After a nice breakfast at Marco’s restaurant, we are on our way.
Did I tell you that we have at last found a restaurant that is currently owned by Marco Pierre White. Alert the media. It is the inhouse restaurant of the Castle Hotel we are staying in.
Pick up a ‘get out of car park free’ card from reception, and we are on our way to Hampton Court Palace. It’s on the outskirts of London, and just under 30 minutes from here. What can go wrong?
We leave at about 0940, and we can already see a big queue up at the Castle entrance. It’s going to be 33deg today, and the doors don’t open till 1030. Fuckwits!
Gladys takes us to about 100yds short of the palace entrance. Thanks again, Gladys.
Ahead of us is effectively a t-intersection, but with a roundabout. The Palace entrance is through the roundabout to the right, and right there on the left. I had done a bit of a PhD on parking in the area, and I know that the Palace has its own parking just to the left of the main gate, at £1 and change per hour. Being a bank holiday, we were banking (no pun intended) on light traffic and a light turnout.
What we didn’t know till we were on final approach, was that there was also a food festival going on at the Palace. Fuck.
The whole left side of the road all the way down to the roundabout was a park called Hampton Green. It was being used as a car park.
Consensus was that we follow the P signs around to the left at the roundabout. We’re winging it now. Just as we come out of the turn, there were about 4 parks on the side of the road on the left. Can it be that easy?
We pull up behind another guy who is parking there too. The parking sign says every day including bank holidays. Limit 4hrs. Perfect. By the time we are ready to feed the meter, the other guy is studying it. It says no charge. Not out of order. No charge. He took a photo of the screen. So did I. And off we go. Cross the road and we’re there.
In preparation for this trip, we had bought 6-day London Pass tickets. I had every one of those six days mapped out with military precision. This would be day one. They are loaded on my phone (there’s an app for everything), and the first time they are scanned, the six day countdown begins.
There’s a shop and ticket office just inside the gate, with a queue pouring out into the sun. While Sarah is warming up her shopping muscles, I check with the staff. Yes the London Pass gets you past this queue. Just go on up to the gate and scan there. Bonus!
This really is an impressive building. Lots of history. Lots of rooms. Sarah is grumbling because there is no specific path through the place, like many others we’ve been to. Perhaps if you got the free audio guide, it might tell you which way to go next. Shut up!
The only place we couldn’t take photos is the chapel. It’s a working chapel, so no hat and no camera. It is absolutely beautiful, though.
After we’ve done the rounds, we go to their cafeteria for lunch. There are a couple of small cafes inside the palace, but their selection was limited. The main one is in the gardens, and has a much better selection than the others.
Then it’s back to Windsor. Gladys did a good job here.
So it was off to the Castle. No queue jumping here, I’m afraid. I knew there was only a few locations that offered the queue jump, but it’s all good. A bit bakey in the sun, but it’s only a few minutes. Tickets, security screening, and we’re off. First place that had security, but it is a royal residence.
Also, no photos inside, so outside only. There must be about four gift shops scattered around too.
I think I mentioned that Sarah loved the inside of Cardiff Castle. This is so much better. Stunning. Don’t take my word for it. Ask uncle Google.
As we head down towards the exit, we come to St George’s Chapel, where Harry and Meghan got married. Again no photos, and again a stunningly beautiful building, inside and out.
Just as we were leaving, there was a changing of the guard. Not a big one, just one-for-one.
So there were a group of us, crowded around, watching and photographing their goings-on. I was at the edge of the group, and there was about 20 feet space to my left.
Anyway, once they finished, the sergeant who led the replacement out, marched off into the parade ground to call out a couple of new guys for somewhere else. I was still focused on the guy in the sentry box, so had my back to him. He wheeled past me and whack, his gun butt catches me as he goes past too close. WTF???? Clearly I was standing in the wrong place, and he had no intention of veering off his path. To paraphrase my beautiful wife, ASSWIPE
Now I can hon
Did I tell you that we have at last found a restaurant that is currently owned by Marco Pierre White. Alert the media. It is the inhouse restaurant of the Castle Hotel we are staying in.
