Wish I Was There - Holidays and The Great Outdoors

mo1905 wrote:Looks lovely Eddie. I hope you get back there soon. Money ain't everything. As Paul says, just get what you can afford, downsize. You only need 1 bedroom, a camera, laptop and a wine rack ;-)

Jeez Mo, I can't fool a guy like you, not that I have ever tried. We have had a few differences of opinion, but we are on the same side. And in many ways we have been blessed, with fantastic families and friends.

Best get back there before it all falls into the sea!

I have a load of old photos from my old man and family holidays, we used to stay in Burley - Moorhill House Hotel when it was a family hotel, today it would cost more for a single meal than it cost then for a fortnight's full board.

Also some of my ex lying (provocatively) across the rocks on the beach with the row of beach huts at the back. 

I last went in 2011, visited my cousin who has now decamped from Southampton to Romsey, scattered some of mother's ashes where we scattered my father, and did some photography at a vintage farm machinery work-in. Unfortunately I chose August and it was full!

I might go down again next spring for nostalgia's sake. But then I've said that for the last few years . . .

Let's meet up and go together Chris, we have been on the side of right for a long time. Chancers, flim flam artistes come and go, but we are still standing. Do you ever wonder about that? I do.

OTOH maybe you should come over here, it's like visiting the past but in a GOOD way. Friendly interesting people who aren't afraid to be characters, and not too many of them, unlike most of the south nowadays. Then perhaps you'll understand why I don't like to go anywhere else much any more.

I MIGHT do the New Forest next May or so for the nostalgia without the tourist hordes. Last time I stayed near Hatchet Pond at Beaulieu, good for fishing or so I believe. We used to fish minnows in profusion out of the stream at Holmsley, and tight-line for trout in the little forest streams which would probably get you shot nowadays.

Where's that then?

We used to have a lot more woods in Surrey and Sussex than here. Then there were the riverbanks in Durham you could use to walk from one end of town to the other, and Leigh Woods just over the suspension bridge in Bristol.

There used to be a lot of forestry here but some of it blew down in the hurricane and much of the rest of it matured and was felled. Some of the remaining woods are pretty ancient though and have some weird species of flowers as well as the usual ones like bluebells. I suspect it'll be a week or three yet before the colours resemble that photo.

>>> Forward to May 2016 and it's time for the low carb cruise ...

If you should wish to read more about this have a look at Diet Doctor Site ... linked below



This week Team Diet Doctor is on the Low-Carb Cruise. We’ve been working hard and have recorded lots of great interviews and presentations for you guys. Something to look forward to!

If you want to know what else has been happening on this year’s cruise, check out the daily reports on Tommy Runesson’s blog.

Diet Doctor Site here
http://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb-crusing

Tommy Runesson's blog where Tommy has quite a few posts about the cruise with lots of photo's is here
http://www.eatlowcarbhighfat.com/

All the best Jan

The Chelsea Flower Show 2016 is drawing crowds from across the globe, all jostling to admire some of the finest gardens and floral displays on the planet. In case you can't make it (or even if you've been) we couldn't resist giving a taste of some of the gorgeousness on display...

Do use this link to see and read more
http://travel.aol.co.uk/2016/05/25/chelsea-flower-show-2016-the-best-bits-so-far/

Certainly a place I wish I was there ...

All the best Jan

Well it is the 1st of January and many who are working may be giving a thought to booking their annual holiday break. If you are you may wish to read this ...


"If you’re planning a big holiday in 2017, you might want to arrange it around Easter.

Thanks to a dreamy combination of bank holidays, you can get 18 days off of work while using just nine days of annual leave.

But book quickly because now this cat’s out of the bag, your colleagues will probably want to do the same.

To nab yourself this long break, simply book Tuesday 18 April - Friday 28 April off from work.

In 2017, Good Friday falls on 14 April, meaning your last day of work will actually be the 13th.

This is then followed by the weekend, plus a bank holiday on 17 April to mark Easter Monday.

Finally, you’ll be able to finish your travels with yet another bank holiday, as May Bank Holiday falls on Monday 1 May.

Alternatively, if you book off 27-29 of December 2017, you’ll actually end up with 10 days off (23 December - 1 January 2018) because of all of the Christmas bank holidays."

Words taken from Huff Post Lifestyle

Happy Holidays

All the best Jan

[quote="Jan1"]




I went to Fair Isle with birding friends c.9 years ago before the new observatory was built.  If you go, don't book your flight through a travel agent its much cheaper direct if you are over 60.   The sea can be terribly rough, I wouldnt travel across on the Good Shepherd they have horrifying seas. I spoke to the 'captain' and at times it made him sick.
 It is worth a visit.  
Will post some pictures if I get the hang of it.  
The small aircraft is quite an experience as well and a downdraft when we over the island going back to Lerwick made us drop like an express lift.
The pilots are brilliant, but our plane crabbed and twisted all the way back to Shetland.
Derek

Derek wrote:

Jan1 wrote:

Have you ever visited Fair Isle? I haven't but it was looking nice and sunny there recently

I went to Fair Isle with birding friends c.9 years ago before the new observatory was built.  If you go, don't book your flight through a travel agent its much cheaper direct if you are over 60.   The sea can be terribly rough, I wouldnt  travel across on the Good Shepherd they have horrifying seas. I spoke to the 'captain' and at times it made him sick.
 It is worth a visit.  
Will post some pictures if I get the hang of it.  
The small aircraft is quite an experience as well and a downdraft when we over the island going back to Lerwick made us drop like an express lift.
The pilots are brilliant, but our plane crabbed and twisted all the way back to Shetland.
Derek

I should think it's a birding paradise.

