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Yosemite National Park

I am currently in California on vacation and one place I wanted to visit was Yosemite National Park, mainly because I wanted to experience the amazing sights this area has to offer.

I wasn't disappointed with any aspect of the park. Firstly the accommodation was excellent, I chose a river view room and it came complete with a kitchenette and the room itself was very spacious with a balcony and furniture so you could enjoy the sound of the fast flowing river with a coffee.

The sights of El Capitan and the amazing waterfalls were simply breathtaking, it was difficult for the brain to accept what the eyes were seeing. Indeed the only way to confirm this was to look back at the photographs taken, some of which I have included here.

With the above falls, you can walk to where the water hits the ground and get covered with its spray. It really is a great experience to see so much water hitting the ground. The force of the falls only gets greater with the more snow melt that will no doubt follow as the park warms up.

El Capitan looked stunning in the morning sunshine, I would love to know how many photos of the peak are taken each day, it most number thousands! Here is one more............

The scenery around both the falls and the peak was stunning at every turn. This made the park so enjoyable. There is still so much to see and I'm sure this will it be my only visit.

 

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Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC 1925-2013

The UK lost one of its greatest Prime Ministers today with the passing of Margaret Thatcher. She was a force to be reckoned with and did something that her predecessors did not do, she stood up for her country. She inherited a country that lacked order and general pride in itself and over a number of years, she restored that pride.

Not only did Baroness Thatcher shape the UK, she also did other things such as the cleaning of all public buildings, the ending of currency controls, people forget that only thirty years, if you went in holiday outside the UK, you could only take £50 in foreign currency!

The Baroness also kept the Falkland Islands British, at the request of the islanders. She stood up against the unions and that is something that will be her legacy, along with enabling the ordinary people to become shareholders and also to own their own homes. Britain became a share owning, home owning society, which it still is. One reform that was reversed was the Poll Tax, something that was very fair so that everyone paid their way for the public services they used.

When the Baroness left Downing Street in 1990, she became a peer, she was recognised by The Queen as she was given the Order of the Garter and also became a member of the Order of Merit. Both in the gift of the Monarch.

In "retirement" the Baroness became frail and required round the clock care. Although she was either loved and loathed, the one thing the Baroness was and always will be, is the greatest peacetime Prime Minister the UK has ever had.

RIP Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven, Lady of the Garter, Order of Merit, Privy Counsellor, Member of Parliament, First Lord of the Treasury.

 

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The Jewels of HRH The Duchess of Windsor

One word that goes hand in hand with HRH The Duchess of Windsor is JEWELS. The Duchess collected an amazing array of jewellery in her lifetime, most purchased by the Duke and presented to the Duchess. If the Duke could to make her Queen, he ensured that the Duchess looked every inch a Queen.

One of the first pieces given to the Duchess, before their marriage, was this bracelet to which the Duke would add crosses of precious stones. This is something the Duchess loved to wear.

One of the Duchesses favourite jewellers was Cartier, they produced some stunning pieces for her and created her range of animal jewellery such as the panthers.

At most functions the Royal Pair attended, the Duchess would be ablaze with jewels, no other lady could touch the Duchess when it came to jewellery.

Although estranged from her husbands family, the Duchess did have the same love of jewels that indeed the Dukes mother, Queen Mary, also had. Both women would have had so much to talk about as Queen Mary would wear an amazing amount of jewellery at any one time.

Pearls have been always been a staple of the royal ladies and the Duchess was no exception. This set was a favourite of the Duchess and worn frequently.

The flamingo brooch was also another favourite and was a statement piece the Duchess loved to wear.

The Duchesses jewels were her legacy as they were all sold, apart from a few personal bequests, mainly to the Kent branch of the Royal Family, at an auction, raising millions for medical research.

 

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White Lodge Centre in Chertsey.

