Travelling again Part 18

This will be the last episode of this series relating our travels, as our holiday is sadly almost at an end. Although we have had a wonderful time, had exciting adventures and met many new friends, we are looking forward to getting home and making contact with our friends and family again. Our lack of adequate internet access has proved to be quite a problem at times and a huge frustration, as we are so used to being able to contact all and sundry at any time either by email or Skype. However, we have survived it all and are only sorry that we were not able to respond more frequently to the many emails we have had.

This last week started on a quiet note as Carol and I finished putting up the hems of, and hanging, the second batch of curtains in the dining room thus finally completing the task. The men busied themselves in the garage – just out of hearing range! They deserved the rest though, because the next morning we were all up early, ready to drive to Settle to catch the train to Appleby, famous for its Gypsy Horse Fair. In the past, the fair has extended over about a week with the streets of the normally quiet town resounding to the clatter of hooves over the cobbles, while the River Eden which runs through the town has always been a favourite place for the gypsies to wash their horses before parading them for sale. This year though, no doubt a result of unruly behaviour in the past, the fair was restricted to the weekend only so we in fact missed the fair but we did get to see Appleby which is a delightful little town.

The train trip was great fun and a very pleasant way to see some of the most beautiful countryside, and out of the way villages. We were quite amused by one place where the station is four miles away from the town. Obviously they couldn’t get the line down into the valley and back up again, but four miles is quite a step if you have to walk it. When we arrived in Appleby we discovered that a similar situation existed there – the town was in the valley while the railway line was above on the contour. Luckily it wasn’t four miles away though! We spent a pleasant few hours wandering around the town and in and out of shops, and then after lunch, staggered up the hill again to catch the train back to Settle where we picked up the car and came home via a roundabout route.

On Wednesday we had to drive to Cleveleys not far from Fleetwood to keep an appointment. I had looked at the map and seen that Fleetwood was almost due west of where we are, so had thought it would only take a short while to drive there. When I looked at a different map though, I realised that between us and Fleetwood was a large estuary which could not be crossed by car and so we had to drive a fair distance south before arriving at a bridge over the river. I think it must have been Pensioner’s Day in Cleveleys as I have never seen so many elderly people at one time. I was rather amused to find a parking area that had special parking spaces for not only disabled drivers but for less able drivers too.

Thursday is market day in Garstang, so Neels and I went up to the market and ended up buying a few birthday cards (60p) and a jersey (£15), and the jersey was not made in China but in England! After lunch we went to Leighton Hall, a privately owned ‘stately home’, which is still occupied by descendants of the original owner who built the house some 400 years ago. First we were entertained by a display of falconry, the handler showing off the capabilities of a Lanner Falcon, a mixed-breed German falcon and a beautiful but ferocious-looking Steppe Eagle from Russia. The Lanner Falcon prefers to eat small birds and doesn’t catch its prey but knocks it out of the sky and then pounces on it, so while the handler was swinging a piece of meat on the end of a long rope around his head, the falcon climbed to a good height and then came swooping down at a phenomenal speed, to knock the ‘bait’ on to the ground. Of course, the handler made sure that the falcon did not connect with the bait on the first pass, so we had a good view of what it could do.

The mixed-breed bird was something of a disappointment. He had originally been bought as a stud bird, but when his mates did not produce any young, he was sold on to this handler who now has to teach him to ‘fly’. After several years of being kept in a cage he is neither fit nor able to fly any distance, so the handler has to exercise him every day to try to build up his strength. The falcon was very unco-operative and after a couple of low swooping passes and very clumsy landings on the perches at either end of the lawn, he was returned to the aviary and the enormous Steppe Eagle was brought out. Even the handler was rather wary of this fellow and his fearsome talons, but he was very beautiful when seen at close range.

