Black Park

Today we picked up Matilda from the cattery. She seemed fine after her stay and has forgiven us for abandoning her. This afternoon I took a walk to Black Park which is a county park not to far from the Marina. The weather was nice and the trees were a fantastic colour. The country park is on the edge of the River Dee which was flowing very quickly, it was interesting to see the river from close and this river was the reason why the aqueducts were built. There is a walk along the River taking you to the base of the aqueduct which I will do again with my camera.

Yesterday we came back from the Isle of Man on the ferry. The journey was not that enjoyable. The ferry was modern and we had a good place to sit at the front with lots of windows so that we could see out. Unfortunately it was very windy and I was told by a member of staff that this is the strongest wind that the ship sales. It was very very choppy and poor Scott was not well (despite taking seasick pills) . Walking around the ship was tricky especially as I needed to keep getting up to get Scott water, tissues and dispose of his sick bags!

For our last night in the Isle of Man we went to a Indian restaurant which was 13 miles away from the hotel. The drive there was a little hair-raising. It was very dark with no cats eyes on the road and it was terribly windy. The restaurant was very busy however, the town was completely dead.

So we are now back on our boat. It is odd that normally when I return home from a holiday I am very sad to leave our holiday destination as it means that the relaxation is over. In fact, I was not sad to leave the Isle of Man and happy to return to our boat and to continue our time in Chirk.

Picture of a windfarm from the ferry:

Isle of Man

Firstly apologies for no blog for a while, but we have been on holiday to the Isle of Man.

The reason for picking the Isle of Man was a simple, Scott has always wanted to go and being in Chirk made the journey to Heysham to pick up the ferry very easy.

The Isle of Man is an Island off the coast from the Mainland UK. It is self governing, (apart from foreign affairs and defence) has its own currency, tax system, mobile phone network, car number plates etc. It is almost like going to a foreign country and in many ways it is foreign. In 2006 the population was 80,058 people, of whom 26,218 reside in the island's capital, Douglas.

The countryside around the Isle of Man was slightly disappointing, I felt that it lacked the wow factor of Wales that I have seen, however, the scenery around the coast was dramatic and I must admit at times I was wowed.

Houses range from very expensive (a few million) to cheaper flats. There are some very grey housing estates dotted around the island. Douglas appears to have all the usual shops, however, as the ferry to Liverpool is 2 ½ hours away, islanders go shopping to Liverpool. There is a Tesco’s. M&S, HMV, Boots to name a few high street shops on the Island. The Island also has a cinema and a theatre.

Day One

After an early start and a drive to put Matilda in a cattery we were on our way to Morecambe to stay for a night before embarking on the ferry to Douglas. I had high hopes of Morecombe and choose to stay there as I really wanted to stay in a seaside town.

The journey to Morecambe was about 2 hours along the motorway and we only hit a bit of traffic into Lancaster. We booked ourselves into the Westleigh Guest House which is on the sea front. The hotel was terribly outdated. The carpet was similar to the show house of 1969 at the slate museum and the bathroom was a shocking pink colour. The room was cold and the only redeeming feature was the lovely view of the bay and the mountains beyond which as the sun set gave a fantastic colour over the horizon.

Morecombe itself is very rundown. The beach and sea is very petty, however there were so many shops empty or which could have done with a lick of paint. We walked along the promenade and along the road on the way back. We popped into a amusement arcade which clientele can only be described as people in Jeremy Kyle’s waiting room.

I was very sorry to see how sad Morecombe looked, especially as I would have imagined that it was a bustling and vibrant seaside town. I read that it was thriving in the mid 20^th Century and between 1956 and in 1989 it was the home of the Miss GB beauty contest. Now, apart of the nice views over the bay there is no reason to visit unless you wish to see the statue of John Eric Bartholomew, better known as Eric Morecambe.

View of Morecambe Bay

Statue of Eric Morecambe

Day Two:

We woke up very early Monday morning and saw the frost outside on the cars. The sea and beyond looked lovely and I noted that I have never seen a frosty seaside before. I had a bad night, there was a distance humming noise in the room which kept me awake for a while and the blue light of the standby of the TV was very annoying. I was in the middle of writing my review for the hotel whilst Scott was in the shower when the power went, the whole hotel had a power cut. I went to find someone but only found a stressed and grumpy landlady who did not know what to do. We did go down to breakfast but all we could have was cereal and being so cold I really wanted a coffee. As a refund the landlady gave us £10 to get breakfast elsewhere, which we did in a Weatherspoons.

