Table of Contents

Introduction

I have been a regular visitor to England since 1975. Generally speaking, I have visited the south central area about three times each year. More specifically, as I have travelled on business to visit the IBM Laboratories in Hursley Park, I have stayed somewhere in the Winchester area and toured most of the south of England.

Because of so many visits, a number of my friends asked or suggested that I write a book of some sort to document my travels and my experiences, such that it might be of benefit to first-time travelers, or even some of the more experienced visitors. To carry this thought a bit further, it has been stated more than once that visitors, such as myself, may come to know the area better than the 'locals'.

Whatever the case, I have now attempted to put my thoughts on paper and hope that by sharing them, that my experiences and suggestions can in fact benefit others.

The outline of this book is to begin describing a trip to a first time visitor. In this regard, I would like to list some considerations for planning your trip, making the trip, getting settled, and most importantly, enjoying yourself once you're there.

Admittedly, this book is based on personal experiences and clearly likes and dislikes. My hope is that you can think about your trip ahead of time, and get the most out of your trip because you have done some advance planning, or at least you have given some thought to what it is you would like to do when visiting England.

If there are any inaccuracies in my text, please accept my apologies. I guess I would like to hear any comments you may have or experiences that you would like to share, but I don't want to promise that I would update or change this book immediately.

Have a good trip......

In this initial section, I'd like to talk about preparing for your trip. And further, I'm going to assume that this is your first trip overseas.

By this time, you probably realize that you need a passport to visit other countries. The easiest way to obtain a passport is to let somebody else do it for you. There are companies (such as Visa International in Dallas) who will take care of all the details for you, and at really a nominal fee. In one stop, you can fill out the forms, have your picture taken, pay the fee, and they will take care of the rest.

Get your passport well in advance of your trip, so that you have one less thing to worry about. Passports are good for ten years (adults), so as soon as you think you might be going abroad, get a passport. You don't need a visa to visit England, but if you plan to visit other countries during your trip, check in advance to see if a visa is required for the countries you plan to visit. The same company that can obtain a passport for you, usually handles visas as well, and I again would recommend you let them do it.

You'll need to give some thought to money and currency exchanges. Most countries have hotels and shops that will accept major credit cards such as American Express and VISA, but still you'll need some amount of cash. You can consider getting travelers checks (cheques) before you leave, and in that regard you might even consider getting the travellers checks in the currency of the country you plan to visit. It might seem like a small point, but many foreign hotels or businesses will more readily cash a travellers check in their currency than one in U.S. dollars.

By having travellers checks in a foreign currency, you have already exchanged U.S. dollars at some rate. If you have travellers checks in U.S. dollars, you actually be exchanging currency when you cash your check, and at whatever the rate and service charge is at that point.

If you don't mind carrying cash, you can get some amount of money exchanged in the U.S. before your trip. That way, you'll have cash in the foreign currency on arrival. Before exchanging U.S. dollars to foreign currency, you may wish to check the local papers (Wall Street Journal or USA Today) to see what the exchange rate is. That way, when you convert some cash locally, you'll have some idea as to whether you're getting a good exchange rate or not.

I often will exchange some money at the airport before leaving. By some, I mean $100.00. If I'm going to visit IBM Hursley, there is a bank on site and the exchange rate there is most often very competitive, in your favor, so I wait until then to exchange more money. I would avoid exchanging money at foreign hotels or shops. A bank would be the best place to exchange money. Currency exchanges are usually located in foreign airports, so if you have not acquired the foreign currency before departing, you can do it on arrival. Don't leave the airport without any local currency.

The exchange rate when using credit cards is quite good. My experience has been, over a period of many years, that American Express will always give me an exchange rate in my favor. I have used AMEX without hesitation, and with no difficulty in all my travels. I should also point out, that on numerous occasions, when eating out with others, if I am short of cash, I will put the dinner bill on my AMEX card as a means for picking up the cash from others.

Looking ahead to your return home, you want to give some thought to how much foreign money you'll be using and needing, and try not to return home with too much foreign currency. You can exchange that foreign currency when you return home, but in general the exchange rate will not be in your favor. If you thought you might be travelling abroad again, in the near future, you might keep your foreign currency, but realize exchange rates can fluctuate, and your 'holdings' can go up or down in value.

When exchanging money, you will pay a commission, and that varies quite a bit. A bank or currency exchange will most likely charge you a flat fee. In this regard, you don't want to exchange money often, because you'll pay a fee with each exchange. Therefore, you want to give some thought to how much foreign cash you want on hand, and get that much exchanged.

Some hotels may not appear to charge you a commission, but if their rate is not favorable to you, effectively they have charged you for the service. Using your AMEX or VISA card to charge dinner expenses while pocketing the cash from others is one way of avoiding a commission for currency exchange.

If you have a PIN (personal identification number) for your VISA or MasterCard you should be able to find a Barclaycard (VISA) or Access (MasterCard) teller machine (cash machine) to accept your transaction. American Express offices are known to issue cash or travellers checks written against a U.S. personal check.

The currency in England is based on the decimal system, so that should be easy enough for you. If you plan to visit other countries, you'll have to check on the denominations and values of their currency. In 1992, the British Pound Sterling has been worth about $1.90 U.S.. You have to get used to the idea of looking at something that might sell for ten pounds and remember that that is $19.00 U.S.

English paper money comes in 5, 10, 20 and 50 pound denominations. Until recently they had a one pound note, but vending machines dictated the need for larger denominations of coins and hence the one pound note became the one pound coin. The paper currency is of different sizes, with the five pound note being the smallest and the 10, 20 and 50 being a bit larger.

The coins in England are 100 pennies to the pound. Coins come in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 p (p for pence) denominations. The 1 and 2 pence coins are copper in color, whereas the 5, 10, 20 and 50 are silver in color. The pound coin is the off color of an alloy, looking sometimes brassy or bronze but with a touch of silver.

The 20 and 50 pence coins are not round but are multi-sided. In case you hear the term 'quid', just equate that to a pound. This would be much like calling a U.S. dollar a buck.

Now that you understand pounds and pence, let me tell you the England is already considering revising the currency and coinage. Who knows what the denominations will be in the future.

Should you bring foreign money home with you, and try to exchange it, banks or currency exchanges will convert your paper money but not your coins. You may wish to give some thought to minimizing the amount of coins you have as you prepare to return.

On your return, most airports will have duty free shops where you can spend literally any currency. If you're expecting a bargain at a duty free shop, you had best know your prices. On some things such as liquor, you will probably save a bit because of little or no tax. But on other goods, you may actually pay more than a shop in town.

The duty free shops at both Heathrow and Gatwick do have an extensive selection of merchandise. Be aware that there are limits on the amount of duty free merchandise that you can bring back into the U.S. The duty free shops have listings to tell you what the limits are.

International flights frequently sell duty free goods and that would be another opportunity to use whatever currency you're trying to spend. With the mention of duty free shopping, realize that you can buy duty free goods as you leave the U.S. Some friends of mine in the U.K. (United Kingdom) enjoy American bourbon and the duty free shop gives me the opportunity to save money on my purchase.

Other than passports, visa and currency, you'll probably be thinking of your flight 'across the pond'. Whether you're flying to Europe or to the Pacific, it's a long way. Dallas to London is a nine hour flight (going with the wind) and the return flight is ten hours (against the wind).

As I said in my introduction, I have been travelling to England for a good many years. Originally, my trips were made from Palo Alto, California but in recent years I have been travelling from Dallas, Texas. My earlier trips caused me to use London's Heathrow Airport, however for the Dallas-London round trip, I now use London's Gatwick Airport.

For business reasons, my destination has always been the IBM UK Laboratory in Hursley. Hursley is located just south of Winchester, in Hampshire County, in the south central area of England. My examples given in this text will mostly have a Dallas, Gatwick and Hursley as a point of reference because that's the normal itinerary for me. But wherever possible, I will give examples of Heathrow or other points of interest.

If you are travelling to England from some other location, using a different airport or somehow having a different itinerary, I still hope that this book will be of some value to you. Depending on your departure point, a flight to England could take 5 to 12 hours.

I would assume that you would take a non-stop flight to minimize the duration of your trip. A person flying from the U.S. might consider some intermediate stop, to break up an otherwise long flight, or maybe for some other personal reason, but do realize it just makes the overall journey that much longer. My non-stop flight from Dallas to London causes me to land at the Gatwick Airport. If I changed planes at some intermediate stop, that might affect which London airport and/or terminal I might arrive at.

A flight from Dallas to London will probably leave in the late afternoon or early evening and arrive in London the following morning. For instance, a 5:30PM flight might arrive in London at 8:30AM. Another way of describing that flight would be to say the nine hour flight was from 5:30PM to 2:30AM, add six hours time zone difference, and the result is an arrival time of 8:30AM.

England is home to 'Greenwich Mean Time' or GMT, however the country chooses to be 'one hour closer to west'. It's odd but a trip due south to France would cause you to cross a time zone. England changes time in spring and fall just as the U.S. does for daylight savings time.

You should plan an overnight trip to London with some forethought. Specifically, you will have to adjust your 'internal clock' on arrival to get in step with local events. If you haven't experienced it before you certainly will come to know what 'jet lag' is on this trip.

My strategy is this. I avoid taking any kind of a nap soon after boarding the plane in Dallas. I will have a drink and eat the meal, and by this time you're three hours into the flight. When the movie starts, I curl up with a pillow and blanket and try to get at least three hours sleep. Depending on what seat I have and how crowded the plane is, this may be easy or difficult, but whatever it is, it's important to me getting adjusted to the time difference as quickly as I can.

On arrival, it may be 2:30AM in Dallas, but for me it's 8:30AM in London. I purposely plan some itinerary or objective for arrival day just to stay awake and active. My goal is to get by with my three hour sleep on the plane and stay awake until at least 9:00 or 9:30PM London time. I'll be very tired and I'll sleep well that first night. By this time, remember my body thinks it's 4:00PM in the afternoon but I'm trying to go to bed at 10:00PM London time. And if I get eight hours sleep, I hope to have begun to fool my internal clock to thinking that was 10 to 6 and not 4 to 12.

The one thing I try to avoid is taking an afternoon nap on the day of my arrival in England. That seems to make the adjustment to time zones even more difficult. If you must take a nap, try to limit it to under two hours.

One last item I would mention as part of preparing for your trip would be what you pack. In addition to camera, film, toilet articles, etc, the real question is what clothes to take. The best time of year in southern England (in my opinion) is the fall. Especially in the country. But your trip may be at some other time of year, so let's take them one at a time.

A trip in November-March will be a cool one. It could be cold, and maybe even a rare snow in the south of England. On days where it's 32-50 degrees Fahrenheit (0-10 Centigrade) you might need that umbrella and raincoat for a cold rain or drizzle. Evenings that dip to freezing could cover the roads with something the Brits call 'black ice', so do be careful if you're driving. The weather won't be ideal for sightseeing, but don't waste your trip by staying at your hotel. Get out and about.

A trip in April to June should be quite pleasant. Spring has sprung, the leaves are coming out, and England prides itself in its gardens. Your clothes will be a bit lighter, so plan on layered clothing, which isn't a bad idea in winter either. You probably can shed the liner on your topcoat, and the spring rains won't seem as harsh as the ones in winter. The sun is going to break through those grey skies, so have your camera ready.

Summer is good news and bad news. Yes, you will enjoy warm weather but so will countless other tourists. You won't need winter's warm clothes, but keep that umbrella handy. I doubt that you'll need much in the way of sweaters or layered clothing, so you'll have room in your suitcase for a few more pieces of casual clothing, or maybe an extra pair of good walking shoes.

The weather in summer can get quite warm, maybe even sultry. You won't have the freshness of spring or the crispness of fall, but you should see plenty of sunshine. Air conditioned cars or hotel rooms are not usually found in England. School will be out during mid-July and all of August, so expect traffic on the roads and queues (waiting lines) at most sightseeing attractions.

