The Great UK Road Trip Part 2 (or Encounters with the Local Wildlife)Above, just what is this odd ritual we've stumbled into on Skiddaw? You'll have to read on to find out.
The static caravans we stayed in twice, though not cheap at round 70-80 quid a night, were pretty flash, though the boat-cabin-size bedrooms'd test a wider/longer family.
The Great Bull Escape Story (just gets better with the telling)
Rosa: "A Highland cow chased us in the woods and it was a daddy cow. It mooed at us." 
Ellie: "One day we went for a walk up a hill. It had a lot of cows and bulls living on it. On the way back we wre walking down and we came across a bull in our path and we started to clap an dshoo it onto the bank. Then we started to walk on down the hill but then the cow an dher babays were on our path but we shooed it on to the bank and climbed over the stile."
At home wherever we go.
The caravan park at Lochgoilhead in Argyll (an hour north of Glasgow, sort of the southern highlands) had an ice skating rink the size of most people's lounge. Which made stopping in time tricky.
Horse riding above Loch Gill not far from Inverary.
The big rock at Drimsynie caravan park on Loch Goil.
Jac: "One of the best times of the trip was after Edinborough when we stopped in a littletown called MacMerry, we were looking for Jim & Joyce Ange, my sister in lawsparents. We went into the local miners club & of course they knew them & happilygave us perfect strangers directions to their house round the corner. We pulled up &they both came out & welcomed us in. I started off by saying we’re just popping inquickly before we get tea & find our next place. Well a bottle of wine later, 2 phonecalls to New Zealand & Joyce heading down to the local pizza place to feed our poorstarving children it ended up being a great couple of hours. They both then drove theway to our next humble abode. This was a farmers ‘bothey’ Which is really a smallhut probably used in the past by shearers in the middle of a paddock. The look onJoyces face when she saw the state of the shower (it was the most crowded showerI’ve ever had slaters spiders & worm like things joining me) & the 3 tiered bunks,with the top being 7 feet high, was priceless. "
Outside the pub in Haddington where Jac's brother Phil and his Scottish wife Ange met.
Inside the bothy, which takes the prize for the narrowest kitchen...
... and the highest bunks (three tiers, about 7 feet to the top where Sam and Rosa slept)
It was either another ruined abbey, in Melrose, or this. This won.
Walking in the Lake District to Skiddaw Hostel. Note, no rain.
Sam says: "To get to our hostel on Saturday we had to walk a 3 mile track. I amused myself by making a stone kneif."
As for that arcane ritual above, says Jac: "... the placewas full & we had a great night singing & playing musical instruments with our new friend Bill." A pop star in the 60s someone said whose repertoire stretched from 'I know an old lady' to 'My Girl'.
Skiddaw hostel itself, said to be the highest and most remote hostel in Britain. But we saw a car out back and the hostel manager managed to watch the England v Germany World Cup debacle on his TV.
The after dinner entertainment in the fountain at Picadilly Gardens in Manchester.
.
Art space at the Lowry Centre, near Old Trafford and the very impressive Imperial War Museum (IWM) North
The Great Bull Escape Story (just gets better with the telling)Rosa: "A Highland cow chased us in the woods and it was a daddy cow. It mooed at us."
One cow and two calves were in front, one bull (below), trotting along behind. The bigger bull (above) was the one that worried me.
Ellie: "One day we went for a walk up a hill. It had a lot of cows and bulls living on it. On the way back we wre walking down and we came across a bull in our path and we started to clap an dshoo it onto the bank. Then we started to walk on down the hill but then the cow an dher babays were on our path but we shooed it on to the bank and climbed over the stile."
At home wherever we go.
The caravan park at Lochgoilhead in Argyll (an hour north of Glasgow, sort of the southern highlands) had an ice skating rink the size of most people's lounge. Which made stopping in time tricky.
Lara says: "I got a bLister when we went ice skating.I stopped. but I need to Practice more. "
Horse riding above Loch Gill not far from Inverary.
The big rock at Drimsynie caravan park on Loch Goil.
More wildlife, this time at Luss on Loch Lomond.
Castle fatigue sets in, closely followed by wallet fatigue. We passed on the 60 quid to get into Edinburgh Castle and settled for this pic instead at the front door.
Castle fatigue sets in, closely followed by wallet fatigue. We passed on the 60 quid to get into Edinburgh Castle and settled for this pic instead at the front door.
Jac: "One of the best times of the trip was after Edinborough when we stopped in a littletown called MacMerry, we were looking for Jim & Joyce Ange, my sister in lawsparents. We went into the local miners club & of course they knew them & happilygave us perfect strangers directions to their house round the corner. We pulled up &they both came out & welcomed us in. I started off by saying we’re just popping inquickly before we get tea & find our next place. Well a bottle of wine later, 2 phonecalls to New Zealand & Joyce heading down to the local pizza place to feed our poorstarving children it ended up being a great couple of hours. They both then drove theway to our next humble abode. This was a farmers ‘bothey’ Which is really a smallhut probably used in the past by shearers in the middle of a paddock. The look onJoyces face when she saw the state of the shower (it was the most crowded showerI’ve ever had slaters spiders & worm like things joining me) & the 3 tiered bunks,with the top being 7 feet high, was priceless. "
Outside the pub in Haddington where Jac's brother Phil and his Scottish wife Ange met.
Inside the bothy, which takes the prize for the narrowest kitchen...
... and the highest bunks (three tiers, about 7 feet to the top where Sam and Rosa slept)
It was either another ruined abbey, in Melrose, or this. This won.
Walking in the Lake District to Skiddaw Hostel. Note, no rain.
Sam says: "To get to our hostel on Saturday we had to walk a 3 mile track. I amused myself by making a stone kneif."
As for that arcane ritual above, says Jac: "... the placewas full & we had a great night singing & playing musical instruments with our new friend Bill." A pop star in the 60s someone said whose repertoire stretched from 'I know an old lady' to 'My Girl'.
Skiddaw hostel itself, said to be the highest and most remote hostel in Britain. But we saw a car out back and the hostel manager managed to watch the England v Germany World Cup debacle on his TV.
From remote to Manchester. We stayed in an awful sterile cheap Etap hotel (40 quid for each triple room) but got out on the tram and bus to Curry Mile, literally possibly a mile of balti shops where the huge naan comes hung on hooks and we managed to keep the kids away from the chicken nuggets and chips.
Lara: "I liked the curry but I didn’t like the yellow curry."
Lara: "I liked the curry but I didn’t like the yellow curry."
The after dinner entertainment in the fountain at Picadilly Gardens in Manchester.
.
Art space at the Lowry Centre, near Old Trafford and the very impressive Imperial War Museum (IWM) North
The view from the IWM tower.
And down the M6/M1 home in 5 hours .... 1360 miles in the old toyota and nary a puncture, jump start or blown gasket.
And down the M6/M1 home in 5 hours .... 1360 miles in the old toyota and nary a puncture, jump start or blown gasket.
Brilliant
We so love your blog especially the pics and the funny commentary. Looks like you had another great time! Fun and sun and lots of icecream (our chdn always remembered what they ate at each place or which football match was on at the time and how many goals were scored and by whom...).
ReplyDeleteHave a great time in Paris. See you in London soon!
Lynda & family