Did it pique your curiosity enough to
come after reading yesterdays blog ending? Never mind if you didn't
read what I wrote yesterday, I just ended by saying that The Man and
I were off again.
And so we are .This package holiday
lark really hard work. We got up a bit later than our usual time,
dawdled over breakfast and then down tot he station to get the
Southern to West Croydon. Hopped on a tram for one stop then had a
five minute walk to the bus, oops sorry, coach pick up stop, No
stress there, hardest thing about it was deciding which to have a the
local café, hot chocolate or coffee.
The morning started off very foggy and
the TV traffic report warned of 'major' delays to traveller airports
were closed by it, but 'major' delays seemed a bit too strong a
description for our bus, oops there I go again, coach being about
five minutes late.
The coach, hah got it right that time,
had a couple more pick ups to do before striking out onto the
motorway in a northerly direction. First rest stop was only about
half an hour after the last pick up. It did seem a bit soon until the
driver announced that some folks had already been on the bus for
almost five hours. A coffee and one of Mr Maccas apple pies each and
we were back on the road.
The trees are slowly changing out of
their summer green and donning the muted autmnal cloaks. Some daring
decidui forwent the drab for bright gold and even red.
We amused ourselves by spotting
interesting things along the motorway.
Look at that little station wagon.
Written boldly across the sides and back windows was the sign
announcing that it was a Lost Pet Rescue Service. And not long after
that The man spotted our first Eddie Stobbart truck in its
distinctive green and whiter livery. Eddie Stobbart, pronouncing the
'Stob' like the word stop, is a very big carrying,,,oops logistics
company over here in the UK. And it has its own spotters club too. I
kid you not, there are dedicated spotters out there who travel the
length of the country at the roll out of a new fleet of these
vehicles. It is a huge company that includes a rail network and an
airport. By the end of the day us casual spotters had seen more than
20 of them.
Our Last pick up was at a place called
Stoke Mandeville, Mandeville being the name of the mascot of the
paralympics. Where's the connection I hear you ask. Well Stoke
Mandeville hospital is, I believe, a huge rehab hospital. Possibly a
bit Ike Burwood is in NZ.
The next interesting motorway sign
pointed to an exit towards Banbury. Hmm I wonder if that is where the
nursery rhyme is from. You know the one, Ride a cock horse to Banbury
Cross, or is that Bambury Cross?
Then we saw an enormous paddock with
little huts all over it, there must have been a couple number of
large fat of hundred of them and at least than number of huge pink
porkers. Breeding stock The Man said not eating stock.
One more service area stop, where we
ate our packed lunch and got to know the couple who are sitting in
front of us on the Bus, bother did it again, mean coach. Brian and
Debbie.
Back on the road again and the
roadside scenery is very rural. It is a nice change from the
monotonous red brick cities.
And now here we are at our hotel, in
Manchester. Once I've finished writing we will wander down to dinner
and possible partake of the nights entertainment. Hard work this
holiday lark
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