June in Devon

It has not been the best month, after a miserable wet and cold Spring did not really .... Spring!

Everything was late, the daffodils, the primroses and the bluebells were all weeks behind and not as vigorous as usual due to the inclement weather.
But, it has improved, we have had a dryer spell but temperatures have been way down. Until last Wednesday, which I have officially declared SUMMER 2013!
On that beautifully hot Summers day we went up the Teign Valley for lunch to a pub in the tiny
Village of Trusham, The Cridford Inn.
Very attractive from the front with magnificent roses  climbing up the whitewashed walls to the thatch above.

Sadly, the food was very disappointing. The lunch menu was small, expensive and unimaginative and we did not want to spend over £ 10 per head. Never mind, we sat outside in the very hot sun, enjoyed a glass of Pimms and made the best of it.

There is a fine dining restaurant attached to the pub which has a good reputation but far too dear for lunch.

We ended up going home for tea, having a pizza and salad outside on the patio all washed down  with a glass or two of wine and vying for a place under the shade of the umbrella.

Today, dull and overcast we took ourselves off to Killerton House in Exeter, a National Trust property.

We had a coffee in the old stable yard thoroughly entertained by several swifts dashing hither and thither and disappearing into a hole behind a drainpipe.

The sheep were expecting rain, see them all huddled under a tree. They were wrong!

We Enjoyed a couple if hours walking around the house and the gardens and we bought a thornless rose I have been looking for for ages and a passionflower. Both good strong healthy plants for under £10 each.

The house was not very inspiring, but the gardens were better. Some interesting plants.

Here are some photos.

The following flowers looked like cultivated wild orchids and, indeed they were

All in all a very pleasant few hours in this very green and pleasant land in deepest Devon.

The Arctic Circle?

Cruise day 1

Left home at 9 . 15 after having to go back for Mike's phone and his cards.
Traffic reasonable but slow on the single carriage way but, despite stopping for a Wee and a coffee at Winterbourne Abbas we arrived at the car park at 12 15.
Nice welcome by the guys at ACP, OUR LUGGAGE WAS LOADED ONTO THE VAN AND OFF WE WENT.
At the dock ACP guy took our luggage and we walked into the terminal.
Checked in, went through security and were sitting down to Lunch before 1.
The ship is small compared with others we have been on and quite shabby in places.dining room small too but the food, although not a huge choice was very nice.
We have just been advised that cabins have been serviced so we will go and find ours. Expecting an upgrade!!!
Time 2 p.m.
Yes, an upgrade to a very nice cabin with a big window and,as we are on deck4 it is very close to the sea.
A quick walkabout followed by a muster ( inside) thank goodness as it was now raining quite heavily.
A glass of champagne to welcome us on board and then up to the crows nest to watch us set sail. We had to wait a little while as this huge container ship passed us being manoeuvred by 3 big tugs.
Back to the cabin to finish unpacking, our second case finally turned up and then it was time to get ready for dinner.
Lovely dining room, we sat on a table for 6. There was Rosé and Ron, Jill and Ron and me and Mike. All much of an age.
Food was plentiful, 5 courses if you wanted them and it was served very quickly and looked lovely.
After dinner we went to the Curzon Lounge where people were dancing. That was followed by an introductory show, a 5 piece band, a male singer and a flautist.
All great musicians although I am not keen on the flute as a solo instrument. She was very talented Claire ???
Finally got back to the cabin and my bed at 9.30.Been a long old day.
Day 1? Excellent so far.
Night night.

To friends I am neglecting I Am sorry.

Going through a very bad bout of depression and now needing tranquillisers!
Change to medication maybe needed but I have to be weaned off the Prozac before I can be given anything else.
Today is day 1 of reducing the dose.
The tranquillisers have made me feel spaced out although it could be the ongoing dizziness problem which Has not yet been diagnosed. I had an MRI scan last Thursday and await the result.
All in all I am not in a good place but I keep telling myself it will pass. It always does but it does not usually come back so quickly or severely.
I am upset that I missed Phoebe's 5th birthday and her stage debut at the Princess theatre but there will be other occasions I am sure.she is a born performer.

Earlier in the month we went to Gloucester with friends for a couple of days. It was very cold and miserable and was not improved by the town.
What a disappointment. We were expecting a lively renovated waterfront like Bristol, but no, very little there to see, a large Antique Emporium full of overpriced stuff, a couple of cafes and a shopping mall which showed signs of the current state of the depression in this country. Charity shops, cheap tatty shops and empty shops outnumbered all the others.

However, on the plus side there were some lovely buildings not least the magnificent Cathedral. As we wandered around the town the bells were ringing loudly and, if you shut your eyes, you could have been back in the 18th Century, hurrying along the cobbled streets in fear of being late.

The stonework was extremely fine, almost dainty and reminded me of a fairy castle rather than a church

The only other thing we spotted was a very ornate clock in the town centre

We were expecting to have breakfast in Sainsburys on the day we left but it was a small supermarket and did not have a restaurant. We asked one of the employees who directed us across the road to a little Cafe which gave us a superb breakfast at a reasonable price and door stop slices of bread to fill us up

ontact Us...

Well worth a visit.

ontact Us...

http://spoilt-for-choice-glos.com01452 3

01452 3

New year Up North.

• Loch Lomond

 

 

On to HOLY ISLAND. LINDISFARNE

Tide times across the causeway.

 

BAMBURGH CASTLE

 

 

 

 

The Farne Islands

 

 

Why the wooden beam?

 

Posted with Blogsy

New Year / Hogmanay see photos at the end! Still learning!

Normally New Year comes whilst we are fast asleep but this year was very different.



We drove the 460 odd miles from home to surprise friends in Glasgow. We went up on the Sunday hoping to minimise the traffic and had a very good run despite the flooding everywhere.


The weather was kind apart from two very heavy showers until we got within 30 miles of Glasgow when the skies darkened and the rain came down in bucket loads.


Hazel picked us up from our hotel and took us to her flat where we were sitting on the sofa (glass of wine in hand) when her parents walked in. What a surprise! They were gobsmacked and it was great to feel so welcomed by the whole family.


Jamie cooked a chilli for us all despite suffering from a chest infection, and we had a lovely evening.

Next day, New Years Eve, we went for a drive to Aberfoyle and had lunch in a pub. It was very cold so I just had to buy myself a warm cosy coat with a hood to keep me warm. Pity it was a bit tight!!






We returned to our hotel for a change of clothes and were then picked up and taken to Ann and Tom's for an early dinner. Ann had decorated her house beautifully


We had haggis, neeps and tatties, surprisingly good but we were still full from lunch.

Then, it was time for more surprises, Audrey and Alan arrived who we also know and again, we were made to feel so very welcome. I managed to stay awake until midnight, no mean feat, and Mike first footed with a bottle of Scotch, a lump of coal and a bun


Then the taxi arrived and took us back to the hotel before the New year madness started.