Oh my (holi)daysssssssss 2011

Jon O'Neill · Post by **Jon O'Neill** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 1:15 pm

Anyone going on holidays anytime soon/been on one recently? Me and Lizzie have just booked a villa in Lanzarote for a week in May and I am PRETTTTTTTY EXCITED!

Matt Morrison · Post by **Matt Morrison** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 1:17 pm

India, 3 weeks, summer. Equal parts scared and excited.

Michael Wallace · Post by **Michael Wallace** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 1:18 pm

I went to America for a couple of weeks 6 years ago, that was fun.

James Robinson · Post by **James Robinson** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 1:19 pm

I'm heading off to Whitby during the May Bank Holiday, but that might be bad for 2 reasons.

1. The early part of it might have to be delayed, if Huddersfield Town get involved in the play-off finals, but hopefully we'll be up automatically.

2. Based on recent information by my internal sources, the finals of this series of Countdown are scheduled for that week

AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Matt Morrison · Post by **Matt Morrison** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 1:21 pm

James Robinson wrote:Based on recent information by my internal sources...

I used to have internal sources but the level of vinegar in the ketchup really stung.

Ryan Taylor · Post by **Ryan Taylor** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 2:19 pm

I went to the Lake District for 4 days from 14th-17th March. It was quite fun and the weather was reasonable. I ended up dialling 999 at one point and asking for Mountain Rescue which was quite cool too.

Douglas Wilson · Post by **Douglas Wilson** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 2:22 pm

@ Matt, where abouts in India; its something me and my other half have looked at many a time over the last few years but just haven't got round to yet.
@ James, I thought you were banned?

James Robinson · Post by **James Robinson** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 2:24 pm

Douglas Wilson wrote:@ James, I thought you were banned?

I'm talking about when they're on the telly, not when they're being recorded

Phil Reynolds · Post by **Phil Reynolds** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 2:24 pm

Jon O'Neill wrote:Me and Lizzie have just booked a villa in Lanzarote for a week in May and I am PRETTTTTTTY EXCITED!

Excellent.

Whereabouts on the island? Let me know if you want some tips for must-visit places.

Er, that isn't one of them.

We've just booked a Eurotunnel crossing for July and are heading down to the south of France in the car for a couple of weeks - really looking forward to it.

Jon O'Neill · Post by **Jon O'Neill** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 2:31 pm

Phil Reynolds wrote:
Jon O'Neill wrote:Me and Lizzie have just booked a villa in Lanzarote for a week in May and I am PRETTTTTTTY EXCITED!
Excellent. Whereabouts on the island? Let me know if you want some tips for must-visit places.

Basically on the runway of Arrecife Airport. We can't hire a car so most of our time will be on the beach or in our pool. But I'd be glad to hear your suggestions in case we get proper bored by like the 4th or 5th day.

Charlie Reams · Post by **Charlie Reams** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 2:47 pm

I'm not going on holiday but I just wanted to say that I lolled quite a bit at the title of this topic.

Phil Reynolds · Post by **Phil Reynolds** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 2:55 pm

Jon O'Neill wrote:
Phil Reynolds wrote:
Jon O'Neill wrote:Me and Lizzie have just booked a villa in Lanzarote for a week in May
Whereabouts on the island?
Basically on the runway of Arrecife Airport. We can't hire a car so most of our time will be on the beach or in our pool. But I'd be glad to hear your suggestions in case we get proper bored by like the 4th or 5th day.

Haha. The place we stay at (in Los Pocillos, up at the very northern end of Puerto del Carmen) is pretty close to the runway too. I was going to post a video I took a couple of years ago of a plane landing over the beach, but it's a bit big so here's someone else's that's virtually identical.

If you've been to the island before, you've probably done all the César Manrique-designed sites but, if not and you do get bored of sun-worshipping, you won't regret taking a bus to visit some of them, especially the Jameos del Agua, the Mirador del Rio and the Fundación César Manrique, his former home.