We had to rush a little as we had also booked a tour of the house and were already nearly ten minutes late, but the guide had waited for us and took us on a very interesting and informative tour of that part of the house that is open to the public. When we emerged about an hour later the sky had clouded over and as it looked like more rain, we gave the beautifully manicured garden a quick look and then made a dash for it.

We had intended to go to two car shows over the weekend – one which was a grand two-day affair, and featured old-fashioned steam traction engines, barrel organs, fairground, stalls and much more, and another which was a much more refined type of show, limited to one make of car and held in a beautiful public garden. Sadly the first one was rained out completely on Saturday, and although we could have gone to it on the Sunday, the field in which it was scheduled to be held would have been a quagmire, so choosing to go to a different one was not really difficult. The steam show would have been fun but will have to wait for another time. Instead we attended a Rover Rally and we took the old 1937 Rover along, all gleaming and polished up. It didn’t win any prizes, but we had a great day and fantastic weather. The whole affair took place in Stanley Gardens in Blackpool. The garden cover an enormous area and has various different sections such as the lake, with many types of small boats on it;  a large childrens play area with climbing frames and other gymnastic equipment all made of wood; a formal garden, with each bed containing flowers of a different hue; and a large pond with an elaborate fountain in the centre as the main focus of it all. The cars were arranged all around the pond and there must have been about a hundred of them, ranging in age from the early 1900’s to about the 1970’s. It was quite a sight!

So our time in England is almost at an end. Tomorrow we go to stay with friends in Manchester and fly out home on Wednesday morning. To those who have ‘tuned in’ regularly, a big thank you for your support and we hope you have enjoyed travelling with us.

Travelling again Part 17

With the boat already down at Glasson Basin, Phase Two of the weekend operation could begin. We had spent most of Thursday packing clothes and food into the motor-home and the car, so on Friday we could set off without delay in the two vehicles. A parking place for the motor-home was found, conveniently close to the boat and in a short while we were settled in. As it was Jubilee Weekend, all the boats were dressed with flags and bunting, as was the motor-home, and it all looked very pretty and patriotic. A large marquee had been erected where we could all gather in the evenings and on Saturday evening everyone congregated there for some fun and games. The weather was a bit grey, but inside the tent it was cozy and became progressively noisy as we played Bingo; took tickets in a raffle and danced on the rough grass. A fancy dress event had been planned but not many people took part. We were asked to be the judges as we were deemed to be impartial! There were a few whistles and cat-calls when we chose the Commodore’s wife as the best female entrant – the Commodore and his wife supposedly being exempt from this honour. How were we to know? We had no idea who anybody was!

Also at the evening’s entertainment, empty margarine boxes filled with craft items were handed to each lady. These had to be converted into a recognisable model by the next evening, so most of Sunday was taken up with getting our fingers stuck to each other and to the rest of the pieces in the box. The afternoon, though, saw us all gathered in the marquee, where someone had rigged up a fair sized television set to allow us to watch the Queen’s Pageant. The weather was miserable, as it was for the Queen too, so it was a good way to spend the afternoon. Sadly our model did not win any prizes, but when it came to playing games etc. again, Neels won a large box of chocolates in the raffle.

After Sunday’s foul weather we were not expecting anything wonderful on Monday so were delighted when we awoke to glorious sun and clear skies. The local pub had arranged a small fair with some unusual displays, so we walked up there to see what was going on. In the pub, was a display of owls – four owls and a handler, which we found really interesting. Three of the owls were little South African Scops owls, only about twenty centmetres tall, sitting very still on top of the cages, blinking at us. The fourth was a very beautiful Barn Owl, which has white and fawn feathers, some of them having markings almost like the ‘eyes’ on a peacock’s feathers. They were all quite tame and could be stroked without fear of getting one’s finger bitten.

Outside, on the Green, people were setting up stalls for the fair. We spoke to a man who represented a swan conservation group, and learnt a few new facts about swans. There are a large number of these beautiful birds in the marshy areas around Glasson and we even saw one pair who were raising eleven cygnets.

