Winchester part two. Still here despite storm Bert’s attempt to get rid of us the last couple of days.

We came here for two reasons, one we had never stayed here before and two it was ideal for visiting friends from here. So a plan was hatched for three visits out from here.

First trip out was to near Reading to visit some friends who are into the Hot Rod scene which is how we met a long time ago. We have been meaning to catch up with them for ages but one thing or another it never happened. It’s our fault really because we’re never in one place for long enough not like most people who have a base.

I was really looking forward to seeing Andrew Chris and Sam their son and of course seeing the hot rod collection and more. They had also been building a new home which we had seen photos of last time we saw them, which was actually six years ago we managed to work out. How time flies.

The house was fantastic as we knew it would be and with a big garage in the garden to house his and her hot rods. I was in heaven as we toured the garage and the latest bike build in another part of the garage.

After drooling over the garage we then went off down the road to see Sam their son who runs his own repair shop which sees a hot rod or two through its doors. At the same premises is a collection of lock ups which house more old cars and bikes and other machinery. We had such a great day with them catching up and the garage tour was great.

We left when it was dark which was not ideal because I have trouble driving at night with the other cars lights etc. But it was worth it.

A couple of days later I had planned to go out on my bike on a twenty five mile ride which was a loop around some back roads. This also took in a detour to a building called the Grange which I wanted to get some photos of.

I had looked at the route on line and studied the google map so had an idea where I was going. But it meant stopping, reading the directions and then going off and stopping again in a mile or so or if I was lucky a few miles. The more I remembered the less times I had to stop. So I stopped a lot.

The Grange is a grade one listed neo classical mansion built in the 1660’s and is owned by English heritage. It’s used for weddings and concerts, that’s if you have lots of money. How much? only from £1350 per person. They do all the organising but drinks are extra.

It was so nice being there with no one around, shame I could not get a look inside. Back on my bike I headed down the driveway where countless carriages would have gone up and down when people used to live in the Grange over the years.

Shortly after leaving the Grange I stopped at a junction to look at my directions and yes I was lost, somehow I had missed a turning, probably going too fast. I set off then realised that way was not right so looked on google earth to see where I was and where I should be. I had was a mental block and decided to head up a road in which I thought was the right direction.

After a mile I came across a sign saying road ahead closed, surely a small bike could get through. There was a diversion which took me down a small road and then I saw a Bridle way which I thought if I took that, went down through a wood I would be where I wanted to be. It all worked out ok and I was back on track.

I finally got back to the campsite and had done 28 miles instead of 25 so not too far out my way and more interesting maybe.

We needed two new tyres on the car and there was a tyre shop in Winchester so I booked online and paid for the tyres. How much? That’s eight tyres I have bought in the last six months. Can anyone lend me a pound.

To get over the shock and before I ran out of money I needed to get a pint down my neck so the next day we planned on going into Winchester. Nikki caught the bus in the morning and I decided to walk in. I don’t like wandering around shops. I met her in a coffee shop.

Surprisingly she had not bought anything but told me she had seen a nice jumper but could not justify the price. How much? £550 she replied. I said it’s a good job she didn’t buy it otherwise she would have to take it back.

While in WinchesterI wanted to sell my old phone so walked into a phone shop/ repairer and asked How much? £110 cash now. Deal I said. We had already decided that if I could get £100 for it I would be happy. It was only sitting in the cupboard getting older and worthless.

So with £110 pound in my pocket and a pub in my sights off we went and nearly three hours later my phone money was all spent on some beer, wine, food, lunch coffee and cake and the bus fare home.

Out of the pub and up to the bus stop and not long to wait for the bus and no crowd. Driver was a happy soul, or I am sure he would be if it was Xmas or perhaps that was what he was so miserable about, the thought of all those people out there enjoying theirselves while he is taking them home. It was his career choice.

Back at base we slept well. The next few days were cold with even a little bit of snow. Luckily that didn’t last and I think we got off lightly to what some of the country got hit with.

While I was lost on my bike I went through a small town called New Alresford and thought Nikki would like it so we decided to go there and have a look around. It’s only five miles away so we drove there and parked up and walked up one side of the street and down the other. It’s a proper old town with a street market on a Thursday, we went on Friday so missed the market.

There is also a railway station which does steam train rides called the Watercress line. The train is all geared up for doing some night runs at the moment and the train and carriages are all decked out with lights. I wanted to get some photos of the old carriages and the station because it’s a lovely old building and has been left and restored that way.

I walked up towards the end of the station and all the gates were locked. A guy asked if he could help me. I said I just wanted to take some photos so he let me in. Really nice of him. So I had the whole station to myself to take photos.

As we walked back to the car we looked in estate agents windows to see what we could not afford. How much? You need a big bank balance to live around here I can tell you.

We passed St John’s baptist church which looked nice in the sunlight and a lovely row of old cottages.

This last weekend we were supposed to go to visit some friends in Andover. I came down with a bug so Nikki went in her own while I just slept and felt horrible. I am feeling a bit better now and Nikki had a great time so all was good.

And as I started doing this blog today our heating has packed up. Great! just as it’s starting to get colder. My first thoughts were after trying different things to see if I could find out what’s wrong with it were. HOW MUCH is this going to cost. I will tell you next time I post on here. We leave here to head for Devon in two days where hopefully I can get it fixed. I need to get my jumper and gloves out for now.

We left Grafham water site and I headed for the M1, M25, M3 towards Winchester. Nikki went a different way to avoid the motorways. Surprisingly all the motorways were flowing really well even with the roadworks and being down to 50mph. So a good journey and made good time.

The first afternoon is always a lazy one after a drive, so we just chilled out and decided to go into Winchester the next day on the bus. It saves the trying to find somewhere to park stress, and more importantly if we decide to have a drink in a pub we can both have one instead of more decisions as to who is going to have a drink and who is going to drive.

The bus stop is a five minute walk away and costs just two pounds each to hop on and hop off where ever you like. We hopped off in the town/ city and wandered up the high street through the street markets and wished we had not had lunch before we came out. Reason being a lot of the market stalls were food from all over the world and I was starting to dribble.

I wanted to get some photos of the cathedral so back through the food stalls and down a small alleyway led us to Winchester cathedral. All decked out with poppies ready for Remembrance Day.

