…Knot! (read on)…

We couldn’t decide whether to go to this event today (Sunday) or tomorrow. A quick check of the Bank Holiday weather forecast helped us make up our! Dry today, raining tomorrow. So that was an easy decision. Ann sorted out all the ingredients for a picnic yesterday, and we woke to an accurate forecast (for once!)

We drove to to nearby Deene Park (the seat of the Brudenell family’s country manor about 5 miles north-east of Corby) to witness Deene Park Plundered! – a Civil War Re-Enactment Society by the well-known The Sealed Knot. The last time we were here to witness the Sealed Knot do what they do best was in May 2019 where we sat in the pouring rain, being typically British, and pretended we were enjoying the spectacle!

The Sealed Knot is the oldest re-enactment society in the UK, a registered educational charity, and the single biggest re-enactment society in Europe. They bring history to life by staging events throughout the country all year round, offering a chance to experience at first hand, the horrors of a nation at war with itself, as well as providing a glimpse of everyday life in those days.

As we arrived, we could see that the car-park was already busy, so surely that was a good sign, even if the weather was now cooling down. Would it rain like the last time we were here? . With our hands duly stamped by a young and enthusiastic ‘knotter’, we passed through the entrance and found the perfect spot for a great view of the main arena.

The Sealed Knot take these events very seriously, and you can’t knock their pursuit of perfection in everything they do. From the accuracy of their clothing to carefully choreographed battle scenes, ‘winging it’ is just NOT an option. Safety is paramount, obviously, as no-one wants a sprog hit by a cannonball, ehh?! .

In spite of the number of cars in the car-park, it didn’t seem to equate with the number of people actually at the event itself. And as the weather got cooler (but still dry!), the members of the Sealed Knot tried their hardest to keep us all engaged with first, their Drum Display followed by the Cavalry, who drilled, charged and sliced vegetables using their swords whilst on horseback.

Some were more successful than others, and it became immediately obvious that slicing a melon whilst riding a horse takes a bit more skill than mowing the lawn on a Sunday afternoon! . Some of their horses appeared to have been given Red Bull before the show and were proving to be more than a handful in their riders’ experienced hands. Some missed the veg completely, whilst others were frighteningly accurate. One horse in particular (and clearly a vegetarian) took the opportunity to scare its rider by going from a canter to a full-on gallop in about two seconds – where rider and horse were last seen landing in Leicestershire! .

Overall, it was all very professional and well put together, but the lack of visitor numbers and an increasingly cool day robbed the event of its ‘buzz’. After a quick look around and watching the fashion show, after a couple of hours or so, we retreated.

Today therefore, wasn’t one of our best decisions – but at least it didn’t rain! We’ve come to the conclusion that for us, at least, the weather has to be a scorcher to make this worthwhile, and we’ll think even more carefully, next time the Sealed Knot come to Deene Park.

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Sealed with a… appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Well, the weather certainly is improving! It’s a Bank Holiday too! Surely that’s a mistake!!!

Friday (26th)

It got off to a good start trotting off to nearby Boughton House for an outdoor showing of Top Gun: Maverick.

Saturday (27th)

A lazy start to the day but with some last-minute preparation ready for great friends Ralph & Karen who are spending the weekend with us.

R&K arrived just before 11.45 and we were soon exchanging notes on what we’d all been up to since we last saw each other.

After a quick salad for lunch, we continued to take advantage of the fine weather and headed for nearby Wicksteed Park.

Not surprisingly, it was busy! Even Wicky’s Boating Lake, where I’ve never seen more than a few people showing off their models, was busier than I ever remember it – yachts, submarines, old galleons, and steamships were all fighting for position with… the resident swans who were also more used to a quieter environment!

We’re so lucky to have this on our doorstep! When Covid was rife, our daily walks here helped to keep us sane!

We didn’t get home until just before 5. It had been VERY warm walk, but so nice to enjoy a Bank Holiday in the sun! (a rare experience!). It was then back into the garden, with a cold drink to discuss our next joint holiday together – Jordan. After evaluating several options, we now had a broad plan and Ann is going to take it all to the next level of detail.

In the evening, we headed off to nearby (ish) Braybrooke and The Swan for dinner. This is a bit of a hidden gem that we discovered a few years ago back in January, 2019.

Ralph acted as ‘designated driver’ and we were soon at the Pub – but as usual, finding to space to park was our first challenge.

Initially, the area immediately outside the entrance was full, forcing us to park on the (very narrow) adjacent road. But, just a few moments later, a departing local freed up a space! Perfect!

Just after 7pm, we were soon seated and looking through the Menu. There were plenty of imaginative offerings to tempt us, and although we sat inside, their patio doors had been opened giving us a cool breeze and the last of the evening sun.

The portion sizes were generous and so Ann opted for two Starters whilst Karen skipped the first course altogether. Meanwhile, Ralph and I dived in. I almost chose their mega-burger, but Ralph took on the challenge! (the biggest, widest and tallest I’ve seen in a while) – and made a valiant effort to clear his plate, but it narrowly beat him! All-in-all, it was a good experience, although the dessert (above right) that Ralph and I opted for whilst the girls looked on was heavy going – but still delicious. Heading home, the roads were almost deserted, and we were soon indoors, catching up with today’s news and sipping hot chocolate!

Phew! It was now 10.30 and time to crash out. Nighty night! . It’s a(nother) lazy day tomorrow. A (very) light breakfast is planned, followed by a full-on Sunday lunch where Nick & Celina are joining us.

Sunday (28th)

Well, the weather is holding and it looks like a gorgeous day ahead. Nick & Celina are heading our way for 12.30, so that’s six hungry mouths to feed later. Roast Chicken is on the menu and we’re planning to eat outside.

Nick & Celina arrived just after 12.30. We were expecting them to arrive in Nick’s Porsche – ‘Waspey‘. Instead, a slightly more sedate mode of transport…

What a machine! Fondly known as Margot Magenta and it oozed character! With a four-speed manual box and retro-fitted seatbelts, they don’t make them like that anymore!

After a quick catch-up, we tucked into Lunch, where by now, it was turning into another gorgeous day!

Desserts consisted of homemade Profiteroles and Summer Fruit Brulé with everything washed down with copious amounts of ‘grape and hop’ in all its various guises! .

‘Whoosh’ went the afternoon! The next time we looked at the time it was just after 5! Surely a sign of a good time? We said our goodbyes a little later to the sound of Margot Magenta’s 1098cc engine and single SU carb working overtime! After a bit of a clear-up in the kitchen we settled down for the evening. No need to think about food as Lunch had done its job!

With the kitchen under control and in the safe hands of the dishwasher, we fired up the DVD player and watched Tina Turner – Live in Amsterdam (from 1996). Some cracking tunes… Private Dancer, Theme from GoldenEye, River Deep, Mountain High, Thunderdome and pretty much all of her many other big hits. I’d quite forgotten what a powerful voice she had, and the music scene is a far emptier place without her in it.

Our chosen movie was Dead Shot a ‘Sky Original’ that turned out to be quite good. It starred Mark Strong and Colin Morgan (aka ‘Merlin’ in the long-running 2008-2012 BBC series), the latter in a much, MUCH grittier role as an IRA member out for revenge for the murder of his partner. Plenty of tension, and being set in the 1970s, it was good to see London faithfully recreated for that era – all those Routemaster buses!!!

