The United Kingdom Archives

Jun 01

by Nicola in Adventure, Cycling, Nature, The United Kingdom 0 comments tags: Bedgebury Pinetum Forestry, EMTB, New Forest, Nicola Ann Art, Nicola Ann Beykirch, Surrey Hlls, The Devil's Punch Bowl

Electric Mountain Biking is a New Addiction

NEW FOREST, LYNDHURST Oh, the thousands of wild ponies scattered throughout the New Forest. Seeking them out while exploring on an electric mountain bike (EMTB). A first EMTB experience. Almost fifty kilometres, and so much breath left; I could have gone on and on and on… I had ridden mountain bikes throughout South Africa and had developed my skills when riding with Ama Angles “single track minded” – at Holla Trails in Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal – a few years ago, when I came close to living back home indefinitely. “Wild horses Couldn’t drag me away Wild, wild horses We’ll ride them some day…” Lyrics by The Rolling Stones SURREY HILLS AREA OF OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY We experienced so much fun EMTB the weekend before, we had to do it again. This time through the hills of Surrey and its outstanding beauty. Five out of five for the diverse terrain and technical challenges overlooking The Devil’s Punchbowl. We hired The CUBE REACTION HYBRID Pro 500 from Surrey Hills Cycle Hire at the village of Hambledon. BEDGEBURY PINETUM FORESTRY, KENT & SUSSEX Resistance was futile… EMTB for a third weekend in a row. This time whizzing along graded trails in Bedgebury Pinetum […]

May 06

by Nicola in London, Nature, The United Kingdom 0 comments tags: Bluebells, Hampstead, Hampstead Heath, London, Spring

Late bluebell bloomers in hampstead heath

I captured the bluebells too early this season. Because of the cooler spring this year, they bloomed later than usual and didn’t appear as prolific throughout Hampstead Heath. DID YOU KNOW? The United Kingdom has more than half of the word’s bluebells. IN THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS The bluebell is a symbol of humility, constancy, gratitude and everlasting love. It is said that if you turn a bluebell flower inside-out without tearing it, you will win the one you love, and if you wear a wreath of bluebells you will only be able to speak the truth. Read more at the Woodland Trust: here.

Apr 04

by Nicola in Beach, Black & White, The United Kingdom 0 comments tags: Broadstairs, Joss Bay, Kent, Margate

To The Sea… Broadstairs, Kent

‘Fancy doing anything special, as special as possible, this coming weekend while still in lockdown?’ ‘I know…’ I said, and then broke out in song… …We’ve got to get to the seaDon’t you touch the waterDon’t you barely breathe And if you see yourselfLooking back at youYou’re gonna have to leaveYou’re gona have to leave I don’t want you to goBut you’ve got to leaveDreams to drainPut them in a cage… Jack Johnson (lyrics) An easy day trip from London, we headed to Kent, the south-eastern county stippled with medieval towns, diverse countryside and interesting beaches with its chalk cliffs. From Joss Bay, Broadstairs to Margate and Sandwich. A pity about the biting wind…

Feb 20

by Nicola in Cities, Cycling, London, The United Kingdom, Uncategorized 0 comments tags: Battersea, Camden, Electric cycling, Hampstead, Houses of Parliament, Leave the Herd Behind, Lime, London

Electric Cycling in lockdown

‘What’s different to do in Lockdown? Other than varying our walks through Hampstead and its surroundings.’ ‘I know, let’s try out electric cycling? An Uber JUMP bike, is it?’ ‘Hey, there’s two right there…’ Such exhilarating fun! We had to do it again a few weeks later.

Jan 07

by Nicola in Hiking, Nature, The United Kingdom, Uncategorized 0 comments tags: Country, countryside, England, Hiking, Wiltshire

Escape to the Wiltshire countryside

I felt grateful being in a position to return to live and breathe Wiltshire's special countryside over December 2020 and beginning of January 2021.

Jul 20

by Nicola in Beach, Hiking, Nature, The United Kingdom 0 comments tags: Black Mountains, Brecon Beacons National Park, Cardigan Bay, Nicola Ann Art, Nicola Beykirch, Poppit Sands, The Cliff Hotel & Spa, The United Kingdom, Wales

Poppit Sands Beach, Cardigan bay and Brecon Beacons wales

While waiting for international borders to open, to be able to return to Venice to save Bella Rose, we embarked on a road trip to the recently opened Wales. As they say at home, “Local is Lekker!” From North London, we meandered through the Cotswolds, stopped for a picnic at Ross-on-Wye and then endured a stroll in bitterly cold rain along an almost deserted Poppit Sands, the highlight of our getaway. TOO COLD FOR A DIP Another blue flag bathing beach, Poppit Sands is a sandy beach on the west coast of Wales, dominated by sand dunes at the mouth of the Teifi Estuary. A couple of surfers braved the cold temperature and less than idyllic surf conditions. I didn’t dare stick my toe in the uninviting water. Nor did I take out my DSLR to capture the memories and only used my phone’s camera. Stopping off for hot chips, at a nearby chippie, provided the much-needed warmth. FIRST NIGHT OUT SINCE LOCKDOWN The Cliff Hotel & Spa is located on the coast of Cardigan Bay overlooking Poppit Sands and Cardigan Island. Due to COVID, the restaurant was closed and dinner was served inside the room. It felt as though […]