Winchester cathedral was built between 1079 and 1532. Thats years not the time. At 170 metres long it’s the longest medieval cathedral in the world. We didn’t go inside and one side had scaffold up so pictures were hard to get.

As usual before getting here I had done some research and I found a pub I wanted to visit. I know that you’re thinking no surprise there. The pub is called the Black boy and I just had to go there to see the inside. Full of memorabilia and stuffed animals and all sorts of weird stuff. And some nice real ales and wine for Nikki.

To get to the pub we had to go through the street market again only this time we could not resist the tempting offers and opted for a samosa each off an Indian stall. And yes it was very nice. I also spotted a lovely old clock in the high street, well to be honest it wasn’t that hard to miss being so big but was high up and looked fantastic.

The pub did not disappoint. A proper old pub with beams and small rooms dotted about, a mish mash of furniture and the decor was so interesting. The barman told me he had worked there for a few months and still sees stuff he hasn’t seen before. To be honest I could have stayed in there for the evening and I think if they did food I would have but it was only 3pm and we had to get back to home to eat. The food stalls on the market would have shut up by the time we left the pub.

We decided to catch the five pm bus back to base. What a mistake that was as the bus stop was full of students catching their bus home. From Winchester the bus goes to a small town called New Alresford and not a lot in between. So I thought the bus would stop just down the road out of Winchester to let off all the students even though it’s only a ten minute walk why would they walk when they can save their legs and travel for free with their student pass. I was wrong, they were all going to New Alresford.

It was dark now and not knowing when to press the bell to get the bus to stop for our stop Nikki asked a young girl next to her if she knew the route. She didn’t but another young girl behind us said she did and will press the bell for us. As the bus stopped I thanked her for helping the aged. We know to stay in the pub longer now so all the students have gone home and the bus will be quieter.

A couple of days ago we had a walk up Morn hill which is next to the huge cemetery. Morn hill is where there used to be some camps during the First World War. Now it’s just fields and a nature reserve but there are some information boards and reading them you relized how lucky we are and how hard it must have been for those poor soldiers. Many who lost their lives.

Yesterday I went out on my bike. There is a cycle route called the South Downs way which goes from Winchester to Eastbourne. It’s about 100 miles. No I didn’t do it all but I did some of it being off road and some on the back roads away from the traffic. The first time out I did 16 miles and yesterday 24 miles.

I went to Hockley railway viaduct via back roads and cycle route 23 The viaduct sits near to the M3 and still has one of the old signals on it. The walls to it are high so you can’t see over the top but at one end is a barred piece so you can see below.

After leaving the viaduct I went on some back roads which took me through a lovely old village called Easton and then on through Avington estate onto some off road trails. Past some sheep which looked like teddy bears but sounded like sheep. Past a couple of nice looking pubs. The bike handle bars went strange then pulling towards the pub but I resisted and managed to get them in a straight line.

I passed an old house I would love to own with all the grounds and barns. Just need a lotto win and time to get it done up. Then we could move in. The nice pub is only a mile away also. Off to get a lotto ticket now.

So that’s us for almost the first week here. We are here for another two weeks. Tomorrow we are off to Reading to see some friends for the day. They are into the Hot Rod scene also so we will be talking a lot about cars. The sun is actually shining now but it’s cold.

After leaving York we headed for Carsington water. A site near a big lake which I was hoping to bike or walk around while we were there. The site is set above the lake on a small hill and is in a pine forest. All very nice but the pine needles get everywhere.

The site was not very busy when I arrived and I parked up, then realised I was close to the play area. Ok I thought it’s the end of the kids holidays that’s why it’s quiet. I was wrong.

The next day more family’s came and that meant more kids. Don’t get me wrong I don’t mind kids but I hate the screaming and shouting. Maybe I am just getting old. It will be fine I said to Nikki we are out in the day and we’re only here for a few days. We survived although only the last two days were silent. The clocks going back helped.

We went for a walk from the site to the visitor centre. We were hoping for blue skies but it was all Misty. So Misty we could not see the other side of the lake but in a strange sort of way it was nice.

The visitor centre was really interesting and there is a small island off the lake you can walk to. As it was Halloween it had a theme and they had made a great effort to entertain the kids for Halloween.

On the island were some sculptures which had holes in so you looked at the view through them to get a different perspective. These were probably really good when they were first built but since then the trees and bushes have all grown up so the view from most of them is a waste of time. I found one which was good and made a nice photo.

The next day I planned on biking around the lake which is 8 miles around, I would have gone around twice or more to make it a nice ride. But my plan was scuppered due to 10k run and a half marathon going on around the lake so I still went out on my bike but up in the hills and back roads avoiding all the runners and traffic.

Out and about I came across a pub with an unusual name. I do like pub names and often wonder how they got their name. This one made me chuckle.

Our friends Kevin and Sheryl were staying on a site about ten miles away and originally came from this area so know it very well. They told us some nice places to visit but we would have needed to be in the area for a few weeks to see them all. It is a lovely area though and we will be back.

Chatsworth house is not far away and Kevin said there is a lovely farm shop there. Chatsworth house is a very famous royal house but at £35 each to go in we gave it a miss. But we did go to the farm shop and managed to spend nearly fifty pounds.

Kevin and Sheryl picked us up one morning and we went off for a tour of the area. They showed us where they used to live etc and the little surrounding villages where Kevin worked as a local policeman. Now when ever we meet up with them it normally involves an early doors pint. The pub just five minutes from where they were staying was the choice this day. And another funny name for a pub.

All too soon we had to leave the campsite and move on to a CL about two and a half hours away. A CL is a small five pitch campsite. The reason for us choosing this one was we had to take the camper to have the heating fluid changed in Wellingborough. And this was about 40 minutes away. But that meant we had to leave at 7am to get there to avoid the main traffic. We could have stayed at the place that was doing it so I messed up there. Unusual for me I know.

We were at the CL for two days so had a drive out on the second day to a viaduct I had found while doing my research.

The Harringworth viaduct is the longest masonry viaduct in the U.K. It is 1275 yards long which is actually 1.166 km. It has 82 arches, some 60m high and each arch has a 40 ft, 12 metre span.

