Off to Skipton to go to Yarndale!!!!

This is the last little outing we have planned for our caravan and one that has been booked for a while - Skipton and the Yarndale festival. I was lucky enough to go last year but on my own.

 This year all being well Becky will join me. We've got the van at Bolton Abbey on the Strid Wood site and the hall is already filling up with goodies to take plus a knitting bag full of wool and needles to keep me occupied in the evenings and a fully charged up camera for all the pictures. I look forward to sharing them with you next week, so if you're going have a wonderful time. L Anne xx

Well what a two weeks we've had!

I've just read this through and I think I need to say 'Are you sitting comfortably? then I'll begin'

I can't believe that it was just 2 weeks ago that we were sitting outside the caravan having an evening drink and talking about our lovely afternoon in Highgrove House gardens. But just before I say a little about that, I must tell you a little about the earlier part of the day. We had arrived near Tetbury the night before so choose to spend a couple of hours there before Highgrove. I really like Tetbury although I've not been that often but my Father's family came from there so there's something special about it for me. I was absolutely delighted to find when we had parked the car we were at The Chipping.

 This was because I thought I remembered my Dad talking about his father living in The Chipping as a child, so which house or was I wrong? - well you'll have to wait for that answer. We had lunch at The Blue Zucchini, a bistro we had eaten at before - it was so lovely and warm that we sat in the courtyard

 and after we had enough time to wander around Tetbury going down to the old station and back up Chipping Steps

Then it was time to go to Highgrove.We had a lovely tour round the gardens but if any of you have been you'll know that you are not allowed to take photographs and there were certainly many CCTV cameras around to check you weren't doing that. The visit was a gift from David's brother and wife to us for our 60th birthdays along with a cream tea there and our caravan site fees - what a lovely present. The cream tea was just what was needed after a 2 hour walk around and very enjoyable.

We left the Cotswolds the next day to go to Porthcawl to visit my lovely Aunty Dorothy (my Dad's sister). Before we went to see her we had a long walk on the beach at Rest Bay and into town and round the harbour.

We just couldn't believe the gorgeous weather. Off to my Aunt's where there was much catching up of news and later in the evening talk of family history. Aunty Dorothy said that she was sure that the family hadn't lived in The Chipping but had called the Rotherham house after it because it was a prominent square in Tetbury (rather disappointing). We left Porthcawl the next morning to go further into Wales - to the Gower, Oxwich Bay to be exact and here is the view from our caravan.

Stunning! 

Once we had got settled and had lunch we walked down through the woods to the beach

How gorgeous is that? There were so many likenesses to the Gironde in France and as you can see the sun was shining, oh why had I not put in a swimsuit?

A little crocheting was in order when we got back along with a G&T

The following day we woke to more blue skies and sunshine so went to Port Eynon which again was lovely.

and from there to Worm Head where we walked along the cliff path to get to it, looking down at Rhossili Beach on the way.

 Finally we reached Worms Head, where a rescue was taking place - 3 lads cut off by the tide, a usual occurrence we understand.

Another lovely day. Our last day we choose to go to Whiteford beach, a 2 mile long sandy beach backed with sand dunes and with the Whiteford lighthouse at the end of it.

and some very large jelly fish!

That ended our trip to the Gower but not the end of our holiday as we were off to a site near Barry where we could not only go down to Barry Island but also have a city day in Cardiff. We still had sun when we arrived so after a quick lunch we went down to Barry Island.

and of course you can't go there without visiting 'Nessa's slots' and 'Marco's cafe' made famous by Gavin and Stacey

We decided to take the car up to the far end of the bay and walk along the cliffs - what a different view you get

We loved the houses, old and new up there

The following day, Thursday I think it was, we went into Cardiff, parking a little way out and walking in passed the stadium where a couple of years ago we had watched Wales play rugby.

We soon came to the centre via some of the arcades

and the castle

We visited my favourite kitchen shop where they had this display just inside the door. How I wish someone would give me £1,000 to spend in there!!

That was our last day in Wales and we had another engagement to go to this time in Bradford on Avon. We were staying at Merkins farm, a brilliant little caravan and camping site with a busy cafe on site.

I came across it as I was reading Kate's blog from Just Pootling. A wonderful find, and in fact Kate had called in as she was passing and we just missed her having popped out to get some wine, but there on the step were flowers, how lovely was that?
The reason we had gone there was not only to see our lovely friends the Angels and Jan (do you remember then from Cornwall) but it was a good mid way place between Cornwall and Yorkshire for the children to surprise David for his 60th birthday. I've never told so many white lies and hidden so much stuff in the caravan. Elanor (Mrs Angel) was in on it as was Jan her Mum, and so between us we had managed to keep David at the van on the Saturday morning whilst the children congregated at the local pub and then drove onto the site together to surprise him.

 David's face was a picture when he first saw Charlotte's car and then Becky and Tom's. Unfortunately Jonathan had had his tonsils out earlier in the week and was just not up to being with us.

 Becky had a gift for Charlotte

It was a string of bunting asking her to be a bridesmaid!! There was a huge amount of wedding talk but to give the future grooms some restbite I took the girls the bridal shop in Bradford on Avon to try on dresses. We then went to collect the men from the pub crawl they seem to have been on!
Once back it was all hands on deck to get ready for the party in the evening

and then more surprises for David as unexpected guests turned up. We fed and watered 15 in all.

and here are the birthday boys, as not only was it David's 60th but also Paul (Mr Angel) was having a significant birthday in a few days time.

What a truely wonderful night.

Then the clearing up the next morning - we certainly contributed to a very full bottle re-cycling bin on the site!

 but they were all rewarded with a 'full English' in the cafe

All too soon it was time for them to go home to Yorkshire and Cornwall but we have a weekend full of memories and lots of photographs of the holiday to remember it by.