An early holiday arranged around Dorothy's thirty-several (Dorothy's euphemism for her 70th) birthday.
More photos to be aded later.
Friday 19th January 2007
Left home about 1045 hours. Filled up with petrol at Melling’s and got on to the M6 bound for Buckingham, well Maids Moreton to be precise.
Michael was driving and the traffic was fair; a totally different day to Thursday when storm force winds and accidents closed many roads, including the Thewell viaduct. A big relief.
Our fist stop was on the M40; having come down the toll road. Sue wasn’t feeling too good so Michael carried on driving.
We arrived in Buckingham too early to bring Richard out of work so we parked up and had a cup of tea and flapjack at a café in the precinct. Afterwards we did some minor shopping and then walked along the banks of the river Ouse until about five-o-clock when Sue rang Richard to tell him we were in the town.
Julie made us a lovely quiche for tea.
Had we anything planned for tomorrow, Richard asked, no we replied.
Watched Jade Goody evicted from the ‘house’ amid an international controversy.
Saturday 20th January 2007
Richard and Julie took us to Windsor where they wanted to do some shopping. We had lunch in the station complex after which we walked along the river Thames bank, both ways. Michael took a few photographs.
In the evening we watched the ice-skating.
Sunday 21st January 2007
Pam and John’s fiftieth wedding anniversary. We set off in good time and only went wrong once. We were supposed to cross the M1 not turn south on it! We turned round and drove into Bedford and found the Swan hotel following Pam’s directions.
It was a lovely meal and ‘entertainment’ Robert and Clive doing a double act followed by a presentation of John and Pam’s life in photographs on the big screen. Afterwards we went back to John and Pam’s for champagne and cake. We got back to Richard and Julies just after seven-o-clock.
Monday 22nd January 2007
Julie was up and off for 0730 hours. We pottered around and then accompanied Richard on his constitutional walk east along the lanes from their house.
We had lunch and set off for Dorothy’s at about 1400 hours.
We had a good journey, going wrong at Oxford and then missing the M4 junction just before Newbury - signposts said M3?
We stopped on the M4 at the last services before the M5 where Sue took over the driving. We changed drivers again at the first lay-by on the A38. We arrived at Dorothy’s in Stoke Gabriel just before 1900 hours to another warm welcome.
Tuesday 23rd January 2007
Walked down to the quay before lunch.
Wednesday 24th January 2007
Went into Paignton after lunch to get bulbs, provisions and get my reading glasses repaired, I had stood on them. The glasses are beyond repair however the assistant made them suitable for the rest of our holiday
Afterwards walked down to Duncannon quay.
Thursday 25th January 2007
Friday 26th January 2007
Mary called with Dorothy’s card and present and Dorothy invited then round for Supper.
We walked down to the Post Office and then round the back towards Byter Mill returning to the village along.
After tea and before Ron and Mary arrived Dorothy opened her cards and put them up. We had all got ‘dressed up’ so I persuaded Dorothy and Sue to let me take some portraits of them.
We had a pleasant evening with Mary and Ron. They seemed to enjoy themselves.
Saturday 27th January 2007
Dorothy’s Birthday.
We started the day by taking Dorothy a cup of tea in bed and singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to her.
Michael did his first walk round the ‘permissive path’, starting from the quay, at 0930. There were several single scullers rowing upstream.
After lunch we walked along Duncannon for a while and Michael climbed over the gate and walked down to the river and back along the shore and ‘permissive path’ to meet the girls who had walked down to the quay down School Hill.
We walked back up to the Castle and round the village.
Sunday 28th January 2007
We packed and loaded the car up and then went for a last walk down to the quay. We were pleased to see the model yacht club racing there radio controlled Lasers.
After a while we continued round the Mill Pool and round the village returning for a soup and bread lunch.
We left Dorothy’s at 1425 hours and had a pleasant drive down to Daphne & Frank’s in Cornwall arriving to a warm welcome at 1640 hours.
Monday 30th January 2007
After a lazy start to the day we went to Truro to book for the Thursday performance of The Black Lady at the Hall for Cornwall.
We had lunch at Fodder’s.
Afterwards we walked along the south side of the river and then into Marks & Spencers to warm up. Sue bought a skirt and on the way out Daphne bought a dressing gown for Fred.
Tuesday 30th January 2007
Parked the car at Penrose car park and walked round northern shore of water at Loe and into Porthleven for lunch at the .
After lunch walked back the ay we came but took a short cut up the hill along the road back to the car.
Wednesday 31st January 2007
Went to Bodmin where Daphne and Frank had arranged to meet a bereaved friend for lunch. Sue and I had lunch at ‘Follies’.
Afterwards we met up with Frank and Daphne and motored on to Godrevy. Frank took us to the end of the road where we could see the lighthouse nearby.
It was getting quite dark, we were not being blessed by sunshine. Frank took us on to Tre Farm for a cream tea.
Thursday 1st February 2007
We had lunch at home and visited Trebah in the afternoon.
We made our way down to the beach slowly where Michael tried to paddle; just got his feet wet, much too cold to stay in.
In the evening we went to the Hall for Cornwall to see the performance of the Lady in Black, a little disappointing as the actors, only two men, didn’t seem to get the audience with them, well to me at least.
Friday 2nd February 2007
After another lazy start Frank drove us to Boscastle where we were surprised to see that the reconstruction work was still going on.
This is the new sewerage holding tank.
We wandered along to the harbour entrance where we watched the waves breaking over the rocks.
Frank drove us to Tintagel where the sun was going down.
We had toasted teacakes and a cream tea for Michael. Then Frank took us round to Port Isaac - the setting for Doc Martin' - where the tide was almost at its height and the light was failing fast. The promise of a gorgeous sunset didn’t materialise.