Then there is fall. The kids are back in school, the days are warm without being oppressive. The nights make sleeping under covers cozy, but do keep the window open a crack. Sightseeing shouldn't be as tiring as perhaps in summer weather, and you'll have enough sunny days for good photography.

If you stay at major hotels in major cities and towns, you should have daily or reasonable laundry service. Ask about it when you check into your hotel. Do not assume daily laundry service as in most U.S. hotels. If you travel with wash and wear clothing, it would be helpful if you had your own 'clothes line' and, if necessary, a plastic hanger or two. Your room will have a bathtub over which you can hang a washable or two.

Many English hotels will not have ice machines, soft drink machines, or other vending machines. If the hotel has a pub, you probably can get something to drink from room service. Look nearby your hotel and see if there's a 'news market' in the neighborhood. A news market is like a convenience store in the U.S. and you may be able to buy yourself some snacks for your room, to 'tide you over'. Your hotel room may have an electric kettle, but don't assume bottle openers, ice buckets, and so on. Check with the front desk if you need those items.

One way to get the most out of any trip, is to plan for it. And that applies to travel overseas perhaps even more than a more casual trip around home. So, if you're going to visit England, there is a great deal which you can do to help yourself and get the most enjoyment out of your trip. For some, you may make only one trip, and I think you'd like to make the most of that visit. For others, you may have an opportunity to make several trips, but my attitude is, make the most out of all of them, including the first one.

So, how to do this? The best recommendations I can make are 1) talk with someone who has been there, and 2) get some reading material. In the latter case, if it's Britain we're talking about, the place I would suggest you turn to is The British Travel Bookshop Ltd, 40 W. 57th Street, New York, NY 10019. You can look to your local bookstore, certainly, but for a comprehensive selection of many kind of publications dealing with Britain, I don't think you're going to find any better than that Travel Bookshop Ltd.

As an additional or alternative suggestion, you might consider looking for an office of the British Tourist Authority. It has offices in most major cities and can provide you with travel and touring assistance.

In the case of the British Travel Bookshop, you could begin by writing them and asking for a current catalog of publications. Or get their number from the information operator, and give them a call. The catalog that they will mail out is a simple brochure of about 8-10 pages, but it describes several hundred publications.

You will find general tour books as well as specific tour books. Some books will try to cover the whole of Britain, while others will concentrate on just one county or even one city. There are books that focus on castles, or stately homes, or palaces. Books on gardens, walking tours, boating tours, etc.

The Travel Bookshop Ltd will offer you current information on how to obtain special tickets or offerings. For instance, BRITRAIL is a special price train ticket, heavily discounted, for some period of time such as two weeks or a month, and it permits unlimited travel by train for that period. A BRITRAIL pass must be purchased outside of Britain, either before you leave the U.S. or in one of the countries on the European continent.

There are many attractions in England that are part of a group or an association, and you can purchase season tickets to see the attractions which are part of that group. If you're going over on a business trip, you probably would not have enough time to see many attractions and justify one of these season passes, however if you were planning to spend a week or two of personal time there, then the season ticket has potential value to you.

As you read literature regarding travel and sightseeing in Britain, I would strongly encourage you to take note of any schedule associated with the things you're interested in. Some attractions and facilities may not operate all year long, or have different schedules depending on the time of year.

In addition to tour guide books, which give very good, factual descriptions of a given area or type of tour, there are also publications devoted to food and accommodations. This could range from Bed and Breakfast (B&B) accommodations to the most elegant hotels. There are books devoted just to the food and beverages that you will find in Britain.

But the one thing I think is essential is a map. That would include 'big picture' maps, showing the entire country, or area maps, county maps, city maps, etc, etc. Even if you don't plan to drive around, I would think you would want some awareness of where you are in relation to things like London, its airports, where you're staying, where you're visiting, etc.

The U.K. automobile clubs or associations have their publications and maps, pretty much like AAA or other clubs in the U.S. offer. These are generally quite current, accurate and full of facts about the area described.

You can find specialty maps which, for instance, might only list where castles and palaces are located, or ancient ruins, etc. There are maps which are in book form, and there are those that are of the foldout type. Personally, I prefer the book type, primarily because they're easier to manage in a car, or even in a briefcase or tote bag.

Depending on your interest, you may wish to get very detailed maps of some areas. For the most part, a good road map or book of maps will satisfy most tourist needs. But if you want detail, there are publications for that as well. I have a hard bound book showing all the streets of London, with major sights or buildings highlighted.

The Travel Bookshop Ltd also offers what are called ordnance maps for all of Britain. For England, Wales and Scotland alone there are 203 of these maps, where each one covers an area about 20 square miles. These maps sell for $8.00 or so but can be an excellent buy if you need/want that level of detail. Since I have been a frequent visitor to the Winchester area, I have ordnance maps of that area, plus each of the adjacent areas.

My favorite map book happens to be something called 'Motoring in the South', published by Estate Publications, 22a High Street, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6JB. Unfortunately, this book is not offered by the Travel Bookshop Ltd, but you could write directly, or look for this book once you're in England. I found my copy at the News Agent in Romsey town centre.

When people talk about visiting England, and if I can assume you mean London and the south of England, then certain reference points come to my mind. From Land's End on the southwestern tip of England, to Dover at the east end of England, is almost 400 miles, end to end.

England, of course, is separated from the mainland of Europe (the 'continent') by the English Channel. At its closest point, England is about 26 miles from the continent. As you look along the south coast of England, pretty much in the center, you will find the Isle of Wight (no 'r', so don't make it Wright). Just north of this is Southampton, and 10-15 miles north of it is the Winchester area.

Winchester is located in the county of Hampshire. Hampshire is often abbreviated Hants, so don't be confused when you see that kind of reference. I guess I could also point out that sometimes you'll see Southampton abbreviated Soton (or So'ton).

On the subject of English counties, I think I should warn you that the English use some common names again and again. If someone gives you the name of place, make sure you have a reference point. It could be the name of something located both in the county you're thinking about, as well as some other county that the person you're talking with is thinking about. For instance, there is a Hungerford in both Hampshire and Berkshire counties. Or, you might get confused between Leeds of Yorkshire to the north, or Leeds of Kent to the east. I would hate for you to go to the wrong place.

Winchester is located about 60 miles west and a bit south relative to London. Most visitors will fly into one of London's airports, although it is possible that one might fly into Manchester say, in the north of England. London's Heathrow airport is about 15 miles to the west of the city, and London's Gatwick airport is about 25 miles south of the city.

Brighton is on the south coast, about 25 miles directly south of Gatwick. The town closest to Gatwick, by the way, is a place called Crawley (not to be confused with the quaint little village of Crawley in Hants). Anyway, Brighton is quite the seaside kind of town and a popular holiday spot for the English during the summer. Be prepared for people and traffic.

From London to Dover, or Gatwick to Dover, is about 70 miles. You might think about distances such as this if you plan a driving tour. If you drive from Gatwick south to Brighton, and then west to Southampton, the distance from Brighton to Soton is about 60 miles. That drive will take you along the A27 much of the way, and you have to be prepared that the A27 goes through most town centres. Around Portsmouth, you run into the motorway M27, so the last 20 miles to Soton will be like a U.S. Interstate highway.

If you were a crow, you could fly 60 miles or so on a direct line from London to Winchester, in a southwesterly direction. Unfortunately, few of us are crows, so we'll have to be content with using roads such as the M23/M25/M3 to get from Gatwick to Winchester, and that distance is more like 70 miles.

Once settled in the Winchester area, should you venture to the west, you may find yourself covering a lot of distance. Plan for it and then you can enjoy it. From Winchester (or Southampton) to Land's End on the southwestern tip of England is about 200 miles.

If you have a car, you'll probably consider driving up to Bath and Bristol. That will be about 75 miles northwest from Winchester, but there is so much to see along that route, you'll probably put on another 75 miles just winding on and off the main route.

You might consider going due north of Winchester and up to Oxford one day. That trip will be an easy 50 miles. Another 30 miles and you can be in the Stratford-upon-Avon area (for you Shakespeare buffs), and another 5 miles to Warwick (pronounced war-ick) and one of the finest castles in England.

For people who really enjoy touring by car, it's about 200 miles due north of Winchester before you get to Leeds, and then another 25 miles to York. You're now into the Yorkshire area to the east, with fascinating places such as York, Scarborough, Castle Howard, and so on.

From Leeds, going 60-70 miles northwest, you would enter the so-called Lake District. Beautiful!

But once everyone else knows this, you and they will be contending for single lane traffic, no vacancy signs, and more people than you might otherwise care for.

If it's Scotland you're interested in, that's another 100 miles north of Leeds before you get to Hadrian's Wall and the beginnings of a different country.

If it is Wales you're interested in, going northwest from Winchester, after the 75 miles that took you to Bath and Bristol, you continue on into Wales, with the Cardiff area being just a short 40-50 miles further. After that, you're on your own. If you were to travel the perimeter of Wales, you could easily put on 100 miles on the south coast, 100 miles on the west coast, and still another 100 miles on the north coast before re-entering England up in the Liverpool and Manchester area.

I'll stop here with the verbal sketch of a roadmap, but the point is there is lots to see and do in the south of England. You should plan ahead, pick out points of interest, know where they are, and try to formulate an itinerary that meets your interest. And as you develop this plan, make sure you allow ample time for driving the route you lay out, and time to stop along the way to enjoy what you came to see. Don't try to do too much at one time or all you will see is the road.

In other sections of this book, I will describe the driving tours I have taken, the sights I have seen and would recommend, and try to offer you some suggestions as to how you might spend a day or a week, touring this most enjoyable country.

Gatwick is one of two major airports in the London area, Heathrow being the other. Gatwick is basically south of the city and Heathrow is to the west. Both have train service to and from London, as well as hire car (rental) companies such as Hertz, Avis and others.

Let me first talk about arriving at Gatwick and then later make some comments about arriving at Heathrow. Arrival is pretty much the same at either airport. If you follow the signs, you shouldn't really have a problem. And with even the most basic map of the London area, I'm sure you'll be able to orient yourself with little difficulty.

For visitors to IBM at Hursley Park, Winchester, you can call or write in advance to arrange for a car and driver to meet you when your flight arrives at either airport. The driver will accept British Pound Sterling only. The one-way trip to Winchester is about 60 miles west of London, so the fare is substantial. Ask in advance, so that you know what to expect.

For first time visitors from the U.S., having a car and driver meet you is probably a wise thing to do. Most flights are overnight and unless you're an experienced international traveller, your internal clock is bound to be off by quite a bit. Having the driver take you directly to your hotel avoids any risk of you being tired and not in the best condition to drive or otherwise travel on your own.

If you fly an American carrier, when your plane lands at Gatwick, you may arrive at what they call a satellite terminal. The plane will park at a terminal gate, and from the satellite terminal you will take a short ride on an automated train to the main terminal.

If you fly British Airways and land at Gatwick, your plane will arrive at the newer north terminal. Passport control, baggage, customs and so on will be similar, but let me describe the main terminal, which is what I'm most familiar with.

Your first challenge is to endure what usually is a slow process through Passport Control. Your flight was probably a large wide-body jet, with hundreds of passengers. Add to that, that other flights may have just arrived about the same time and there may be upwards of one thousand people trying to get through Passport Control as you do.

Just before landing, the flight attendants on your plane should have distributed blank 'landing cards' to be filled out by non-UK citizens. The card is simple in that you give some basic identification and state where you will be staying while in the UK. You must present this card along with your passport at Passport Control. If you did not obtain one of these cards while on your plane, there are blank forms on tables in the Passport Control area.

Passport Control is divided into two sections basically. To one side, people from the so-called EEC countries can move through the control point The EEC is the European Economic Community, where member countries have certain agreements regarding commerce and movement of people between the countries.

