First long road trip and other adventures.

[securespark]

As for the journey, it was a "one tank" job. We go up through Buxton, Matlock Bath, Bakewell, then follow the 610 into Notts.

 

[securespark]

Also went to Leeds for a birthday party, with a trip to see Harewood Hall thrown in.

Unknown to us, they had a food fair on at the time, which we had to pay extra for, whether we liked it or not. It (the food fair) wasn't special, a couple of examples were overpriced food (some churros cost £15!) and a cheese van selling nothing more than a few rather ordinary truckles.

You know why I took this picture...

"What?" I hear you you cry.

"You went all the way to Harewood and didn't take any pictures of the Neoclassical architecture or at least a picture of the geezer on the terrace with the impressive doodah?"

No, I'm sure I did, but I can't find them now.

That was another "one tank" trip.

 

[securespark]

Not sure if I'm repeating myself here, but we did a trip to the Cotswolds about this time last year with my Ma who is a long-retired English teacher and a Japanese friend of Mrs S.

We based ourselves at a purple hotel chain in Cheltenham next door to a Shell station with some beefy charging stations.

We went to all the places you can think of in the Cotswolds, including those we should really have steered clear of. The ones where the locals are peed off and the place is constantly rammed with traffic and people.

Bourton on the Water, the Slaughters (Upper and Lower), Stow, Broadway. We also went to Blockley, where Father Brown is filmed. Gloucester too.
And a dig Mrs S went on when she was a student at Crickley Hill.

We also went to Slad, to see The Woolpack, the local of Laurie Lee, writer of Cider With Rosie, amongst other books.

I didn't let on to Mum until we were almost there and she was amazed.

She had a pint of dry cider in the pub, sitting in his favourite spot!

A painting of the man himself.

His grave, in the churchyard over the road from The Woolpack.

Bourton on the Water

Looking out from Crickley Hill

The water at Bourton.

Gloucester Cathedral

 

[Ian Key]

@securespark It's a small world. Your trip to the Cotswolds brought back happy memories as my auntie used to live in Cheltenham for many years so we were able to visit the tourist sites out of season.

My brother was the Director of Employability & Enterprise at Nottingham Trent University and as I live in Derby, Matlock, Bakewell etc. are on my doorstep.

 

[securespark]

Recently, we went to Coventry. I was looking forward to the Cathedral, but in the morning I did a stupid thing.

When growing up, my Gran, with whom I lived, taught me to use ear buds. Modern thinking has changed and gradually, so did I. But this particular morning, I was cleaning the outside of my ear and the bud slipped in. I quickly pulled it out, but the end had got detached. I managed to get a bit out, but the rest was out of reach.

Mrs S and her folks were there for a funeral, so I bid them farewell and grabbed a number 9 bus from outside the purple hotel to the bus station thinking I'd head to the Cathedral and see a doc at home the next day.

When I got to the bus station, my ear was aching a little, so I looked up the nearest walk-in centre. It was less than half a mile away, so I wandered over there and waited. I got there around 11.45

As is the case, you wait around a lot in these places, but I had an appointment to meet Mrs S, who was dropping off her folks at the railway station at 15.10.

At 13.20, I got called. The nurse asked me what I had done. I answered, "Something which someone who is nearly 60 should know better not to do!" Any way, a quick fishing expedition with some long noses tweezers and it was out.

At 13.30, I was walking out in search of the Cathedral. I remembered seeing a sign for it on the way out of the bus station, so headed back that way. There is a dual purpose cycle/ pedestrian pathway there and you take your life into your hands. One side (rough stone) is meant for bikes and the other (paving slabs) for walkers. But the cyclists don't give a hoot. And they all seem to rise these electric bikes that do 30mph. Crazy.

Anyway, as I got close to the bus station, I noticed something I missed on the way out.

I have killed two birds with one picture here.

The transport museum in the background and Sir Frank Whittle in the fore.

I shall have to bribe Mrs S to take me back to Coventry to see the Transport Museum another time. If only I hadn't slipped with that earbud!

So I got to the Cathedral and managed to take a few more pictures before my phone, which is long suffering (I drop it a lot because my condition makes me clumsy) shut down on 28% battery.

The old building.

The new, built (or at least commenced) in 1956.

The old again, looking the other way.

The stained glass window.

I restarted the phone and it kept shutting down, so now I was without phone to take messages from Mrs S or use the SatNav to get to the station. By now, I was cutting it fine to walk to the station, so I walked through to the shopping precinct and found a bus stop. Lo, there was a timetable for the number 9, and I was just in time for the next one! Yay!

Except it was late. Boo!

