To ask you to help me recall a memory

[user1471451355]

Hi all! Posting here for traffic. Sorry my username isn't a bit more scintillating.
I'm from the States, but back in 2004 my parents and I spent some time in and around London. We stayed at the most lovely bed and breakfast, and I would dearly love to find it online and show pictures to my DH, but neither of my parents seem to be able to remember so much as the name of the area we were in. I was only about ten years old, but I have some of the happiest memories of that trip.

Here is what I do remember! It was a very large, very old house. At least it seemed very old to me as a child, though I do seem to remember hearing the owner talk about its history. I remember being very impressed by its size and grandeur! It was owned by a woman. I believe she had a husband and children as well but I never saw them. Her elderly mother lived there also. It seemed like it was quite a long drive from where we got off the ferry after crossing the Channel. It wasn't terribly far from London, but far enough that we only stayed there a few nights to recover from jet lag before proceeding to a hotel from which we went back and forth to London. I think it was probably quite a standard village; I remember stone houses, horseback riders, children in school uniforms, etc all of which were of course quite novel to me!

I realize this is barely any information whatsoever, it certainly hasn't been enough for me to turn anything up via Google. Even though it's a long shot I am so hoping it rings a bell for someone! We had disposable cameras along but only a few blurry pictures were taken, though I can see it all clearly in my mind, and I'd love to revisit those memories with a bit more information.

[FruVikingessOla]

This has been/is a great thread, OP. Glad you started it!

[tiffanysfanny]

Am happy I have seen the pictures.

That's a big house. I expected a small detach house no more than five bedrooms.

I bet most people thought of a little chocolate box cottage with an old lady running it.

[FruVikingessOla]

I wonder if the building in that photo was some kind of office building, or something, in the middle of Sittingbourne?

[Caipora]

I was expecting a big house. When an American says a house is big, expect huge given that their houses, cars etc are generally bigger.

Thanks for pointing out the difference between grey and gray. After 5 years living in the USA I had sort of figured that out, even with my tiny mind .

I guess the joke didn't come through in writing.

[brambly]

I'm ever so glad the mystery has been solved.

Also had to chuckle at the "how on Earth can someone who was a child in 2004 be on Mumsnet". 2004 was 13 years ago! I was a child in 2004 and am now a woman closer (just) to 30 than 20.*

*Aware that user in question was almost certainly being facetious

[brambly]

Almost 13 years ago, I ought to say.

[Robstersgirl]

Are you sure you didn't come into Portsmouth? There's also white cliffs there.

[FruVikingessOla]

Robstersgirl. The OP has now established that the B&B they stayed in was in Sittingbourne, Kent. I think the 'White Cliffs', wherever they were, are a tad irrelevant now!

[ItsJustNotRight]

OP there are so many places hat it could be. You may not find the exact place but if you come back to Britian there are so many similar places you won't be disappointed .