With our foreign holiday plans in tatters (for this year at least) due to you-know-what, we’re still travelling, but instead, we’re staying closer to home and re-discovering the UK. Recently, we spent a brilliant time in Scotland and for this latest trip, we’re the opposite end of the country – in Devon.
But first we had to get there! We couldn’t check in until 4pm, so leaving no later than 11ish, and allowing an hour for a charge somewhere en-route, meant we should get there more-or-less bang on time! As we left Kettering, it started to rain, and to add to the misery, we just caught the news headlines reminding us that the PM is making an announcement later (at around 4.30) on the state of the Coronavirus! There had been a leak overnight, and it sounds like we’re in for a second lockdown!! 😮
10.30am: Back to happier news! We’re off! We headed in a south-westerly direction for the trek of 200-plus miles, via the A14, M6, A46, M5, A38 and finally the A384, to Totnes. It was pretty good journey, although Robert‘s Sat-Nag located an serious accident later on the M6, and so sent us off the motorway and onto the A46, so we could pickup the M5 at Tewkesbury.
The weather was initially atrocious, but the rain disappeared as we got closer to our destination (lucky us!) 😊
Although Robert would have just about made it without the need for a charge (just!), we stopped off at Sedgemore Services (south) for a quick 12.85 kW/45 minute top-up, courtesy of Ecotricity giving us another 125 miles in the tank.
For the next seven days we’re staying at The Hayloft part of Aish Cross Holiday self-catering cottages in Totnes. I say ‘seven’ but I guess it all depends on Boris’s message of doom later tonight!
Some photographs follow later in this post, but what makes this property a little unusual, is that it comes with its own EV charger – for free! So, that takes care of Robert‘s needs for the duration – and makes this break even better value, as we plan to plug-in as soon as we arrive to replace the juice used in getting here!
4.15pm: We arrived just after 4. We met Michael and Angie, the owners. Safely masked and socially-distanced, they pointed out the essentials where it certainly lived-up to the description in the brochure. First impressions were good ones and we were soon unpacking, quickly followed by locating the all-important TV remote to catch Bojo talking to the nation. We needn’t have hurried though, he was running late!
It’s a roomy place that will sleep up to four people. Netflix, a dishwasher and underfloor heating reminded us that this was a premium property!
It’s a beautiful property with everything we need!
4.45pm: Still no sign of Boris, but to cheer us up, while we wait, we remembered that there’s a welcoming hamper…
6.00pm: We’re all unpacked (Ann’s speciality) and the technology is plugged-in and logged-on. Apparently, Bojo is now re-scheduled for 6.30pm, and given it’s another one of those political worst-kept-secrets, and most of us can guess what’s coming, we think the hamper will be in full use tonight to cheer us up!!!
6.48pm: Here we go then! With the Coronavirus death-toll standing at 46,555, we knew the news was going to be bad. After a series of slides that confirmed the worst (presented by Chris Whitty) it was down to the PM to deliver the news that none of us wanted to hear…
- A month of national lockdown (until December 2nd)
- No mixing of households inside
- Only meet ONE person outside of your home
- International travel banned
…and a load more restrictions!
7.15pm: Curry Night at The Hayloft… That cheered us a bit, but afterwards, we sat and reflected on ‘Lockdown 2’ and what it means for us. We concluded that we can work round it, but they’ll be plenty of our friends who are going to find the next four-weeks really challenging!
Tomorrow, we’re off to The Cott Inn in nearby Dartington for lunch and also take a look around nearby Totnes.
I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!
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