Broadstairs, Kent

With only a few weeks left to go in the UK I have to stop myself from agonising over the places I didn’t visit while I lived here.

I have a wish list of places I want to visit and I have every intention of seeing these places, just not in the next 3 weeks!

I am very grateful that I have had the opportunity to live and work in the UK, an Ancestral Visa is great luxury, something I only realised as the rules regarding living and working in the UK become even stricter.

My colourful CV is proof that finding a job hasn’t been easy. I can only hope that the combination of surviving, moving to random places, meeting loads of new people and making the most of every situation will make me a little bit wiser and at the very least entertaining at a dinner party!

Necessity is the mother of invention…or in my case the reason why I did a TEFL course (teaching English as a foreign language).

Unlike pretty much every other human being on the planet who does a TEFL course, I received my qualification and applied to work in the UK, anywhere and everywhere in the UK. (As opposed to teaching in Thailand or Vietnam or China) There are loads of Language school in the UK. It is a hugely popular and successful industry, teaching foreign students English. The difference between me and all the other TEFL teachers that I met was that they taught in England during the summer and then went to teach for the rest of the year in Europe or Asia. I decided not to jeopardise my eligibility to eventually apply for a British passport, which is why I only got as far as Kent and Wiltshire.

I accepted a position at the first school that offered me a job. I knew nothing about Broadstairs except that I could get there by train. Public transport for a South African is still a hugely romantic ideal…catch a train you say, anywhere…oh my, where shall I go next!!

So I organised my accommodation (over the phone) and set off for a summer by the sea.

Broadstairs is a ‘typical English Seaside town.’ Or so I have been told because what do I know about anything typically English. The beach is sandy, a huge plus. There is a bandstand on the seafront and during the summer there is usually some form of entertainment; those who prefer to, listen, and those who want to, dance!

There are loads of ice-cream parlours! It is quite a small place, so the number of ice-cream parlours does seem a bit out of proportion. But hey, I guess you can never have too much ice cream!

The biggest find that I made in Broadstairs was the Ritzy Retro Boutique. I actually had no idea that was the shop’s name until I decided to write this and had to look it up. I must admit it is not a great name. And the whole shop is painted purple, which may put some people off. And it is only open a few days a week at very specific times, so you have to check before you go. But when you do…. 

The vintage clothes inside this shop may possibly be the best I have ever seen anywhere. I love vintage clothes. My sister and I spent about two hours in that shop and I still think we missed some finds. I tried on at least 10 items, but the problem with vintage is that it is custom made, so when you find the piece that fits it is a sign from the Gods that you were meant to own it! Or that you did in fact own it in another life!

Unlike me, there were a few purchases made that day by my sister, amoung them a camel coloured coat that had recently been featured in Vogue and a silk scarf from India. Little did I know that silk scarf was my birthday present, so I actually do own something from this amazing shop after all. If I wasn’t a mere tefl teacher (we do it for the love of teaching, not the money) I would have gone crazy buying belts, bags, hats and gloves. I also think I made the very silly assumption that I would go back again to get the things I was having a think about, which I never did, sigh.

Apart from this vintage jewel, Broadstairs also hosts the biggest folk festivals in the world. Well maybe not the biggest in the world, but it is very impressive. During Folk week you can walk into any pub and enjoy an impromptu gig made up of Folk enthusiasts or you can buy tickets for the various events held all around town. It’s a very busy, fun, colourful week. There are loads of visitors and accommodation gets booked up quickly. Next year’s festival will take place from 5-12 August 2011.   

http://www.broadstairsfolkweek.org.uk/

Kent School of English

http://www.kentschoolofenglish.com/

Ritzy Retro Boutique

4 York Street, Broadstairs, Kent CT10 1PD

01843 600737

Stourhead Garden, Warminster, Wiltshire

I only like going on long walks if I can take hundreds of pictures along the way. And when I say hundreds, I actually mean more like a thousand! I just can’t take any chances; what if I miss THE shot. Rather be safe than sorry right? I am definitely going to go on a ‘get to know your SLR’ course so that the storage capacity on this computer is spared ‘thousands’ of fuzzy, obscure, ‘arty’ images.