Jun 28

by Nicola in Beach, The United Kingdom 0 comments tags: Blue Flag Beach, Brightlingsea, Essex Sunshine Coast, Nicola Ann Art, Nicola Beykirch

Brightlingsea, Essex Sunshine Coast

We happened to be in Suffolk and decided at the last minute to venture to the sea. Brightlingsea happened to be the closest to where we were visiting. Situated between Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea, at the mouth of the River Colne, Brightlingsea is a coastal town in the Tendring district of Essex. COLOURFUL BEACH HUTS Its sandy beach runs along the Western Promenade next to Batemans Tower. Brightly painted beach huts border the promenade, providing an intimate walk close to the sea. Mind the sea spray when the weather turns vocal. Oh boy was it vocal! BLUE FLAG BEACH I’d never have guessed the beach is of Blue Flag status. Together with Dovercourt Bay, also a Blue Flag beach, and Brightlingsea are the two largest contributors to the tourist economy, which is worth, ‘£365 million a year to Tendring – £1 million per day – and this figure is on the rise from the previous year,’ stated Nigel Brown, Tendring District Council’s Communications Manager in 2018. IDYLIC RAMBLING Just beyond the beach, the seawall leads to picturesque walks amidst diverse flora and fauna, with plentiful birdlife, that flourish around this interesting corner of the Essex Sunshine Coast. Oh, and Winkies, around […]

Jun 06

by Nicola in London, The United Kingdom 0 comments tags: Berkeley Square, COVID-19, Crawling, Lockdown, London, Nicola Ann Art, Nicola Beykirch, Sophie Ryder

London easing out of lockdown…

It still felt as though the city was abandoned; a ghost town, never seen before in my lifetime. Mmm… The sound of silence. I could count the total number of people passed, social-distancing, of course, on both hands. From Regent’s Park, we headed to Great Portland Street, Oxford Circus, Marble Arch, Hyde Park, Mayfair, Maddox Gallery and Berkeley Square where I marvelled at “Crawling” by Sophie Ryder. ‘To me it encompasses so many emotions. The lady is strong and confident and she is moving along which makes one wonder “where is she going?” ‘She is a bronze that I scaled up from the maquette by eye from very small, straight to very large, which is a very difficult process as normally its done in several more stages than that. ‘I worked on it for a long time, 16 hours a day back in 1999. The first attempt collapsed on top of me in one big crash! I was a bit bruised and battered but learnt then that my structures needed to be better thought out. I had wasted a couple of months of work but gained years of experience. ‘Sculpture should adapt to its surroundings and be good from every […]

May 17

by Nicola in Beach, The United Kingdom 0 comments tags: beach, English seaside, Essex, Leigh-on-Sea, Nicola Ann Art, Nicola Beykirch, Southend-on-Sea

Out of lockdown straight to Leigh-on-Sea

The moment the lockdown guidelines eased, we emerged from the North London suburbs and headed straight for Leigh-on-Sea. The sea! Someone said, “Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, is a town full of unique character and charm and is a must-see when visiting Southend-on-Sea.” The sea. Having grown up with the Indian Ocean at my toes, being near the sea is like home to me. I can’t quite put my finger or should that be toes? on it, but there’s something peculiarly different about the seaside along the coast from Bell Wharf Beach to Southend-On-Sea when compared to other English seaside towns. Could it be the… mmm… dense, sinking-mud? ALL ALONG THE SOUTH COASTAll along the south coast the sea is sort of there. The sun is sort of shining through a sort of salt-sea air. There’s a sort of “shall we” or “shan’t we”, a sort of “yes” or “no”, A sort of rolling up of trouser legs and a dipping of the toe. All along the south coast the day is sort of bright. At least it’s sort of brighter than it sort of is at night, A sort of “should we” or “could we”, a sort of “yes” or “no”. It […]

Mar 29

by Nicola in London, Nature, The United Kingdom 0 comments tags: Blue Bells, Hampstead, Hampstead Heath, London, nature, Nicola Ann Art, Nicola Beykirch

blue bells blooming early Hampstead Heath

The blue bells blooming early this year, due to the balmy weather, in Hampstead Heath during lockdown. A treat to see them each day, as long as they lasted, while ‘participating in one form of daily exercise outdoors’, as instructed by Boris. “Moments of solitude with Mother Nature is sunshine to a soul.” — Anthony Douglas Williams

Oct 20

by Nicola in Architecture, Back2Blighty, Cities, London, The United Kingdom 2 comments tags: Architecture, Back2Blighty, Battersea, Battersea Power Station, BeanOn Photography, Chelsea Bridge, England, The United Kingdom

