Black Ferns Game #3

From the Tudor times to some more modern royalty, we had a quick nosey at Windsor Castle, which was the favourite residence of the late Queen Elizabeth II but has also been home to many, many monarchs over the centuries.  Originally built by William the Conqueror, he used it as a defensive base at the time.

It was Henry VIII who put in the extremely long driveway.

Whilst in this beautiful part of England, and to celebrate Rosie's birthday, both Rosie and Grant dressed up in their best finery and attended a Food and Wine Festival at Ascot Racecourse.  I didn't attend but got to be in the pre races family photo!

They both had a great day, backing some winners and enjoyed the hospitality that Ascot offers.  As the late Queen loved going to the races, one of her legacies was to make sure that everyone was welcome to come.  She had a display made of herself, and her husband Phillip, welcoming all walks of life, from the UK, to the racecourse.  

We had a day to fill in before the next Black Ferns game so stayed in a small place called Ashford but drove to Dover to see the white cliffs.  They were quite magnificent!  

We saw them from the little village called St Margaret's Bay which is situated at the narrowest point of the Straits of Dover, just 34km separating England and France.

And we had to get our fix of castles so drove past Dover Castle which is perched up high and is regarded as one of the largest castles in England, along with its defensive significance throughout history.

There was no luck for the Irish in the Black Ferns vs Ireland game in the coastal town of Brighton.  Watched by a crowd of over 30 000, our girls were just too strong beating them 40-0.

Even though the crowd was cheering for Ireland, they appreciated the classy play of our players, and enjoyed the commentary from NZ's Ruby Tui, below.

It is a shame that Ireland didn't score any points as the crowd would have gone nuts if they did!  Both teams have now qualified for the quarter finals and in true Irish fashion, there was still a good party afterwards! 

Brighton is a great place to visit with all its seaside attractions and historic narrow lanes with quirky shops.

All the piers we have been to have lots of arcade slot machines that you can win tickets off.  The more tickets you win, the better prize you can claim, which is usually a soft toy. 

That is now the end of our tiki touring around England, must one more stop to drop off the car and spend a few days trying to navigate our way around the capital city, London!