What are you all up to
Comments
-
When I was young, between 7-10, we went to my Aunt and Uncles as a family for Christmas. They lived in Dublin. So we caught the ferry from Liverpool, overnight. In those days the ferries were flat bottomed and we were "berthed" below deck sharing the same deck as the cattle that made the crossing. There were no individual berths or if there were we didn't get one. Some barriers and a cloth curtain separated us from the "cargo".
I slept like a log every single time and crossings were invariably rough in December. I remember that the ferry docked in Birkenhead on the return so as to disembark the cattle, only then making its way across to Liverpool for us mortals to get off.
Nellie - Didn't make it to the crags yesterday as too tired but walked up them today and had a good walk around a larger area than yesterday. The walk further up from the crags and back down the other side of the river reminded me of Water-cum-Jolly in the Peak District but with more flowing water. Saw a Water Vole about 10 seconds before he saw us!
2 -
Would like to see those ancient trees at Blenheim Nellie, quite a sight!
Brue, the oaks, and there is no shortages of them, are either side of the road from the car parks to the Walled Garden, and the Cedar of Lebanon, which in the HP and the Order of the Phoenix film is a Beech tree (go figure
) is beside the lake on the left as one goes over the bridge between the 2 lakes towards the column.0 -
Dont often see our garden during spring/early summer as we are normally in mainland EU, but this year we are on staycation and what a joy it has been. Strolled into village this morning to buy some veg & fruit and the smells from the shrubs, trees etc was gorgeous.
This afternoon i cycled to Stokes Bay, 10 miles round trip, no big feat, on return leg stopped at my favourite swimming spot in Lee and spent 30 mins in the Solent, beautifully clear today, sometimes there are issues but there are areas of the Med that have issues, then cycled home.
22 degs for most of the day and wall to wall sunshine, some areas of mainland EU are having terrible weather, daughters school in Villa Martin (Torrevieja) closed for 1 day due to adverse weather conditions and the 10 day forecast for many areas not good, cracking in the UK, loving it.
1 -
The warmest day so far and another great cycling trip from home north eastwards following yet another old railway (from the Bowes railway engine shed to Tyne dock) to South Shields then down along the coast to Roker and the customary bacon butter before home, just over thirty miles.
The chap on the bike isn't me in the first photo taken in South Shields, it's a locally famous bike builder from the 1970's called Norman Fay. If you have one of his bikes they are in high demand so have a check in your shed!
I'll leave it as a quiz as to the other two.
1 -
Sarah Millican? On the left, obviously😄
2 -
The Roman could have identified as Sarah?
0 -
Good point😄
Might the guy in the skirt be the fellow who built a wall?
1 -
Been a beautiful warm sunny day here as well. Ten day forecast shows more sun to come, but no rain, going to be a dry spell.
0 -
Nope, that was-Marcus Layus Brickus Tinny👍🏻😂
3 -
Ah, right, my mistake 😂😂😂🤪
3 -
Bit late with this post as I had it half written when I was interrupted by a phone call from our daughter, who has just returned from Madrid with a really badly swollen leg from a bite, that is suspected to have been inflicted by a spider!! Thankfully it is starting to go down after taking Piriton, as she has to fly off to Riga in the morning. Then we had a visitor to the van, and a glass or two of Red, again!
Glad that you managed a walk around the Crags today,WN, it has been a while since we did the river walk round. Grand photos from both you and CS.
Another fine day but not too hot. Visited Chastleton House and gardens in the afternoon after a walk around the woods in the morning.
2 -
Glad those away are having a nice time.
Not been much happening here this week so far weather has been ok. Just planning for our main summer holiday in July we are heading to the Cotswolds for a fortnight looking forward to that we have been before but only ever spent a day or two so will be nice to be there a bit longer this time and hopefully get a bit of cycling done. On the way home we are planning to stop at Blackpool for a few nights.
0 -
That's fantastic news David, I'm so pleased for you. To be able to do what you love doing is something we all take for granted at times. We learnt that some years ago when OH had health problems, not the same as you, but nevertheless very serious. To then be able to go back to doing the things we wanted to do made us appreciate it even more, considering what the alternative outcome could have been.
Onwards and upwards from now on, enjoy your upcoming Sardinia trip and hopefully Spain in a few months. All the best.
0 -
Another David that is truly fabulous news to read . Go out and enjoy every minute you can..
Only dipped in for a catch up. I'm seem to be ahead of our house guest this beautiful morning. Couldn't not comment on Deleted User Users news 🫠
Walk beckons then food shopping for tonight's dinner. Son and family join us so I thought Turkish from local restaurant/takeaway. Son informed me they no longer do Turkish.....
Been lovely to catch up with Kiwi friend, close to our daughter too. Doesn't seem like 5 years since we were last together. Weather has played ball too, feels like a holiday 😃
Good to read others news. Enjoy your day folks.
