A Recce to the Lakes

During the next school half term and the day after Helen's and my 50th Wedding Anniversary party, we are off to the Lakes for 3 days with the whole family.

We'll all be under one roof and it is great to get together like this as our daughters live in Warwick and Camberley, so such opportunities are rare.

Anyway, as I am planning to hire rowing boats on one of the lakes in order to enact a landing by our grandchildren on an island emulating 'Swallows and Amazons', it provided just the opportunity to set forth in the Morgan to check our accommodation and investigate the boating scene.

The weather was scheduled to be excellent although cold, so it was definitely hood down and winter driving clothes on.

Coffee, with the morning mist rising from the River Eden in the background.

It would also be a useful opportunity to check out the car, following the replacement of the king-pins and to assess whether or not the annoying squeaking eminating from the rear end had been rectified.

We set off and headed north up the M6, with its variable road surfaces and the resultant variable noise levels, alternating from awful to extremely awful! Drivers in their tintops have no idea of the battering a top-down drivers' ears have to endure, cocooned as they are from the outside world.

Amid my constant criticism of the standards of driving nowadays, tailgating and totally ignoring speed limits through roadworks being just two examples, we arrived at junction 39 and headed through Shap village, a rather dour place even when the sun is shining, towards a right-hand junction that took us towards the River Eden valley.

The River Eden

After arriving in the delightful village of Morland and checking out the property my daughter had rented on our behalf we moved on to Penrith, some 8 miles away, where we did a similar check on the facilities for children at the Rheged Centre.

By the River Eamont

Our next port of call was Ullswater and specifically Glenridding, from where I had spent many a happy hour sailing my double-ended yawl in days gone by. No rowing boats for hire at the Sailing Centre and the only other place offered boats that looked like they wouldn't endure even a short voyage!

Ullswater

Looking towards Glenridding

Nothing for it but to head for Derwentwater where I knew that classic, traditional Lakeland rowing boats were available....real boats made out of wood and varnished. Trying to get to their base was utterly impossible due to the fact that we could't find a parking space on the car park and the number of people cluttering up the place was appalling....you can tell that, as a couple of retired old fogeys, we prefer to travel mid-week to avoid the crowds!

Lunch stop en route from Ullswater to Derwentwater.

I decided that Derwentwater would seem to be the place for the proposed row and what is more, Herbert's Island, just a mile away from the landing stages is the island on which scenes from the latest 2016 version of 'Swallows and Amazons' were filmed. Clearly, depending on the prevailing weather conditions it's going to be a hefty row!!!!!

Homeward bound in the heavy traffic, I was pleased that we had had a successful reconnoitre and the car had performed admirably, not entirely quiet of course, it is a Morgan after all, but the annoying squeaks from the rear leaf springs had been cured.

New King-Pins, Exeter and Devon....

....and another hospital visit!!

The drive back home after our new king-pins had been fitted was excellent and somehow the front end seemed more 'grounded'.....good for another 30000 methinks.

South the following day, to visit our daughters and their families in Warwick and Camberley and then on to Devon to revisit my father's parental home and places that we had not seen for many a year.

The Quayside at Exeter

Say no more! Cornish lager.

We decided to make Exeter our base, a city that we had never visited and what a lovely place it is.

Exeter Cathedral

First and most important day out was to Brixham where all my family on my father's side lived and sailed from, for in the main they all earned their living from the sea.

My Great Grandparent's home was to the right of the church, overlooking the top of the churchtower.

While there we tried to recreate a picture that I had taken when I was around 9 years old of me seated on the wall of the old fort on Berry Head looking out over Torbay. It was a reasonable attempt I suppose although the sight of this elderly gentleman trying to climb on to the wall and into position must have been pitiful to watch and highly amusing to the many bystanders!!!

.......and 64 years on  !!!!!!!

We had intended to wander around the town itself but the place was choked with people and traffic so we gave it a miss promising to return in the depths of winter when all the visitors had gone home.


Nevertheless, it was lovely to visit the place where I had spent so many happy sun-kissed holidays as a boy. I still remember vividly the church bells playing 'Abide with me' every evening.

Coleton Fishacre

In the morning of that day we visited the National Trust property of Coleton Fishacre on the recommendation of an old schoolfriend.

'Arts and Crafts' heaven at Coleton Fishacre.

