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Introduction

This post is not designed to include people or experiences during my family holiday but related to travel and places we encountered from the 5th October 2025 leaving Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Malaysia for London Heathrow Airport in England to the 16th October 2025 returning to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Airport from London Heathrow Airport England. I had prepared a Holiday Plan and pre-booked, using the internet for all Rail Travel Tickets and Accommodation, in addition for a Hire Car when reaching Great Yarmouth.

Flight to London Heathrow Airport

The Flight to London Heathrow was on a Malaysian Airlines direct Flight MH 2 on an Airbus A350-900 one of the latest modern Aircraft. The flight journey was 13.5 hours leaving KLIA at 23.30 on the 5th October and arriving at London Heathrow Terminal 4 at 05.55 on the 6th October. We traveled Economy Class seated near the wing root, which was quite good and reasonably quiet and smooth throughout the flight arriving on time.

Heathrow Airport to London Paddington Rail Station

I decided that we should use the Heathrow Express Train to Paddington Rail Station as we had 3 quite big and heavy luggage’s. However, going from Terminal 4 we had to change at Terminal 3 for Paddington. The Heathrow Express Train was reasonably quick which took about 45 mins from Terminal 4 to Paddington Railway Station which was built between 1852 to 1854 but impressive.

Paddington Rail Station to Kings Cross Rail Station

As we had quite heavy luggage we decided to get a London Taxi from Paddington Rail Station to Kings Cross Rail Station. The Taxi we had was a new electric one which took about 45 mins to reach Kings Cross Rail Station which was built between 1851 to 1852 but has some modern features.

The Main Line Train Journeys Begin

During the England Holiday the travel to the Areas of England were by Main Line Trains. The Main Line Train Map indicates 3 main travel events, London to Newcastle, Newcastle to Great Yarmouth and Great Yarmouth to London with dates.

Kings Cross Station to Newcastle Central Station

Kings Cross Station is the main London North Eastern Railway (LNER) Station for routes up to Edinburgh in Scotland. On the 6th October we traveled from Kings Cross to Newcastle Central Station which was built in 1850, on the 11,30 Azuma train traveling up to speeds of 125 mph arriving in Newcastle at 14.45. This may seem slow in relation to the High Speed Trains of today, but much of the Rail Track System was designed in 1850 onward and has many Twists and Turns. However, the Indicators above the Seat showed your and other bookings for that Seat.

Newcastle Arrival and Hotel

On arriving at Newcastle Central Station we walked to our Hotel, the Royal Station Hotel, with Luggage which was connected to Newcastle Central Station Building. The Hotel was officially opened by Queen Victoria in 1850. The Hotel of course has been modified inside but still has that historical look and feel, both Externally and Internally. After upgrading our room was spacious and facilities very good.

Redhouse Iconic Pub and Restaurant

The Redhouse Pub was the first place we went for our evening meal on arriving in Newcastle after a 27 Hour journey from Malaysia. The Grade 2 Listed building dates back to the 17th Century and the front modified in the 18th Century. It is quite near the River Tyne Quayside. Inside it has a small unique tunnel type room where we had their famous Steak Pies and drinks.

Newcastle and Gateshead

First of all Newcastle and Gateshead are individual Cities divided by the River Tyne and connected by 7 Bridges the oldest being the High Level Bridge (Rail Upper and Road Lower) opened by Queen Victoria in 1847 and the Swing Bridge opened in 1867. I was born in Gateshead in Maxwell Street near Saltwell Park.

METRO to and from South Shields

We took a METRO Train to South Shields a Sea Side Town next to Gateshead to meet my Family including my Son my Daughter in law and adult Grandchildren and have lunch at a famous Fish and Chip Restaurant called Colmans Seafood Temple.

My Birth Place

We took a Number 54 VOLTRA Electric Circular Route Bus from Newcastle Central Station which goes through Gateshead and back to Newcastle Central Station via Saltwell Park and Maxwell Street. The Bus was very quiet and the Driver very helpful providing day tickets, telling us where to get off and advising us how to get to Maxwell Street.

St Marys Cathedral – Newcastle

We went to St Marys’s Catholic Cathedral opposite Newcastle Central Station. It was built from 1842 to 1844 and is very impressive both externally and internally.

