the last few years so have tried to take advantage to do things, like voyages I wouldn't have done before. Maybe one of few advantages of age, something I didn't want has worn out.

annhig

A colleague of mine is a "Scilly girl" and her father was master of the Scillonian for many years, so I have inside information that in order to enable her to get into St Mary's without going aground the boat has no draught to speak of. Consequently she rolls around like a tub in the slightest sea. Given that I've been seasick on dry land before now, no way am I getting on that.