A pilgrimage across southern England

[armstrong]

The UK is beautiful for those 3 days a year when it's warm and sunny.

[Joe 90]

The UK is beautiful for those 3 days a year when it's warm and sunny.

You're not fvcking wrong!

Fortunately we have a few months to rejoice, fvck October till april!

[Edmond]

Lovely Hal.

It's a shame that by the time Mendo comes back to post up his pics TD won't exist.

[Mendip]

He gave me an actual Thatchers glass for the 2nd one. I was struggling after the 3rd so went on normal Thatchers.

Great stuff Hal, I hope you enjoyed the West country!

Which Cheddar pub did you drink that pint of cider in? The Bath Arms? The White Hart? I hope you pocketed that that Thatchers glass!

One of my sisters lives in Wells... her daughter had a scholarship at Wells Cathedral School for playing the violin. She's at the Royal College of Music in Kensington now and I have high hopes that she'll be able to get me and my daughter to the Natural History Museum and show me how to get on a tube train.

By the way, the sister in Wells does a bedroom on Airbnb... I should have mentioned it. She loves to rip off northerners.

This thread has made 5 pages and I haven't even packed my bags yet! I don't even leave for another 7 weeks so long as I can find Edmond's permission form in Korat, or else it'll be Hal's oddysey instead.

Today I will continue to try and trace my car contact.

[hallelujah]

The UK is beautiful for those 3 days a year when it's warm and sunny.

Yep. We got very lucky with the weather though and I actually manage to get sunburnt- in April!

Great stuff Hal, I hope you enjoyed the West country!

Which Cheddar pub did you drink that pint of cider in? The Bath Arms? The White Hart? I hope you pocketed that that Thatchers glass!

One of my sisters lives in Wells... her daughter had a scholarship at Wells Cathedral School for playing the violin. She's at the Royal College of Music in Kensington now and I have high hopes that she'll be able to get me and my daughter to the Natural History Museum and show me how to get on a tube train.

By the way, the sister in Wells does a bedroom on Airbnb... I should have mentioned it. She loves to rip off northerners.

This thread has made 5 pages and I haven't even packed my bags yet! I don't even leave for another 7 weeks so long as I can find Edmond's permission form in Korat, or else it'll be Hal's oddysey instead.

Today I will continue to try and trace my car contact.

The Bath Arms where we also happened to have some of the best pub food I've had in years! I took a few pictures for you, but as it took me almost 3 hours to upload that lot last night, it will be later before I add the final chapter from your old stomping ground (and maybe a couple more from oop norf!)

[Mendip]

A mate of mine used to live in Cheddar and I've had many a pint in the Bath Arms.

The UK is beautiful for those 3 days a year when it's warm and sunny.

Yeah... while it's great that Hal had such good weather it pisses me off slightly cos I can't see it lasting until July.

[malmomike77]

and I have high hopes that she'll be able to get me and my daughter to the Natural History Museum and show me how to get on a tube train.

Mendip this is quite a good map that allows you to search for attractions and shows them and you can find the nearest tube station along with the map to see how to get from the station to the attraction

https://www.city-walks.info/London-en/Map.html

For your phone the Transport For London App is really good for journeys, well when i said for you i meant for Mini on her phone

TfL Go app - Maps, routes and more to plan your journey - Transport for London

[hallelujah]

A mate of mine used to live in Cheddar and I've had many a pint in the Bath Arms.




Yeah... while it's great that Hal had such good weather it pisses me off slightly cos I can't see it lasting until July.

Yeah, but my passport doesn't need renewing via Nana, sorry, Bangkok, and the Sun has promised everyone a great summer for the Queen's something or other this year, so the little green man monster needn't rear its head just yet.

[Mendip]

^^

Thanks again Mike, and for your advice about Dorset above.

I'll have to study everything properly a bit later... I've suddenly got very busy at work today and I'm struggling to give this thread the attention it deserves.

[hallelujah]

^^

I'll have to study everything properly a bit later... I've suddenly got very busy at work today and I'm struggling to give this thread the attention it deserves.

By the way, Mendip (my lips are sealed from now on about passport renewals ), I don't know if you've sorted digs out for London yet (seemingly not), but I got this Travelodge at Kings Cross for 52 quid a night! Five minutes from the station, so it's brilliant for getting around and seeing the sights with the little 'un. Check their website for more locations too.

[Reg Dingle]

Today's task is to secure transport. The guy I usually borrow a car from isn't answering his phone

If you have no luck with the motor, mate- I have a senior citizens bus pass I forgot to hand in to Lost Property.
If you grow back the moustache you'd carry it off

[OhOh]

The UK is beautiful for those 3 days a year when it's warm and sunny.

Shivering on the beach is a family bonding excersise. Once in their teens the excitement does wane a tad.

[Mendip]

Not sure if you've ever taken her out of the country without her mother before, if not, just be aware that you need a Thai document from her Thai mother giving you legal permission to take her out of Thailand, without it the child won't be getting anywhere near the plane.

I've been on to the wife about this Ed and she's been in to the Amphur offices in Korat and found out where to go and what to do. We can sort this out when I get home, no problem.

Many thanks for the tip.

By the way, Mendip (my lips are sealed from now on about passport renewals )

I was sending the wife copies of our daughter's passports today to prepare for Ed's document and as luck would have it, discovered that the her UK passport is up for renewal next year!

