The Written Word
for June 30, 1999

Today’s Written Word is the script used for Rafe’s UK-Northern Ireland broadcast on July 1^st.

It was Friday May 21^st – as soon as was practicable after the show – that Wendy and I took our seats in the Executive Class section of Air Canada’s 5 o’clock flight to London. As usual, the flight left on time and arrived a few minutes early just after ten in the morning on Saturday and we repaired to our regular Hotel, Jurys in South Kensington and our usual Room #131. It’s like arriving home in many respects because in London, the very Irish Jurys is home. We’re there often enough, after all.

We only spent five days in London and the highlights were two shows we saw. On the day we arrived, jetlagged and all, we went to the relatively new Globe Theater in Southwick and saw Julius Caesar. The Globe, the brainchild of the late Sam Wanamaker is a wonderful re-creation of the old Shakespearean Globe which sat about 200 yards away until it burned down in the 1620s. If you like Shakespeare at it’s best, with the gallery in the pit often interacting with the cast, this is a wonderful experience. The Theater opens in May and closes in September and I recommend you arrange your tickets well in advance either with a ticket agent or through your hotel/

We also saw the Neil Simon play Prisoner on Second Avenue with absolutely marvelous performances by Richard Dreyfus and Marsha Mason. Truly a tour de force.

Our excursion began on the 27^th when we got our Fiat sedan from Kennings at Heathrow. I advise getting your car at Heathrow or Gatwick rather than in London – for one thing it’s an easy train or tube ride to the airport and the car company will pick you up there plus you don’t have to drive through London, an experience to be missed if at all possible.

Our first destination was the Queenswood Hotel in Weston-Super-Nare where our friends David and Margaret Horler are the hosts. You can take the M4 and be there in about an hour but we prefer the A4 and side roads starting at Henley-on-Thames where the great sculling races are held. There are too many possible side routes to mention but since you really can’t get very lost and if needs be you can always get that M4 and make up time I suggest you just go where the mood strikes. I will tell you about one place I highly recommend – Castle Combe a truly charming English village which, because it is hard for cars and coaches to directly access, is fairly quiet. You must park about ½ mile from the village but it’s a lovely walk and a lovely town.

I’ve mentioned in the past why Wendy and I like Weston-Super-Mare … it’s not really the town which is more noted for being a rather seedy throwback to Edwardian times when the seaside was all the rage for English holidayers. We love the hotel and the Horlers but we especially like the location for day time excursions. It is handy to South Wales and wonderful hitherto unspoiled villages like Usk, it’s handy to Hampshire and Wilstshire if a trip to Winchester or Salisbury is your plan, it’s handy to Dorset, Devon and Cornwall and it’s right beside the very undervisited Mendips with the superlative cathedral at Wells (and it’s equally old parish church down the street) and the Cheddar Gorge which is truly a magnificent drive. Wells Cathedral has the second oldest clock still running in the world and it’s quite a clock which tells you the phase of the moon in addition to all other information you may want, like the time of day. There is always a Saturday market in Wells and quite often it includes the best used book market I’ve seen outside Hay-on-Wye (which is also very accessible from Weston incidentally). Some of the places which are easily in reach for a days sojourn include Taunton, Exeter, Plymouth (where Buckland Abbey, Drake’s home is a must) or the south Cornwall, Devon and Dorset coast.

On Sunday we decided to have a travel day and after bidding adieu to our friends the Horlers and the Queenswood Hotel we made for Skipton, Yorkshire via the M4 and M6. Although I don’t recommend Motorways for seeing the sights if, like us, you had three distinct areas to visit, they make a sense if you set aside a travel day.

In all my times in Britain I’ve spent far too little time in Yorkshire and I found out this trip what I had been missing. We stayed at a very fine Hotel called the Hanover International Hotel & Club … the "club" I was delighted to learn was a health club with a couple of treadmills for my daily diabetes dash as I call it. This hotel is first class and will cost you, double, about 100 pounds per night including breakfast. That may be a little hefty for your budget but it is very good value for the money. The meals are very good indeed, there is a very nice lounge area and if, like me, you need your exercise, the health club has all you need. We enjoyed ourselves very much indeed. The diningroom serves excellent and moderately priced food and is situated on a canal which, I’m told, could take you right down to London. In any event, it was fun having breakfast or dinner while watching the holidayers on the barges and talking to them about their adventures. There are plenty of less expensive but quite nice smaller hotels in the area and, of course, plenty of bed and breakfasts. And let me pause here to remind you that if you stop at any of the zillions of information offices in the UK they will book a bed ahead for you taking the uncertainty out of the accommodation and the price. It is a wonderful service which I highly recommend. Our first day after arriving we simply drove into the North Yorkshire dales and I must tell you that the first thing you think of is that marvelous TV series All Creatures Great And Small. The scenery is stunning. Now there are several routes to travel but I suggest you take the backroads marked in pale yellow on your map. Take them slowly for this is farming country and the roads are really country lanes. Keep your cool when you get behind a farm vehicle and remember that he won’t likely be in front of you for long. You will find, as Wendy and I did that there are too many lovely villages to mention and that the scenery is breath taking. I will just mention one pub out of many where we had a pint and nice pub dinner – it’s called the Angel Arms in a tiny village just a few miles from Skepton called Hetton. It’s a bit tricky to find but well worth it and you’ll be surprised when you get there just how many others feel the same.