Jon O'Neill · Post by **Jon O'Neill** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 3:21 pm

That looks wicked, I can't wait to stand under that.

Made a note of those. Wicked, thanks.

Chris Corby · Post by **Chris Corby** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 3:52 pm

I am off to Iceland tomorrow.

However, if the sausages are no longer on special offer, I might well nip next door to Sainsburys.

Jon O'Neill · Post by **Jon O'Neill** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 4:02 pm

Chris Corby wrote:I am off to Iceland tomorrow.

However, if the sausages are no longer on special offer, I might well nip next door to Sainsburys.

They have Sainsbury's in Greenland? Surprising.

Karen Pearson · Post by **Karen Pearson** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 4:12 pm

We went to Florida, then Costa Rica and then Florida again in January. But I think I may already have mentioned that!

Both were brilliant.

Thinking about doing a similar Florida sandwich next year with either Mexico or Ecuador as the filling. (But it depends on how business is this year!)

Ryan Taylor · Post by **Ryan Taylor** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 4:20 pm

Karen Pearson wrote:(But it depends on how business is this year!)

Translation: Depends if we win any money on quiz shows.

Soph K · Post by **Soph K** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 4:22 pm

Going in the caravan in Easter and maybe Summer (to Clumber Park and one or two other places). Going to Venice and to see the family (both in Italy) in Summer. Very excited about them all.

Craig Beevers · Post by **Craig Beevers** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 5:37 pm

Will probably go camping somewhere for a few days next week. Then maybe again later in April. Then there's the coast to coast walk in early May.

Other than that the World Scrabble Championships are in Poland and there's the usual Causeway Challenge in Malaysia where I'll probably stay a few days in Singapore first. I'm thinking about doing the Causeway events in Melbourne and Vancouver next year. I want to go to Australia and Canada anyway, plus I quite fancy New Zealand. I expect I'll have a good wander about in a lot of places and If I actually get back to playing Scrabble reasonably well that'll be a big bonus.

Peter Mabey · Post by **Peter Mabey** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 7:08 pm

I've booked for Illustrious, the British National SF Convention, so will be spending Easter chatting and drinking with old friends near Birmingham airport.

Karen Pearson · Post by **Karen Pearson** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 7:26 pm

Ryan Taylor wrote:
Karen Pearson wrote:(But it depends on how business is this year!)
Translation: Depends if we win any money on quiz shows.

Oh yeah. That too.

Actually, we don't even have any applications in at present (apart from the Great British Bake Off, which I'm assuming I've failed to get on) so if anyone knows of any decent NEW quiz shows, please let me know.

Jimmy Gough · Post by **Jimmy Gough** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 8:20 pm

Michael Wallace wrote:I went to America for a couple of weeks 6 years ago, that was fun.

+1

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 10:18 pm

James Robinson wrote:2. Based on recent information by my internal sources, the finals of this series of Countdown are scheduled for that week

That's pretty early! Does this mean we're going to have a big gap in the summer again, so they want Series 64 to be short? And they must be recording them pretty soon!

James Robinson · Post by **James Robinson** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 10:36 pm

Mike Brown wrote:
James Robinson wrote:2. Based on recent information by my internal sources, the finals of this series of Countdown are scheduled for that week
That's pretty early! Does this mean we're going to have a big gap in the summer again, so they want Series 64 to be short? And they must be recording them pretty soon!

I know! This is only from information from a future contestant who says that he is recording "the 2nd show of the next series", which he was told was going to be broadcast on June 7.

So,..... make your mind up there.

And another internal source has told me that the recording dates for the finals still haven't been given out yet

David Williams · Post by **David Williams** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 10:44 pm

Ryan Taylor wrote:I went to the Lake District for 4 days from 14th-17th March. It was quite fun and the weather was reasonable. I ended up dialling 999 at one point and asking for Mountain Rescue which was quite cool too.

Details please. Is this you?

