Tubbercurry
Stop off in Donegall for a browse around, not much to recommend it apart from the friendliness and helpfulness of everyone.
Try to stop off for a saunter around Sligo but no coins and yet another rare app needs downloading to park. At this rate I’ll need an iPhone with a gigabyte of memory. Forget it, we drive on.
Lounge for the next 3 days.
One of the 4 bedrooms.
Bungalows very nice and comfortable, although we’ll wear out a pair of trainers trapsing from remote kitchen back to lounge. Under floor heating is crap.
No toilets in Donegal but kind waitress when asked where the nearest ones were said “you’re welcome to use ours”. Can you imagine that in Blackburn.
Take a drive onto Achill Island to explore the WAW sites there. I’ll let the photos tell the story. A long 6 hour drive, made worse by the 40 minutes drive to our abode, but in my opinion worth it, Wendy not so happy about it.
Call in at a Tesco Super store for some dinner. The small corner shop of my childhood had a better choice. Really struggled to choose anything, ended up with a Paella. Really a yellow rice bowl that had been shown a glimpse of a shrimp, a prawn and a slither of chicken. Never mind I had some wine with me.
Wendy has had enough of driving the WAW. She wants to have an easy day sauntering around the shops in Westport. Joy. What a waste but never let it be said that I ain’t fair.
Have to say Westport is a lovely little town with some character. Stop for a cuppa, has to be the worst tea and coffee in Ireland, but interesting people watching sat outside. Take a short drive out to the Quay for a stroll.
I’m fed up of scratting around choosing what to have for tea so I implement my new menu item, dessert. Yes, just dessert for tea. I love desserts but never have one as they’re fattening, have to save the calories for some wine. Anyway tonight’s tea is lemon meringue pie and a chocolate mouse. How’s that for innovation.
A very leisurely day.
To the Thingimajaga and off to Dublin. It’s a grey miserable day but as we’re driving doesn’t matter. Have to spend 40 minutes driving down the side of the Liffey. Unbelievable traffic and then to top it off the Samuael Beckett bridge is closed – seems that boats are more important than tax-paying vehicles – so it’s a major diversion. Finally get to our underground car park and then a 4-minute walk to the hotel. The car will be having a 3 day rest in the cement caverns of Dublin’s docklands.
The hotel seems good on first impressions. We’ve upgraded to an executive room so should get sky movies, but yes you’ve guessed it another screw-up, it doesn’t work. It takes them 3 hours to try and fix it. In the end, at 20:30ish they move us to a room where it works.
You’ll be hearing more on the hotel in days to come.
Two of the awesome highlights of the WAW that got away. Never mind we’ll be back, perhaps we’ll get to them next time.
Lazy start to the day. We’re off on the hop on off green bus tour.
Hop off at the Temple bar area for a stroll around. I have a pint of Guinness in the famous Temple bar, what an awesome selection of whiskeys, while Wendy has a tuna sandwich. Wendy’s not at all impressed as there seems to be no shopping area.
Back on the bus to finish the tour. Neither of us are at all impressed with Dublin. Fortunately the weather is lovely.
Most of the Dublin pictures have been “acquired” off the internet rather than trying to take pictures of a moving bus which usually seem to end up with just the back of some bald old gits head or all sky.
Then it’s a real challenge as we try and find somewhere to eat around the yuppie docklands area. Half the places are closed, most of the menus seem to consist of just 3 items, end up at a Mexican equivalent of subway, build your own burrito. It’s very good but no plates to eat off. Wendy’s not at all impressed.
What is it with Dublin restaurants, most of them seem to have only 3 items on the menu, fish and chips; pizza; burger.
https://www.prageru.com/video/a-palestinian-explains-hamas
Sadly ran out of rants, jokes and comments on the religion of pieces and permanent offence. Fear not next blog will make up the deficit with a non-PC vengnece.
Dublin’s very own Dark Hedges.