For U.S. citizens, you will go through the 'other' side of Passport Control. Pick any line. There is rarely an advantage of one line versus any other. When you reach the desk, you will be asked basic questions such as how long you plan to stay, what the purpose of your visit is, and so on. You can say business and/or pleasure, the company you're with, that you're going to a meeting, staying on to tour a bit, whatever.

If you happen to be coming over for a residency or assignment, be prepared to answer questions regarding a work permit. For stays of longer than 90 days, the United Kingdom requires a preprocessed work permit. There is no visa required to visit the U.K. however, if someone will be there for over 90 days and working, you must have an approved work permit. Whatever you do, don't say you're over to 'work' without having a work permit.

After you clear Passport Control at Gatwick, you find yourself in a lobby-like area, usually with people looking up at television monitors. What they, and you, are looking for is the number of a baggage carousel where your flight's luggage (and hopefully yours) will be delivered. You will take the stairs or escalator to your right or left and go upstairs to the baggage claim area.

It's not unusual for you to wait a bit for the baggage handlers to post your flight on the television monitors. If you plan to take the train into London, there is a ticket counter located in this waiting area. The train from Gatwick to London leaves very frequently (every 15 minutes at peak periods) and will take you to Victoria Station. Do not consider taking a taxi from the airport into London because it would be quite expensive.

If you are staying in London initially, you probably will want to get settled quickly, so a pleasurable ride in a London taxi would prob ably be your first choice to get from Victoria Station to your hotel. The London taxi drivers are excellent, and the taxis themselves are almost always in fine condition. Your taxi driver knows the city well and should have little difficulty locating your hotel or other lodging.

If you are taking trains to the Winchester area, you will first take the train from Gatwick to Victoria, then (I would recommend) a taxi over to Waterloo Station, and from there a train to Winchester, Eastleigh or Southampton, whatever your destination. I doubt that you would be staying at Basingstoke, but it would be the stop just before Winchester.

Door to door time using trains might be something like three hours. I would allow about one hour to get from Gatwick to London, up to an hour waiting for the next train to Winchester, and then an hour for that train ride. Assuming you're staying in one of the local hotels, that would be a very short taxi ride from your destination train station. By the way, do have English currency and coin, to pay the driver, and maybe even to call for a taxi.

But back to Gatwick and finding your luggage.

Once upstairs in the baggage claim area, you will probably see people in a bit of a rush, scurrying around trying to find a baggage or luggage trolley (cart). Unless you travel very light, you may as well get a trolley too. It will be a long walk to either the train, rental cars or car park (parking lot).

Be patient, your luggage will arrive. As you look around you, you probably will see a typical mix of people, also waiting for their luggage. And let's face it, most of them are tired, as you are, and some are concerned about things like the language, getting to their next destination, etc.

Once you have your luggage, proceed to the customs area. What you will see are red and green signs basically saying stop if you have something to declare or proceed if you have nothing to declare. If you have purchased some duty free merchandise coming into England, unless you have exceeded the limits, there is no need to go through the red line (channel). If you are a smoker, realize there is a limit on the amount of tobacco you can bring into the country.

Most people will pass through the green line of customs. Just 'go with the flow' and proceed through the green line as quickly as the number of people will allow. Don't be surprised if you or someone is 'pulled aside' as a spot check. This may amount to nothing more than one or two questions, or if your baggage appears unusual, they may ask other questions or have you open your bags.

Once through customs, you will pass into the lobby area of Gatwick. I hate to say it but this area is usually a mob of people, all waiting for someone to arrive. Initially, you will have an area to push your baggage (luggage) trolley, but once outside the fenced area, you're 'on your own'. You have to negotiate your trolley as best you can.

You can continue to use your trolley throughout the airport including the customs area, to the car park, automobile rental areas and so. The trolleys are collected and returned to the baggage claim area.

Having talked about the main terminal at Gatwick, let me know say a few things about the North Terminal at Gatwick and Heathrow. If you fly British Air and land at Gatwick, you will use the North Terminal. It's new, bigger and probably has more shops than the main terminal. But it also has a few quirks because it is 'the addition'.

Basically the North Terminal is a three level building. You arrive at the middle level and go through passport control. You will collect your baggage and pick up your rental car or driver on the lower level. If you have not exchanged any money, you'll have to go back up to the middle level to visit the bank.

There is a train to and from the Gatwick South Terminal, should you need it on arrival or departure. As I said there are many new shops, and on all levels of the North Terminal. If you're a shopper, I think you'll like the North Terminal.

If you are renting a car, you'll find the major rental companies on the lower level of the North Terminal, and you probably can walk to your car as you leave. But be aware that on leaving Gatwick, you must return your car at the South Terminal and take the shuttle train to the North Terminal.

Departure at the North Terminal begins with the ticket counters on the upper level, but actual boarding of flights will be on the terminal's middle level, just the same as your initial arrival. If this sounds confusing, "just follow the signs".

Arrival at Heathrow is not as confusing. Follow the ARRIVALS sign to the Immigration Hall and go through passport control. Then you will proceed downstairs to claim your baggage. Customs has the same red and green channels, just as with Gatwick, after which you will be in the Arrivals Hall to start your journey to London or Winchester.

If you're expecting to be met by a car and driver, you'll see many drivers displaying a card with the name or names of people they are there to meet. If you don't see your driver, push your baggage trolley through the area and look for the Information counter which is among the other counters in front of you. There you can ask about the car and driver you're expecting.

If you did not come with traveller's checks or money already exchanged, this might be a good spot to get some British Pounds Sterling to get you started. Coming with traveller's checks in U.S. dollars means you'll have to exchange them for pounds once in England. Use banks (at the airport, in town, or at IBM) for currency exchange. You'll get a better exchange rate than at your hotel, for instance.

If you came with traveller's checks in pounds, that's fine, but you'll have to cash that somewhere to get actual pounds. If you came with just U.S. currency, don't leave the airport without having at least some British currency. The bank at the airport is a good place to get your initial supply of British currency. Unless you're a stickler for exchange rates, I would say trust that the major bank at the airport will have a competitive exchange rate.

Now, you have your baggage, your money, and you're ready to go. If you have been met by car and driver, let him (or her) carry on from here. Your next stop will be your hotel. By the way, you can arrange for a car to take you to London, just as easily as taking you to Winchester. You may wish to spend your first day or so in London before coming down to Winchester.

If you're not being met by car and driver, you must be planning to use the train or a rental car. If you are travelling by train, follow the signs to the train. If you did not purchase a train ticket in the Passport Control lobby, there are other ticket stalls enroute to the train station. I don't think you'll have any difficulty from this point. When your train comes in, toss your bags aboard and have a pleasant short ride into London. See you later.

If you plan to hire (rent) a car, you have a ways to go just yet. Follow the signs, closely. First you push your baggage trolley some distance to exit the airport terminal lobby, to a point where the signs give you a choice of car park, or the curb if you happen to be met by someone you know. But for the rental cars, negotiate your baggage trolley down the ramps, three flights to the true ground level.

Once outdoors, bear to the right and keep going along the walkway until you finally see the Hertz, Avis and other signs. IBM in Europe has a corporate contract with Avis. Some visitors to Hursley will arrange for a car and driver to meet their flight and take them to their hotel initially, but also make arrangements for a rental car while at Hursley.

Avis will deliver a car to your hotel or to the Hursley Lab for a fee (about 25 pounds). You can also have them pick up the car at your hotel or you can leave the car at Hursley for their pick up. This would enable you to arrange for a car and driver to take you to the airport and not have to drive and return the rental car to the airport. Its your choice.

Hertz will honor the IBM corporate contract as well, and my own personal experience is that I see little major difference between Hertz and Avis. I prefer Hertz because I think their airport operation is bit more efficient and there are more Hertz locations throughout England, should I have need to contact them during my stay.

When reserving a rental car in England, do not assume you will get an automatic transmission. Manual transmission is the standard and an automatic is considered exceptional. So, if you're not familiar with 'stick shift' make sure you reserve your car with automatic transmission ahead of time.

And remember, in England, the steering wheel is on the right side of the car, and you drive on the left side of the road. Your U.S. driver's license is acceptable for stays of less than one year and major credit cards can be used to charge your rental.

I have been travelling to England two and three times per year since 1975 and it's my habit to pick up a rental car on arrival, do a bit of touring, my first day, and probably more touring on any intervening weekends, should I be staying for longer than one week. But again, a reminder, don't drive on arrival unless you are rested and you are familiar with driving on the 'wrong' side of the road.

If you landed at Gatwick's North Terminal or Heathrow, the logistics are bit different, but fundamentally you'll be doing the same kinds of things; exchanging money, finding your car and driver, or picking up your rental car. I wouldn't be concerned about the minor differences between the airport terminals.

There are probably four basic ways of getting from Gatwick Airport to the Winchester area. First, there is the car and driver. For first time, or other visitors, this is probably a popular choice. Let the driver do the work, so to speak. You are tired by your long trip, you may not know exactly where you're going, and you'll worry about other transportation for your stay a bit later.

To arrange for a car and driver, call or write to the people you will be visiting in Hursley, and they can arrange for someone to meet your flight on arrival. A car and driver can also be requested to pick you up at your hotel for transport to or from Hursley.

If you plan to rent a car while in Hursley, your contact can book (reserve) an Avis car for your use. You can arrange to have your Avis car delivered to the Hursley Lab or to your hotel upon your arrival.

If you have a car and driver transport you between Gatwick and Winchester, or reverse, remember that you will pay the driver, much like a taxi or limousine. Ask for an approximate charge when you request a car and driver such that you can have sufficient cash (pounds) to pay the fare. A ten percent tip would be appropriate. Drivers do not accept credit cards or travellers checks. The distance from Gatwick to Winchester is about sixty miles, so the fare will be substantial.

The second method of getting from Gatwick to Winchester is by train. You would take the train from Gatwick to London, arriving at Victoria Station. If you are staying in London for a day or so before proceeding to Winchester, you probably would take a taxi to your hotel. When preparing to take the train to Winchester, you probably will take a taxi to Waterloo Station, which is where the Winchester train will depart.

The train to Winchester leaves from Gatwick's South Terminal just about every hour, at least during peak periods. On weekends, it may be every other hour. And the normal operating periods for the train are something like 6:00 AM to Midnight. You can pay for your train ticket in pounds or charge it to major credit cards such as American Express or VISA.

The distance from Waterloo to Winchester is about sixty miles, so the train ride will be about one hour. The stop before Winchester is Basingstoke, where major IBM facilities are located, such as the IBM UK Field Systems Center (FSC). It is doubtful that a Hursley visitor would stay there, but you may hear Basingstoke mentioned. Basingstoke is about twenty miles north of Winchester.

If you have keen eyes, or your train is at night, you may be able to see the IBM 'high rise' building from the train. If you are facing forward on the train, look out the left side of the train as you stop or pass through the city centre of Basingstoke, and you should be able to spot the IBM building.

After Basingstoke, the next three stops are Winchester, Eastleigh and Southampton. The most likely stop for many visitors to Hursley will be Winchester. There are a number of hotels in Winchester which are used by visitors, and it's only a short five mile trip south to Hursley.

I mention Eastleigh because there is at least one major hotel in Eastleigh that is used by visitors to Hursley, and that is the Forte Crest Hotel. Eastleigh is four miles south and east of Hursley, or six miles south of Winchester.

Be aware that not all trains stop at Eastleigh. Most trains stop at Basingstoke, Winchester and Southampton. This train, by the way, can be used to get from Heathrow Airport to Winchester. If you are not travelling by car, there is a shuttle bus (coach) which can take you from Heathrow to a place called Woking, and there you can catch the London to Winchester train.

