EXBURY GARDENS & STEAM RAILWAY (NEW FOREST NATIONAL PARK) (4K)

[@keithjoseph5671]

The walking tour of the gardens was wonderful with stunning beauty

[@DaveFord]

Thank you Keith. It is a great place to visit for sure.

[@laviniagray5637]

A beautiful day nice to hear the birds. Glad you had a map. The plants were amazing all in full bloom. Train ride great, loved that way to see the gardens too. thanks Fiver

[@DaveFord]

Thank you Lavinia. We both really enjoyed the train ride - it was a perfect day to see the gardens.

[@melissaphillips3088]

Dave and Fiver you are both wonderful guides . This is such a lovely walk. Beautiful area Dave and I loved all the history. Thanks for brightening up my day🌸💕

[@DaveFord]

Thanks Melissa. I believe that the colours at Exbury Gardens are even more vivid now (mid May).

[@melissaphillips3088]

@@DaveFord Dave I am sure it is more beautiful now … it is simply gorgeous there. You make me long to see your country each time you take us on a walk. Thank you and keep up the wonderful walks. 💕

[@christinegibbins6105]

Many thanks Fiver and Dave, that was a delight after a tedious day. Take care. Love the gardens, must some 10 years since I went there.

[@DaveFord]

Thanks Christine. The colours really were quite stunning there.

[@normanwilliamson5545]

Hi Dave, once again thank you for your speedy reply, I really appreciate the info. Enjoy your walks and we'll enjoy your clips. Kind regards, Norman.

[@DaveFord]

Thank you Norman.

[@houseofharmony7307]

What a wonderful place to explore. I don't think I've ever visited Exbury Gardens myself, but it's definitely on my list now. Thanks for sharing.

[@DaveFord]

Thank you. Well worth a visit - so much to explore!

[@jackwyatt9312]

A delightful journey. Thank you Dave for sharing your adventure with us. Best wishes from Australia.

[@DaveFord]

Thank you Jack & indeed thanks for watching Best wishes to you.

[@alcollins5179]

Thanks Dave. Reminded us of many visits to the garden. Amazing D-Day story to sit down by the River Beaulieu and imaging the Landing Craft waiting for D-Day. Lest we forget.

[@DaveFord]

Thanks Al. It was quite poignant sitting near that plaque overlooking the river.

[@roseybut]

Wow what a beautiful garden and right on my doorstep but I've never been. I will be visiting soon. Thanks Dave.

[@DaveFord]

I hope that you have good weather for your visit there, Lance.

[@Caj55]

Thanks Dave for a great video. Have been to Exbury 3 or 4 times, but always in June or July, after the spring flowers have been and gone. It is a lovely place and the scenery on the way there is wonderful too. Thank you so much.

[@DaveFord]

Thanks Colin. It looked like the Rhododendrons were very close to coming out - there were loads of buds.

[@merietgenealogy]

Great to see the gardens. My great aunt Minnie managed the post office and shop in Exbury from 1950 after her husband died.

[@DaveFord]

Lovely that you have a family connection with such a delightful village.

[@Youpenga]

Exbury Gardens is absolutely one of my favorite places, feel very blessed to live only a short drive away! I love the Christmas markets and train rides, so festive and beautifully lit up! The exquisite show of flowers, and wonderful walks are just hard to beat!! Wonderful time to visit, and planning on heading there soon myself for a lovely walk! Thanks for sharing! Have a lovely rest of your weekend 😊

[@DaveFord]

Thank you. As you say, it is such a lovely place to visit - especially when the sun is out!

[@ianmccaughan7121]

The train ride looks fun .Its a stunning garden but a long walk .Well Fiver enjoyed it .Cheers Dave .👍

[@DaveFord]

Thanks Ian. Yes, I think that Fiver was fascinated with the views from the train!

[@Sam-ko3kq]

Love your videos ❤❤

[@DaveFord]

Thank you Sam & indeed thanks for watching.

[@angelanewman5566]

That brought back some lovely memories. My son was a cub scout and used to take part in the St. George's Day parade every year, and we as parental taxi service used to be allowed free entry. No train in those days. I'm sure my grandchildren would love that, but would have to think twice as the entry price for a family would really mount up

[@DaveFord]

The little steam train is very popular with the youngsters ..... and a good way to view the garden if you fancy giving your legs a rest for the "not so young"!

[@gloriastagg2351]

I lived in Exbury House as a child when my father was the Head Probergator. Not open to the public then, paradise for a child

[@DaveFord]

What an amazing place to have grown up in. I bet you have some great memories of the place, Gloria.

[@jorienvandermeulen9316]

What is a Probergator?

[@jeanblemings5352]

I was very disappointed earlier in the year when a coach trip I had booked to Exbury gardens was cancelled. I must look out for another opportunity after seeing your excellent video. I liked the reflective walk around the mirror pond and Fiver seemed to find the train trip very relaxing!! That bell might be a bit noisy in high winds!!! Thanks for sharing your day at Exbury with us.

[@DaveFord]

Thanks Jean. Yes, I just loved those ponds too.

