Day 18 Saturday November 5th Homeward Bound St Martin's

 The day we go home.  We were up earlier because we had to deliver the car for repair and catch the 0915 Scillonian to St Mary's.  It was pouring with rain on the mainland and we rapidly packed the car and set off.  At Penzance quay we unloaded the car and handed the car over for hopefully a good repair.  Our luggage went in a container, we checked in, obtained our boarding 

miserable Penzance quay

passes and waited until the gangplank was in position.  Luckily there is now some shelter from the rain on the quay.  The ship was not too busy and we were able to find a favourite position.  The trip turned out to be quite rough and several were ill

passing the garrison

 but we were OK.  It took 3½ hours and so everyone was glad to arrive.   We had to wait on St Mary's until 1400 and so had a snack then boarded the jet boat to arrive safely home (the sun was now shining!).  

Well folks that is the end of the blog for this year.  Thank you to everyone who has followed it, I hope you have found it a bit interesting, we certainly have had an enjoyable holiday.

 

Day 17 Friday November 4th Bristol to Hayle

 It definitely feels as if our holiday is coming to an end.  This will be another bog with no interesting photos.  Today was predicted to be good weather wise and it started sunny.  After breakfast we quickly loaded and started the journey.  The M5 was easy to find and we were on our way just after 1000.  Our aim was to have two breaks between here and Hayle.  The traffic was light compared to Derby and Birmingham so that the driving was easy and comfortable.  The sun was on our east side and that made it good to travel.  It was just over an hour and we arrived at Exeter service area.  We had some coffee and the remains of the Bakewell pudding which we had not eaten.  Within 30 minutes we were on the road again heading west on the A30.  

The familiar road took us round Dartmoor, Okehampton and Bodmin.  We were now getting a bit low on fuel and bought some more petrol at the Victoria service area which had improved somewhat since our last visit (20 years ago?).  We got a bit lost coming out of the service area and ended up driving towards Newquay but we soon found a roundabout with a sign for Truro and Redruth.  Back on track it did not take us long to reach Hayle.  We decided to carry on to Sainsburys in Penzance to buy some goods and fill up with petrol.  This we did although the car had its rear wheel problem again and we waited for it to cool.  We were soon back at Hayle and settled into our room.  We had a good basic pub meal next door and settled down looking forward to an earlier start tomorrow.

Day 16 Thursday November 3rd Bakewell to Bristol

 Today we are moving base from Bakewell to Bristol as we now travel towards home.  It was an overcast but dry day as we set out.  We said our goodbyes and got on the road just after 1000.  We planned to travel for about 40 minutes and then check that the car was OK.  We did have a slight delay when a diversion in Matlock led to confusion in our car and we ended up in Sainsburys car park!  It was soon corrected and we were progressing well again.  We stopped in a layby to check the car and thankfully all was OK.  Our journey then continued southwards as the sun was coming out more and soon we were going round Birmingham heading towards the M5.  We stopped at the first service station on the M5 and had about 50 minutes rest and food time before progressing on the second part down to Bristol.  We safely arrived at our 

our car at Bristol

Premier Inn

Our window curtain drawn

Premier Inn at Cribbs Causeway near Bristol by 1430, We settled in after a long distance drive for us.  We have booked bb&d here and so no need to look for further food sources.  We just relaxed for the rest of the evening.  


   

Day 15 Wednesday November 2nd The High Peak

 Today again we planned something different in the Peak District, as yet we had stayed in the low "white peak" area of the National Park and today we planned to venture into the higher, more desolate "dark peak" area further to the north.  After breakfast we filled our insulated coffee mugs, got our gear together and set out for the uplands.  We were on territory we had 

farm near Glossop

not explored before and after a few miles the landscape became more rugged and hilly. As we approached the metropolis of Glossop the farms were distinctly less pasture and more moorland.  When we arrived at Glossop we turned onto the Snake Pass road which links Manchester and Sheffield.  We had read that during most winters the road is closed because of snow.  We were now climbing quite

Snake Pass landscape

steeply but eventually we reached the top and were surrounded by 

from snake pass

bleak moorland.  It was bleak, rugged and wild with no sign of habitation.  It carried on like this for several miles and then we started to descend.  The descent was similar to coming up - steep and windy.  Soon we could see the water of reservoirs including the Lady Bower Reservoir which were created for the large cities which surround this area.  We stopped and took a 

Lady Bower reservoir

picture of the Lady Bower which was still at a low level even after the significant amounts of rain we have had recently.  

We carried on and by this time we needed a coffee and light lunch which we were able to get at a nearby pub.  Adjacent to 

new homes for the displaced

the pub were some newish houses which had been built to rehouse the people who had been displaced by the waters of the reservoirs flooding their homes.  It seems over the years many folk have been displaced for a variety of reasons!  The landscape was now more wooded

landscape near pub

 although still hilly.  We carried on and soon were passing through villages (Bamford and Grindleford) that were part of the character of the park.  We arrived back in Bakewell, sorted ourselves out and by now it was looking as if it could rain at any minute so we drove into town and found a pub producing good typical grub which we enjoyed as a dinner. 

