This festival held in Campbell Park, Milton Keynes clashed with the popular local ‘Waterside Festival’ held in north MK the same weekend. The Gecko festival was free to attend.
Your reviewer attended for a few hours on both days. The weather on both occasions was a problem – on the 16th it was so windy on the exposed site that the main stage canopy was clearly in danger of collapse, and your reviewer had to leave suffering from wind-chill (in June!). On the evening of the 17th there was heavy rain. Observed attendance was extremely small. Refreshments provided by big-event style non-local traders.
The music, from relatively unknown bands, was good, but timings and/or running order seemed to have been changed at short notice and there was little on-the-day information. On both days I endured waits between bands of up to 50 mins (instead of the published 15 mins.)
Most memorable acts seen: Rebecca de Winter, Nicky Prince Band.
Practical details: No camping (they clearly don’t expect the audience to travel far). The recommended parking in Central Milton Keynes is chargeable before 6PM, but there is limited free parking just outside the site if you know where to look.
National Trust
Greys Court is a former family home and estate, in a rural Chilterns setting. The 16th century house and the gardens were home to the Brunner family until recent years. Following the death of the last resident, the National Trust carried out major repairs and refurbishment. Some of the buildings face a central green. There are also a series of walled gardens, some medieval towers, and an old well house enclosing a Tudor donkey wheel.
Most of the rooms are presented as they would have been when the Brunners lived there.
The house interior is worth a visit, and the various buildings in the grounds are also of interest. Younger visitors may be disappointed to discover that the medieval towers are not accessible. Out in the grounds is an ice-house which has a thatched roof instead of the usual vault. The walled gardens will be of interest to garden admirers. Walks are possible in the wider estate. Practical details: For the final approach, follow the brown signs and ignore your Sat-Nav, otherwise you will probably find yourself on a long narrow twisty single track country lane.
A visit here can be paired with a morning visit to nearby Nuffield Place. Dower House (private)North-east TowerSouth-West Tower
National Trust
The former home of motor car manufacturer William Morris (Lord Nuffield) came under NT management recently and was first opened by them in April 2012. During his lifetime, Morris was famous for the amount of money he gave away: about £30 million (far more in today’s values.) The house is presented much as Morris left it, with his furniture and fittings. It was originally built in 1914 for a shipping magnate. Morris bought it in 1933 and had it furnished to reflect the tastes of the 1930’s. The gardens were laid out just after WWI. Lord and Lady Nuffield were both keen gardeners.
The house is in a rural setting, with paddocks and outbuildings, and with well-kept gardens around the house. By millionaire standards, it is not particularly lavish. (See, for instance, Eltham Palace, built in the same era.) The downstairs rooms are comfortably furnished with period reproduction furniture and a collection of china and other items. Also on show are a radiogram and two early TV sets which no doubt were all top of the range in their day.
Upstairs, the principal and guest bedrooms are mostly set out as they were in Lord Nuffield’s day. His wardrobe containing a set of tools and other curios is popular with visitors!
Nuffield Place is well worth a visit. Part of the interest lies in finding out about Lord Nuffield and his car company. A visit here can be paired with an afternoon visit to nearby Grays Court (NT). Ground floor corridorTool Cupboard
The famous Royal Botanical Gardens have lots of things for visitors to look at, and are also a centre for botanical research and plant conservation. They are also of historical interest. Major attractions include the two huge Victorian glass-houses and their contents, several other conservatories, a number of buildings and follies including the famous Pagoda, two or three art galleries, a treetop walkway, a lake, plus the inevitable cafes and shop, set in 326 acres (132ha) of gardens. Kew Palace and Queen Charlotte’s Cottage (curated by Historic Royal Palaces) are also within the gardens.
On the whole, the exotic indoor plants (in the conservatories) are more interesting than the outdoor, and the more notable types are highlighted by display panels. Both the Palm House and the Temperate House have an internal gallery which the energetic can climb to walk around the palm-tree-tops, and enjoy views over the Gardens.
Update from Dec. 2021 visit: The visiting hours are now rather restricted, but I got in straight away without having to book or queue. Various installations were in place for “Kew at Christmas” opening a few days later, with some illuminations and installations already lit up during the day as a preview of what one would see on paying the stiff fee for the evening show. Not really my cup of tea except for some very pretty “birds”.
Some buildings were closed, but I visited some features not seen before – the treetop walkway (a stiff climb with the lift not in service), the Minka House, and some giant redwoods. By the lake, I was accosted by a pair of exotic ducks.