It is built with 20 million bricks, no I didn’t count them. 20,000 cubic yards of concrete, 19,000 feet of cubic stone. Some brickwork is lime so 37,543 cubic yards of lime, 5,826 cubic yards of barrow lime which is used in the concrete and mortar. The first brick was laid in March 1876. I bet you never knew that.

After we left the viaduct we came across a lovely old town called Uppingham so had to park up and have a stroll around. Some lovely old buildings and a lot of well to do people. I loved the old bakery.

The next day we got up early and headed for Wellingborough to get the heating fluid changed. We were last there five years ago and the staff are so professional. A real old school service which sadly you don’t get at a lot of places now. We left there just before midday and headed for Grafham water where friends run a campsite.

Again the campsite is near a huge lake which sadly I have not had time to get around on my bike or walk so that’s another reason to come back here. This site was built on what was once a hunting estate for the Oliver Cromwell family.

It’s a small village and again has some lovely old houses but a real community feel. So much so it has a small village shop which is like a prefab shed and next to it looking more like a shed is the village pub. Not so much a funny name on this one, Grafham trout just a funny building. Of course you have to support the local community while you’re there and how could we walk to see the pub and not go in. It’s impossible. And if it was closed that would be bad research on my behalf. A couple of drinks was had to support the local community.

We also went to visit Nikki’s sister Jo from this site and had a nice time catching up with her and her son Ben. She lives in a modern house but a few minutes walk from the front door is a small lake and nice walk.

So today is our last day here. The site is empty as it’s the end of season. We are just chilling out and tomorrow we head off to Winchester. It will be a three hour trip involving mostly motorways including the M25 which I hope is flowing well.

Just before we left the site at Powburn I went out on a bike ride with a couple of guys I had contacted through a mountain bike forum that lived up that way. Having not been on my bike for six weeks and with my fitness at a low point I wondered if I done the right thing. These guys although of similar age go out twice a week.

The weather was looking good so we set off from the campsite and within a mile we’re climbing up a big hill I had seen while out walking and then turned into a farm track. The scenery was spectacular and it was pointed out to me that the hills in the distance were where we were heading. My thoughts were… bloody hell if we’re heading out to them we also have to come back from them.

The eastern Cheviots as the hills around there are called were wet in places, steep in places but great fun and we ended up doing 23 miles mostly off road. My legs and my back can vouch for this. The next day was a rest day.

Next destination was York, the campsite being on the edge of York. So big city big lights. I had planned things to do while here. York minster, York railway museum, shambles, walk the city walls etc. Oh and of course have a beer and a bite to eat. Did you know York used to have 365 pubs, one for each day of the year. Not as many now but still a lot to choose from.

From the site a short drive of about two miles gets you to the park and ride which then takes you into York city centre. York is actually not that big so to walk around it is quite easy apart from all the other peaple who are in there. But to be honest it was not as busy as I thought it would be.

As we walked up the famous Shambles street it was obvious this is where the tourists were, which is why we were there and I expect they were saying the same. If you like Harry Potter this is the street to go to, they even have a ghost shop which had a queue waiting to go in and a shop called The shop that must not be named.

It’s the old buildings I like. The shambles is not very long and by the time you dodge half a dozen peaple you are at the other end wondering what it was all about. Next stop York minster abbey. A Anglian cathedral built between 1230 and 1472. It’s very impressive. I only took photos from the outside, to go inside was expensive and there were a lot of peaple in there so I will save that for another day.

The photos below don’t do the building justice really. It is really impressive when you see it towering above you. At the moment they are doing some renovation work so part of it is covered in scaffolding but there is so much of it that you can see. Some of the photos are of different angles. Arty farty photos I call them.

I could write so much about York minster and show many photos on here of it but you really should go and see it for yourself to get the feeling for it.

After looking at it, taking photos of it we were hungry so a lunch and a sit down was called for. Then a walk on the city walls. The city walls are the walls that surround the centre of York and you get onto them at different points so you can walk as far as you like and at the same time think of all the romans that would have walked along them walls. There view would have been different from the view today.

The old part of York was so nice with so many old streets and shops that had crooked windows, little doors, all full of tempting things to buy if you had enough money. Lots of tempting pubs but we had to drive back to the campsite after the bus so we resisted the pubs on this day.

The title of this blog today is Down Memory Lane and is dedicated to my dad who passed away a year ago. My dad is missed so much and when when ever we met up with him it was like a proper lads day. He used to love the old steam trains and even worked on them many years ago. So on the one year anniversary of him leaving us all we planned a day out with him in our thoughts. We would do the things he liked. Get a taxi into the city, visit the railway museum and have a meal and a beer out and then a taxi home.

Taxi booked and into York. We then walked through the old streets to a tea room by the river where we had lunch. I chose to sit outside overlooking the river that way if I shed a tear thinking about my dad I could blame the wind.

After a very nice lunch we headed for the railway museum. I walked on the city wall and Nikki on the paths around the streets. The reason being this part of the wall only had a wall on one side and a drop the other side which freaks Nikki out. We met at the other end.

York railway Museum is free to get in and donations are greatly received. I like this sort of system and always support it. I payed for three because my dad was with us which bought a tear to Nikki’s eyes.

Once inside we relized how big the museum is. It has to be really to show off the steam trains. As well as the steam trains and old diesel trains including the Bullet train from Japan there were lots and lots of memorabilia. We were in there for over two hours and I would go back another day and spend more time there. Some of the many photos I took below.

By the time we walked out from the trains we were thirsty so we headed for a pub. We would have loved to go in and out of a few pubs because there are so many nice looking ones but we can’t do that now so we headed for one we had seen, The old White Swan. Turned out to be a good choice so a beer or two and a nice meal was had.

I was told about a cocktail bar in York called the evil eye so I suggested to Nikki we went there to finish the evening off. My dad would have approved and laughed about it. I don’t like cocktails so I had a mocktail which is a cocktail with no alcohol. The Evil eye was amazing place with lots of different rooms and levels to it. I would imagine at the weekend this place would be packed. We had the one drink and then left to get our taxi back.

We got to our pick up point and rang the taxi and got taken back to site. Me, Nikki and my dad had a great day out down memory lane. And yes I did shed a tear or two which I think is normal even for a grown man.

