Reports - Weekends 2023

"A full bus of Country Link members went to Chatham Dockyard on the Saturday.

First we went into the Command of the Oceans Gallery. There was a large area of artefacts dating back to the age of sailing ships. There were the remains from sunken ships including 'The Invincible' which sank in 1758. Cobblers made square-toed shoes so that they would fit left or right feet. Meal plates were wooden and square from which it's thought the saying '3 square meals a day' originated.

Some members had chosen to do the Ropery tour which was very interesting, with a few members having a shot making a rope. They've been making ropes here for more than 400 years, originally for the Navy. and this is still operational as a business called 'Master Ropemakers'.

We went on a tour of HMS Ocelot, a Cold War submarine which was fascinating. There is very little room throughout, and we had to squeeze through bulkhead hatches, and keep ducking regularly, to avoid hitting our heads on pipes and valves etc.

Included in our day was a walk round HMS Cavalier, a Second World War Destroyer. We saw all areas of the ship, except the bridge, which was under maintenance. It was captivating to see this ship for ourselves, rather than in films or on the TV.

We could walk freely about HMS Gannet, a Victorian Sloop, which was both steam and sail powered.

There were many buildings and exhibitions in a large area, it was a lovely day so it was pleasant walking between the various areas and also sitting having lunch outside, and chatting with others.

In one of the 3 former ship building halls there was an extensive exhibition plotting the history of the RNLI. It's the largest collection of lifeboats in the British Isles, ranging from oar-powered boats to some of the more modern self-righting boats.

'Call the Midwife' is filmed here, and there was an option to do a location tour.

This was a great full day visit!"

"On Saturday 10th May a group of 17 Country Link members visited Rochester as this was one of the trips on offer at the Spring Country Link National Weekend. On arrival in Rochester we were met by two guides, and split into two groups.

The guides took us on a walking tour pointing out interesting buildings and telling us tales of the past. One story was of Charles Dickens Swiss Chalet which stands in the garden of Eastgate House. It was taken from Dickens house at Gads Hill and put on the railway in 58 boxes - a bit like IKEA. The chalet is now in need of repair so we couldn't actually enter the building, only look at it from the garden. Rochester also boasts having the oldest school in England called "Kings School" where pupils have been educated for over 1400 years under the watchful gaze of Rochester Cathedral and Castle.

Our guide took us past the impressive Cathedral but unfortunately we could not enter as there was a service taking place to ordain new priests. The Castle sits opposite the Cathedral and is strategically placed to guard an important crossing on the River Medway. The main part of the Castle was built from 1087 to 1089, but the Norman Keep was built in 1127 by William of Corbeil, the then Archbishop of Canterbury. After our informative tour of Rochester the group had free time to explore the town's many small independent shops and street market. I think we could say Rochester is a very pleasant place to visit and I am sure the rest of the group would agree."

"Somerset Country Link, in collaboration with South Wiltshire and Dorset groups, did a splendid job of organising a thoroughly enjoyable weekend made all the more so by wall to wall sunshine.

The hotel staff were very welcoming on arrival and the function room afforded lovely views over the adjacent private fishing lake, against the backdrop of trees on the edge of Shorne Country Park.

Wendy Swain organised a very enjoyable walk on the Darnley trail on Sunday morning, ably assisted by Barbara Cary. Seven of us set off from the hotel through part of Shorne Country Park. Although it was quite hot we were shaded by trees for quite a bit of the walk.

After a short break, at the excellent Eco friendly visitor centre in the park, continuing on we crossed a bridge above the busy A2 and continued through Cobham Wood where we took a slight detour to view the unused Darnley Mausoleum. This opened in 1808 and was restored in the 18th century. It is managed by the National Trust and is open from April - September on the first Sunday of each month.

The woodland is part of the parkland laid out by Humphrey Repton. Like many woods in Kent, Shorne Country Park and Cobham Wood bore the legacy of the October 1987 hurricane with lots of big tree trunks lying around - some of which have sprouted tall thin saplings from being in contact with the soil. We had a welcome break at The Ship Inn at Cobham and made our way back to the hotel after a very enjoyable walk giving us plenty of time before the evening BBQ on the patio overlooking the lake.

Following the BBQ, we were kept quiet trying to solve the various quiz questions from the handouts. All in all a very enjoyable weekend, and all credit to the organisers."