The tour is pretty good. The comparative tasting is even better. Then we do a cask barrel tasting where they draw whiskey straight from the barrel for tasting, I think it was 60 percent ABV. As I have to drink Wendy’s share plus the free basic Jameson sample, not forgetting the tasting samples I’m rat arsed by the end of it – I should fit in well with the Liffey strewn locals, although Cider seems to be their tipple.
Then we take a stroll back and call in at the Temple Bar area for a Boxty dinner, along with a pint of their Stout – see picture. Have to say the weather, Boxty and especially the Jameson tour has really improved my view of Dublin, but we wouldn’t come back. Really a tad disappointed, had great expectations of Dublin. Dread to think what it would have been like if we hadn’t had good weather.
Today’s Wave of Life has to be Jameson’s Black Barrel. Perhaps the closest of the Jamesons to a Bourbon.
Triple distilled, twice charred, for a rich smooth taste.
Awarded A Double Gold Medal at the 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and winner of best Irish blended whiskey RRP under €60, at the 2019 Irish Whiskey Awards.
Charring is an age-old method for invigorating barrels to intensify the taste. Jameson Black Barrel is our tribute to our coopers, who painstakingly give their bourbon barrels an additional charring to reveal their untold richness and complexity. Because every barrel contains secrets; the trick is coaxing them out.
Nose
Time spent maturing in these barrels leads to intensified aromas of butterscotch, fudge and creamy toffee.
Taste
Nutty notes are in abundance alongside the smooth sweetness of spice and vanilla.
Finish
Enjoy the richness and intensity of toasted wood and vanilla. It’s another level of smoothness.
So what did we like about Ireland? The Dark Hedges; Giants Causeway; Wild Atlantic Way; Jameson distillery; two very comfortable VRBO’s; a really positive and sensible attitude to Covid prevention, even the stupid and selfish have to wear masks indoors; colourful hedgerows; friendly Irish people.
What didn’t we like? Mediocre hotels, Fawlty Towers with an Irish lilt; grey weather, but to be fair we didn’t have any rain; temporary traffic lights and roadworks; single track roads whose sole purpose seems to be to wreck my suspension; the disappointment that was Dublin.
One of the few good points of this hotel is their breakfast.
The customer relations manager is marauding around breakfast and asks for our opinion. Well, I bet she regretted that. Gave her the full sorry tale.
Then to top it off we try to return to our room, hang on our card won’t work in the lift. I wonder why? Track down the customer relations manager, who sets off to get us new ones. Low and behold get to the room and it won’t let us in either. It’s only 09:05 and they were that keen to get rid of us they’ve checked us out. The customer relations manager turns up with the new cards, I bet she wanted to sink under the carpet – “I rest my case”.
Take a leisurely drive up to Belfast around the Mourn coastal route. Quite pretty but not the WAW.
Stop off at the Titanic hotel for an excellent dinner. Pity about the Apple maps having it in the wrong place and the car park sign to the hotel taking you to the wrong location. Finally, get there. You really couldn’t make this incompetence up.
Then it’s off to the ferry for a two-hour queue to board. Noddy’s well past Big Ears by the time we board, so being conservative covid cautious old farts we’re straight to our cabin, not a deluxe this time, and so to sleep. Wow, an alcohol-free day.
For today’s rant I’ll focus on our hotel, should be renamed Fawlty Towers. Even Basil would be embarrassed. It’s supposed to be a 4 Star but I think 3 of the stars have gone over the event horizon and been swallowed by a black hole.
Let’s list the imperfections:
Sky movies didn’t work.
No bath robes.
No daily room service. Use the Covid protection excuse. We have to contact room service if we want servicing. Seems like a great excuse to save money.
They expect you to service your own room but don’t have the common sense to even provide a toilet brush – disgusting.
Phone for fresh towels. Delivered but they can’t be bothered to take the dirty ones away.
Kettle and coffee machine plug leads aren’t long enough.
Stupid pod coffee machine that had the temperament of women at the wrong time of the month.
