Or rather our Summer is coming to a close…

Sod’s Law, we left Tenby basking in blue skies but travelling East meant we were catching up with the wet weather. Our next stop was Marlborough, 3 & half hours away and a date with Rick Stein.

Late in the afternoon we had a pit stop at Laycock Abbey & Village. The Abbey is home to father of British photography, William Fox Talbot. The Abbey had an exhibition of astronomical photography competition winners. Amazing photographs and certainly not ‘point and click’ but hours/days/weeks and even months of complicated and technical photography.

The Abbey and Village are very picturesque and I have nicked a couple of photos as it is difficult to portray how pretty the Village is due to the parked cars. Both the Abbey and the Village are regular locations for film and TV productions and have appeared in Harry Potter & Fantastic Beast films and Downton Abbey and Cranford TV series.

Our campsite was located in the Savernake Forest but after another stop in Marlborough village, we didn’t have much time to appreciate the forest setting as we had a reservation at Rick Stein’s restaurant in Marlborough.

Our meal of seafood starters and Turbot and Hake main courses were delicious and a perfect way to end our Roundandabout Summer.

but later threw it off.

How’s this for the morning after the night before?

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After such an amazing sunset and views over the sea, yesterday morning we were lucky if we could see past the bonnet, the sea mist had really rolled in.

As we moved away from the coast the weather started to clear and by the time, we reached Cardigan, the sky had cleared so that there were occasional sunny spells.

We walked through this ancient market town situated on the River Teifi estuary and known as the home of the first Welsh Eisteddfod. The narrow streets fronted by Victorian & Georgian houses, many colourfully painted, lead down to the Castle and the port. From the Middle Ages Cardigan was an important port and by the early 1800’s was a centre of shipbuilding and was one of the major points for emigrating to North America.

Continuing our cultural morning, we then carried onto St David’s, Britain’s smallest city and burial site of, yes, you’ve guessed it, St David. Narrow streets, quaint cafes, shops & restaurants. We are having trouble finding really good places to eat. We have found several and attempted to book in advance, but many are fully booked or have shortened opening hours or are closed for lunch or closed for dinner and one had temporarily closed due to staff shortages. As my cooking is better than some of the mediocre food we have had, we found a butchers/grocers and a deli and have been cooking outside.

St David’s Cathedral is nestled below the City, in a grassy bowl, would you believe the Bishop’s Palace was closed on Fridays and even more unbelievable is that only 6 masked people were allowed in the Cathedral at any one time. Have you ever been in a hot, stuffy Cathedral in the UK? How much more space and air do you need? We didn’t go inside….. so here’s a picture of the outside.

From St David’s we drove to Celtic Camping,which was the venue for the first Bluetits Chill Swimmers Big Weekend that I attended with a 100 other women in October 2019. The Bluetits is a worldwide social swim community for people who enjoy sea and freshwater swimming all year round.

Another great spot, our pitch was again on the cliffs above the sea with spectacular views. We walked along the coastal path and scrambled down to a tiny beach cove, although we saw a couple of seals from the cliff top, but none were basking in the cove.

Despite a dire forecast of continual rain for Saturday, the day proved dry, warm with sunny spells but breezy. We had a plan to walk to the Blue Lagoon.

The lagoon was formerly the main slate quarry of the St Brides Slate Company. The slate gives a brilliant aqua blue colour to the water. It is a popular spot for coasteering and climbing along the cliffs at sea level.

The Blue Lagoon was formed when a channel connecting the quarry to the sea was blasted, allowing the water to flood in. Ruined quarry buildings still sit on the cliff top, along with workers’ cottages adjacent to the car park.

The remains of the old buildings are a popular place for jumping off into the lagoon, some 20-30ft below and the quarry was a venue for the Red Bull Cliff Diving series in 2012.

To get into the lagoon you scramble down the jagged slate straight into the water which is about thigh deep. This ledge extends for around 8ft before it drops away into the deep water. The lagoon is around 25 metres deep, protected from the ravages of the sea by the narrow channel and is very cold. Many people who were swimming or jumping had wetsuits on.