As with Eastleigh, the reason I mention Southampton is because some visitors may get reservations made at hotels in that city. Southampton is a larger city than Winchester and has a number of hotels that might be used. Depending on the time of year, and events that might be happening, the limited number of hotel rooms in Winchester may result in Hursley visitors being booked into hotel rooms in other nearby towns. Southampton is about ten to fifteen miles south of Winchester, depending on which part of Southampton you're interested in.

The trains are comfortable, usually on time and fast. There are some very modern trains running, but there are also some of the older trains in service, which are still quite good. There are smoking and non-smoking sections, where smoking may be limited to the club car only.

Now, other than car and driver or use of the trains, a third way for you to get to your Winchester area destination is to have someone meet you. That happens once in a while, if you have a friend or some special circumstance. I leave you to manage this yourself.

If you plan to use trains to get from London's Heathrow Airport, you have a couple of alternatives. If you are going into London first, you would use the so-called Underground. The Underground is much like a U.S. subway train or commuter train. Leaving Heathrow you would be using the so-called Picadilly Line. Read the signs ahead of time and if you don't know where to get off, ask one of the Underground employees.

Coming into London on the Picadilly Line, you could get off at some stop near your hotel and either hand carry your bags or hail one of the famous London taxis. I should repeat my earlier comment and that is, don't take a taxi from the airport into London because that would be quite expensive. You could take a bus from Heathrow to London and it will deliver you at Victoria (train) Station, from which you could take a taxi to your hotel.

If you wanted to, you could transfer from the Picadilly Line to the Northern Line at Leicester (Le'ster) Square and that could take you to Waterloo (train) Station, where you could catch a train to Winchester. An easier method however would be to take a bus from Heathrow to a town called Woking and there catch the train to Winchester.

Heathrow is on the west side of London and Woking is a bit south of Heathrow. The London/Winchester train stops at Woking on its way to or from Winchester (and other points west). Look for 'Railair' signs if you want to use the Heathrow/Woking link to the train.

So, lastly, let's assume you will drive from the Gatwick or London area to the Winchester area. If you have someone along with you, one can be the driver and the other a navigator. Depending on how you go, what your interests are and how familiar you are with driving in England, you may need the help of a navigator. Unless you're experienced with driving in England, driving on the 'wrong side of the road', and looking for signs, might be a challenge for most.

There are books available on driving in England, and you might also pick up a reference card from the auto rental companies, which will describe the international road signs and some of the rules of the road. For instance, keep left unless passing, no turns on red, watch out for yellow flashing lights and/or painted walkways for pedestrians, a car in the roundabout has the right-of-way, and no passing on the left. Happy motoring.

If you stay in London before coming down to Winchester, I can't imagine why anyone would want a car in London. Driving in London can be very confusing, even for those familiar with the city, and parking can be difficult and expensive. There is excellent public transportation in London by means of taxi, the underground (or tube as they might call it) and busses. A minor note here; a subway is an underground walkway, not a train which runs underground.

But after having stayed in London for some time, you may wish to pick up a rental car and drive down to Winchester. I would suggest you take something like the A4 west out of the city, connecting with the M4, and probably passing by Windsor (Castle) enroute to the west and south. Once well outside of London, you would have to plan your itinerary, for instance dropping south off the M4 using something like the M25 and connecting to the M3 for your journey west to Winchester.

Highways in England are designated by letters such as M, A, or B. An M road is a Motorway, much like a U.S. Interstate highway, with high speed limited access and exit. An A road is a major highway similar to a U.S. numbered highway, which very likely will pass through urban and country areas. The speed limit on a motorway is 70 miles per hour and on most A roads the limit is 60 miles per hour.

A B road is a marked highway, but not up to the same standards as an A road. B roads are usually a bit narrower, and not necessarily a straight line. There are certainly other unmarked roads, but I leave that to you to discover.

Assuming you have picked up a rental car at Gatwick Airport, you have basically three or four ways to get to the Winchester area. And even then, I'm assuming your first destination after arrival is to get to your hotel in the Winchester area. Later, I will describe some other touring that one might do on arrival, which would not be a direct route from Gatwick to Winchester.

The four routes which come to mind for getting from Gatwick to Winchester are the following. You can take mostly motorway, using the M23, M25, and M3 to Winchester. Fast but not very scenic. The M25 is referred to as the Orbital, which loops around London, and traffic can be quite heavy. This would be much like beltways that circumvent some U.S. cities.

If you were driving from Heathrow to Winchester, you would have a short drive from the airport to connect to the M3 and continue southwesterly to Winchester. Instead of using the M3 to Winchester, you might consider a using the M4 northwest to Oxford and later the A34 south to Winchester.

But back to Gatwick, you could take M23 and A23 south to the A27, and then west to Southampton, and the A33 north to Winchester. Interesting, but not very fast.

Or you might go as the hired car and drivers used to go before the M25 was completed. That would be the A217 to Reigate, A25 to Dorking and Guildford, and then the A31 west and south to Winchester. Assuming you're not travelling at some peak period, this can be a reasonably quick, straightforward, and somewhat scenic route to Winchester.

The only other route I might suggest would be for the unusual alternative. Although it would be mostly due west from Gatwick to Winchester using the A272, this is not a route I would recommend. It's neither fast or scenic, and it's mostly narrow road where if you get stuck behind a lorry (truck), you'll have even slower going. However, some people may like it, so if you insist, take the the M23/A23 south to the A272 and then west to Winchester. See you there.

Of these four alternatives, I have no favorite and a lot may depend on whether I wanted to take a side trip or not. For instance, I might want to take some first time visitor off to see Windsor Castle enroute to Winchester. In this case, I would head north from Gatwick on the M23 and M25 to the M4 headed west to Windsor. After touring the castle, grounds, and town centre, you could proceed west on the M4 to Reading (pronounced 'redding'), and then the A33 south to Basingstoke, and then the M3 to Winchester.

On another trip, I might wish to take a side trip off the A27 as I motor across the south of England. A favorite place of mine is Arundel which is on the A27 about twenty miles west of Brighton. Arundel is the site of one of the best maintained castles in all of England. More on this later. For a trip such as this, I would leave Gatwick, headed south on the M23/A23 to Brighton on the English Channel, and then west on the A27, stopping at Arundel, enroute to Southampton and Winchester.

The A217/A25/A31 route takes you through interesting towns, and its up to you if you'd like to stop along the way. If you arrive in England on a Saturday or Sunday, there is likely to be a car boot sale (flea market out of the trunk of people's cars), or most any kind of event where you can just pull off the road and see for yourself.

Realize that if you decide to take side trips along the way to Winchester, it extends your travel time. To drive directly using the M23/M25/M3 route, for instance, would take you about ninety minutes to cover the seventy miles. Add any other indirect mileage and touring time to this base time.

I have on a number of occasions, landed at Gatwick at 8:30AM, taken an hour to get through Passport Control, customs and get my rental car, so as to be on the road at 9:30AM. Ninety minutes for the most direct route, plus an hour of side roads and an hour of some tour could make it mid-afternoon before I got to Winchester.

And I should caution you about getting meals or drink on arrival. Although the law has changed recently affecting when pubs can be open and serving liquor, you still may not find eat and drink as accessible as you would in the U.S. It is not uncommon for a pub to be open say only from 11:00AM to 2:00PM to serve a noontime meal. And although some village pubs serve food at the noon hour during the week, they may not have food service on the weekend.

There are 'fast food' places such as the Little Chef along the British highways. If you miss a meal at a proper restaurant or pub, you can always get something to eat at one of these stops, however the quality of food will be nothing exceptional.

In this section I will try to describe the hotels that I have stayed at or the ones that people are likely to stay at when visiting IBM Hursley, near Winchester. The Forte Crest Hotel in Winchester is probably the likely choice for most first time visitors because it is located in town centre, within walking distance of shops, restaurants and some tourist attractions. The Crest was formerly the Wessex Hotel, so be prepared to hear it referred to it as such.

The Moat House is fairly new in Winchester (1989). Originally known as the Saxon, it has a small indoor swimming pool and also a small exercise room. The Royal is an older hotel, also located in Winchester, and used frequently by visitors to the area.

Just a short distance south of Hursley village in Ampfield is the Potters Heron. An odd name for a hotel, but none the less a popular place because it is a modern country hotel (motel) and by not being in any town as such, it is not congested by traffic.

A bit west of Winchester, and Hursley, is Lainston House, a renovated country manor house. If footmen to greet your car on arrival, an oak paneled bar, and French or Continental cuisine are your kind of thing, then the Lainston House is your kind of place. Located near the village of Sparsholt, Lainston House is truly in the country, with little within walking distance except for the native deer, rabbits, pheasant and such.

About five miles southwest of Hursley is the town of Romsey, and the White Horse Hotel. The rooms are small and the floors creak, but your room with private bath has much of the old world charm of England. And Romsey, albeit smaller than Winchester, has its share of shops and restaurants.

On my first visit to the Winchester area in 1975, I stayed at the New Forest Lodge, located about ten miles southwest of Hursley in Ower. Ower is more a crossroad or roundabout than a town, but still I found the Lodge to be warm and comfortable. This was my first occasion to see the horses of the New Forest, which I will describe later.

A very modern hotel is the Forte Crest in Eastleigh. Eastleigh is about four miles south and east of Hursley, or six miles south of Winchester. The Crest is large, has an ample car park, and is the most likely choice for someone visiting IBM at Hursley.

At times, the hotels of Winchester can be quite full and as a result you may find yourself staying some distance away. The city of Southampton is about fifteen miles south of Winchester. You may hear varying distances quoted, but then it depends on what is being referenced.

Hilton Hotels have opened a new hotel complex (1990) just north of Southampton on the A33. You may like it because of familiarity, but why travel all this way to stay in an American-based hotel chain? The A33 has been torn up with construction, so your commute to Hursley and/or Winchester could be congested one.

The 'old guard' in Southampton is the Polygon Hotel. No question but that it is an old hotel, but somewhat modernized. For whatever reason, if the local society holds an affair, it most likely will be at the Polygon.

Down near the docks (Southampton is a major seaport), is a high rise hotel that I know as the Post Hotel. The Post reminds me of a Howard Johnson's type of hotel or motel because of its motif or atmosphere.

There are a number of pubs in the area where people have stayed and have been quite comfortable. Realize that you're not talking about a Class A hotel, but the stay can be a pleasant and different experience.

Some people will look into Bed and Breakfast (B&B) accommodations for their visit to England but I doubt that a business or first-time traveller would consider it. B&B accommodations are most often sleeping rooms in private homes, with minimal services or conveniences. For instance, few B&Bs would offer a shower and shared bathrooms are common.

There are probably other hotels that I have not mentioned that one might considering using. Some friends of mine have stayed at the Rose and Crown in Salisbury, twenty-five miles away from Winchester. Or the Fifehead, located in Middle Wallop, about fifteen miles from Winchester or Hursley. I have stayed there, in a converted carriage house (horse barn) and thoroughly enjoyed it. There is much to experience in this part of England.

To expand a bit on some of the hotels mentioned thus far, let me begin by giving you some personal descriptions. I'll start with the Crest Hotel in Winchester. Again, this hotel used to be called the Wessex Hotel and people may still refer to it by its old name.

The Crest is tucked away on a 'side street' called Paternoster Row. If you happen to drive to Winchester on your own, be prepared that the Crest is not very visible. You have to know where it is. The simplest landmark I could give is that the Crest is directly next to Winchester Cathedral, and even though it lacks a spire of any height, at least you can see the Cathedral from most vantage points. Or people can give you directions to the Cathedral.

Coming into Winchester, from the north or south, it should not be hard to get into town centre. A landmark to look for is King Alfred's statue which stands very tall near a major roundabout (traffic circle) in the centre of town. From the statue you can look directly past the Guildhall (on your left) and straight up High Street, most of which is a pedestrian walkway (mall).

If you drive just past the Guildhall, look for a very small street on your left, called Colebrook. For new drivers, be careful and be patient - two cars can pass on this narrow street. Once beyond this orifice, you'll see a very modern three story hotel. Parking will be a challenge, so let me explain.

