A visit to Maidenhead

Thursday July 18th

Today was our last day with Sue and she suggested we go somewhere towards Maidenhead where we going to end up at a RAF concert in the evening.  So  she got out the National Trust book and found Cliveden which was a place she had never been to and somewhere that everyone could get in using cards.  NZ Historic Places Trust cards allow access to the National Trust Properties in the UK.

Cliveden is a country retreat on a grand scale. It is now a luxury hotel and serves the most expensive club sandwiches in the world at 100 pounds!  We got to do a special guided tour of part of the hotel. The people eating and drinking in the main lounge were seriously rich.

 Cliveden’s magnificent gardens and breath-taking views have been admired for centuries.  ^You have to get up onto the terrace to really get the effect of the formal gardens.

Cliveden was once the glittering hub of society,  visited by virtually every British Monarch since George I and home to Waldorf and Nancy Astor in the early 20th century.

During WW1 Cliveden was used as a Canadian hospital.  There is a small area of wall graves of soldiers who died there. 

 Amongst all the Canadians we found this kiwi grave.

Cliveden was renowned for hosting exclusive parties and political gatherings, and later became infamously associated with the Profumo Affair.

In the evening Phil managed to get a train right across London to join everyone at the only RAF concert that Mary and Alan are going to get this time. We all managed to meet at a reaturant in the village near the church for a meal before the concert.

It was the hottest night imaginable in a church with very little ventilation and unlike most English churches that are big and old this one was small and modern.  The conductor told the audience if they were wondering why he hadn't invited the band to take their jackets off it was because most of them had chopped the sleeves out.  Louise had already said she couldn't take her's off becasue she had only ironed the front. the music was so good that you soon forgot about the heat.  Everyone welcomed the fresh air at half time though.

Mary, Louise, Hamish holding me and Alan at half time.  Aren't Alan's shoes dirty!

 The concert had all the favourites including the Dam Busters March and RAF March past.  The Brass quintet played amazing Grace with Hamish's kiwi mate Mike playing a killer jazz solo on his trumpet.  It was a great concert that was greatly appreciated by the audience and the kiwi visitors.