Iconic Battersea Power Station

Feeling inspired after relishing other people’s art at the Affordable Art Show in Battersea, I ventured along the Thames and happily explored the in-progress renovations of Battersea Power Station. I lived in Battersea many years ago and walked over Battersea Bridge to work, ran around the Battersea Park most days and dined weekly at a cheap and cheerful Thai place where I was known by name. What a delightful surprise to return and find an elegance of eclectic architecture, sonorous and arousing; the beauty of lines. Captured by the reflections, I wanted to include only them in the post; however, all the rest of my images are as charming. A completely different space to when I last visited fourteen years ago. I vow to return to sample Mother, oh please feed me mother, all artisan products sourced directly from Italy and apparently their pizzas are to die for!

Babeny Farm Stables, Dartmoor National Park

Apr 16

by Nicola in Back2Blighty, Hiking, Nature, The United Kingdom 0 comments tags: Babeny Farm Stables, Back2Blighty, BeanOn Photography, Bovey Castle, Dartmoor National Park, Devon, England, Hiking, horse riding, The United Kingdom

Nature Calls Dartmoor National Park, Devon

Thick, ancient wooded valleys, deep rivers with dense mosses in luminous greens and yellows are scattered throughout the wild moorlands of Dartmoor National Park. The largest open moor in southern England protects Dartmoor’s ‘little five’: blue ground beetle, marsh fritillary butterfly, cuckoo and ash black slug. There are two reasons I’d merrily return to dramatic Devon. First, horse riding through the moorland. We chose Babeny Farm Stables’ pub ride that gave us three hours in the saddle. A pity the weather limited our cantering through the boggy open moors. At least it limited the amount of people out and about too and provided a rather imtimate experience Second, Bovey Castle surrounded by 275 acres of Dartmoor National Park with deer and ponies amidst the rolling hills.

Mar 20

by Nicola in Back2Blighty, Black & White, Hiking, London, Nature, The United Kingdom 0 comments tags: Back2Blighty, BeanOn Photography, blizzard, England, Hampstead Heath, Hampstead Village, ice, nature, snow, Sunset

Let it snow London

Let it snow London; blizzards of heavy snow hit London three times this past winter, from December 2017 until end of March 2018, almost springtime. The last time I experienced snow settling in London was during January / February 2011. What a pleasure trudging through Hampstead Heath, up towards Kenwood House and around the ponds and the village during all three snow-dumps.

Feb 14

by Nicola in Adventure, Architecture, Back2Blighty, Beach, Nature, The United Kingdom 0 comments tags: Back2Blighty, BeanOn Photography, Exploring, Llandudno, nature, North Wales, Rugged Terrain, seaside resort, The United Kingdom, Wales

Llandudno, seaside resort, North Wales

Based at Llandudno North Wales, it really wasn’t such a good idea trying to climb Mount Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales at an elevation of 1,085 metres above sea level, middle of February and especially when it’s snowing. Taking heed of the warning: “Ice axe and crampons are essential! Wind gusts 80mph! Feels like -15℃” Ouch! No thank you. If only I’d brought my crampons! Sometimes resistance is fruitful. Out of the snow and icy cold, Llandudno, a beautiful Victorian seaside resort at the foot of Great Orme, North Wales, proved a delight to explore. Affectionately known as the Queen of the Welsh Resorts, it boasts some of the most elegant seafront architecture in Britain.

Road Trip from London to Dunnet Head: Kirkstone Pass, Lake District

Road Trip from London to Dunnet Head: Whaligoe Haven

Road Trip from London to Dunnet Head: John O'Groates

Road Trip from London to Dunnet Head: Dunnet Head

Road Trip from London to Dunnet Head: Cairngorms National Park

Road Trip from London to Dunnet Head: Yorkshire Dales

Impromptu Road Trip from London to Dunnet Head

With a change of plans over the festive period, we bravely set off on an impromptu road trip from London to Dunnet Head, the most northerly point in mainland Britain, Scotland. Heading to Scotland we travelled through the Lake District, exploring Kirkstone Pass; Lybster; Whaligoe Haven where the famous Billy Connolly filmed part of his television series titled The World Tour of Scotland; John O’ Groats; Dunnet Head; North West Highlands, Inverness; Cairngorms National Park with the snow-capped CairnGorm mountain range where disappointed skiers turned to sledging. Such serene vistas almost all looked fake, too perfect. Lost in its beauty, I experienced another side to Scotland (Fort William and Ben Nevis previously posted) that appealed to all of my senses in dramatic force. Forcefully dramatic; dramatically forceful. Four days later, the journey back to London took us through the Yorkshire Dales with miles of moors, valleys, waterfalls, hills and stone-built villages. Remote, rugged and rejuvenating, travelling the UK during the Christmas holidays proved to be an adventure that has to be repeated. With only Indian or Chinese restaurants open or rather still with availability at the last minute, I didn’t mind eating Indian food two nights in a row. […]