Pubs – Travels with Ali

~ Enjoying Essex – Canvey Island Esplanade ~

The last time I visited Canvey Island was around 40 years ago, and then that was only at night to a nightclub or disco as it was called then, The Goldmine! It was a regular haunt for many years, such fun nights were had.

I have recently downloaded an app called Go Jauntly, which gives you different walks in whatever location you are in.

The walk I am taking you along in this post is along the Esplanade on Canvey Island to take a look at the murals on the sea wall. The Esplanade is lined with benches and each one is dedicated to a loved one with an engraved plaque. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did and maybe you will have a favourite.

The three murals below depict the changes on Canvey Island over the decades. The sun was out therefore so was my shadow!

The murals are all about the things in life for whom the mural was painted for.

**A beautiful carefree life shown in the above mural.**

My favourite

All of these murals are so intricately drawn and beautifully painted, and have stood the test of time. Unlike many murals I have seen there is no graffiti anywhere to be seen.

My favourite is the ship with the elegant dancers in the foreground, did you have one?

It was a lovely sunny day and I also took the opportunity to snap some photos of the views from the Esplanade. They are interesting more than picturesque! Mud flats and rocks as far as the eye can see with an oil tanker in the far distance.

Multi coloured rowing boats

Click to enlarge above photos

Canvey Island

It is separated from the mainland of south Essex by a network of creeks. Lying only just above sea level, it is prone to flooding at exceptional tides and has been inhabited since the Roman conquest of Britain. A flood in 1953 from the North Sea devastated the island, killing 58 islanders and leading to the temporary evacuation of the 13,000 residents. It is now protected by modern sea defences comprising 2 miles (3.2 km) of concrete sea walls. Between 1911 and 1951 it was a popular seaside resort.

As much as it is residential here there are large oil tanks on the island and it is noted for the relationship with the petrochemical industry. Source – Wikipedia

As is our habit on these outings we always end up at a pub, and today was no exception! My dear husband stopped a lady walking her dog and asked her for a recommendation. She suggested The Lobster Smack.

Such a wonderfully old pub to end our walk with lunch, a pint and a cold white wine.

It is said that there has been a pub on this site since the 1580’s and was believed to have been a model for Dickens’ Sluice Farm in Great Expectations. I found a very interesting history of this pub in this link – The Lobster Smack.

I hope you enjoyed this walk along the Esplanade with me. I’ve been very cheeky and linked it to a few challenges below.

Marsha’s Photographing Public Art
Xingfu Mama’s Pull-Up-A-Seat
Jez’s Water-Water-Everywhere
Hammad’s Weekend Sky

~ Enjoying Essex – Finchingfield ~

Time for a look at another picturesque Essex village. Finchingfield is situated in the North West of Essex. The name Finchingfield dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086. The village is picture postcard perfect and the village green is surrounded by Georgian and medieval cottages.

**Thatched roofs and colourful cottages**

We visited on a Saturday and like most villages, there is not much parking to be found. As it was nearing lunchtime when we arrived we pulled into The Red Lion, a very quaint looking pub. On opening the door we were greeted by a crackling fire and a table right by the window, perfect. The bar was seven stools wide and fully occupied with thigh to thigh patrons. With no access available I had to ask one of the ladies to move her stool. I realised then that it was a very locally local! Everyone knew each other and I felt quite the interloper. Once I had ordered drinks I found out that they only served pizza. As my mum and I don’t eat pizza this called for a rethink. I was told there was another pub just two minutes walk away that served amazing food. So after guzzling back our drinks, we set out on our way again.

As there was so much to photograph two minutes turned out to be a tad longer for me.

The detailed wall of the Guildhall is called pargetting. This is the technique of moulding designs into the external plastering of a wall. It is very characteristic of the area. Source: Finchingfield.org.uk

**Looking at the Village Green from Church Hill**

We easily found The Fox on the Green and were told by a notice to knock on the door and someone would answer. After waiting a polite few minutes freezing by now and no answer, I opened the door and was greeted by a waiter who took us to a table right by the fire! It was just too perfect. The smells were delicious and I saw delectable plates of food go by.

My Dad enjoying a homemade Steak and Ale Pie and my Haddock and Chunky Chips. All so scrumptious. This was just the perfect country pub that seem to be very difficult to find in England nowadays. So many seem to be chains, Greene King or Wetherspoons, I was beginning to despair of finding one that served good homemade meals.

I also find it strange that each pub differs as to the rules of where to stand. Some pubs no-one is allowed to stand at the bar and others you can’t even find a space to ease in! They seem to make up the rules day to day.

I had a quick wander around whilst everyone else waited in the car as it was getting extremely cold by this time.

The Old Schoolhouse, left and above. The Village pond and 200 year old bridge, bottom left. Houses surrounding The Village Green, right.

I wanted to make one more stop before we drove home and that was to look at the Finchingfield Windmill.

This is a Grade ll listed building, dating back to approximately 1756. The largest windmill in Essex and the last one of seven in this area.

A village well worth visiting if you are in the area and I saw that it had not gone down the tourist route as so many of these villages have been seen to do.