Wasdale Mountain Rescue wrote:11:09 16/03/11 (5.36 p.m.) - Wednesday
Call from the Police following a '999' call from a male walker lost on the summit of Haycock. The Police reported that he had left Ennerdale and that his car was located in Ennerdale. The duty team leader, who was already walking in the Wasdale valley handed the call straight over to the Cockermouth team. Subsequent information, following direct contact between the lost person and the Cockermouth team leader established that his car was actually in Wasdale. The lost walker was directed to the col between Haycock and Scoat Fell by the Cockermouth Leader and then to turn right and down into Nether Beck. The Wasdale leader proceeded up Netherbeck and met the walker half way down and accompanied him back down to the road. No other team members were involved. Incident closed early evening.

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 10:47 pm

James Robinson wrote:I know! This is only from information from a future contestant who says that he is recording "the 2nd show of the next series", which he was told was going to be broadcast on June 7.

So,..... make your mind up there.

And another internal source has told me that the recording dates for the finals still haven't been given out yet

Hmm, thanks James, interesting. The truth will out, of course...

Brian Moore · Post by **Brian Moore** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 10:51 pm

Ryan Taylor wrote:I went to the Lake District for 4 days from 14th-17th March. It was quite fun and the weather was reasonable. I ended up dialling 999 at one point and asking for Mountain Rescue which was quite cool too.

I'll be there in late May/early June for some proper walking. There are a few fells in particular I'd like to do this time, including Pillar visa Mosedale, and the Langdales. If I have weather like I did last May I might be treated to scenes like this:

I've got no wish to go abroad when this is just up the road. Though on the minus side, this photo was taken on the day when Derrick Bird went berserk.

Ryan Taylor · Post by **Ryan Taylor** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 6:06 am

David Williams wrote:
Ryan Taylor wrote:I went to the Lake District for 4 days from 14th-17th March. It was quite fun and the weather was reasonable. I ended up dialling 999 at one point and asking for Mountain Rescue which was quite cool too.
Details please. Is this you?

Wasdale Mountain Rescue wrote:11:09 16/03/11 (5.36 p.m.) - Wednesday
Call from the Police following a '999' call from a male walker lost on the summit of Haycock. The Police reported that he had left Ennerdale and that his car was located in Ennerdale. The duty team leader, who was already walking in the Wasdale valley handed the call straight over to the Cockermouth team. Subsequent information, following direct contact between the lost person and the Cockermouth team leader established that his car was actually in Wasdale. The lost walker was directed to the col between Haycock and Scoat Fell by the Cockermouth Leader and then to turn right and down into Nether Beck. The Wasdale leader proceeded up Netherbeck and met the walker half way down and accompanied him back down to the road. No other team members were involved. Incident closed early evening.

Ha sweet, thankfully it wasn't me. I went to Coniston to do the Old Man of Coniston on a day which was extremely misty but I had to do it on the Tuesday since I was only in Bowness for 4 days and I had planned by schedule for my stay. So I arrived in Coniston with my walking book (that turned out to be crappy) and followed the Route for a good 45 minutes until I realised that I think I'd gone wrong. Instead of turn back and right myself (which I couldn't be bothered to do) I decided I would just follow a path that seemed to look like it went up the adjacent peak. Well, it did get me so far up the peak before disappearing into lots of different 'tracks' that hardly anybody had walked over. I kept on with ascending knowing that I should be able to find my way back quite easily. Wrong. I had my packed lunch at the top (which incidentally cost me £9.50 which is the most expensive packed lunch I've ever had - courtesy of Lindeth Fell Country House Hotel). When I started to descend I followed a small flow of water until it lead me to a waterfall and it was at this point that I could not see where the hell I had come from or where to go next and nobody was in sight (since visibility was poor). I was also pretty tired so I thought I might as well ring Mountain Rescue since I am lost and it would be easier to get down that way. So I rang them, they took my details and said I'd receive a call back. I was told to stay where I was (even though I couldn't really describe where I was) - crap map. After about 5 minutes I just thought I'd try and find a way somehow and I started scrambling down next to the waterfall which was pretty adventurous and dangerous at times. Anyway I got to a point where I could hear people and so continued to scramble until eventually I could see a group of schoolchildren. (I was still a couple of hundred feet up at this point). They all started to wave at the solitary black figure up the fell so I waved back and they cheered. It turns out they actually stopped for lunch and so I now had a crowd. They watched me scramble the last few metres down (without falling) and that was that. I rang back Mountain Rescue and told them I had find my way back to somewhere I knew (about 2000 yards from a point I had passed ascending).

