The Platinum Line

Category: Great Britain

  • Visiting the Royal Mint at Llantrisant

    Visiting the Royal Mint at Llantrisant

    Croeso I Cymru  Welcome to Wales This week Bill and I went on a coach trip to the royal mint at Llantrisant which is near Cardiff in Wales.  I have been a coin collector for a number of years and was keen to learn a little more about how they were made.  The visitor experience…

  • Christmas lunch at Avon Valley Railway Station

    Christmas lunch at Avon Valley Railway Station

    This year our French group decided to have Christmas lunch at Bitton railway Station. This railway was part of my childhood.  I remember sitting in boring lessons at school and watching trains pass along the line. The Avon valley railway line which was part of the Midland rail network ran from Bristol to Bath and…

  • A day out in Wells

    A day out in Wells

    Wells is England’s smallest city yet there is a great deal to see from the huge gothic cathedral to the bishop’s palace

  • What is bonfire night in England?

    What is bonfire night in England?

    Please to remember the fifth of November I got the idea for this post from a cyber exchange with an American blogger.  She wrote a post about things she loves about the fall.  At the end she asked her readers ” what do you love about the fall?”   I answered, “burning the guy on…

  • P.S. Waverley Thames Cruise to Tower Pier

    P.S. Waverley Thames Cruise to Tower Pier

    A few weeks ago, I received an exciting e.mail from Silver travel advisor, a website for the mature traveller.  I learned that I had won a twinkling Thames cruise aboard the paddle steamer Waverley and a night bed and breakfast at the Croydon Hilton in the monthly draw. The prize was provided by Just Go…

  • Westonbirt Arboretum: Going for gold, my favourite autumn walk

    Westonbirt Arboretum: Going for gold, my favourite autumn walk

    One of my favourite local places to visit at this time of year is Westonbirt Arboretum, which is in Gloucestershire about four miles from Tetbury.  An Arboretum is a word for a collection of trees and Westonbirt has 15,000 of them including 2,500 different types.   The collection was started in 1850 by Robert Holford,…

  • The Bristol Blitz A walk in the past

      I was a child of the baby boom generation born just after the war.  Growing up I remember large bomb sites in the centre of Bristol in particular the area around Castle Park which was covered with grass and purple buddleia.  My husband who is older than me can even remember going into air…