We turned in just after 10pm.

Bank Holiday Monday (29th)

Ralph & Karen slept over, and we enjoyed a late, later breakfast this morning. The weather ‘returned to form’ for a Bank Holiday – although it was dry, everywhere was very overcast and nowhere near as warm as we’d seen it over the previous few days. Our friends said their goodbyes just before 11, Ann went swimming and I washed-up!

It had been a great Bank Holiday and good to catch up with friends – the weather (mostly) made it even more enjoyable!

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Late May Bank Holiday 2023 appeared first on Steve's Blog.

a Knot!

It was off to Deene Park for a Bank Holiday treat! It’s the home of the Brudenell family – pretty well-known around these parts, but probably best remembered for the 7th Earl (James) who led the charge of the Light Brigade.

Instead, The Sealed Knot (the re-enactment group) are in attendance, bringing the sights and sounds of the English Civil Wars (relevant, because ‘back in the day’, Deene Park was seized by the Parliamentarians).

We’d also brought the sights (and sounds?) of a picnic, so all we needed was some good weather and we’d got a good day in store!

Well, the forecast looked good(ish) but unfortunately, that’s not how things turned out! We arrived just after 2pm, easily parked and then found a really good space to pitch our chairs. We’d just unpacked our picnic – and then the heavens opened!

Still, with the Battle now in full-swing, it distracted us (temporarily) from the crap weather…

…and as you’d expect from the Sealed Knot, they were all taking it very seriously!

The Battle must have last around 45 minutes and when it was all over, as the ‘players’ left the field, they all looked thoroughly exhausted! A pity the weather kept a lot of people away, but still worth the visit!

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Sealed with… appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Day 0 – Arrival (Saturday, 29th)

4.10pm: So, here we are at ‘2 Dix Cottages’, courtesy of Norfolk Hideaways in the village of Thornham. It took us around two hours to get here (10 minutes of that was the last 20 yards trying to find the place) and we’re staying here until the 2nd, seeing-in the New Year.

Jo, Janet and Carol arrived just ahead of us and were in the process of unpacking when we arrived.

First impressions were good: a spacious cottage with everything we needed, although parking was a bit, ahem, tight!

With the priorities sorted – drinks, cake and wifi password – and bedrooms allocated, we were all soon settled in.

8.00pm: We had booked our table literally next door at The Orange Tree, Norfolk’s Dining Pub of the year for five years running! Sadly, Jo wasn’t feeling 100% and opted to remain back at base.

We arrived early at the Bar for our 8.30 Table – and found ourselves competing for attention with two other customers and a dog (yes, really!). The latter had two paws on the Bar and seemed to be doing a better job than us in getting served!! We learned that the Pub actually specialises in Menus for our four-legged friends (yes, really!)

We became a close second to the Pooch and a quick word by Janet with the Restaurant staff saw us shown to our table ahead of of our scheduled time.

It was a varied Menu and the variety didn’t disappoint. We all fancied a Dessert, so we skipped the Starters. Whilst Janet and Carol opted for the Fish & Chips and Ann for the Halibut, I chose the Thai Chicken Curry. The Service was appropriately attentive and we waited just long enough to feel assured that the food was being created rather then simply re-assembled or (even worse) thawed-out. Desserts followed – and they were equally yummy!

9.55pm: We skipped beverages, preferring instead to make a dent in our alcohol stash back at the House. A short stagger across the road and up the kerb back to Base and we were soon slurping our fave night-cap.

We spent the rest of the evening round the TV watching/enjoying/suffering one of the Fast & Furious films on ITV2 – pure escapism and not a bit of it based on anything approaching reality!!

11.15pm: That’s it! Another Saturday night, another fine meal with friends!

Tomorrow, weather permitting, we’ll probably explore the local area on foot.

Day 1 (Sunday, 30th)

In bed until 8.45? Surely some mistake?

After a lazy breakfast, we decided to keep it local today. We’re on a mission to locate some wood for the wood-burner (as the central heating is on a go-slow).

11.05am: Out and about heading for Thornham Beach and Holme Nature Reserve. It looked like a lot of other people had the same idea too! It’s obviously a popular pastime on Sundays round these parts.

The weather got warmer…and so did we. After a brief stop for the loo, we headed along the Beach and slowly headed back towards the Cottage. All-in-all we reckon we walked almost 5 miles!

But all that walking had made us a bit peckish! Thank heavens for Thornham Deli that just happened to be on our way back.

It seemed that the whole of Norfolk had the same idea and consequently, the place was packed, the car-park was full too! There was no chance of us getting a table INSIDE so we braved the elements outside and grabbed one of the tables around the perimeter of the Deli itself.

1.15pm: Their prompt service meant we were soon tucking into teas and coffees helped along with their own homemade Sausage Rolls!

2.45pm: The temperature in the Cottage had been a little on the cool side before we left this morning, so luckily the Deli also sold kindling and wood. I say ‘luckily’, but once we were back inside, even with Jo and I exercising our best fire-lighting skills, the wood-burner was having none of it!

3.00pm: So, whilst Carol and Janet prepared drinkies, Ann prepared the Veg, Jo and I gave up temporarily and watched the ground-breaking Bandersnatch on Netflix. Well, at least the heat from the oven heated up the room!

4.05pm: Movie time! We’ve got plenty to choose from here and after a bit of techy-bashing by Jo and me, we hooked up her PlayStation to the TV and we were all set for the film Christopher Robin on DVD…

A cute film and just right for this time of year! It was also an opportunity to try out Ann’s homemade Apple & Blueberry Crumble, BEFORE the main meal!

6.00pm: At last, after Jo had another go, the fire ‘took’

..a cosy evening ahead promised!

7.00pm: The main meal of the day! A full roast! Janet had slow-cooked a beef joint, for about 8 hours. Keeping it company, a vast array of Veg all washed down with a bottle of Red!

7.50pm: A fab meal… with minimal washing-up too! (thanks to the Dishwasher!)

All that was left to do was catch a bit of TV – ‘Antiques Roadshow’ and the non-singing version of Les Misérables from the BBC – and top-up our glasses!

Hunstanton tomorrow (weather permitting) followed by our new year’s eve meal at The Lifeboat Inn.

Day 2 (Monday, 31st)

8.25am: Another lie-in? This is becoming a habit!

10.05am: Breakfast (including a political discussion)

11.05am: Off to Hunstanton…, that sophisticated and refined resort on The Wash, marginally more up market than Clacton sur Mer…

11.25am: It was only a ten-minute-or-so drive and we were soon manoeuvering into position for our first stop: Le Strange Old Barns (after me over-shooting the limited parking right outside!). It was great inside – a real variety of ‘this-and-that’ shops with plenty of locally-produced creations from paintings to pretty jewellery.

12.15pm: Next stop was just half-a-mile away along the Cromer Road for some free-parking that put us in an ideal place to walk down to the beach.

As expected (perhaps for a cold-but-dry new-year’s-eve) it was pretty busy – plenty of locals and visitors braving the biting wind! You could tell the locals as they were ones in t-shirts!

After a bit more wandering, we agreed on a pit-stop…

…a quaint looking tea-shoppe of the ‘old school’ type: no fancy coffees, just proper table-cloths and a big smile! Unfortunately, there was no cake either, as their delivery was late – and the slices we saw on show were ‘reserved’. It wasn’t a great start, but 15 minutes later, all was forgiven as the delivery had arrived. We now had a hot beverage AND a slice of cake each – perfect!