It came eventually and I hopped on and off a stop or two later at the station.

Coming to the first set of barriers I met a very jolly bloke and I thought my luck was in.

I told him I was having a mare of a day. "So am I he said", cheerfully.

"I'm here to meet my missus who is dropping off her folks for the train to Euston. "
"But I can't find her and my phone's gone dead."

I gave a suitable pause, hoping he might offer to send her a text for me.

"Are there any phones in here?"

"Not any more...", he said, still cheerful.

"Any outside, nearby?"

"Ditto", he replied.

"Have you just got one car park?"

He laughed quietly. "No. Several. It depends which one she's gone to."

I was thinking what to do.

"Can I buy a platform ticket?"

Then he laughed louder, but not mockingly. "This isn't Brief Encounter!"

"I'll let you through."

So I went down to platform 2 and found her folks. As I was saying goodbye, a message came on the tannoy, "Could Simon make his way to the main entrance to meet with his wife?"

I looked across the track and there was Mrs S waving like a loon and pointing frantically at her watch.

I walked as quickly as I could back up the stairs, across and down the other side, as fast as my broken-but-now-mended-ankle could carry me.

As we caught the lift, she explained how initially she had to park in a 5 minute spot, eject her folks then move to a 20 minute space and we only had a minute and a half left to get out of the car park. We managed it with seconds to spare. A real Dick Barton moment though!

We then went back to the city centre to see more of the Cathedral and Mrs S took more pictures for me.

After leaving Coventry, we headed for Canley services, as they had some free Instavolt chargers.

Had a bit of service station food, always good (well if you're at Tebay, it is genuinely good!) and then headed North on the M6.

Bought some stuff from the Waitrose there and subsequently found it in our local Waitrose and it was very nearly half the price!

Anyway, when we joined the M6 out of Canley, there was an almighty hold-up. Some of it, the gantries said, was due to a car fire (there was nothing when we got there), but most of it was due to idiots clogging up the lanes for destinations they didn't want because they wanted to cut in front of everyone in the lanes they did want. So frustrating when drivers do that. So we ended up waiting an age because there was a massive stationary queue of traffic, most of which didn't even want to go out way. Grrrrr!

Also, drivers who think it's fine to speed along in lanes that have a WHACKING GREAT RED X above them. The badges most noted doing this were Mercedes, BMW and Audi.

You know how sometimes you wish you had done something slightly different?

If we had gone back to the hotel, there was a high speed charger at a BP station next to there and we could then have entered the route home and avoided the mess on the motorway.

C'est la vie, I suppose...


Edited to add information.

 

[Archev]

Recently, we went to Coventry. I was looking forward to the Cathedral, but in the morning I did a stupid thing.

When growing up, my Gran, with whom I lived, taught me to use ear buds. Modern thinking has changed and gradually, so did I. But this particular morning, I was cleaning the outside of my ear and the bud slipped in. I quickly pulled it out, but the end had got detached. I managed to get a bit out, but the rest was out of reach.

Mrs S and her folks were there for a funeral, so I bid them farewell and grabbed a number 9 bus from outside the purple hotel to the bus station thinking I'd head to the Cathedral and see a doc at home the next day.

When I got to the bus station, my ear was aching a little, so I looked up the nearest walk-in centre. It was less than half a mile away, so I wandered over there and waited. I got there around 11.45

As is the case, you wait around a lot in these places, but I had an appointment to meet Mrs S, who was dropping off her folks at the railway station at 15.10.

At 13.20, I got called. The nurse asked me what I had done. I answered, "Something which someone who is nearly 60 should know better not to do!" Any way, a quick fishing expedition with some long noses tweezers and it was out.

At 13.30, I was walking out in search of the Cathedral. I remembered seeing a sign for it on the way out of the bus station, so headed back that way. There is a dual purpose cycle/ pedestrian pathway there and you take your life into your hands. One side (rough stone) is meant for bikes and the other (paving slabs) for walkers. But the cyclists don't give a hoot. And they all seem to rise these electric bikes that do 30mph. Crazy.

Anyway, as I got close to the bus station, I noticed something I missed on the way out.

I have killed two birds with one picture here.

The transport museum in the background and Sir Frank Whittle in the fore.


View attachment 38690


I shall have to bribe Mrs S to take me back to Coventry to see the Transport Museum another time. If only I hadn't slipped with that earbud!

So I got to the Cathedral and managed to take a few more pictures before my phone, which is long suffering (I drop it a lot because my condition makes me clumsy) shut down on 28% battery.

The old building.

View attachment 38691

The new, built (or at least commenced) in 1956.

View attachment 38692

The old again, looking the other way.

