Where are we all

I'm in the Easternmost tip of Berkshire - although it was Bucks when I first moved here. A village near Windsor and Staines... and not too far from Slough.

I'm in Surrey and lived in various parts thereof for 35 years but born and raised in North Lancashire. Interesting, as a new member of Gransnet to see this question, first posed 18 months ago and see all the members names. I wonder what keeps people posting as there only seems to be a much smaller core who do, compared to those posting over the course of this thread.

sel There is an idea to do a bit of research if you feel so inclined. You could find out who from where, posts what and how often and see what conclusions you could come to? Or you could just enjoy life.

I am getting really silly ideas now! Its too late! Its time I went to bed. Night all!

nellie point taken

Bed for me too although I have to make a start on Richard Burton's diaries, pressie from daughter - 692 pages.

isthis I'm also in the East Midlands, just outside Loughborough, where are you?

Sel; have you read the Richard Burton biography written by Melvyn Bragg? Was a long time ago that I read it but I did enjoy it. I guess I'll always be fascinated by the Burton/Taylor years.

Sel; I think a lot of people happily 'lurk' on forums. I hope that's the case; it's such a great place to be I'd hate people to be put off posting for any reason. Pllease let us know how you get on with the book . kitty; Loughborough meet up one day, perhaps? Is The Brush still going? On the rare occasion that I go through on the train I love to see the old place [great days of British Train manufacture and all that ].

There are lots of names we dont see now crimson, I wonder if Granieee who started the thread is lurking?

Hi kittylester, I live right in the centre of Leicester and love the place. I'm a keen cyclist and one of our regular rides is up to or beyond Loughborough.

I wonder how many people realise how gorgeous Charnwood is, well worth a visit. Especially in bluebell time:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charnwood_Forest

Just look at the list of 45 "Sites in Charnwood Forest notable for Wildlife and Geology" listed in that Wikipedia article and it's only a small area. One of Britain's best kept secrets I reckon.

The many local stone quarries are where the young David Attenborough developed his love for natural history, via fossils, when his father used to take him to the area on visits.

The area also contains this Arts and Crafts treasure:

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/local-to-you/midlands/news/view-page/item851465/

which has now successfully been acquired by the National Trust and they've said they're keen to open it to the public as soon as they can. I'm lucky enough to have seen round the house when it was lived in by Mr and Mrs Donald Gimson. It has been looked after devotedly and still contains all its beautiful original hand-made Arts and Crafts furniture in exactly the rooms and positions it was made for in 1898. I can't wait for the NT to open it properly.

Then there's the Great Central Railway, a great steam ride between Leicester and Loughborough.

There's lots to see and enjoy in our area isn't there kitty? What do you like??

I absolutely love the Charnwood Forest area, much preferring it to the 'prettier' south of the county. I was born and brought up in Derbyshire though so that may account for it.

My husband grew up in Station Road in Birstall and travelled to school in Loughborough on the GCR while his father travelled on it to Leicester to work.

The Gimson house is just my kind of thing - I love Arts and Crafts. I don't think the locals are too pleased by the prospect of it opening.

The villages are my favourite thing I think but I love the fact that we have so much going for us being bang (well almost) in the middle of the country.

I find it hard to believe locals aren't pleased at Stoneywell being bought by the NT. Snobs. Maybe they just want to live on in privileged isolation. I believe houses around there are some of the most expensive in this area.

I guess I'll never quite give up being shocked by the baseness of some human nature. Grump, grump

Crimson yes, I did read Melvyn's book (excuse the familiarity but I did meet him once!!) and really enjoyed it. When you think of Burton/Taylor, they were so BIG in their day. I don't think there's any other celebrity couple since that could compete. Funny too when you think who is classed 'celebrity' nowadays. Imagine Elizabeth Taylor in the jungle with Ant and Dec!!

It is a huge book but one that's easy to dip into, hopefully.

As regards the forum thing, it just intrigued me as I've only been a member a few weeks. One thread that I first read was 'do you feel intimidated' and having read much more since, I could imagine that some people would. I don't mean that in a negative sense; I think people may well join Gransnet and then be surprised at the content. There are certainly lots of intelligent, articulate women (and the odd man) on here with firm opinions. Some, I think, may not want to put their head above the parapet.

I posted 'how many forum members does it take to change a lightbulb' on another thread. I think I've broken rules now going off piste

Not an 'odd' man - sorry! Perfectly normal man, but rare!

