Sunday 23 February 2014

THERE'S A PLACE WHERE WE CAN GO...

I'm dreaming I'm still there - ancient yet familiar place-names conjuring up visions of country lanes and hot, dusty rambles, long ago - home for tea on a red and cream bus. Ottinge, Bladbean, Womenswold, Mongeham, Drellingore...
  
We chose to stay in our favourite seaside town (as usual) - do you know it?

This is our hotel - Nelson slept here in in 1801, with Lady Hamilton, allegedly.

Did he wake at dawn to this view?
  
Our mystery town once had this pier...
 
...now it has this one, and many other attractions besides.
 
 
 
Blue plaques galore, dear!
 
The freshest of fish...
 
 
...though we fear that you might struggle to catch a mackerel with a dog biscuit.
 


 


 
With lots of enticing shops, this town won The Daily Telegraph's Best High Street of the Year 2013 award, beating Bridport, Bury St Edmunds, Malmesbury, Sherborne and more!
Though Tom Dyckhoff claims that if this place were a person it would be Nicholas Parsons (old, a bit posh and quite the smoothie), we think it's a bit of a salty dog, with great character.
I nearly forgot - it has a Time Ball Tower too, whatever that is! (Some sort of Greenwich Mean Time signal for navigators, says Mr N.)
           
 
I've planted a few clues - can you guess the town?
 
***

24 comments:

  1. Apparently the timeball has just been reparied. You have generously given a bountiful number of clues - could it begin with a D, I don't want to give it away, and I don't mean Dover.

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    Replies
    1. Yes - we noticed this too, though I'm ashamed to say we haven't yet had a look. The town has a wonderful Maritime Museum too, as well as a Tudor Castle.

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  2. can't guess won't guess, just came over to say hi. . .hi!! xx

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    Replies
    1. Hi lovely lady! You see - Vintage has reached East Kent!

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  3. Replies
    1. Well done Jacqui! Not many folk have heard of it up here in Yorkshire.

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  4. Ha Nilly the blue plaques give it away :) I have never been there, in fact it has never even crossed my mind. I seem to have been missing out. It is now a Summer must for me. Thanks.

    Jean x

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    Replies
    1. Deal is definitely worth a visit and within a few miles are Canterbury, Sandwich, Margate, Whitstable - you might become as addicted as we are.

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  5. I didn't guess but I now plan to visit when one of my weekend potterings takes me that way!

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    Replies
    1. You will love it I'm sure - East Kent is where my book addiction began. Don't forget to see Canterbury and Margate too.

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  6. Yet again, I visit your blog and take a trip to a place in the UK that I never visited but which immediately conjures up a huge sense of nostalgia in me! How do you DO that, Nilly? I had no idea until I saw the blue plaques...what a lovely place it is through your clever camera eye.
    Axxx

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    Replies
    1. I'll tell you Annie - quite suddenly, when you reach bus pass age, your world becomes one big nostalgia-fest. It's great fun to give into it - at the risk of boring everyone, of course.

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  7. You certainly walk round with your eyes open, Nilly, and I always wonder at which point the blog post begins to germinate. Think I spotted Deal somewhere in one photo.

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    Replies
    1. Very true - that's exactly what I've learned to do in the antiques business. Always looking out for things.

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  8. You certainly cover some miles you two...never know where you will appear next. North South East or West....each visit is filled with fascination and insight. Never been to Deal, if that is where you were, so thank you for the virtual trip.
    Might catch up with you if you are coming my way,
    Julie x

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    Replies
    1. Hope the fairs are busy up your way. We have a bit of a problem on the first Sunday of the month - always lots of fairs on in our area!
      I see Coulby Newham is coming up in April (on the first Sunday!) - this used to be such a great fair and always very busy, so we may be tempted to get on that old A19 and head North...

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  9. I had no idea where you were but as always a very interesting post and I would love to visit you made your trip look so enticing.

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    Replies
    1. It is great in Deal, though quite unknown to most - mind you, I love anywhere with sea, don't you...

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  10. I had no idea where you were but I would love to visit ... another one to add to the 'must go' list ...

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    Replies
    1. Mind you visit Canterbury, Whitstable, Margate, Broadstairs and Sandwich too - as well as Deal. East Kent is out on a limb, but well worth the effort.

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  11. Don't I just know Deal when I see it. My father lived there and on visits from York, it always amazed me that the trip from York to London took the same time as half the distance from London to Deal (two flaming hours!) I was there last year on a lovely happy/sad memory trip. Boy has it changed, sleepy with an air of faded charm, overlaid with a vibrancy that only arty/farty types gathering can bring.

    Nilly did you have tea in the tea shop cheek by jowl to your hotel? It may be the one in the photograph. I sat there enjoying the view, no not of the cakes, nor yet the sea, but of the chap sat with
    a beautiful boy, who reminded me of my very first true love. Could it be him, I idly wondered: as he left he made a point of smiling. Treating his grandson to luncheon? Maybe it was? Happy days.

    LinX

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    Replies
    1. What a coincidence Lin. We also spent many years doing that same trip to keep an eye on my parents, staying in Deal when putting us up in their Dover house became too much for them. At first we rented Deal cottages, moving on to seafront hotels when visits had to become more frequent. Perfect for watching the arty/farty ones waltzing up and down the prom. Deal had by this time become quite a gem - we considered buying a cottage on Middle street at one point.
      We still love the area and try to visit once a year. Haven't tried the tea shop, but we rather like Dunkerley's.
      Nillyx

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  12. Hi Nilly,
    I have some old terrys York chocolates art and a few more I was hoping you could tell me more about. If that is something you could help me with please reply.

    Kind Regards

    Walies

    ReplyDelete
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