2.05pm: After a wander round some more of the gift-shoppes, we took a last look at the views of the town before taking the drive back to the Cottage – but not before picking up a few essentials to help with the celebrations tonight from the local Sainsbury’s!

3.15pm: Movie time again! Whilst Ann took a nap to recharge her batteries for tonight, we dived into the stash we’d brought with us…

…and chose The Hitman’s Bodyguard

5.00pm: Film over, it was time to get prepared for the main event for today: The Lifeboat Inn’s New Year’s Eve Meal…

6.50pm:Time to brave the elements and head for our destination…

7.05pm: We’re here! And it’s certainly well supported. We were shown to our table and once we’d got rid of our coats, we chased-down the canapés! Yummy!

Well, six courses later, what did we think of the meal? Well, the seaweed was an acquired taste – and I really wish that someone else had acquired it! Yuk, it tasted just like err… seaweed! The Cucumber lollipop didn’t taste much of cucumber and it was minus the statutory stick that’s a feature of all the lollipops I’ve seen! Other than that, the rest was actually quite delicious! we couldn’t fault the service either – in fact, I thought our Waitress was going to take me home!

10.15pm: With the meal over and the DJ springing into life, the girls took to the dancefloor, whilst I, err, looked after the table! A few tracks later, it was getting progressively noisier on the nearby tables as the alcohol began to ‘do its thing’.

10.30pm: We decided to see the new year in back at the Cottage, so we took the ten-minute return walk back along the pitch-black lane with only our phones as torches.

11.15pm: To fill the time until the chimes of Big-Ben, we chose our next DVD from the batch…

2013’s Now You See Me. Janet and Jo sorted out drinks for everyone, and we were all set!

11.55pm: We paused the DVD to see in 2019! The Fireworks in London looked amazing! (as they always do!)
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21EJMIdK1_g&w=425&h=240]

…and Janet surprised us all with gifts!

Mine was a bottle of sloe-gin.

We lasted until just after 1.30am (that’s VERY late for us two!) and then decided to call it a night!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We may go to Holkham Beach tomorrow, depending on how we’re all feeling.

Nighty-night!

Day 3 (Tuesday, 1st)

10.30am: After a relaxed start to the day with a late breakfast, and after checking the weather, we decided we would visit Holkham Beach.

11.30am: And in keeping with all the Beaches round these parts, it was popular destination! So much so, we were discouraged from turning into the official parking area and had to park a short five-minute walk away (using Janet’s local knowledge) from the official car-park.

If you’ve not been to Holkham Beach, its a longish walk (a mile/20-30 minutes) from the parking area to the sea, but worth it. It has the largest expanse of sandy Beach I’ve ever seen in this country! Amazing!!!

..and once we were there, as is the law round these parts, an obligatory selfie followed…

After getting as close to the water as we could get, it was ‘about turn’ and the walk back to the car. However, that didn’t stop other visitors actually take a dip in the water – it must have been freezing!

We took a short pitstop at The Lookout – a sophisticated water-hole for humans and pets alike… yes, by now we had every shade of wet Labrador and yappy-snappy terriers galore, overlaid by the fragrant top notes of gently ripening pooh bags and fractious two-legged offspring.  

…and then it was back to where we’d parked…

…and we reflected on our travels!

2.00pm: After discovering that the Adnams Shop near where we parked was closed over the Christmas break, it was back to the car and time to head back to the Cottage. Twenty-minutes later, we were ‘home’ and whilst Ann weaved her magic in the kitchen adding more life to yesterday’s Apple & Blueberry Crumble, the rest of us played to our strengths and headed for The Orange Tree across the road for a ‘swift one’!

2.50pm: Predictably, given its reputation locally, and farther afield, it was packed inside. The service levels weren’t helped either by the Pub’s card machines being unable to connect to the outside world. The result was a temporary ‘cash only’ situation, sending post-Diners scrambling for alternative forms of payment.

Our needs were simpler – just liquids!
But it was cold, very cold! – we survived until our glasses were empty (just 45 minutes) and then it was straight back to the Cottage for the Crumble-fest! It didn’t disappoint and Jo even managed to master the Wood-burner that was now doing what it should!

Post-Crumble, it was TV into the evening…

• Planet Earth II
• The Jungle Book (1967 version)

…followed by one of the few remaining un-watched DVDs we’d brought with us.

• The International (2009) starring Clive Owen and Naomi Watts
• Doctor Who – 2018 New Year Special

7.00pm: Ann did a fab job of creating a help-yourself buffet for the majority of the left-overs, and we all tucked in… Seconds too!

8.15pm: With all the left-overs dealt with in the only way we knew, the girls then made very short work of the clearing up.

9.00pm: All that was left to finish our day was back to the TV and BBC’s much-hyped…

• Luther

Today has been our last full day here and we have to vacate the property by 10am tomorrow. That’s going to necessitate us getting up a lot earlier than we have been during this special break. We’ve eaten (and drunk) well – we’ve also travelled around quite a bit and visited places that (Ann and I) haven’t seen for a good many years!

This seemed appropriate…

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post New Year 2019 appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Saturday

It was a very pleasant drive up to our good friends Ralph and Karen (Best Man and Maid of Honour back in the day). This time though, with a small difference – they’ve moved house, literally just down the road!

It was good to be catching-up again, as the last time we were at theirs was the May-Day Bank Holiday last year. We enjoyed a quick tour of their new place and then settled on the patio for some stunning views across the Derbyshire countryside.

…and some light refreshment!
Then it was of out for our evening meal – somewhere we’ve not been before in Matlock – the Herd Restaurant. Not surprisingly, it catered mostly for meat-eaters with a wide range of steaks on offer, including a mighty 32oz variant!

A lovely leisurely walk through town and over the Bridge…

Looks like Herd is in the old Midland Bank building…

The food was pretty good. The set up is that you choose your Steak and with it, two ‘free’ accompaniments, plus a Sauce. I opted for the Fillet with Chips and ‘Herdslaw’ (simply a rebranded coleslaw) together with one of their super-spicy sauces – Mexican Chimmichurri. It was all yummy, but with a few minor issues (my flat Coke, Karen and Ralph’s Kevlar-coated cheesecake base and Ann’s peas). Their Menu is HERE.

As expected, for a Saturday night (especially a Bank-Holiday one!) it was a busy place and towards the end of our meal, it became pretty noisy due to the sheer volume of people and the slightly weird acoustics.

When the meal was over, we took the longer walk back to the car via the ‘restaurant-side’ of the High Street that also took-in the local (temporary) Fayre.

Back at base, we finished-off the evening watching the film Stretton (starring Derek Jacobi, Dominic Cooper, Austin Stowell and Gemma Chan) via Amazon Prime Video on Ralph’s rather superb new Panasonic OLED TV. A pretty good story – a sort of James Bond Lite with Boats – with the London scenes filmed around the Docklands.

We crashed-out about 11pm.

Sunday

We slept well but woke-up really early (I think it’s the light mornings). After a healthy fruit, yoghurt and nuts brekky, we settled down to the priority for the day – looking at the various options for a possible Cruise for the four of us in 2020!

