I'm planning a trip with my daughter back to Old Blighty this summer.

I wasn't going to start a thread about it for some time but I've had so much advice of where to go and how to do things I thought I need to create a place to put everything before finalising my plans. Thanks to everyone who has offered advice so far, in particular Bonecollector. Much appreciated.

So far the rough plan is to arrive in the UK early July and stay until mid August. We will be based at my mum's place in North Somerset throughout with the intention of spending 2 or 3 days with my mum, then away for 2 or 3 days, and so on. My wife will be staying in Korat, claiming she doesn't like flying... which none of us do of course. I haven't pushed the point because in many ways it will be easier with just me and the littl'un... we're very close and we both enjoy doing things. And besides, I get very little time alone with my daughter and at 10 (going on 15) I have to be realistic in that there won't be a whole lot of years left when she wants to spend time with her old man. Also, to be perfectly honest, I wouldn't really want to spend 6 weeks with my outlaws in Thailand so it's fair enough I guess.

So, just me and the daughter it will be. I'm hoping to relive childhood memories and holidays, catch up with long neglected friendships and generally create a whole lot of memories for my daughter and mother. It may sound a bit knobby to call it an 'Oddysey' but I think this is one? If not, it sounds like a pretty good thread title anyway.

I'm under no illusion that this will be hard work at times. It will be great to spend time with my mum and especially to see Granddaughter and Grandmother spend time together, but I'm not really close to the rest of my family in the UK and occasionally it will be hard going. Also, my 10 year-old daughter will miss her mum at times... as will I on hair washing days and when I fancy a few pints with my mates at the local. But anyway, I've long promised this trip to my daughter and now that Covid is finally releasing it's grip, the time has come. On cider nights my mum can babysit... win win.

We should arrive early July and I believe the English schools break up around the end of the third week of July? The first excursion I have planned is therefore Lyme Regis before the schools break up and roads are still navigable. While growing up, we had our family summer holidays in a caravan in Lyme Regis every year, of which I have very fond memories. I well remember catching crabs and collecting fossils along the Jurassic Coast and hope to repeat those activities with the daughter. Already this trip to west Dorset is being added to with Devon and Cornwall now on the itinerary, courtesy of PAG...

Quote Originally Posted by PAG View Post
The Donkey Sanctuary, on the east side of Sidmouth might be worth a visit, being not far from Lyme Regis. I used to live between Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth.

Sidmouth | Visit Our Sanctuary | The Donkey Sanctuary

And OhOh...

Quote Originally Posted by OhOh View Post
This is an evening delight.

Attachment 86104

The Minack Theatre (Cornish: Gwaryjy Minack) is an open-air theatre, constructed above a gully with a rocky granite outcrop jutting into the sea. The theatre is at Porthcurno, 4 miles (6.4 km) from Land's End in Cornwall, England.

https://www.minack.com/whats-on
I should have a decent ride throughout the six weeks... a friend of my mum's has a RAV4 going spare which is a good drive, especially when it's for free.

My other plans include a trip to London for 3 or 4 days, visiting the HMS Victory in Portsmouth, paying a visit to an old friend who lives in Gorleston-On-Sea (Great Yarmouth), and more locally to my mum, I have a friend in Cheltenham to visit and I was also thinking of a night in Shepton Mallet jail.

The London trip will start with a full English at the Regency Cafe, and hopefully include a tourist ride on an open top bus, trips to the Natural History Museum at Kensington and also (thanks BC and Shutree) the Science Museum. Someone (was it Malmo Mike?) mentioned taking in a show in the West End? That may be an idea and my violinist sister who used to work in Covent Garden may be able to help there. I need to look through all the advice and collate everything.

Other ideas have included canal boating in Oxfordshire and climbing Mount Snowdon, although seeing as that's in Wales it doesn't really fit with the thread.

But for now I need to put another work trip to Norway behind me, books some flights and start planning an itinerary. I need to get a list of activities to whittle down and make a list of accommodation to book. I've never even stayed in an AirBNB so this will be a learning curve and the thought of using public transport in London leaves me cold. But with a kid I guess you have to just get on with it.

I've already started making a pile of things to pack lest we forget anything at the last minute. This I will add to over the coming weeks.