For more information about this village click here

Finchingfield

Thanks for joining me on these village visits. Until the next one – Cheerio!

Enjoying Essex ~ Chappel Viaduct, Wakes Colne, Colchester ~

Continuing with my trips to towns and villages in Essex, we drove out to see the viaduct at Wakes Colne. I had seen the massive brick structure on other websites and google and decided to take a look myself.

It is the largest brick structure in the country and was completed in 1849. The River Colne runs under it and trains are still crossing over it today. The line links Marks Tey in Essex to Sudbury in Suffolk.

The view is amazing as you drive around the bend into Wakes Colne and the structure seems so out of place.

Seven million bricks were used in the construction of the viaduct. It consists of 32 30-foot semi-circular spans, with tapered piers; it is 1,060 feet long and rises to a maximum height of 75 feet. Source: Wikipedia

**Outside the arch, always there seemed another arch. And beyond the remotest echo, a silence** – **E.M. Forster**

There seemed no position to take a photo from above, unless I used a drone, which I don’t have!

**One of the WWll Pillboxes that are underneath the viaduct**

A short walk from the Viaduct is the East Anglia Railway Museum. We enquired about going to look around but decided not to as we only had around an hour of daylight left and it costs £8 per head. There is a great deal to see inside with many old trains and platforms still intact and it would be a great way to spend a morning or afternoon and worth entrance fee.

🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂

Before we arrived at Wakes Colne we stopped for a bite at a very quaint tea room which was also licenced!

This place is well worth the drive out if you are interested in historical structures other than castles. It’s very picturesque and you pass through some lovely little villages along the way.

“Until the next village – Cheerio”

💃🏻 Dancing in Dunsborough on a Zumba Retreat 💃🏻 Days One and Two

I’m just back from a wonderful five nights in Dunsborough, Western Australia where I took part in a five night stay Zumba Retreat. It was organised by our three lovely Zumba instructors over four days. There were over 40 ladies in all who participated! I certainly didn’t know all of them but with all the events happening have come away with many new friends. My friend Lisa booked us a three bedroom house in a complex very close to many of the other ladies. It was within walking distance to the beach and the small local town, a winner on all fronts.

And so it begins!

Day One

Of course it started with a Zumba class at 9.15 am for just over an hour, ready for a nap already. Back to the house for showers and then off to Clancys Fish Pub for lunch and a shopping session after.

Dunsborough is full of quirky shops selling all kinds of gifts, designer clothes and things you generally don’t need but just have to have. We ended up going home with multiple bags each.

In the afternoon there was a tango lesson, which I baled on, I wanted to preserve energy for the cocktail party later that evening. As you can imagine this was a noisy gathering, so many cocktails and wild dancing.

Day Two

Not too early a start today, a zumba class at 9.15 followed by a morning tea. More zumba at 10.30 – 11.30 am. I am definitely feeling it by now and ready for a rest. Lisa, Rose and I had a quick lunch at our house and decided to go for a drive to a winery and restaurant.

I spotted this big boy from the car as we were driving away, I love seeing kangaroos in the wild

More Zumba at 3 to 5.15 pm but also missed that! Opting instead for a walk along the beach.

Another big party tonight, well two actually! First a welcome party for the newcomers and a goodby party for the other ladies who were departing.

Our first party involved so many games designed to get to know one other. So much fun and plenty of food and wine and of course more dancing. Luckily the other party was within walking distance and was in full swing by the time we arrived, more dancing and drinking. Ready for my bed.

So far so good, I was actually hoping to lose a few kilos! I doubt that will be happening with all the morning teas, lunches, party food, wine and cocktails. I think it will be going the other way.

Touring Tasmania – Cataract Gorge, Launceston

Our luck ran out today weatherwise, but that didn’t mean we were going to alter our plans for a trip to Cataract Gorge. We were looking forward to riding on the famous chairlift, built in 1972, it has a total span of 457 m (1,499 ft).

The first stop on today’s itinerary was the Queen Victoria Art Museum. When we visited there was a wonderful exhibition called Skin by Garry Greenwood. This featured stunning leather artworks with an array of masks, sculptures and musical instruments. A permanent feature at this museum is The First Tasmanians exhibition. I found this very interesting and learnt so much about survival and how they lived their day to day life.

From here we made our way to Cataract Gorge, stopping at Penny Royal Adventures for a quick look around. By now the rain had set in, poor Maddy found out her raincoat was not waterproof!

Penny Royal Adventures is a great place for kids, there were a couple of rides and of course the suspension bridge. I thought at first this was the bridge that I saw mentioned at Cataract Gorge! I really wasn’t that keen to try it. We saw a family walking along it with helmets on. From here we walked around to the Zig Zag trail and started our walk along the Gorge.

It is believed that the final formation of Cataract Gorge began with the last ice age, approximately 3 to 4 million years ago. The rock formations are commonly believed to be from volcanic activity.