With the serious work for the day completed (it’s a tough life!), we headed out for Lunch out through the very busy Matlock Bath, full of ice-cream eating pedestrians, serious bikers and everybody in between! Some 40 minutes later, we arrived at the very quaint (and busy) Biggin Hall Hotel.

The promised thunders-storms hadn’t arrived as forecast, so we took advantage of the beautiful weather, sitting outside for our pre-lunch drinks, perusing the Menu and admiring the scenery!

Half-a-Guinness and a quick chat later, we were invited to our table…

It was a long leisurely affair – just how it should be on a Bank Holiday Sunday! We had the perfect spot in the restaurant (suitably ventilated and near the Bar). The verdict? All three Courses were simply delicious!

The Menu offered a variety of three courses of ‘good English grub’ from Roasts to Sausage and Mash, and with the Staffs’ brisk but efficient service, we were soon tucking into our chosen fave!

Smoked Mackerel with a Horseradish & Potato Salad

Sausage and Mash followed by Peach Sponge

We didn’t even have room for Coffee, and just after 3pm, we paid our bill and headed back to the Tesla. And then, just as we left, much later than planned, the Heavens opened. Luckily, we were only a very short distance from where Ralph had sensibly parked, so we kept dry. Amazingly, less than a minute later, the rain stopped, and the Sun came out – and that’s how it stayed for the rest of our return journey.

We took the long, more scenic route, firstly, taking in Carssington Water. It looked like most of Derbyshire was there before us, so we didn’t stop and instead, just took in the views.

Our final stop of the day was Middleton Top on the High Peak Trail. This was also pretty busy, however, between the four of us, we couldn’t even locate enough cash for the car-park, so we weren’t able to stay long!

Still, don’t tell the Car-Park Attendant (who initially was nowhere to be seen, but re-appeared just as were leaving), but we left Karen in the car, whilst the three of us headed for the main attraction – Middleton Top Engine House – a really impressive bit of ‘steam history’. Restored in 1829, it’s a winding engine built by the Butterley Co. for the Cromford & High Peak Railway and (unbelievably) in use right up until 1963 hauling wagons on cables up the 708 yards of the 1 in 8¾ Middleton Incline!

Carefully not trying to attract the attention of the Car-Park Attendant, we exited in the most graceful of fashion (much easier in a near-silent Tesla!) and headed back in the direction base – and a welcome cuppa.

Ralph and I watched the Grand Prix, whilst the girls, err didn’t!

We finished our day watching The Greatest Showman on Blu-ray.

Monday

Another good night’s sleep was followed by a very leisurely breakfast before packing-up our stuff and heading home. It’s been a great short-break and good to see R and K’s new home. The journey back was almost trouble-free (apart from an ‘incident announcement on the overhead boards coupled with a deserted northbound carriageway. By the time we got to the supposed ‘spot’, it was all clear on our side and the opposite carriageway was flowing. Weird!

We were home by noon and then it was straight off to Sean’s to tidy-up his garden.

On arrival, it was ‘spot the Costello’ as John, Trish, Sean and Trish’s Mum were there all involved in essential garden maintenance! That made our job a lot easier and within a couple of hours, we’d done all we could and said our good-byes.
Wow! Another busy, but enjoyable Bank Holiday!

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Bank Holiday in Matlock appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Here we are then, all set to enjoy a Gambles Weekend… and then some…

Saturday
The extended weekend began with us travelling down to Stevenage Station for 11am to pick up Denis. Then it was off to Roger, Jane and Oliver’s for the Bank Holiday weekend. Bev was unable to join us because of her nursing duties for Lincoln FC.

We arrived at the station with about 10 minutes to spare, and after some juxta-positioning to find a parking space (the drop-off/pick-up point was busy!), Ann headed for the Platform to meet her Dad.

Mission accomplished, as although Denis’s train for a few minutes late leaving, it made up the time during the journey, and on the stroke of 11, the Train pulled-in. Staff were on hand to assist (Well done Stevenage Station!) and they both were soon heading in the direction of the car’s boot!

Although the weather had been wet when we left, it was actually quite sunny by the time we got to Ridge House.

And that’s how it stayed for the rest of the day. The dinner table was already prepared for the banquet that was to follow (always a good spread when we’re here!!) – and we weren’t disappointed. Moroccan Lamb followed by individual Trifles, all finished off with a Cheese Board. Scrummy!

After a lunch like that, there was only one thing to follow – a snooze in the Sun!

Snoozing over, it was then a joint effort on the current jigsaw that Roger and Oliver had already started. I contributed just one piece – others did a lot better!!

We finished the day by watching the 2015 film: Woman in Gold starring Helen Mirren and Ryan Gosling. Roger had recorded it back in May (from BBC2) and I’m not sure how I missed it back then! Even more bizarrely, Ann said she had seen the film recently – but I definitely hadn’t !!! Weird!

It turned out to be one of the best films I’ve seen this year…

Sunday
A lazy start to Sunday consisting mostly of a lie-in and a late breakfast.

..and after a fab brekky, it was a strict case of do-nothing-until-lunchtime!, taking advantage of the gorgeous weather here.

..and that’s how the weather stayed for the rest of our time there. So very unusual for a Bank Holiday – gorgeous weather that lasted more than an hour!

After a few more games of Swingball and some more extreme jig-sawing…

…it was time for lunch.

Again, yummy all round and fit for nothing afterwards!

After a bit of a chat, it was time to pack up our stuff and head for the A1! It was probably our best journey home for ages – just under an hour-and-a-quarter (as the roads were empty).

Monday
We spent the day mostly getting ready for Roger, Jane and Oliver’s return tomorrow, but we still had time for a walk and a bit of sunbathing in the garden – I think it was even hotter than yesterday! Some BBC weather reports suggested it was ‘the hottest late August Bank Holiday Monday since records began’. In fact, the evening was pretty warm too, and we sat out in the garden with all the lanterns lit until around 9.30.

Tuesday
Our turn to do the hosting with Roger, Jane and Oliver staying over for a couple of days. After dropping Denis back at his, Roger, Jane and Oliver arrived at ours just before 5pm. They’d had a good journey all the way to Denis’s and took in some local sites on their way to us. Oliver was navigating, and he did a good job getting through town at peak time.

Ann had spent the day removing the final specks of dust that had had the cheek to land since we cleared-up yesterday, whilst also preparing the evening meal.

Vegetarians look away now!!!
You can’t really go wrong with Steak and we weren’t disappointed with the feast that followed (including Claverty and/or Cheese for dessert!)

We finished the evening round the TV watching the 2016 movie – Allied starring (the-not-so-hunky-these-days) Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard. A bit of a slow burner this one, but it turned out to be a really good story – with a very in-American-movie ending. Worth a watch, but keep the Kleenex handy for the final scenes!

Off to the ‘land-of-nod’ around 10.30 forgetting to swap the cars round and put out the wheely for Wednesday morning!

Wednesday
Ann and I were both out today doing our volunteering. Meanwhile, armed with a picnic and a not-so-nice weather forecast, the Gambles headed out to take-in the sites of Rutland and the surrounding area, getting back just before 6pm. It had been a full day for them exploring Stamford, Oakham, Pitsford – and probably everything in between!

We gave the dishwasher and Ann a rest from the kitchen chores and headed out for a return visit to the nearby (ish) Thornhill Arms for our evening meal.