As I am not a fan of jumping from heights, I contented myself with swimming around the lagoon watching the youngsters leaping into the water. One group of guys in their ‘20’s arrived eager to prove their jumping bravado, but not having wetsuits took a little longer to get into the water for the swim across the lagoon to the place where you scramble up the cliff to the launch point. One very fit lad was honest enough to say that he wasn’t sure he was a strong enough swimmer in the cold to swim safely across, so chatting with another lady I got him a ride out on her son’s paddle board.

Last time I swam at the Blue Lagoon it was with 100 other Bluetits, where the majority of us skinny dipped, now if you want to experience true cold water shock that’s one way to do it. After that swim, my friend and I just started walking back when we met a group of lads in their ‘20’s in wetsuits heading to the lagoon, we gave them the heads up that there were a lot of naked women just around the corner, but their enthusiasm was significantly dampened to learn the average age of the women was around late ‘50’s. A walk along the coastal path for half an hour instead was decided on 😂

We walked back along the coastal path to our campsite for hot soup and a relaxing afternoon. Tomorrow Tenby beckons…

We made our way to Tenby with the skies darkening with every mile, looking at the weather forecast was no comfort. Our campsite was a 45 minute walk into town, and having been driving for 3 hours, we needed to get out in the fresh air. Luckily there was a footpath that took us across Tenby golf course and onto the beach, straight into Tenby. It was a bit mizzly & drizzly but the heavy forecasted rain held off.

Tenby is a very pretty town, with quaint streets, a harbour and an interesting coastline.

We found the Harbwr Tap Room & Brewery where we stopped for a late lunch/dinner and no 1 husband sampled several of their ales.

We had 2 days in Tenby which we used to explore the town, no 1 husband sampled more of the local ales and we wandered, dodging the showers. I took lots of photos and as the light was very grey, I’ve experimented using different filters and brightness settings to give the photos more interest.

We just managed to get back the campsite before the heavens opened around 6 pm, it rained heavily all evening and well into the early hours. In the morning we were headed to Marlborough, our last stop before home.

Leaving the Welsh Borders, we headed to deepest, darkest Welsh Wales, well the Pembrokeshire Coast. The sky teased us with alternate blue and then heavy showers.

Our journey was fairly tortuous as for an hour we were stuck behind a slow moving convoy transporting wind turbine structures. After about 20+ miles they pulled into a lay-by to let what must have been a huge queue past. We were only 10 vehicles behind so at least we knew what was holding us up.

Our campsite is set above the sea at Trath Mwnt. When we first started down the winding narrow lane to the campsite, the sea mist was swirling and we could just catch glimpses of the sea, but by the time we arrived it had cleared and was replaced by intermittent showers and blue sky. The bay is flanked by a real ‘hill shaped’ hill which we climbed and then decided to go for a swim. No 1 husband popped back to motorhome to grab our swimming stuff, getting wet on the way as a random, localised shower soaked him, whilst I stayed dry just a couple of hundred yards away on the beach.

It was a glorious swim, in a beautiful bay, so calm. Dolphins had been spotted in the bay earlier in the week so fingers crossed for tomorrow’s swim. Last time I swam in Wales, was on our Bluetits Chill Swimmers Weekend, I swam with seals and 100 other naked women…but that’s another story!

We are now relaxing with the music on, watching the sunset, looking forward to our salmon & scallop supper.

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When you need me, but do not want me, then I must stay. When you want me, but no longer need me, then I have to go.”

The hottest day of our holiday was not spent by a tarn in the Lake District or on a beach in Wales, but in the sweltering city, lugging stuff, unpacking stuff and moving furniture. So typical that Summer should arrive in full force, with temps knocking 30, when actually we would have appreciated a grey day with a hint of drizzle in the air.

Tuesday 7 September was ‘moving in’ day for No1 daughter. So back to the Burrs Country Park for the night of the 6th. In the morning we moved daughter out of her xtemporary accommodation, which was unfortunately on the ground floor, so in the evenings and in the night, people were banging on her windows and shouting obscenities, not really aimed at No 1 daughter, but just scummy dirtbags who desperately needed a clip round the ear and a kick up the arse.