The next day we went to the Earth Center just outside Doncaster and before I tell you about it, a confession. We had a schedule to meet so allowed two hours to drive what was clearly an hour drive at the outside. Not for the first time Rafe knew better than the map and better than the navigator, Wendy. Not for the first time he was dead wrong and we wound up in Wakefield several miles of roads under heavy construction away. We were lucky to be only 40 minutes late for meeting Peter.

Now, folks, the Earth Center is something you ought to go out of your way to see. Funded in part by the Millenium Commission and partly by private funding the undertaking is run by a trust and is self sufficient. It is hard to describe but it’s central theme is man’s use and, lamentably, abuse of the earth and is a working demonstration of how we can make the world sustainable. It’s not just a bunch of preachy greenies telling you how naughy we all have been – it is a living, working exhibition of how we can stop messing up the world and live in harmony with our environment. If you are anywhere near Doncaster, which is not more than 40 minutes from York, you owe yourself a visit to the Earth Center, on Doncaster Road in Denaby Main which is a suburb of Doncaster. This is a must – hard to describe – but an absolute must.

After this wonderful visit with Peter and the Earth Center Wendy and I opted for a visit to the ancient Roman capital of the North, York. We’d been before several times and I was a little reluctant to go again because it’s hell on wheels to park there … but we persevered. To our great surprise and delight we saw, on the outskirts, an offer to park and ride! Helluva deal! The parking was free and it was about $6or $7 each to take the bus into downtown York. We did something we hadn’t done before – a boat ride down the Ouse River … great fun. We then shopped the Shambles, a marvelously crooked old market street which remains untouched ... complete with tea and scones … then a visit to the Minister which is the largest Gothic styled cathedral in the world and has a justly famous stained glass window over the west entrance. There is much more to do in York – it has a marvelous Railway Museum for one thing and a Viking Exhibition called Jorvik which is well worth a visit. In fact even a full day is not enough for York and I should add that if you’re staying in London, a day trip to York and back is well within reach.

Just South of Skipton is Haworth, the home of the Bronte sisters and their talented but ill fated brother Branwell. I had been to Haworth 16 years ago but I had taken a bus tour so had forgotten the logistics if getting to the pld part of the village where the Parsonage, the home of the Brontes is. Let me save you some grief. Park your car in a public parking lot in town then ask where the railway station is. There you’ll find a great old steam train which is great fun, especially youngsters who may not yet have become aware of Emily, Charlotte and Jane. At the railway station there is a bridge over the station which takes you into the old village. It’s all uphill but, then again, coming down it’s all downhill. On the way is a beautiful well flowered park.

The village itself consists on a main, cobble stoned street with the usual touristy things but, remarkably, a great used book store – no credit cards taken. The old church and the well preserved and well laid out parsonage are well worth the trip. The British do this sot of thing well – a bit touristy perhaps but not too much so. This is a must visit if you’re nearby.

The next day we decided to leave the car alone and visit Skipton which was about a 20 minute walk down the canal from our hotel. I think we all are tempted to try to drive too much on holidays and this day, because there was no driving … just some walking and looking … made for a very nice day indeed. A castle ruins … a medieval and well preserved church … a pleasant town with lots of shops and the usual upstairs tearoom for lunch.