Cards cancelled before checkout.
Building site noise – not really their fault – just adds to the joy.
One pillow as soft as a brick.
Basil trainees on reception who are clueless.
Dinner menu has hardly any choice and could be prepared by a microwave guru – choose form Fish and Chips, Burger and of course Pizza.
Fish was the size of a battered sardine.
Unable to charge meals to room.
And the one good thing is – they were that incompetent they didn’t charge for breakfast.
I rest my case.
Whisk(e)y with or without the e. Did anyone notice?
Generally speaking, whiskey (or whisky) can be any of a variety of distilled liquors that are made from a fermented mash of cereal grains and aged in wooden containers, which are usually constructed of oak. Commonly used grains are corn, barley malt, rye, and wheat. So what is it that sets these liquors apart? In a nutshell, the name is based on factors such as the type of cereal grain used in the distilling process as well as how and where it was produced.
So why do you see the name of the liquor spelled both as “whiskey” and as “whisky?” No, it’s not due to a spelling error or typo. It is generally spelled “whiskey”—with an e—in the United States and Ireland. It is spelled “whisky”—without the e—in Scotland and Canada, which are both well known for their whisk(e)y, and in several other countries.
Before we go on to explain the differences between whiskey, Scotch, bourbon, and rye, here is a quick primer on whiskey in general. Whiskeys can be straight or blended: the former are not mixed with anything or are mixed only with other whiskey from the same distiller and distillation period; the latter can include various combinations of whiskey products from different distillers and different distillation periods as well as other flavorings, such as fruit juice. Blended whiskeys generally have a lighter flavor than straight whiskeys.
Scotch is a whisky (no e) that gets its distinctive smoky flavor from the process in which it is made: the grain, primarily barley, is malted and then heated over a peat fire. There are United Kingdom laws governing the definitions of various categories and marketing of Scotch whisky; they set out production regulations and specify that a whisky cannot be called Scotch unless it is entirely produced and bottled in Scotland.
Bourbon, a whiskey that was first produced in Kentucky, U.S., uses at least 51% mash from corn in its production. It also uses a sour mash process—that is, the mash is fermented with yeast and includes a portion from a mash that has already been fermented. U.S. regulations specify that in order for a whiskey to be called bourbon, it must be made in the United States. There are also regulations dictating the ingredients and production methods of the spirit.
And rye whiskey? It’s a whiskey that uses a rye mash or a rye and malt mash. In the United States, regulations stipulate that the mash must be at least 51% rye in order for it to be called rye whiskey. In Canada, regulations do not specify a minimum percentage of rye.
Any whiskey aficionado will be able to tell you that there are more factors and nuances than what we’ve mentioned above, such as what water was used to make the spirit or how long the mash is heated, various blendings, etc. This is an admittedly concise, yet hopefully helpful, primer.
Carry on along the Causeway route to Derry. We did intend to walk the walls but it looked such a depressing place in the mist and grey cloud. Drive onto our hotel at Letterkenny, a somewhat overpriced, over-starred, 4-star Raddison Blue – supposedly a 4 star but I think one star had gone over the event horizon and been consumed by a black hole. Room and decor was great and comfortable but after two of those yuppie nespro machines we give up – whoever designed them and can make such a dog’s breakfast of brewing a coffee needs shooting to save gene pool pollution.
The Dark Hedges, awesome and beautiful, especially at 08:00 with no one around. One of the benefits of such an early docking. Just ponder the forethought and wisdom of James Stuart who planted the hedges and yet could not have possibly lived long enough to see them in all their glory. I wonder how amazed he would be to see how popular and beautiful they have become. Sadly such a pity that the usual scrots have been allowed anywhere near, having carved their initials into some of the tree trunks.
What a disaster of a day. Try to book a VRBO in Annecy. Date routine is totally screwed up and then payment gets rejected. Three failed and frustraing attempts, each with 4 software SNAFU’s, as you can imagine the air was blue. As a result of this I left my wallet on the coffee table, so what you may say?
