Settling in with teddy

Good morning, just, it's almost twelve noon. Was late up, unloaded the car, hung the tent out to dry on the line and it's tying itself in knots in the wind. I want to go out today so I've bodged together a short post to be going on with and I'll be back later. Rocky getting settled in on Sunday when we arrived and pitched the tent at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire. He is happy anywhere as long as he has his bed and teddy.

Monday morning, not looking too good, but it does get better as the day goes on.



It's the weekend, I hope you are all out enjoying yourself, I'm off now, back later. Toodle pip

Carry on Camping

Hello. I spent most of the morning searching the www for accommodation for our holiday, our being me and Rocky. We are off down to the south west soon, not all the way to the end, just to Devon. We are going to meet up with blogger Lovely Grey and see what living in a motorhome is all about. We will be staying on the same campsite, near Newton Abbot, in our tent. 

It's a long trek down there, so I've made Rocky a booster cushion so he can see out of the window. We will have plenty of stops along the way, peepee breaks, stretch our legs, and a snack or two. We are breaking the journey up and stopping for two nights at a campsite at Slimbridge, between Gloucester and Bristol. I had considered booking in a B & B, there are dog friendly ones about, but they were all too pricey. Some of the big chain hotels allow dogs but I'm not paying their prices. Our pitch at Slimbridge is £28 for two nights. I looked at places to stay around Bristol, but the closer to the city the more expensive they are, so it will be under canvas a few miles out. I'm going to try and fit in a short visit to Bristol on the way through, to find Shaun the Sheep. There are 70 giant sculptures scattered around the city. Should be fun. 

That's the good news, now the bad news. Sorry but I won't be blogging along the way this time. I won't have any electric hook ups in the tent and I will be gadget free, except my little mobi, and camera, so you can be sure there will be lots of photo's when I come back. So, if I suddenly disappear, don't worry, I am out of the office. 

I had a big bowl of fresh fruit for my lunch today. Pear, melon, grapes and cherries, smothered with a big dollop of plain yogurt. Healthy and delissshhh.

I've spent that much time on the computer today, there's not much else to talk about. I did two loads of washing, one Ollie and Rocky walk, one Ollie on his own walk, and one Rocky on his own walk. I cleaned some windows and cleaned the kitchen, washed the car, and finished ironing the felt. Eaten a load of  sprouts for my dinner, oh dear  ;o(

Here's a little vid for you, have a titter at this



Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip

A day in Wells, and Wookey Hole

It's been a beautiful day again, but too hot for me. I've been trying to keep in the shade as much as I can, but my arms are a bit sunburnt. This morning I set off walking towards Street, the hostel is right on the edge, it's a 20 minute walk to the town. I had only been walking a few minutes when I came to a bus stop, an elderly lady was waiting so I asked when the bus was due and where it was going. When she said, there's one soon and it goes to Wells, I thought that's lucky, just where I want to go. Glad I brought my bus pass. 

I got off at the bus station in Wells and it was two minutes to the town centre. Here is the Crown in the High Street. 

This is a well at the bottom end of the High Street.

Fine displays of flowers, the shop keepers are making an effort to pretty it up.

In the corner of the Market Place is the National Trust shop, and through the arch to the left is the entrance to the Cathedral.

More flowers in planters and hanging baskets.

This cosy little courtyard at the entrance to the pub looks inviting. 

What fascinated me was the constant running water running down the gully's. You have to watch where you are walking because you could easily trip and fall into one. In this street there is one on each side of the road. Not very easy to navigate if you are pushing a buggy or a wheel chair. You have to look for the steel ramps crossing them if you want to get to the other side. 

When I walked through the archway and found myself at the front of the cathedral I thought, WOW, chuffin  WOW. What an amazing sight. Unfortunately the sun was on the wrong side to get a good photo, so I went back later on in the day.....

and took some better photo's. The West front has one of the largest galleries of medieval sculptures in the world. In the lower niches are biblical scenes, then it rises through kings, bishops, and angels, to the Apostles,  and Christ over all. 

The back is equally as stunning. It is free to enter, and you can walk all the way around it. 

This is the astronomical clock with jousting knights, installed in 1390. It's one of the oldest medieval clocks in the world. 