Newcastle/Gateshead Metro Centre

We visited the Metro Centre located in Gateshead. It is the largest Shopping Complex in Europe with 4 different Zones and a significant amount Shops, Cafe’s and Restaurants. We only visited one Zone.

St Nicholas Cathedral – Newcastle

We went to St Nicholas Anglican Cathedral which was originally built as a Church in 1091 by the Normans. However after a major fire it was resurrected in 1305 with its magnificent Tower being built in the 15th Century. We were unable to see internally due to renovation. The Cathedral is located very near to the Norman Newcastle Castle also built in 1091.

Grainger Street and Market

We walked almost the full length of Grainger Street which is opposite the Newcastle Central Station. It extends all the way up to the very tall Greys Monument which was built in 1838 to commemorate Earl Grey, the Prime Minister 1830-1834. Almost all of Grainger Street has very old and outstanding buildings either side which were built in the1830’s and is part of ‘Old Newcastle’. It also has a very old market created in the 1830’s, Grainger Market, selling many different types of food and general items.

Eldon Square War Memorial

Just off Grainger Street is Eldon Square where we saw the War Memorial with St George fighting the Dragon on its top built in 1923.

China Town Entrance and St James’ Park

from Grainger Street we walked to the China Town Entrance and saw St James’ Park Newcastle United’s Football Ground in the background.

River Tyne Quayside

The Quayside is the side of the river that Ships many years ago off loaded their cargo. Today the Quayside is for pedestrians like us, to enjoy walking along the river bank. The first part near to our Hotel is where the most recognisable bridges are. The High Level Bridge built in 1847, a double deck bridge with the Railway on the Top Deck and the Road in the Bottom Deck. The Swing Bridge built in 1867 that swings and rotates to let the Ships through and the Tyne Bridge similar to the Sydney Harbour Bridge which copied the Tyne Bridge Design. It was opened by King George V in 1928, which was under renovation when we saw it.

Gateshead Millennium Bridge

The Gateshead Millennium Bridge connects the Gateshead Quayside to the other part of the Newcastle Quayside. The Bridge is designed to allow pedestrians to walk and cyclist to cross (left Gateshead) (right Newcastle) but will Rotate to allow Ships through. It was opened in 2001.

Leaving Newcastle and Gateshead for Norfolk

At 08.30 on the 10th October 2025 we left Newcastle and Gateshead my birth place on the LNER Azuma at Newcastle Central Station for Peterborough where we will change Trains for Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. We had pre-booked Tickets and the journey took about 2.5 hours.

Peterborough to Norwich

We changed Trains to ‘Greateranglia’ which were similar to the LNER Azuma Trains. The Tickets that I had booked covered the whole journey but we went from Peterborough to Norwich via Ely and then changed Trains to Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. We arrived in Great Yarmouth about 14.45 which was quite a long journey from Newcastle.

The Haven Caravan Park – Caister On Sea

I was brought up in Norfolk from Primary School to a Technical College, 12 years in total. We had also lived in Lincolnshire not far from Norfolk for a while. I had booked a large Caravan for our stay in Caister On Sea, Norfolk as it was within walking distance from my Sisters house. The address was Paston 30 and was located in the middle of the very large Caravan Park. It was excellent with all the facilities, Fridge, Microwave, Gas Oven, Washing Machine, Cooking Utensils and Crockery. it also had a Television in the main room and the two bedrooms. It had Central Heating and hot water for the two showers ad the sinks.

Places we visited in Norfolk

These are the Villages, Towns and City that we visited which will be discussed later in this post. This area is called ‘The Norfolk Broads’ a series of interconnected freshwater Rivers and Lakes (Broads). The River ‘Yare’ for example winds its way from Norwich to Great Yarmouth established in1272. We hired a Car a Citron C4 Automatic 8 gears and 155bhp, to allow us to travel at our convenience to all the places we wanted to visit some of which we visited several times.

Ludham Village

After visiting my Sister we went to Ludham Village were my parents, who have passed away used to live. When I was 5 years old in 1946 I also lived in Ludham and went to Ludham Primary School. Ludham during WWII hosted the USA Air Force at a nearby Airfield. It has changed very little, except for Retail Shops and the Post Office since I was a boy. It also has St.Catherine’s Church built in 14th Century. It also has a local Pub, called the Kings Arms which is also a historic building like Ludham, where we had lunch, and St Bennets Abbey, founded in 1016 by King Canute of England, Denmark and Norway a powerful Viking King.