You can pull up to the front door of the Crest, unload your bags, and ask the 'hall porter' to unlock the chains which limit the parking under one section of the hotel, and on one section of street parking. If you're unable to park there, there is a city car park within your sight, where you can purchase tickets for so many hours of parking between 8:00AM and 6:00PM daily.

The rooms at the Crest are really quite comfortable and modern. They are furnished well. The baths are modern. Each room has an electric kettle to heat water for tea or coffee, and each day the hotel will leave you a chocolate wafer or some other treat that you can enjoy. Each room has television and telephone. The hotel has daily laundry and dry cleaning.

There are two restaurants in the Crest. One is a coffee shop, open long hours per day, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The other restaurant is more formal, quite good, and a bit on the expensive side. There is a hotel bar, or pub, open only at designated hours, however as a guest of the hotel, you can get room service at most any time. The hotel bar also serves afternoon tea, and occasionally has someone playing the piano for your enjoyment.

As I said earlier, the Crest is a popular choice for first time visitors, visitors with someone travelling with them, or simply visitors who enjoy staying in town centre. It is convenient to walk to the shops during midday (most shops are typically open from say 9:30AM to 5:30PM). In addition to the restaurants in the hotel, there are many eating places and pubs in town centre within easy walking distance.

The Winchester Cathedral is directly adjacent to the Crest Hotel, and if your room is on that side of the hotel, you can often hear the choir and/or the church bells. If your room is on the other side of the hotel, you can usually hear the stores along High Street get their morning deliveries (ugh).

Other tourist attractions nearby would be the Winchester Museum, just off the Cathedral grounds, a short distance from the hotel. Or the Great Hall, up High Street and near the West Gate (remains of the old city wall). At the Great Hall is what is reputed to be King Arthur's round table. Many of the buildings adjacent to the Great Hall are city and judicial buildings, built on the remains of what was once called Winchester Palace. Some of the old city wall is excavated and visible near the Great Hall.

For the energetic, if you leave the hotel, walk past the Guildhall and King Alfred, you can follow Bridge Street, over the River Itchen, and up St. Giles Hill for a most panoramic view of the city.

There are other attractions in Winchester, but let me leave that for later. Before concluding my mention of the Crest Hotel, I must say that I usually do not stay there, by personal preference, because I always have a rental car and I enjoy the country hotels more than the city and its parking and traffic.

My personal favorite over the years has been the Potters Heron. It has its faults, I'm sure, but then life is a compromise. All things considered, I like the Potters. The name has its origins in that the area was once noted for its clay soil and potting industry. The heron must have flown in to check out a pottery bird bath, I don't know.

What I like about the Potters is that it is quiet and country. You can hear the birds sing in the morning. You don't hear the Cathedral bells or the High Street delivery lorries (trucks). Except for the large pub crowd each evening, there is easy car parking, and in/out access because of virtually no traffic.

The hotel is quite modern and has most amenities, such as private bath, shower, telephone, television, electric kettle, etc. Daily laundry, daily newspapers (except no International Herald Tribune, which is available at the Winchester Forte Crest).

Breakfast is included in many English hotel room charges but that may vary by corporate contract. At the Potters breakfast is served in the same restaurant as formal meals in the evening. At one time, the Potters had a separate breakfast room, but that has since been converted into a hotel meeting room. The Potters does a lot of small meeting business so be prepared for some unusual events (wine sales, etc).

I like the Potters because each room has a comfortable sitting area, and a small patio or balcony which allows you to step out into the country air. If you're a jogger, you can jog in town while staying at the Winchester Forte Crest, probably circling the Cathedral property, but at the Potters, you can jog down country roads or into something called the Ampfield Wood.

The pub at the Potters is a very popular meeting (and drinking) place. They serve food at the Potters pub but as pubs go, I would recommend other pubs for pub food. In the warmer weather, the pub crowd will spill outside to the tables and umbrellas, but in the winter months, the pub inside is literally full.

The Potters is just a mile south of the IBM Hursley Lab, so it does make for an easy commute, both morning and evenings.

The Lainston House is a converted manor house, which has very modern sleeping room accommodations. Similar to the Potters, the Lainston House is clearly a country atmosphere. Perhaps too much so. Lainston does not have the pub traffic that the Potters has, so it tends to be limited to guests, and those visiting with the guests, or the occasional dining party.

You may enjoy seeing the extensive wood paneling in the hotel's pub, reputedly fitted out from a single oak tree in the 1930s. A waiter once told me the story of Lady Chutley who, legend has it, haunts the hotel with her walks during the wee hours of the morning.

The property surrounding the House is interesting. At dusk, or dawn, should you stroll the grounds, it's not uncommon to see the wildlife at your doorstep, so to speak. There are no fences to limit the deer in or out, or the rabbits to scurry, or the pheasants to flit their plumes.

The commute from Winchester and the Forte Crest Hotel to Hursley has a morning and evening 'rush hour', where the single lane streets can limit traffic flow. The commute to and from the Potters is hardly an effort. The commute between the Lainston House and IBM Hursley probably means using the Sparsholt Road. Be aware that that means a one lane country road - not one lane both ways, but one lane, period.

The Crest Hotel is a modern hotel in Eastleigh. It has ample parking, modern rooms, and all the conveniences one expects from a new hotel. It is just off the A33 highway at the A335 exit. The Crest is next to some buildings referred to as Home Farm, which is often used as an IBM education facility.

Commuting from the Crest to/from Hursley is not difficult, but it can have some morning and evening traffic. One would use the B3043 as a primary route to get to and from the Lab, and this causes you to pass through the 'bedroom community' (suburb) of Chandlers Ford, which is where many people who work at Hursley live. The result is a bit of traffic, but it's manageable.

The Crest is part of a major hotel chain, not only in England, but with hotels throughout Europe. It probably has the most up to date reservation system, where you could deal directly with the front desk if you were planning a weekend trip, or maybe some continuation after your visit to England. If you were staying at one of the other hotels in the area, and you wanted travel assistance, I would suggest you use the travel agent located at IBM Hursley. They are quite helpful.

Should you stay at one of the other hotels, I would say, enjoy it. Sure, most people will find it 'different'. But isn't that what you would expect? If you want Holiday Inn, go to Memphis. If you stay at the Polygon in Southampton, talk to the Hall Porter and ask for some restaurant suggestions. I have learned of some interesting places that way.

There is a small B&B-like pub and hotel in Winchester called the Wykeham Arms where some people like to stay. Or the Royal Hotel is another hotel in Winchester that you might consider. You might enjoy a small country hotel such as the Fifehead in Middle Wallop. I don't enjoy the old White Horse Hotel in Romsey, but many do.

Should you stay at the Fifehead, I would make two comments. First, the restaurant is excellent, but on the expensive side. The hotel by the way is highly regarded in England. The other point is that being in the country, although it's not a walk, I found the three villages of Nether Wallop, Middle Wallop and Over Wallop most charming. Thatched roofs, rippling brook, country air. You'll enjoy it.

If you stay at the White Horse in Romsey, you'll find a bit of midday shopping around you. Romsey Abbey is a landmark and you should stop in, any day of the week, but why not Sunday. Also nearby is Broadlands, the one-time home of Lord Mountbatten. I enjoy the museum devoted to his military career more so than the manor house. His grandson, Lord Romsey currently lives at Broadlands.

The Potters has full length movies on one of their television channels each night, at no charge. The Eastleigh Forte Crest has pay TV similar to Spectravision in the U.S. Most hotels do not have TV movies.

There are sports centres next to the Eastleigh Forte Crest Hotel and near the Winchester Forte Crest Hotel, both of which have indoor swimming, squash courts, badminton, etc.

I probably should mention that I do not travel with electrical appliances of any kind. If you do, about the only general recommendation I can make is that you travel with an adapter kit that has multiple plugs. It seems that I have seen a variety of walls plugs and no single type is used. Some hotels, such as the Potters Heron, provide hair dryers in each room, or the hotel will loan such items as dryers or clothes irons.

If you have battery operated or dual voltage small appliances, that's fine, otherwise the basic concern is the voltage and cycle differences between the U.S. and the U.K. We have 115 volts and 60 cycles and they have 240 volts and 50 cycles (Hz).

When you check into your hotel, ask about having a newspaper delivered to your room each morning. At some hotels there is no charge for this service, but at other hotels they will bill you for the paper. The International Herald Tribune is printed by the New York Times and has good U.S. news coverage, however the paper is not available at all hotels in the Winchester area. Popular English newspapers would be the London Times, The Financial Times and The Telegraph, or you could try the tabloids such as the Mirror, Express and so on.

Just a word on telephones. Hotel telephone operators will assist you in placing long distance calls and making credit card calls. They may not be readily available during the night however while it's early evening in the U.S. If you have an AT&T telephone charge card, you can call their USA Direct line unassisted. This also saves money on the cost of the call.

Another comment I should make about telephones is that the first time visitor may have difficulty initially dealing with the U.K. equivalent of U.S. Area Codes. There are different codes for local and long distance dialing within the U.K.. Don't hesitate to ask for assistance when placing your call.

So much for hotels and such. Should you find yourself at still another place, enjoy, and to borrow from Agatha Christie "Come, Tell Me How You Live".

In this chapter I would like to talk about some sightseeing you might do on the very first day you arrive in England. I'm going to assume you're not going to spend your first few days in London, but you will be going to your hotel in the Winchester area soon after your arrival.

As I said earlier, my strategy to get adjusted to the six hour time zone difference between Texas and England is 1) get at least three hours of (some kind of) sleep on the overnight plane ride, and 2) force myself to stay awake all day, the first day in England.

What I would suggest is that you give some thought to sights you might like to see enroute from London's Gatwick (or Heathrow) airport to the Winchester area. If you reserve a rental car at the airport for your arrival, then after you collect your baggage and clear customs, you could be on your way for a good six hours or so of touring, eventual winding up at your hotel in the Winchester area.

From the London airports, you could drive east in the direction of Canterbury or Dover, loop to the south and back to the west, maybe following the coastline, through Brighton, onto Southampton, and eventually Winchester.

Instead of going completely east, you may wish to 'drift' through Kent, visiting the castles at Leeds, Bodiam, and Herstmonceaux. From there you can start west on the A27 or M27 for your trip to Winchester.

Or you could start with a tour of the town of Windsor and its famous castle, then on Oxford or Reading, possibly going off to Hungerford, and finally down to Winchester.

If you choose not to swing east before going to the west, you could drop south from Gatwick on the A23, and plan for any one of several excursions off the A27 enroute to Winchester. My favorites would be the castle at Arundel, the Roman ruins at Fishbourne just west of Chichester. And you might try to fit in Portchester castle before calling it a day.

Portsmouth is on the south coast, 10-15 miles east and south of Southampton, but there is so much to see there, I wouldn't suggest you try to see it 'along the way' from the airport.

Once you get settled in the Winchester area and you're interested in some all day touring for Saturday and Sunday, we'll include a description of what there is to see and do in Portsmouth. But there are so many choices for weekend touring, that it's not the shortage of ideas, but the problem that you can't do it all in one weekend. More on this later. First, let's talk about some initial sightseeing, enroute from the airport to your hotel, on your first day in England.

You may decide to head east and see the 'white cliffs of Dover'. If you choose this direction for your sightseeing, you'll probably include Canterbury and its Cathedral along the way. The Archbishop of Canterbury does his best to keep the the cathedral in good repair for the thousands of visitors who come yearly.

I'll talk later about other cathedrals such as Winchester and Salisbury, Ely or Coventry, Westminster Abbey and St. Pauls. Each of them have some noteworthy characteristic. I think Canterbury Cathedral is worth seeing, but if you're like me, you'll come to like other cathedrals for whatever unique charm or aspect they might have.