To take photographs inside the Cathedral you have to buy a permit for £3. I didn't bother, because it's always difficult to get good photo's anyway. I did sneak this one though, when no one was looking. I walked up the steps to the Chapter House and found I was the only one there. Isn't it a beautiful ceiling.  

Next to the Cathedral is the Bishops Palace. I took a walk over there, passing a game of croquet on the lawn, to check out the prices. I decided to give it a miss, not that bothered. I have a plan to spend a bit of money later.  

I continued my walk around the Cathedral, and found the music department in this building. 

Just off to the side was this lovely cobbled street, and each house had a tall chimney at the front. I thought, how unusual. 

At the end it was a dead end, just a narrow passageway to the right. There were two cars in the street but it looks like vehicles are not normally allowed.  

Some of the houses had an stone archway at the entrance over the gate. 

My next plan is to walk to Wookey Hole, so I set off across the fields. 

Some nice views from up here, I could see Glastonbury Tor.

After about an hour I arrived at Wookey Hole. I like this jolly pub sign. 

I paid my money to join the tour into the caves. £10.20p and a discount voucher, for a senior. As I walked towards the entrance I passed these monsters.

I took lots of photo's while I was down there, but they were not very good. Using a flash was not allowed, but it wouldn't have made it any better. The caves are enormous, a flash would have been lost in such a big space. I was a bit disappointed that we didn't see the witch, apparently she is very good at cackling. 

This is the underground storage area for the cheese. This spends a long time down here, and the value of one lump is between £30 and £40.

Back out in the open again, and King Kong doesn't look too happy. The kids love him though. 

The rest of it is a bit like a theme park, plenty to do for the family. It used to be a paper mill, and all the buildings have been converted to house exhibitions and a museum. They do still make paper here. There is a collection of early circus wagons. 

This one is used as a dressing room for the artists to get changed into their costumes.

And then I came to the mirror maze. Oh my, I stepped inside and tried to find my way around the corridors, it was almost impossible to find your way. I gave up and came back out the same way, coward that I am. I didn't want to be stuck in there forever. 

Now how do you prefer me, like Olive Oil tall and skinny.....

or short and dumpy with short fat hairy legs. Ha ha. 

It was time to go back, so I caught the bus as it was far too hot to walk. It was a short ride back to Wells, then another bus all the way back to Street. Last night there wasn't many in the hostel, in fact I was here alone for most of the night, as everyone had gone to bed. Even the Warden had disappeared, and I was left to lock up. Tonight there are a few more, a group of cyclists turned up, they are on a Lands End to John o Groats bike ride, they have a back up vehicle with them and they went down the town for something to eat earlier. They are back now. Tomorrow I leave here and move on to Bath Youth Hostel. There's one thing I must do before I go, and that's to go up the Tor. I shall drive to Kath's in the morning and we will do it together. Tatty byes and Toodle pip

Camping at Street, a place in Somerset, I think.

Well here I am 250 miles later, the tent is up outside the Youth Hostel in Street. Funny name for a place isn't it, not sure why it's called Street, it's like they couldn't think of anything else. So, I am in Street. 

I stopped off to visit my nephew who lives near Nuneaton in Warwickshire, he has recently moved into a new house. Not new new, but new to him. It needs a bit of work doing to it but he is chuffed to bits with it. 

It's a long drive down here, and it's been roasting hot all day. I made another stop to break the journey up, at Stow on the Wold. It's a pretty Cotswold village, very popular with tourists. Most of them had gone home by the time I got there, so it was nice and quiet. I took a few pictures to give you a flavour of what it's like in this part of the country. 

I arrived at the hostel at about 7.30pm. It's like a wooden shed, it's got a balcony on the upper floor, nice and cool to sit out on. I am in the dining area writing this, I need to be plugged in. Well here is my bed for the next three nights, I think I'm going to be rather hot in there. I've made contact with Kath, and we are meeting up tomorrow. I'm so excited, I feel as if I have known her for ages, I'm sure we are going to get on like a house on fire.   

Oooh, I've just looked out of the window, and I can't see my tent, it's dark out there. I'll go and get myself tucked up in bed, on the camp bed. Camping, more like Glamping, ha ha.
Toodle pip.