Ludham Womack Staithe

We went to Ludham Womack Staithe, which is like a cul-de-sac where many holiday boats come to moor and walk to Ludham Village only 10 minutes away for supplies and sight seeing. Its a place I use to frequently go as a boy course fishing which is a big sport on the Norfolk Broads.

Wroxham Village

Wroxham is a large Village known as the Capital of the Norfolk Broads which I am also familiar with. We went there to visit the famous Roys of Wroxham Retail Store, established in 1895 and to see the Swans. It also has a famous old Bridge which is a challenge to go under with the large holiday Cruisers which you can hire and pilot yourself.

Horning Village

Horning Village is between Ludham and Wroxham. We drove passed the famous Swan Inn and through Horning Lower Street too the Ferry Inn where we had lunch. The Ferry Inn was a favorite Pub for my Dad and I. The Cheese and Chutney is a small portion !! During the Summer many Cruisers moor outside the pub for meals and drinks.

Potter Heigham

We visited Potter Heigham which is a very small Village very near Ludham. However, like Wroxham it is one of the main places to Hire Cruisers and small Electric Day Boats. It has a Bridge which is narrow allowing only Single Line Traffic using Traffic Lights. Also the Bridge is like Wroxham Bridge which needs precise navigation as it is very low. Lathams Shop is famous for its wide range of products and low prices combined with a very good cafe.

Filby Village

Filby Village is very small but it is famous for the Filby Bridge Restaurant. We visited there especially for its Sunday Roast Lunches. The Restaurant Looks out over he Filby Broad making it a very special setting.

Caister-on-Sea Village

Caister-on-Sea near Great Yarmouth is a coastal village located to the north of Great Yarmouth, with a good selection of shops, restaurants, pubs and holiday accommodation and fabulous beaches. Caister-on-Sea Village is essentially a holiday centre dominated by the large Haven Caravan Park which in part overlooks the North Sea and beach as the image below. This where we resided during our stay in Norfolk, close to my Sisters house. As Caister-on-Sea Village is located very near it is not part of Great Yarmouth.

Great Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth is a medium size Town which has three main parts. The Port area, the Town Centre and the Beach area. It is a major English holiday centre. Due to time constraints we visited the Beach area in particular Britannia Pier. As it was October, it was out of season and reasonably quiet. The Pier has many different attractions including a Theatre that has many shows during the holiday season.

Norwich City

One of the last places we visited was Norwich which is a beautiful City full of history and historic buildings. It is also a thriving bustling modern City, that blends the past in with the present. This was the last full day of our visit with the car.

Norwich History

The history of Norwich, known as a ‘Cathedral City’ is extremely complex but as a City it was created in the years around 900. It is important to recognise that the Normans had a great influence in what we see today in Norwich. In the 11th century, Norwich was the second largest City in England.

The Norman’s were a combination peoples of Normandy in France and the Norse people (Denmark, Norway and Sweden). They totally conquered England in 1066 in the battle of Hastings in southern England. This period is call Medieval England. It was also extremely important as the Normans were great Architects and Builders using the Romanesque design which used large thick walls, round arches, and many other techniques and built many magnificent buildings which are still standing and functional today.

I lived in Norwich and went to Secondary School when I was 10 years old and the Norwich Technical and Art College until I was 17 years old. We also visited Norwich when we lived in England for a while.

Norwich Covered Market

Norwich Covered Market is the largest in England. It provides a wide range of goods including Fruit and Vegetables, Technical items, Clothing and Hot and Cold Food. We bought some specialised Coffee Beans which were ground for us.

Norwich Castle Keep

From the Front of the market we could see the Castle Keep which stands on a hill called ‘Castle Meadow’. The Stone Keep, build was started by the Normans in 1094 using the Romanesque design and completed in 1121.

Brunch at the Lamb Inn

We went for Brunch at the Lamb Inn formerly known as the Holy Lamb which opened in 1574 one of the oldest Pubs in Norwich. The food was delicious.

Norwich Anglican Cathedral

The highlight of our visit to Norwich Anglican Cathedral where as a boy Soprano I sang Hymns. We entered in the car through a beautiful Arch Gate, called the St. Ethelberts Gate built and completed in1325.

Norwich Cathedral was built in 1096 and the Tower Steeple in 1480. It is a superb example of the Normans style of building which is stunning externally and internally.