I had the privilege to visit White Lodge this week as part of my company's sponsorship program that award funds to local causes. The centre is set in woodland and caters for disabled babies, children, teenagers and adults and their families too, which makes it an amazing resource in the local area.

Everyone was so nice and my colleague and I were shown around the many facilities including a hydrotherapy pool and sensory rooms. The young children we saw in the nursery were so well looked after, almost on a one to one basis. We arrived just before lunch was served and this took place in the wonderful sunny and bright room that they spend their time.

We next went to the mother and toddler group, again a wonderful atmosphere and also there were a number of dads too. The emphasis was on fun and enjoyment and again, we arrived just as lunch was being served. It's group also acted as a support group for each other.

Finally we arrived where the adults enjoyed their activities, including pc's and art work. All of these were supervised if the adults needed help. It didn't matter how severe the disability, they are encouraged to do whatever they would like to do. There was also gym equipment, therapy rooms, a lounge area and a wonderful restaurant.

All in all, the White Lodge Centre provide an amazing and essential service to its clients and their families. If only more centres like this were available for people with Cerebral Palsy and Autism, it would make such a difference to so many people.

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HRH The Duchess of Windsor

One of the most discussed members of the Royal Family during the 20th century is undeniably the Duchess of Windsor. Many things have been levelled at the Duchess but I think that she was not as bad as she was painted during the 1930's. it is probably easy to say that from the comfort of 2013.

True that HM King Edward VIII gave up his throne for the then Wallis Simpson, but they had a wonderful marriage for 35 years, only ending when the Duke died on May 28 1972. It was only then that the Duchess was accorded the rights of a member of the Royal Family, even though as a junior member.

The one thing that tackled with the use was the status of the Duchess as she has been specifically excluded by the Letters Patent of 1937 of being a Royal Highness. This hurt the Duke beyond measure and however this was decided, it made the Duchess have a different status form that of her husband. A morganatic marriage had been refused at the time of the Abdication, but this is what they ended up with.

The Duke was born a Prince with the style of HRH. When he abdicated, he gave up the throne and the Imperial titles, this simply meant he reverted to his former style and titles. This made, by convention, the Duchess to be styled HRH. Indeed in their homes and in the Dukes presence, the Duchess was known as Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Windsor.

The title issue concerned the Duke for the rest of his life and he always ensured his wife was accorded the same status as himself. This appears to have been result of pettiness from the Court.

The couple would have been an asset to the Royal Family had they been allowed to return to the UK, but this was not allowed and the threat of stopping the Dukes allowance of £25,000 was used to ensure the couple stayed outside the UK.

The Duchess died in April 1986 and was buried next to the Duke at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore, in the grounds of Windsor Castle. The funeral service was memorable as it did not mention the name of the Duchess once. Once she was laid beside the Duke, she was reunited and the greatest love story of the 20th century came to an end.

One of the legacies of HRH The Duchess of Windsor was her fabulous jewel collection, each piece chosen for the Duchess by the Duke.

 

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Mango Lounge in Windsor

This week I was enticed away from my favourite Indian Restaurant in Windsor. Usually when I want an Indian meal, I go to the Viceroy of Windsor. I have used this establishment for many years for both sit in meals and also for take outs. The food is wonderful and always very tasty.

However, on a recommendation this week, I ventured into Mango Lounge, which is situated just by the Riverside station.

The decor looked very pleasant, warm pinks, high ceilings and a good amount of space around each table setting, this was looking and feeling very good. The staff were excellent, very attentive and seemed to know when we wanted something before we did!

The menu was superb with some amazing twists of Indian favourite dishes, for example Rabbit Tikka and Guinea Fowl Korma. Although these dishes may sound slightly off the wall they were actually delicious. Every dish was superbly presented and all the food was piping hot when it arrived at the table.

I think I now have a new favourite restaurant in my home town and will certainly be going back to the Mango Lounge as I want my friends to experience what I did last week.

For more information visit Mango Lounge Windsor

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