So yeah, pretty eventful. And then I bought a postcard from a little shop there and sent it to Matt and Heather.

Brian Moore · Post by **Brian Moore** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 9:09 am

Brian Moore wrote:I've got no wish to go abroad when this is just up the road.

But then, if the weather turns out like it is this morning, I might have wished I'd gone abroad.

David Williams · Post by **David Williams** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 6:35 pm

Ryan Taylor wrote:I went to Coniston to do the Old Man of Coniston on a day which was extremely misty but I had to do it on the Tuesday since I was only in Bowness for 4 days and I had planned by schedule for my stay. So I arrived in Coniston with my walking book (that turned out to be crappy) and followed the Route for a good 45 minutes until I realised that I think I'd gone wrong. Instead of turn back and right myself (which I couldn't be bothered to do) I decided I would just follow a path that seemed to look like it went up the adjacent peak. Well, it did get me so far up the peak before disappearing into lots of different 'tracks' that hardly anybody had walked over. I kept on with ascending knowing that I should be able to find my way back quite easily. Wrong. I had my packed lunch at the top (which incidentally cost me £9.50 which is the most expensive packed lunch I've ever had - courtesy of Lindeth Fell Country House Hotel). When I started to descend I followed a small flow of water until it lead me to a waterfall and it was at this point that I could not see where the hell I had come from or where to go next and nobody was in sight (since visibility was poor). I was also pretty tired so I thought I might as well ring Mountain Rescue since I am lost and it would be easier to get down that way. So I rang them, they took my details and said I'd receive a call back. I was told to stay where I was (even though I couldn't really describe where I was) - crap map. After about 5 minutes I just thought I'd try and find a way somehow and I started scrambling down next to the waterfall which was pretty adventurous and dangerous at times. Anyway I got to a point where I could hear people and so continued to scramble until eventually I could see a group of schoolchildren. (I was still a couple of hundred feet up at this point). They all started to wave at the solitary black figure up the fell so I waved back and they cheered. It turns out they actually stopped for lunch and so I now had a crowd. They watched me scramble the last few metres down (without falling) and that was that. I rang back Mountain Rescue and told them I had find my way back to somewhere I knew (about 2000 yards from a point I had passed ascending).

So yeah, pretty eventful. And then I bought a postcard from a little shop there and sent it to Matt and Heather.

Missed you by a day! My wife and I did the ridge from Dow Crag to Swirl How the day before. However, as a keen fell-walker I have an irresistible urge to go a bit adult with you.
http://www.ldsamra.org.uk/playvideo.aspx
On the plus side I had a look at the Coniston Mountain Rescue website, and they don't seem to have even recorded your escapade. I know one of the most frustrating things is when people don't even bother to tell them they're not needed any more

Mark James · Post by **Mark James** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 6:43 pm

David Williams wrote:I have an irresistible urge to go a bit adult with you.
http://www.ldsamra.org.uk/playvideo.aspx

Was I the only person that was expecting there to be some kind of porn on that link? Anyway, I don't know if you'd class it as a proper holiday but I shall be going to Liverpool for a stag weekend soon.