After breakfast and a walk along the promenade we drove to the port to get to The Isle of Man. The crossing was OK, the seating area was awash with children being half term and by 5pm we went on deck to see the boat cruise into the harbour with a fantastic 180 degree turn at the end. The sailing took 3 ½ hours and apart from the last hour was very calm and pleasant.

As we took the car on the ferry, we were able to drive out of the harbour quite quickly and head to the hotel. The journey was fine, however, we did not realise that the Sat Nav postcode feature did not work on the Island so we had to rely on good old fashioned map reading.

The hotel was lovely, nice room and the best shower ever. It is situated about 20 minutes drive from Douglas in the countryside.As it was late we had dinner in the hotel.

Day Three:

Up again bright and early and headed to Peel, which is a harbour town on the coast. However, it was dead and the only shop open was a charity shop. They had a couple of museums, however, we skipped them and headed to Port Erin to go on the Steam Railway. The weather even though was not raining was damp and cloudy so the views of the countryside were not as dramatic as it could have been.

I dropped my parents at the station to park the car. When I arrived back at the station I saw them chatting intensely with the Station Master. I discovered that he used to work with my Mother at Elal Airlines in their London office. What a small world. He looked after us and we travelled in the first class carriage to Douglas and on our return from Douglas we met him for a coffee where we began chatting about life on the Island.

The steam train took us to Douglas in an hour. It mainly followed the coast stopping at stations along the way. It was a nice way to see the area especially as no one was driving so all could enjoy the view.

We did walk a bit around Douglas to find somewhere to have some lunch, the shopping area could be anywhere, however the seafront however was very nice. After 3 hours in Douglas we took the train back a tad cold and tired. Doughas Bay: The Steam Train:

Day Four:

Again, up quite early as today was Manx Electric Railway day. We boarded this train at Ramsey and took it to Douglas and return. The tram hugs the East coast with some outstanding views. The journey is 17 miles long and the line began its life in 1893. The tramway winds itself along fields and roads whilst crossing a few roads along the way. The journey was not without incident with a couple of emergency stops and one where a lorry nearly crashed into us.

After lunch (which has been difficult to find a place to eat) we went for a drive in the country. First heading to the most northern tip of the island at its pebble beach followed by a drive over the ‘mountains’, I would be more inclined to call them hills. The vegetation of the mountains reminded me of the mountains around the horseshoe pass and the Berwyn mountains in Wales. Very bleak with heather growning on it. The colours were lovely, browns and greens.

The roads in the Isle of Man tend to be single carriage ways. I did not see any duel carriageways. For some strange reason it’s easy to get lost on the island and take the incorrect road. The island is home to the famous TT races, which is a motorcycle race round the island. The road for the TT is very well marked and one could drive the course if wanted. I understand the island gets very busy round TT time.

View from the tram:

View from the Mountains

Day Five:

Up again very early and drove to the South West tip of the Island to a place called The Sound. It has fantastic views of the Calf of Man, a little island and the sea beyond. There is also a café which makes the most of the views.

After we dropped my parents at the Airport it started to rain so we went back to Peel to one of the island many museums. This museum explores the island Celtic, Viking and Maritime traditions. It was a very interactive museum which kept the interest going.

Once we had lunch in a local pub we drove to The Niarbyl Visitors Centre. In fact the Centre consisted of a TV in the café. The Café is on a cliff over the sea and the wind was gale force. It was so windy. We walked along the cliff which was a little precarious especially as the footpath was very muddy and the wind could have almost blown us over. We did not walk for long I was worried that the fog would set in and we would not be able to find the path back.

After a bit of a drive we arrived back at the hotel and took a stroll along the river near the hotel to the waterfall. The walk, which I thought would only be a short wander, took around an hour and we arrived back at our hotel tired and rested whilst we had a cup of tea and the complimentary biscuits.

The view to Calf of Man

The road to nowhere

Cliffs near Niarbyl

Two types of rocks from derived from two separate continents:

Waterfall near the hotel

So this ends a very long blog and our trip to the Isle of Man....