Get to Horn Head and Wendy has lunch and then we take a walk. Near the end of the walk panic sets in as I can’t find my wallet – being a nerd it’s always in the same zipped-up pocket. Has it come out by accident as I retrieve my iPhone? Retrace my 1-mile route among the heather. No luck. Spitting feathers by now, along with a few choice words of recrimination, as I’m not sure whether it’s still at home or has dropped out with we abandon the rest of the trip – not too bad as we probably wouldn’t have wanted to go that much further on. Then retrace our car journey. Of course, I don’t find it at any of the stop-off points because it’s on the damn coffee table – oh to be a geriatric.
Back home for a late afternoon tea and then we drive down to explore Bunbeg beach. I really fancy a Guiness after todays screwup. There’s a famous Irish music pub near the beach according to Apple maps. Wrong, turns out it’s on the main road. It’s closed and may open in a hour or maybe two according to the landlord – it is Ireland, what can you expect.
A really lazy start. Off down to see the spectacular cliffs at Slieve League, reckoned to be the best coastline in the whole of Europe. Pretty impressive, even if it’s a mile walk to see them after being fleeced of £5 to park. Then a drive back up the Wild Atlantic Way. Another long day. After 6 hours on the road, I’m desparate for a pint of Guiness and yet not a pub in sight. Finally we come across a remote pub, and yes they do sell Guinness, and even though the landlord doesn’t know what a barrel glass is he manages to ferret one out for me. Somehow a pint, of no matter what, always tastes better in a barrel glass rather than a girly flower vase. As my Dad used to say “you should never drink half pints, you’ll catch a cold”.
The view of cliffs of Slieve League and Malin Head. Not forgetting a pint of Guiness in a barrel glass.
Joy, start the day with Wendy nipping onto Tesco for a sandwich and a bottle of water. 24 minutes later she emerges. How can anyone take 24 minutes to buy two items, even if you do read the labels and sell by dates.
The trip to Heysham to catch the ferry went without any holdups. Now there’s a first. Efficient boarding. Booked in the Premium lounge on the ferry, all very civilised and comfy. It’s just a four-hour crossing.
Hotel is smart, comfy and the room is very modern, with a separate sitting area. Wifi is a bit tempremental, about 70Mb per sec in the bedroom but only 2 in our lounge. BBC and ITV streaming is dire but Netflix is fine, they obviously know how to write apps that can deal with croissant flaky wifi.
Good breakfast. Kippers for me, but after almost choking on one I seem to have got a smidgen of peppered kipper in my snot channel that brings on a severe bout of hay-fever, sneezing more than an Iguana in a ground pepper factory.
Drive down to Castle Town. Apart from a castle, hence their name, not really much there.
Call at Port Erin, again nothing really to write home about. Only a pizza parlour open for lunch, so its coffee for me and a kids pizza for Wendy. Good job it’s the height of the tourist season or else Wendy may have starved.
The structure was built upon the reef on the orders of Sir William Hillary (who helped to found the Royal National Lifeboat Institution) in 1832. After several shipwrecks upon the semi-submerged rock, he wanted a refuge for survivors until help could arrive. Sir William, who personally contributed a high proportion of the costs, secured a substantial number of public contributions for funding the building. The owner of the private islet was persuaded to give their permission for the refuge. After its construction, the building was stocked with provisions such as bread and fresh water for any shipwrecked persons. The tower originally housed a bell for summoning of help.
Sadly our temple of modernity has no car park so up at the crack of sparrows to move the car.
Lazy morning and then we set off for a drive over to Peel. Lash out £6 each to explore the castle. Have a shufty around the town, nothing much there but manage to find an ice cream parlour that serves coffee and some food. There was a harbour side kiosk that sold Kipper, crab or mackeral baps. Very tempting but having to sit outside at tables, in fear for our life of being blown into the harbour is a tad off putting. It’s grey, over cast, and colder than a witches tit in a brass bra is not my idea of fun.