Rhys Benjamin · Post by **Rhys Benjamin** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 6:59 pm

James Robinson wrote:
Douglas Wilson wrote:@ James, I thought you were banned?
I'm talking about when they're on the telly, not when they're being recorded

Why

Edward McCullagh · Post by **Edward McCullagh** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 8:44 pm

Going to Faro, Portugal for a week in the middle of April with my girlfriend - cannot wait

Ryan Taylor · Post by **Ryan Taylor** » Thu Mar 31, 2011 3:53 pm

David Williams wrote:
Ryan Taylor wrote:...
Missed you by a day! My wife and I did the ridge from Dow Crag to Swirl How the day before. However, as a keen fell-walker I have an irresistible urge to go a bit adult with you.
http://www.ldsamra.org.uk/playvideo.aspx
On the plus side I had a look at the Coniston Mountain Rescue website, and they don't seem to have even recorded your escapade. I know one of the most frustrating things is when people don't even bother to tell them they're not needed any more

Imagine how awkward it would have been if we bumped into each other high up. Especially if you brought The Times along.

David Williams · Post by **David Williams** » Thu Mar 31, 2011 11:06 pm

Ryan Taylor wrote:
David Williams wrote:
Ryan Taylor wrote:...
Missed you by a day! My wife and I did the ridge from Dow Crag to Swirl How the day before. However, as a keen fell-walker I have an irresistible urge to go a bit adult with you.
http://www.ldsamra.org.uk/playvideo.aspx
On the plus side I had a look at the Coniston Mountain Rescue website, and they don't seem to have even recorded your escapade. I know one of the most frustrating things is when people don't even bother to tell them they're not needed any more
Imagine how awkward it would have been if we bumped into each other high up. Especially if you brought The Times along.

You've lost me. At least we've got that in common.

Ryan Taylor · Post by **Ryan Taylor** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 6:56 am

David Williams wrote:You've lost me. At least we've got that in common.

I think I lost myself too. On the plus side, I think that was my first use of the "wink" emoticon. And probably my last.

Soph K · Post by **Soph K** » Sun Apr 03, 2011 7:49 am

Michael Wallace wrote:I went to America for a couple of weeks 6 years ago, that was fun.

Whereabouts in America?
I want a very big lot to go to Florida!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ian Volante · Post by **Ian Volante** » Sun Apr 03, 2011 12:00 pm

Think we might go camping for a weekend up north somewhere in a few weeks. Don't have money for much else, maybe next decade!

Lesley Hines · Post by **Lesley Hines** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 11:23 am

Ian Volante wrote:Think we might go camping for a weekend up north somewhere in a few weeks. Don't have money for much else, maybe next decade!

Camping up north from Edinburgh? Are you insane? Is the Arctic actually fully booked or do you just like really, really fresh (i.e. cold) air?

Ian Volante · Post by **Ian Volante** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 11:46 am

Lesley Hines wrote:
Ian Volante wrote:Think we might go camping for a weekend up north somewhere in a few weeks. Don't have money for much else, maybe next decade!
Camping up north from Edinburgh? Are you insane? Is the Arctic actually fully booked or do you just like really, really fresh (i.e. cold) air?

There are some lovely hills to shelter behind! With a fire and a nice warm sleeping bag, you can't go too far wrong. I was camping last weekend too, it was lovely! Sea was a bit chilly mind...

Phil Reynolds · Post by **Phil Reynolds** » Thu Jun 09, 2011 3:38 pm

Jon O'Neill wrote:Me and Lizzie have just booked a villa in Lanzarote for a week in May and I am PRETTTTTTTY EXCITED!

Just came in search of this topic thinking, "must be quite soon when Jono's going to Lanzarote, need to PM him the names of some top places to eat and which ones to avoid" and found that (presumably) you've already been.

So how was it?

Jon O'Neill · Post by **Jon O'Neill** » Thu Jun 09, 2011 3:45 pm

Sorry!

It was great, and I think this pretty well sums it up:

What places are good to eat? We only found bad places. Although we had good food at some Irish pub on the last night.

Phil Reynolds · Post by **Phil Reynolds** » Thu Jun 09, 2011 4:51 pm

Haha, excellent pic. Good choice of holiday reading, too.

