I was away for a
couple of nights as I travelled to the South West of England. The
Southampton bus from Victoria Coach Station took me and the other 19
passengers to Winchester!
As
there were only 20 passengers boarded on the bus, the inside was very
spacious and cosy. No one sat beside me, as each row was occupied by
one! It was good to see the streets of London as we made our way-out of
the city. One of the streets we passed that impressed me was Brompton
Square. A place where most of the designers' shops can be found. It was
like being in gay paree! The journey took me an hour and 10 minutes and a
few of us disembarked and the rest traveled to Southampton.
I am finally on the ground of Winchester, THE ANCIENT CAPITAL OF ENGLAND!
The
statue of King Alfred was very visible and close to the coach station.
This is why they called the station KING ALFRED STATUE COACH STOP. Now
we know! I waited for my friends to arrive and stood beside a red
building, pretending that I wasn't feeling anxious and afraid. While
waiting for them to arrive, I observed that the place was also a tourist
destination.
Once
we met, we went to the King Alfred Pub located in Hyde Street to fill
our hungry stomachs. We sat in the garden and waited for the waitress to
serve the ordered fish and chips as well as my favourite lasagne.
When
we finished eating our meal and partially satisfied our hunger, we
toured around rather than go directly to their place. We passed a posh
school good for silver spoon children. Just a few steps from the school
was the preserved Jane Austin's house. As we walked on, we entered a
portal that led to the PILGRIMS' CHOIR SCHOOL BUILDING. This hall is
used by the schools for lessons, practices and rehearsals. Opposite of
the building was the right wing of the WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL.
(Top to Bottom: Pilgrim's Choir School Building and Winchester Cathedral' right wing)
WINCHESTER
CATHEDRAL was built in 1079 and is now the major landmark. The right
wing of this Gothic building was used in the film 'Harry Potter'. It was
not just a holy place as it was also a graveyard and a freedom park for
families and visitors. I took a few pictures of the Cathedral including
a fully grown PINK CHERRY TREE. It was a magnificent man made structure
that is central to the history of WINCHESTER.
(Top to Bottom: Cherry Tree and Winchester Cathedral)
After
being amazed by the Cathedral, we walked and passed a SQUARE occupied
by restaurants. This square was a short cut onto the HIGH STREET with an
ancient clock that had been renovated. At the end of the passage was the
statue of Bishop Wykeham known to the locals as MARKET STATUE.
(Top to Bottom: Square and Market Statue)
The
street wasn't wide as it was elongated! It was occupied by shops and
eating places. We mingled with the crowd and walked uphill to the
HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COURTS. This court had a rounded shaped area in front
and is used to prosecute high-profiled criminals in this country. On the
side was KING ALFRED's GREAT HALL use as an OATH TAKING OFFICE for
people who met the qualifications of becoming naturalised British citizens.
(Hampshire County Courts)
There
was a marbled sculpture that celebrates Queen Elizabeth II 50 years
reign, called QUEEN'S JUBILEE COMMEMORATIVE SCULPTURE. And adjacent to
this sculpture was a preserved medieval castle.
(Queen's Jubilee Commemorative Sculpture)
It
was a lovely day! We passed and saw people in BROADWAY GARDENS enjoying
the warm sunshine that penetrated their skin. Spring flowers were
blooming and added colours to the green atmosphere. Grasses were trimmed
well and trees were no longer bald. It's already Spring, the breathing
of fresh air was enjoyed without the worry of the freezing weather like
in the winter. It was nice to see how people appreciated a sunny day in
this county and in England, as a whole.
(Broadways Gardens)
It is not a big county, however, there are interesting places that I admired and was fascinated by, too.
Just
a few minutes walk there was a gently flowing river that snakes
its way through mid- Hampshire. It is a premier chalk stream that has a
total length of 28 miles, the RIVER ITCHEN. It is a natural habitat for
all forms of animals. The river served as a boundary, the right side was
a relaxing place where you can sit on benches while looking at the
crystalline river. The other side was occupied by big and posh houses
with beautifully-maintained rear gardens. As they loved their gardens,
one of the house owners was refurbishing and redesigning his backyard to
make it more attractive and he had a concept of creating a bench over
the river. I couldn't wait to sit and dip my feet in the water!
