Just About Ready For The Off!

Tomorrow we leave on Euro trip Mk3. We absolutely cant wait to start travelling again, so the last couple of days have been sorting out the final details.

We had our last lunch at Sutton Hall, arguably one of the best pubs in the UK IMHO......Dog friendly as well.

Next take the car for a Polish wash. 

So to today. the pushies have been put back on the stern.

I got up to date with the washing. 

We went for a walk and fed the ducks..... 

Then it rained yet again!!!! 

 England really is a place of two weather extremes, down south it is nice, warm and sunny, up north it is crap!  

We then drove the lovely little C3 to Elaine's brothers house where it will be stored for the foreseeable future.  

I cant believe what a fantastic car this £2000 C3 has been over the last three years, it has never let us down and that includes taking it to Spain and back loaded to the gunnels. 

We then said farewell to Elaine's dad and came back to Poynton on the train, Elaine's bro Trevor came with us then he was going to walk back to Macc!! Ten mins on the train, two hours to walk back!! 

I also popped into the Dr's surgery today to see how we got on with request for drug supplies for the next few months, thanks to a very helpful receptionist and understanding Dr I have got 7 months supply of blood pressure and cholesterol drugs.....result.

Tomorrow the Euro trip starts off, destination.........Anglesey!!  

Summertime Stroll

It was such a lovely warm day we decided to walk up to Lyme Park via the shortcut from the canal bridge (by Braidbar HQ).

We did have a bit of a laugh at Mr Nobhead on the blue narrowboat ... whose mooring is opposite  the water point.  He had filled up his water tank on the waterpoint and was totally oblivious to the 4 boats waiting either side of the bridge. 

Here he is walking to have a chat with another boat that was coming through the bridge!

When he finally decided to move (backwards) chaos ensued ...

It is a lovely walk up to Lyme Park and even nicer when the sun is shining ...

I love the over the wall stile for the humans, and through-the-wall for the doggies ...

There were a few volunteers rebuilding the dry wall and doing an amazing job too ...

Our first view of Lyme Park house ...

We had a coffee and nibbles at the old timber-yard, then carried on circumnavigating the house! 

The boys looking right regal on the lawn ...

The rear of the house was the most spectacular ...

Then it was time to head back to base ...

These sheep were running away from us when the one in front stopped suddenly....it wasn't very pleasant ...

This one had his head stuck in a bucket ...

By the time we got back to the van the boys were well and truly knackered and crashed out in the captains chairs ...

Whilst the boys were sleeping we headed off down to Aldi for a big shop the last before we head to Anglesey.

The last time we went to Anglesey it was shut, this time we are prepared!

Welcome To The Jungle......

One little job Elaine wanted to do before we leave on our travels this Saturday was to weed her Dad's garden.

So today was the day and what a sterling job she did in the warm weather!!!

Whilst Elaine was doing her stuff I went down the bank to cash our refund cheques from the water, TV and rental deposit scheme!!

I did give her a hand but gardening really isn't my thing, I much prefer an Italian lawn........Concrete!

Once back at the van Elaine had a nap with her best mate, whilst I had a glass of wine!

Today was a lovely warm day, hopefully this is it!

Stalking Birthday Boaters

Our stalking victims today were Dot and Gordon from NB Ewn Ha Cul!

Today was Gordon's birthday, so it was an especially good day for stalking!  Dot and Gordon's boat was at Burscough today, on the Leeds Liverpool canal.

Apart from celebrating Gordon's birthday we needed to pay them a visit so that Elaine could hand over a couple of Cornish/boat artefacts that she and her brother, Trevor had made for them.

Trevor made them a name plaque, somehow using his scroll saw (he is a very talented chap) ...

Trevor had also made up a 'triskele; template for Elaine, so that she could do her mixed media collaging to it!  The photo doesn't do it justice though, especially with a beer behind it!

Elaine also gave them a pile of her home made soaps (that she had been making while we were living in the house).

We then continued on with our long lunch in the Hop Vine pub, and very nice it was too.  The food and the service was brilliant.  

After lunch it was back to their boat for coffee before we headed back to Poynton with some of Dot's strawberry jam, smoked salmon and home made bread - bonus!

It was a most fantastic catchup and we look forward to another one in the not too distant future.

I can't finish the post without another whinge about the chronic weather we are having up here.  It hammered down all night and again this morning!  We drove to Burscough in driving rain and really cold temps.  As we approached Burscough it stopped raining and warmed up slightly.  On the drive back it was fine until we arrived back in Poynton where it was raining but only lightly.

Tomorrow's forecast is for a fine day and WARM!!  Fingers crossed ...

Waterloo....

There was a picnic going on today at the the top of White Nancy, it was to celebrate 200 years since Waterloo, with thew added bonus of a picnic to celebrate the summer solstice.

We met Elaine's brother Trevor in the Bolly carpark and hiked to the top of White Nancy.

There was a fair old crowd up there in what can only be described as trying conditions, being cold and windy! 

The Bolly Brass Band was bashing out a tune. 

Complete with singing dog! 

Bombo was shivering so Elaine had him inside her coat. 

They are are a hardy bunch the northerners, nothing was going to stop their picnics. 

Sammy was inside Trevs jacket. 

First day of summer......pah! 

But oh the country side is so beautiful.  

On the way back I spotted an old Dakota flying overhead.

Happiness Is Banging Your Drum!

I finished polishing the van yesterday, there must be something in the air, we are close to Braidbar HQ, its the only reason I can come up with having this urge to polish everything in sight.  

I even polished the satellite dish!!

It does look good though.

I cant believe it is 8.5 years old, it it like new inside and out.

In the evening we went over to Macclesfield where we met up with Kathy and Phil. Kathy is an old school friend of Elaine's. 

We had a drink at the Oxfford  tavern, the landlord is new and was proudly telling us of his hatred for cats and his comment of the only good cat is in a sack in a canal didn't go down too well with us.

We then went to went to a superb Indian restaurant where we ate too much, drunk too much and stayed till midnight.

It was a really good catch up with lovely people. 

Hopefully they are going to join us in London when we are there mid July. 

Pat cash impersonation! 

As we were going to have a few drinks we stayed the night at Elaine's dads house, he babysat the boys while we were out.

We woke to a very gloomy wet day, but undeterred took a walk down to the town. 

Behind the gloom are the green hills overlooking Macc, no chance of seeing them today. 

We were tempted to pop in here and escape the crap weather! 

But then we were cheered up by this merry bunch of nutty hippy drummers. 

They marched through the town all banging away, to see them so happy took our minds off the lousy weather.

Life is Good, make the most of it.