Now before I sign off today I just have to tell you some spooky things that happened on the day out. Paying for three of us at the railway museum sent a chiver down my spine because my dad would have insisted on paying so I knew he was there and that was his way of reminding me.

In the museum were a lot of scale models of trains, I mean hundreds of them and you could not possibly see them all. But as walked along looking at some of them one caught my eye. The steam train was called Remembrance and was built by a guy who lived in Worthing which is where my dad lived. The final spooky thing really freaked me out. While waiting for the taxi, just stood there chatting to Nikki saying what a great day we had a classic car cruised by. Not just any classic car though but a Jenson intercepter which was my dad’s dream car. I always said if I won the lotto I would buy him one.

There is only about 135 of these cars registered on the road in the U.K. You just don’t see them very often at all. How weird was that and it had only been in the area for about a month. Nikki found it on line and had been sold at auction after a restoration. Just writing this now is making me shed a tear.

RIP Dad XX

We are still at River Breamish campsite but nearly left early. Let me explain. The campsite is right next to the river breamish hence the name of the site. It’s actually in a place called Powburn.

The weather had been good until the rain came and it came in force. Two days and two nights of constant rain meant the river levels were higher than normal. The managers of the site knocked on our door at 8.30pm saying the site was on flood alert and the pitch we were on was near the river so would be one of the first to flood.

So the choice was to stay put and risk it or move to another part of the site. They were advising people to move instead of possibly moving in the middle of the night. Not a good idea. I think there were about eight of us that had to move.

Now when we move the camper everything gets packed away and all put back out when we arrive at the next destination. It’s a well planned operation and Nikki has got it off to a fine art now after ten years living in this camper so when I drive off there are no rattles or bangs or even worse cupboards flying open and spilling out the contents all over the camper and with me on the move not able to stop straight away and pick everything up. I do all the outside stuff before moving off.

We decided to move pitch and as it was only around the other side of the site it would not be a full pack up just a basic one and I would drive carefully to another pitch. All done and Nikki took the car around to the other pitch and I drove the camper round. All safe and sound on anther pitch and off to bed.

The next morning Nikki complimented me on my driving telling me that in the rush of having to move and put a few things away she had left a full bottle of tonic water on the edge of a open cupboard and a full glass of water on the kitchen worktop and neither of them had moved luckily.

The next day the river levels went down and life was back to normal, the sun came out and it was a lovely day. As the sun went down and the blinds were put up to shut the world out another knock on the door from the site managers to tell us the northern lights were visible.

Having always wanted to see the northern lights I was outside with my camera and pointing it towards the sky. They were very faint but you could see the different colours. I was happy I had seen them and got some photos. Off to bed.

About half past midnight I woke needing a comfort break as you do when your old, long gone are the days I could drink eight pints and go to bed and sleep until the morning. Now if I look at a glass of water before going to bed, a couple of hours later I need to get up again.

Anyway I got up and had to look out the window to see if the northern light were still visible. WOW just wow I could see them as plain as could be. So shorts and T shirt on, I don’t think other people on site would have liked to see me running around the site naked taking photos at gone midnight. They were so bright and the changing colours were fantastic. I took so many photos, and then went back to bed with a big smile knowing that thousands of people spend hundreds of pounds going to Iceland and other places to see this. And some don’t even see it then. And here I was in Northumberland just stood outside my camper looking at it.

The next day we went off to Craster, a small fishing village on the coast. Another £6.50 to park. But it’s more than just a village in a way. It’s the best place to park and then walk along the coast path to Dunstanburgh castle. You could park further away and save the parking fee but would have to walk at least three miles to the castle. We opted for the £6.50 and walk along the coast path a mile to the castle.

Dunstanburgh castle is an English Heritage property but as we are national trust members it was free to get in once we walked there. The sun was out and it was a lovely walk.

The castle is 14th centuary so it’s been standing there on the north east coast for a while being battered by the winter storms. At least some of it is still there.

There is one part of the castle, the tower which you can walk up and get a view from the top. A stone spiral staircase takes you there. Nikki opted out of this part but I just had to go up the top. The view was fantastic but it was windy up there.

Amazing how these castles were built. The ground around the castle looked like an old quarry and the carpark we parked in was an old quarry so the stone would have been got from the area. But to carry it any distance and get it to those heights is just mind blowing.

We walked back to the car via the small harbour and headed out towards a beach for our lunch stop. The beach we were going to go to was called Sugar sands and looked just what we wanted for a picnic. I also wanted to sit on the beach in the sun with no wind and even go for a swim. But it was October and the sun had gone off somewhere else the wind had picked up and the sea looked cold. So we gave Sugar sands a miss and headed for another free car park at Boulmer beach a bit further down the coast. Parked right in the front row looking out to sea eating our picnic with the wind howling outside we were good.

Yesterday we headed off to Cragside house. Another national trust property only about twenty minutes away. We knew it would be busy being a Sunday and a nice day so we got there early and parked up. And set off to walk to the house through some of the grounds.

The house was home to William and Margaret Armstrong many years ago and they had their dream house built and the grounds landscaped with lakes etc. with experimental technology using hydroelectricity it was the first place in the world to be done like this. Britains original smart home.

The interior of the house was just as impressive. In fact I will go as far to say it was the best national trust property I have been inside. The national trust do a great job restoring and keeping all these old property’s going, it’s our history and should be kept going. They have a lot of volunteers working for them. In all the houses they have people in different rooms who are very knowledgable. Normally these people pounce on you and start telling you everything about every bit of that room. I normally let Nikki go in the room first and then she gets caught while I sneak around and carry on. This property though all the people were there but didn’t pounce on you but if you wanted to know some thing they would answer all your questions. I complimented one of the men in the room for this and he was pleased.

Below are some interior photos.

After walking around the house which seems like hours because it was so interesting we went back out into the grounds to go to the formal gardens and clock tower. The formal gardens would be where all the plants were and the greenhouses to grow fruit etc. The greenhouses had tiered levels so that the small fruit trees did not shade each other. They were also grown in large pots which were on turntables and would have been turned at different times of the day so all the tree was exposed to sunlight. The windows in the large greenhouses were opened by a series of cogs and handles. All very impressive.

