As it when your on holiday, you don’t want to spend your time on a computer. Well I don’t, anyway, so as not to forget and to record the trip and some of my memories I decided to update it today.
Ill tell you were we are now, in a brilliant little B&B called Appin in Largs, From the porch you can see the the Isle of Bute and the Isle of Aran, I hope I spelled it correct.
But I need to rewind back a little. We drove, or should I say I drove and Michelle felt queezy all the way up to Newcastle in around 7 hours, it took longer than normal because Michelle was car sick and 60mph was about the most comfortable top speed I could do without her getting any worse.
It was great to be on a stick shift again and driving like I remember, so much fun and I didn’t realize how much I missed driving in Britain. The roads are narrow and everyone is so close and its fast and lots of fun! Michelle would disagree I know.
The M25 we caught at the right time and so it was not tailed back for miles and when there were road works down to single lain it still moved quite well. Also the weather held for most of the way up and Google maps was accurate in its direction up until Newcastle and very close to Alan’s (Michelle’s friend) until we were on the B road dual carriage way near his place then I missed a few turns and then got back on track, we drove around the estate he lives on a few times but had to ask 3 times for directions before we actually were put right and finally found his place. Google Map’s was also highly inaccurate in the times it tells you it would take but I believe this to be because its America’s who have never driven in the UK that update GMaps.
We had a great stay with Alan who was off for a few days and he and his girl were very hospitable and took us around Newcastle a few times to show us the sites, even taking us to his mum’s for dinner and a chin way.
It was nice to have a few beers too which I had not done in a while, a few tinnies as the Aussies say, I had an 8 pack of McCewans which lasted a few days, Michelle baked her popular Jalapeno cheese bread, we decorated his front room out with Halloween decorations from Asda and watched a Scream 1 and 2, all in all a great visit and we all watched the Abu Dabi Grand Prix’s first race at an awesome venue on the telly. I forgot how much Telly was an English way of life.
A scene from Alan's mum's window, the 17th floor!
We also had a meal out at a Chippies and it was awesome, huge fish, mushy peas and a curry sauce gravy for the big thick chips, Top Scram!
We said our fairwell’s and Michelle was sad, she said she would really miss Alan who was always a good friend in Canada when he worked on the Cable ship.
Alan did give us a recommended scenic route on to where we were going which although did turn out to be a great drive Michelle said was a long way around and because she was a little tired as the end said she would of preferred to be more direct, Alan would say.. “There is no pleasing that woman!”, and sometime he would be right.
We stopped at a hotel which was more of a castle on the border. We needed a pee break and the last 3 places we stopped on the border were closed or had no facilities and in some ways we are glad we did stop, the place was wonderful, all old wood paneling inside the reception area.
Michelle and Rob outside a hotel/castle on the English Border
A helpful wee girl at the reception that was very pleased to tell me about the ghosts of the place and when we had left to go outside and snap a few shots before continuing the Proprietor came out to see us and say hello, asked us where we had come from and our general plans and if we ever travel again through that area I would stay there in a second.
A great place.
Back on the road and the weather got Grey and we listened to the BBC Borders
I remember a talk of a wall to keep the English out but all I saw was a rock!
and BBC Scotland that spoke of flooding in the North of Scotland, I just knew this would cause my mother to worry about us but pressed on, we made it to a high vantage point where we could stop and we pulled in as there was a stone marking the border of England and Scotland, it was a classic weather day for the Borders or how I would expect a day on the borders to be, not very hospitable, Michelle wanted to go out and film the Stone and I took a few snaps, apparently there was a border piper and the stone was erected in his honor after his passing in 2009.
Back on the road again and we passed through Jedburgh and stopped off for lunch at a strange place, it was a home/garden store with a restaurant in it.
Appin B&B
Still, top food and we were off again passed the Edinburgh Woolen Mill in Jedburgh and on to Edi which we bypassed on to Glasgow, what seemed an age later we flew though Glasgow and down the west side of Scotland finally arriving in Largs and finding Appin the B&B where I write this from.
I took a wonderful photo from the front room:
Trawler under the rainbow, catch some golden Cod!
What a wonderful couple that own this place, its our friend’s Mother “Sandy” and Step-Father “David” that run Appin B&B and they have such stories and a great hospitable nature making the stay a pleasure, I had to do a little work for them by setting up a webcam so they can see Steve and their Grandson Josh and Daughter in law Melanie in Mission BC.
We did a day trip on the train to Glasgow and beat the streets in the city centre of Glasgow, it was a great day, We had lunch in a bar that you had to go down stars, 2 for 1 pizza and I had Heather bear too, we bought some great gifts, Michelle particularly was excited to buy Monopoly – Glasgow Edition!!, I was excited to but Top Trumps card games, Dr Who and Halloween monsters cards, A great time and here are a few pictures:
Dr Who?
In a square not to far from Central Station
More Square...
On the train to Glasgow.
Today we had Michelle’s cousin Jean Langford and her husband Andrew come up and meet with us here at Appin and Michelle and Jean swapped stories of Michelle’s grandmother who was married to Micheal Brogan and went to live in Canada starting the families that Michelle knows today, They sung a few songs on the Piano that David played, David is one of the owners of Appin Bed and Breakfast and is a great musician and his Wife Sandy is a limey like myself but probably better than I, me being a southerner, hehehe, it was a wonderful visit and we have been so blessed so far on the trip.
See the pictures at …
http://www.islandnet.com/~robtinbc/uk/Rob%20&%20Michelle%20Turner%202009/index.html
One thing I have learned from this trip is to treasure the memories and make note of the stories and history told to you by the people you meet as even hours after the visit with Jean all of the information shared seems to be fading and I cant remember things, I have a terrible memory , I encourage anyone who had relatives that have memories of times past to record them electronically or in hard copy or both but keep the memory’s for future generations. My aim when I get back down south is to expand upon my knowledge of family and trace some of my roots back.
We videoed Micheal Brogan and had stories told by Michael that we shared with his siblings after his passing and this was a treasured gift that you cannot put a price on.
I did this in about 10 minutes!