More Kent Pics 2009 by Hannah

Had to add a few more pics of our lovely weekend away.

First the Battle of Britain Memorial. Just a few miles away from Dover, we took a quick trip to see this brilliant Memorial. This is only s small part. The Memorial site is right on the edge of the cliffs. The site is volunteer manned and they reply on charity donations. As you go in theres a few memorials etc and two planes. Also some information panels and a sculpture of Bob the Squadron Dog. In the back of this picture you can see a long black memorial plaque, which I must say is absolutely stunning in its look - perfectly shiny and black. More to the point, it has the names of approximately 600 names on it of people who died in the Battle of Britain in 1940. What is photographed here is a fighter pilot, looking out to sea contemplating the loss of his fellow pilots and friends. Around the outside are carved the emblems of the Squadrons involved. Just behind the pilot you can a white stripe - there were 3 of these to represent a propeller blade. around the site mounds of earth had been landscaped to be able look onto the memorial. http://www.battleofbritainmemorial.org/

Here are the White Cliffs of Dover - there are plenty of white cliffs, but this is the National Trust car park. The thing is, you walk above the cliffs and can't clearly see them!! If you follow this path you will reach the South Foreland Lighthouse about 2 miles away - it was too late in the day for us to do that. http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-thewhitecliffsofdover.htm
On our second day we went to Walmer Castle, which my parents used to visit quite regularly when they lived in this area over 30 years ago. The Duke of Wellington lived here as the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. He is the originator of the Wellington Boot, having a design personally created for him that would give him good coverage with flexibility. Below however is his reading chair - Ive never been convinced that these chairs are comfortable! For those who arent familiar, you would sit facing the back of the chair and rest the book on the panel in front of you. The string is just there to stop people sitting on it. And they probably would.

This is the Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mothers garden, which I don't think existed in my parents day! It was nice and tranquil which had seats all around for visitors to sit and relax. I thought that the Castle attracted local families to visit for the day, have a picnic and enough space for the children to play.
Finally this view is a picture my mum wanted me to take - a herbaceous border that mum remembered from all those years ago. She has film taken at the castle in 1970s. At the end of the path, called The Broad Walk, is a wall and seat and that was how i knew this was the right place! The flowers were not out in bloom yet. http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server.php?show=nav.14948