At the new flat in Manchester, on the hottest day that Manchester has seen for probably a century, we unloaded the storage container that had parked outside, transporting its contents through 2 key coded doors and into the lift and then into the flat, all the time locking and unlocking the trailer. We then borrowed daughter’s car, so we could drop motorhome back at the campsite. Manchester is no place for a motorhome…no 1 husband had already sent a couple of likely lads away with a flea, well actually a “fuck off” in their ear, they said they were admiring the motorhome complete with bikes on the back. Only one had a bike, the other not and thanks to no 1 husband, it was going to stay that way.

By late afternoon, the flat was looking straight, majority unpacked and looking like home. I always forget that no 1 daughter has lived in Manchester for 9 years, it doesn’t seem that long ago that we dropped her at University in Manchester and she now has a lot of stuff!

Not having eaten since breakfast and just a few sips of water throughout the day, we were all ready for food & drink and luckily the new flat is a minute’s walk away from the Northern Quarter, a really vibrant and busy district of Manchester. After cocktails and beer at one place and we then moved onto Tariff & Dale, for tapas, a lot of tapas… Crab tacos, padron peppers, meatballs in spicy tomato sauce, cod in Parma ham with endame, focaccia with sun dried tomatoes & olives, cold meats with cornichons, which no 1 husband washed down with a stein of American Pale Ale. They had run out of pint glasses so only steins were available…apparently. Manchester had a Mediterranean feel to it that night, the air was warm and every outside table was packed, after the rigours of the day, it felt like we were on holiday – which we are!

It wasn’t a late night, everyone was hot and tired and no 1 daughter had work in the morning, we drove back to the campsite in her car.

This morning looked like being a scorcher, first stop B&Q to get a few DIY essentials for the flat – why are there never any sink plugs in rented flats? Every girl needs an adjustable spanner and a hacksaw in her toolbox…. Things that were missing from her already extensive kit according to no 1 Dad. After an hour of fixing a few minor niggles, it was time to say goodbye to no 1 daughter and Manchester.

No 1 daughter waved goodbye from her 4th floor balcony and as we drove away, there was a crash of what sounded like pottery. She had accidentally kicked one of her mini cactus plants off of the balcony, luckily not killing anyone. Death by falling cactus would certainly be a first for Manchester’s cause of death statistics!

The cactus survived the fall although the pot didn’t, so cactus is now planted in a huge planter outside the flat, that was empty. Sad ,as that little cactus was bought when no 1 daughter first arrived in Manchester, 9 years ago. Perhaps in 9 years’ time the cactus will have grown and become a talking point…

Next stop, the Welsh borders and Summer came with us. Once we had set up at a campsite in Chirk, we unloaded both bikes 😜, and cycled along the Shropshire and Llangollen Canal as we wanted to go over the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct . Walking the bikes through a couple of the tunnels was odd, especially a particularly long one as it really was pitch black in the middle and the walkway was narrow especially if you were pushing a bike. I really didn’t want to end up in the canal.

It was a lovely cycle and the aqueduct was spectacular and after a drink and some homemade cake, we cycled back to the campsite to spend the warm evening relaxing outside. The cribbage score is now 1 all, so tonight’s match will be tense.

We left the Cumbrian Coast at the same time as Summer, where she went, who knows but she only made a quick visit to Keswick.

We took the scenic route to Keswick, stopping for a walk through the Whinlatter Forest, we had hoped to eat at The Cottage in the Wood, but no tables available until 2022! That’s what having a Michelin star does for your bookings.

Our campsite was located high above Keswick with spectacular views – castleriggfarm.com. We walked into Keswick, via footpaths through the woods. Keswick was busy and heaven for dog lovers, as every type of dog, seemed to be out and about. We had an early dinner and walked back to the campsite, which was all uphill…

We had purchased some cards and a cribbage set in Keswick and spent the evening, relearning the game of crib. Would you believe we used to play for our local pub team! I won, which is a miracle as no1 husband thinks he’s a bit of a card sharp.