Drive up the coast to Ramsey. Have a shuffty round but again nothing worth seeing, other than a rusty bridge. Head back home. Another dissappointing day spoilt by a blustery, cold day and uninspiring places.
After another lazy start then we drive up the coast to the Laxey Wheel. The highlight of our trip and the sun comes out, how lucky can we be?
Back to the hotel for afternoon tea.
Then to kill some time before the ferry we set off to explore yet another Neolithic Tomb. Difficult to find and I haven’t the foggiest idea why I wanted to see it, but it was on my list. It’s very remote, a challenge to find and amazingly there are other people there – I think they’re Druids as one of them is lovingly fondling and stroking one of the stones – bizarre.
Back to Douglas to kill a couple of hours – shopping – before it’s time for dinner. Not one of the most exciting shopping precincts. Meander round like two lost turtles. Finally time for dinner in the wine bar again. What a treat one of there specials is half a lobster with Queenies. Sadly I can’t drink as I have to drive but I’m orgasmic as I discover they sell alcohol free Jever, not quite as good as the real McCoy, but what a treat.
Well I suppose we’re glad we’ve been to the IoM but wild Unicorns and free trips to a lap dancing bar couldn’t drag me back.
Cashtal yn Ard (The Castle of the Heights) is one of the best ancient monuments on the Isle of Man. One of three Neolithic tombs, dating from around 2000 BC. It is the best preserved of them all and one of the largest of its kind in the British Isles. The monument was originally a megalithic chambered Cairn (a conical heap of stones built as a monument or a landmark) holding five chambers and extending over 130 feet long. Such sites were used as communal burial places for Neolithic chieftains and their families. A deed from 1795 names the monument as Cashtal y mucklagh y vagileragh (The castle of the field pigsty). It was excavated in the 1930’s and later in 1999. 
Lazy start to the day as it’s raining for a change.
Drove up to Ryde, hardly mentioned in the marketing blurb for the IoW but has free parking, an interesting pier and a diverse range of individual shops.
Up and off before 10:00. These days even Wendy’s up and ready on time. It’s only 20 minutes to the ferry and Red Funnel very obligingly let us catch the 10:30 rather than having to wait until 12:30.
One of the worst aspects of the island is the scummy tap water. You have to scrape the scum off the top and sides of a cup of tea before drinking.
Lazy start to the day as it’s rainin’ like a cow pissin’ on a flat rock. 
Drive into Chichester for a shuffle around and get the joys of M&S Food Hall – I’d rather eat my own earwax. Quite a pleasant little traffic free town though.
Brett wanted me to join him for a Turkish shave, haircut and massage. Pass, rather lick piss off a nettle than have some hairy arsed Turkish imposter stroke me arms and kneck. One wrong word and I could have me throat slit. 
Then drove into the South Downs National Park and up to the Kingsbrook Vineyard for lunch. Even though it was white – sadly all their wines were white or one Rose – I had a very pleasant Pinot Grigo they had produced. Would have splashed out on a bottle but £19 a bottle is £9 over my limit. 
Usual lazy start to one of the hottest days of the year. 
Back home for afternoon tea and then have a stroll to a Thai food festival in the park, but not prepared to pay £4 each just to go in.
After a very French breakfast of croissants. We even have strawberry jam to go on them. Sacrilege, jam or even jam and butter on a French national icon.
Back to Southampton, and a great day out nearly spoilt by traffic jam caused by cars queuing for Isle of Wight ferry (we’ll be in that queue no doubt in two weeks time).
Off to an early start – 10:00. Planning on a day driving around the New Forest.
Then drive back towards Brockenhurst and pitch up our chairs by the river there. Try and have an afternoon tea at the local hotel, but despite enough empty tables to accommodate all of todays illegal immigrants from France they’re not ready for walk-ins, but will be in half an hour if we’d care to go for a stroll. You can imagine my retort and no we won’t be coming back in half an hour. Cricket match is on the village green.