A little while ago they did a short documentary with Ben Fogle I think it was, and the Isle looked great.

I hope you can get your photo's sorted Derek ... see how you go

All the best Jan

This coming weekend could see the great British get-away.
Many schools break up and parents and children will be setting off on their summer holidays.

Apparently (according to the RAC) roads to avoid are:
M5 Almondsbury Interchange and from Bristol to Taunton
A30 and A38 Exeter to Cornwall
A303 Andover to Ilminster
M4 between Cardiff and Swansea
M25 between Gatwick and M1
A23/M23 to Brighton
A34 and M3 south and south-west to the south coast
A47 Swaffham to Great Yarmouth
A11 Thetford to Norwich
M55 between Preston and Blackpool
A14 between the Midlands and the east coast
A590/A591 between the M6 and the Lake District
A66 between the M6 and the coast
M53 between Liverpool and Chester

Read more here
http://www.burytimes.co.uk/news/15417858.Hitting_the_road_for_great_summer_getaway_this_weekend__Times_and_roads_to_avoid/

All the best Jan

AAARGH! Nightmares!

M5 Almondsbury Interchange and from Bristol to Taunton
A30 and A38 Exeter to Cornwall
A303 Andover to Ilminster
M4 between Cardiff and Swansea
M25 between Gatwick and M1
A23/M23 to Brighton
A34 and M3 south and south-west to the south coast
A47 Swaffham to Great Yarmouth
A11 Thetford to Norwich

Yes know all of them, and to avoid during holidays.

Used to have some nice runs from Avonmouth via the M5, A38, Exeter Bypass, stop at the famed Mont's Cafe for a bacon sarnie and coffee and Plympton for diesel, then straight down to the tip of Cornwall, delivering bikes which was a nice light load with its own wheels, and see how far I could make it back on the first day. Most of the year the roads were pretty good, then in midsummer they were all blocked up especially with caravans. Once just after the A38/A30 diverged I had to do a crash stop, there was a caravan at right angles across the road, in the right hand lane, and the other side of the barrier and still connected by the towbar was a Range Rover. I do NOT want to know how he achieved that . . .

My father told the tale of how they went on holiday to Cornwall. Just outside of Exeter there were a lot of cars parked, so he pulled out to overtake them . . . well it was the first time he'd ever seen a traffic jam! Eight months later and I was born, strange that . . .

Even before the M25/M23 were built we learned not to use the A23, there were parallel and much less trafficked roads to either side leading to some nice bits of the South Downs.

Pram Race 2017

From our Perambulator Correspondent:

This is such a great post/article.
It all happens in Kilchoan ...

Do read more here
http://kilchoan.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/pram-race-2017.html

All the best Jan

Round these parts we have lawnmower races.

From pram races, to lawnmower races and what about scarecrow festivals, many UK Counties have these ... fun!


This one in Hertfordshire "  Each year the residents of Flamstead (Herts) build over 120 scarecrows, which are placed around the village and attract about 5000 visitors over the three days. Join in the fun come along and collect a voting form and trail map at either the village hall or the car park make your way round the village, listing your favourite scarecrows, then take your form back to the village hall where there will be various attractions including Tombola, Cake Stalls, Refreshments, Puppet Shows and the Aldbury Morris Men on the Saturday. English Miscellany Folk & Morris Dancers and the Hemel Hempstead Band on the Sunday. There will be a Care Bus laid on to take anyone unable to walk, around the village on the Scarecrow trail.

http://www.information-britain.co.uk/listevent.php?id=6976

This one looks good
"Welcome to Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival
The festival will be 12th - 20th August 2017.
Welcome to Kettlewell and Britain�s best Scarecrow Festival. It is a great day out for all the family. Follow the theme of the trail to take you round our idyllic Yorkshire village. Solve the riddles of the trail to find the mystery word � with prizes to be won every day!"

http://www.kettlewellscarecrowfestival.co.uk/

Only in Britain?
I'm sure there are other countries around the world that hold different sorts of festivals /races.

All the best Jan

Oh yes, we have scarecrows outside all the shops in the Thoroughfare - what everyone else calls a high street but is pedestrianised now. That reminds me, I can't remember when it is.

We had such a wonderful few days in the Lake District recently ... with views like this one above
Good holiday memories ...

All the best Jan