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I can’t believe it’s been a month since I our Craftours trip to England – and an amazing group of fellow crocheters and travelers! We saw, we ate, we stitched, and the memories are ones I will cherish for a lifetime. Here’s what we did – and where you can sign up for our next crochet adventure!
No More FOMO! Ready to Sign Up for Our Next Trip?
Up next, we’re planning trips to New Zealand, Germany, and Scotland! If you are interested in any of those trips (or all!) please CLICK HERE to let Craftours know! First of all, we need to have enough people interested for the trip to go forward. And when you sign up for info early, Craftours will contact you prior to announcing the trip to the general public so you have the first opportunity of joining us! It’s no obligation so please let them know you’re interested today!
Reviewing Our Craftours Trip to England
Day 1 – Flying to England, Driving to Canary Wharf – October 5
Our flight out of JFK left around 10:30pm and arrived around 10:30am, and was about 6 hours long – so that was all the sleep for that night! The jet lag was real, but it’s important to push through that first day if possible. Our hotel was right on the Thames in Canary Wharf, and after arriving at our hotel we were able to relax and settle in until our welcome dinner. A lovely quiet start!
We saw so many people lining up to have their photos taken at this telephone booth! But don’t let this picture fool you. They aren’t rare – the booths are still all over! In fairness, this one did have a fresh coat of paint and had a nice backdrop.
So much beautiful architecture, it’s nearly impossible to keep track of what you’re looking at! Pretty sure this is Westminster…
The view from the front of our hotel – that giant rubber ducky became quite a handy landmark when wondering out and about in Canary Wharf!
Finishing the evening, trying a Pimm’s – a British drink I’d only ever heard of before. It was delicious – do recommend!
Day 2 – Visit Stonehenge, Highclere Castle, and Driving to Bath – October 6
After a good night’s sleep, we were up early and on the road – for this trip, most of our travel was upfront. So we checked out of our hotel, and got on the bus to Stonehenge!
You can’t get too close to Stonehenge these days – but….
One of the fallen stones is right next to the visitor’s center, and….
I got to touch it! Did it connect like ancient LEGO? Looks like it!
If you do walk out to see Stonehenge a bit closer (30+ minutes each way), be sure to notice this Roman mile maker – even the Romans were fascinated by these stones! The leech just seems picturesque here, as opposed to the creek back home…
Then it was time to get back on the bus and head to Highclere Castle! This is where they filmed the Downton Abbey series, and movie. Above is a Greenman carved by Simon O’Rourke, which you can see on the drive to the Castle.
We happened to be there on the last day of the Highclere History Festival, which explored life at the Castle between 1939 and 1945. So there were lots of old tents, cars, and people wondering about in costume – and a camel!
There was a little bit of a line, and some of that famously damp British weather, but it moved quickly and were were inside! Unfortunately, photos aren’t allowed inside the castle. The rooms from the show were easily recognizable, and it was fun to see some of the things behind the scenes. The only thing I really wished I could’ve taken a photo of and I cannot seem to find a photo of online is the hand-embroidered “monkey panels” (my name for them) in the room behind the library. They are VERY cheeky, with eyes that follow you around the room!
After a tour of the castle, we were able to explore the grounds – and I finally got a hot tea and scone with clotted cream! It was at a rickety table under a tent in the rain, and it was perfect.
After finishing up at the Castle, we checked into our hotel in Bath. A perfect view, and a fun new friend!
For dinner, several of us headed across the street, and we sold out the rest of their roast dinners! This was the real deal, with beef, Yorkshire pudding, veggies, and gravy. So much food!
Day 3 – Cooking Class, the Roman Baths, and Crochet Workshop #1 – October 7
I didn’t get enough pictures of this experience, but it was fantastic! We made pistachio-crusted chicken and sticky toffee pudding – did you know that it’s cake? I need to get some molasses (aka treacle) so I can make it for the family!
It was the first time I’ve gotten to take a cooking class, and I learned a lot beyond the recipes. I feel much more confident in cooking with spirits now!
After a delicious lunch, we headed back to Bath and some of us chose to use our free afternoon to visit the Roman Baths! Right at the end, we got to drink the water – the fresh spring water, not the stuff from the bath itself… yikes!
After the Baths, it was a race back to the hotel for our first Crochet Workshop! I debuted the Queens Crossbody Bag to this wonderful group!
At the end of our 3rd day, I put together a quick video of our trip so far:
@mooglyblog Three days down, 5 to go! ❤️ Having an amazing time with @Craftours and this amazing group of crocheters! #england #mooglyblog #craftours #travel #uktravel #crochet #crochetinstructor ♬ Epic Music(863502) – Draganov89
Day 4 – Panoramic Tour of Bath, Visiting Borton-On-The-Water, and back to London – October 8
After two days in Bath, we checked out of our hotel and started our journey back to London! But of course, there were sights to see along the way.
