Holidays in the UK during 2005.
A Visit to Hartlepool
'Hung a Monkey', as they say, due to thinking a monkey was a Frenchman during the French Revolution. North of Hartlepool was a very run-down area of ex-mining towns, but the Quay Museum was very well done. It included a masted sailing ship, the 'Trincamalee' (see right). Return via Alborough Roman Museum and 'Devil's Arrows'.
A Visit to Exeter
A third visit to Exeter to stay at a friend's. On the Sunday, we took the donkey line to Barnstaple (See far left). It was closed! We must have found the only café that was open! You could hire bikes to ride along the so-called 'Tarka' Trail. I walked some distance, but found the cinder track besides a marshy estuary rather uninteresting.
Took the coach to Plymouth one day. Went around the Barbican and to the famous 'Mayflower Steps' (see left), then up onto the Hoe, all in blazing sunshine.
A Visit to Malpas on Shropshire Borders
An Australian Cousin and his Fiancee had moved to Malpas on Shropshire/Cheshire Borders (see right). Nearby Whitchurch was famous for clockmaking (see four-sided clock). I had forgotten my pipe and we went to the nearest big town which was Nantwich, now virtually a suburb of Crewe, but there were no specialist tobacconists anywhere, so I had to make do with roll-ups. The visit culminated with a visit to the Old Market Hall and Bear Steps in Shrewsbury (not pronounced 'Shrowsbury' by the locals, we hear). Lastly, we dug out 'Kynaston's Cave' at Nesscliffe. (See right) Humphrey Kynaston was a notorious highwayman with his own legends.
Two Family Events
I just have room to cram in a family gathering at Lotherton Hall (far left), and the final gathering before the departure of my cousin and fiancee back to Australia, outside the Manor House, Ilkley.