Rambling around England.

[OZDUCK]

I was helping myself to some blackberries and a bed came down and did the same less than 2 feet from me. Damn Apple technology.
But here are shots of the beach.

That is indeed a pity. I for one would have loved to see a photo of a bed helping itself to some blackberries. (And of course I have never mistyped anything in my Trip Reports )

 

[drron]

Even just a flying bed would be fun. I am not going to correct that one as it does bring a smile to one's face.But back to the TR.








The raspberries were nice.

 

[drron]

 

[drron]

So now to the house. First the back yard.





And now walking around to the front.

 

[drron]

One more look outside and then we enter the house. This was not considered a stately home merely a family residence.

 

[drron]

One thing well preserved here is the fashion of the day. Some had been passed on to family or sevants and some donated back to the house.

 

[drron]

Upstairs we go.




A part of this outfit was found in a charity shop.Forensics matched it with pieces found here and it was put together again.


.

 

[drron]

Sadly these old buildings constantly need things being done.



Had some nice formal wear that would go well on future cruises.







Nice views from their office.

 

[drron]

Some important questions were answered here.

 

[drron]

More of Ann Harley and that dress.

 

[drron]

Now you might wonder about all these pictures of naval battles. Well Lord Nelson came and stayed here for a while after the Egyptian battles.










.

 

[drron]

So now it was time to leave flanked by 2 large holly trees.



And off to the next cookie cutter Holiday Inn Express. This time Cheltenham. Arrived there just after 1400 and the surly women just said check in time isn't until after 3pm so you might just go and walk around for a while. We headed to a couple of chairs in the corner. She went to serve a fellow at the bar and the other woman at the desk said I will just check with housekeeping for you. She opened a door behind the desk and came out with 4 envelopes. Handed 1 to me and said your room is ready. The envelope had our room number on it and a welcome form letter. She also gave us 2 drink coupons.
So here it is. Only slight differences to Newport.

 

[drron]

We went down and had our drinks. This HIE doesn't serve evening meals so was set up for breakfast.



Always 4 hot dishes, coughberland sausage,bacon,baked beans and synthetic scrambled eggs.
So we went for a walk to find a restaurant that took Amex. Most didn't. even in this eat street just over the road from the hotel.


And some scenes on our walk.




The white van down the street on the left was where 2 of England's finest were setting up a display for the morning. Mrsdrron had a good chat with them and I had to take their picture.
But this shop said it all for me on the subject of Apple service.

 

[drron]

We found our dinner at a place in that eat street. Brew Kitchen a microbrewery. The menu.




The Brewery.



And a flight of their ales. Pretty nice.


Now to the food. Mrsdrron had the prawns and burnt ends.

.

Whilst I had the spicy wings and Sunday's roast pork.



Wasn't too bad at all.

 

[drron]

After Breakfast I walked over to the Post Office to change some USD to GBP. Not as easy here as I arrived just after it opened and found I was number 16 in the queue and only 1 window open. The first couple took an age. Fortunately 6 of those in front of me gave up and left.
A few pics on the way back to the hotel.






We then headed for Stoke on Trent going via the A roads not the motorway. Unfortunately a miserable day with persistent rain. not the day for getting a good walk in. Just a couple of pictures when going through Kidderminster when we could get a park.

 

[drron]

On arrival at the HIE the weather was worse but at least we had great car park views.





The staff here were the most pleasant of the HIEs. Once again got 2 drinks and the points as well. They do have a restaurant in the evenings but the menu we got didn't look great so we walked to a restaurant a cross the car park called Harvester which is a chain.
We shared an entree of fried mushrooms. There were as hard as rocks with little taste. Didn't take a photo but the picture of mrsdrron's main -fried whole langoustine tails - was nearly identical as well as being hard and tasteless.


I had the ribs which would be in the running for the worst ribs that I have had.


One good thing though. This bottle was well under 20GBP.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

A B C !!!

 

[drron]

So now the realisation that I had made a mistake. Here we were in Stoke and being Tuesday all the pottery museums were closed. So some pictures of our unsuccessful attempt at finding an open museum. First what looks like an old church building is now a school.

Lots of old buildings around it including several pubs.

 

[drron]

A pay as you go public lavatory.

 

[drron]