Two more trips to Bangkok... it just never ends.

[Edmond]

Many thanks for the tip.

Nothing says thank you like duty free booze and a warm oil back rub.

[Mendip]

^ Send me your address... I'll send the gardener up.

He has good hands.

[Edmond]

Send me your address

I'm not falling for that dill again.


I'll send you up some creatine, 'e said.

[Mendip]

Things are moving along nicely. It's only about 5 weeks until we leave for the UK.

I still haven't got the car organised... it's now been over three weeks that my car guy hasn't answered his phone and I'm starting to wonder if he's avoiding me, but I'm sure I can sort something out.

An old mate with a son my daughter's age may be joining us for the HMS Victory trip, with maybe an overnight to include a trip to Porchester Castle and a hovercraft ride over to the Isle of Wight.

KLM, the bastards, keep sending me emails to say that this or that flight has been cancelled and re-scheduled. I've never had anything like this before.

Today they said that our return leg Bristol to Amsterdam flight in August has been cancelled. Now, instead of leaving BRS at 17:30 with a 1 hour connection for the BKK flight, we leave at 09:10 with an 8 hour connection, They seem to have cancelled all Cityhopper flights after the 09:10 flight... only two a day now, the red eye and ours... there used to be five a day from Bristol to Amsterdam. What's going on?

Also I was very worried to see this...


A retired British geologist has been jailed for 15 years for attempting to remove artefacts from Iraq.

Jim Fitton, 66, who is originally from Bath, collected 12 stones and shards of broken pottery during a recent geology and archaeology tour of the country.

British geologist jailed in Iraq after taking artefacts - BBC News


I was hoping to chip off a piece of Stonehenge for my collection during this trip but may have to rethink things.

[hallelujah]

I don't understand why you're flying from Bristol and having to endure limited flights and KLM.

Why not fly from Birmingham (or London) and use the Middle Eastern airlines (or choose from countless others)?

Is KLM cutlery that special?

Mind you, an 8 hour stopover in Amsterdam? My oh my! The passport processing centres there are something else!

[Mendip]

^ It's already booked and my mum lives 15 minutes from Bristol airport.

It's not about the cutlery, KLM has been plastic for years. It's about avoiding LHR and the hassle of getting between there and Somerset. It was all good until they've started cancelling flights. I can get a refund and book again... but you know... just can't be arsed.

I may well take a trip into Amsterdam on the way back to kill a bit of time... with my young daughter.

[hallelujah]

^ It's already booked and my mum lives 15 minutes from Bristol airport.

It's not about the cutlery, KLM has been plastic for years. It's about avoiding LHR and the hassle of getting between there and Somerset. It was all good until they've started cancelling flights. I can get a refund and book again... but you know... just can't be arsed.

I may well take a trip into Amsterdam on the way back to kill a bit of time... with my young daughter.

If you did something similar in the future (hopefully your old dear will be around for a few years yet), maybe you could factor in London before you fly back instead of at the start? Perhaps do a loop up norf via Chitty's garden shed and then back down the M1 so you can have a few nights in Dil's dogging wagon.

PS. I believe Amsterdam has some of the best childcare facilities in the world...

[Edmond]

a hovercraft ride over to the Isle of Wight.

Do this.

The kid will remember it forever.

I vividly remember getting a helicopter ride (not a tourist paid one) as an 11 yr old through a parent's business partner that had one scheduled. It's a big deal for a kid. Wouldn't go on one know mind. As they say, a plane with no engine will usually glide down, a helicopter drops like a shithouse brick.

I was hoping to chip off a piece of Stonehenge for my collection during this trip but may have to rethink things.

I wouldn't fear. It was only built 100 years ago.








Interesting story.

The Man Who Bought Stonehenge

In 1915, Cecil Chubb went to an auction to buy some dining chairs but returned home with the ultimate impulse buy—Stonehenge.

Like most of the bargain-hunters who packed the Palace Theatre in Salisbury, England, on the afternoon of September 21, 1915, Cecil Chubb was looking for a deal. Legend says the wealthy 39-year-old lawyer had been dispatched by his wife to purchase a set of dining chairs, but that all changed when auctioneer Howard Frank announced lot number 15—“Stonehenge with about 30 acres, 2 rods, 37 perches of adjoining downland.”

The Man Who Bought Stonehenge - HISTORY

[DrWilly]

PS. I believe Amsterdam has some of the best childcare facilities in the world...

Leave her at the airport with the factotum to watch her.

[Mendip]

^^^ Yeah Hal, but will Chitty's shed still be standing in a year's time?

Dill's 'dogging wagon'? Are all you northerners so depraved?


^^ Interesting Ed. I visited Stonehenge as a kid with my parents and remember clambering about on the stones. If only I'd had me geological hammer on me back then! I believe that you can't get near them any more.

A chunk of Stonehenge would go great with my piece of Ayers Rock at home. And that was loose... it just came off in my hand, before anyone accuses me of archaeological vandalism.

The factotum will be at home with the wife... he has to stay home to make this all possible!

[DrWilly]

with my piece of Ayers Rock at home

You thieving pikey!!!

[Edmond]

Ayers Rock

Uluru.


Local legends say that those that taketh the rocks, be cursed with two of the following. Bad marriage. Infinite slimness. Biological weapon toes.