View attachment 38693


The stained glass window.

View attachment 38694

I restarted the phone and it kept shutting down, so now I was without phone to take messages from Mrs S or use the SatNav to get to the station. By now, I was cutting it fine to walk to the station, so I walked through to the shopping precinct and found a bus stop. Lo, there was a timetable for the number 9, and I was just in time for the next one! Yay!

Except it was late. Boo!

It came eventually and I hopped on and off a stop or two later at the station.

Coming to the first set of barriers I met a very jolly bloke and I thought my luck was in.

I told him I was having a mare of a day. "So am I he said", cheerfully.

"I'm here to meet my missus who is dropping off her folks for the train to Euston. "
"But I can't find her and my phone's gone dead."

I gave a suitable pause, hoping he might offer to send her a text for me.

"Are there any phones in here?"

"Not any more...", he said, still cheerful.

"Any outside, nearby?"

"Ditto", he replied.

"Have you just got one car park?"

He laughed quietly. "No. Several. It depends which one she's gone to."

I was thinking what to do.

"Can I buy a platform ticket?"

Then he laughed louder, but not mockingly. "This isn't Brief Encounter!"

"I'll let you through."

So I went down to platform 2 and found her folks. As I was saying goodbye, a message came on the tannoy, "Could Simon make his way to the main entrance to meet with his wife?"

I looked across the track and there was Mrs S waving like a loon and pointing frantically at her watch.

I walked as quickly as I could back up the stairs, across and down the other side, as fast as my broken-but-now-mended-ankle could carry me.

As we caught the lift, she explained how initially she had to park in a 5 minute spot, eject her folks then move to a 20 minute space and we only had a minute and a half left to get out of the car park. We managed it with seconds to spare. A real Dick Barton moment though!

We then went back to the city centre to see more of the Cathedral and Mrs S took more pictures for me.

View attachment 38695


View attachment 38696


View attachment 38697


View attachment 38698


View attachment 38699


After leaving Coventry, we headed for Canley services, as they had some free Instavolt chargers.

Had a bit of service station food, always good (well if you're at Tebay, it is genuinely good!) and then headed North on the M6.

Bought some stuff from the Waitrose there and subsequently found it in our local Waitrose and it was very nearly half the price!

Anyway, when we joined the M6 out of Canley, there was an almighty hold-up. Some of it, the gantries said, was due to a car fire (there was nothing when we got there), but most of it was due to idiots clogging up the lanes for destinations they didn't want because they wanted to cut in front of everyone in the lanes they did want. So frustrating when drivers do that. So we ended up waiting an age because there was a massive stationary queue of traffic, most of which didn't even want to go out way. Grrrrr!

Also, drivers who think it's fine to speed along in lanes that have a WHACKING GREAT RED X above them. The badges most noted doing this were Mercedes, BMW and Audi.

You know how sometimes you wish you had done something slightly different?

If we had gone back to the hotel, there was a high speed charger at a BP station next to there and we could then have entered the route home and avoided the mess on the motorway.

C'est la vie, I suppose...


Edited to add information.

Great story, and super pictures.

 

[salty]

That Stain Glass Window, is Awesome!

 

[Rolfe]

I saw all this some years ago when I was in the city with a friend for another event. Stunning. The Transport Museum was well worth the visit too.

 

[Rolfe]

My trip to Skye has been transformed for the better. The instructions for the course said you need to tell us if you're going to camp. I replied by email saying I intended to camp in the car, but at the end I happened to say, if you have a cancellation for the student accommodation I'll take it. They had! So now I have a proper bed from Sunday through to Saturday, full board, and no need to worry about the weather which seems set to be a bit rainy that week.

However, starting on the Saturday the weather is forecast to head into another mini-heatwave for several days. I have now decided to take the e-bike after all, since it won't be a complication while I'm in classes or driving to a charger. In fact I'll take everything but perishable food, hoping to acquire that on Friday or Saturday. There are a couple of really great-looking bike rides on Sleat itself, and I then have the option of heading into the northern part of Skye if I fancy it.

I also want to hang around Arisaig/Mòrar for a day or two. I see there are multiple camp sites there too. So I might do a couple of days on Skye then back over the ferry (I'll have to change my ticket) and into Mòrar and maybe down to Ardnamurchan again. We'll see how long the dry spell lasts.

If I hadn't been going to Skye anyway I might have used this good spell for at least a preliminary assault on the Corrie Yairack pass, but that'll have to wait now. I didn't manage to do any of that last month, partly due to a whopping mistake (really really stupid one) I made on the first day at Loch Ness which exhausted me so much that I cut back on my ambitions for the following days. I haven't actually confessed to that one yet. Should do. Anyway, Skye and Mòrar are looking good.

