Saturday. 16th March (Day 1)
Off to the West Country. After our breakfast we drove to Braintree to collect the motorhome then to a pub called The Railway Inn on the outskirts of Glastonbury in Meare. Before that A120 / M11 / M24 / M4 / M5 then small side roads with passing places until an old pub suddenly appeared. The whole journey was in high winds and my wrists were sore by the time we arrived. As we arrived the Wales .v. Ireland had got to half time (16 - 0 HT). Wales have certainly deserved the Grand Slam this year. So we then walked over to the pub to watch the Calcutta Cup between England and Scotland. Half time 31 - 0 and all over. Nobody told Scotland that and with three minutes to go was 31 - 38! The in the dying seconds England scored a converted try to tie the game 38 - 38, so Scotland retained the Calcutta Cup the first time in 25 years. England threw it away with a second half of total ineptness. The pub was a weird one. Log fires, skittle alley, old juke box, chatty friendly locals, a good stop over. It only did a few rolls for food but we knew this and had a curry waiting in the motorhome. After the rugby we returned to the motorhome for the curry and watched footy on the box.
Sunday 17th March (Day 2)
Well a goodnights sleep despite the rain sounding like every drummer in the British military bands playing on the roof. Fortunately it was short lived. By 9.00am we were off to Chris's aunt just outside Plymouth. A stop on the way for diesel and flowers (and wine) and 11.30am saw us knocking on their door. We had arranged that Chris would not only see her 90 year old aunt and her eldest son but that the other two sons and wives would also meet us. Patrick and his wife, Christine, arrived shortly after us. We have not seen them since about 2011! We all then got into vehicles and drove to David and Debbie's house for a mass lunch. Spaghetti bolognaise - absolutely lovely. 4.30pm saw us all making off in various directions with us finally leaving at 5.00pm. We had earmarked a remote stop in the Quantock Hills. Two and a bit hours later we were directed to turn right and what faced us was a narrow overgrown road, well more of a cart track. We bottled it. By now it was quite dark and trying to find an alternative route was not appealing. So we did what any intrepid, daredevil explorer would do and phoned a pub, The White Hart Inn, in Edington, just outside Bridgewater. We then drove their and parked up. It meant we had driven about 45 minutes more than if we had used this as our destination in the first place but never mind. The pub was in a small village and quite old fashioned with the big flowery carpet. The bar was propped up by quite a few locals. A pint of Otter, which was very nice, and then we returned to the motorhome for a nightcap before bed.
Monday 18th March (Day 3)
So a short 25 minute drive to drop the motorhome off. We have a courtesy car as we will leave our motorhome for a week with them. Slight hitch. We loaded our clothes and food into a Nissan Cherry. Completed the paperwork and we're off..........not. The battery was completely defunct. We then had to sit around for a while as there was no spare car! Within about 20 minutes they had juggled things around and we were off in a Ford Fiesta. First stop was a local cafe for a good breakfast, then fill up with diesel. The trip home was a good one with one small hiccup; the M25 around M4 to M40. After that it was plain sailing and the 200 miles took just under three and a half hours.
Monday 25th March (Day 3)
So 5.45am we were off. We left early to get around the M25 to the M4 before the traffic got bad (ha ha). Over ten miles of crawling traffic to the M4. Then a nice clear run to Highbridge in sunshine and the promise of a good day. Arriving at Highbridge just before 10.00am we parked up and went for breakfast. On returning to the car we found a parking ticket! We had bought a ticket to park but, in my haste to get fed, I put it in the car face down! The attendant explained how I could appeal which I will. Then to ASDA for some diesel and a bit of food shopping before arriving at the dealers to pick up Billina2. By just after 11.00am we were on our way having decided to stop at Bristol as neither of us have ever been there. We parked up in the SS Great Britain car park and paid our five pounds for five hours. The machine robbed me and only gave me a ticket for four hours. I rang their parking control and they noted the problem, giving us five hours we paid for. We then walked along the.harbour side to cross over into the city centre. Here we caught a bus up to Clifton Village to walk over the Clifton suspension bridge which, with the lovely weather, gave us good views across Bristol and beyond. We strolled across the bridge which is a toll bridge (one pound) and entered the visitor centre for a look around. Isambard Kingdom Brunel''s first design was rejected along with six or seven other hopeful's designs. His second design was agreed upon. There then followed all sorts of issues with lack of funds and disagreements delaying things. Indeed Brunel died in 1859 four years before the bridge was completed. We then strolled back across the bridge to the 'camera obscura' and Giant's Cave which was up a steep slope, overlooking the bridge. The Obscura gave a 360 degree view around and when a Mr West installed it in the mid 1800's crowds were fascinated by it. Then it was down 130 slippery steps with limited headroom to the Giant's cave. Two giants Goram and Ghyston were resident here according to local folklore. In 305AD it was a chapel and then in the 17thc a religious hermit lived here. The tunnel is 61m long and the cave 76m above the gorge. A bus back and aa we got off the bus we saw a 'Banksy' (he was a local) and Bristol boats quite a few. Across College Green and we entered the cathedral where we went for a coffee only to find the coffee bar closed 5 minutes earlier. We found a cafe in the central library and had a nice cup of tea in pleasant but busy surroundings. We then walked back to the motorhome and drove to The Majors Retreat public house in Tormarton a thirty minute drive away (45 minutes due to traffic). It was just a stones throw from the M4 but quiet. Having parked up we opted for a stroll and managed, by hook or by crook, to do a circular walk, although some of the 'footpaths' were probably not. A pleasant hours walking was spent with the sun starting to set. Just after 7.00pm we went to the pub for a drink and a meal. The village is in the Doomesday Book and part of the pub was over 300 years old. It was a tired building but for a Monday night twenty people in the bar says it is well liked. The landlord, probably in his 70's, was welcoming and good to chat with. Food was basic, well cooked and good value. Then it was back to Billina2 for another couple episodes of 'Lost' (only eight to go).
Tuesday 26th March (Day 4)
There is something almost magical with the smell of bacon sandwiches in the morning and in the motorhome that seems to be magnified. After breakfast it was off home, and the only comment that can be made is that the trip was relatively traffic free and easy.
Home and back to decorating.