Summer sojourn 2019

Breakfast in the hotel and away by 9am.  Caen périphérique as busy as ever but once away from there a straightforward journey home. Heavy rain and mist from Saintes to just north of Bordeaux didn’t make for easy driving but thankfully it had stopped when we had to pass by Bordeaux which is always very busy. Home at 5.15 and unpacked the car. The End!

Departure day. We woke to heavy rain but shortly before we left, at 10am, the weather brightened and a rainbow appeared.  No problems on the journey and after a short break at a Costa on the motorway we arrived in Portsmouth. Ferry boarded and we departed at 2.45 and arrived in Ouistreham at 9.15. We checked into our hotel close by the ferry at 10pm and were soon off to sleep.

A wet day for our last day here. The morning was taken up by a shop at Tesco’s for supplies to bring home. There was a break in the weather after lunch so we were able to get the shopping sorted out and packed in the boot. Boot is jam packed full! Then suitcase packed and as much as possible put in the car ready for departure tomorrow. We went round to Steve’s, after he had picked up Lauren and Josh, to say goodbye. We didn’t stay long, I can’t bear saying goodbye and usually collapse in tears as I did. ,

Steve picked me up at 9.30 and we along with Lauren and Josh set of for Stonar school near Bath. Paul, Steve’s friend from Uni, was there with  wife Jo and daughters. The elder one, Pippa16 years old, was riding there in a one day event. We stopped off at a farm shop on the way to pick up supplies for lunch. I was so pleased to see pigs there leading an outdoor life.  We arrived at Stonar and as the weather forecast was not good, it was still raining a bit, Steve had brought me a pair of his wellies. Now if I tell you that Steve takes a size 12 and I take a size 6 they didn’t exactly fit despite wearing 2 pairs of thick socks! Still better than paddling around the muddy ground in my trainers. We located Paul and family just returning from the dressage arena as Pippa had just finished her test. Thankfully the rain had stopped as we had an hour or so to wait before Pippa did her show jumping. Lunch was eaten, coffee drunk and lots of chat in the interim. We watched Pippa and P...

Up and away at 8.15, early for us! After dropping N off in the town centre I went and parked the car in the Bishops Palace farm field and walked alongside the moat back into town and the town hall. Several people were busy setting up their stalls but we were well prepared after yesterday. There were a lot of people selling vintage clothing. One couple, next to us, had a lot of clothing and hats. Chatting to them we discovered that the lady was from NZ originally. Soon people started arriving, there was a lot of interest in N’s vinyl and no interest in my china! I had 3 pocket watches that had been in a drawer since mum died. I had left them with Steve and he was due to bring them in. One chap who appeared rather dodgy to me asked if I had any watches and I said I would have later, he promised to return. There happened to be, though, a young couple next to us selling old watches and pocket watches and he said he’d be happy to look at them and give me his opinion. I had a lot more faith...

Tomorrow we are trying to sell some “stuff” at a vintage fair here in the town hall in Wells. I have a beautiful tea service that was mum’s, it has been in a box since she died and I really have no use for it. I’m not bothered about getting a lot for it but would just like it to go somewhere where it will be appreciated. I also have a lot of Crown Devon ware that I have collected over the years and now feel it is time to be moved on. N has his collection of vinyl so we shall see how it goes. We were able to set up our stall this afternoon, much better than having to be there early tomorrow morning and do it in a rush. Went round to Steve’s to spend an hour or so with Lauren and Josh before returning “home”.

After an excellent breakfast we said goodbye to Tamworth and set off on the last stage of our journey back to Wells. Traffic round Birmingham was challenging and I coined a new phrase, “scary roundabout” ! When the sat nav says leave at the fifth exit panic tries to set in! Five lanes of traffic, traffic lights and it seems everyone else knows where they are going and exactly how they are going to get there. I managed to keep my cool and with some help from my navigator managed to get off at the correct exit. Eventually we left all that behind and drove to Leamington Span and thence through the Cotswolds to Cirencester stopping first for a wander round Moreton in the Marsh and then in a layby for remains of yesterday’s sandwich. We sure know how to live it up!! Not too impressed with M in the M, very touristy and expensive. Last stage then via Bath and back to our cottage at the Wells touring park after calling in Tesco for some supplies. “Home” again, sigh of relief to be in one pl...