 

[Archev]

My trip to Skye has been transformed for the better. The instructions for the course said you need to tell us if you're going to camp. I replied by email saying I intended to camp in the car, but at the end I happened to say, if you have a cancellation for the student accommodation I'll take it. They had! So now I have a proper bed from Sunday through to Saturday, full board, and no need to worry about the weather which seems set to be a bit rainy that week.

However, starting on the Saturday the weather is forecast to head into another mini-heatwave for several days. I have now decided to take the e-bike after all, since it won't be a complication while I'm in classes or driving to a charger. In fact I'll take everything but perishable food, hoping to acquire that on Friday or Saturday. There are a couple of really great-looking bike rides on Sleat itself, and I then have the option of heading into the northern part of Skye if I fancy it.

I also want to hang around Arisaig/Mòrar for a day or two. I see there are multiple camp sites there too. So I might do a couple of days on Skye then back over the ferry (I'll have to change my ticket) and into Mòrar and maybe down to Ardnamurchan again. We'll see how long the dry spell lasts.

If I hadn't been going to Skye anyway I might have used this good spell for at least a preliminary assault on the Corrie Yairack pass, but that'll have to wait now. I didn't manage to do any of that last month, partly due to a whopping mistake (really really stupid one) I made on the first day at Loch Ness which exhausted me so much that I cut back on my ambitions for the following days. I haven't actually confessed to that one yet. Should do. Anyway, Skye and Mòrar are looking good.

Yeah there’s a few holes in the weather looking promising. I’ve reproofed both tents so I’ll hit the trail to somewhere soon. I’m going to Ayr flower show I think on 15 / 16th but then I’ll follow the best of the weather. I don’t mind so much getting caught in showers but it would be better arriving and if possible departing with a dry awning. And a bit of sunshine on the solar panels would help the porridge production

 

[Rolfe]

The gazebo was a bust as it needs two people to erect it and it's really too big. But I decided to keep it because if we ever do this motor show thing it will come in handy. I have ordered something called a changing tent, might be about four feet square and high enough to stand up in. I'm not quite sure how it will work but I'll give it a shot and see. I'd only need it if it rained, I can manage to get changed OK as things are without flashing people (like the guy in the next car at Loch Arkaig was doing as he changed out of his swimming trunks. I got quite an eyeful and I think it was deliberate).

At some point I might apply to you for that favour you offered last year, to transport me and Hilda back from Fort Augustus to Melgarve if I get right over the Corrie Yairack pass. It's 60 miles by the road and I'm neither going back over the pass the hard way nor cycling round thank-you-very-much. But I need to try a bit of it to get a feel of whether the going is or isn't too rough to make it practical to do the entire thing. I was going to try that last month but it didn't happen. Probably as well because it was wicked hot.

 

[Archev]

My initial thoughts for a changing room for the Berlingo was more or less a tarpaulin. The tailgate of this car is huge and when open affords excellent rain protection. Basically all that’s needed then is to hang a curtain around the perimeter. You then have some dry real estate to stand in modestly. My awning is just the luxury version incorporating a lounge, kitchen and midge proof bedroom
Aye the Corrie Yairack and even lesser routes can be much more comfortably accomplished with the old car at each end approach. So yes the return to Caliban offer still stands.

 

[securespark]

My initial thoughts for a changing room for the Berlingo was more or less a tarpaulin. The tailgate of this car is huge and when open affords excellent rain protection.

I saw one at a campsite on a 2002 Berlingo. It was a home made thing comprising black shower curtain type material which was hooked either end to the tailgate hinges. Then somehow he'd devised a way to attach it to the part of the tailgate you don't see when it's closed. Then he'd used a few fishing weights in the hem at the bottom so that when the wind blew, it didn't expose his bottom!

 

[securespark]

I'll be back later on this month for another repoet as we are going to Ross on Wye.

 

[Archev]

I saw one at a campsite on a 2002 Berlingo. It was a home made thing comprising black shower curtain type material which was hooked either end to the tailgate hinges. Then somehow he'd devised a way to attach it to the part of the tailgate you don't see when it's closed. Then he'd used a few fishing weights in the hem at the bottom so that when the wind blew, it didn't expose his bottom!

I prefer pegs securely sunk in terra firma with a clonking stick

 

[Gadget Geek]

I'll be back later on this month for another repoet as we are going to Ross on Wye.

Ahh, Ross-on-Wye . . . My recollections are of narrow pavements and people bumping into me. And plenty of bookshops.