Too late now, but if you go again there's an absolutely excellent pizza + pasta place called Antica Trattoria which is walkable from where you were staying. Head down the main Puerto del Carmen beachfront strip, past the Hotel San Antonio, and it's a few hundred yards further along on the right.

Don't know if you ventured as far as the old town and harbour (it's probably a good hour's walk from your villa, but you can always get a taxi back) but there are some good eateries down there, including a fantastic place called Bodeco's where the food, wine, atmosphere and service are all great - ideal for a romantic night out if you feel so inclined! It's owned by a really nice couple called Bo and Dec (hence the name, duh); she's Polish and runs the restaurant, he's Irish and runs one of the Irish bars by the harbour, so when you pay your bill they normally give you vouchers for free drinks at the bar.

Slightly further afield again (we generally get a taxi although we have walked it a couple of times) is the marina at Puerto Calero, a couple of miles down the coast from PDC, where there's a whole bunch of really good restaurants.

Jon O'Neill · Post by **Jon O'Neill** » Thu Jun 09, 2011 4:59 pm

I'll probably go again next year then. Sounds like your plans beat frozen pizzas from the Spa.

Soph K · Post by **Soph K** » Thu Jun 09, 2011 5:06 pm

In the last 2 weeks I have been to:
Chatsworth, Derbyshire, England in caravan for 5 days.
Very nice. Lots of bike rides and walks. Did not go into Chatsworth House but went into Gardens and Grounds; there was a Squirting Tree (actual name) and it was not real but it was squirting water out and I went under it and got soaked - you should have seen my face at that moment the freezing, sharp, cold water touched my body! I froze there for 10 seconds with my mouth wide open, jaw dropped...oh my flipping flaming golly gosh!

In the next 3 months I am going to: Venice, Italy for 2 or 3 days; Isola Del Liri (a city), Italy for 5 or so days to visit family.

Went to Rome last year - boiling city although beautiful and lots of sightseeing to do. Even went into the Colosseum (do not know how to spell it), plus plenty other once-in-a-lifetime (or not-ever-in-a-lifetime) opportunity.
A few years ago when our Italian relatives came over here on a scorching July early-afternoon, guess what they were wearing? Only a very thick waterproof Winter coat, really thick padded boots for colder-than-winter weather and 3 layers underneath their top half and leggings and jeans and trousers on the bottom half plus 2 pairs of socks!

Ok maybe I did egsa...egsadurate.... - can't spell it - how many layers they were wearing but...put it this way, most of it was partly true!

Philip Jarvis · Post by **Philip Jarvis** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 8:42 pm

Staying in this country again for the summers hols. Me, Julie (the wife) plus Georgina and Gabriella (2 youngest daughters) are looking forward to getting away the 1st 2 weeks in August. 1 night in Bristol (to break the trip to Cornwall). 4 nights in Porth (a short walk for Newquay); 4 nights in Torquay, Devon finalised by 4 nights in Slough (for Windsor / London).

I'd already booked this before the 5 of us (including 18 yr old Emily) went away to Paris for 4 days at the end of April. Boy .... was that an expensive trip. With the Euro as it is, food and drink was running at circa £250 a day .... and that was before we missed the flight home and I had to pay admin fees x 5 plus 2 x extra room in an hotel. Our original 4 day break ended up costing a mind f***ing £4k. Tip for Jet2 users - If you get an email changing the flight times a few weeks before setting off, remember that you are contractually bound to re-check that it does not change again within 24 hours of the return flight. We arrived at CDG airport 2.5 hours before the revised time, only to find that the flight had already left as originally scheduled.

Looking forward to staying in England and paying "non Euro" prices during our 2 weeks hol. This includes filling up my RR Sport 4.2 Supercharged - 385bhp!! On a long journey, I'm expecting the normal 13 mpg to increase to circa 20 mph. Hey - by not going abroad, I can afford this. Coupled to B&B in nice hotels / guest houses at a total cost of £1,400 for 13 nights for 4 people, this represents a darned sight better value than paying though the nose to go abroad.