You really can’t go wrong here! Usain Bolt levels of service – always with a smile – followed by super-generous portion sizes always mean it’s a great place to go for nosebag (three courses for under 15 quid!). In fact, the volume served clearly beat some of our guests tonight – even though we all opted for the TWO-courser!

We finished the day with a cuppa back at ours accompanied by some Apple Pie!

Thursday
Time for Roger, Jane and Oliver to head home today. It’s been great seeing them all again and the best thing of all was that we all had plenty of time to catch-up and chat. As they left at around 10.15, so did I, heading for Cambridge and a meet-up with Sally.

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Gambling on a Bank Holiday Weekend appeared first on Steve's Blog.

It was off to National Trust’s Canon’s Ashby today to meet up with Ian and Ann. With a communal picnic arranged and a pukka parking spot for their motor-home just outside the main car-park, we had all the ingredients of a perfect day!

We haven’t been here since (we think) since the early 80s, and (my) Ann thought it would be a good idea to recreate the photograph of me sitting on the steps in the Garden in nineteen-eighty-something. It took a few attempts to get the pose right, but we didn’t do a bad job!

The weather was just perfect and combined with the fact that it was also a Bank Holiday,  it didn’t take long for the place to start to fill up. It was quite simply perfect wandering about weather.

As the House didn’t open until 1pm, we started off looking around the Gardens…

…and it didn’t disappoint! Everything was maintained to a very high standard!

Then it was lunch-time. Both Anns had co-ordinated the components of the picnic and we were soon tucking-into pork pie, potato salad, sausage rolls, prawns and much more – all washed down wine, ginger beer (lashings of), sparkling water and Beck’s Blue. And if that wasn’t enough, it was all followed by Profiteroles and Fruit Salad. The gorgeous weather combined with the perfect seating area just to the rear of their motor-home meant that this was an pit-stop before the afternoon session – but it was also the perfect combo for maybe lazing in the sun and falling asleep! – Ah well, maybe next time!!!

Suitably stuffed, our afternoon’s activities took us on a short walk to Canons’ Ashby Church – St Mary’s. Once a Priory, it suffered in the hands of Henry VIII’s (ahem!) ‘review’ and now is a lot smaller in size having lost the majority of its original structure. It still looked solid enough as a Church and there was plenty to see inside.

Our final stop was obviously the House itself. Built in the 1500s from the masonry from the fallen Priory, it was inherited in the 1800s by by John Dryden aged just 19! – lucky bugger! (good article HERE) but was eventually acquired by the National Trust in 1981 after it had lay, deteriorating, through much of the 20th century.

After the grandeur of the Gardens, I was expecting the inside of the House to be similarly impressive (I certainly couldn’t recall any detail form my trip here in the 80s!). As it turned out, the interiors were mostly quite lack-lustre. They were still interesting to look at, but they were mostly all very ‘ordinary’ – no highly decorated ceilings, no massive chandeliers nor impressive paintings.

Not that there’s anything wrong in this, but it wrong-footed me a bit where the most impressive room, by way of exception, was the Library with its gazillions of books (all arranged with enough precision to keep anyone with any degree of OCD very satisfied!).

We finished our day, as we did with lunch, positioned behind the Motor Home and enjoyed a well-earned cuppa. After another hour enjoying the sun, we said our goodbyes and headed for the now almost still completely full car-park.

It had been a great day, although I’m surprised/disappointed that I didn’t recall more from our first visit. I was more than pleased to have re-created the 80s photo though!

Another great day out with great friends!

All the above photos and more without any of my chat are HERE.

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Return to Canon’s Ashby appeared first on Steve's Blog.

We don’t normally do ‘spontaneous’, but this afternoon was a very enjoyable exception!

Tom and Julie invited us round for an afternoon, ‘first sitting’ BBQ in advance of their son, Lewis (and his legions of loyal followers) arriving later for the gentlest of invasions – and also food! Lewis was DJing at the local Aqua nightclub tonight in Kettering from 3am! (Oh, to be young again!!)

We picked up Karen and arrived just after 4.30. Rosi, Rhiannon and David joined us later.

Good old Tom, in spite of the atrocious – but typical Bank Holiday – weather (it had p***** it down ALL day), it didn’t stop him firing up the barbeque and cooking enough chicken, sweetcorn and sausages to feed the whole of Northamptonshire! With Julie on oven duties, and Ann providing a variety of breads and a lemon drizzle cake for afters, together with Karen’s legendary Pavlova, ‘first sitting’ got underway, with the ‘feeding of the 5000’ coming later.

Nearly set!


BBQ Essentials!


Ann’s Polenta Cake!


No idea what this is

The first batch of the 500 Sausages and Burgers!



Ann’s Lemon Drizzle and Karen’s Pavlova


I had to try both!

By comparison, we had quite a leisurely meal, but it changed dramatically when the rest of Kettering turned up! T and J’s place was packed – maybe not 5000, but there must have been 50+ people there. And with only seating for around 8, it made things interesting with every corner of the house becoming occupied.

Us adults retired to the corner of the kitchen, whilst the youth tucked-in! Ann and I just people-watched! And, like our stomachs, the house got fuller… and fuller! At around 9pm, we decided to call it a night, and retreat to the sanctuary of home with just two humans + two cats. Well, almost human!

Thanks Tom, Thanks Julie – I don’t know how you managed to cope with the numbers, but you did a cracking good job.

See you again soon!

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post An Unexpected BBQ appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Bank Holiday Rush appeared first on Steve's Blog.

The forecast suggests that the weather is all over the place this weekend, but we’re hopeful it’ll be good for our trip to Roger, Jane and Oliver later today (Sunday) and our postponed visit (from last year) to Eltham Palace on Monday.

SUNDAY
We left home around 11am and arrived just after noon. True to form, the weather kept its promise, and rained all the way there – and got progressively worse once we’d arrived. The only consolation was that the weather forced me to drive more sedately in the XKR, resulting in 23.1mpg!!!

By the time we finished lunch, (homemade watercress soup then superb roast beef with all the trimmings all finished off with a homemade apple crumble and butterscotch sauce) things were brightening up outside, allowing us to grab a generous stroll around Hanbury Manor and the surrounding countryside, before settling down for a night in and a catch-up with everyone’s news. We also found time to get about half-way through the DVD: Captain America, the First Avenger. 

MONDAY
Well, someone is smiling on us! The weather forecast for today is beautiful! And what’s more, there was no rain forecast at all!
Is this really a Bank Holiday?

So, we were up at 7, brekky at 8, left just after 9 and arrived at Eltham Palace just before 10.30. Back in the day, when I worked in this area, I never realised that this place existed, and it seemed weird that something so old and so beautiful was nestled in amongst this part of south London.

We got a parking space fairly easily, the temperature now was just right and the place wasn’t too busy – the perfect ingredients for a cultural day out! And what a place! It’s probably the newest ‘old’ building we’ve ever visited it, and it just oozed wealth – as they say ‘no expense spared’, and it certainly wasn’t! A telephone in each room plus enough bedroom and bathrooms (12) for ALL the guests. Think ‘rich’ and then some!!!!

What a fab day! Helped of course, by the sunshine!! We had a trouble-free journey back to R, J & O’s where said our goodbyes and headed for home. For a Bank Holiday, the traffic was pretty light, so we were home in just over the hour – a perfect end to a perfect weekend!

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Early May Bank Holiday 2015 appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Actually, as the day rolled on, the weather got better and better. it may not have been the hottest day of the year, but there was a complete absence of rain – and even better – wall-to-wall sunshine!

