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Buckinghamshire
When a member of Parliament applies for the 'Chiltern Hundreds' it somehow brings to mind a much coveted position for which only politicians are eligible, and which involves striding off into the lovely Chiltern Hills to take up the appointment! As usual, the reality is far less romantic and it seems to be merely a device employed by members
Parliament when they wish, for some reason, to give up their seats. The Chiltern Hills are, however, beautiful realities that fully live up to expectations, running across the southern part of Buckinghamshire. Even the villages and town have names that sound just right for this countryside of beech woods and bluebells and, in autumn, the glorious golden carpet of leaves in Burnham Beeches.
On a hilltop in West Wycombe Park stands an old church, the tower of which is surmounted by a huge gilded ball that was once a meeting place for members of the notorious Hell Fire Club, though why they went to such really extraordinary lengths in their choice of this particular meeting place is not quite clear!
At very much the other end of the scale from the Hell Fire Club were the meetings held by the Quaker William Penn at Beaconsfield. Eventually he left his home village in Buckinghamshire and sailed for America, where he founded the state of Pennsylvania.
Oddly enough, Buckingham is not the county town of Buckinghamshire, although it once was. It was given the title by Alfred the Great, but lost it in 1725, when the honor was handed over to Aylesbury. The fascination of English history is that it is made tip of so many small incidents, as well as the great and obvious events, and the county of Buckinghamshire, so full of history, reflects this admirably.
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Thames Locks
The novice boatman out for a day, or a week, on the River Thames and anxious, perhaps, to impress his equal untutored crew, approaches his first lock with some trepidation! Gingerly he guides his hired craft through the gates an usually with much jumping from boat to shore and back again tying and untying ropes as he goes, eventually makes his way out again and vows that next time he'll get it right!
The locks are obviously essential in maintaining the level of the river and in making sure that it does not simply run seawards. They do much more than this, however, for they add a great deal of interest, and a picturesque quality, to very Lovely River as it winds its way through some of England's most beautiful countryside. There are, indeed, few better ways of seeing the beauty of a country than by traveling on its waterways. Old Abbeys and churches, villages and waterside Inns seem to glide past and, every now and again, another lock adds variety. The ancient tracks of Ridge Way and Icknield Way crop up yet again at Goring, for this is where the river was forded and the tracks joined, and where now, of course, there is a lock.
Many years ago Jerome K. Jerome wrote a highly amusing account, which has stood the test of time extremely we of the adventures and misadventures that befell his three characters on a boating holiday on the Thames. After all, the can be few pleasures to equal those obtained from messing about in boats'.
Buckingham Hotels
Best Western Buckingham Beales Hotel - A421 Buckingham Ring Road Buckingham, MK18 1RY
Buckingham Villiers Classic Hotel - 3 Castle Street Buckingham, MK18 1BS
The Bell Hotel - Market Square Winslow, MK18 3AB
Crown Hotel - 20 Market Place Brackley, NN13 7DP
Whittlebury Hall - Whittlebury Whittlebury near Towcester, NN12 8QH
Comfort Inn Milton Keynes North - Buckingham Rd, Deanshanger Milton Keynes, MK19 6JU
Welcome Lodge Newport Pagnell - Welcome Break Service Area, M1, Milton Keynes Newport Pagnell, MK16 8DS
Jurys Inn Milton Keynes - Midsummer Boulevard Milton Keynes, MK9 2HP
The Tally Ho Hotel Ltd - Ploughley Rd Arncott, Bicester, OX25 1NY
The Three Horseshoes - Main Rd Drayton Parslow, MK17 0JS
The Best Western Jersey Arms Hotel - Ardley Road, Middleton Stoney, Bicester Oxford, OX25 4AD
Bignell Park Hotel - Chesterton, Near Bicester Bicester, OX26 1UE
The Cock - 72-74 High Street Stony Stratford, MK11 1AH
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