By now we were hungry so walked back to the car and ate our picnic in the car again. From the carpark there is a six mile carriage drive which would have been built for the lady of the house to go around in her carriage or on horseback. We opted to do the drive and it was so nice. Passing lots of picnic areas, we will know next time where to have our picnic. Through lots of wooded areas and moorland, and around a lake.

So that’s us up to date. Tomorrow I am going out on my bike up in the hills and then Thursday we leave here to go to York with a couple of days planned in York to see things.

We left North Berwick and headed for Melrose. Only a short drive of just over the hour. The site is in the town of Melrose so I approached it from a different way being in the camper than Nikki in the car.

Melrose is a lovely old fashioned town near the river Tweed and famous for the rugby Sevens. It has a lot of independent shops and some nice pubs and cafes. Of course as usual before I go anywhere I do some research to see what’s in the area.

Within walking distance there is an old abbey, a viaduct and the old road bridge so I was happy that I should be able to get yet more photos. Driving there on the A68 I crossed over a bridge, a modern bridge but to my right I could see what would have been the old road bridge with its arches and beyond that the viaduct which would have been for the trains. These bridges were where I planned to walk to from the town.

After getting set up and chilling for the afternoon after the long drive 😂 The next day we had a walk around the old town and up to the abbey. The abbey was built in 1136 and at the moment has a lot of scaffolding around parts of it. No they are not still building it but checking the structure and doing repairs.

I noticed that in the abbey grounds amongst the gravestones were some big spotlights so thought the abbey must be lit up at darkness. So off I went to the ticket office and asked the question. The reply was I don’t know. My reply was and you work here. The only way to find out was to come back when it was dark. Luckily it’s getting dark earlier now so it would not interrupt my sleep pattern too much. And yes it is lit up at night as the photos show. Maybe I should have gone back to the ticket office and told them.

A short walk the next day took us to Gattonside suspension bridge which crosses over the river tweed. The bridge opened in 1826, was refurbed in 1928 and strengthened in 1991 by Travers Morgan. It’s a lovely old bridge and a sign on it says that no bikes to be ridden across it, no more than eight people to cross it at once and no intentional swinging of the bridge allowed.

We walked across the bridge and back again just because we could. The next day I planned to walk to the viaduct and old road bridge. A bit too far for Nikki to walk there and back so I went off on my own. It’s a lovely walk through the country and on through the village of Hawthorn and then the old road which is now blocked off. About three miles each way. The sun was out and the clouds were doing their best to cover it up but it was dry so life was good.

The Leaderfoot viaduct was opened on 16th November 1863 and carried the railway line. It’s now closed but looks impressive just standing there. It always amazes me how they built these things and they are still standing now.

I really wanted to get a picture of both bridges, I also wanted the sun to be out when taking that photo. To get that photo I had to walk a bit further on and then get myself down the river bank and walk back to the bridges and hope the sun would come out from behind the clouds for a moment. The things I do to get a photo sometimes amazes me. But I did it and hope you like it. I was very happy with the result.

The photo shows Drygrange old road bridge and the Leaderfoot viaduct. The other photo is from a different angle.

Drygrange old bridge would have carried the traffic years ago and is now replaced by the modern bridge on the A68 which I drove over to get to Melrose. Again I love the fact it’s still standing after all those years. It opened in 1779.

The photo above shows the new bridge, the old bridge and the viaduct. A lot of years between them but all still standing. The only one you can’t cross now is the viaduct which is fenced off for safety reasons. I did do a short walk to see if I could get the top of it. But I was stopped by some very serious fencing. I still took a photo through the fencing and imagined the old steam trains passing over it years ago.

My mission was completed and as I walked back, stopping at a bench to sit in the sun and enjoy the peace and quiet overlooking the fields where many years ago would have been a Roman settlement. That evening we went down the pub for a drink and a meal. We prefer to go out early so we can have a drink before our meal. When I say early I mean about 4 pm and eat between 5pm and 6pm. For the record Nikki had salmon with noodles and I had a bloody great big burger and chips. A good nights sleep followed ready for the drive the next day to a site called River Beamish in a place called Powburn.

At river Beamish which means we are back in England now. Or Northumberland to be precise. A lovely site away from the main road so very quiet. Apart from the lakes the other side of the trees which are where all the Canadian geese and grey lagged geese go for the day. But I don’t mind the sound of birds at all. It’s a great sight seeing them fly in every morning and leaving again early evening.

We had a walk around both lakes the other day and there were hundreds of geese and ducks out on the lake. There are a couple of bird hides also so you can sit in and watch them. After walking around the lakes we walked the backroads back to site which included going past an antique / retro shop. We had to go in because we love all the old stuff. Nikki fell in love with a coat which was very unusual. Not hundreds of years old but just very unusual and by a French maker. So yes she had to have it. It’s a very nice coat though and looks good on her.

While we were in the antique shop we got talking to the couple running it and they said the red arrows were flying over later. They told us what time and Nikki looked on an app when we got back to the camper and we hoped they would be visible from where we were. Sure enough at the time we were told 15.48 they flew right over us. I did wave to them but they were too busy looking where they were going to wave back.

After my research of the area I had a short list of things to do. One was to visit Holy island which is reached by driving over a causeway. When the tides out obviously, although some people think they can beat the tide and have to be rescued and their car written off. That was not going to happen to us.

Holy island or Lindisfarne as it’s also known is a small island just off the coast reached by a causeway. There are signs telling you the safe times to cross and it’s also on the internet. So no excuse really to get stuck. You have a window of about six hours and it changes daily because of the tides. There are plenty of videos on YouTube showing cars getting stuck and people having to be rescued. Personally I think these people should be charged if they are stupid enough to ignore all the warnings.

Our window of opportunity was between 9 05am and 16 15pm so plenty of time to get on the island, take some photos and off again. It’s not very big so not a lot to do. A castle and an old abbey being the two main things I wanted to get photos of.

What I never thought about was how busy it would be. I thought in the main summer season it would be packed but we are now into October and the weather is colder and the sun making less of an appearance. We got there at 10 30am so the tide was well away from the causeway and it was so weird driving across the causeway with sand and sea either side of us. I felt a bit like Jesus with the parting of the waves.