 

Day 14 Tuesday November 1st Chatsworth and Edensor

Chatsworth House

 Each day in the Peak District we planned to have a different theme.  Today we had decided to visit

rear view of house

 the stately home of Chatsworth House.  We had been past the house previously but not visited it.  We had learnt that the house itself would not be open because of Christmas preparations but we were happy to see the grounds.  

East aspect of house

The pictures will tell or story.  We went to the kitchen garden where they supply veg and flowers to the house.  We saw the 

kitchen garden

cascade and fountain, had a coffee and then found the interesting coal tunnel.  To heat the house required an awful lot of fuel and a tunnel was dug with its small train to transport the coal out of sight of the house.  The boiler fumes were also channelled away from sight.

the maze

  

jungle explorer

cascade

fountain

coal tunnel

newly gilded gates

We spent a long time touring all the parts of the garden and had a good interesting time, we thought if we had the house to go round as well it would have been too much.  We photographed the newly gilded main gates which were also impressive.

 After this experience we went to the village of Edensor which was a small village moved in the 1800s because it was in the line of sight of the house.  All the buildings in the new village were of a different design.  The church which was also Victorian was a well kept active witness in the small community.  It was drizzling and we left the gated village to make our way back to base. 

Edensor house with tower

house with narrow window

church interior

Day 13 Monday, October 31st Around Bakewell

 A different day planned after the excitement of yesterday.  Today we planned to have a walk and explore a bit more of Bakewell.  We were in Bakewell by 1000 and had chosen a walk 

sheep at the auction

auctioneer at work

from a TIC leaflet.  We started off near the livestock market which was in full swing.  There were pens of sheep awaiting entry into the market and an auctioneer doing his stuff inside the large shed - I hope he had a good drink waiting after doing his work for an hour or two.  After a false start our walk took us past 

watermill wheels

a mill on the outskirts of the town, the building is now offices and the mill wheel stands in the car park.

We carried on getting away from the built 

packhorse bridge

up area and turned to cross the river over a packhorse bridge (it certainly was not wide enough to be a postbridge).  We then turned and carried on back to town following the 

goose on the river Wye

 

the old bridgr

windy river route.  There were geese and other river birds along the way.  We approached the town at Bakewell's old bridge which we crossed and went into town.  After walking the three miles it was time for refreshment and we went to the "Original Bakewell Pudding shop" to sample their wares.  We 

Bakewell tart

had a coffee and I had a slice of Bakewell tart which was delicious and lived up to expectations.

Bakewell church

  After this we walked up to the church which dominates the skyline above the town.  It was a large, good looking church but was in need of extensive repairs and thus had what looked like an uncertain future.  In the graveyard was the remains of a Celtic cross which has some significance.

the Celtic cross

Ater climbing up and down this steep hill and looking at some shops and somewhere along the line looking at the stalls in the market it was time for a cup of tea.  We had a cup in a teashop and then decided to return to the b&b after a pretty energetic day.

For our evening meal we went to a bistro recommended by our hosts.  Although it was pouring with rain by this time we did enjoy the meal.  It was then time to relax in our room before going to bed.

 
 

Day 12 Sunday October 30th Buxton

 Today again looked like a mixed bag of weather but we were excited as we had planned to meet with Alexander and Keren Martin and their three young children, the youngest we had never met.  After breakfast we got all our gear together and left about 1015 in order to be in good time for our 1100ish rendezvous.  The drive to Buxton was easy with very scenic views, 

Buxton Pavilions

We found the Buxton Pavilions gardens and even better found a parking place.  The carpark was very busy as there seemed a lot going on today.  We waited and a bit later we caught sight of Alexander.  

We were soon all together and one of the advantages of this venue is that there is a large playpark area where children can let off steam.  There were a variety of 

fearless adventurer

things to have a go at, climb, ride and swing on.  As well as a mini football pitch for the Hammer supporters to improve their skills.  We spent some time here having great fun but after a time we had some drops of rain.  

play station!

Christine and I had left our waterproof jackets in the car but everyone else in the party had theirs'.  We carried on a little more but the rain got heavier and heavier.  We decided to head for a clump of trees for shelter.  This was much better but the rain persisted and we were becoming very wet.  We decided to head for the pub Alexander had booked a table at for lunch.  We were certainly the wettest people to arrive and out top layers were dripping.  We put them on hooks and settled down round a table to enjoy the food and company.  It was certainly a good choice of pub and we all had a good meal with some enjoying a dessert.  By the end of the food it had stopped raining and sunshine was coming through the windows.  We decided to further explore Buxton and went through arcades and saw a place where a therapeutic bath/spa once operated.  The architecture was interesting for one of us.  We were still all together when we arrived back at the pavilion gardens and then there was the thrill of seeing superhero/comic characters (some sort of enthusiasts gathering going on) which made the day for the younger ones.  It was now time to wave goodbye and after hugs and kisses we said our fond farewells.

Gardener's Cottage view

We made our way back to Bakewell and our tea was the leftover pizzas from the night before.  I took a photo which gave a good idea of the b&b setting.  We stayed in and watched television and did some blogging.  Another very good day of our holiday.     