Part of the garden

What a gorgeous property it is, once the holiday home of members of the D'Oyly Carte family with its 30 acre garden giving enticing views of the sea below.....utterly magical.

On our final day we visited Dartmoor, sadly shrouded in a heavy mist, limiting views of the landscape to a minimum but not affecting our visit to the butcher in Chagford who supplies us with our favourite Hogs Pudding....what a pleasure it was to meet him in this delightful village.

Castle Drogo, another NT property, was clad in scaffolding, cluttered with building machinery and a whopping great crane, that did not enhance the property at all while it is being dramatically renovated.

Castle Drogo in the murk!

Not impressed with the house at all although on a good day the views from the grounds across the Moor must be spectacular.

A misty Castle Drogo garden.

Back to the hotel where the slight pain that I had been feeling in my left side got steadily worse until late in the evening an ambulance was called and I added yet another hospital to my collection.

It was a re-occurence of the pleurisy I endured at Norwich in June. Anyway, I was only in for 10 hours and feeling much improved we completed our 5 hour drive home safely.

Not a nice way to finish what had been a very pleasant couple of days in Devon.

A day and night in the Dales

Sod it! We're going to have a day away from hospital appointments and try to get back to some sort of normality.

The Yorkshire Dales and a rather special watering hole at West Witton would provide the answer we were sure.

Above Hawes at the beginning of the 'Buttertubs Pass'.

'Buttertubs' with Swaledale in the distance

Weather forecast was tremendous for Tuesday, which was expected to be the hottest day of the year, in what has been a very indifferent summer to date, so we decided we would spend the day pootling around the Dales and spend the night at the 'Wensleydale Heifer'.

Another view of Swaledale on our descent.

An early start found us motoring from home to Hawes, then a left turn that took us over the Buttertubs Pass to Muker, followed by a delightful run down Swaledale to Richmond for lunch, an ancient market town that we had never visited before.

The weather was hot, very hot and we managed to find a parking spot in the shade of a tree for the Morgan while wandered off to eat our picnic.

The River Swale at Richmond

Plenty of waterfalls

Richmond Market Square with the Norman Castle in the background

Then it was just a short drive from Richmond to Leyburn and on to our overnight stay at West Witton.

Richmond

A welcome pint of Black Sheep ale

The 'Wensleydale Heifer' has quite a big reputation and it certainly lived up to that. Somewhat, quirky, at least our bedroom was, the service, cuisine and comfort was superb and the steak that we had in the crowded restaurant that evening was the best we have sampled in years. It is a place that we will return to again.

The 'Wensleydale Heifer'

Not great lovers of 'themed' bedrooms, but it was great!

With stormy weather forecast for our drive home, we set off immediately after breakfast, almost immediately experiencing very heavy rain with thunder and lightening to boot. Not a lot of water ingress into the Mog, but on what was a very fast and enjoyable drive, there was suddenly a 'ping' under my clutch pedal, rather like wire snapping which is what it turned out to be. Fortunately it did not affect the function of the clutch and investigation when we arrived home showed that the spring which ensures that the pedal is at its maximum outward position had snapped.

A phone call to Lifes at Southport confirmed this, so I have booked the car in for a replacement spring, two new king pins and greasing/oiling to cure a most annoying squeaking noise eminating from the suspension.

We have immediately started saving for that event!!!!!!!

Norfolk Broads holiday aborted, yet again!

The twinge in my shoulder and the slight pain under my ribcage did not warrant much concern as we stopped to break the journey in Southwell, Nottinghamshire.

The Saracens Head Hotel, Southwell.

We stayed at 'The Saracens Head Hotel', an acceptable 3 star, just down the road from Southwell Minster, a magnificent building. It was the day of the Referendum and so there was much conversation over dinner that evening in the restaurant.

Southwell Minster

The following morning, after a substantial breakfast, we set off on the final leg, following the A17/A47 route we used to take when we first started visiting the Broads. I remember well my solo trip in the early 60's when I travelled overnight in my Morris 10/4 Fixed Head Coupe and the eerie feeling at 520 metres altitude, as I passed the 'Cat and Fiddle' public house, between Macclesfield and Buxton, shrouded in mist and totally dark.

Anyway, enough of this reminiscing. We had a lovely drive through the Fens and into Norfolk at Kings Lynn finally reaching our destination in the afternoon.

Our holiday cottage, 'Sailaway', situated at Barton Turf, was a well known Norfolk artist's studio in the past but had now been converted into a very desirable abode.

