Aberdeen, Scotland

Our visit to Aberdeen was primarily to find and visit the school and church attended by Gretel's Great- grandmother. We were lucky to find both although the school had been converted into student accommodation.

What we saw of Aberdeen was very attractive. The granite of which many of its buildings are built literally glittered in the drizzly rain that accompanied us.

We also found a Canterbury rugby shop selling jerseys at much reduced prices that we pay in New Zealand (isn't Adidas a wonderful sponsor).

The John Knox Church

School

Robert the Bruce (immortilised), Stirling

Stirling was all about Robert the Bruce who led his army to a famous victory against the English in 1314 in what became known as the Battle of Bannockburn. His army numbering 5,000 men 0vercoming 20,000 Englishmen.

Judging by the weather when we were there he likely had some divine help from above.

Whitby

The town where Captain Cook was based as an apprentice mariner, and sailed from on many of his voyages of science and discovery, was based around a harbour fringed by low hills. There were many attractions based on him,or his exploits. We settled for a look through the house where he lived, furnished in 1750's style.

On a sadder note his widow, Elizabeth, outlived not only Cook, but all her six children who all died childless.

Whitby looking through the window in the bedroom Cook occupied.

Whitby abbey

The heads through which Captain Cook sailed.

We were lucky to see the Yorkshire Moors heather in full bloom. The moors are very beautiful with quaint villages and very hospitable people.

We were fortunate to spend a night at Mike and Estelle's place where we were treated to yorkshire pudding.  Another addition to our ever increasing waistlines.

Captain Cook's monument

The school Captain Cook attended

Scarborough

The bathing sheds were nice and bright, but the absence of any swimmers was testament to the water temperature. Venturing any further than the sand would have endangered body appendages.

Lincoln, UK

Our main reason for visiting Lincoln was to see one of the four remaining original copies of the Magna Carta. Unfortunately we were to be thwarted. The Magna Carta exhibition, at Lincoln Castle, he been relieved of possession of the Magna Carta due to humidity problems and the Magna Carta taken to a highly secret location in York.

So instead of visiting the castle we went to the Lincoln Cathedral, the third largest cathedral in the UK. And very big and grand it was too.

Lincoln Cathedral, above and below.

The Magna Carta less castle.

Cambridge, UK

The river Cam flows through the centre of Cambridge, and is crossed by a series of ornate bridges, that give Cambridge a quaintness missing in some other cities. It reminded us a lot of the Avon in Christchurch, but without the water quality and construction work.
The city itself was very very busy with tourists, reinforcing our need to make our way north as soon as possible.

The Mathematical bridge was supposedly designed by a student of Sir Isaac Newton. The design uses a series of radials and tangents that form triangles and give an illusion of curvature despite all timbers used being straight. The original bridge was fixed only to the angled concrete supports by gravity.

Bridge of sighs - named by Queen Victoria after the Venice version.