Call in at Beaulieu village but nothing really much to see there.
As recent events show, the SNP government is implacably opposed to the right to free speech, the most essential human right in any democracy. Not only has it forced the Orwellian Hate Crime Bill through, but it has also rejected Westminster’s Freedom of Speech (Higher Education) Bill. Ministers announced that they are in favour of free speech “only if it doesn’t distress or harass others”. A clear indication of just how far they are from recognising basic democratic rights.
Home is clean, modern, spacious and bright. Well stocked with essentials and a welcome pack of basic foods.
The usual lazy start. Weather forecast is for clouds and rain.
Then we take leisurely ride back including a drive around Mythr Tydfel – nothing worth being there. Call in at a NP centre but it’s closed. It’s Wales what can you expect.
Well this is supposed to be the best of the three days so we’re of out early. 
Drive down to Talybont On Usk for a tour of some of the many Caerfanell waterfalls in the NP. A pleasant walk and we see three small water falls. Mind you it’s no thanks to the map board at the car park. No North; no scale and no indication that there are two paths. Just a lazy attitude to tourism in the NP, they really can’t be bothered – mediocrity strikes again.
Then we plan a drive down some of the back roads, but thanks to a badly placed Road Closed sign end up 5 miles down a dirt track before finding that it’s this road that’s closed. You really couldn’t make this up.
Back home for afternoon tea and then we wander down into Brecon to have a saunter around the town. Hoping to find a nice pub to sit out and have a decent pint by the canal basin. Alas no really nice pubs. The towns a bit run down but at least has a lot of individual shops. Reminds us of the 1970’s, the land that time forgot.
Brecon Beacons on the A4096. Means nothing to most people but officiandos of the programme “Top Gear” will know its the famous road from the programme, used to test drive some cars. It is rather scenic but only has one hairpin bend. For someone whose driven the 11 hairpin bends up and down to Serfaus in Austria many times this is a real anti-climax.
This story has been told and retold countless times. It centres on Llyn y Fan Fach which nestles beneath the Black Mountain and on locations in the farmed lands below, which can still be reasily identified to day.
As America and France are still closed to us, it looks like we’ll have to settle for a Staycation in the UK.
Then drive down the coast and stop off at most of the little beaches. The roads are single track, would be easier to drive a car through the Kaaba doors, but fortunately there are plenty of passing places. One plus point is that most of the car parks are free for the first 30 minutes. Just enough time to saunter down to the beach, explore, be glad we didn’t have to pay to park and move on.
Finally end up at Milford Haven Marina. It’s been recommended to us but pretty dismal and most of the shops and cafes are shut, not even worthy of a coffee stop. Back home for afternoon tea, followed by some of the beer provided and the rest of that lovely wine.
Off out early. Well, 10:30 is quite a record for us. Heading down to Stacks Rock – no chance, you would end up with a 9mm round in the backside or wiped out by a mortar round, the Army firing range is in use. No chance of visiting the Govan Chapel – built into the cliff face – red flags flying there too. Next head for a walk around the Lilly Ponds – no chance car park full. Let’s drive down to Staypole – no chance the road is closed for repairs. Please, please, pretty please get me out of here and back to Park City with its wide roads; plenty of free spacious parking; no chance of being shot, at least not by the Army; good weather; so much to see and do.
As always I love to try the local delicacies so I’m like a guided missile searching for Oggies. The first shop just sells Cornih pasties, not an Oggie in sight, how un-patriotic and typical. Then the only other shop is a delicatessen with a 15 minute Covid compliance queue. But I’m determined. Finally get in and zoom to the distant deli counter where surprise there’s yet another queue but at least my sensors have spotted just two Oggies. Finally get to order them and are told how lucky I am as they are the last two. On interrogation it seems that they sell out most days about 11:00 but haven’t yet had the wit to figure out to provide more – lost opportunity cost. You really cannot make this dozy apathy up. Just typical of the lack of enterprise in the UK. Get me back to the good old USA where at least the mighty dollar, the American dream and capitalism reign supreme.