The next day was time to go to Scotland and we had many options and we elected to take a A68 through the Lowlands crossing the Tweed just above Jeburgh . on through Galashiels through Dalkeith into London and another terrific hotel in Leith, which is Edinburgh’s harbour … our destination was the Malmaison Hotel, part of the revitalization of the harbour. It is considered the best hotel in the world under 100 pounds and it lives up to its billing … the rooms are beautiful and with all the comforts the North American is used to. It has a great bar which is very popular with the younger people of Edinburgh and a superb dining-room and menu. It’s about a brisk 40 minute walk into the downtown Princes Street are of Edinburgh and, it being a lovely evening, Wendy an I took it. For those who have never been to Edinburgh, the walk down Princes Street has to be one of the most spectacular in the world. On the North side are all the great stores including the very toney Jenners and to the left is the beautiful park below the sheer cliffs upon which rests the magnificent Edinburgh Castle. One the other side of the park is the old city and the Royal Mile which leads from the castle down to Holyrood Palace. Edinburgh is a wonderful walking city.

The following morning we took the short 15 minutes walk to where Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia now is permanently moored. The tour of this vessel is a must if you’re in Edinburgh. The ship, at one time or another, hosted all the major world players from kings and queens through prime ministers and presidents to actors and writers. They’ve done a unique thing – when you come to the staterooms of the Queen and Prince Philip they’ve created a glass wall in the companionway so you can see the entire rooms as they are. It’s quite a feeling to walk through the companionways, visit the rooms of the high and the mighty and sit in the chairs they sat in. Queen Elizabeth said this was the one place where she could really feel at home.

From there we took a cab to the New Museum of Scotland which is really quite an accomplishment. We only had about an hour – three wouldn’t have been enough – but it took us through prehistoric Scotland right through to modern times. If you haven’t been to a museum lately, they’ve changed and this one is no exception. Wide open and bright and extremely user friendly I would recommend a guided tour then set aside some time for going back to some of the exhibits. After the museum, we walked down the Royal Mile to another magnificent millenium project, this one called Dynamic Earth. Again, this is not easy to describe but it’s a 34 million pound exhibition which simulates every climate on earth with all the fauna and flora. But it’s more than that with realistically simulated earthquakes and volcano eruptions and a rain forest with a real rainstorm … spectacular is the one word that comes quickly to mind. This is very much in the "don’t miss" department. The next day was our last in Edinburgh for it was off by train to Troon, a pleasant ride through very pretty country to the west coast.

Troon is the location of the famous golf course of the same name and the hotel we stayed at, Pearsland House, is just across the street from the links.

Pearsland House was built by Sir Alexander Walker, the grandson of whisky founder Johnny Walker and is really first class. We had a room looking right out over the golf course and a large and well appointed room it was. As you would expect, there was a first class dining-room and we had a great last Scottish supper there.

Wendy and I walked out to the beach by the golf links and along the beach for about the mile it took to get to the town of Troon. This is a very nice town indeed, very much geared to golf as you might expect but I found a nice little fishing shop and Wendy found a super dress shop.

There are a number of golf courses within a very short drive of Troon – there is Royal Troon itself, one of the designated British Open Courses as is Royal Turnberry just down the road. There is also Prestwick, a very old course, and Western Gayles. And that was it for England & Scotland, the next day it was the Stena Line Seacat and Northern Ireland.

Our visit to Northern Ireland was our third in four years - you might have gathered that I’ve become a big fan of the place. I must be honest with you and say that part of this is because I really feel that many people have been put off visiting this outstandingly beautiful part of the world because of the "troubles" .. that’s sad because the peace process is working, on the ground and I have no hesitation in traveling in any part of this magnificent province.

We left Troon Scotland by Seacat on a glorious day. We sailed right down Mull Sound by the Mull of Kintyre and had Northern Ireland and Scotland in view all the way. This is a neat way to travel and, if you wish, there is a very comfortable business class lounge for a few more pounds.

We arrived in Belfast early afternoon and after settling in our hotel, about which more in a moment, we set off for Mount Stewart, a truly magnificent 18^th century mansion which belongs to the Stuart family whose famous ancestor, Viscount Catstlereigh first made the estate what it is … this is about a 3/4 hour drive south of Belfast and at the head of the Ards peninsula … Lord Castlereigh was, you may remember, the British Foreign Secretary during the Napoleonic Wars and was famous for his work at the Congress of Vienna in 1815 after the Battle of Wellington. We were guided around the house and gardens by Mike who, though an Yorkshireman, was steeped in the lore of this estate. Wendy and I had often been by Mount Stewart but for some reason or other had passed it by in favour of some other adventure. We were very glad we made this stop. After about two hours including tea and biscuits, we decided to make a circumnavigation of the Ards peninsula which takes about an hour. As we proceeded South the immediate right is Strangford Lough with the beautiful Mountains of Mourne in the background. Like the Scots, the Irish call inlets loughs even though they are open ended. As you drive throught this peninsula you’re struck by the fact that it is really a microcosm of Ireland … some flat lands but mostly beautiful deep green hills dotted with sheep and cattle. On the west side of Ards is the Irish Sea and a number of very pretty fishing villages. On a clear day the coast of Scotland is easily seen.