Snowdon and Anderton Lift

Over the past couple of days the weather has been cold and rainy so we have not been up to much. Been to Llangollen to do the laundry and purchase coal and wood, nipped into Oswestry and generally pottered.

On Wednesday the weather despite being bitterly cold was very sunny and we took, what may be the last opportunity of the season to take the train up Snowdon. This mountain is the highest in Wales and is located within Snowdonia National Park.

The summit is at an altitude of 1085 meters above sea level and on clear days you can see Ireland, Scotland, England and The Isle of Man. The views were fantastic despite being very cold. There was even snow on the ground. We took the train both up and down. A few years ago, we did walk up (from the half way station) and down to the bottom, however, my knees were a lot younger then, so this time we decided to “let the train take the strain” The train starts from Llanberis and is a narrow gauge rack and pinion mountain railway (based on Swiss technology) and is over 100 years old. The locomotives are steam or diesel and push the carriages up the mountain. Once at the top the train waits for 30 minutes before heading back down. Which gives just enough time to climb a few steps to the top and have a cup of tea in the new café on the summit.

After we descended we took a walk around the lake just near the base of the mountain and found ourselves in a slate museum where we stopped for a welcome coffee and shelter from the cold. The museum spoke about this history of slate mining and the different roles and tasks involved. The museum even had houses to show the changing décor of miners houses through history ending in 1969. It was fascinating and I was very interested in a water wheel which powered the tools. A marvellous peace of engineering. This waterwheel is the largest working wheel in mainland Britain. 50 foot or so in diameter and 5 foot wide and was constructed in 1870.

(Picutres: View from Snowdon (you can just see in the first one a fluttering of snow) and the water wheel)

Thursday saw another bright day and after a slow morning we drove to the Anderton Boat lift. I was pleased to visit something related to the canal and secretly very happy that my boat was not going on the River Weaver, it is so big and daunting compared to the canals. The lift, which is the first of its kind, links the River with the Trent and Mersey Canal It was built in 1875 and used until 1983. After lots of fundraising and campaigning restoration started in 2001 and opened in 2002 with a visitors centre.

We did a little boat trip on the lift, basically starting at the bottom and ending at the top. Unfortunately the lift did not work to plan for our trip and we were stuck on the lift for about 30 minutes. It seems the computer lifted the lift too high which in turn would not allow the barrier to open. We had to wait for the computer to recalibrate before being able to set sail with me being once again thankful that I was not on our little boat and wondering why they needed to use computers to operated it when it worked well fora centry without them.

Picutres show the lift on the bottom one you can see the 2 levels. The river at the bottom and the canal at the top. So a boat from the bottom would drive into the lift and it would raise to the top just under the white hut.

Llangollen food festival, walks and Liverpool

We have done loads over the past few days, been out and about quite a bit, but the highlight was a trip to Liverpool yesterday.  

On Saturday the morning started very dull so we took a drive to the Llangollen Food Festival which took place at The Royal International Pavilion. It was a marvel of culinary delights, from sauces to different types of garlic, from yoghurts to toffee vodka. We sampled Llangollen Ale, dips, vegetarian black pudding and ice cream. A few bits were bought, Indian pesto, chilli sauce from Australia, chilli garlic and vegetarian scotch eggs. We were thankful that we went in the morning as by lunchtime it was getting very busy.

In the afternoon we walked up to Castell Dinan Bran which is a ruin of a medieval castle standing on a 800 foot hill above Llangollen. It was also the site of a Iron Age hill fort. The footpath up to the top zig-zags up the side of the hill and it was a good 45 minute climb, however it is well worth it. The 360 degree views were outstanding.

(photos: food festival and view from ruins)

Sunday was a very cold morning. The temperature in the cratch cover was 0 degrees and the ground was covered in frost. I checked the temperature at home at it appears that it was 5 degrees warmer. I was very surprised at the difference in temperature. Another notable difference is the sunset and sunrise times. Today in Chirk the sunrise was 7.45 am and sunset 18.04 and back at home sunrise 07:33 and sunset 18:00, quite remarkable.