Let's hope it's hottt!!!!

Tom Barnes · Post by **Tom Barnes** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 6:05 pm

USA in July (New Orleans, Austin, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco). Much of this trip will consist of Ned Pendleton and me attempting to pull birds by making anagrams of their names.

Asia in August (Hong Kong, various places in Thailand, Seoul, and some other yet to be decided places). This bit is going to be mostly on my own, although I have friends and friends of friends in some of these places.

Oh and I'm going to Glastonbury just before I go.

Not yet tired of telling people about this.

Thomas Carey · Post by **Thomas Carey** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 3:42 pm

Just had our German relatives round for a few days. Might have been good if all the visitors hadn't been ill and throwing uyp all over the place.

Jennifer Steadman · Post by **Jennifer Steadman** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 4:14 pm

Sorrento for a week and Rome for a few days in July plus going to the Reading Festival at the end of August. Considering I hate camping, that's going to be interesting, but I'm willing to take that risk for Pulp, etc.

Phil Reynolds · Post by **Phil Reynolds** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 8:32 pm

Michael and I got home on Saturday from a fab two weeks in France. We went via Eurotunnel and took my car, which is a convertible, the idea being that once we got down to the Med we could whiz along the Cote d'Azur with the roof down feeling like film stars. In reality, although we did a bit of that, the roads around Nice and Cannes were too congested to enjoy it properly, and the rest of the time the car was a bit cramped for the longer driving days between destinations - if we did it again we'd take Michael's Golf which at least has rear seats you can put stuff on.

Highlights included three days staying with friends near Cannes, where the picture above (me getting the top of my head burnt) was taken on our 10th anniversary; five days at a wonderful gay guest house in the Languedoc getting everything else burnt; walking under/driving over the tallest bridge in the world, the stunning Millau Viaduct; a couple of nights at Chez Jallot (aka Deni and Doug's house from Grand Designs); and, last but not least, on Saturday morning on the way back to the Tunnel, a moving visit to some of the World War I cemeteries around Lille, including finding the grave of Rudyard Kipling's son Jack - especially significant for me, having only just finished playing Kipling senior on stage.

Summary: excellent.

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 8:32 am

Summery: excellent.

Phil Reynolds · Post by **Phil Reynolds** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 8:42 am

Oh, along with the highlights I also meant to add the lowlights:

Realising, when just about to exit the M40 for the M25 on the way to Folkestone, that I'd left my wallet at home and having to go all the way back for it. Two hours added to the journey and half a tank of petrol wasted.
The shitty Premier Inn ("rooms from £29" - Lenworth J. Henry Esq.) at Folkestone costing £139 - a hundred and thirty nine pounds - for bed and breakfast. More than any other hotel or B&B we stayed at on the holiday, all of which were infinitely more pleasant, comfortable and friendly and including a couple of four star ones.
Pulling out from a junction onto a main road just outside Pezenas with a clear view in both directions, only to be waved into a lay-by by four gendarmes who demanded to know why I hadn't come to a complete stop at the STOP sign, then having to follow them back to the station to fill in a load of forms I didn't understand before handing over a fine of 90 euros.

Jennifer Steadman · Post by **Jennifer Steadman** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 9:49 am

Phil Reynolds wrote:Oh, along with the highlights I also meant to add the lowlights:

The shitty Premier Inn ("rooms from £29" - Lenworth J. Henry Esq.) at Folkestone costing £139 - a hundred and thirty nine pounds - for bed and breakfast. More than any other hotel or B&B we stayed at on the holiday, all of which were infinitely more pleasant, comfortable and friendly and including a couple of four star ones.

Is Folkestone actually as bad as this?

Phil Reynolds · Post by **Phil Reynolds** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 10:00 am

Jennifer Steadman wrote:Is Folkestone actually as bad as this?

Dunno, for six and a half of the seven hours I was there I was asleep and most of the rest of the time I was too busy going

"HOW much?" to take any notice of my surroundings.