Pick up a ‘get out of car park free’ card from reception, and we are on our way to Hampton Court Palace. It’s on the outskirts of London, and just under 30 minutes from here. What can go wrong?
We leave at about 0940, and we can already see a big queue up at the Castle entrance. It’s going to be 33deg today, and the doors don’t open till 1030. Fuckwits!
Gladys takes us to about 100yds short of the palace entrance. Thanks again, Gladys.
Ahead of us is effectively a t-intersection, but with a roundabout. The Palace entrance is through the roundabout to the right, and right there on the left. I had done a bit of a PhD on parking in the area, and I know that the Palace has its own parking just to the left of the main gate, at £1 and change per hour. Being a bank holiday, we were banking (no pun intended) on light traffic and a light turnout.
What we didn’t know till we were on final approach, was that there was also a food festival going on at the Palace. Fuck.
The whole left side of the road all the way down to the roundabout was a park called Hampton Green. It was being used as a car park.
Consensus was that we follow the P signs around to the left at the roundabout. We’re winging it now. Just as we come out of the turn, there were about 4 parks on the side of the road on the left. Can it be that easy?
We pull up behind another guy who is parking there too. The parking sign says every day including bank holidays. Limit 4hrs. Perfect. By the time we are ready to feed the meter, the other guy is studying it. It says no charge. Not out of order. No charge. He took a photo of the screen. So did I. And off we go. Cross the road and we’re there.
In preparation for this trip, we had bought 6-day London Pass tickets. I had every one of those six days mapped out with military precision. This would be day one. They are loaded on my phone (there’s an app for everything), and the first time they are scanned, the six day countdown begins.
There’s a shop and ticket office just inside the gate, with a queue pouring out into the sun. While Sarah is warming up her shopping muscles, I check with the staff. Yes the London Pass gets you past this queue. Just go on up to the gate and scan there. Bonus!
This really is an impressive building. Lots of history. Lots of rooms. Sarah is grumbling because there is no specific path through the place, like many others we’ve been to. Perhaps if you got the free audio guide, it might tell you which way to go next. Shut up!
The only place we couldn’t take photos is the chapel. It’s a working chapel, so no hat and no camera. It is absolutely beautiful, though.
After we’ve done the rounds, we go to their cafeteria for lunch. There are a couple of small cafes inside the palace, but their selection was limited. The main one is in the gardens, and has a much better selection than the others.
Then it’s back to Windsor. Gladys did a good job here.
So it was off to the Castle. No queue jumping here, I’m afraid. I knew there was only a few locations that offered the queue jump, but it’s all good. A bit bakey in the sun, but it’s only a few minutes. Tickets, security screening, and we’re off. First place that had security, but it is a royal residence.
Also, no photos inside, so outside only. There must be about four gift shops scattered around too.
I think I mentioned that Sarah loved the inside of Cardiff Castle. This is so much better. Stunning. Don’t take my word for it. Ask uncle Google.
As we head down towards the exit, we come to St George’s Chapel, where Harry and Meghan got married. Again no photos, and again a stunningly beautiful building, inside and out.
Just as we were leaving, there was a changing of the guard. Not a big one, just one-for-one.
So there were a group of us, crowded around, watching and photographing their goings-on. I was at the edge of the group, and there was about 20 feet space to my left.
Anyway, once they finished, the sergeant who led the replacement out, marched off into the parade ground to call out a couple of new guys for somewhere else. I was still focused on the guy in the sentry box, so had my back to him. He wheeled past me and whack, his gun butt catches me as he goes past too close. WTF???? Clearly I was standing in the wrong place, and he had no intention of veering off his path. To paraphrase my beautiful wife, ASSWIPE
Now I can hon
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