Ops sorry I forget

Sorry about the late arrival of yesterday’s blog but I just forgot to post it. So sitting here at Manchester Airport awaiting our return flight back home I discover my error and now I’ve fixed it I hope....... WADDA

The road trip is over

Our overnight stay in Stoke on Trent was a pretty low key affair with a couple of ciders under my belt a feed of North Sea cod we hit the sack. Darkness arrives around 10.30pm but we are buggered so sleep comes easy, our plans for tomorrow don’t exist yet. With google maps and a folding map we lay the ground work for our arrival back in Manchester, we see places on the map such as Buxton , Matlock and others in the county of Derbyshire,Thinking that these tiny spots on the map would be small farming villages couldn’t be more further from the truth. These very old towns in the heart of Derbyshire would rival anything that I’ve seen in the Cotswolds ,in Matlock we find a nice little cake shop which looks interesting. After sampling some of the things they had on offer we move closer to Manchester Airport, our departure point back to Australia tomorrow. We arrive at the Avis car rental place and with our car returned in one piece they inform me that my holding deposit would be returned in full, they also informs us that had we done another 64 miles we would have gone from the top of Scotland to the bottom of England.

Bridge in Buxton

Nearly ready for home

With our trip nearly over and we have one more day left before we head back to Australia after spending 2 fabulous weeks in the UK. So today we leave Wales and head to Coventry to visit the Motor Museum, what a stunning array of transportation vehicles were on display. We wandered around here for a couple of hours before heading to the National Motorcycle Museum where more than 800 bikes were on show, they had every sort of bike imaginable and this was definitely a must see. While we career around the English countryside trying to avoid the toll roads we just happen to lob in a place called Stoke on Trent ,found the local pub and checked in for the night . The bloke who hasn’t shaved since we arrived has crashed on the bed while WADDA continues to do admin duties. It’s 5 pm and I’m hungry again (and thirsty) so I’m about to check out what’s on the menu for tonight’s meal a roast would be nice . Sorry but the roast sold out early so I settle for the North Sea cod and mushy peas ,nothing left to do but have early night so see ya later......... WADDA

A day in the countryside

Up early for a day of road tripping but first I must take care of the master navigator called TOM TOM ,whose performance has been below par. This morning he was pronounced dead in Newport (Wales) by a TOM TOM expert so I dug deep into my long pockets a purchased a new model. Rabbi needs a bit of a culture indulgence so we head to Bath down south. The traffic is horrendous so we circle this tourist infested town before saying enough is enough. Burton on the water is next on this cultural cruise and again people everywhere, and we hang in and eventually get to see this lovely little place in the Cotswolds. Our thirst for culture is not finished yet it’s off to a place named Stow on the Wold to visit the oldest inn in England which opened in 947 AD , and when you visit a place like this you should do it justice and go in and have a drink.  We head back to our hotel for a early night as tomorrow we are heading to Coventry ,we all know all good things must end and our time is coming. So I’ll be back tomorrow with a wash up of this fabulous journey with me mate Rabbi tomorrow........ WADDA

Just another morning tea stop 

LLANDOVERY TO TENBY TO CARDIFF ....MAYBE

Prior to leaving the lovely village of Llandovery we head to the local hash house for the big Welsh breakfast, the experience was absolutely worth every pound we paid this very likeable character. WADDA and RABBI were part of the shopkeeper humour and we traded friendly banter for around 30 minutes as for the 3 other locals it was game on . This was the most entertaining breakfast I’ve ever experienced , we leave Llandovery with our bellies full and our foggy brains also clear. Our trip today will take in Tenby....Swansea ending in Cardiff and as usual it’s pissing rain but our spirits are high. Our arrival into Tenby we were greeted by empty streets and more rain ,can’t do much about the weather so we hit the streets only to discover this beautiful seaside village is virtually deserted. We pull the pin and head to Swansea , more drama TOM TOM has failed to fire for this next leg. While RABBI fiddles WADDA lurches towards the motorway with sounds coming from the passenger seat TOM TOM crackles back to life. Just outside Cardiff it dies for last time by now the rain and road spray is horrendous. Some time later I ask Rabbi are we nearly into Cardiff he has no idea,WADDA swings up a slip ramp and drives straight in the front gate of the Hilton hotel this must be Cardiff. Inquiring at the front desk I’m informed I’m at Newport I quickly book a room for 2 nights no more motorway driving now till Sunday when we head to Coventry I hope. Our evening meal is interrupted by heavy rain lighting and thunder , this is no time to be out so we call a early night in bed by 8 pm . As the day was terrible the photo album is empty so see ya.......... WADDA

Betsy-y- Coed To Llandovery

We are here in northern Wales at a place l cannot say or pronounce but it’s beautiful, our visit to the slate caves was nothing short of sensational. And from the lofty heights of some 1000  feet above the mine to the low country to Some 500 feet below ground level this was unreal. To feel sorry for a slate miner is a understatement  ,shame on the fat cats of the 1840s . This shameful treatment of people leaves a shitty taste in your mouth , now that’s enough said on the history of the Welsh slate miners is forever etched permanently in my brain , and with Waddas lust to learn he decides to let Rabbi drive .Tom Tom the navigational device that WADDA owns has decided to take the day off so WADDA invests in a Welsh map. This means of navigating is not much better and pretty soon where heading east instead west, with my tracking skills I remedy the problem and the car is now heading into the setting sun.  We finds a tavern in LLANDOVERY and decide to checkout the accommodation ,it’s basic but comfortable so we decide to meet the locals, whom a lovely lot as we laughed well into the night. Our next stop is Cardiff ..........WADDA

The village below the slate mine 

Yesterday’s news

Our last breakfast on the IOM also meant that this was the last time I’d cross paths we some of the great people with whom I met . Just let me the say the pleasure has been all mine , to Leon I truly enjoyed your company and we will make sure we stay in touch.  And to Bret your company was of the highest value , now it your turn Mick as Rabbi would say to you pointing two fingers at your head  you know what I mean . What a man to have in my corner as the horses charge towards the car. So goodbye to the IOM hello Liverpool and with the ferry being 45 minutes late and the rain flogging down WADDA hails a cab from Liverpool to Manchester for our overnight stay.We collect our hire car and head to northern Wales stopping off at Conwy to check out the local castle and some cake shops, all past the test. We move on into Snowdonia to a place called BETWS-Y-COED wow how good is this place until WADDA discovers his iPad is missing so a quick turn around hoping to find it . Surprise surprise it was handed in by some old folks, I offered 20 quid to them to have a drink on WADDA but they graciously declined (thank god ) I’m not the bank of Australia. Returning to the town with the funny little name we find a great little pub and check in for the night , let me just say so far Northern Wales is just beautiful, there local cider is beautiful this whole area is beautiful . Now tomorrow we are heading to the slate caves now this is promised to be good.........WADDA

My lowly custard