If you've been keeping up with this blog you'll know I recently left my London job, following which I had a couple of weeks in Australia to attend my Dad's funeral, take care of his affairs and catch up with family and friends. As much as I was dreading those ghastly long flights, it was great to spend time with people I have been missing.
Since arriving back in the UK I've been undertaking the frustrating and tedious task of looking for a new job. Interviews are in progress but as yet there is nothing to report; I'm hoping that situation changes very soon.
However I've given myself a day or two each week to do something I enjoy - things that, once I'm back in the daily grind of paid employment, I won't have the opportunity to do.
A couple of weeks ago I drove over to National Trust property Knole, near the beautiful and prosperous town of Sevenoaks in Kent.
 |
| The fallow deer are descendants of a herd from the time of Elizabeth I |
 |
| Sculpture of Pereus slaying Medusa - inside the Orangery |
Boy, oh boy... I don't know why it's taken me so long to visit this property - particularly given my near-obsession with Virginia Woolf.
Knole has a connection with Woolf because her very close friend/lover Vita Sackville-West grew up there, though she was unable to inherit the property because it was entailed away from the female line. Her uncle inherited, and eventually handed over the main house and a portion of the grounds to the National Trust.
I've read volumes of the letters between Virginia and Vita, and Knole featured quite prominently at times. My favourite Woolf novel, Orlando (which I've read at least a dozen times), was in part based on Knole and the Sackville-West family history, so it was especially gratifying to finally experience this amazing property.
 |
| View from the newly opened Gatehouse Tower |
 |
| Ornate doorbell |
 |
| Wallpaper detail |
 |
| The Brown Gallery - I was in Old Masters portrait heaven! |
Knole is one of the largest houses in England - I did not realise this prior to my visit, but as I entered the long drive that meanders up hill and down dale, I started to get a sense of the property's huge scale. You have to drive for several minutes through beautiful woodland before reaching the car park outside the buildings.
The grounds are exceptional with their ancient trees and undulating expanses of green, and what's more it's a medieval deer park. The fallow deer - gorgeous creatures with their flicky little tails - are descended from a herd that dates back to the 15th century.
Of course any property is immediately made more attractive to me if it has animals, so I was happy as Larry.
 |
| Foxgloves in bloom |
Last weekend I also managed to revisit Lewes in East Sussex, a lovely town only about 20 minutes' drive from Brighton.
Kevin was taking part in the London to Brighton cycle event, together with a few colleagues from school. It was my task to collect them after the ride so I took the opportunity of returning to Lewes which I last visited in 2009. We had arranged to meet in Rottingdean to avoid the hordes. Brighton is heavily congested at the best of times; with 27,000 cyclists and their transport converging on the city it was to be avoided at all costs.
The drive from Epsom to Lewes only takes about 90 minutes but I had forgotten how difficult it is to find parking in Lewes' winding, narrow streets, many of which are one-way. That means if you miss a turn you have to do the circuit all over again. Some 50 minutes after arriving - and having circled the town three times by that stage - I eventually found not only an easy parking space but a FREE one (incredibly rare in Britain), not far from the railway station.
I happily whiled away several hours in Lewes.
 |
| The gate at Lewes Castle |
 |
| Lewes Castle - nearly a thousand years old |
 |
| Saint-Michaels-in-Lewes |
 |
| St Michael |
Lewes is a thoroughly pleasant town with lots of interesting buildings, fun little shops including beautiful antiques stores, and some excellent eating establishments. It's not quite as 'hip' as Brighton but has the benefit of not being thronged 24/7. There's a relaxed vibe here, as there is in Brighton - I suppose a lot of seaside towns have that feeling.
 |
| Toothy stuffed toys for sale in Lewes |
 |
| Enjoying brunch at the original Bill's restaurant |
 |
| A cheeky little French rosé was just the thing on a warm afternoon |
 |
Formerly All Saints Church - it stopped being a church in 1975
and is now a community centre |
 |
| They like their gin in Lewes |
 |
| House with traditional flint exterior |
 |
| The glorious East Sussex countryside - en route from Lewes to Rottingdean |
 |
| The beach at Rottingdean |
Today I headed eastwards again, back to Kent, to the privately owned Penshurst Place and Gardens, ancestral home of the Sidney family. The house is one of the most complete surviving examples of 14th century domestic architecture in England.
Yes, folks - once again in under an hour's drive from Epsom I was enjoying the splendour of extensive gardens and marvelling at the unbelievable cuteness of Kentish villages. It being summer, it seems nearly every front door is draped with trailing roses.
And what a pleasure to be able to enjoy this place without the weekend hordes.
 |
Penshurst Place and Gardens
- The Rose Garden |
 |
| Lavender, roses and topiary |
 |
Porcupine sculpture created by Robert Rattray.
The porcupine features prominently on the Sidney family crest |
 |
Diana's Bath
The water lilies were in full bloom |
 |
| The Italian Garden |
 |
| Mating ladybirds! |
 |
The Blue and Yellow Border
(though the blue part was very much less in evidence on this particular day) |
 |
| Plaque in The Heraldic Garden |
 |
| The Heraldic Garden |
Only part of the house is open to the public as the family still resides there, however the State Rooms have been used in numerous films and TV series such as The Other Boleyn Girl, The Princess Bride and, most recently, Wolf Hall.
On the way home I took a detour to Chiddingstone village, a mere dot on the map. With the exception of the castle and the church, the entire village is owned by the National Trust and it's acknowledged as a very fine example of Tudor architecture. There happened to be a wedding on at the church which made for a couple of pretty photos.
 |
| St Mary's Church, Chiddingstone |
After the devastating result of the EU referendum yesterday I certainly needed cheering up. Quite simply, I can't believe that just over half of those who turned up to vote have opted for an uncertain future under who-knows-what-kind of model. It would appear to be something of a class divide issue which, as an Australian and as an old lefty, does not sit comfortably with me. Broadly speaking those in the less affluent, less educated areas voted to leave - Scotland being a notable exception. Age also played a part - those voting to leave tended to be older. However I'm old and I don't have any money, yet I was able to make the informed decision that Britain is better off as part of a large, unified Europe.
The EU has kept Europe in peace, and in relative economic stability, for more than 50 years. It's not a perfect system but had it not been there as a guiding hand to all those countries with their vastly differing languages, cultures and political landscapes, there would most certainly have been many conflicts, and much slower economic development, not to mention less progressive policy in the areas of gender equality and the environment.
Oh Britain, what have you done?!
Stand by as the United Kingdom becomes the Un-Tied Kingdom, with Scotland likely to hold another referendum on secession from Britain, following which they will rejoin the EU as an independent country. Northern Ireland is also making noises about joining with the Republic of Ireland as one nation, and therefore in EU membership.
A sad day for Britain, for Europe, and the world. This marks a significant change for the globe. Yikes.
Until next time,
- Maree xo
