On The Island

I walked Ellie in the rain and then had an appointment at the Health Centre, blood pressure and blood sample. I think my BP was a little high as they always struggle to take blood from me. Yes, it was, so I have to do it at home for a week and let them know.

Well, having warned the nurse, she took so long making sure she got blood first time, very confident and yes she did…that is a first for me. A  bit of shopping and then home to clean up more dust!

A walk over the fields with Ellie and back in time for the workers to arrive. They worked really hard and I have to say we didn’t freeze. The only problem was when they fitted the new front door the lock was seized!! They had to remove it and return it and get a new one. They had plenty of tea and biscuits while waiting.

All done. I have to say I hate it with workmen in the house and of course, even though they did clear up and use dust sheets there is still a lot of dust left.

Thank goodness I was volunteering for as tired as I was, it was the day they were starting replacing our windows and front door! I have to say I was glad to be out of the way! Quite busy at work and we have a £900 month target to raise donations for Child and Young Persons Cancer Research. Not bad, I managed £80+ that was with the help of selling handmade baby’s cardigans that one of the customers knitted for us.

The window men had left by the time I arrived home.

 

We had a really nice buffet breakfast , back on the coach only to be told our “mystery ” today was the Bullring in Birmingham. No one was impressed, even less so when he dropped us off in ChinaTown , we walked to the Bullring to find that it was 10 am and the shops opened at 11am! But the driver started “I didn’t want to bring you here, I am just following instructions!” He really wasn’t a happy man.

Another wander around the shops (when they opened) and then spent the rest of the time in Spoons, a snack and a G&T, just in case the driver didn’t plan on stopping on the way back. If we were all back, he would start the drive home at 1pm. One couple returned at 2!!

The man in the seat across the aisle was using the onboard entertainment on his tablet  and on the way we all listened to his film. We couldn’t stand it any more for the journey home so I gave him a prod and asked him to put his headphones/ear buds on so that the rest of the coach didn’t have to listen to it. He wasn’t happy but did at least turn the sound off.

We arrived back home at 10pm! A very long 2 days but we had fun and tended to laugh at everything whereas everyone else was getting cross.

Red Hatters “Magical Mystery Tour”. Four of us Pam,Penny, Nikki and I) booked to go on a Mystery Tour with JustGo Holidays in one of their “luxury” coaches. We were asked to be at Westwood Cross at 6 am (didn’t tell us that when we booked!) I left my car in Sainsburys car park, the closest place to the pick up. Booked with “myparking”. The coach stopped at Medway to change drivers.

Our next stop was an hour and a half after starting when water was gushing down the coach!! He had to stop and discovered the water filter had broken and pouring out all the water. Of course we didn’t take water with us as it was supposedly on board! I have to cut a very long story short but the next pick ups were Bromley, Romford, Watford. We had then been on the coach FIVE hours, so I asked the driver to stop somewhere as it was ridiculous! He was a little stroppy as obviously he was fed up with his luxury coach being covered in water! He then said yes, he would stop at Toddington. We had 3/4hour there to get drinks etc  and obviously left the pick ups at Milton Keynes and Northampton still waiting! What a ridiculous route for pick ups. He eventually gave us the “emergency talk” (6 hours after we boarded!) and told us we were going to Stratford Upon Avon for our surprise.  That was the first time he came on his mike to talk to us!

We had a wander round Stratford, a bit of shopping and then went for a cream tea in a lovely cafe – “No37Cafe” . Excellent friendly staff.

Back on the coach to be told we were spending the night in Walsall. At this point I have to mention that this trip was £89 which was why we weren’t getting too upset about anything but now thought we would be staying in a grotty hotel!!

We were very surprised at where we arrived…. Holiday Inn Express. We had lovely rooms .

They had delayed our meal for two hours because of all the holdups! Amazing we had a 3 course dinner (all included in our £89!) Then it was time to relax in the bar with a G&T!

A very long day but lots of laughs.

Off to Kearsney Abbey this morning so that Ellie could have her dip in the stream and as usual, she rolled in the mud afterwards!

Thought for the Day – “Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen”~ Orhan Pamuk

It was so nice and sunny and quite warm and so we took Ellie to St Mildred’s Bay. We met Trevor down there, the guy who started the Retriever meet every weekend. Sadly, he had 3 retrievers and he lost two of them over the Christmas break. How so sad. One had fits and the other had a tumour.

Ellie enjoyed her swim.

Thought for the Day – “A dog will teach you unconditional love. If you can have that in your life, things won’t be too bad” ~ Robert Wagner