England for the Day and then on to Holland: A Magical Day in historic Harwich as a result of chance meetings - Exploring Holland, Germany and Denmark on a Recumbent Tandem - CycleBlaze
England for the Day and then on to Holland: A Magical Day in historic Harwich as a result of chance meetings
We got off the ferry at 1pm (Danish time) and promptly had to remember two things - change the time to British time (1 hour earlier) and ride the bike on the left side of the road. The former proved easier to manage.
The ferry tonight to Holland doesn't leave until 11:45, so we have many hours to fill. Once again, we had read that we can board early (about 8 pm), but time will tell.
Our plans for the day were a bit vague - we had read about Harwich and wanted to explore this historic area. It's only about 5 km away and we thought that we would also have time for a longer bike ride as well. As we wandered around the narrow streets of Harwich, we were very impressed by the depth of history here as well as the work of the local historical society to keep the history alive. The waterfront is quite beautiful, especially on this ideal sunny, autumn day.
Harwich is, by its geographical location, a very small town in size. It is bordered by the peninsula and the town of Dovercourt - literally there is no possibility of growth. Nonetheless, this small village is a treasure trove of historical interest. A few of the historical features of Harwich include: home to Christopher Jones - Captain of the Mayflower, embarkation point of the Mayflower (hence the like named town in New England), home to the explorer Christopher Newport who established Jamestown in 1607 - the first permanent English settlement in America, the only remaining 2 man treadwheel crane which was built in 1667, 32 pubs were located in this small area (due to number of sailors on shore), Electric Palace - one of Britain's first movie theatres - and still running due to an army of volunteers, many houses (I think 32) on the protected list, etc.
We learned much about Harwich by reading the plaques and giving it the time it deserved, However, the town truly came alive because of the personal tour we were given by Bryan. We had met Anna Rendell-Knights and her husband, Bryan Knights, when we poked our heads in the side door of the Electric Palace movie theatre. They invited us in, welcomed us and Anna gave us an interesting tour of this amazing theatre. Bryan offered to show us around the town and this led to an amazing 2 hour wander giving us his insights on the history of this area. Returning to their home, we were invited in for a really good British cup of tea and had a chance to visit with Anna and their son, Matt. So much in common - Anna is a choral director and Matt is the BBC journalist/interviewer for cycling events, including the Tour de France. We had so much to talk about. All to soon it was time for us to head back to the terminal, so we ventured out into the streets again on our bike. First we rode down a one way road the wrong way (a local man on his bike warned us of the dangers) and then we promptly rode down the next street on the wrong side of the road wondering why cars were coming directly at us. I guess that they saw our Canadian flag and forgave us our ignorance. The other thing on our wish list for Britain was to eat a good meal of fish and chips. Locals pointed us in the direction of Pieseas Fish and Chips and it didn't disappoint. We could tell it was popular by the queue, and we took our place in line. We enjoyed our cod and chips at the pier - the best fish and chips we've had in a long time. An easy ride back to the pier along the water with a stop at the large British supermarket chain, Morrisons, to get food for our trip. What a relief to find prices lower than Denmark. At the terminal,it was good news that we could board between 8 and 9 - yeah! It will be good to get on early as the time switches back to Europe time (1 hour later) on the ship and we disembark first thing at 7 am. While waiting to board, we met other cyclists - a couple from Rotterdam who had been touring in England as well as a young couple from Canada....the first Canadian couple we have met in 3 months. The ship was a pleasant surprise - Stena Hollandica is only 3 years old and part of a new superfleet of ferries. Its amenities and layout are more like a cruise ship - lovely common areas, many restaurants and cafes, movie theatre, etc. As well, our cabin was on the top floor at the front of the ship, directly below the bridge. We had a huge panoramic window which gave us an incredible view...and best of all, we had a queen sized bed - no single berths. We almost wish that we could stay on longer. We reflected on our day and felt so privileged to have met Anna, Bryan and Matt. They honoured us by inviting us into their home and gave us so much of their time showing us the history and charm of their village. We have had a wonderful time on our brief visit to England.
A Swedish couple were taking a holiday in Britain on this Morgan "motorcycle" reproduction of a vintage model. He attracted quite a crowd to see the inside of this unique vehicle.
We met this young man from York who is attempting to ride around the world with this rather heavy rickshaw. He is just beginning his journey and we wish him luck. Sponsors are desired, if you're interested....
Charmaine RuppoltThe volunteer, Anna, who took you on the tour of the theatre, looks a lot like a friend of mine who passed away years ago, by the name of Grace... :) Reply to this comment 7 months ago
Bryan offered to give us a tour of the historical buildings. We were surprised to hear that at one time there was a tax on windows. As a result, people would board up some of their windows so they didn't have to pay the tax.
Charmaine RuppoltInteresting regarding the tax on windows! Looks like that held for 156 years until it was repealed in 1851! Reply to this comment 7 months ago