Practical details: The Gardens are within walking distance of two railway stations. There is limited parking in Ferry Lane (chargeable). An all-day stay in the Ferry Lane car park will cost several pounds. The gardens are over a mile long, so a visit to diverse parts of the gardens will involve a walk of several miles. For the less fit, there is a ‘Land Train’ which stops at seven points around the gardens. The big glass-houses however are within 500 metres of the Victoria Gate. You are advised to make an all-day visit, as the admission charges are quite steep, and even if you are there all day you are unlikely to be able to see everything. There is a small discount for repeat visits. In summer, the gardens close at 6.30pm or later.
Princes of Wales Cons.Secluded Garden Cons.Secluded Garden Cons.Secluded Garden Cons.Bird, Kew Gdns.Waterlilies, P.O.W. Cons.P.O.W. ConsPalm HouseView from Treetop WalkwayExotic ducksMinka House
Kew Palace, front The former Royal Palace is now in the care of Historic Royal Palaces, as is Queen Charlotte’s Cottage. Kew Palace was originally built for a prosperous merchant, and later acquired and adapted for Royal use. It became the home of King George III, Queen Charlotte and family. Other buildings and another palace used to stand in the immediate vicinity.
The ground and first floors have been restored and furnished to recreate their appearance when occupied by George III. The third floor can be seen just as it was when abandoned in the 19th century. The Palace makes an interesting visit. It and the Cottage were curated by young ladies in period costume on the day of my visit.
At the other end of the park is Queen Charlotte’s Cottage. This rustic building, once used for Royal picnics, is notable for its size ( similar to a 4-bedroom detatched villa), and its inefficient use of interior space (two large stairwells and only two rooms of any size.)
Practical Details: Kew Palace is situated in the north-east part of Kew Gardens. To visit it you need to purchase an admission for the Gardens (not cheap!), then a Palace admission ticket at the welcome suite about 100 metres from the Palace. It is therefore suggested that, unless you like throwing your money about, you allot a whole day to visit both. Queen Charlotte’s Cottage (within the West end of the Gardens)is open weekends during the warmer months. There is no entrance charge for the cottage. Queen's GardenKew Palace - rearQueen Charlotte's CottageCottage Picnic Room
This is one of the Royal Palaces, with the present buildings started by Cardinal Wolsey, extended for Henry VIII, and with a baroque Palace added on for William and Mary, and some further development for the Hanoverians. George II was the last monarch to occupy the Palace, which thereafter was used to provide grace-and favour residences for deserving persons. The residents were typically gentlewomen or widows of men who had provided some distinguished service to the State. The 1000+ rooms available were partitioned up to provide over 50 multi-room apartments.
In the 20th century the phasing out of the grace-and-favour apartments took place for a number of reasons, the foremost being the impracticality of bringing the often crudely adapted apartments up to 20th century standards of heating, plumbing and convenience. Today, large areas have been reclaimed for public access, and the unseen rooms are used for storage, offices and staff accommodation.
The Palace is big; more of a brick village than a building. The two principal phases of development can be best seen if one stands in the Privy Gardens near the river, where the squarish Baroque block is in front of you and a forest of Tudor chimneys is to your left. The gardens are big too; the best views of the formal gardens can be had by peeking out of windows as you tour the Palace. A canal separates the gardens from the Home Park, but it’s possible to access the Park, where the Long Water stretches off into the far distance, if you have time to tramp around with a map.
Inside, there is a lot to see, and nearly all of it is worth a look. The highlights are Henry VIII’s Great Hall, with its highly carved hammer-beam roof, and the Chapel Royal with its intricate blue and gold ceiling. After that there are the Tudor Kitchens, which have been restored and kitted out to show visitors their original functioning, and the Young Henry VIII exhibition. Then there’s the William III apartments, the Georgian Apartments and other attractions.
Outside, the Privy Garden and Great Fountain Garden should be seen. Then there are the Pond Gardens, Banqueting House and the Great Vine on the river side. On the other side is a large area with the 20th Century Garden, Wilderness, Maze, etc. This latter area is perhaps best taken in as you make your way back to the exit, car park etc at the end of your visit.
Practical Details: There is some car parking (chargeable); an all-day stay will cost several pounds. The Palace is well served by public transport, and if you arrive by rail at Hampton Court station (terminus), finding the nearby Palace is a no-brainer. The HRP website suggests a minimum three-hour visit, but I stayed for about six hours and still did not manage to see everything inside and out.
The only eatery is the Tiltyard Cafe in the grounds. Photography seems to be generally permitted except where they say you can’t, i.e. in the Chapel Royal and the entrances to the few remaining grace-and-favour apartments. Tickets can be pre-booked online, which could save you money and avoid wasting scarce visit time stuck in a lengthy queue in the ticket office.