First stop was Southwold and as we thought, the rest of Suffolk had the same idea – ‘Let’s go to the Pier’

Scenes from Southwold Pier

Then we hit the high street. It had everything a shopper could ask for, but nothing for a blogger like me in the shape of a data signal!

Yes, #O2, I’m looking at you!!! I’ve travelled half-way round the world and you’ve never let me down. Then I drive a hundred or so miles in my home country, to a well loved and well known high street, and I can’t even log onto any social network. Talk about #BeMoreDog, I want to #SeeMoreMeg).

Rant over!!!

Update 29 May: Spoke with O2 who confirmed that they don’t have data connectivity anywhere along the high street. Move away from the main drag into the side roads and a data signal is available. Weird!

With our mini-sunbathe session giving way to the collective rumble of tummies, we dropped into our old favourite The Lighthouse in the high street. As expected,  we enjoyed fab service and fab food, just as we remember it last time back in 2007. With our eyes on the extensive menu, this time, Lee and Ann again opted for their legendary Fish and Chips, whilst I chose their Fish Pie. It was all delicious, and Ann and I even managed to squeeze in a shared Sticky Toffee Pudding! – apparently, it’s the law round here!!!

Then it was a final look round the high street before heading back to the hotel – and a spot of packing, as we’re leaving after breakfast tomorrow.

All-in-all, it’s been a great break. The better-than-expected weather certainly helped, and the hotel has been good (although, in my opinion not very good), making it, on balance a very enjoyable stay. There’s still plenty to do up this way, and I’ve no doubt we’ll be back before too long.

See ya Suffolk!!!

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Bank Holiday Break – Ipswich (Day 2) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

We woke to the sound of torrential rain – and I do mean torrential! Still, at least we knew it was coming. Looks like today will be a day for staying under cover – whatever we do.

The smartest choice seemed to be to spend the time shopping! So, dodging the persistent showers, we drove into Ipswich and gave the shops a good thrashing. The retail range seemed to be a whole lot better than the last time we were in Ipswich and consequently, we spent longer here – and spent more money!

More interesting than photos of the shops!

Then, it was onto Woodbridge – and by the time we got there, the weather had defied the forecast and the sun was now out! Some great shops here too, just begging to cripple our finances! 

This way to…

The last time we were here was in October 2007 when we had a holiday this way in Peasenhall. And just like last time, we stopped off for lunch at Prezzo’s.

Only a Starter this time!


The Quayside in Woodbridge

Suitably refreshed from the food and the stunning views from the Quayside, we then took the short drive to the village of Orford. By now, the sun was really shining, and we stopped off at English Heritage’s Orford Castle. Built for Henry II in 1165, at the cost of around £1400, it was wonderfully preserved, with a great view from the top.

Orford Castle

Orford Castle – From the Top


Orford Castle on this sunny day!

After leaving the Castle, we popped in to the nearby hotel the Crown and Castle, to get a tariff and an information leaflet (we’d heard that it was THE place to stay in Suffolk – with the prices to match. Luckily for us, we were offered a short tour of a couple of the rooms – and they were VERY impressive!

Our final stop for the day was Snape Maltings – a very twee series of retail outlets soaking up the shoppers and their income with ease! Including us! We had just finished our shopping, when the weather returned to how it had started – torrential rain. I discovered it hadn’t been a good day to leave the sun-roof on ‘tilt’ when we parked – DOH!!! I have a feeling we’ll be returning before this break is over!

Snape Maltings

Soaked through, we headed back to the Hotel for a bit of R and R before trying the Hotel’s Restaurant for our evening meal. Once again, the place was packed, but tonight the operation buckled under the pressure of it all. Slow service and a lost dessert order all contributed to it being an evening to forget – the complete opposite to last night! A real shame!

Off to Southwold tomorrow – weather permitting!

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Bank Holiday Break – Ipswich (Day 1) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

We’re staying at Kesgrave Hall Hotel for the Bank Holiday. It’s close to Ipswich in err, Kesgrave, and is a rather unique venue in a number of ways. First up, for a Hotel, it’s quite small – just 20-or-so bedrooms. It’s also very ‘old-school’ in terms of look and feel – big rooms, high ceilings, and  one of the warmest hotel welcomes I think we’ve ever had.

Kesgrave Hall Hotel

We arrived just before 6 after a trouble-free journey along a large part of the A14, where normally, there are plenty of opportunities for congestion. Where was everyone? 

Parking was easy and we were soon checked in. Lee has a room to herself, whilst Ann and I rattled around in one of their superior rooms that included free wi-fi, free mini-bar (hic!) and a TV straight out of Curry’s bargain basement! By far the most significant part of the room was the BED. It took up around 80% of the floor-space and was one of those super-comfy types whilst also letting you sleep sideways as  it was as wide as it was long! Nice!

The View from Room 5

The view from our room was gorgeous – although I’d hate to be the one who mowed the lawn!

We decided to keep it simple tonight in terms of eating, and ate in the hotel’s restaurant. The Menu looked good and the hotel even publishes a hardback book full of the recipes. We ate early – just before 7 – and the restaurant was already very busy. Ordering our food was quite unique in that actually no-one took our order in the traditional sense! It was simpler than that, as diners were encouraged to write out the order and take it to one of the waiting staff. A bit weird, but the writing practice was worth it, as the food when it arrived, ‘punched well above its weight’. It was also very attractively presented and the portion size was massive! The restaurant continued to fill-up – and there was even a queue of people waiting for a table. They can’t all have been guests as there were just too many of them, so obviously this is well known – and loved – local eatery!

The food was really scrummy – my curry was full of flavour and had that home-made feel about it. The dessert was so delicious (Banana Cheesecake with Bailey’s ice-cream), I forgot to snap a pic!

Suitably stuffed, we retired to the Lounge for tea and coffee (that was busy too!), and caught up with our reading, before checking the weather forecast for tomorrow. ‘Yuk’ describes it perfectly!!

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Bank Holiday Break – Ipswich (Arrival) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Friday

We left around 8.30 heading in the direction of Worthing, and our good friends Ian and Sharon. I say, ‘heading’ as the need for retail therapy kicked-in, and we dropped into Guildford – our first visit ever – for a quick punt around the local shops. We parked easily and were soon helping Guildford with its retail sales!
 
Scenes from the High Street

 
Scenes from the High Street

With Guildford sorted, we headed back to the car and then onwards to the Comfort Inn, in Arundel –  our home for the next three nights. Looks like they’ve had a refurb…

Room 107 – Comfort Inn, Arundel

Just time a for a quick cuppa and a snooze before heading off to Worthing to meet up with Ian and Sharon at The China Palace for our planned catch-up assisted by an all-you-can-eat Chinese Buffet! We hadn’t been there for a while, and forgot how great the food was (and the price!). Starters (twice), Mains and Drinks for four – and the bill was less than £100 including service.

Then, with the meal over, we said our goodbyes (until tomorrow night) and headed back to the Hotel. Weather permitting, we might take the drive to Portsmouth tomorrow.

Saturday
Me… lying in until 8.15? Surely some mistake – I’m sure they must have drugged the spare-ribs last night!!!

