Friday 13th September.

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 and engage conversation with random passers by. Not so easy down south and of course not at home in Castandet.

Back in the car we drove on, through Carnforth and to Arnside via some pretty, narrow lanes. Arnside was packed and we were lucky to find somewhere to park, where had everyone come from!! Arnside is a small village on at the side of the bay where there are warnings of the tide rushing in extremely quickly. I had arrange to meet my friend, Sue and her husband Peter, there for lunch. Sue and I have been friends since our first day at grammar school back in 1954, 65 years ago! They were waiting at the Albion Inn and we went in and had lunch and lots of chat sitting by the window overlooking the bay and the passers by. After lunch a stroll and photo session, a bit windy, before having to say goodbye. Sad to part but so good to have seen them.

Next stop was Silverdale a short way down the coast. More memories from here, Sunday lunches in the Silverdale hotel with mum and dad and playing in the pools remaining on the beach when the tide was out. One place that didn’t seem to have changed too much.

Time then to leave this part of the World and head for Rathmell to visit Margaret, my cousin. It was a beautiful day so we took the scenic route over the trough of Bowland. Margaret had been on a course today and wasn’t expecting to be home until about 6.30pm so, as we were early, we stopped for a drink at the pub in Wigglesworth, the pub in the next village. I wasn’t sure how to get to Margaret’s from there so I asked our previously trusty sat nav to take us there. A short distance I thought but sat nav seemed to have a different idea. We eventually arrived at Margaret’s, half an hour later, rather shaken! The journey of about 12 miles via a single track road with high hedges had been somewhat testing to say the least! Not helped by the fact that we were in our relatively new car which seemed to be within a whisker, at each side of the hedges. A sigh of relief when we finally arrived and Margaret, much to our chagrin, said it’s not that bad I drive it every day! So a loud welcome from Doodle the dog and we settled down to a pleasant evening of food, wine and chat, catching up on the years between our last visit.s Silverdale a short way down the coast. More memories from here, Sunday lunches in the Silverdale hotel with mum and dad and playing in the pools remaining on the beach when the tide was out. One place
Time