0 -
Lovely news ADavid, what wonderful words for you to hear.
Nellie, you are still bringing back so many memories. I used to go to Chastleton House way back in the late sixties. The elderly lady who lived there then used to like to regularly show people around. It was a proper home then, always had a smell of gas in the first rooms. Nice and homely, and dusty! We’ve only been once since the NT took it over, they did still have some cacti in the first rooms, she used to have them everywhere. My Aunt who was also my Godmother wouldn’t go into the church there, she was religious but she always said there was something very wrong at the church, it spooked her.
Not sure how much longer you are there but my most favourite thing is to visit Broadway and then sit outside at the Broadway Hotel and people watch in the sunshine, they do a really lovely pot of tea. Snowshill is another favourite, the Snowshill Arms is lovely, so unspoilt.
We had a day out yesterday, Dunster Castle. Beautiful day and very quiet, it won’t be next week. Lunch in a tea garden in the sunshine, then a wander around the Castle. We haven’t been for a couple of years and this time we both found the hills challenging, and we didn’t walk quite as far as planned, age catching up I’m afraid. Then we just stopped off at Minehead for some chips by the beach. Came back via Exmoor.
3 -
I've had the same experience at Chastleton Debsc. I was with a group of art students and we arrived late out of London, we arrived in the dark and were shown round by candlelight after having tea by the fire! The long gallery was quite a challenge in the pitch black and we were shown ancient embroideries in flickering light. I've never been able to go back, it made such a vivid impression.
3 -
Wonderful news AD. It must have been lovely to hear 'go live life'. And it sounds as though you are going to do just that! That is just what the Stroke consultant said to me a year ago when I was signed off and I am making sure that I do. All the best to you.
Gosh NTH as brue says you are bringing back so many memories on this part of your trip. It used to be a regular for us with our motorhome many years ago when we were still working and could only have a few days away. Chastleton House is one of our favourites as is Hidcote. I think we have visited all the places that brue mentioned.
I know the feeling about the hills brue. Belvoir Castle was one of our favourite places to visit but when we went 2 years ago I think we needed oxygen by the time we had climbed up from the car park. We didn't remember the climb from years ago!
0 -
Just to add Nellie, we spend a lot of time with my cousin when at our caravan and they live in Chippy. We usually get invited for the afternoon and a meal, so we get there early and first we always visit the Antique Centre, they usually have something ‘new’ on each visit. Last time we went it was very quiet and OH, who is hopeless with faces, said quietly, we know that chap but I can’t remember his name, who is he? I glanced over and replied, it’s Richard E. Grant!! As he passed us he said hello and smiled, oh those lovely crinkles around his eyes. He’s just as handsome in real life. Now I can’t promise he will be there Nellie but the antique centre is still worth a wander if that’s your thing.
0 -
Good news David and enjoy your trip to Sardinia and your Spanish trip later in the year.
Gosh memories of Dunster Castle Debsc a good few years since we have been and we were in Broadway late 2019 gosh that seems ages ago my home county, hope to get to Knighthayes in September garden only as we have done the house a few times also a trip to RHS Rosemoor North Devon as I can get in free but will have to pay for OH.
A sunny start here so washing out but a lot of cloud building up again and last night more lightening in the clouds to the south of us this time the Jet stream still all over the place but a warm weekend coming up upto 30C on Saturday phew.
1 -
Great news AD. Take your time but enjoy yourself.
Last day here. Walked down to the village shop via the high path on the moor above the site. A photo looking back towards the C.L. attached. Plenty of bushes laden with Whinberries for picking in a couple of months time.
Lovely little shop with a cafe attached. Well used by the locals and smart to boot. There is a local portrait artist whose works adorn the walls. He's exceedingly good as was the coffee and cake. There's also a regular half hour community bus that you can flag down outside the CL and a Timothy Taylor run Pub about 250 yards down the road towards the village. So all needs catered for. Really enjoyed the short stay, mind the weather has been brilliant.
2 -
Brilliant news David - so pleased for you. Due to take Ros for her MRI scan this afternoon and just hoping we can get things sorted. We're both so frustrated that we're unable to get away. Still - in anticipation I've been giving the van a polish over the last couple of days - so KJ's not the only one to have been applying a bit of 'elbow grease'! Quite pleased with the results
3 -
Just heard this lunch-time that Leighton Hospital Crewe has been awarded (
) £663 million for a total rebuild on the same site for the entire aged hospital to be completed by 2030 !! That will mean the road , A530, will suffer even MORE road works and delays !!You Have Been Warned !!
0 -
"Hope that you are able to get away again before the holiday rush begins."
done it 12 days in Devon
mrs Rufs says there is no way we are going into competition with NTH, might as well sell the bungalow she says, now that is not a bad idea
, this will be our last outing until September 
daughter over from Spain during most of July and lots of family gatherings planned during August at the beach housea bit cooler today so only did 15 mins swim in the Solent but very pleasant
1