Yes, we’re in Portsmouth

The forecast looked good, so we decided to drive to Portsmouth’s Gunwharf Quays – we haven’t been there for about five years. The place was packed and after an initial few bits of shopping, we stopped off in Zizzi’s by the Harbour for lunch. It was great to feel the warmth of the Sun on my back – wonderfully warm and great to be outside.
 
Then, after a final shopping spree, it was off to Fishbourne Roman Palace in err, Fishbourne. It’s the largest Roman Site found in the UK.

 
A Wonderfully Preserved Roman Mosaic Floor

Then it was back to the hotel for a chill-out before heading off to meet Ian and Sharon at The Fox in nearby Patching. What a find! The food was FAB and very reasonably priced.

Sunday
If it’s Sunday, it must be Goodwood! Ann opted for a lie-in whilst Ian H, acted as chauffeur and we went to one of Goodwood’s Super Sunday Breakfast Meetings. It was packed… even by 8am!!! and got busier both in terms of cars and spectators as the morning wore-on. We reckon it was all down to the good weather that brought out a high proportion of ‘weekend’ cars – especially the convertibles.





















So many cars..!

Phew! What a superb collection of cars – very much a ‘boys-and-their-toys’ event with only a handful of women drivers. I think we were exhausted just LOOKING at them!!! We left around 11am thoroughly ‘carred-out’ and Ian dropped me back at the hotel. After a short rest, Ann and I headed off into Chichester.

Scenes of Chichester

It was another warm day and that brought out all the shoppers. The car-park was very busy, there was a boot sale on and a march-past in the town centre. We stopped for lunch at Cote, (very good!) before a final mooch round the shops and then back to Ian and Sharon’s for an afternoon cuppa. Then it was on to the hotel to pack.

It’s been a great long weekend – the weather helped, with wall-to-wall sunshine – and we’ve enjoyed a lot a variety in the few days we’ve been away.

Monday
We left the Comfort Hotel in Arundel and headed towards Neil and Debbie’s for lunch. It was the first time we’ve seen them since the funeral, and it was good to catch-up. Neil travelled back with us. as he and I are on a Jaguar track-day tomorrow at Millbrook sampling the delights of the Jaguar f-type.

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Because We’re Worth(ing) It appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Well… ‘river’ anyway!

We picked up Val and joined David, Nick and Celina at Buckden Marina to spend a day on D and V’s boat – Osprey One.

It was unusually good weather for a bank holiday – sunshine… and more sunshine! – and the plan was to sail to the nearest pub and have lunch… and then sail back again. We cast-off just after 10 and headed towards Godmanchester. Ann had prepared various nibbles and they kept us going until we got to the Pub!
 
We wandered down the busy high street and eventually discovered The Weeping Ash. We easily found a table inside and were soon perusing the very extensive menu. Service was swift and the food was great. Nick’s burger was even better value as he got a free pint with his!

Then it was back on board and time to head back towards Buckden Marina. The river was pretty quiet and so we didn’t have to queue too long for locks, arriving back around 6pm. David stayed on board (planning to sleep over) whilst the rest of us headed home.

What a great day!

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post All at Sea appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Today, we headed for Tewkesbury. It was mainly to look around as tourists, but also to find somewhere for wallpaper and other bits and pieces for the converted bedroom. After parking the car, we had a quick look round the shops and the old architecture in the town before heading for Tewkesbury Abbey for a bit of culture.

The Abbey looked fabby! – especially the inside and the highly coloured/decorated ceiling
 
 
 
 
 
 
There was even an exhibition of knights in armour complete with real knights!

Then, it was off round the shops again to focus on stuff for the bedroom. Initially, it was all a bit disappointing, as we just couldn’t find anything to match or complement the colours of the duvet cover we’d bought previously to ‘set’ the colours for the rest of the decor. On a whim, we popped into a home furnishing store in the high street although we weren’t expecting to have much success. To our surprise, we spotted some table lamps with EXACTLY the right coloured shades, stem and base.

Success!

We celebrated with a coffee and now having exhausted the home-furnishing stores here decided to drive to Gloucester to see if we’d have some luck there too.  The roads were clear and it was easy to park, but before we shopped, we couldn’t resist a bit more culture – in the shape of Gloucester Cathedral.

 
 
 
 
And once more, we were all ‘cultured-out’ – so it was back to the shopping expedition. Our initial peruse round the shops was a complete failure – Dunelm, Habitat and Homebase – nothing! Then as we wandered through the main town, we decided to give Debenhams another go (even though we’d tried them yesterday in Cheltenham). Success number 2! as we homed in on the bedding department for all the pillow-cases and bed-sheets. This was quickly followed by our next success and finding the right coloured cushions in BHS!

Result!

By  now we were knackered, and so it was a quick trip to M and S for all the ingredients for a carpet picnic before heading back to the B&B.

It’s been a good day for shopping, but we still need to source the wallpaper (and that’s proving to be ‘mission impossible’!) The decorator is scheduled to begin in around three weeks – no pressure! (again!!)

It’s been a good couple of days, but the weather’s been disappointing – nowhere near as warm as we thought it was going to be. So, it was a good job we had a result on the shopping front, otherwise we might not as felt as positive about our weekend away as we now do.

We’re heading home tomorrow after breakfast

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Worcester: Long Weekend – Saturday: Tewkesbury & Gloucester appeared first on Steve's Blog.

We’re off to Worcester for a few days. We haven’t been there for about 10 years, so it’ll be interesting to see if/how the place has changed very much.

First stop was intended to be the iconic Royal Worcester Shop, only to find that it ceased to exist (much like the the Royal Worcester Porcelain factory opposite) – both have now been replaced with a massive housing area.

Fortunately, our second stop was still standing – the mighty Worcester Cathedral. Very ‘cathedrally’ in all its glory!

 
Next up, a bit of retail therapy! I say ‘a bit’, but this part of our day took care of about three hours! We didn’t recall Worcester having quite so many shops last time – and we enjoyed the variety: big chains all mixed in with small independents. From our point of view, what was especially interesting was the the town centre Sainsbury’s had disappeared from the shopscape. We thought we knew where it stood, but there was a Travelodge there now!

The main shopping mission was two-fold: one, to get Bev’s Birthday pressy (mission accomplished!) and two, to buy some bedding for the new bedroom (miserable failure!). Still, only 30 days to go until the bedroom is supposed to be ready – no pressure! (and no pillow-cases, pillows, duvet cover, valance, wallpaper or tea-set!)

We stopped for lunch at a rather quaint Bar/Restaurant called Charleston’s in the shopping area – great food and great service too.

 
Then it was back into shopping-mode to finish off before heading off to our B&B: Henwick House, a few miles outside Worcester. Wow! what a nice place. It’s a very well-equipped room (flat screen TV, fridge, ensuite bathroom and DVD player) and it’s got free internet too!

We put our feet up for an hour or so, before heading back towards town for our evening meal at the local pub: The Blue Bell. It was pretty busy when we arrived and we were lucky to get a table. We shared a fried platter of spicy chicken wings, garlic bread, chips, onions rings and garlic mushrooms – hardly a gourmet meal, but it filled a hole and the staff were very friendly. And because we’re lazy, we’re planning to eat there tomorrow night!

it’s been a good day – in spite of the absence of the Royal Porcelain shop! We’re heading off to Tewkesbury tomorrow in search of wallpaper!

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Worcester: Long Weekend – Friday appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Now that’s what I call rain – could it possibly be a Bank Holiday?

