Category: Locally

Slovenia 2025

25th Wedding anniverary – trip to Slovenia

Asked ChatGPT for a suitable itineraty and although thinking it would be pretty bad, Jeanette and I have to say, it did a pretty good job. Here is it is:

One-Week Slovenia Itinerary (Starting & Ending in Ljubljana)

Day 1+2: Arrival in Ljubljana

  • Explore Old Town: Stroll along the Ljubljanica River, visit the Dragon Bridge and Triple Bridge. Fantastic walking tour
  • Ljubljana Castle: Take the funicular up for panoramic views and a dose of history.
  • Evening: Dine at a riverside restaurant and enjoy the relaxed vibe.

Day 3: Alpine Escape – Lake Bohinj & Savica Waterfall

  • Drive to Bohinj: Nestled in Triglav National Park, it’s quieter than Bled and stunningly wild. Stayed at Hiša Pr’ Pristavc
  • Activities: Cable car to Vogel Mountain, hike to Savica Waterfall, swim or paddle in the lake.
  • Stay overnight: Enjoy the peaceful alpine setting.

Day 4: Lake Bled & Vintgar Gorge

  • Morning: Row to Bled Island, visit the church, and ring the wishing bell.
  • Afternoon: Walk the Vintgar Gorge trail — wooden walkways over turquoise rapids.
  • Evening: Try the famous Bled cream cake at Kavarna Park.

Day 5: Soča Valley & Kobarid

  • Drive via Triglav National Park: Scenic mountain roads with epic views.
  • Soča River: Emerald waters perfect for kayaking or just admiring.
  • Kobarid Museum: Learn about WWI history in this poignant little town.
  • Stay in Bovec or nearby: Great base for nature and adventure.

Day 6: Piran & the Adriatic Coast

  • Drive to Piran: Slovenia’s Venetian-style coastal gem.
  • Explore: Tartini Square, St. George’s Church, and the old town walls.
  • Relax: Enjoy seafood and sunset by the sea. Had great seafood at Fritolin Pri Cantini and Podlanica (boat moored in the harbour with a daily menu)

Day 7: Wine Country & Hilltop Villages

  • Optional stops: Štanjel (medieval charm) or Vipava Valley (wine tasting).
  • Scenic drive: Wind through vineyards and karst landscapes.
  • Stay nearby or head toward Postojna for an early start next day.

Day 7: Postojna Cave & Predjama Castle → Return to Ljubljana

  • Postojna Cave: Ride the underground train through one of Europe’s largest cave systems.
  • Predjama Castle: A dramatic Renaissance castle built into a cliff — straight out of a fantasy novel.
  • Evening: Final stroll through Ljubljana or a farewell dinner at a rooftop spot. Head back to Airport via medieval towns like Vrhnika

Gallery

Cycling the Downs Link

Jeanette and I recently did an all-day cycle from near Guildford to Brighton, using the “Downs Link” cycle route.

The Downs Link is a long-distance route for walkers, horse riders and cyclists which follows two disused railway lines. It crosses the Surrey Hills, the Low Weald, the South Downs and the Coastal Plain. Since the trains departed in the 1960s, the embankments and cuttings have become a green corridor for wildlife and people.

We found the route to be very well marked, flat or near flat for almost the entire distance and with enough spots to stop for a rest and refreshment to make this a very pleasant day out.

We took electric bikes, Jeanette on her trusty Facepainting bike and me on her electric Brompton. For most of the day however, the electricity was off and we just cruised along the well made track under foot power alone.

Pints were taken at two stops, The Old Railway (above) and the Bax Castle, plus lunch in the Wild & Green cafe in Cranleigh.

Video of the ride

There a few sections on public roads and it was quite a shock to be back amongst the traffic and the country lane drivers.

The final section from Shoreham to Brighton & Hove is about 25 minutes on public roads.

For anyone thinking of doing the route, I’d highly recommend starting at Shalford, not Guildford, to avoid the town centre traffic – it’s a short one stop journey on a local (hourly) train. You might need your phone maps to get from Shalford to the obvious start of the route but after that it’s pretty straightforward- remember you’re following old railways so the route is almost always straight or gently curving, rising or falling.