The cliffs of Dover have been the subject of books and films, and many people will at least recognize the name. Dover has been a major port of entry for passenger ferries between England and the European continent, so be prepared for informational signs and lots of traffic in the port area.

As far as the cliffs, hope the weather is in your favor, because on an overcast day the cliffs have little natural color to highlight them. But on a sunny day, you should find a photo opportunity or two in the area. You can imagine why the sight of large amount of chalky white hills might be an image many people remember as they leave or arrive in England by boat at this port.

Near Dover are some sights you may consider working into your itinerary. There is an exhibition showing the progress of the 'Chunnel' (Channel Tunnel) being constructed to connect England to the European continent.

The Earl of Sandwich supposedly has given us the beginnings of a long family of luncheon delights. I made a visit to the village of Sandwich, and of all things, I had chili for lunch that day.

Deal is nearby and it has a castle you might wish to see. For that matter, Dover has its castle as well and it would be of interest to World War II buffs. But if you want to limit your castle touring, the best of breed (I think) will be Windsor, Warwick and Arundel. More about each of them later.

After touring the 'far east' of southeast England, you'll want to head west for your journey to Winchester. If you travel south coast route, I would suggest passing through Rye on the A259. I enjoy it for its shops, crafts and an air that seems to cater to the public and the traveller.

From Rye, you would pass through Hastings, enroute to Brighton and the west. If you didn't jaunt off to Canterbury and Dover, you might have taken the Leeds, Bodiam route I suggested earlier. Leaving Gatwick, you would first go north on the M23, and then east on the M25/M26/M20 to get past Maidstone to Leeds.

Leeds Castle is one the most frequently photographed castles in England. You'll recognize it I'm sure, when you see the castle sitting on its island, surrounded by huge parkland.

Leaving Leeds on the B2163, you want to pick up the A229 headed south to Hawkhurst and four more miles to Bodiam. The castle at Bodiam is grand with its moat and high stone walls. The shame is that the interior of the castle is all gone however. Still, the castle is one of my favorites.

During a visit to Honolulu and the Iolani Palace, I noticed a picture on King Kalakaua's library wall. The king was was a worldly king and had quite an interest in England. The picture which caught my eye was of Bodiam Castle. Small world.

Travelling south to Hastings, and then ten miles to the west is Pevensey. Some old castle ruins are located here, in this town on the English Channel. About 5-7 miles north of Pevensey is Herstmonceaux. You can tour the castle grounds here, but not the interior of this well preserved structure. At this site, is the old Royal (Naval) Observatory

Now headed west, you'll pass through Brighton. Brighton is a large, bustling town, and even busier in the summer months because people flock to the English Channel on their holiday (vacation). You might consider visiting the Royal Pavilion which is a most unusual structure, patterned clearly after the palaces of India.

If you had left Gatwick and come directly south to Brighton, and now are headed west to Winchester, you probably have the energies to stop in Arundel. Town centre is quaint, and the park is delightful for a stroll or maybe a game of lawn bowling.

But the sight to see is Arundel Castle. Depending on the time of year, and the time and day of your arrival, the castle may not be open. Do check and try to see the inside grounds and the interior of the castle. You won't be disappointed.

At Arundel, I not only enjoy a walking tour of the castle interior, but I thoroughly enjoy a climb to the castle keep, and a look at the dungeon. Lots of photographic opportunities here.

Brighton to Arundel is about 20 miles, and in another 10 miles you'll be at Chichester. Chichester has its cathedral, numerous small shops and a good theatre. Just west of Chichester is Fishbourne and the Roman ruins. If you enjoy archeology, you'll enjoy seeing what's been unearthed here. And the way it's presented to the tourist I think is neat. There are walkways directly over the digs, where you can look down on the subject matter.

It's now about 20 miles from Fishbourne to Portchester, but here's a quick bit of touring. Portchester castle is mostly the castle walls, but

I think it's worth the half hour you might spend there. The structure is vastly different than say Bodiam, and the keep doesn't compare to Arundel, but I still look forward to climbing to the top of the keep every time I visit Portchester. You'll get a good panoramic view of Portsmouth Harbour.

Having come the southern route and visited one or several of the places I've mentioned thus far, I would guess you'll be bushed. So, at this point, why not call it a day (for touring) and move on to your hotel. Get unpacked, have some dinner, and before you know it, it will be 9:00PM and time for a good nine hour sleep to put you in shape for your first real day in England.

If you did not choose the southern route, perhaps you were interested in a trip more west and then south to Winchester. If so, you would leave Gatwick and head north on the M23, connect to the M25 and use this 'orbital' (beltway) to circumvent greater London on its southwest side. The M25 is a very busy motorway, so be prepared for traffic.

Just west of London, you would exit the M25 and take the M4 for a short distance to Windsor. Follow the signs, it's easy. Lots of car parks, and walking is easy. The town thrives on tourists, so you'll find lots of shops, pubs and restaurants.

The main attraction, of course, is Windsor Castle. You can tour the State Apartments (if the Queen is not in residence), Queen Mary's Dolls' House, or any of several other buildings. The grounds are extensive and worth the visit. If you're timing is right (11:00AM), you can see a changing of the guard here, but not on the same grand scale as with Buckingham Palace in London.

After Windsor, you should decide on a route to Winchester. You could head a bit north to Oxford and then come back down through Reading and onto Winchester. Oxford is home for the many colleges which make up the famous university. Depending on your interest, you may wish to tour some of the open campuses which are accessible. Check with the local Tourist Information Centre for specific openings.

There are excellent bookshops in Oxford, such as Blackwell's and Dillons. You can get an unequaled view of the spires of Oxford churches and colleges from the roof of the Sheldonian Theatre.

If not Oxford, you might be interested in the home of the first Duke of Wellington. This estate is located about ten miles south of Reading, just west of the A33 in Stratfield Saye. Most notable here is the huge (and I mean huge) funeral hearse used to transport the Duke after his death.

A tour of Windsor Castle and grounds, and the town of Windsor, will probably consume the better part of your day, so I wouldn't try to pack too much more into an arrival day. Maybe a trip through Oxford or the stop in Stratfield Saye, but after that I would head to your hotel in Winchester, get unpacked, maybe shower, have a good evening meal and collapse for a good night's rest.

If you're going to visit England, I have to assume you're going to spend some time seeing London. Everybody does it, as they say. You might consider spending some time in the city before or after a business trip and as such you'll probably stay in a hotel in town.

If you're going to 'do London' at the start of your trip, I assume you'll take the train in from the airport. There are other ways of getting into the city, but the train is convenient and economical. From the train station, you probably will take a taxi and go directly to your hotel.

London hotels vary quite a bit on cost. You may have gotten a good deal from your travel agent, or you may be staying in London as part of a business trip and staying at some company recommended hotel, where room cost is not so much a personal concern. As you can imagine, the comfort and location of a given hotel is probably reflected by the rate it charges. Supply and demand, to borrow a phrase.

There are some ways to keep expenses down, if your stay is a personal one. England is famous for bed and breakfast but you won't find that in the centre of London. You may get some leads for B&B on the outskirts of London, where you might use the train to get into the city for sightseeing.

Or you may inquire about garden apartments or terrace houses, which usually rent by the week or more. Some of these can be quite nice, and would have some housekeeping done for you, but basically it's like having an apartment for the week. The places that might be close into the centre of town will obviously go for a higher rate. If you find a place away from town centre, again try to get close to one of the train (underground) stations, which you would use to get in and around London.

If you're going to be visiting IBM at Hursley for two weeks or more, you might plan on spending some weekend day in London. Before I elaborate on that, I should say that some Hursley visitors have stayed in London so as to enjoy the night life, and would commute by British Rail to and from Winchester. The train between London and Winchester runs just about hourly and takes one hour one way. Add to that a fairly short taxi ride on the Winchester/Hursley end, and probably a taxi or underground train on the London end, you're probably talking about a 90 minute commute, each way.

One friend of mine stayed in London and commuted to the Hursley Lab each day, so that he could attend some event each night while in London. He took in numerous theatre plays and musicals, the opera, symphony, ballet, and I don't know what else. He filled both his days and his nights.

But most visitors to Hursley will stay in the Winchester area, and most will at least visit London once. A typical one day visit might be to come into London on a Saturday, where you can do a bit of shopping during the day, a bit of sightseeing, and maybe dinner and a theatre that night before returning to Winchester. Not all shops are open on weekends, so if you had something special in mind, you might ask the locals for help in calling the shop or shops you're interested in.

A one day trip into London on Sunday is certainly a possibility, but your plan for the day might be a bit different. Many shops are closed on Sunday, so you probably won't do as much shopping. Souvenir-type shops are probably going to be open, so you'll have that opportunity, even on Sunday. A Sunday visit will probably turn out to be mostly a sightseeing kind of day.

A bit of caution on sightseeing. If possible, get a book on London beforehand. There are many possibilities. A favorite of mine is the little pocket version of a Visitor's London Atlas and Guide, published by Geographer's A-Z Map Co. Ltd. It sells for under two pounds, is handy for pocket or purse, contains maps of the city, train routes, and a good condensed listing of places to visit, the opening times, etc. My point is, don't assume that everything you might want to see is open all day, every day. The best advice I can give is for you to have a plan beforehand. Otherwise, your day will just sort of happen, and maybe you won't enjoy as much of London as you could otherwise.

Taking the train into London for just one day has a price break. When you buy your ticket, make sure you specify same day return because the ticket is cheaper. And while you're at it, you may as well pay the extra charge and get a one day pass (referred to as a Capital Card) for use of all trains and busses while in the city.

You may think that you'll walk around mostly, but when you find out how big London is and how far apart the attractions are that you want to see, you'll find yourself taking the train or underground. Ah, how your feet will enjoy the ride. And by the way, be sure to look both ways when crossing the street. Americans always look the wrong way for oncoming traffic.

The trains between London and Winchester (or Eastleigh or Southampton, wherever you're staying) have mostly non-smoking passenger cars. If you're a smoker, don't hesitate to ask which car is designated as the smoker. The smoker might be the club car.

When travelling by train, you'll purchase your ticket at the train station, show the ticket to any conductor as you board or that asks to see your ticket. When you reach your destination, you again show your ticket as you exit the track area.

If you purchase a one day bus and underground ticket, most underground stations have automated ticket turnstiles, where you feed your ticket to operate the gate, it unlocks the gate and ejects your ticket. Most underground stations are busy with frequent travellers so be prepared to move briskly through the queues and turnstiles.

Taking the train from Winchester to London, you should allow enough time to get to the station, buy your ticket and locate the correct track for your train. If you were staying in Winchester at the Crest, Royal or Moat House, you could walk to the train station in about 15 minutes. If you are driving to the station, there is a car park on both sides of the station, but do give yourself time to locate the car park, purchase a parking sticker, and walk the short distance to the station to buy your ticket, etc.

The train from Winchester to London will bring you into Waterloo Station. To give you a mental map or picture of the city, imagine a wiggley line from left to right, where this line is the River Thames (tems). Waterloo is on the south side of the river (South Bank), and most of what you probably want to see is on the north side of the river.

On arrival at Waterloo, you could walk from the station into the centre of town, but it's a long, rather uneventful walk. If you didn't have a map beforehand, stop into one of the bookstalls at Waterloo and purchase one. You'll want a good street map and a map of the underground. By the way, don't call the underground a subway. A subway is an underground pedestrian walkway. 'The' underground is the train, sometimes called the tube.

Unless you want to see the Thames or Westminster Bridge quickly, you'll probably take the tube to whatever you choose as your first destination. A brief study of the underground map will show you that there are multiple 'lines'. You may have to take one line's train to some stop where you can change to another line and train, and then continue onward to your destination.

If your first destination was to be the famous Harrod's department store for a bit of shopping, you would take the Northern line from Waterloo, change at the Embankment, and take the District line to South Kensington. Harrod's is on Brompton Road. Happy shopping. Be sure to visit the fabulous Food Hall.