There’s some amazing and really clever software out there but in nearly every case it is spoilt by a poor Human Computer Interface (HCI), bugs and a lack of common sense.
Prompt start to the day, that means we’re out by 10:30. While we get ready and motivate Wendy, Jasper plays on iPad and Switch, sometimes both at the same time. We seem to spend all our time charging up his devices. Trying to tease him off the iPad to go out is a nightmare, yet once he’s out he loves it.
Wow, is it expensive? £65 for a day at a theme park. This is no Disney but has plenty of rides and things to do for Jasper. Weather is gorgeous, but you forget how tiring it is just walking around, queueing nad having to go on some pewk inducing rides. Good thing about this park is it has some imaginative play areas for kids of all ages. We can sit and have our picnic whilst Jasper burns off more nergy. By mid afternoon the queues are getting intolerable. 15:30 time too escape back home.
For dinner we’re off to The Wheatsheaf at Edith Weston, home to the best ribs ever in my experience. Bearing in mind I’ve experienced ribs all over America and yet these are still the best. We meet Dave and Joyce at the pub. Rest of the foods pretty good it was just the 1 hour wait, slower than a herd of turtles stampedin’ through peanut butter, that spoilt it.
A lazy start today. How unusual.
Off up to Nottingham. Visit my mum and dads grave to put some flowers on. As Jasper says, “it’s sad”. Then go to look for a playground and a stones throw from the dead centre of Nottingham is a superb little playpark with some really imaganative equipement on. We have our picnic lunch whilst Jasper enjoys himself.
Jasper is so excited and so enjoys two games. Pity about the appalling customer service and the lying bitch of a manager who has no concept of customer service, the reviews were right.
A pleasant evening in watching more Sons Of Anarchy and Jasper finally gets to play with Oren.
The wokes and do gooders have scored yet another home goal. Recent article from WSJ:
Weathers a tad dodgy today with the possibility of some rain but at least still warm.
It’s raining for the picnic so we have it in the car overlooking Rutland water. Then Wendy takes him to the bug zoo. He really enjoys it and has taken loads of photos to show me. Head to the adventure play ground for an hour. We were going to play crazy golf again but the weather’s a tad unreliable, Jasper’s quite happy to go home and play with Oren. Easily pleased.
Then it’s a fairly uneventful journey up the M1 with a stop for MacDonalds of course. Amazed at the M1 nearly 4 lanes all the way and even more amazing is the lack of roadworks. Jasper takes the journey in his stride and has he can see the satnav not a single “are we there yet?”.
Not yet another request for a meter reading.
Usual lazy start, even at Bretts. Then we have a drive down to Arundel. Quaint little town with splendid castle (closed). Pleasant walk down the river and view our kayak start point for tomorrow.
End up going to the Lobster Pot cafe on the beach. Fortunately they don’t sell beer so I’m not tempted to break my no drinking during the day commandment. Never mind soon be 17:00.
Well end of our 4 days with Brett and Karine as we set off back home. Really enjoyed our stay. Off on the road by 10:00, a record for Wendy. A congestion free trip home.
A university has escalated disciplinary action against a law student who said that women have vaginas and are not as physically strong as men. Lisa Keogh, 29, a mature student, was reported by classmates for her “offensive” and “discriminatory” comments that she allegedly made during lectures at Abertay University, Dundee. She was also accused of saying that women were the “weaker sex” and calling other students “man-hating feminists” after they suggested that all men were rapists and posed a danger to women.
I hate to criticise the NHS because I believe it is a fundamental human right, as long as people contribute to it, even if by workfare. We have such able and dedicated front line staff, just totally let down by government and senior management. Now I realise our American friends will think that this socialised medicine is tantamount to communism.