'Sailaway'

On Tuesday we visited Southwold in Suffolk, a lovely seaside resort almost totally dominated by the 'Adnams Brewery' and on Wednesday morning I visited the 'Museum of the Broads' of which I am a 'friend' to donate a number of books relating to the Broads from the 1950's/1960's.

The Norfolk Wherry 'Hathor' lowering sail in preparation to take on fresh water.

Cox's Boatyard, Barton Turf.

Southwold

Southwold Lighthouse

Southwold

All went well until Wednesday evening when I experienced massive and debilitating pain from those two areas that I have previously mentioned and I was rushed to the Norwich Hospital, via ambulance,with all sirens blaring and the lights flashing.

The 'Museum of the Broads'

A picture in the Museum of probably the most beautiful motor cruiser we hired...'Merrimore';p

Pleurisy and a partially collapsed lung was the final diagnosis, so on Friday, after I had been discharged, I decided that we couldn't risk our second week, not wishing to be marooned in Norfolk should anything further occur. Not that I would object to spending a considerable time in that wonderful county....but you know what I mean.

Our original plan was to travel in the Morgan, regardless of space restrictions, but we are pleased we didn't as Helen has not driven the Mog so would not have been able to share the driving on our return journey.

4/4 80th Anniversary badge

I went out in the Morgan yesterday and was looking forward to fixing my new 80th Anniversary of the 4/4 badge today, but alas the stainless fixing bracket did not fit the standard badge bar so I will have to wait until a larger one is supplied. Apart from that, excellent service from the shop/regalia section of the MSCC and I am sure that the matter will be resolved in due course.

It was resolved and the new badge looks great on the badge bar.

The English Lakes...again!

What a great day! Beautiful sunshine, at least for half the day, not too much traffic and the freshness of late Spring, early Summer all around.

Picked up a delicious pork pie at our usual pre-picnic shop in Great Eccleston, some petrol and then the open road to the Lakes, a route we have taken for decades but never tire of.

Coffee at Hayes Garden Centre, Ambleside

The cry came, from my navigator above the noise of the exhaust and wind, that it was time to stop for a coffee so this we did at Hayes Garden Centre in Ambleside.....free parking, albeit rather cheeky if you're not visiting their Centre.

The Grasmere Gingerbread shop

Passing the delightful views across Rydal Water we arrived in Grasmere, now thriving since the A591 was rebuilt following the floods, where we called at the Grasmere Gingerbread shop to pick up some gingerbread.

Car Park of Travellers Rest Inn, Helm Crag in background

The Travellers Rest Inn

Driving further on the A591, we bumped into the 'Travellers Rest' public house nestling in the shadow of Helm Crag (widely known as the 'Lion and the Lamb' due to the stones at its summit that resemble the aforesaid beasts) for a gradely pint of 'Jennings Best Bitter'! Followed by our pork pies, consumed in their car park.

What glorious scenery!

Back into Grasmere then and up Red Bank over to Skelwith Bridge and thence Coniston.

The 'Bluebird Cafe' and Coniston Water

From Coniston it was back through Penny Bridge and Greenod to the main Barrow road when we headed to Finsthwaite where we stopped at our friends for a welcome cuppa.

Looking north across Coniston Water.

Home beckoned, so it was a fast drive via the good old M6 to a welcome Gin and Tonic....but not before I had to clean an enormous amount of guano off the Volvo that I had parked under two Silver Birches that are the roosting spot for two enormous Wood Pigeons. Never again, the V70 goes in its garage when we are out in the Morgan!!

Back in action....

....albeit only for a couple of weeks before my next operation, after which I will be banned from driving for another four weeks. Ah well, we've got to make the most of things, and that is what we did today.

The day dawned bright, sunny and above all warm, promising excellent top-down motoring.

Our destination was once again the Duke of Westminster's estate and reputedly the place which the Queen most favoured for her retirement, the Bowland Forest and the Trough of Bowland.

Pootling through this lovely area we watched lapwings and curlew plus the inevitable sheep and their newly born lambs and the roadsides were filled with glorious yellow dandelions, bluebells and that wonderful flower of the Spring, primroses.

Brilliant....what a great drive and we also stopped at a local hostelry and imbibed of a 'Pride of Pendle' beer which just hit the spotin the very hot temperatures.

The Morgan behaved impeccably.