Our hotel, the McCausland, is part of the rehabilitation of the wharf area of Belfast and was once was two warehouses built in the 1850s and converted into a magnificent, first class hotel, late last year. It rightly prides itsdelf on being a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World. This is a bit pricy as you would expect but real value for the money with a great diningroom and an excellent menu. One of the neat features for me is a telephone jack at the desk so you can fax or email of your laptop. Wendy and I were very impressed indeed with this hotel which is only a short walk from the City hall and the center of Belfast.

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The following day Mary Jo McCanny from the Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureaus who took us on a tour of Belfast. Those who may have visited Belfast in years gone by will be astonished at the changes. The rehabilitation of the dock areas is striking and the beauty of Queens University and the residential areas is striking. Mary Jo took us to Stormont, the home of the assembly, and a magnificent sight sitting on a hill surveing a massive green slope. We went in the building, toured the chamber where I sat in the Speaker’s Chair and later I interviewed

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Later that afternoon Ken McIlroy who took us first to the Linen Center and Museum in Lisburn, a suburb of Belfast, then to Ferguson’s Damask Weaving Factory in nearby Banbridge and finally to a flax farm where I met a Scutcher, a great character named Eugene McConville who still mills his flax in the old way … at least he does for us tourists. I have always been very fond of linen but had never actually seen it woven as it is, now by machines, but once very skilfully by hand.

The following day was glorious sunshine - what great timing for we were to drive the Antrim Coast. To do this properly you want to start just out Belfast at Carrickfergus passing through Larne, the big ferry port, and take the time to circumnavigate Island Magee. The trip up the Antrim Coast is one of the great sea drives in the world, in a class with the Big Sur or the Dalmatian Coast. It only takes a couple of hours with detours and stops but the scenery is truly breathtaking. Even when the weather is a bit grungy - which it was last year when we drove it, this drive is utterly spectacular. It takes you to the Giant’s Causeway which is rightly called one of the 8 wonders of the world. The causeway, in legend, was how Finn McCool, the giant chief, walked to Scotland and is in fact a walkway made of volcanic intrusions into the sea formed in six sided columns. To go to Northermn Ireland and not see the Giant’s Causeway is like going to London and giving St Pauls a pass. I should mention another attraction here which, because of my utter fear of heights, I’ve never done … but just before you get to the Giant’s Causeway there is Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge where, if you have good nervs, you can walk a rope bridge over a huge chasm. Those who have done it tell me that it’s a sensational experience. You’ll also want to viosit, on the way, the charming coastal village of Cushendun and stop fpor some pictures of Dunluce Castle, now a ruin. I thing ruins are more fun by far than the reconstructed monsters one so often sees because you can see where things were and let your imagination do the rest.

We went to the town of Bushmill for lunch and in so doing passed several golf courses including the world famous Portrush where the British Seniors Open is played. The golfing in Northern Ireland is extraordinary. There are courses for all and at least half a dozen which are world class. If you’re a golfer, you’d be nuts to leave your clubs at home. And the nice thing is they’re not crowded.

At the Bushmills Inn - a haven for golfers and wonderffully appointed with rooms, as the manager boasts, fit for North American travelers which means a big ensuite bathroom with a roomy shower. We met Don Wilmot Regional Tourism manager for the North-east Region who gave us a lot of the background of the area which was mostly golf, more golf, and more golf yet. Wendy and I had never visited Bushmills Distillery, which oversight we rectified. Bushmills was the first to make Single Malt whiskey … when I asked the guide about Scottish single malts he spat out "we taught them everything they know and they haven’t got the hang of it yet! The highlight, of course, is the nifty free sample at the end.

That night we stayed at a wonderful small hotel called the Beech Hill Country House Hotel, once owned by the Skipton family and built in 1729, which is run by a delightful lady named Patsy O’Kane. Now this is a place you must see and stay in if at all possible. Just two miles from Derry ( I will call it Derry rather than Londonderry because that is no becoming the fashion) this is an old manor house converted into a small hotel with the most luxurious rooms and a simply splendid dining room and menu. Web had a room with a four poster bed – that’s kind of neat – and a big fully equipped bathroom, shower and all the amenities. There is a special Irish flavour of days of yore when men ran with the hounds then slipped into their luxurious digs for hot toddies. The meal we had was absolutely superb. The cost is about 110 pounds double.