We got to the carpark which is big and it was heaving. And at £6.50 for a minimum of three hours I wish I owned that bit of land. I hate paying for parking but in this case I had no choice other than to turn around and go back. Ticket for parking got boots on and a walk towards the castle with the herd of other people. The crowds soon thinned out though.

Lindesfarne castle is a 16th centuary castle that sits on the end of the island perched on top of a huge big rock. I was not interested in going in the castle with all the crowds but wanted to get some photos of the outside. Nikki sat on a bench overlooking the bay while I marched on towards the castle to get my photos.

The weather held out for our visit although the sun was a bit shy in showing itself. The walk back from the castle towards the harbour was nice passing some very unusual sheds. Basically they are upturned boats with a door put on one end. Very unusual but look great. They look like they are covered and then waterproofed to keep out the harsh weather.

After looking around the harbour we walked towards the 12th centuary priory. Another building that has stood for many years. The monks would have settled on Holy island in AD635, that is a very long time ago. And again it amazes me how we know these things. No one is still around to tell us their grandad used to live there.

Back to the car and get back off the island before we are stuck on there for the night. The carpark was still filling up but we had seen what we wanted to see. So that’s us up to date we are here for another ten days and then off to York. It’s pouring with rain today so it will be a day inside.

Our winter trip from Killin and back over the next six months was going to be over eighteen destinations. We are at number three now and move on to number four tomorrow.

For the last week we have been on a site next to Yellowcraig beach. The journey from Markinch to here was only an hour and a half and Mostly motorway but it was a horrible journey for one reason or another.

As soon as we were pitched up and had some lunch we’re were off down the beach. The plan was to have a drink on the beach as it was Nikki’s birthday but with a overcast day and a very chilly wind and the fact we had both had horrible drives to get there we gave up on that idea.

Beach walk done and a nice dinner and of course a birthday drink or two it was an early night. Being no where near a main road the site is so quiet and peaceful and dark at night so a good sleep was had. That’s nothing unusual for me but even Nikki had a good sleep.

A walk was planned for the following morning into Dirleton, a small village about half an hours walk away. The old castle which had been stood in the village for 800 years was our target.

The walk was through a wooded area and across fields and then you come into the village green. The pub looked very inviting but was closed until later.

Some of the castle was off limits due to repairs so the admission price was half of what it would be normally. Funnily enough though the castle was built in three stages and it was the newest part which needed the repairs. It was still a lot older than a modern house.

The castle was impressive outside and inside and then we went into the garden where a Dovecot was. The dovecot would have held 1000 nest boxes and is a very impressive structure.

And then we went into the garden which was in two parts. only small but kept so nice with loverly plants and small bushes and trees. I expect years ago they would have grown all their own vegetables and had chickens, cows and pigs to live off.

We walked back a different way trying to pass a little cafe but failed and had to sit outside and have a drink and a slice of cake and watch the world go by. Then continued on our walk back along a backroad and spotted several deer in a field who kept there eye on us just to make sure we never got to close.

There are so many golf courses in Scotland and this area has a few. I looked online at the price of one and if you wanted to join it would cost you 35 thousand pounds and then another £1900 per year. So I think I will give that a miss and stick with the crazy golf. When you see some of the houses that are built close to the course you can see there’s a lot of money in this area. And with the average house price in North Berwick being 516 thousand pounds it’s an area we will not be living in.

North. Berwick is only about three miles down the road with a loverly little harbour and a street full of independent shops. We drove there and parked up and had a wander around and almost got away with not buying anything until we come across a cake shop window full of cakes to die for.

Going into the shop I was dribbling with the site of all the different cakes and freshly made bread on display. Then I looked at the prices of each cake and almost fell over. £4.75. So yes we had a cake each and I also had a sausage roll. A cheap lunch really. We went down by the beach and sat in the sun eating them, all the time watching out for seagulls who would have loved to get a piece of cake. But at that price they were not getting a crumb.

The Tern statue above is outside the Scottish seabird centre which is down the harbour.

After having our walk around and our very expensive cake it was time to go back to the car with one more photo stop of an old 17th century church. This would have been the original one with the old gravestones around.

Just on the edge of North Berwick is a Law. Not a law as in you have to obey the Law. A Law in Scotland is a conical hill which rises from the landscape. This one is 187 metres above sea level and I just had to walk up it. So early one morning I drove to the base of it and walked up it. My research had told me it would take 30 minutes to get to the top and we had spoke to someone on the beach a couple of days before who said the same. It actually took me 20 minutes. It was steep in places and I was sucking in cold air and my legs were burning but the view from the top was stunning.

Yesterday we went down the beach for a walk. It was empty but with a cold wind. But we love the beach and with blue sky and a good imagination you could have been anywhere.

Our last day here today so we went for one more look around North Berwick and guess what. Yes we went into that cake shop again. This time we bought the cakes back with us. They were just as nice but I preferred sitting on a bench over looking the sea eating it really.

So that’s us up to date. Tomorrow we head out on the open road for Melrose. Number four destination.Only about an hour and half away. It’s another small town on the English, Scottish border so will be our last stop in Scotland this year.

We closed the gates, locked them up and headed down the road a mile to stay on our friend’s site. we planned to go out for our end of season party. Not really a party just an excuse to walk to the Killin hotel and have a drink or two and a final meal in there.

The weather was nice as we strolled along past the river and into the hotel. We decided to sit outside and grab the last of the sun before it disappeared behind the mountain.

Our friends joined us for a drink as they were also out for a drink so a good evening was had by all. A chilled out day followed and then on the Sunday we packed up and headed out for our next destination which was a small town called Markinch over on the east side of Scotland.

A two hour drive and mostly motorway and duel carriageway for me in the camper. The sun was out and I was lucky to get a sunny pitch. Nikki was not far behind in the car.

The next day we had a walk around Balbernie park which is next to the campsite. A huge big park with so many different paths through the trees and by the river. As we were walking we met a lady out walking her dog who told us about the area and places to go and places to eat etc. She walked one way we walked another but on three occasions we crossed paths and had a good laugh about it.

We decided to head out to the coast having not been on a beach for six months. So we chose a place called Crail which has a lovely little harbour and a small town. As we set off some amber warning lights came up on the cars dashboard. More of that later.