[@JimNicholls]

Great video. You were a little too early for the mass flowering of the rhododendrons, but the garden is always beautiful anyway. The steam train is a superb addition since the times I used to visit, and I guess is particularly welcomed by those who are less mobile.

[@DaveFord]

Thanks Jim. Yes - the train travelled at just the right speed to be able to enjoy the views of the gardens in full.

[@eldred1809]

Dave, you've done it again, another excellent video in fantastic weather. To be honest I couldn't believe it was a Bank Holiday Saturday, I've been 4-5 times and it's always been jam packed, mind you that was probably 15 years ago, so maybe people don't have the spare cash these days. Or maybe it was just the professional editing that made it look quiet? I must admit you wandered around a part of the garden that I hadn't been to, we always turned left and went towards the house, then just wandered through all the paths of Rhodi's, Azalea's and Camellia's down to the river and back up, it's quite a maze down there. Also I expect it was opening time, and a pint and pub lunch seemed to be in order when we got back to the main gate 😉🍺 I always assumed you did your walks on your own, and admired the stamina of setting up the camera, retracing your steps then walking back to the camera. But no, it seems you have an assistant according to the boarding and getting off the train footage. Or was it just this occasion, because Mrs Ford wanted to visit the gardens too?. Well done anyway.

[@DaveFord]

Thank you. Usually it is just me on my own but this time I did have an assistant camera operator as I knew that I would be needing some footage showing Fiver & I getting on & off the train! The car park was fairly full but the gardens are so big, it seemed to "absorb" the visitors and indeed it was quite easy finding some peaceful spots to film.

[@eldred1809]

@@DaveFord Like I said then Dave, I'm impressed by your stamina. And Logan's.

[@ralphfeay8857]

Hello Dave what a nice day you had to go round the gardens we live not far from exbury we often go there to have something to eat it’s a nice walk from where we live I haven’t been on the train it looks fun

[@DaveFord]

I must go back some time to visit the tea rooms near the house. Yes, both Fiver & I really enjoyed our tour on the train.

[@ralphfeay8857]

We thought you would have gone to the pub at hill top on the way home for a swift half

[@DaveFord]

@@ralphfeay8857 I was tempted!

[@lionelmarytravels6003]

That was a little different for you and Fiver. You obviously picked the right day, weather wise. We haven't been down there for a few years, but come April and May each year, I always wonder what it's looking like. Bit expensive by the sound of it, but a lovely walk. I thought you might have sat on '!Lionels Seat', or maybe you didn’t find it

[@DaveFord]

Ah yes - I did see the sign for Mrs Lionel's seat but sadly didn't have time to explore as we had the steam train to catch!

[@DaveFord]

CORRECTION: (At 2:39). Exbury was designated as HMS Mastodon from May 1942 to July 1945, subsequently HMS King Alfred January to June 1946 and then HMS Hawke from Aug 46 to 1955.

[@normanwilliamson5545]

Hi Dave, Thanks again for your reply to my previous question, sorry but I have another one for you, what computer do you use, processing speed and memory size, etc. Sorry to be a nuisance and trust that you don't mind me asking these questions, but we are really impressed with your presentations and also love Logan and Fiver and we are really impressed with their devotion and love to yourself. We look forward to one day, being able to share the beauty of Mid--Wales on KZbin. Kind regards, Norman Williamson.

[@DaveFord]

Hi Norman. I have a Lenovo Ideapad 310 Laptop (RAM 8GB 1TB hard drive).. To be honest it only just copes with editing in 4K & I have to store my old videos on a separate Sandisk Hard Drive.. I would ideally have a more powerful computer, with more GB, to speed things up but, alas, those cost money!

[@thesolitarycyclist9005]

Hi Dave, very much enjoyed this. When we recently rode on this, a Golden Retriever leapt out of one of the carriages and had to be hauled back in by its panic stricken owner! By the way, did you mention you were planning a walk along the length of the Beaulieu river? I've checked KZbin and can't find it. Best wishes John.

[@DaveFord]

Hi John. Yes indeed. The "Beaulieu River" walk comes out tomorrow at 4pm. Cheers Dave.

[@normanwilliamson5545]

Hi Dave, Wow, that was an excellent clip on the Exbury Gardens - the blossoms were absolutely outstanding and the views from the steam train ride were also incredible. Well done Dave, my wife and I, live in mid-Wales, and have recently been following your walks and have enjoyed them so much that we have bought ourselves a GoPro 11. We have some questions regarding editing equipment, and if you could be so kind to assist us, we would appreciate you making contact with us. I think that you have my email address through this comment. Thanks Dave and kind regards, Norman Williamson.

[@DaveFord]

Thanks Norman. I am no expert at editing or filming but here goes....! I use Videopad for editing. Although it is usually free, about 20% of the time when you finish editing, it insists on you upgrading for the paid version before you can complete the export. So I ended up paying c£70 for the software. It is easy to use & has great KZbin video tutorials. I have friends that use Davinci Resolve (which is free) but I believe there is a steep learning curve! As a novice, I found Videopad easy to use. I film in 4K / 30 FPS which means I have huge files. You might find 1080p just as good which keeps the files small & makes it easier editing. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching.