I'm posting from the UK. I arrived on the 8th of August and have had a very busy time over the last ten days. Mostly, I've been doing things for mum and dad - things that they find hard to do in their advanced years, like hack down the undergrowth in the back garden and programme digital TVs. However, I have managed to get out and about a few times, though this year it has all been inside Derbyshire, as I haven't had the time (or to be honest, the energy) to venture further afield.
One of the lovely places I have been to this time is Hardwick Hall, which was built by the legendary Bess of Hardwick. I'm not going to give her complete bio here (you can check it on Wikipedia), suffice to say that she is one of Derbyshire's most famous figures - a 4-times married contemporary of Elizabeth I, who was famed for building houses and being fabulously rich at a time when women were generally not powerful. Visiting the old and new halls at Hardwick is a fine day out for anyone. The new hall is beautifully decorated with the largest collection of tapestries held by a private family in the UK. The old hall (which is actually only three years older than the new hall) is now just a shell of masonary, but you can climb up to the top for spectacular views of the Peak District countryside. I suffer from vertigo, but I managed it! Anyway, once again, the pictures will tell the story.
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