The next day, another fine one – we had no rain on the Northern Irish segment – and it was into Derry and a guided tour walking along the walls. Derry is fascinating both as a city and as a historical monument in itself. On the Foyle River, near the mouth, Derry was much involved in the events of 1688 when the exiled King James II was having it out with William of Orange and indeed to this day the Protestants celebrate the day the Apprentice Boys slammed the gates of the city against the forces of James II and his French allies. It was placed under ssiege for 105 days by James II until it was relieved by William III.

One of the highlights which should not be missed is the new museum. Now I’ve got to tell you that creating a museum which is faithful to the truth but not offensive to either Protestants or Catholics is no easy task but they have done it. I see a lot of museums in the course of my travels and this one is first class. Another must is St Columbs Cathedral built in 1633 as the first

Specifically Protestant cathedral built in Europe. Derry is a walking city largely rebuilt after the siege in the fine Georgian style which is so pleasing to the eye. Derry is governed by a Lord mayor and council and the Lord Mayor’s job alternates between Catholic and Protestant.

The country around Derry is beautiful. On the way over from Bushmills the previous day, Wendy and I managed to get lost which was a very good thing because it allowed us to drive through the rolling hills so green that they must be seen to be believed. That afternoon we took the lovely drive down to Enniskillen through the Sperrin Mountains. I realize that I have used a lot of superlatives in this piece but the beauty of Northern Ireland demands it. We made for Abocurragh Farm run by Bernie and Gerald Mullally – this was our bed and breakfast and what a place. Voted the most outstanding Bed & Breakfast in Northern Ireland one can easily see why. The rooms are huge for a hotel much less a B & B and the surroundings are exquisite. The large living room is yours to use and Bernie does do the most delicious dinner with wine if you wish. Wendy and I have stayed in a lot of Bed and Breakfasts but this is the best by far in our memory.

The next day it was back to Lough Melvin with our old friend Michael Shortt as our Ghilly. Like many of you, I’m sure, I am the typical "you-should-have-been-here-last-week" fisherman and this day was no exception. Because of a very warm May, the Mayflies were all through for the year so is was salmon and grilse we were after and, of course, we were a bit early for that. This is a long way of saying that apart from a few trout called Sonaghan, which are a strain of Brown Trout, we didn’t do too well. It was, for all that, a glorious day if for no other reason that Eric who owns, with 8888 Rossahilly House which we visited last year was a surprise fishing companion. In fact he and Jordan, a 17 year old Ghillies, were the youngest and oldes certified ghillies, or fishing guides in Ireland, both having graduated from Michael’s class last Spring. There is plenty of fishing in Northern Ireland, lough and reservoir, river and stream as well as sea fishing. A call to the Northern Ireland Tourist Board will get you full details. It was a fun day and great to be with Michael again and to see Eric again. A couple of boats did get nice grilse in the 5 or 6 pound class and Wendy and I would have loved one of those on the light tackle we had but it was not to be.

That night we were taken to dinner at Oscar’s at Enniskillen , a wonderful place named after Oscar Wilde and completely literary in décor. The mussels were to die for. An outstanding place to have dinner.

The next morning we had to sadly bid farewell to Bernie and Gerry – though I’m certain that Gerry, who acted as a bell hop, will never want to see our book laden luggage again. But before we left Northern Ireland it was off to the Belleek Pottery factory just a few miles outside Enniskillen. This is a must if you can fit it in. There are regular tours and you’ll see how the finest kilned Irish pottery is made right from the first mold to the third and last firing.

Before leaving this little travelogue, let me say a bit more about Enniskillen. This lovely town is right on Upper Lough Erne which with Lower Lough Erne provides superb water touring all the way from boating, sailing and fishing through to cruising in your own rented boat. You can even rent a canal boat and make your way through some of the most magnificent scenery on the Island. There are small islands, at least one with an old ruined abbey and simply no end of bays to poke into. This might well be called the Okanagan of Northern Ireland in the sense of the lakes that are there for your use though, needless to say the scenery is much different.

Let me also talk a bit about the things you can also do. Northern Ireland is a small place and no matter where you are you can always take in whatever you fancy on a day. You must, of course, remember that this is farm country and if you can average 45-50 miles an hour you’re doing well. You’ll be happy to not that throughout Ireland drivers are unfailingly courteous. The farm vehicles and large trucks will always make room for you to pass when they can. But why would you want to do 70 or 80 miles an hour anyway? Ireland is a place that you absorb. It is full of small villages with lovely pubs and scenic walks. It is not a place to be rushed and there is no need to rush.