Anyway, we woke up quite early and headed to the car boot sale. Sadly no old Tamiyas for Scott at a bargain price, but a new bed was purchased for Matilda (which she is not using despite it being next to the fire). In the afternoon we walked in the Berwyn Mountains. The walk in our book was described as an’ Easy, a fairly level walk with no steep hills’, which I imagined to be a slow meander especially needed after our hike the day before. Sadly, this was not the case, the footpath went up and up through fields and woods before turning down a country lane into a  field of sheep where the footpath took us along a river. It was such a lovely sunny  day and this valley was sun trap and very peaceful.

On Monday the alarm was set at 6.30 am and after a quick breakfast we drove to Chrik train station. The journey was a little hazardous as it seems the little rabbits had a death wish as they kept leaping out into the road. The car park at Chirk despite being small is very handy and free. The station soon filled up with commuters. The 7.38 train seems to be the only commuter train and even though it was busy it was not full. The train travels onto Wrexham, Chester and ends at  Holyhead. We alighted at Chester and transferred onto a train into Liverpool. This train was more like Metropolitan line train and the journey from Chester to Liverpool stopped at many stations along the way. The scenery was very much like any other suburb and reminded me of the journey from Rayners Lane and Uxbridge. During the train journey we made a plan for the day. I had a list of things to do from a friend who was from Liverpool. He wrote so passionately about the city and gave us such a comprehensive list that we were determined to see as much as possible.

We arrived at Lime Street Station and first walked to the Albert Dock via the Cavern Club (made famous by the Beatles). Even though it was not open, I had wanted to see it since I was little that I was too excited not to go there first. After a few photos we walked to the Albert Dock as the rain started. We got there just in time to take a ride on the ‘Yellow Duck Marine’ a tour bus which changes into a boat and goes into the water. The bus took us to the main sights before splashing into the water and taking drive/cruise around the docks. A fun way to see the city. After the tour we walked around the Docks. In particular the Albert Docks which is of course where This Morning was filmed (you remember, Richard and Judy and the man with the weather map in the water). We also went into the International Slavery Museum which was very moving and the Merseyside Maritime Museum which  had a very detailed model of the Titanic. Time was ticking and during lunch we figured that in fact we would not have time to see everything on our list. I was wishing that we had put the food timer on for Matilda so that we could have stayed the night to explore again the next day, especially as I saw a hotel which was Beatle themed. With a lack of time in mind, we decided that we would return another day and see the more cultural side of Liverpool. (The two Cathedrals unusually situated on either end of the same road) and booked ourselves on the Magical Mystery Tour (the Beatles Themed tour). This has been something I have wanted to do for years and really can’t believe that I have waited so long to do this.

The Tour bus was of course Beatles themed, quite tatty and the dashboard was held together with tape. The guide was very knowledgeable and spoke to Beatles history as the bus trundled through the suburbs of Liverpool. At times we were able to get out of the bus to take photos, however, other times we could only take pictures from it (e.g Strawberry fields).


The Magical Mystery Tour Bus:



PennyLane


John Lennon's home, 251 Menlove Avenue L25 7SA. This house is open to the public via the National Trust

This is one of Paul McCartney homes, his mother was a midwife and moved around alot. This house is also open via the National Trust

George Harrision's home and where he was born.


The Street where Ringo lived. I was surprised to see many streets where the houses are borded up and empty. I was unsure why, but I am guessing regeneration.



Strawberry Fields (L256EJ) This is a former Salavation Army Childrens home and was originally a Victorian Mansion which has been replaced. The gates however remain.



The wall outside the Cavern Club which has all the names of bands who have played inscribed.


Outside of the famous Cavern Club. The club was closed down in 1973 and was demolished in 1981. The club was rebuild on the original site and opened again in 1984. The beatles played 275 performances and played their last gig at the Cavern on the 3rd August 1963.

We ended the tour at the Cavern which was a fitting way to end our trip to Liverpool and I can tick something from the 'things to do before you die' list. We had a pint and watched a guitarist playing Beatles tunes before heading back on an uneventful journey home.

Photos of Llangollen Railway

As promised below are some photos of the Llangollen Railway:

These are a couple of the train. There were only 5 made in the 1950's. Of the 5, 2 were transported to the Caribbean, 2 scrapped and this one was preserved. Information about the train can be found of the Llangollen Railway website.

Inside the train, the seats are very comfy and springy. The controls of the train.
Have not been up to much in the last few days. Been to the launderette and today discovered a very well stocked and big Sainsburys. This and a few drives / walks have kept us busy. The weather has been horrible, very cloudy. Currently it is windy and has started to rain. Hoping to go to the LLangollen Food Festival this weekend and next week go to Liverpool if possible.