We got to Crail, parked up and headed for the harbour where the fishing boats were moored up and the tiny little old fisherman’s cottages were sat in the sunlight.

There was a lovely little tea room overlooking the sea but Nikki had made us a picnic for the day. An attempt to saving money as we are now jobless for six months so we are living off our seasons savings. It’s surprising how much lunch out costs when you do it regularly. The picnic was very nice and sitting on a bench overlooking the sea was priceless.

We had planned on visiting some other coastal villages and towns on the way back but because of the dashboard lights decided to head back and try and get that sorted while the garage was open.

One more stop we said because there was a tower I wanted to get photos of. So we headed for Elie beach, that still gave us time to get back to Markinch and a garage for advice.

We parked up at Elie beach with the sun glistening off the sea and headed out on the coast path to Lady’s tower which is perched on the edge of the cliffs.

Lady’s tower was built in 1770 for lady Janet Anstruther, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy Elie merchant. She was a regular swimmer and got ready for her swim in a small cave on the beach below and would then go to the tower to recover.

Further along the coast was a nice old lighthouse where we sat on a bench looking out to sea and then continued around the coast path back to the car and headed back to find a garage.

We got back to Markinch and headed for the local garage. There was only one guy in there who could not help but told us about another garage not far away so we headed out to find that garage. With no success. I remembered it starting with a C but we could not find it so decided to come back to base and do some research.

The dashboard lights were amber which is a warning but not as bad as red lights. But with modern cars which are so sophisticated now it throws up all sorts of problems and we had a lot of miles to do over the next few months. Nikki would also be driving a lot of miles on her own so we needed it done.

The garage we should have found we found on the internet so I headed out to it first thing in the morning. Met by a great bunch of guys I told them of my problem. Leave it with us and we will take a look and fix it today for you. Later that afternoon I walked back down to the garage and picked it up. All sorted. Proper old school service which I like. For those interested it was a hub speed sensor. The part costing £28 but with labour and the diagnostic testing etc the bill was £226. Good job we had a picnic the day before.

Markinch has a railway station so another day planned was to go into Edinburgh on the train. How brave am I going into a big city. I don’t really do cities or even big towns but I do like to see the old buildings etc.

The train journing was 45 minutes and went along some coast and over the Forth bridge. That’s the one that is famous in Scotland. The saying it’s like painting the Forth bridge because it takes so long to paint by the time you get to the other end you have to start all over again. I wanted to get some photos of the bridge but the weather since has been all overcast and misty so that’s another day sometime planned.

We arrived in Edinburgh Waverley station which is the end of the line. A huge big station with hundreds of people going about their business which to them it was just a normal day. To me it was mind blowing.

Out of the station and a plan on where to go. Big city bright lights is here. We wanted to go to the old town, the royal mile, and Grass market areas. So we headed off up a tiny little alleyway to another street which was where we wanted to be.

We managed to find the tourist information shop and got a street map which helped us a bit, google street view helped us the other bit. The amount of people about all getting off tourist coaches and heading for the castle was scary. We were not heading for the castle although I got some photos of the outside of it away from the madding crowds.

The streets were buzzing with all sorts of people from all nationalities and all different ages and all different dress codes. I love to see all that and mixed in with the old buildings. The shops were expensive which is what you expect in a tourist area. But we weren’t here to go in shops and I think we only went in one which was a retro cloths shop and that was just to look. We did sit outside and have lunch. Yes a bought lunch no picnic today we are out for a good day. To be fair it was only a roll but sat just off the tourist area so we could actually breathe and watch the world go by.

Looking at the map and google I could see a grassed area, away from the crowds so we headed for that area. An old cemetery with some gravestones which were hundreds of years old were very interesting followed by a walk through a park where they were setting up stages for a music event on the weekend.

There was also a fantastic fountain in the park with a backdrop of the back of the castle. Lots of people in the park chilling and watching the world go by. They were probably watching us and thinking that guy with the beard is out of his comfort zone. They were right although I felt good in the park.

There were a lot of other nice statues in the park. One in particular bought a lump to my throat. It was of an elephant and was for all the babies that have died.

We ended up walking about five and a half miles in the four hours we were in Edinburgh and that was enough. The old part was great apart from the amount of people but that’s city life. The rest of it I could live without. So as we stopped outside the railway station for one more look around, at a nice pub. Was I tempted to go in for a drink. Yes I was but my bank balance would not have liked it and I would have probably missed the last train back to Markinch.

So that was us done for city life. Back on the train to Markinch, off the train and walk back to site. But yes we had to walk past a pub and yes we had to go in for a drink, we sat outside actually in the last bit of sun. As we sat there in the sun having a drink Nikki reminded me it was our anniversary so I said in that case we better have a meal to celebrate. So two burgers and chips were ordered.

Tomorrow we move on from here to a site near North Berwick which is a short walk from the beach. We plan to have a drink on the beach for Nikki’s birthday. Weather permitting of course.

The season is over. I can’t believe it has gone so fast, but it was only six months. We closed on Monday and have been closing the site down since then. Luckily the weather has been good to us while doing this.

So our last days off we went to Pitlochry, a small tourist town with shops full of tempting Scottish tourist items. We were not tempted. But we were tempted into a cafe for lunch. Always a gamble when you’re somewhere new unless you have been recommended somewhere. Our choice was a good one and a nice lunch was had.

In the carpark where we parked was a train carriage, not parked but a permanent feature. Turned into a Thai restaurant which looked very nice and I think next year we will check it out for food.

Pitlochry also has a dam with a fish ladder so we had to go and have a look at that. The fish that day were obviously afraid of heights because I didn’t see any on the ladder. I found out later they normally climb the ladder in the morning or evening. The river Tummel runs from the dam and there is a walk you can do that crosses the dam and then crosses another bridge further down the river.

Two weeks ago the campsite which is a mile down the road from us on the riverbank had to be evacuated due to the river level raising to a point it was getting dangerous. I did say we have had a lot of rain this season. Scotland does get its fair share of rain but this year has been exceptional on the rain score. Even the locals are saying it’s the worst summer they can remember.

