One Of Those Catch Up Posts.

Just wanting to keep up to date with my iPhone pictures so here is a selection from the last month or so.

• George had a sleepover - we made some little fancy cakes together.
• Another sleepover for both George and Nicholas.  We played Ludo. That’s Nicholas’ hand in front of the camera.  Little monkey!
• Charlie ready to go home late one afternoon.  He wanted to take Tiny Tears with him :-)  Tiny Tears belongs to his Aunty Vicki.  Father Christmas brought her many moons ago when Victoria was 18 months old.  Unbelievably Tiny Tears still has her original tiny dummy in her mouth!  Is also wearing clothes I knitted for her all those years ago and the yellow blanket he’s carrying is one my sweet sister-in-law Brenda crocheted for Victoria before she was born. 
• Each of the boys planted a conker.  They are outside in the garden now.  I wonder if any of them will grow.  I’m not holding my breath.
• Shopping trip and lunch with my girls.  We had lunch in The Salt Cellar – we like it in there.
• On a little outing with Lesley to Hebden Bridge we both got a bit of a shock.  We spotted the Naked Rambler.  The poor man is obviously a troubled soul.  I ask you, who in their right mind would walk about, all year round, naked in Great Britain!?  We don’t exactly have the weather for it do we?  The authorities keep throwing him in prison but it strikes me that a psychiatric unit might be of more help to him.

• Charlie tucking in to a soft boiled egg and toast for tea. This was Friday night just gone and Nicholas was sitting opposite Charlie eating the same thing.
• Also on Friday night it was Nicholas’ turn for a sleepover.  He helped me make the pancakes.  As often as these boys have had breakfast here I can’t remember a time when they haven’t asked for pancakes.  They just love ‘em.
• Eating the pancakes with granddad.  I like how Nicholas has got his arm up around his granddad’s shoulder.
• Saturday morning I got the train into Manchester, which incidentally was 45 minutes late!   It’s never much fun waiting for a delayed train but Saturday was particularly frustrating because I had arranged to meet my lovely cousin, Sylvia, to attend an 11 a.m. Coffee Concert in Manchester Cathedral.  Luckily and with only minutes to spare we actually made it just before a young classical pianist, Albert Cano Smit, was introduced and the concert commenced. 
• It’s that time of year again.  The Continental Christmas Markets were in full swing.
• And last but not least a sneaky picture of a man at rest.

Until next time,

Kathleen.

Seaton, Beer and Fish & Chips.

Even though we weren’t going home until the Saturday of our final week in Sidmouth it was necessary that the awning was down on the Thursday.  We wanted to take it down without the added hassle of rain and according to the weather forecast Thursday was going to be a dry day.  Happily the forecast was right and a dry day it was and the awning was down, folded, cleaned up and stacked away in the car boot by lunchtime with no major hiccups.  This was no mean feat as the putting up and the taking down of awnings can be one gigantic pain in the posteria!

That wasn’t the end of it though.  William then set to with a bucket of hot soapy water and a brush and gave the van’s exterior, roof included, a good old washing down.  All this work took quite some time but when it was finished it was time to play.

Play which included a bracing walk along the beach at Seaton.  I love the crunch of the pebbles underfoot – Muffin not so much, so one of us usually gives him a leg up.  Good job he’s not a big dog!

The colours of the sea and sky were magical.

Just magical.

The streetlights were on by the time we got back to the car.  The sun was well on its way to the antipodes and the streets were deserted.  From Seaton we drove into Beer and bought fish & chips for supper.  We could’ve eaten in the restaurant, it was all but empty, but decided against it sticking with tradition instead eating the piping hot chips and freshest flakiest of fish sitting on a bench in the village.  The atmosphere in the village was so different from the summer months – quiet, calm and cold (let’s keep it real – it was definitely cold!)  The salty chips left us both with a thirst so we called in The Dolphin for a drink before hitting the country lanes toward Oakdown.

One last picture of the sea off Sidmouth prom - just because I like it. 

Despite the cold weather or maybe because of it our last holiday of the season was a good one and I’m already looking forward to doing it all over again in 2013. 

Before I fall asleep tonight I’ll be counting my blessings and our holiday home on wheels will be one, very big one, of them!

Kathleen.

The End of the Season

It doesn’t seem possible that the 2012 caravanning season is over but it is.  For us anyway.  I suppose for those who tow their caravans then the end of the season comes when they see fit to end it.  For us, permanent pitch people, last Saturday was the last day.

However, end of season or not, end of October beginning of November or not, cold, windy and sometimes rainy weather or not, William and I have just had a really good week’s holiday down in and around Sidmouth, east Devon.

We hit West Bay at the start of the week on Sunday.  The harbour was practically empty.  Summer sailors had all taken their boats home and the harbour seemed forlorn with no happy little boats bobbing up and down on the tide. 

A good brisk walk along the sea front is always a pleasure.  Even more so in windy weather for me.

I love it when the weather is fresh.  William’s expression is telling me that to him it was just plain cold!  I think it was at this point that we took refuge in one of our favourite cafes overlooking the sea…

..where I whipped out my new toy, my Kindle Paperwhite and had a little read while William read the newspaper.  I’m loving my Kindle PW – so much lighter to tote around and much less bulky than a paperback.   I carried it around in my handbag wherever we went.

Naturally, Budleigh Salterton was on our itinerary and another lovely day for it too.

Beautiful seafront to stroll along.

It was the end of the season for beach huts too.  In the main they were all locked up and lots had already been dismantled and shipped off to who knows where for the winter.  It was news to me that lots of beach huts are carted off and stowed away for the winter.  I presumed they stayed in situ but apparently not.

This is Poppy.  Isn’t she adorable?  The daintiest, smallest and cutest Bassett Hound I’ve ever seen.  Mind you I haven’t seen that many of this breed of dog in real life, ever.  We came across Poppy in a back street of Budleigh being walked by her owner.  Dog owners are friendly people don’t you think?  Always happy to stop for a chat.  I like that.

iPhone pic

Late afternoon heading for home we stopped off at this little treasure trove of a place, full of furniture and interior decor goodies. 

iPhone pics

A rustic, warm and cosy welcome awaited inside with not just one but a choice of two woodburners to sit in front of and drink a coffee.

The perfect place to stop on a cold autumn afternoon.

Kathleen.