We didn’t try the archery, being a bit nervous of the arrows missing the target and shooting through the hedge beyond – possibly with disastrous results – nor did we buy anything at the little produce stall that was just getting underway. We were, however, fascinated by a large collection of ferrets, an animal we had heard of but never seen before. Each one was wearing a minute harness and was on a lead, but, my goodness, they are certainly quick-moving creatures! I mentioned that they looked like furry snakes with legs which someone standing next to us thought very funny. Each ferret had a separate handler and we soon discovered why when two of the little animals got too close to each other and started to fight. One grabbed the other by the side of its face and although the owners were pulling as hard as they could, would not let go. Eventually a man came across and gave the one doing the biting a sharp rap on the snout and the two animals fell apart. Not really my idea of a pet, I don’t think.

After lunch, a course was laid in the Basin and a Boat Handling competition took place. The buoys were laid out in a rough diamond shape with an extra buoy between the top and bottom point. The top, bottom and extra buoy were ring buoys and each one had a collection of small plastic ducks floating inside. Each boat had two people in it and the idea was to round the first buoy, collecting one duck as you passed, using a child’s fishing net. Then up to the extra buoy for another duck; reverse back through the two side points of the diamond; up to the furthest point for the third duck and back home to the start. It doesn’t sound very difficult, but the person steering the boat can’t always see the waterline but had to come really close to the buoys for the ‘catcher’ to be able to fish out a duck, then to move off without creating too much wash which could upend the buoy and release all the ducks. Then precious minutes would be lost as all the ducks would have to be returned to the buoy before moving on. There was much cheering and/or groaning as each boat competed. And then the narrow boat owners decided to have a go too! It is one thing to steer a small cabin cruiser around a fairly tight course but something else when you have to steer from the back of a sixty-foot long vessel. It was very impressive display.

That evening was our final get-together, which was held out in the open, the marquee having been taken down while the weather was good and the canvas dry. Awards were handed out and, to his surprise, Steve had won the Boat Handling competition along with three other club prizes. Congratulations Steve!

At ten o’clock that night, an enormous fire was lit on the top of the hill above Glasson to form one of the chain of beacons around Britain that were lit to commemorate the Queen’s Jubilee. The flames shot up into the air at least ten metres or more and could be seen for miles around. We could also see the next beacon in the chain, further up the coast, while a few people who walked up to the beacon saw the one beyond that too. Once the fire had died down a bit we were treated to a spectacular fireworks display. I feel that although we may not be British, we certainly enjoyed celebrating the Jubilee with those that are.

After all the fun, it was back to the serious stuff and the boat had to go back up the locks to its normal mooring in the marina close to the house. This time, we did the passage with another boat of similar size and style, so there were two vessels in the lock together each time. I have a strong feeling that the skipper of the other boat, who was the experienced fellow who helped us on the downward trip, knew a thing or two when he told us to go in front.  Unknown to us, the front boat takes an enormous pounding from the water rushing into the lock as it fills up each time and we had to work hard to stop ourselves from crashing into either the side wall or the boat behind us. There were moments when I was quite sure my arms would be pulled from their sockets, but in the end, no disasters occurred and we all arrived at the top intact. What we did see though, was a territorial battle between two swans. As we moved into one of the locks, a swan came rushing in behind us, closely followed by a second one. There was a tremendous flapping and splashing and we didn’t think, at first, that it was anything more than a bit of fright at being closed into the lock with two boats with their rumbly engines. Soon though, we realised, that these two were engaged in a life and death battle. As the one tried to escape, the other attacked it again and again, grabbing it by the neck and pushing its head under the water and then trying to sit on top of it to drown it. The smaller and obviously weaker of the two was crying out in anguish and desperate to get away. We eventually managed to separate them using boathooks on the end of long poles, and to keep them apart until the lock was full and we could open the top gates. The swan which had been attacked immediately took off, half flying across the water until it was out of sight. At that, the other one lost interest and climbed out of the canal on to the bank, no doubt intending to waddle down the grass back to the canal level and so to return home. Luckily, no further incidents took place and we could finish our trip up the locks in peace. A memorable experience though. Then it was a gentle glide back to the marina.

