Packing a lot into a short trip…

The group arrived at Stansted late on the Friday afternoon. The weather was not good but we made up for the wet and the cold by giving our visitors a warm welcome at the airport before taking them to their hosts.

On Saturday the weather improved. We met in Saffron Walden for a guided walk round this town that was once wealthy from the wool trade and saffron production (hence the name). There are many historic houses and a beautiful 15th-century church. It was market day so the town was busy.
www.visitsaffronwalden.gov.uk

After lunch in Saffron Walden, our convoy continued in beautiful autumn sunshine to nearby Audley End, where we spent an enjoyable afternoon. This splendid stately home started life in the 12th century as a Benedictine abbey. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries it was rebuilt in the Jacobean style as the largest private house in England, and once belonged to King Charles II. The main house is well preserved – many rooms, including an imposing library, are furnished in the original style. There are also a laundry and dairy with displays showing the hard life of the domestic staff. The extensive gardens, with the River Cam flowing through, were designed in the 1760s by Capability Brown.
www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/audley-end-house-and-gardens

Audley End, resplendent in the autumn sunshine

London: always worth a visit

Sunday was free time and our visitors made a number of different trips accompanied by some of their hosts. One group went to London, which is always an attraction for the Eppingen twinners. They admired the stunning view from the Sky Garden and restaurant at the top of the ‘walkie-talkie’ building. They also visited the historic Borough Market, where they were tempted by up-to-date treats like chocolate-fountain strawberries. The Butterfly Trail in the Outernet building showed a virtual reality butterfly display on massive screens, with the ability to manipulate it on your phone. This was followed by a walk through Chinatown, decorated for the mid-autumn festival, and Leicester Square with its cinema-themed bronze statues including Harry Potter, Mr Bean and Paddington Bear.

Another small group visited Maldon on the estuary of the River Blackwater in Essex, and took a local boat trip.
www.visitmaldon.co.uk

Admiring London’s skyline from the ‘walkie-talkie’ building

At home with Charles Darwin

Two guests had a different experience, visiting Down House in the Kent countryside. This is where Charles Darwin lived and wrote his groundbreaking book ‘On the Origin of Species’. The house has been lovingly restored, including the garden with its greenhouse – Darwin’s ‘living laboratory’.
www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/home-of-charles-darwin-down-house

A festive farewell

We all gathered on the Sunday evening at Elios restaurant in Epping High Street for a farewell meal – a total of 38 people including other members of the Epping association. It was an informal occasion with short speeches by the chairs of our respective associations, Barbara Scruton and Heike Lachowitzer, thanking in particular Lis Goodwin for organising the weekend so well and presenting her with a bouquet of flowers.
www.eliosrestaurant.co.uk