Time to leave the north and head back south. We went into Shipley and had a bacon sandwich and coffee at Greggs before leaving. We decided to break the journey and miss the very busy motorways on our return. Our overnight stay was to be in Tamworth. We went via Huddersfield, Holmefirth, and Holme Moss where we stopped to eat our sandwich lunch and admire the view. It was a clear sunny day which is quite unusual up there! Then on through the Peak District, Buxton and to our overnight resting place at the Tamworth Arms. An unprepossessing pub with some surprisingly comfortable rooms at the rear,  we had a choice of beds, one double and 2 singles in ours ! Once we had installed ourselves we had a walk to look at the castle and river before deciding to eat at the Blue Water Indian restaurant. This turned out to be a very good choice, both the food and the service were excellent.

We walked into Shipley, not far, and had breakfast at the market cafe. Then to a shop which sold old vinyl records. N has a lot of 70’s, 80’s records which he is hoping to sell. Chap there wanted to see them so I went back for the car and drove round with them. All to no avail, he made a very low offer so they will remain with us for the time being. Drove then to the car park at Salts Mill and had a wander round there looking first at the David Hockney exhibition of his East Yorkshire works and then watching a film of the history of the mill. If you don’t know of this remarkable place do take a look at this link. https://www.yorkshire.com/view/culture/saltaire/salts-mill-and-1853-gallery-125448 I spent my first 24 years in sight of the mill and remember it as a working mill. I am so pleased that it hasn’t been demolished and that the village of Saltaire has become a UNESCO world heritage site. We then met up with David and Christine and walked down Victoria Road, over the footbri...

Time to leave Margaret, Doodle and Rathmell after such an enjoyable stay. Next stop was my hometown of Baildon, an hour’s drive away. We were visiting another friend of my childhood, Eleanor. We used to ride together from being in our early teens and have remained firm friends ever since. She had had her 80th birthday on the 13th August and sadly had been involved in a road traffic accident, through no fault of her own,10 days later. She had a right wrist fractured in 2 places which had had to be operated on to insert pins, a broken sternum and a left hand damaged. It’s proving very difficult for her to cope with that and a husband who needs caring for due to dementia and a long running debilitating illness. Fortunately her daughter and son in law are helping out as much as possible. Our plan had been to go out for lunch but as she can’t handle cutlery easily we just had a coffee and a couple of hours with her. A very emotional farewell when we left. We bought a sandwich in...

Not such a nice day today weather wise but no plans to go far. We were expecting my cousin and Margaret’s brother Peter and wife Jean to arrive about 2pm. Their father and my father were brothers and during our childhood we saw a lot of each other. Being an only one they were more like brother and sister to me than cousins. They are so very different, Margaret is a very talented artist and graphic designer whereas Peter is more, not sure how to describe him, staid perhaps but in a very nice way. Anyway, they arrived as planned along with their h dog, Oscar, a very cosseted bichon frisé. Oscar and Doodle (Margaret’s dog) co-exist but don’t seem to have a lot to do with each other. Tea, scones and chat. Went for a late Sunday lunch at nearby pub which was excellent. Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding for me of course!  Back to Margaret’s for the rest of the evening for more chat and reminiscing before they left at 10 pm.

Saturday 14th September. When I looked out of the window when I got up I was met by the sight of Margaret’s new neighbour’s pony. Well Margaret thought it was a horse but I was pretty sure that it was a fair sized dales pony. Beautiful mane and tail and all black. Such a beautiful breed. A beautiful sunny day with stunning views over to Ingleborough. I was asking Margaret the best way to leave the village, wanting to avoid the nightmare of yesterday’s narrow lanes. She replied well turn left out of here, not right which was the way you came in. We didn’t come from the right I replied, we came to the end of this narrow lane, turned right and then right into here. She looked at me with incredulity and said, “you came that way, why did you come that way”? Sat nav told us I replied. “No wonder you were in a state of shock” she said, “that’s an awful road, it’s, only 10 minutes or so the other way”! Ah, well we’ll know better next time! We left at 10.30 to drive toSkipton    t...

So a farewell to Morecambe day. Don’t think we shall return but pleased we came here. I hope the regeneration happens. After another good breakfast overlooking the river we left the Golden Ball Inn and drove to Morecambe and parked on the front by the entrance to Happy Mount Park. In contrast to yesterday the sun is shining and the view across the bay is beautiful. I have a photo of myself standing by a bridge in the park taken, I would imagine, when I was about 4 years old. I wanted to find the same spot to have another photo taken more than 70, ouch!, years later. We worked out that the bridge had been demolished but that it had been in the Japanese gardens which still exist. So photo opportunity over we strolled round the woodland and back towards the gate. We had quite a lengthy chat with a retired, local chap who was a volunteer in the park. Small world he came from Bradford and his father had worked at Salts Mill! It may be my northern roots but it’s so nice to be able to stop an...