By the way, if anyone is looking for an image of pretty much anything that lives or grows in The New Forest (mushrooms, flowers, ponies, acorns, insects etc), please get in touch- I can help!!

The theme for this week’s OCD Photographers Club (OCDPC) is the breathtaking Stourhead Garden in Warminster, Wiltshire. An hour’s drive from Salisbury, depending on the traffic, and you arrive in ‘on of the World’s finest 18^th-century landscape gardens’.

In 1946 Sir Henry Hugh Arthur Hoare gave Stourhead to the National Trust, and what a good job he did. The closest us mere commoners will ever come to the lavish lifestyle of Lords and Ladies is by watching Downton Abbey and visiting National Trust treasures such as Stourhead.

Walking around the garden, the man made lake reflects the golden colours of the autumn leaves and the follies provide yet another reason to explore. 

The gardens are open all year round, and dogs are permitted on leads from November to February. For all the detail visit the National Trust site:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stourhead#The_Gardens

The Palladian Bridge can be seen in the 2005 movie Pride & Prejudice

What a delightful foghorn!

Choosing to be optimistic about my two-year struggle to secure a ‘real’ job in the UK, I find myself more and more amazed by the England that exists outside of London. The numerous summer jobs and short contracts that now decorate my (not deliberately) diverse CV have at least given me an opportunity to see a lot more of England. Most people know that London is not England; it is it’s own bubble in England. That doesn’t mean that it isn’t exciting and full of incredible things to do and see. And as I contemplate moving back to London at any moment I’m not adverse to living there, it’s just that so many South Africans move there and rarely get a chance to visit the small, obscure villages and towns that burst with good old fashioned English charm.

I spent this past weekend in Cornwall. Ah Cornwall, I have heard on more than one occasion, Cornwall in the summer is such a delight. But Cornwall in the autumn, do people still go there? They do, and we did.

 We went to Lizard Point for a friend’s 30th and rented out the entire youth hostel.
I can now say that I have stayed in a youth hostel, although I’m not sure it counts when you are sharing a room with all your friends and everything is clean and comfortable and just like a hotel. I’m not trying to offend youth hostels; it’s just not the generalised picture you imagine when the words youth and hostel are used in succession. In other words it was brilliant accommodation at a really low price!

The drive from Salisbury to Lizard Point took us 4.5 hours, which is pretty substantial just for a weekend. Leaving after work on Friday meant we couldn’t appreciate the Cornish scenery on the way there, only the way back on Sunday afternoon. If you have the luxury of time off to drive during the day it will definitely add a whole new dimension to your trip. The autumn colours are out in full force and it is beautiful.

Arriving at 10pm on Friday night meant that we would have to wait until the morning to take in the full spectrum of our surroundings. Lizard Point is the southern most point of England and this means spectacularly dramatic views of crashing waves onto the craggy cliff edges. The geography of Lizard Point not only results in awe-inspiring views, but also poses a ‘notorious shipping hazard’.

It is for this reason that the prime location on which you will find the youth hostel is also home to the very necessary and very much still in use Lizard Lighthouse.

Lighthouses are charming. Foghorns are not!

On Friday night we gazed at the Milky Way and joked about turning off the blinking (literally) light that intermittently obscured our heavenly views. After a solid session of Sing Star we retired to our comfy bunk beds with the anticipation of the views that awaited us in the morning.

Fog. Fog all day. Fog all day and a foghorn. I hope you ships appreciate what we went through!

Being completely engulfed by fog is in itself eerie enough. Being surrounded by fog, hearing the foghorn go off every 30 seconds can be potentially drive you to…. drink! The solution; take the scenic route and walk along the cliffs (for the views) to the village. Hide out in the pub drinking local cider and eating genuine Cornish pasties. If the pub doesn’t have Cornish pasties on the menu you can always try the little shop around the corner. Take a wander down the street, you’ll find it! The shop is attached to someone’s home so don’t expect a parking lot and a billboard, it’s far too quaint. In fact, don’t even expect to be served by anyone in the shop! Pasties are laid out and ready to go, all labeled according to filling, the pricing is clearly stated on the honesty box. Buying home made marmalade from a table set up with an honesty box in front of the actual home where it has been made is worth any amount of money they ask for. In this case £3. Lizard Point may be popular with visitors, but it is by no means a tourist trap. It really is just a lovely small fishing village with spectacular views and the distant* sound of a foghorn.

*This is a disclaimer to anyone who disagrees about the foghorn. Yes it can be loud; put on some music and have a party!

Shooting Birds of Prey

You may notice that surprises feature prominently on this blog! (So far two out of three posts start with a surprise!)

For my birthday I was whisked off into the depths of the New Forest, camera in hand, no clue what to expect. Considering I have been staying in the New Forest for the past few months and I rarely leave the house without my camera, I wasn’t worried. I had however been told that the pink and red combo I was planning to wear that day would not go down well.

So I had to look the part…hmmm….
On arrival at  Liberty's Owl, Raptor and Reptile Centre I was greeted by a group of very professional looking Professional Photographers. I am a super keen photographer, combined with my amazing birthday present of a Nikon 3000 (you only turn 30 once) I have already taken about 5000 photos. I’m not saying I have taken 5000 brilliant photos, but 5000 none the less.

At this point it was revealed that I would be shooting (photographing) 5 different birds of prey in the forest with this elite group! One of the Liberty’s staff members very kindly leant me a 70mm lens because I am yet to sell my   right arm for one.



I love birds, birds of prey included, therefore,


Photography + birds of prey = very awesome birthday present!


When we started shooting I sheepishly set my camera to P.
Was anyone else using the automatic settings on their cameras?
Would I be branded with a bright red N (novice) and evicted from the group?


Apparently not.


The group was actually really chilled. Everyone was really considerate and made sure they didn’t stand in front of or directly opposite anyone. Nothing like ruining the perfect shot with a dorky looking (me) novice snapping away on auto in the background.


The only slightly tense moment came when an oblivious family man sauntered over from his picnic spot, young son in tow, to take pics on his little happy snappy camera*.
We had paid for the privilege after all. Well, I hadn’t, but everyone else had.

*camera snob!

This is the best celery I have ever eaten!

Staying, sort of, on the subject of my lovely friend’s wedding in France I would like to tell you about our delightful trip to River Cottage HQ for her hen’s party.

My lovely friend lives for good food, good wine and good friends. And so it only seemed right to celebrate her impending nuptials engulfed in her three favourite things. (Due to the fact that it was a Hen’s weekend her husband-to-be was not invited, because he undoubtedly tops the list above all else!)

A bunch of excited British, Austrailian and South African girls set out from Waterloo one very early Saturday morning for the unfamiliar town of Axminster, Devon.

All the girls knew where we were headed, naturally, except for one. The bride-to-be had no idea and her anticipation was not helped when her loving husband-to-be casually mentioned the night before that we were taking her fishing. She does not love fishing! 

There were no clues to be had taking in our surroundings in Axminster. A cloud had descended and engulfed us in an eerie mist. It was only when the taxi delivered us to the front gate of River Cottage HQ that it all made sense.

Despite the dramatic weather conditions we had the most wonderful time. One of the many events hosted at River Cottage HQ is a Visitors’ Day. On arrival we were greeted by an organiser and shown to a table that had been reserved just for us. The protocol for ‘normal’ visitors is to browse the stalls and displays, buy something delicious to eat and find a spot to eat! We felt very special with our designated table complete with vase of wild flowers.

We wandered around drinking Sparkling Elderflower Wine, taking in all the natural goodness of organic, homemade, better than anything you’ve ever tasted chutneys and other foodie delights.

As part of the day's activities, we gathered in the barn to watch a Salami making demonstration! Unfortunately our Hen wasn’t picked out of the crowd to help make the salami. How utterly appropriate; the bride-to-be perfecting her sausage handling skills, oh well!

You can follow more of the story of the Salami on www.midweekfeast.blogspot.com.

(Written by a real foodie)

The event ended around 5pm and I’m sure the staff at River Cottage HQ were amused and probably relieved that we binged on delicious cakes rather than red wine. We were saving the red wine for later!

Our taxi driver delivered us to Trill Farm where we were spending the night. Trill Farm is a wonderful place to spend a weekend away. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming and as we discovered in the morning, the views around the farm are absolutely beautiful.

Lighting the fire that night was not exactly necessary, but it did fit in perfectly with our romantic ideal of a weekend away in the country. Where else were we going to sit and drink our red wine?