Or if your first stop is the Tower of London (an old fort, really), I would take the Northern line to the Embankment, change to the District line, but go in the opposite direction (east) to Tower Hill. There's lots to see at the Tower, so like a shopping trip at Harrod's leave ample time to enjoy yourself. My favorite at the Tower is the Jewel House (Waterloo Block) and the White Tower. The royal jewels are almost beyond imagination, and the displays of armor in the White Tower are most impressive.

Near the Tower of London is Tower Bridge, which many people mistakenly called London Bridge. London Bridge, whether the old one (presently in Arizona) or the new one, both are very plain and hardly noteworthy.

Let me list some of the more popular attractions that you might visit on a one day trip into London. Whether you walk, take a taxi or the underground, is up to you. I'll suggest the places. You draw up your plan.

If you take an 8:00AM train from Winchester (usually 8:04), you're an early bird. You'll be into London by 9:00AM and can be on your way to see the sights. On Saturday, most stores would be opening around 9:00, 9:30 or 10:00, so you'll be on time in that respect.

If you're off to see an attraction, that varies as to opening times, so do check your guide book, that I know you will have bought by this time.

If you took the 9:00AM train from Winchester, you probably slept in a bit, had breakfast, and figured London could wait just a bit longer. Well, now it's 10:00AM when you reach town, and at least 10:30 by the time you're at your first destination.

If the day and weather are correct, many first time visitors like to head for Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guard. If the weather is rainy, few people like to stand out in the rain to watch a ceremony and parade. If it's winter, the changing of the guard is every other day, so check your calendar and guide book.

You may see the Horse Guard parade up and down The Mall, or the Foot Guard and marching band put on a grand show in front of the palace. The ceremony is at 11:30AM but because of the large number of tourist this draws, you have to be there early to get a decent view of the event.

Some people like the idea of 'calling on the Queen', as long as they're in the neighborhood of Buckingham Palace. If you're so inclined, you can go round to the back of the Palace (to the left, facing the Palace) and sign the book, indicating you were there. (Sorry, the Queen is busy most days, but she sends her regards).

After watching the Changing of the Guard, you may wish to head in the direction of Westminster Abbey, Parliament and Big Ben. Viewing the inside of the Abbey is interesting, but for a different experience, try rubbing some brass plates. This is done in an area along side the Abbey called the Cloisters. Just follow the signs.

For a modest price, you'll receive materials and a brief instruction as to how to rub the brass carving of your choice, and create a drawing of your own. Rubbing is like covering a coin with paper and rubbing a pencil back and forth to get an image onto the paper. Except in the case of the Abbey, you'll be rubbing artistic reproductions of brass plates, usually used to mark the grave of some notable figure.

Big Ben and Parliament are simply a must for the photographer. From here, one choice you have is to walk down Whitehall, past a number of major government buildings, and notable places such as Downing Street, home of the Prime Minister. Continue walking and you'll see the Admiralty Arch, Trafalgar Square, and other photogenic landmarks.

At Trafalgar Square, you'll see Lord Nelson's Column (statue), and nearby is the National Portrait Gallery. If you're into art, this is a neat place to visit.

Had you started your day at Harrod's, you might lunch at one of the several fine restaurants in the store, or the nice places along Basil Street, 'behind' the store. After you have refreshed yourself, if you're ready for a bit of touring, you have several good choices directly across and down the street a short way.

The Victoria and Albert Museum of fine art is close at hand. If you enjoy Geology or Natural History, those museums are on Cromwell Road, just beyond the V&A. But my favorite is the Science Museum. They have five or six floors of really neat stuff. One floor might be devoted to transportation, with ships and trains and things. Another floor is devoted to space. Another floor has aviation, and real aircraft on display.

But if you don't mind a busman's holiday, checkout the floor with data processing and computers on display. One thing you may notice is that there is virtually no U.S. manufacturer's or vendors in evidence. Very much a British and European flavor. But the place is a treat in any case, and you may find some good prices on the souvenirs in the museum store as you leave.

You should try to fit in a walk or a bus ride down Piccadilly. In the evening, you may very well attend the theatre, so it might be interesting to see Shaftsbury Avenue, Charing Cross Road or St. Martins Lane in both the daylight as well as the glitter of the marquees at night.

Covent Garden has a history of its own, but today it is mostly boutiques and speciality shops, and the tourists seem to love it. It's not too close, but the hearty can walk to it and the less active can hail a taxi. There are street minstrels to entertain you, so leave a few shillings to show you enjoyed their presentation. I like the arts and crafts area because you can pick up some really interesting pieces. There are plenty of pubs in the immediate area for food and drink.

You should also try to fit in a visit to St. Paul's Cathedral. If you are able to visit during the week, you can be permitted to climb to the top of the dome for a gorgeous view of the city skyline. Remember to pack lots of film. St. Paul's is where Prince Charles and Lady Diana were married.

And from St. Paul's, you're not far from the Museum of London. Or if you want something more substantial, and with more of a history in its own right, you shouldn't miss the British Museum. One of the problems with the British Museum is that it is much too big. Unless you devote several days or the better part of one day, my advice for seeing this museum is to pick out one or two exhibits that really interest you, and save the rest for another time. The featured exhibits that the museum conducts are almost always excellent and of general interest. Personal favorites have been exhibits on very old clocks, or coins.

There's much more to London, but to talk about it would be the beginnings of another London guide book. If the names 'ring a bell' with you, perhaps you should consider putting them on your itinerary; Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Street, Mayfair, Marble Arch, Hyde Park, St. James Park, the Strand, and so on.

Make sure you take at least one ride in a London taxi. The drivers know the city quite well, and will navigate while you enjoy the ride. A ride on a double-decker bus is something to write home about. There are even bus tours that will show you major sights of the city if you'd like that sort of thing.

I enjoy British theatre. Mostly plays, but the musicals are good as well. Many of the theatres have a history of their own, going back quite a ways. Tickets are easy to come by for many plays and musicals, so don't hesitate to stop into one of the many box offices located in central London. If you're staying at a London hotel, the front desk probably has someone that will obtain tickets for you. Among the reasons I enjoy British theatre is that the auditoriums are small enough where everyone is close to the presentation.

After a full day of touring, shopping, walking, riding, eating, and watching, you'll be ready for the train ride back to Winchester. Do check for so-called fast and slow trains. Last train from London leaves just before midnight, so don't stay out too late. And on the train ride back, don't doze off or you'll wake up in Bournemouth.

If you're going to arrive in the Winchester area early or stay on after your business is attended to, you should plan to see the sights in and around the city. If you're going to be in town for a couple of weeks, you would have at least Saturday or Sunday to spend in and about the town. If you don't come early and you're going to leave right after you attend to business, about you're only chance to see the city is maybe some afternoon if your business day runs a bit short.

If you expect to do any shopping in Winchester, be aware that most shops are open from say 9:30AM to 5:30PM, and not at all on Sunday. If you have a long lunch while at Hursley, and you have a car, you could drive into town in about 15 minutes, have an hour for shopping, and another 15 minutes to get back to the Lab. I don't know what you'll do for something to eat, but I leave that to you to figure out.

If you want more extensive shopping in the Winchester area, you might consider a short trip to Southampton. In the so-called 'Above Bar' area in town centre are many shops and some major department stores.

Some of the sights to see are open on Sunday, during typical English open times from say 1:00PM to 5:00PM. You might check open times for any attractions you might want to see beforehand. And once you know what those hours are, you could plan to see other sights which do not have hours per se. For instance, you could go to the top of St. Giles for a panoramic view during a morning, do a bit of walking along the River Itchen, and then be able to see the Great Hall in the afternoon when it's open.

If you're staying at one of the Winchester hotels, you can walk directly to the sights you want to see. If you're staying elsewhere and you drive into town, for shopping, dining or sightseeing, I would suggest you park your car at the city car park near the Forte Crest Hotel and Winchester Cathedral.

The Crest is off Broadway, just past the Guildhall, and before you would otherwise go up High Street. The little street you would turn left onto is Colebrook. Once you see the Crest, it will be easy to then spot the car park right next to the city offices. During the day, 8:00AM to 6:00PM, you'll have to pay to park. Have correct change for the ticket meter.

The obvious sights to see in Winchester are things like Winchester Cathedral, Wolvesey Castle and Palace, King Alfred's Statue, the Abbey Gardens, the River Itchen walkway, St. Giles hill, the High Street pedestrian walking mall, Westgate and Westgate Museum, the Great Hall, Winchester Museum, and more. The Great Hall is a remaining portion of the original Winchester Palace or Castle.

There are some other sights to see, probably as part of walking tour. For instance, King's Gate that separates the Cathedral Close from College Street and Winchester College. Just down Kingsgate Street is Jane Austen's house. She is buried (entombed) in Winchester Cathedral, by the way.

If you're interested in the military, you might plan to visit the Hampshire Regimental Museum or the Royal Hussars Museum located just off Southgate Street. Up the High Street, past the Westgate on onto Romsey Road you'll find the Green Jacket's Museum.

So, let me tell you a bit more about some of these, and then you can decide what you might like to include in your 'local tour'. Depending on your interest, you might wish to spend several days in and around the city. Or if you have a spouse along on your trip, he/she might see more of the local attractions than you. You'll get an impression from your spouse, and you can compare that to my description.

The Winchester Cathedral is a must. You can pick up a brochure while in the cathedral, and you'll have all the facts you want about the great old church. The cathedral is now over 900 years old, and maybe showing its age here and there. It seems to me (a visitor for many years) that there is always scaffolding around the building where somebody is repairing or restoring something.

At one time Winchester was the capital of England, by the way, so that gives some idea why a major structure such as this was built in the middle south of England. As you can see, the cathedral is sinking into some very soft ground. You can ask about William Walker, the famous 'diver' who went underwater in the crypts beneath the cathedral to shore up the building and prevent its further sinking into the soft ground.

Winchester Cathedral has the distinction of having the longest nave of all cathedrals in England. The nave is the view you have from the very front door of the cathedral to the extreme other end of the building. There is not much of a spire on the cathedral, but then that distinction belongs to Salisbury Cathedral, and we'll talk about that elsewhere.

As you tour the interior of the cathedral, you can't help but notice the association of the church and the military. There are all kinds of commemoratives to the military and their service to God and country. Many church officials are entombed here, either in above ground tombs or beneath the church floor. As mentioned, Jane Austen, the noted writer is also buried here.

If you're staying at the Crest, you may hear the choir practicing or singing at vespers on a Wednesday night. The church bells will ring in the early morning and in the evening. Some people enjoy the bells, and others may wish a bit more quiet.

The front doors of the cathedral face the west, so walking to the south side of the building will take you to the Deanery grounds, and to Kings Gate. I should point out, that just down Kingsgate Street is one of the finer pubs (and small hotel) known as Wykeham Arms. I have not stayed there, but I have eaten there and the food is excellent. Get there early, before they run out of the evenings menu. If you consider staying at the hotel, you'll have to decide on where to park your car, because the streets in this part of town are very, very narrow.

Once through Kingsgate, you might stroll down College Street, poke your head into the college (I don't think the hall porter will keep you out), and continue on down to Wolvesey Palace and Castle. Not much remains of either Wolvesey, but history is history, and you may wish to tour this local site.

Around the Close Wall and Castle Wall will take you to the River Itchen. If you're there in spring or summer, you should really enjoy the walk along the river. The ducks, the flowers, the rapidly moving river, are all things to be enjoyed. And make sure you have your camera with you.

The river walk will deposit you at Bridge Street. You can go across and into the old City Mill House. From here, you could walk up Bridge Street and follow the signs to St. Giles hill. This park area is also referred to as The Soke. I'm told that a soke is an Anglo-Saxon term for a piece of land under jurisdiction of a local authority (i.e. Bishop of Winchester). The view from St. Giles will be your best high vista or vantage point. There is a sign at the park to help you understand the sights you'll be seeing. And on a clear day, this is a great photo taking spot.