On a good day there would be so much to do, explore the gardens and look at the beautiful peacocks strutting about, search for wallabies in the bush and maybe have a swim in the massive open air swimming pool. We did see a few bedraggled peacocks and glimpses of wallabies through the rocks. It was mostly just a case of putting one foot forward and marching on.

We finally reached the Alexandra suspension bridge after around 40 minutes and the weather showed no signs of improving. The bridge was built in 1904 and named after Queen Alexandra and is 220 ft long.

It is kind of shaky! We didn’t venture all the way across, I think we had lost our bearings somewhere along the way and wanted to make our way to the chairlift. Hubby was against the chairlift and said it would be totally miserable and wanted to walk back the same way. By this time Maddy had already set off in search of it! It was three against one and so the chairlift it was.

The Bandstand built for Edward VII and Queen Alexandra

I only managed one photo on the chairlift of Laurence and Maddy in front of us! I have to say it was not the most enjoyable ride I’ve ever taken. When we “disembarked” we ordered an uber to take us to the pub we had seen just past the Penny Royal, Kings Bridge Pub. Here we had a well deserved lunch, a few drinks and a couple of games of pool.

The pub was a great find with very traditional old English decor, what more could you ask for on a rainy day.

Then it was back to the hotel to dry off and a rest for me before heading out for dinner that night. We all decided that it was a fantastic day out despite the weather.

We at at Stello’s Restaurant which was just a short walk from the hotel.

Entertaining ourselves in Essex!

I was born and grew up in the UK but now live in the beautiful city of Perth, WA, however we always get back to the UK at least once a year to visit my parents in Essex. As it’s normally for a month we like to travel around visiting friends and relatives. There are also some great country pubs in Essex where we go for gourmet lunches and dinners!

The Bear Inn, Stock

Rustic gastropub with timber beams and a wood burning fire. Great food and service.

The Green Man, Herongate, Essex

The Peter Boat, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, is one of our favourite pubs. Sitting on the banks of the Thames Estuary it’s a great place for lunch and then a walk through the High Street. Although there are at least four other pubs in this small street, The Peter Boat is always the most popular. I started going here when I was 17, and over 40 years later it’s still a number one choice for me!

West Mersea, Essex

We had lunch here one day at a place called The Oyster Bar. What a great find this was. A very casual cafe but serving gourmet seafood. There are some cute houses around here as well.

Hubby’s favourite – jellied eels

Fresh crab and prawn salad

Waiting for their fish and chips inside The Oyster Bar

Southend on Sea

We had been recommended the next place by my uncle who like my hubby is a great seafood eater – they see food and eat it! Sorry couldn’t resist. Anyway this “restaurant” is called Billy Hundreds and I’ve added a link as the history is fascinating. Briefly:

“Over 140 years ago my Great Grandfather William Pullum worked as a fish porter in the famous Billingsgate Market in London, his porters badge number was 100.

He was known as Billy Hundreds..” to read more click on the link above.

It’s a Spanish tapas place, just a small shack on Southend Beach and on a windy day sitting underneath the alfresco blinds you almost feel you could be blown away. The menu is adventurous specialising in fish tapas but also with many other fishless dishes. Also the wine menu is pretty decent too.

I’ve taken the liberty of adding a photo of my Auntie Val eating alfresco at this restaurant!

Auntie Val eating a yummy plate of tapas!

Tilbury Fort

Tilbury Fort is a great place to visit and somewhere I had never visited before, even after all those years living in Essex. It’s located on the Thames Estuary and was built in the reign of Henry VIII in 1539, due to international tensions between England, France and the Holy Roman Empire.

20160728_131312 — Overlooking the Thames Estuary

20160728_131720 — The entrance to Tilbury Fort

20160728_133440 — Looking out onto the moat

There is a lovely pub for lunch nearby called The World’s End.

It’s always nice to get back for a visit, but nothing beats our home in Perth, WA

Exploring London

We always visit my native country at least once a year for around a month from Perth, WA which is now our home. I was born in London, worked in London for 16 years and lived there in my twenties for a while, however I was brought up in Essex. So Essex is not far from London around 35 minutes by train into the City, Fenchurch Street, and we always like to spend a few days there. We only go for day trips and mostly to shop and eat! We usually go to the East end of London for the markets, very rarely venturing into the West.

Although I used to know London pretty well it has now changed so much I find it hard to navigate around without using Google Maps! There are so many new buildings and streets its getting more like New York every year. I love it though that there are still the old churches and pubs dotted about in between all the new buildings. The food is not like it used to be years ago, just the basic Egg and Chip cafe or the more upmarket Steak houses. You can now eat anything at any price and it will always be great.
The photos I’ve added are from days out over the past couple of years.

Pubs and Bars

Lunch at Davy’s Bar, just outside Fenchurch Street

The Prospect of Whitby, as you can see from the sign, is said to be the oldest riverside pub in London dating back to 1520. It has been used in many tv series. All that remains of the original building is the 400 year old stone floor. I used to go here in my twenties and wanted to revisit. I was quite disappointed that it now only served the basic pub food, whereas many years ago it was a “white tablecloth and silver service” establishment. Still the views are amazing across the river.