REXIT

I’m moving my personal stuff (and email) from wickham.uk to wickham.uk. Alan coined the expression “Rexit” which I think sums this up pretty well!

wickham.uk will remain active for a while, but the European Commission has said that holders of .eu domains will have to provide EU contact details after Brexit. So you have been warned!

Foyles

By Tom Morris - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33726491
Foyles new shop entrance

News today that Foyles has been sold to Waterstones. Christina Foyle would be turning in her grave!

Asked who had been the most boring literary lunch guest, she always told the story of Sir Walter Gilbey, director of the gin-making company. ”He spoke for one and a half hours,” she said. ”A man in front of my father fell asleep so he hit the chap with the toastmaster’s gavel. The man said: ‘Hit me again. I can still hear him.’ ”

 

Waterrow Village Hall

The village hall at Waterrow was extended and modernised in 2008-2009. This was made possible by a donation by my late father of land around the hall from his field, part of Trowell Farm.

The committee of the village hall recently invited us to unveil a plaque in recognition of this generous donation.

I was asked to say a few words – here they are:

It’s a great honour to be here today and to see this plaque being commissioned.

I know my father would have been deeply embarrassed and I think I am too. As I remember it, you asked, and my father was only too happy to accommodate a request that he saw as benefiting everyone.

My earliest memories of the hall is when the annual village fete was held here in the 1970s. There were all the tradional village fete events like lucky dip, tea and cakes here in the hall, and the infamous race up to the top of the hill, which was guaranteed to separate the men from the boys!

Always the village hall was the reason these and similar events were held where they were, and it’s wonderful to see how it has now been refurbished and expanded into the modern facility it is today.

So thank you for inviting us here today, on behalf of all the Wickhams, thank you!

 

My Dad

My Dad passed away on 10 November 2017 after a short illness. He had been coping with slowing increasing dementia for several years.

His funeral was at Chipstable church on 20th November, and I’m adding a few bits of memorabia from the service and the wake.

David Wickham Order of Service

As always at these events you find out things you never knew about the person who’s passed away.

Mum and Dad in 1971

It was great to hear the stories from people who came and read the letters from those who could not make it.

Eulogy by my brother James: Eulogy

Additional comments by Peter Parsons: Peter Parsons Eulogy

My First Governors Meeting

I was excited to be elected as a Parent governor at Sacred Heart last Autumn. The governing body meets once a term and my first meeting with my new colleagues was this week. It was held at St Mary’s school –  because the two schools are now in Federation, there is one governing body that looks after both schools.

The governing body includes other parent governers, a staff representative, the headteacher, a representive from the Diocese and other expert, hardworking dedicated people who give up a lot of their time over the years to Sacred Heart and St Mary’s.

As I say, the meeting took place at St Mary’s this time and included some time to tour the new school building that is rapidly rising from the rubble of the building site. It’s going to be an amazing space for the children and staff when it partly opens in only a few months time.

St Mary's School, Battersea (new building)
St Mary’s School, Battersea (new hall)

The meeting included progress reports from each school, with a particular focus on how the results are matching up to the targets that were agreed with the governing body. Each school has a mission statement. These form the backbone for a School Development Plan –  this public document (they can found on the school websites) sets out long term strategic priorities and details what the schools will be doing to reach ambitious targets.

As a new governor, I found plenty of resources to help me hit the ground running. Wandsworth council provide comprehensive training for school governors and I’ve been to an evening induction course. This has really helped – the main thing that I learnt was that school governors main role is strategic – not to work on operational issues. We support headteachers, but also ask questions and make sure the headteacher is taking the school in the right direction. Overall a big responsibility.

So whilst I can’t intervene on who took who’s seat on the school trip, I can, and will, work with the school management team to improve our children’s education so that our kids can achieve the very best of their ability.

I can be contacted via the school office if you want to meet with me.

Rex Wickham