There is a no-extra-cost tour of the Grace-and-Favour apartments, which is worth catching if you have an hour, as it gets you into one or two spaces not normally open to visitors. The Base CourtPrivy GardensLater Palace
National Trust
The house, built in 1850-1, is the third on the site, the two previous ones having burnt down. It is now a hotel, which you can visit at any time as a guest if you are wealthy. Otherwise, visiting is restricted to three rooms for 2 1/2 hours twice a week.
The extensive and spectacular gardens and grounds are open daily to NT visitors. Notable features are the large Parterre, which offers the best view of the house, the Fountain of Love, the steep drop to the Thames which borders the gardens to the north, and the Water Garden. If your legs are tired, check out the cinema next to the main car park for an interesting film about the house and its occupants.
In March 2012 some works were being carried out below the house terrace to improve drainage. (visited March 2012) House Entrance frontClock TowerThe Parterre
East FrontNational Trust
Basildon Park is a Georgian country mansion near Reading. Built for a man who made his fortune in India, it passed through various hands, and when Lord and Lady Iliffe bought it in 1952, it had been unoccupied for forty years except for wartime requisitions, and had escaped demolition but had been stripped of many fittings and decorative features. The Iliffes set about restoring the derelict house to its original grandeur.
Today, a walk from the stable-yard through woodland – part of the park – brings the visitor to the front of the house. The central block is square in plan, with detached service wings tied in by one-storey-high walls which screen service courtyards.
The principal rooms of the main block are on the first floor, with principal bedrooms on the floor above, connected by a grand staircase, a family staircase, and a hidden spiral stair for servants. The ground floor, nowadays occupied by the tea-rooms and function space, was a service area.
The principal rooms on the first floor, the staircase hall, and the principal bedrooms are fully restored and furnished, and well worth seeing. The Old Kitchen in the left wing, though signed, is not open to visitors and seems to be a store or garage. On the other hand, the Iliffe’s 1950’s kitchen in the main house has been restored and opened as an exhibit. Rather more rooms are open to the public than the guidebook (printed 2004) indicates. As well as the 1950’s kitchen these include part of a cloakroom behind the library, and bathrooms and ante-rooms upstairs.
The house is notable for its survival as much as anything. (Visited March 2012) West FrontDoor, Sutherland RoomFireplace, Dining roomChinese vaseChinese bowlJapanese Screen
This church is notable for its unusually small size and its age. A Saxon church, Huna’s Church, stood on this site, but was completely replaced in the 12th century by a Norman church, much of which still stands today. The church was altered and improved in the late 15th century, giving it its present perpendicular style aspect, but has been little altered since. The parish was very small, and remains so to this day.
Notable feature inside include a wall painting, seemingly of the Royal Coat of Arms from the Elisabethan period, some very old oak pews, and the wagon-style nave ceiling with carved wooden bosses, all different. Those interested in such things can purchase a booklet about the church. Services are monthly. West (tower) endEast (chancel) endElizabethan wall paintingNave ceiling
NASCAR driven by CoulthardThis was a one-off event on 10 Dec 2011, held with the encouragement of the local council. The whole of Midsummer Boulevard, running for about 1km from the shopping centre to the railway station, was closed to traffic and used as a track for high-speed demonstration runs. Allegedly the speed limit was set at 70 mph. Locals also point out that the intersections are quite bumpy.
In view of the large predicted turn-out, I decided to travel by train to the conveniently sited CMK railway station. I didn’t arrive too early as the weather was clear but cold and I was hoping a promised parcel might turn up.
I arrived about 15 mins before the show was due to start and found that a very large crowd was already lining the track about 4 deep on both sides. (Some reports put the attendance at 60,000). Accordingly this isn’t so much a report on the Home Run (there are some excellent amateur videos on Youtube) as a report on the difficulty of seeing or photographing anything.
I was hoping to position myself near one of the giant TV screens, but the one nearest the station was throughly obscured by tree branches and the next one was across the road from a long Press stand on the trackside, so that was no use either.
I positioned myself a few hundred yards from the railway station and hoped for the best. In the end, I got to see the Red Bull stunt biker Chris Pfeiffer, the F1 car driven by Mark Webber, the Red Bull NASCAR saloon driven by David Coulthard, the F1 car driven by Sebastian Vettel, and finally both F1 cars and drivers driving side by side. In each case (except the stunt biker) I saw them for about a second as they whizzed past. To get a photo in such a situation it is necessary to start pressing the shutter before the audible but unseen car appears, a near impossible task.
A F1 car is noisy, but less ear-splitting than I expected. The most exciting noise was made by the NASCAR driven by Coulthard.
After that I went home to de-frost, passing up the chance to visit the paddock or see a static F1 car display in the shopping centre. Reportedly, retail takings were up. Chris Pfeiffer stuntsMark Webber drives by