It took us a day to get everything unpacked again and the mountain of washing through the machine and hung up, but the next day we were out again, this time to the Transport Museum at Leyland, just down the road, where all the big trucks used to be manufactured. They have a huge collection of transport vehicles, going right back to horse-drawn vans and buses, and everything shines and gleams as if it were brand new.

After a day out, a day in and while Steve and Neels wrestled with relocating the washing machine from the kitchen to the scullery, to make way for a dishwasher, Carol and I hung new curtains in the dining-room to replace others which came with the house when they bought it two years ago. As is generally the case with this type of job, it is never as simple as it appears to be and while the men struggled with problems of an electrical or plumbing nature, we discovered that the new curtains were about thirty centimetres too long and all eight drops had to be shortened, before we could even think of hanging them. As they are full-length curtains, we felt as if we were drowning in fabric at times, but by evening had got at least half of them up. Now we really have to finish them!

Not immediately though, as Sunday saw us out again for the day at a Vintage, Veteran and Classic Car Show. Carol had entered her 1980’s Mercedes Benz Sports coupe, while Steve had entered both his 30’s Rover and  an equally old Wolseley Police car. His friend, Peter, drove the police car. As Peter had his brother-in-law staying, he was also brought along and seemed happy to pose next to the car wearing an old-fashioned Bobby’s hat and waving a truncheon. They caused quite a stir, but no-one won any prizes. It was a lovely day out, that started off grey and threatening but cleared at about lunchtime to give us sunny skies.

Travelling again Part 16

This episode is going to cover only the first four days of the week as we are intending to spend the Jubilee Weekend away from the house and away from most mod cons. On Monday, I should have been busying myself with orderly packing in preparation for our departure for England, but my heart certainly wasn’t in it. I had decided to hand over my dongle and my French SIM card to our friends who intended to stay on in the house after we had left, but the dongle had breathed it’s last just after I sent off last week’s post so needed recharging. The nearest place to do this was in Nogaro a few kilometres away, so we thought a short last drive would be a good idea. However, with every day being a holiday for all four of us, we hadn’t realised that Monday was another public holiday and that all the shops were shut, but at least we showed them where to go to recharge the dongle. Then we had to face the inevitable and pack. The following morning they took us to Toulouse to catch our plane to England, while they, leaving their car in the long-stay parking area, caught a bus into Toulouse city where they spent the day. Our flight was pleasant and uneventful and it was simply wonderful to see my sister, Carol and her husband, Steve, again. No rest for the wicked, though, as they say and on Wednesday morning, we were off to the boat on the canal for the first stage of a long weekend away. Ahead of us was a fairly taxing trip through a series of locks. The reason for this is that the canal which runs quite close to their house and on which the boat is generally moored, is actually eighty feet above sea level, and the place we intended to spend the weekend, Glasson, is at sea level. As they had not ever done these locks on their own before, they had asked a friend to join us and he was invaluable. Carol, Neels and friend Eric operated the locks on land; Steve drove and I got the easy job of holding the ropes. It took several hours to negotiate the six locks but it was a glorious sunny day and everyone enjoyed themselves. We then came home and fell into bed after a quick supper – worn out! By Thursday the weather had changed but as Neels and I were both beginning to look a bit shaggy, we went off to the local hair-cutting shop for a quick trim. It was market day in Garstang, which was quite sad as there were fewer people out and about and all the stalls had had to put up their rain covers, but everyone still seemed very jolly. I suppose they are used to rainy weather! The afternoon was spent getting all our bits and pieces together necessary for our weekend away. And that is as far as the week goes. I will fill you in our weekend’s activities in the next episode.