First we took a tour of Bath, and visited both the Circus and the Crescent. The gardens were lovely, and we got so lucky with the weather.
After some exercise, it was back on the bus for a drive through the Cotswolds and stop at the picturesque town of Borton-on-the-Water. We saw slate roofs with moss, I had a lovely pot of tea, and we fed the ducks!
After enjoying the town, it was back on the bus one more time, for our return trip to London.
More views from the bus – the black cabs are still there, but now they have ads all over them! – then Nandos for dinner, and a shot of our hotel from the Rubber Ducky’s viewpoint!
Day 5 – Panoramic Tour of London, Crochet Workshop #2, and a Trip to Harrods – October 9
We stayed in London for the rest of our trip – but we weren’t short on things to do! We started the day with a guided tour of London, which included some amazing stops!
I’m sure no trip to London would be complete without a stop at Buckingham Palace and the grounds! Such a gorgeous park. We even got to see a bit of the ceremony, and again, the weather was amazing. Despite my best efforts, not a single royal was spotted.
Then it was more sights from the bus – towers everywhere!
And we got to see what remains of the original Roman wall around Londinium!
It was a wonderful tour, but we were ready for lunch, followed by Crochet Workshop #2! Everyone made amazing progress on their Queens Crossbody Bags!
And after class was over, a few of us made our way to Harrods. I’ve never been to such a fancy department store! The basement gift shop was more my speed, uh, financially.
Yes, the decor is elaborate and Egyptian-themed, and the whole place is so opulent you can almost miss it if you don’t stop to look around!
The food court was awe-inspiring – and strictly to go, no eating in. And yes, those are gold-leafed sandwiches. It’s Harrods!
At the end of this day, I made another video, to show off the last few days in action!
@mooglyblog Bath, to Borton-on-the-water, and back to London for the rest of the stay. More to come. #Englandtravel #craftours @craftours #moogyblog #crochetinstructor #britain ♬ Love Actually (Piano Music from the Motion Picture) Relaxing Piano, Romantic Piano, Classical Piano, Movie Theme – Craig Armstrong & Jeffrey Michael
Day 6 – The London Knitting and Stitching Show – October 10
This year, the London Knitting and Stitching Show was held at Alexandra Palace! There was a lot of art there, and not everyone was up for photos, so I didn’t get too many. This show had a ton of classes, and so much beautiful yarn and fabric!
It was a cold, rainy, and windy day – perfect for a yarn and fabric show!
Inside the show was spread over a few rooms, and you’d find embroidery next to yarn next to fabric next to sewing machines! It is a wonderful show for any hobbyist in the area!
There were a few big names there, and lots of independent dyers as well. I picked up a lovely skein of yarn from The Urban Purl that I showed off in my last live! One of my fellow travelers was Noelle R. B. Stiles, author of Colorful Crochet Cables and all-around brilliant person – and she got to do a book signing!
After the show it was time to rest, regroup, and refuel – only one full day to go!
Day 7 – The Tower of London – October 11
This was our last full day in London, and the plan was to visit the Tower of London and then see what we felt up to afterward. Reality set in soon – the Tower of London is a full-day event! We were smart and got the earliest tour we could.
And we still didn’t see it all! There was so much more than “the tower.” It’s a whole… village? There are many buildings, all surrounding the infamous tower. You can explore the tower, the other museums and displays, and walk the battlements.
There are suits of armor, more Roman artifacts, and of course, the Crown Jewels! You weren’t allowed to photograph the Crown Jewels, but they are still astonishing to see in real life. Some are so big they just stop looking real!
The view was amazing, and it was the perfect, exhausting, and exhilarating way to finish our trip! That night finished up with our farewell dinner, and then we all had lots of packing to do. The ride to the airport the next morning was so bittersweet – ready to go home, but not ready to leave all my new friends!
Finally, after an uneventful trip home, I put together one last video – enjoy! It was a wonderful Craftours Trip to England – I can’t wait for the next one!
@mooglyblog From the London Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace to the Tower of London, our last 2 days were amazing. Caught the London (pink?!) Eye in the wee hours on the way to the airport. Want to join me on my next adventure? Head to Craftours.com and sign up for more info on trips to New Zealand and Scotland in 2025! 👀❤️👀 @Craftours #craftours #mooglyblog #england #toweroFrom the London Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace to the Tower of London, our last 2 days were amazing. Caught the London (pink?!) Eye in the wee hours on the way to the airport. Want to join me on my next adventure? Head to Craftours.com and sign up for more info on trips to New Zealand and Scotland in 2025! 👀❤️👀 @Craftours #craftours #mooglyblog #england #toweroflondon #knitting #quilting #crochet #crochetinstructorf #london #knitting #quilting #crochet #crochetinstructor ♬ Medieval Battle – Scorewizard
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