After returning from the NC500, we spent a very frenetic day and a half re-packing the van, checking that we had everything that we needed and saying goodbye to friends. Fortunately the young couple who have moved into our house have already settled in and made themselves at home, and to my delight are feeding my pheasants!
On Friday 19th we eventually set off for Glasgow to meet up with the boys for the evening, before heading south. We hadn’t bargained on a fairly steady fall of snow at home, and even more in Glasgow, but by now we were getting more confident about driving in adverse conditions.
On the Saturday morning, we bade our fond farewells to family and set off on our adventure. First stop was an overnight stop in the Lakes, looking wonderful in sunshine. Then a very wet and dreich drive down the M6 to Bristol, to overnight with an old university friend. It was great catching up again after so many years.
Next we moved onto Taunton to get a solar panel fitted to Oscar’s roof, which will hopefully mean that we won’t be so reliant on needing hook-ups. However, what neither Howard or myself had reckoned on was needing to remove the bikes, the bike rack and all the contents of the boot, in order for the chap to access the leisure battery. A rather tense half hour or so ensued whilst Howard tried to cram everything back into the van!
We then moved onto South Devon, after visiting one our dear old neighbours near Wellington in Somerset, who we hadn’t seen for years. We had stayed in touch over the years, and both Howard and I have always been very grateful to her for all the help she offered us during our stay in the village in the early eighties.
We’re now staying in a lovely old pub in Branscombe, South Devon – where Howard and I actually spent the first night of our honeymoon in 1983, and brings back many happy memories with family and friends over the decades.
So it has been a bit of a nostalgic start to our great adventure, but quite special catching up with people who have played such an important role in our lives at certain times. Tomorrow onto to Surrey, to catch up with some of our oldest and dearest friends, and to meet up with more family, before eventually leaving the UK.
Oscar Goes To Europe 