The falls of Dochart at the end of the village which normally this time of year would be like a small river with people climbing all over the rocks to get photos were like a scene from the winter. I went down there in the morning early to get some photos and the sound was fantastic and the falls themselves were right across the rocks and raging. You would never normally see it like that only in the wintertime.

Around the site was also exciting as I found a couple of frogs who were very happy with all the rain. I also found some orange coloured mushrooms which got me doing some research to see if they were edible. It turned out that they were Chanterelle mushrooms which are a real good find for foragers and very expensive if you had to buy them. A couple of days later we had a couple staying on site who were foragers and had a good chat with them about the Chanterelle mushrooms and they confirmed I could eat them.

So Nikki fried them up in butter and I had them for lunch on toast. Nikki did not like them so only tasted one so I had a feast and am still here to tell you about them.

The frogs were not for lunch just the mushrooms. This site has had so many different types of mushrooms and fungi along with all the different plants and flowers which is great for all the bugs and wildlife. The latest plant to appear is a small ball of purple flower which I think is called Devils bit. I managed to get a great photo of a bug on one which looked like the flower was floating in space.

I had one last bike ride before leaving here. Heading out to the mountains and down the Glen. I had looked on google earth and had a route I wanted to do if the legs held out. Luckily they did as it was stunning.

Following a river and then climbing up the mountain track, again legs burning and then I just had to stop. Not because my legs were burning but because just perched on a small price of grass over looking the Glen was a Shepard’s hut.

With a stash of wood under it ready for the wood burner. What a great place to chill I thought. On one side it had a big window facing down the Glen and overlooking the mountains on the other side of the river. Luckily it was locked up otherwise I think I would have claimed squatters rights and moved in. If my lotto numbers came up I would have it.

Stopping there really made my day. It’s about five miles from the nearest tarmac road. A cool box full of beer and some food and phone switched off for a great weekend.

Yesterday early evening I spotted a Buzzard fly up into a tree not far away. It’s amazing how they know the site’s empty now so claim their space back. He sat up in the tree looking around and then flew down and pounced on a vole and sat there eating it. Again a magical moment.

So tomorrow we will have a chill out day and it will be our last day here on site. We are only going a mile down the road to our friends site so we can walk into the village on Friday evening for a meal and a couple of drinks. We will leave there on Sunday and head for our first stop on our slow way south. Watch this space for more adventures from us.

The last photo is the view from our compound as the sun was going down yesterday. Yes I did say sun. That’s why I took the photo just to remind myself of the one day of summer.

Well the season is nearly over for us. The time has flown by and I can’t believe we will soon be leaving this stunning area.

But we will be back next year. It’s going to be an exciting six months off. We plan to visit friends and family along the way. We will do a lot of miles and before we know it we will be back up in Scotland.

A couple of weeks ago Killin hosted the Highland Games on a Wednesday which was nice of them to have it on our day off. All the small towns and villages seem to have their own Highland Games. A lot of planning goes into it and then it’s such a shame when on the day the rain appears.

The morning of the games was raining so we held off going until lunchtime when it brightened up. It was just showers then in between the rain. Even the weather did not put people off and it was well supported which was great.

The sound of bagpipes was in the air, the smell of different food stalls, and the shouts of joy as the big men in kilts were flinging a 22lb hammer as far as they could. There was Scottish dancing and a race up the mountain behind the park.

To walk up the mountain would take about an hour to an hour and half but the winner of the race on the day was up and down in about twenty minutes.

The guys doing the hammer throwing have big spikes on the front of their boots which they dig into the ground to stop them falling over when they swirl the hammer around their heads and then launch it.

We met some friends there and had to check out the beer tent with them. All was ok. I was really pleased it was well supported and look forward to going again next year.

I was without my bike for a week as it was in for a service and needed some new parts which had to be ordered but all was good. I just don’t understand how a mountain bike can cost as much as a car to service, but then it’s a very good bike and does get a good hammering when I ride it. I had to take it out on a test ride the day after getting it back just to make sure it was working ok. And yes it was.

So let’s talk about the weather. This year has been a very wet one as confirmed by the locals and the Scottish folk who have stayed on site this season. We have only had three BBQ’s and not really sat outside much. While other parts of the country are basking in hot weather we are putting an extra layer on as the temperatures have also been down. Last Sunday we had a BBQ with a view and the whole day was glorious. Then on the following morning we had thunder and lighting and rain which was just like a tropical storm. Let’s hope we have a good September.

On part of the site there is a very wet wooded bit, and while walking around there the other morning I spotted some very colourful mushrooms. Doing a bit of research and talking to someone on site I discovered they were Chanterelle mushrooms and very sought after by foragers. So next year I will be looking out for them again and having some in a meal now I know how to tell the good from the bad.

On the rainy days at work I have been hiding in my workshop and building some nest boxes. I have made six out of any old bits of wood I could find. The birds don’t care if it’s odd wood and different sizes, they are just happy for somewhere to bring up a family in the dry. I will be putting these out next week so they are ready for inspection and hopefully will be used next year. Will keep you posted.

We also have a pair of swallows nesting in my tractor shed which is nice. They make a lot of mess but worth it to see them flying in and out with mouthfuls of food. It amazes me how the young will leave the nest and then fly off to South Africa for the winter and then come back to the same area. How do they know the way. Nature is fantastic.

This morning after a very wet few days I went out early to the other end of the village where the falls of Dochart are knowing that the river is going to be flowing well. The river Dochart goes under the bridge that you drive over as you come into Killin.

At this time of year being August you would think that it’s summer and not much water about so there would just be a small flow of water from the river so not much for the tourists to see.

Well the tourists are certainly getting their moneys worth this summer with the river in full flow and the falls looking very impressive. Even when we arrived in March there was not as much water flowing as there is now.

The sound was also amazing as there was no traffic about because it was just after 7am. The things I do to bring you photos like this. Also spotted a Heron checking out a calmer spot for his breakfast. Hope he got what he wanted.

I expect there will be a lot of photos of the falls taken today and as I type this the rain has started again and is forecast for tomorrow also. So I could be going up to the falls again and see if it’s got any higher.

So that’s us up to date. We are back to work tomorrow and as the leaves start to change colour and the bracken starts to change colour and we go into our last three weeks of work the rain still keeps coming. Anyone got an umbrella.