Day 11 Saturday October 29th Milton Keynes to Bakewell

Today we moved from Milton Keynes up to Bakewell in Derbyshire.  It was overcast and not the best for driving and we were soon underway.  We stopped at several service stations along the route as we had a suspect car problem but thankfully we found no issues which was a relief.  At one stage we had a snack to keep us going and arrived at Bakewell at lunch time.

bridge over the river Wye

We could not check in until 3pm so 

the weir and waterbirds

went into town for a light lunch and to explore a bit.  We parked, had a bite and went into the town.  We crossed over the river Wye including the bridge with thousands of locks attached.  There were plenty of water birds on the river.

We sorted out somewhere to eat in the evening and went to our b&b to check in.  It is Gardener's Cottage part of the Haddon Hall estate and is in a picturesque position and came with good reviews.  We settled in and soon it was time to go out for the meal   It is a ten minute walk from the town and as it had been raining we went by car.  The meal proved to be a pizza each and we could not eat it all and were able to take some away.  We went back to the b&b and totally unpacked in the spacious accommodation.     

misty around Bakewell

 

Day 10 Friday October 28th Bletchley Park

the mansion

  This is one of the many days I was looking forward to as we approached this holiday.  Christine had bought us a trip to Bletchley Park with a cream tea in the mansion dining room as a birthday present last year.  I had chosen the nearest Premier Inn to the Park (3.5 miles) which also turned out to be a good choice.  We breakfasted in the windmill and soon set out for the venue.  We had booked the tea for 1430 and wanted to go on a guided tour and see as many of the huts as possible.

We arrived at 1030 and the next tour was 1120 so we had time to visit some of the huts and exhibitions.  There was plenty to see including a memorial to the contribution of Polish scientists who had gone a very long way 

Polish memorial

in decrypting the enigma machine coding.  It was soon time to assemble for the guided tour.  We had an interesting introduction and brief history of the unlikely story of the site which involved making careful decisions at each stage.  The outside tour lasted about an hour and our guide told us about the development of each hut and each stage of the work as it rapidly expanded during the war.  There were the breakthroughs on deciphering enigma messages, the making of the process like a production line and 

reconstructed Bombe

the development of the computer aids (Bombe and Colussus) which rapidly improved the production speed of this process.  

Alan Turing's office

By the end of the war Bletchley had found where every German unit was in France and where all planes and ships, including U-boats, were.  Incredible that the Germans had no idea how much the English knew. Fascinating and afterwards we were able to see where some of these incredibly clever people worked.  

It came round to our teatime and we went

our tea!

 to the mansion dining room for a classic, sumptuous afternoon tea.  It was so much we had to ask for a doggy bag to take some home for later.  We both enjoyed it!

office where some 1st work was done

After tea we saw more of the mansion and then to see more exhibits including a reinforced container which was used as a mobile cipher unit in Afghanistan. During the war many dispatch riders came with encrypted messages to  Bletchley from all over the world.  Most of the riders were women who maintained their own motorbikes.  Most of the people at the establishment were ladies and one feature of the way they worked was that everything was secret and hardly anyone knew of their work until the 1970s.

dispatch motorbike

Afghan mobile unit

A thoroughly interesting and absorbing day which flew past far too quickly.  We had to leave and went back to the Premier Inn for a snack after such a huge tea. It was so instructive and explained what a huge debt we owed these genius' in saving lives and shortening the war.  What a day and we were not disappointed.  So much to absorb and so little will be retained.  So much to admire and such incredible brainpower. So much to be thankful for and they kept it so secret.

 

Day 9 Thursday October 27th Cotswolds to Milton Keynes

A day to move on, we left the hotel after breakfast and packing and were soon on the road.  Our first destination was to meet my cousin Barbara and her husband John.  They live in Marcham which is roughly on the way to Milton Keynes (our next destination).  It was too good an opportunity to miss as we hadn't met for some time.  The traffic was quite light and we arrived within about 50 minutes.  We were so pleased to meet each other, they were both quite well and there was a lot of catching up and reminiscing.  We talked about our families and the times they had spent on St Martin's.  We stayed about 90 minutes and then had to carry on.  

Premier Inn and pub

This was fresh territory for us and we just

windmill tower

 followed the satnav.  We went round Oxford which was very busy and travelled a short distance on the M40.  It took 70 minutes and we rolled up at the Premier Inn we had booked.  We settled into our room and as it was still warm and daylight we decided to go for a walk as the hotel was on the shores of a lake.  We were pleasantly surprised at the setting as the lake included Canada geese, swans, coots, seagulls and some shags.   The hotel and the adjacent pub/restaurant also included 

Canada geese

an old windmill in the fabric.  Certainly it was the most impressive looking Premier Inn we have stayed in.  Having walked a good part of the lake shore we decided to return to the room to unpack etc. 

shags on an island

 We did this and then went for a meal at the next door pub.  It was the first time either of had dined in the tower of a windmill and a very pleasant experience it was.   After this it was time to relax, watch some tv and go to bed.

 

swans and other birds