Llangollen Railway

On Sunday I said farewell to friends and on Monday welcomed my father. He arrived by train from Marylebone which is a very easy journey for him. He stayed in a local hotel and we were able to join him for breakfast as well as having the opportunity to watch TV. Its only when I see it do I realise I miss it. I watch intensely for the initial bit  Sky News with the rescue of the miners.  It seems ages ago when I first read about their plight. Since we left home there have been a number of notable news stories which I missed watching on tv, the floods in Pakistan/china and fires Russia to name a few.  

After my father arrived we took him to the waterfall for lunch. Even though we were only there the day before I really wanted him to see it and the countryside surrounding it. 

We took a trip on the Llangollen railway. It was really good. The train was a 1950's one of which only 5 was built. We paid a £1 extra to go first class of which we were the only ones in the carriage. The journey followed the River Dee and was very pretty. A round trip of 1 1/2 hours which if you take the 11.00 train means you are back at Llangollen for lunch. We in fact went to a hotel along the River Dee for a £5 lunch which was very reasonable for the amount to eat.   After a quick trip to Wrexham and a rest we went to an Indian restaurant in Oswestry called Simla. Highly recommended. 

The Temperature is getting colder at the moment. Monday saw a fantastic day, not a cloud in the sky but to my surprise there was frost on the grass and on the walkway to the boat. I don't recall getting frost so early in London.  Yesterday after being out all day the temperature in the boat was very cold and this morning was very chilly but a getting the fire going quickly warms us up. . The cratch cover has also been a godsend as it stops the draught from the vents. People have always asked how we keep warm in winter. Once lit the stove gets the boat hotter then what we have at home and we also have gas central heating which is hardly used.

The days are getting shorter and I  really hate the darkness (not the band) and have a real fear of it. It's almost like I  feel that when it's dark I should be inside rather than out and about
which is tricky when it gets dark
so early.  We are however getting used to driving down the country lanes at dark and avoiding the many rabbits  which appear at night. We will be purchasing a good torch for the car in case of emergencies as it is so dark with no street lights and general light pollution.  Perhaps I am over precautious but we have watched a few Vampire movies recently. 

During breakfast with my father I could see the A5 and noted a number of trucks carrying sheep. Obviously they are not being transported for a winter holiday but I guess more likely for a journey which is accompanied by mint sauce. 

Sorry no pictures at the moment as I have used all my data allowance so will upload them in a couple of days 

Out and about with visitors.

Five friends came to visit this weekend so we had a lovely time showing them the  sights. We did loads: Aquaduct with a canal walk, walked to Llangollen which was a long at times steep trek. Horseshoe pass and today a visit to the waterfalls. We had fun catching up and i was amused that as we are getting older conversations turned to aliments and Radio4 programmes, rather than talking about nights out and bands that we had seen.   It  was a fun packed weekend and was really fantastic to see our friends. 

The weather at the was not that good, the mornings started foggy and it took ages to clear. It was not cold, just misty. Sadly the fog did stop us looking at the views, especially on our walk to Llangollen.  The leafs of the trees are beginning to turn which really makes the countryside colourful. 

So after an action packed weekend, we are relaxing with throbbing feet whist our friends have the long journey home.

It is great that so many people have visited this lovely place and I have loved sharing the sights with them. I hope that the visits have given all a break from the stresses and stains of London life and gave them a good opportunity to get some fresh air into their lungs. . So next time they are stressed they can close their eyes and remember the refreshing breeze from horseshoe pass and the beautiful countryside views and take a second out if their busy day to take a deep breath and relax. 

Lake Vyrnwy

Today was laundry day (yes again) so we drove to Llangollen and sat in our usual spot in the launderette watching the washing go round and round. This afternoon has been spent cleaning thoroughly as we have a friend staying with us over the weekend. The morning started off very miserable and foggy, now there is not a cloud in the sky.