It was a lively and warm Saturday!
I
dressed the vegetable and tuna salads for our breakfast and prepared
the table in the garden; we all ate together like a family. We had a
friendly conversation that made me feel so comfortable being with them,
it was like having an extended family in this county. It was a pleasant
feeling to meet them who warmly welcomed me into their lives.
When
we finished our breakfast and we're ready to go, we first visited a
private estate with big houses and showed me those ample houses. Then, we drove to a beautiful Georgian
town called Arlesford and parked closed to the old pond which is fed
by the RIVER ITCHEN. The crystal clear water ran quietly and flows into
the Southampton water. There was a house mill erected over the pond and
located a few steps from the pavement. It is owned by a family, who
were delighted by the lovely weather in their garden. We passed a number
of visitors enjoying their exploration of the pond while we were
walking along a narrow footpath. It terminated on a highway with
Georgian houses and restaurants. An uphill walk led to a pub, the
edifice was very basic but the backyard was breath-taking. It had a
panoramic view of a lake and a closed island made of wild tall grasses
(bulrushes). There were white swans at a distance and the grasses served
as their nest, to raise and nurture their offspring. We left this
delightful setting by backyard gate and it led us to an uphill street.
(Top to Bottom: Old Pond in Arlesford, House Mill and Pub's Backyard)
As
we parked the car near the pond, the strength of our legs and
propulsion of our feet were well used in walking, from one area to
another. We entered a private property where the oldest train in
Hampshire is to be found. The train is still functioning and is used by a
group of people who booked for a vintage ride. There was also a group
of MORRIS DANCERS performing their traditional steps. It was delightful
to witness their costumes and the chanting music they played on their
instruments that made my feet boogie.
( Morris Dancers)
I
thought we would drive back home when we headed to the car. However,
they showed me a few preserved and historical places that were used in
many international films. We passed pastured lands and I saw big bulls
too.
We
stopped. I changed my sandals to boots before we cross a footbridge
that had two flowing rivers. The water that flows was part of the RIVER ITCHEN; what a well-rounded river! There were 2 footbridges, one took us to a
family restaurant. We saw a father and son trying hard to catch big
fishes, they even dipped in the water wearing waterproof trousers in the
hope of luck! When we reached the footbridge that was connected to the
restaurant, we took a few pictures but didn't go to the end of the
bridge. On our way back to the car, we passed a few couples and group
of youngsters, then drove to a petrol station that was just a few metres
away from their place.
(One of the Twin Rivers)
I
enjoyed the placid lake, the island grass, the twin rivers, the wooden
footbridges and the animals. I am thankful to see all of these gifts
created by nature.
(Top to Bottom ,Clockwise: High Street, Broadway Gardens, Winchester Cathedral and Queen's Jubilee Commemorative Sculpture )
It is time for me to leave my friends place as I was ready to go back home!
My
travelling bag was packed with used clothes in a plastic bag; my
personal kit was zipped properly and a magazine inserted in one of the
pockets.
We
had breakfast, bowls of cereals with milk and cups of hot peppermint
tea. Very healthy and reviving! A few minutes prior to my departure
time, we left their place. It was just a 4 minute drive to the King
Alfred Statue Coach Stop.
The
bus wasn't on time so while waiting we had a nice conversation in the
car. A few passengers sat on benches with their beloveds. The bus
arrived and was already occupied with passengers from Southampton. Most
of the rows were filled but I found a vacant aisle seat. It moved-off
slowly and we all waved our hands to our family and friends.
The
bus snakes through the City Centre before it reached the motorway and
zoomed to the City of London. There was a friendly atmosphere, the
driver behaved like a tour guide. He chatted and shared information
while driving, mainly touches of history about the places we were
passing. He was not just a driver as he was also a sensible, thoughtful
person.
I
was awake the whole journey and pre-occupied with my pen and notebook. I
always look outside as it gave me ideas on what to write and remember.
As I was quite busy, I didn't notice that we had arrived at Victoria
Coach Station. I stepped-out into the bustling terminal and found my way
easily to the exit.
Victoria
Train Station was a few blocks away and I carried 2 different-sized bags
while following the street signs in order to catch and board my desired train back home.
My journey to Winchester was educational and refreshing!
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