St Michael's on Wyre 2019

Fri the 15th to Mon the 18th of February

Nicole had a house booked in Lancashire for a few days for half terme and asked if we wanted to tag along. We did fancy a trip away and so accepted, St Michael's on Wyre here we come.

Friday the 15th of February

Me and Dot set off after diner, Nicole had to wait for the girls to finish school at dinner time before following us.

The roads were not bad at all and it was a simple drive along the A66 to Brough, then onto the A685 to the M6. Then we turned off the M6 at junction 33 onto the A6 then off onto the A586, to the house. We were going to stop at Kirkby Stephen on thee A685 but it was very busy there so just carried on, that meant that we were a bit early on arrival.

So we had a walk around the village, we did consider going to the pub a couple of doors along from our house but unfortunately it was closed not open for a couple of hours. The walk took us to the pub at the other end of the village but again this one was closed until five as well. As we walked back passed the house a van pulled up and a man stuck a for sale sign to one of the upstairs windows, very strange.

Anyway there were some good photo opportunities as we walked and it was nice and warm.

 

When we got back to the digs, Nicole, Tim the Girls and Syd were just pulling up and we were soon in there. I got no photos of the from but the back was the best bit anyway.

When we got set up and settled in it was time for a beer or two and a bottle of wine or two, even the girls who are now fifteen had a little drink. In fact I was serving drinks from behind the kitchen island it was just like a bar. Soon it was time for food and luckily I had brought food with us so we moved into the dining room for our tea.

After the food, we then moved into the front room to watch TV, eventually there was only me and Dot left so we went to bed as well.

 

Saturday the 16th of February

Tim and Nicole did the breakfast, sausage and poached egg in a bagel, which was very nice, then when everyone was ready we set off for a day out in Morecambe. It was very slow getting through Lancaster on the way so we went back avoiding it.

We got parked on the front and had a long walk along the promenade, Syd loved playing on the beach as we waked. I also took photos of the boats on the beach as we made our way along.

 

As we walked we came across the statue of Eric Morecambe (John Eric Bartholomew, OBE), then continued on along the pier. It looks like the train station on the front, would drop of passengers for the boat that left from the pier to Ireland but it is all closed now and has been for a very long time.

 

The train station on the front is now a theater and a pub, the new station it inside the town now, anyway we went in there for our dinner. The food was very slow but they had let the dog in there and a few others as well.

Back at the cars we headed straight back to St Michael's but later on we took Syd out for a walk. We had a walk along the river but didn't stay out too long. Back in the house we had a lasagna that I had brought with us, only I could not eat it all, too much in the pub at dinner time. Georgia had a pizza that we had brought just for her as she is not keen on the lasagna.

That night it was TV and beers again, well it was, Dot had moved on to vodka lime and lemon, the film I can not remember.

Sunday the 17th of February

Most of us had a nice quiet day today, the sausage and poached egg bagel for breakfast, was very nice, then about eleven Tim and Emily went off to Blackburn to watch the Boro. Me and Dot went out in the car to Garstang, to get things we needed to complete our tea. We went to Aldi for the main things and then popped into Booths and got some different beers.

Then the rest of us just relaxed, I had a good read and for lunch we had homemade onion soup that I did. It was an early match so Tim and Emily were back well before tea.

Nicole made chicken fajitas for tea, which were very good, before we settled down to watch Dancing on Ice then Endeavor.

Munday the 18th of February

Today we had the drive home, Nicole, Tim, Georgia, Emily and Syd went off to the Lake District while Me and Dot set off home.

We did stop at Kirkby Stephen Train Station were I went off and took a couple of photos, the station is well out of town and looked practically deserted.

 

We then decided to stop off in Barnard Castle, we did have to be back to make sure the van was ready for its work and MOT tomorrow but we stopped anyway.

We got parked just below the castle and walked up into town and into the shops, we actually bought stuff as well. We had a good look around but soon had to get back on the road and head home.