Yesterday we had decided to stay on the boat and potter to save some money, however the weather was so nice that we felt it was criminal to stay inside. We drove to Lake Vyrnwy which is actually a Victorian reservoir for the City of Liverpool. It’s stone dam was built in the 1880’s was the first of its kind in the world. There are 311 streams, waterfalls and rivers that flow into the lake .The construction of the dam and reservoir flooded the village of Llanwddyn and when the water level is low, you can still see the houses. The village was rebuilt next to the lake. Lake Vyrnwy is also a nature reserve and the RSPB have several bird hinds and a shop. When we arrived the weather started to turn and you could see the black clouds over the lake heading towards us. We managed to take a short walk and head back to the car for our sandwiches before the heavens opened and it started to rain.

After the lake we drove along a very narrow and country lane to Bala. The road was really a grade up from a dirt track and at times I was a tad scared that we would fall off the edge. The road, hugged the hills through its twists and turns. Bala was an odd place, there were lots of cars parked along the high street, but no one was around. It felt very eerie and I really did not like it much. Even the petrol station was strange, pumps on the side of the road, no forecourt or anything and it is the first station that I have been into which you have to wait for an attendant.

After Bala we took the long way back via horseshoe pass. We took a walk up the hill quite far over the most awkward sty which really was very unsafe. The walk was quite difficult (or perhaps I am unfit) but when we reached the top we were rewarded with a lovely view. There were many sheep grazing and we noticed that they are becoming more and more fluffy (or fluffier) as the colder weather is setting in.

Pitsyll Rhaeadr (waterfall)

On Saturday we took a trip to Ludlow to meet my parents for lunch as they were in the area. Nice town with a Saturday market. We found a pub for lunch which had a huge vegetarian choice. I was a bit sceptical at first, however, the food was really good. Ludlow is worth a visit, not got for shopping all little shops which were overpriced, but it was good to wander. – A nice day trip.

Sunday it rained and it rained. The evening before, Scott had said that he wanted to go to the local car boot sale. We have been before; it is huge and very busy. The alarm was set very early, however, I heard the rain and snuggled back into the covers to have a long lie-in. However, the rain did not deter Scott who was up within a second still wanting to go. After some persuading, I decided to join him and we drove first to McDonalds to have breakfast. It has been a long time since I have been in a McDonalds and despite it being cheap I did not rate the food. I had a bagel which was akin to eating rubber. After breakfast we drove to the car boot sale however it was empty, not a car in sight. I was sort o f relieved as I did not fancy walking around a cold, wet muddy field. The rest of the afternoon was spent watching movies until the sun came out and we took a walk to get some fresh air.

Yesterday we drove to a waterfall called Pitsyll Rhaeadr. It is 240ft high and the UK’s tallest single drop waterfall. The journey to the waterfall was not without incident. The satellite navigation decided to take me along what can only be described as a ‘road which is clearly for Land Rovers’ that got more and more off road the further down we drove. Getting concerned over the state of the track I decided that I had to reverse back which was quite far, despite Scott saying that I should carry on. The Sat Nav, then took us along a series of mini country lanes with hardly any passing points. I was very grateful that there were no other cars coming towards us. As it was a lovely day you could see for miles and the sheep were little white dots in the distance. Once we arrived at the waterfalls, there is a way to walk to the top by ‘steps’. It was very steep, precarious, my poor knees suffered and I somehow managed to choke not once but twice drinking from my water bottle. However, the top was amazing and I just sat at watching the water whilst Scott leaned over the edge. I started to reflect on our year as a part of me wondered if we should have spent our time doing something different, perhaps saved up more money to get a round the world plane ticket or continued to travel on the boat. However, when I sat and watched the waterfall I felt content and tranquil. Having read the website about the waterfalls it actually states that people when they visit find a sense of peace and this location has been held and revered in the hidden orders of druidic folklore as one of the most special and sacred locations. I could clearly see why.

On the way down, I decided that it was best to go the long way down the slope rather than risk the ‘steps’ The ground was rather wet and I was telling Scott that my trainers were really not very good for this as they had lost their grip. Within a second I slipped and fell. My whole behind was wet and muddy, which stayed with me throughout the afternoon and our trip to Oswestry to purchase a memory card. I must have looked a sight.



Today is a ‘pyjama day’. We have been out and about so much recently that we decided to save a bit of cash by staying on the boat, perhaps to a bit of cleaning, pottering and if the weather improves go for a walk later on this afternoon.

Photos: Top Two are in the Berwyn Mountains, next are the waterfall and finally photos along the way to the waterfall.