Castles and Winnie the Pooh.

Back on the boat after a couple of weeks. We've been staying in Lewes for a few days, must be fifty years since I walked the streets of the old county town of Sussex. We stayed at The White Hart,

a hotel with a flavour of Fawlty Towers. Must admit the food was ok, until the manager got involved in the service.

The reason for our stay was a visit from some long lost relatives from Canada, actually not so much lost as temporarily mislaid. I caught them unawares as they visited Mile End Cottages, Partcham, where one of the ladies had spent her childhood.
Lewes is a splendid old town on the slopes of the South Downs, the castle dominates the town,

and the High Street has a collection of buildings of all ages.

They are wonderfully Sussex, brick, wood framed, tile hung and, because of the lack of any other decent building stone, flint.

both knapped

and unknapped.
The Sussex Ouse runs through the bottom of the town,

passing the Harvey's brewery. The river carried commercial traffic, mostly cement from several works along the river valley, until, I think, the 1980's.

Jill and cousin Mary seemed to be enjoying themselves, never did find out what the joke was.
Also took a trip out to Hever Castle, childhood home of Anne Boleyn.

More a fortified manor than a castle, it was one of the homes of the Astor family up to the 1970's.
On the way, in the village of Hartfield, we found "Pooh Corner", a most impressive tourist trap.

SNAP, the trap closes on some more unsuspecting tourists.

Shouldn't laugh Jill, just because we are immune to the bait.
The village is in the Ashdown Forest which, as we all know, is the original Winnie the Pooh territory.
Today we returned to the boat and now we are relaxing, stove lit and feet up.

Store ship tomorrow, on our way Friday.

Watch this space..............