Forest Holidays, Sherwood Forest Nottinghamshire 2018.

Mon the 17th to Fri the 21st of December

Nicole had booked a family cabin in the middle of Sherwood Forest for a few day before Christmas. As well as Me and Dot together with Nick, Tim, Georgia and Emily, Tim's Mam and Dad Jimmy and Jean were coming as well (and do not forget Syd). Nicole had had it booked for ages and it was a Christmas present for all of us old ones.

Monday the 17th of December

We all arrived at the park at the same time, parked up at the Forest Holidays reception and went to book in. We were a bit early so after booking in we had a meal in there to start our holiday. The reception building was quite big and had a small shop and a bar / restaurant in there as well. The food was quite good although they didn't have what we ordered, they were very slow with the food for the others though. As me and Dot had finished our food and as we could now get in the cabin, we set off to unpack. I did buy beer in there though before we left.

 

The others arrived and unpacked then it was into the hot tub. Nicole and Tim (along with Syd), had the separate bedroom in a cabin along a walkway up in the trees.

The rest of the day and night were spent in the cabin, which was nice and warm, either in the hot tub or watching films.

Tuesday the 18th of December

I decided that I wasn't doing anything today, maybe cook for the others but not much else.

After that I did nothing and the others spent time in the hot tub again.

 

Wednesday the 19th of December

Today I was ready for a walk (the weather was much beter as well), in fact we all went. The walk wasn't too far and I think we all enjoyed it.

 

Later though I did wander over to the bar with Dot, Nicole and Tim plus Syd and bought more beer in there and had a pint while we were in there as well.

Then it was back in the hot tub for the others for another soak.

After tea it was beer and films again.

Thursday the 20th of December

I went on the morning dog walk today and on the way back we came across what looked like World War One trenches in the forest. It turns out this was were soldiers were trained, before being sent out to the front. I had no idea that his sort of training went on at all, I thought it was straight to the front and into the trenches there. Surprising as I have looked into WW1 and never found anything like this.

 

Another surprise was to find two pitheads and all their winding gear just across a field very near to where we were staying. Looked it up and it was Clipstone Colliery, now closed but it is a grade II listed building.

 

On the afternoon the others went out for a walk and also found the World War One trenches.

That evening even I went in the hot tub and stayed in for quite a while, well longer than I usually do.

 

Friday the 21st of December

Even though we could have stayed longer we got ready to set of home, as we were getting ready we could see the staff getting all of the cabins ready for Christmas. Taking Christmas trees and other stuff into the cabins. Anyway we just left and drove home.

Kirkcaldy, Scotland 2018

Sun the 21st to Fri the 26th of October

Nicole had a place booked up in Scotland for half term, it was in Kinghorn on the Firth of Forth. Well me and Dot could not get a campsite booked in Kinghorn (I do not know what was wrong with the owners there) but we did get a hotel room, in Kirkcaldy just a bit further on.

Sunday the 21st of October

Nicole and the others went up on the Saturday but we didn't get up there until the Sunday. It was a relatively simple drive up, from our place it was the A19 to the A1 then all the way to Edinburgh. There we turned off the A1 onto The City Of Edinburgh Bypass A720, to the M8 then M9 to the M90, over the new bridge over the Forth, The Queensferry Crossing. Over the bridge the way is to turn off the M90 onto the A92, to the A910 into Kirkcaldy. The last bit, although we came back that way, as we were early for the hotel, we turned off the M90 early, drove the slow way along the river to Kirkcaldy and got a nice photo of the Rail Bridge.

We eventually booked into the hotel but our room was very noisy in the wind in fact it was incredibly noisy. We went to complain and were given a much much better room, the hotel staff were very helpful, as was everyone there for our entire stay.

The others phoned as soon as we got settled in and we met them outside (they had Syd the dog with them), to follow them to their nice flat for the night.

