I’m waterproof!
If there was ever any doubt about this before, that’s all been removed by the tests that I underwent on our trip down the length of Dear Old England, from home in Northumberland to the Cornish village of Tintagel for a week of RnR. A trip of 451 soggy, floaty, watery miles.
Some motorway service stations are worth avoiding. I’m looking at you, Charnock Richard. But thankfully we managed to visit one in Somerset that quite frankly was the best one I’ve ever experienced. I would recommend it but it’s actually my brother’s house, and he and his wife might not appreciate the attention from Eddie Stobart drivers and the like when they hear about the excellent panini that we had there when we called in on our way down.
We arrived in pouring rain (no surprise there) and unpacked in pouring rain and settled in in pouring rain.
We woke up on the Sunday morning to pouring rain (there’s a pattern developing here. Can you spot it?) But determined not to be held back by the weather, we ventured out into the wetness that was Tintagel in July.
Annie led the way by going out for a run – A RUN! – early in the morning. She’s doing the Great North Run in September and needs sponsors, and with this level of determination she earns every penny. Here’s the link to her sponsorship page: https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/annies-giving-page-268
After breakfast, the Holiday Gods thought we’d had enough dampness and sent the clouds away for a while. So of course we went to the pub and found a table outside the King Arthur’s Arms.
The sun eventually appeared and after drying out we went for a pre booked Sunday lunch at the Tintagel Arms. The place was a little basic, and some members of our party were a little disquieted by the luminous appearance of the cauliflower, but this was explained by the barman as turmeric in the cheese sauce. Unusual… but I ate it and I’m still alive to tell the tale!
We spent the rest of the afternoon back in the arms of King Arthur, supping perhaps a couple too many. We had scones when we got back to the house and at least one of them ended up on the floor, much to the delight of the dog, Rio, who had now added scones to her list of favourite foods.
The six of us and the dog in the title, in case you wondered, are:
Me. Handsome, witty, silver haired and articulate, with a love of old buses and ordering food in Spanish.
Rachel, my lovely missus, who would leave me in a heartbeat for Phil Collins.
David, youngest stepson, cursed with a sense of humour like mine.
Annie, his girlfriend, who loves running and dogs, but not together.
Joseph, eldest Stepson, singer and generally fabulous.
Daniel, Joseph’s boyfriend, who hasn’t met a board game that he dislikes or can’t understand.
Rio. Dog of spectacular loveliness. See photo.
Tomorrow, four of us are due to go kayaking. Guess who isn’t?
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