Abbots Mead Hotel Shrewsbury

... november so was a little concerned about what it would cost me to fly at this later date,so there I was trawling through all the usual flight booking sites hoping to get that good deal.I gotta tell you it was not easy,some of the prices quoted were just rediculous.
Well finally I found a flight for £463.00 flying with emirates.I have flown with them before and although I prefer a direct flight(who doesn't?)I have always been happy with their ...

... by the canal. Further up the canal we watched narrow baots coming through the Wharton lock and picked blackberries while we waited.
We visited Tattenhall market for some homemade goodies and stopped on the way home for creak tea at Tarporley! Great day.

After a great few days with Ian & Pauline we took off west through North Wales. Had Paulines ham cobs on the promonade at Rhyll overlooking a windswept beach but in glorious sunshine. Carried on around the north coast to Conway and then followed the river south to Ffestiniogg past the slate quarries and then to ...

... soft, and when the first boat went past, the spikes came straight out again. We couldn't even leave the boat to see if there was anywhere else, so we set off again. We managed to tie alongside another boat (thankyou Silent Highway!) and waited to see what developed. Eventually we got properly moored, and there was a lot of shuffling around to make the best use of the space. James went to seek out an optician. The first said they could not do anything for ten days. The second ...

... for scans and tests, pokes and prods and found out that the growth is back and will need to be removed. Six days until our departure date and we are stopped in our tracks.

We are now sat at home not really sure how we are feeling, partly angry, partly confused, and also massively guilty about holding a leaving party when we are not leaving (yet). Our family and friends have been tolerating our unbearable droning on about our fantastic trip, the things ...

... we got to say all our tearful goodbyes.


We have even managed to sell the van on ebay, (well we have a deposit, fingers crossed he pays Dad the balance!) We got just what we were after for the old girl and its practically paid for the trip so far. While its very sad thinking we will never see her again she gave us some fantastic memories and will always hold a special place in our hearts, bit soppy I know but she was our home for so long its going to feel like a break up over the ...

... VERY LOUD lunch. It was still very windy. We had gone through 12 locks when we stopped again in the wilds by a dingly dell which Hugo enjoyed. We heard on the radio that Ted Kennedy had died. We haven't seen TV since April, except for 20 minutes in Skipton. Thu 27th August A very mild morning. Steady traffic both ways through the locks, with a bit of a queue and chaos at locks 52/51/50. Stopped on some rings after lock 47 at Church Lawton, and had some ...

... list. UK solo guy Ben's Brother needs to be checked out too.

The UK really do music festivals well, it really was great, a real carnival atmosphere; rides, stalls, seedy food everywhere. The weather was actually really good too, always a bonus. Neil and I were NOT prepared for bad weather, we just went along as if it was in Sydney, and when it poured ...

Arrived Saturday July 25th, drove right into the Inn (had been warned that we'd find it just around the curve and would need to pull in under the archway that went right hrough the Inn into their rear courtyard to park). There was a knock on our door just after we had checked in and unloaded the luggage...it was John and Olive! They were eager to meet us, and just stopped to say hello - we'll see you later. Our drive from Wales to Shrewsbury ...

... tearing down abbeys (big complexes with monks) and churches. If the local people attended church there, he'd only tear down half the church- leaving just enough space for the local congregation, and gaping hole in the building at the front or back. Then, it was up to the locals to patch up the wall so that the building was useable again, but there were still many buildings that were destroyed altogether. It ...