Wednesday 20 September 2017

The past is ever present

 Before
After

Before and after Oliver Cromwell, of course.

Built by William the Conqueror, Corfe Castle was one of four Royal castles, and apart from Windsor, I don't know which were the other three. Kings and queens lived there when in Dorset.

Elizabeth the First gave it away to a well to do family, and it stayed in the same family until it was given to The National Trust some years ago.

The rest of Corfe seems to have been built to service the castle. It consists of one steep uphill road with mainly 17th century houses either side. Modern traffic turns what would be a lovely little stone village into a noisy opportunity for getting yourself run over.

There are three pubs in Corfe, and each of them focusses on selling mediocre, expensive food to tourists. Not one has a seating area for beer drinkers.

Because of world events, many people who would normally fly away for a holiday (including us) now get into their car and drive to places like Corfe, so what should be a relaxing and cheap break away from home turns into an expensive holiday.

Oh well, I suppose it is good for the local economies, but we could have spent two weeks in Spain for the same as we spent on this trip.

7 comments:

  1. On a good note, you didn't fall of a cliff as you may have at the other establishment! The two different shots of the same place are very, very interesting. Gives you lots to think about.

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    1. There are more ways of falling off cliffs than one...

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    2. Dang it! It was the "off" with the two fs.

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  2. Holidaying in England never feels like a holiday.

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    Replies
    1. I have never, ever had any holiday which wasn't hard work which takes two weeks to relax into, and I have never had a holiday which has lasted for longer than two weeks. Working three months solid in Europe was more relaxing in parts.

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  3. Time-traveling back to the 'before' Corfe would have made for an interesting holiday.

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