We’re down to just eight for breakfast this morning, and on today’s menu: a full English fry-up!

Ralph and Karen arrived just before 11.30. After introductions all round, plus teas and coffees, we headed off to the local National Trust property: Calke Abbey – that’s the one that doesn’t have an Abbey and never has had!

In spite of the crappy weather, the place was packed and we decided to have lunch first and tour the House afterwards. I’m glad we were inside as the weather didn’t really improve. The House was just as we remember it, and unusual in that NT have decided to leave it ‘as-is’ without refurbishing it – a good decision in my view as it reminded us of what the place used to look like.

After a thorough walk-round, we headed back to the Farmhouse, hoping to stop-by the local shop to pick-up some tea-bags. No such luck  – it was shut!

We finished off the day back at the Farmhouse chatting over tea, coffee and cake. Ralph and Karen left around 5, bound for home and the rest of us chilled-out for the rest of the evening doing not very much at all.

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Family Holiday – Day 5 appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Image by Steve Palmer (UK) via Flickr

The day began early – earlier than planned – Neil rang to say that the M11 was closed in both directions, so we left around 7.30. Lee is cat-sitting for us and looking after the numerous ironing duties – thanks Lee!

The plan was to drop into Mum’s, meet Neil there (to give him our redundant pressure washer) and then head off towards Shoreham Airport to meet Ian and Sharon there for lunch.

The problem with the M11 was that there had been an horrendous crash where a lorry had ploughed into a coach that was parked on the hard shoulder. They had closed the motorway in both directions – and it was to remain that way for most of the day. We therefore used the A1, and although it was a longer route, we arrived at Mum’s in good time.

Neil had already arrived and Mum was waiting in the conservatory. It was then that we learned that Debbie’s Dad had passed-away last night after a long illness.

We headed up to Mum’s flat, caught up with bits and pieces over a cuppa and then headed off south.

We arrived at the Airport just before 12 – the car averaged 40mpg –  and after a quick de-bugging of the windscreen, we headed inside to get a table.  It was a lovely warm day and the forecast is for the same tomorrow. It’s a very popular place for lunch – not surprising really, good quality food at very low prices!.  Ian and Sharon arrived not long after. Initially, we sat inside as it can be a bit windy out near the runway, but we eventually braved it and it wasn’t too bad. We had originally planned to go to Shoreham village for a look round, but instead we headed for Worthing town. After a bit of confusion with finding the flat car-park that we always use (I thought I’d transferred the location from the Mondeo to the Insignia’s sat nav, but we ended up in completely the wrong place), we eventually arrived in the right place.

We had a quick look round the shops and then headed for Beale’s department store for a pit-stop. It was all a bit lack-lustre there, and we didn’t stay long.

We headed off to our hotel – the Premier Inn at Littlehampton, grabbed a bit of shut-eye before getting ready for the main event this evening – a visit to the ‘Istanbul’ a Turkish restaurant near to the sea-front in Worthing.

We picked-up Ian and Sharon at theirs just before 6.45 and took the short drive to the sea-front. The restaurant area was already busy and it took us a couple of circuits to eventually find a parking-space (I’m still avoiding multi-storey car-parks in case I dink the alloys!). We were given a warm welcome on arrival and were soon perusing the menu. After some indecision, we settled for a mix of hot and cold starters which we shared and then did our own thing for the mains. Ann had Moussaka, Sharon – salmon, Ian – the mixed grill and I tried the Turkish Meatballs. All-in-all, it was a fantastic meal, and predictably, we were all completely stuffed by the end – but some of us did manage a dessert! A nice touch at the end was that the waitress had over heard us talking about Sharon’s birthday, and delivered us a dessert with a few candles in the top. The accompanying sparklers set off the smoke detector and they were quickly taken outside!!

We waddled back to the car, dropped Ian and Sharon off along the way at theirs and headed back to the hotel.

On arrival, we noticed that the hotel was covered in kids – and we do mean ‘covered’ – dozens of the little angels. That now explains why the hotel had called us last week.  They’d noticed that we were child-free and wanted to alert us to the prospect of some potential noise at the hotel. Top marks, Premier Inn!!

Actually a herd of elephants could have been staying here, and we wouldn’t have heard a thing! I think we got off to sleep as soon as our head touched the pillows!!

Arundel tomorrow…

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Bank Holiday Weekend with Ian and Sharon appeared first on Steve's Blog.

I was up around 7.30. and looking out of the window, it looks like a fine day ahead – and it’s a Bank-Holiday too, surely that’s not right!
 

Having travelled around the south-eastern part from our apartment yesterday, today we’re going to head west and then north. It’ll also give us an opportunity during the return journey to try out the Strangford–Portaferry err, Ferry.

9.55am: Off we go then – as planned, we headed west along the A25, and then north on the A22.

10.45am: First stop, Bangor, which was surprisingly busy – probably because most of the shops were open. After parking the car, we headed for the main shopping area, and then towards the Harbour. We started off with a 99 (with the obligatory flake) and soaked up the glorious view out to sea.

11.30am: Next stop, Newtownards, another bustling town. We had a quick look round the shops and then stopped off at Knotts, the local bakery/restaurant for a quick bite to eat. This is clearly a local institution, packed with people and a great range of cakes, breads and hot meals. You’d be the size of Buckingham Palace if you ate at lunchtime and then again in the evening – portions are large and very filling

1.00pm: Suitably fed and watered, we now headed for the best venue of the day: Mount Stewart – a superb National Trust property, with a very interesting history. The Marquis of Londonderry and his tribe clearly had some serious money and the house looked very impressive from the outside, with equally lovely interiors and furniture. The house is famous for its magnificent gardens, perfectly groomed and no greenfly in sight.  By now the weather was even warmer – it felt like a proper summer’s day. So, after we had the hour-long guided tour around the house, we chilled-out in the Gardens in lizard mode – cor, what a scorcher!!!

15.30pm: On the way out Ann took a short hike up to the Temple of the Winds (no beans please) to look at the views from the family’s garden retreat whilst I took a snooze in a very warm car.

15.45pm: Leaving Mount Stewart behind, we continued south on the A20. Our next stop was Grey Abbey Gardens a deserted Cistercian Abbey dating back to the 11th century. We weren’t surprised it was deserted, as we initially couldn’t find the place, so after another 3 point turn in someone’s drive, we eventually found it hidden away in the village. The first thing that struck us was the struck us was the densely packed the graveyard, making it really difficult to walk between the stones. I’m not sure what the etiquette is regarding walking or not walking on someone’s tombstone – no doubt Debretts would have helped here. There was a useful exhibition centre for the Abbey which gave a good description of life as a Cistercian Monk and all that praying, chanting and singing malarkey etc.- no Sky TV or X Factor, so life must have been very worthy.

16.15pm: We’re all ‘abbey-ed out’ and now headed for Portaferry. We briefly parked-up  and had a look round, but there wasn’t much to see – the whole place seemed to be in decline, which was in stark contrast to our destination of Strangford just a short hop across the water. There’s a very popular mini roll-on-roll-off ferry between the two sides of Strangford Lough – well used and only 10 minutes, but saving over an hour of driving.

16.45pm: We’re back at base, totally shattered with just enough energy left to put the kettle on and (later) wander down to The Cuan  for our evening meal.

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Holiday in Ireland – Day 2 appeared first on Steve's Blog.