We didn’t get up bright and early as it was dull and grey, so we planned our walking route instead. Our route went up to Walla Cragg, then followed the hillside gradually descending to Derwent Water, we had then originally intended to take a ferry over to the other side, walk for a while and then get a ferry back to Keswick, but for some reason the ferries were not stopping at any pick up points but just doing lake tours to and from Keswick so we stopped for lunch overlooking Derwent Water and then walked alongside the lakeside before cutting up the hill to our campsite, to be rewarded with an ice cream at the top. The weather remained grey all day, apart from a couple of brief glimpses of blue, when the sun appeared. However the sun didn’t quite reach our campsite.

It was a misty start the following morning, but when the sun broke through it was warm, so we decided to go for a swim. So we packed up and made our way to Stonethwaite, from where we walked to Galleny Force Waterfall. The water level was quite low, but the river wound its way over rocks to form pools where the water cascaded down into the next pool. Just about deep enough to swim, but really more like a dip. The water felt chilly but the outdoors swimmers’ fallback saying “it’s ok once you’re in” couldn’t quite entice no 1 husband to fully immerse. He was happy to rock scramble and then sunbathe.

After drying off in the sun,we made our way back and stopped for a drink at a lovely little pub in Stonethwaite.

From Borrowdale, we wound our way to Brough, stopping at the Aira Force Falls at Ullswater for a walk. The Falls are under the stewardship of the National Trust. The Trust had nearly completed an aerial walkway to view the falls, when a week before opening, a tree came down, landing on the bridge and bringing down the sides of the valley, so access was restricted. This NT site allowed overnight camping and we should have taken advantage as where we had a pitch booked , at a pub with dinner in Brough, well the less said about that experience the better, we should have had Sunday Roast at The Langstrath Country Inn, where we stopped for a post-swim drink and stayed at the NT site.

Our evening in Brough was like going back to pub dining in the ‘70’s….

The next morning we started our drive back to Manchester, to help no 1 daughter move into her new flat, leaving the Lakes and heading into the Yorkshire Dales., then Lancashire.

We left a grey Manchester and headed North skirting the western edge of the Lake District to our next campsite at Drigg, near Seascale, Cumbria. Gradually the sky brightened, the sun came out and it felt really warm!

Our campsite is just a mile from the sea, so after setting up our pitch, we headed for a late afternoon walk on the beach. Seascale is not far from Sellafield and the footpath to the sea took us round the edge of a huge Low Level Radioactive Waste Repository site. The beach is also apparently part of a shore to sea MOD firing range, thankfully no red flags flying.

With views to the Isle of Man, the beach was a vast expanse of sand, sea and sky and not a soul to be seen. And as long as you didn’t pick up any stray ordinance it was a perfect spot.

The next morning, after the obligatory cooked breakfast for no1 husband, we walked to the beach & spent a really peaceful few hours sunbathing, yes sunbathing on a beach in Cumbria in September. The tide was out and although we went in the sea, it wasn’t deep enough to swim unless you wanted to walk another mile…. We read, built cairns, had a mini stone throwing competition.

It was a really relaxing day, that was topped off with another night beside the fire, with a chilli cooked al fresco, I felt like Keith Floyd.

Tomorrow we head for Keswick for 2 nights

Summer…? but it’s the end of August.

Following last year’s ‘summer’ holiday in between lockdowns, in October 2020, in a rented motorhome, we bit the bullet and bought our own. So here we are, on August Bank Holiday Monday setting off on our ‘summer’ holiday.

So what’s more symbolic of Summer, than the Worker Bee, so our first stop is Manchester. Ok, I admit it wasn’t on the original itinerary, but No1 daughter, is moving flats and she had to be out of one flat on 31 August but can’t move into her new flat until 7th September. So, we are here to help her move into temporary accommodation, put her stuff in storage and then we will return on the 6th, to do it all again, as she moves into her new flat.

We found a great campsite, just 12 miles from the city centre at Burrs Country Park and the https://www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk runs right behind our pitch. Unfortunately as we were busy being removal men, we only saw one steam locomotive, The Union of South Africa and missed The Flying Scotsman, which was the bank holiday star.

Manchester is a city undergoing huge change, new buildings are going up and the regeneration of the canals, the wharfs and warehouses bring a new buzz to the city.

Living on the canal seems quite popular and a few of no1 Daughter’s friends live on barges.

After 2 days in Manchester, 1 September sees the first day of our Summer and we heading to the West Coast of Cumbria.