Back down the hill, past King Alfred's statue, and a walk up the Broadway would take you to High Street. During the shopping day, you'll find lots of opportunities to spend money along the High Street. Make sure you wander off to either side of High Street. St. Georges is to the north, paralleling High Street. The post office and a neat small shopping centre are located at St. Georges and Brook Street.

To the south of High Street is Market Street and Minster Street. Lots of neat shops. One just off the Market Cross (or Buttercross) is a store with inexpensive little toys and kitchen knick-knacks. On the corner of the Cathedral property at Minster Street is the City of Winchester Museum. Small, but worth seeing. And if you have the time, strike up a conversation with one of the attendants. They seem to love their work.

Also in this neighborhood is the Eclipse pub, just across from the Winchester Museum. Here you can strike up another kind of conversation with the pub crowd. Just ask to hear about William Walker, the diver who saved the Cathedral. You'll be there for a pint or two.

Walking to the west, up the High Street, you can turn south onto Southgate and visit the military museums (Hampshire Regiment or Royal Hussars), assuming they're open. Or you can walk past the horse and rider statue in the direction of Westgate and the Westgate Museum. Here also is a small museum, upstairs above the Westgate, but worth the few pence it will cost you to get in. Be sure to ask about the wrought iron cages that people were 'hung' in as a form of punishment. Those were the days.

At the top of High Street is a cluster of civic buildings (courts mostly), and these are on the grounds of the once proud Winchester Palace or Castle. Some remains of the old city wall and foundation of the Palace have been excavated for public view. This can be seen as you walk towards the Great Hall.

In the Great Hall you will see the famous King Arthur's Round Table. An IBMer once remarked that this was probably the first Quality Circle. You shouldn't have to think about that very long. The table is mounted high on the hall wall and brightly illuminated. You can try your hand at indoor photography, or simply purchase some slides at the souvenir desk.

At this point, I probably have told you more than you wanted to know about local Winchester sights. There's much more to be said, but maybe I should leave that to you to discover. You may wish to follow the North Walls which once enclosed the city. Or see the Godbegot House on High Street, one of the best preserved buildings in town.

Between High Street and St. George Street, opposite St. Peter's Street, is a narrow alleyway. Here you'll find the Royal Oak pub, reputedly the oldest pub in all of England. If you're not busy on a Thursday night, stop in to hear the music and have a beverage or two.

There are many, many restaurants in Winchester and I'll devote another section of this writing to that subject. I won't mention McDonald's and the other fast food along the High Street, but steer you to some really good dining throughout the city.

During and after World War II, England (perhaps deservedly) got a bad name as far as restaurants and eating out. Well, that has changed, and you should find plenty to enjoy by eating out in the Winchester area. And the fare will not be just 'meat and potatoes', but just about anything you fancy.

Finding a good place to eat each night will not be your problem. Your problem will be that you probably aren't staying in the country long enough to savor all the good places (and plates) that there are. You'll just have to come back again soon.

But while you're in the area, let's consider some of the more frequently referenced restaurants. Or, let me put that another way. Let me tell you about places where I have eaten, enjoyed it, and why I enjoyed it. Food can often be a personal like and dislike, so I'll have to qualify it by saying, I have enjoyed these places, and would hope you would too.

I'm going to talk about a dozen or so places, and maybe mention a few more in passing. Most of these restaurants have been in existence for a while, but do realize things change, and what I may write about today, may be gone tomorrow. Keep an open mind, and when in doubt, ask. Your English hosts are bound to have a suggestion or two of their own. I didn't find all my favorites by myself, but in fact I did get recommendations for quite a few places from 'the locals'.

If I were to visit the Winchester area for just a short time, the restaurants I would be sure to go to would be Keats, on the Romsey Road, about two miles south of Hursley, in Ampfield, and Armando's Pizza Pan, on Bedford Place, in Southampton. Daverio, and his very competent staff, will host you at Keats, and make sure you have a most enjoyable meal, and pleasant surroundings.

You can get a pizza at Armando's but the Italian waiters in their white shirts, and aprons over black trousers, and their towel draped over their arm, will offer you many suggestions from seafood to pasta. Enjoy, have some wine, and maybe an espresso afterward.

For a visit of two weeks, I probably would give repeat business to both Keats and Armandos. But to round out my tour of the area, I probably would select from the following list.

Ghandi's in Winchester, across from the Guildhall, has as good an Indian menu as you're going to find. I doubly enjoy Ghandi's because I reminisce about the old days, when the Europa Restaurant operated out of the same building. More on this later.

Mr. So's is fairly new in Winchester. It's on Jewry Street, where you'll find a number of good and varied restaurants. Mr. So's is excellent Chinese food. A few doors down, you could pop into an up-tempo place called Muswell's, which caters to a younger crowd and a more casual eating atmosphere.

The Wykeham Arms, on Kingsgate Street, just south the Winchester Cathedral property, has excellent pub food right in town. And by pub food, I don't mean junk food. I'm talking substance. My only caution is to suggest you eat early because when they run out of tonight's offerings, they're out.

Around and near King Alfred's statue, on the Broadway in Winchester, are a number of restaurants, none of them particularly large. And while I can name a few just now, be prepared that there is turnover in the restaurant business and what may be here today can be gone tomorrow.

If you walk east from the statue, over the River Itchen bridge, you'll find the Mill House restaurant which can serve a good meal. The Chesil Rectory is an old building, just at the roundabout where Bridge Street intersects with Chesil Street. The Tudor-like building is fascinating, and the atmosphere of the restaurant is usually enjoyed by all. The problem has been high turnover of owner/operators.

On Minster Street, which fronts Winchester Cathedral you'll find Brann's. Excellent food at a fixed price, but I have to warn you, its a higher price than most places in the area. If the weather is nice, you might try to get a table upstairs at the front so the you can look out the windows onto the cathedral green.

I hope you have a car or that you're with someone that has a car, because then you'll have the option and freedom to 'venture out' and not only see the area, but try some varied food. In no particular order, let me tell you about some favorite places outside Winchester.

Otterbourne is basically south of Winchester. You can take the Winchester Bypass (A33) for a short distance, and exit at the Otterbourne sign. Or you can drive south on Southgate Street which turns into Saint Cross, and it turns into Winchester Road as it enters Otterbourne.

There are two restaurants that I would suggest. The Old Forge is located in an old building which reputedly housed a forge at one time. I think you'll enjoy the warm, close setting, and probably the best beef in the area.

A bit further down the Winchester Road, as it nears Chandlers Ford, as you're headed south, look to the right and you should spot the King's Court. An extensive menu, high quality, red velvet setting, and lots to enjoy. This is an excellent restaurant for both beef and fish.

If you were staying at the Potters Heron, just a mile south of the Hursley, I would suggest you eat there at least one evening. Ordinarily, when I'm in the area, I try to eat out most evenings, but if I'm running late, or I'm tired and don't want to drive somewhere, I'll 'eat in'. The Potters has both its formal dining room and a more casual restaurant which is in the pub. Good food in both cases.

Keats Restaurant is on the Romsey Road, about one mile south of the Potters Heron. And a bit further south, before getting to Romsey, you should see the Mandarin Chef on your left. Not Chinese, but different enough to eat Chinese one night and Mandarin another night.

In Romsey, there are several places to try. If it's Chinese you want, try the South Garden on Bell Street, near the town centre roundabout. On the same street is the Angel Hotel, a new Thai restaurant, and an excellent Indian Tandori restaurant. I recommend them all. The Dolphin is an upstairs restaurant in town centre, a few doors down from the news market.

A fine restaurant in Romsey is the Old Manor House. If you like food prepared in the Continental or French style, this place should please you. The odd thing about the Manor House is that the building is clearly Tudor and English-like. Also, be prepared for a relatively higher bill when you have your coffee.

If you really want novelty, and you have the time and patience, let me suggest something like a road rally. What I mean is, your first task is to find the place and that's like a road rally. Then you can enjoy the Fox and Hounds in Hungerford Bottom, and the Jolly Sailor in Bursledon. Both are old,historically significant kinds of places and I think you'll enjoy the 'outing'.

To get to the 'neighborhood', you have to drive south to Southampton, and take the M27 or A27 (basically) east as though you were going to Portsmouth. At Junction 8, exit as though you were going to Hamble (which you might later). Now, pay attention. At the Windhover roundabout, take the B3397 a short distance, turning left onto the Lowford Hill and Portsmouth Road. Headed east then, look for School Road, turn right, head south, at the fork, bear right, and watch for signs for the Fox and Hounds. It's a pub with good food and a farm like atmosphere (plowshares and such).

As you leave the Fox and Hounds, why not stop into the Jolly Sailor and have a round before you head back to your hotel. From F&H, go south on Kew Lane, then east on High Street, and finally turn right and south on Lands End Road. Have the 'best driver' handle this bit, because Lands End Road is a bit narrow. Walk down the steep hill to the Jolly Sailor and a delightful night time view of the River Hamble.

On another day, or night, you may wish to venture further down the B3397 into the town of Hamble. The Bugle has been a long time restaurant in town, although different management has offered different levels of fare. If you're a sailor, or even not, many would enjoy seeing the sailboats glide by on the river or just resting at their mooring.

Back over in Southampton, I should mention the Carvery at the Cowherds. If you drive south from Winchester to Southampton, you'll come into the city on the A33. Look for the sports centre and wide open park area to your right, and there you should see a large pub-like complex called the Cowherds. The Carvery is basically a fixed price menu, offering traditional fare such as roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Or have some lamb, or turkey to go with your veggies.

If you like to drive, and see some sights as part of your eating adventure, consider driving a bit west and then south to Lymington. From Winchester, I would drive south on the A33, west on the M27 and exit in the Cadnam area, looking for A337 headed south, through Lyndhurst, Brockenhurst, and finally to Lymington. When you get into Lymington, don't take the sharp right turn to stay on the A337 but instead follow the signs to the quay (pronounced 'key'). On the quay (waterfront, wharf, pier) you'll see several pubs, tackle shops, and a cobblestone street will take you to the New Flounders.

The New Flounders is primarily seafood, and it is good. About the only thing I don't like is the tiny seats they have. My body needs a bigger seat. But because I like the place, my fanny can wait for the cushioned car seat.

We haven't talked about venturing north from Winchester, so let's name a few places in that direction. In Kingsworthy is one of England's more notable pubs. Some night you might not want a 'proper' restaurant meal but a more casual atmosphere might be what you had in mind. The Carts and Horses is located at the intersection of A33 and the Kingsworthy/London Road coming out of Winchester.

The C&H has a refrigerated case of cold foods, a large menu of hot foods, and upstairs dining room (if you really did want table and napkins and the like). And be prepared, no matter what night you choose to visit, it will be crowded.

Instead of heading due north, as to Kingsworthy, you might try going a bit to the north, and then to the west of Winchester. On the A272 headed to Stockbridge, you might pull off to the right and follow the signs into the village of Crawley. I hope you're there on a summer evening so that you can see the quaint pond, with its ducks, in the middle of the village. But your dining objective would be the only pub and restaurant in the village, the Fox and Hounds. Warm, quaint, friendly. You'll enjoy it.

Or after leaving Winchester on the A272, you may wish to pull off to the south onto the Sparsholt Road, and immediately into the Lainston House. This is primarily a manor house hotel, but the dining room is open to the public. The Lainston House dining room has Continental or French cuisine and I would describe the setting as a 'proper' meal. If you have not been to the Lainston House before, just seeing the grounds and the hotel setting will be an extra treat.

Back on the A272 headed west to Stockbridge, you could eat at the Grosvenor Hotel, but it would only be fair by comparison to the Game Larder. The Game Larder is fairly large, but it's also very popular so you might call ahead to book a tab