Monday the 22nd of October

We had arranged to get the train back across the river into Edinburgh today, so we had to be up early to get to the station. But first we had our breakfast which was included in the hotel price and it was very nice.

 

The train arrived on time and there was plenty of room in the carriage, pretty soon we were going back over the river which gave me a chance to get photos of the other two bridges.

Syd was a little bit jittery but the train guard let him sit in Tims knee, if fact the guard was very good and chatty along the way.

 

In the city was walked along Princes Street, were Emily wanted to do some shopping so we spent some time waiting outside shops with Syd.

 

After the shopping we wandered around the bottom of the castle to Grassmarket, for the girls to get a photo that they usually have done. There are also a lot of old telephone boxes up there for me to take photos of and a lot of them have been converted to other uses.

 

By now it was dinner time so we called into a place called Made In Italy, for lunch. Dot talked me out of getting something big because of our big breakfast and she was tight. We had to sit outside though as Syd was with us but it wasn't too cold. We had beers with the food as well, we were on holiday after all. After lunch we walked back up to the Royal Mile, but had to look in The Boy Wizard shop on the way back up.

 

Up at the Castle we had a quick look around then wandered down the Royal Mile, Dot and I decided to go into one of the museums and catch up with the others later. That went out of the window though, when we saw the size of the ques to get in and we just caught up with the others.

We used the Scottish Parliament building at the bottom of the Royal Mile to got to the toilet before walking back up and along to a pub in Cockburn Street. We had to sit outside The Malt Shovel with Syd again and I had a Jaw Brew, Four Balls beer.

After that as everyone was getting a bit tired we made our way back to the train station and then back to Kinghorn.

Tuesday the 23rd of October

After another very good breakfast, we went later today, we had much more time to eat and get ready back in the room.

 

When ready, we made our way down to the seafront (the only thing between the hotel and the beach was Ravenscraig Park). First we headed up river towards the town but didn't get as far as the castle before turning back the other way.

 

The other way we made towards Dysart village, it wasn't a long walk but it was very nice and not too cold at all.

 

In Dysart, I had a walk along the pier at the harbour leaving Dot shading out of the wind, not like where I was.

 

From there we walked on passed the harbour and on for a short while but thought we should head back towards the hotel, to meet the others.

Later on we drove over to meet the others and stayed there for the rest of the day and night.

Wednesday the 24th of October

Today we headed inland to Loch Leven where we would meet up with the others in Kinross. Unfortunately I left my camera so I do not have many photos of the day just a couple from my phone. We did have quite a long walk along the loch and back through the town before we headed off back to Nicole's place though.

Thursday the 25th of October

Today we were to visit St Andrews but first Me and Dot drove for a visit to Ruby Bay at Elie for a look around (we knew someone that had been). We parked up near the beach at Ruby Bay just passed the town and went for a walk in the wind.

 

After our walk t the lighthouse and around the front we headed back to the car and drove on to St Monans a bit further along. Again we drove through the town and parked up on the sea front were we could see a windmill, so we walked that way.

As we got to the windmill we found there was an open air swimming pool in the sea just below the mill. There was also the remains of what was the St Monans Salt Pans, an old industrial site of nine salt pans.

 

The pool was no longer in use but no longer supported by the local council, I have no idea how long it will last now. The original windmill was used to pump seawater into the salt pans but there are only the foundations left of them now.

We got a phone call from the others to say they were on the way to St Andrews, so we went back to the car and set of to meet them.

We got parked up in St Andrews pretty easily, down by the sea and it was free. From there we set off into town to meet up with the others. After some shopping we walked passed the old castle and down to the pier.

 

We had a walk on the pier and around the small harbour before making our way back up into town. Up there we popped into a cafe for drinks and the girls had nice cakes.

 

After that we drove back to Nicole's apartment and had our last meal together before our drive back home tomorrow.

Friday the 26th of October

Well we had our last big breakfast and set off back home, the others went into Edinburgh again but we went straight home.