The Norwich Cathedral Monastic Cloisters are external but part of the Cathedral and are the largest in England. The image shows the left part and right part of the Monastic Cloisters, which are all one. The Monastic Cloisters form a rectangle, part of which is the location of the photographer, me. The Cathedral Spire is 315 ft high the second highest in England.

This the Alter End of the Cathedral with its beautiful high Ceiling and huge Stained Glass Windows. It has Arched Alcoves down each side and on the left is a carved Wooden Pulpit. Where I am standing is for Choir to sit as did 77 years ago.

This the opposite end of the Cathedral again its beautiful high Ceiling and huge Stained Glass Windows. It has Arched Alcoves down each side.

These are the Cathedral’s Organ Pipes which separate the two ends. It also contains Carved Wood decoration and fixed seating. Whilst these very few large images are true representations of the Cathedral, being physically inside is just awe inspiring as there are many more parts of the Cathedral which are truly magnificent.

Summary of the Buildings we have Seen

As an Engineer myself I am just completely amazed at the design and workmanship that went into the construction of these buildings we have visited over the past 10 days, from 1065 the Norman times to the 1800’s the Victorian times. I still cannot imagine how they moved these huge blocks of stone plain and carved in 1065 without the modern machinery we have today. Just looking at the Cathedrals Ceiling how did they do that? The other amazing point is the Buildings have lasted over a 1000 years and likely for another 1000 years. Lastly you don’t have to be of the same faith as many of the Churches and Cathedrals represent, that we have seen, to appreciate their beauty and tranquility.

Prepare to Return to Malaysia

After our visit to Norwich we went to my Sisters for what turned out to be an emotional Goodbye for all of us. Afterwards we went back to the Caravan to prepare to go back to Malaysia. The next day we visited Lathams at Potter Heigham again for shopping and then returned the hire car, which had served us very well.

Leaving for London and Malaysia

After leaving the Haven we went to the Great Yarmouth Railway Station. At 09.17 on the 15th October we left Great Yarmouth for Norwich arriving at 09.50.

The ‘Greateranglia’ London Liverpool Street Train was leaving at 10.00 therefore we did not have much time to change Trains. There were plenty of seats available so it was no problem. The train was due into Liverpool Street Station at 11.55 and arrived on time.

Liverpool Street to Paddington Railway Station

Perhaps the only part of journey’s that was not as expected was the Taxi from Liverpool Station to Paddington Station, which took about an hour, through London, with a much higher cost than expected. However, we arrived at Paddington just before 13,00. However before taking the Heathrow Express Train for our Flight we had arranged to meet at the Market Halls Food Court, my other two adult Grandchildren one with her husband, however to our surprise my adult Great Grandson as well.

Paddington to Heathrow Airport Terminal 4

After saying our Goodbyes to the family we boarded the Heathrow Express for Terminal 4 via Terminal 2. We were all feeling happy that we had met the family but once again sad to say goodbye.

Heathrow London to KLIA 1 Malaysia

We arrived at Terminal 4 in good time and about 20.30 were were advised our Gate was 6A. As we were sat in row 23 at the front of Economy so we were almost last to board the Flight MH1. We took off on time and about an hour into the flight we had dinner. After that I was very fortunate to sleep until breakfast time 3 hours from KLIA. The total Flight time was 12.5 hrs. We arrived safely on time. As an aircraft engineer I was impressed by the passenger comfort performance of the Airbus A350-900.

Summary

This has been one of the best holidays I have had with my wife and daughter. I have to admit after planning almost everything, that overall the plan worked without any major hang-ups. We were lucky to see all our family members except for one Granddaughter that had to work. It was also a memory trip visiting so many places we had been before and seeing new places. It was also an opportunity for my daughter to see England as an adult as she was very young when we lived in England before. I think what most impressed us was the splendour and beauty of the Cathedrals that we visited and the shear size and complexity of Norwich Cathedral. Going to Newcastle and Gateshead and then to Norfolk showed the contrast of Cities and Rural life. Finally, I would like to thank my wife for her decision to go to England maybe for her and me the last time so we could see the family, my hometown Gateshead and the place where my Mother and Father brought my sister and I up in Norfolk and for my wife and daughter memories of our many visits in years gone by. It was just Great !!!!!!