Our evening meal consisted mainly of outstanding produce from River Cottage Canteen, which was bought in Axminster on arrival. 

We nearly lost two of our party to the depths of the canteen and all it’s foodie delights. We had to send in a search party after about an hour of waiting in the taxi. They were just popping in for cheeses after all. The taxi driver was far too entertained to be angry at a bunch of city girls, giddy at the thought of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s organic goodies.

To add to the fare an organic salad from the gardens of Trill Farm was delivered to our doorstep. Literally, the dark green celery was so radiant it looked unnatural- ironic really! And yes, it was the best celery I have ever tasted.

C'est La Visa

Any South African living in the UK already knows all there is to know about getting THE visa. And while I am ever so grateful that I can explore every inch of this Island to my hearts content, sometimes it would be nice to experience the truly British phenomenon of booking a weekend break on lastminute.com, catching a ‘cheap’ flight at midnight and discovering a little bit of Europe one mini break at a time.

My first Schengen visa

Dear Moonpig.com
(I definitely think there is a market here, don’t steal my idea.)

Please will you add a new category of greeting cards to your already impressive range?

• Successfully applying for a Schengen visa

On such a joyous occasion it only seems right that you should be able to receive the appropriate card. 

      

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

All your English friends get to travel to Europe

And now you can too (for a limited period of time)

                        Or

There once was a girl from Johannesburg

Who submitted a mountain of paper work

Three days went by

And the final reply

Come pick up you passport on the way to the airport*

*Definitely needs work

Regards, K
xx

I was really worried that I wouldn’t be able to go to France for a dear friend’s wedding. At first I thought it would be totally impossible for someone in my situation to get a visa. I am, as they say, currently between jobs! As it turns out the fact that I submitted my pay slips from my last job and simply answered “Yes!” when asked if I was looking for a job seemed to suffice regarding the issue of my employment.

On the morning of my visa interview I was armed with a mountain of additional paperwork. I had everything that was stipulated on the list and then some…

A copy of my English boyfriend’s passport (a very good reason to return to the UK)

A copy of my English boyfriend’s bank statements (in case they didn’t think I had enough money in the bank they could be sure my lovely boyfriend would be able to bail us out of a money related crisis)

Copies of the Gatwick Express tickets booked and paid for on our return to London (Wouldn’t want them to go to waste by illegally living in Gascony!)

Copies of the theatre tickets to Chicago that were booked and paid for (Clearly I had things to do, places to go, why would I want to hide out in France!)

I never needed my additional mountain of paper work in the end. But I did make sure I had EVERYTHING on the list (excepting a letter from my employer.)

I didn’t go through an agency when applying for my visa but I would recommend that you spend the extra money. 

A friend of mine uses Nexus Visas in Putney and she says they are excellent. I mailed them in a moment of panic some time on the Wednesday before I was due to leave on the Thursday and still hadn’t heard anything about my application.

I was looking for advice or reassurance. I was so impressed when I received a reply almost immediately. They were very honest in saying I couldn’t do much except wait.

Why the wait?

Usually you receive your visa on the day of your application. It takes a few hours but it is obviously worth the wait!

I considered every possible reason I may be given for my application being denied, hence the extra documentation. In the end it was a little black stamp in my passport from the Spanish Embassy dated 2008 that caused all the heart stopping drama.

I applied for a tourist visa to do a TEFL course in Barcelona for 4 weeks. Stupid. It should have been a student visa. I had only been living in the UK for about 4 months and was not actually considered a resident! I still had an international bank account and didn’t have original bank statements. The gentleman who processed my visa application told me I wasn’t likely to get a visa but it was up to me, I could try anyway. I had already accepted that I would lose out on the visa fee but I though that would be the biggest inconvenience. 

Had I know that a little black stamp indicating a failed visa application would cause such distress, I definitely wouldn’t have been so casual about the application process. 

As of 1 October 2010 the French Consulate will no longer be handling the visa application process. All applications will have to be made through an agency, TLSContact.

Nexus Visas will still be handling visa applications.

France was amazing, made even more amazing by the fact that friends from South Africa had also endured the process to make it there. We all had our stories. I’m sure it got a little boring for anyone without a Green Mamba, but hey, c’est la visa!