Well, not 'rare'....oh dear

Stoneywell looks fantastic; I do hope it goes ahead. We went to a place called Seaton Delaval Hall near Newcastle a couple of years ago; it had just been taken over by the National Trust and was pretty much a shell of a building, but it was still fascinating to go round. We're running out of National Trust properties to go to round here. On the subject of Arts and Crafts houses, has anyone been to Whitwick Manor outside Birmingham? A little gem of a house, with so much William Morris stuff in it.

Wow Seaton Delavel Hall looks great;

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/seaton-delaval-hall/

but quite a long day trip from the East Midlands! I've always said that Leicestershire is one area where it's just not worth being a member of the National Trust. There's virtually nothing in the whole county! So Stoneywell will be a very welcome addition, especially if there's tearoom

Yes I know Wightwick, built by and kitted out by William Morris & Company for the Manders paint family. It's nearer Wolverhampton than Birmingham.

A great place to visit is Biddulph Grange Garden, just north of Stoke on Trent. Secret things to discover there, I won't spoil them for you:

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/biddulph-grange-garden/

Particularly good in Autumn when the dahlia walk is in bloom.

But, in Leicestershire, we are in striking distance of so much good NT stuff. We love Kedleston Hall, Hardwick, Sudbury, The Workhouse at Southwell, Calke Abbey (the grounds at least, the house gives me the creeps!) Belton House and, of course, great swathes of the Peak District.

Isthis Seaton Delaval Hall is by no means all that Northumberland has to offer. You could come for two weeks and still not run out of lovely things to see and do.
Interested to hear about the locals being displeased that
Stoneywe ll (don't know what is matter with iPhone) is being taken over by NT.
there was a telly programme after Seaton Delaval was opened , with a local person complaining bitterly that it was irrelevant to local people, and they should have spent the money on restoring the Spanish City funfair in Whitley Bay (as immortalised by Dire Straits) instead. But I asked one of my employees what she thought, and she said it was a good thing and part if the Northumberland heritage.
Did you mean you thought the NT were snobs, or the locals who objected to Stoneywe ll were?

I thought a lot of the local people had very much supported Seaton Delaval Hall. Although the main hall is a shell the building next to it houses lots of interesting things; family portraits etc. Maybe the terrible mining disaster is still lurking in peoples minds? The link with Seaton Sluice is interesting; I still don't understand how the sluice worked. There are two fantastic pubs at Seaton Sluice as well. I didn't know about the funfair. Went to Cullercoats and was disappointed to see it looking so run down; I'd wanted to go there for years having seen a programme about the famous artist who worked there [whose name I've forgotten ]. The Ashington Mining Museum is one of the best I've ever been to [with the paintings by The Pitmen Painters]. In fact, although I've just about ran out of new places to visit in Northumberland, it has taken me 10 years to reach that stage! Chillingham Castle is fascinating, as are the famous cattle nearby. kittylester; last year we went to an outdoor screening of The Turn of the Screw at Calke Abbey, just as the mist was coming down..we were going to see The Woman in Black there this year, but chickened out.

jane Stoneywell is in a quite exclusive bit of Charnwood Forest and the locals appear to be objecting to the 'hoards' of extra traffic that will be clogging up their exclusive, and really quite narrow, roads. Actually, there are probably about 30 houses in the whole area and one of them has been turned into a beautiful day centre for disabled groups to hire, I believe. Isthis Swithland Lane, Rothley, is the road with the most houses over £1m - presumably because there are more of them!!

crimson I don't know the name if the Cullercoats painter either but the Ashington painters were amazing. I saw the play about them by Lee Hall at the National Theatre.
kitty Stoneywe ll sounds very interesting, must add it to the list

For such a small place, Ashington has thrown up some amazing people [eg the Charlton brothers]. We saw the play before it went to the West End; also visited the hall that one of the painters stayed at [can't recall it's name]. We like to pick up on something and follow the thread wherever it takes us. Seaton Delaval took us to the site of the terrible mining disaster in the nearby village.

Certainly not saying the NT are snobs, I meant the local NIMBY presidents.

jane I was just going to jump in but you beat me to it. If you have not visited the North East you will find lots of fantastic places to visit but shhhhhh we dont like to broadcast it too much

crimson have a look here
www.northtyneside.gov.uk/browse-display.shtml?p_ID=505960&p_subjectCategory=1234

crimson I remember seeing Kate Humble in 'Who Do You Think You are' her great-grandfather had been the manager at the pit where the disaster was ? Holywell ? Anyway he died a broken man because of the guilt he felt at all the lives lost.
glass we are so lucky aren't we? The Northeast has it all I think

jane I would't live anywhere else through choice I feel very lucky.