Wessex Military Band - Swanage

Wessex Military Band

Swanage Civic Parade

Today the band were playing or the civic parade in Swanage.

Relaxing waiting for the parade to start

Ringing - Tower Grab Day

Tower Grab Day

Today Tim, Dave Haysom and I went to Somerset and Devon for a tower grab day.

09:50 - Sampford Peverell

10:15 - Burlescombe

10:45 - Holcombe Rogus

11:10 - Ashbrittle - flood!

11:35 - Stawley

12:00 - Bethealton

12:15 - Kittisford

12:30 - Langford Budville

13:40 - Sampford Arundell

14:15 - Uffculme

14:30 - Culmstock

15:00 - Hemyock

15:40 - Wellington - back 6

15:55 - Clayhidon

16:20 - Churchstanton

16:50 - Corfe

17:15 - Staple Fitzpaine

It was a good day with a fair bit of getting lost in the country lanes!!

Kitchen Decorating - Day 1

Kitchen Decorating - Day 1

Today we decided it was time to start decorating the kitchen!  There was a mess in one corner of the ceiling from a water leak quite a while ago!

Tim started removing some of the loose ceiling paint/plaster and as we both peeled bits away it ended up being a rather sizeable area that needed attention before the paint was even stuck to the walls!

Armed with polyfilla we filled in the gaps and cracks.  Tim started to sand everything down while I went to get some paint and more polyfilla!  When I got back Tim was covered in so much dust he was nearly white all over!

After much sanding and pollyfilling and cleaning the area was ready to get some primer on and then a first couple of coats of white paint.

We got further than we thought after the initial mess we made removing the old paint/plaster!

Big hole to fill

More hole!

I kept Tim supplied with tea!

Pollyfilla time!

Gaps filled

First coat of white

Isle Of Wight Holiday

Isle Of Wight Holiday

Day 1 - 16.06.14

We set off this morning aiming to get the 11.00 ferry from Lymington to Yarmouth.  We left with enough time to call at the Toby Carvery at Hinton in Christchurch for an all you can eat breakfast!

We got to the ferry at 10.15 and were able to get on the earlier one.  We arrived into Yarmouth about 11.00 and made our way to Freshwater to find where we are staying - booking in wasn't till 16.00. On our way we saw signs for Fort Victoria country park.  We had a nice walk getting lost in the woods! We both managed to end up with dog shit on our shoes, however Tim also managed to get it on his socks and shorts! In Freshwater we managed to find a scrubbing brush and some soap powder to sort the dog poo issue!

Driving on we saw signs to a glass blowers at Alum Bay. When we got there we realised it was part of all the Needles Tourist Park.  There was lots to do so we decided to have a look around. After the glass blowing demonstration we went on the chairlift to the bottom of the cliff to take a boat trip to the Needles and then back near the cliff edges to see the different colours in the sands - there are apparently 23 different Colours!  Back up on the chairlift we headed to a boiled sweet making demonstration and then got to sample what had just been made!  Next it was time for a round of Crazy Golf - Somehow I Won!

After an ice cream we went and booked into where we are staying.  It is lovely and has plenty of room and even has games in a cupboard! I think I must have still been on a winning streak today as I even managed to win Scrabble and Dominoes! It didn't however continue to the game of draughts!

We have had a relaxing evening looking at the map and deciding what else we want to do/see

Day 2 - 17.06.14

Lovely weather today, sunny but a fresh breeze.  We decided that we would head over to Bembridge as I wanted to see the lifeboat.  We stopped at Yarmouth on the way so I could see the lifeboat there too! At Bembridge the tide was out so we walked round the Foreland on the beach and ledges and then back to walk out the lifeboat station that is out on a pier.

Next we made our way to Sandown in search of something for lunch - a bakery was just the thing! We sat on the sea front near the pleasure pier eating and watching the world go by, we then walked back along the front and found ourselves some postcards.  Further along the coast we got to Shanklin.  Tim had mentioned looking at the waterfall that is there. We parked along the promenade and saw a crazy golf course. We had a game, Tim was hoping he could do better than he did in our game yesterday - he did do better but not enough, I still managed to win somehow!  We got an ice cream on our way to the waterfall at Shanklin Chine.  It was a short easy walk up the river valley. There wasn't a great deal of water flowing but lovely and shady and cool.

Back at the car we set off back for Freshwater to have some dinner and plan what we were going to do in the evening. We put some spuds in the oven and had a short walk down to Colwell Bay while they cooked. The tide was in but a few people managed to find a small patch of sand to claim for castle Building! After dinner and a game of Scrabble that I lost at we went to the ringing practice at Brighstone.  There were a lot of youngsters learning there with not many proficient ringers to help them.  It was an interesting practice!

Day 3 - 18.06.14

This morning it was rather cloudy and looked like there was a possibility of rain.  Our plan was to walk out to the Needles.  We parked at Tennyson Down and walked along the costal path to the Needles and the Old Battery.  It was a lovely walk out and didn't take too long.  Some  of the old underground buildings are open with displays up about what went on there.   We also walked across and had a look at the bit where they had been testing rockets.  We had some lunch and then waked back.

After a little rest Tim fancied a cream tea! We went to Yarmouth and found a nice cafe on the water front and then had a walk down the pier.

Ringing tonight was at the church in Freshwater.  A better practice than last night and nice bells.  On our way back we got dinner at the Chinese takeaway and then played Scrabble again! 

Day 4 - 19.06.14

We woke up to clear blue skies and blazing sun.  After a bacon sandwich for breakfast we set off to Cowes.  We had a look around West Cowes - very posh houses, shops and sailing clubs!  We then took the chain ferry to East Cowes - a completely different feel to the West side! Hardly any shops and more of an industrial feel.  We then made our way to Ryde to have some lunch. We didn't hang around for long as it was very busy and full of grockles!

It was still very hot and we were both flagging, we went to Godshill in search of ice cream!  On our way back we had a look in a couple of nice looking churches.  One of which had tubular bells with the ropes in the porch.  Back at where we are staying we played more Scrabble and made dinner.  Finally it has cooled down this evening. 

Day 5 - 20.06.14

This morning we had to be out of where we were staying by 10am.  last night we had packed most things and tidied up!  We handed the keys back and made our way to Newtown to have a walk along the river and have a look round the village.  It was another really hot day. We then made our way to Yarmouth to have some lunch and see if we could catch an earlier ferry.  We got on the ferry around 2 and got home around 4.30.

We had a great holiday with great weather.  Sadly most of the photos I took and saved have somehow corrupted and can't retrieve them.

Walking - Studland to Swanage

Studland to Swanage

Today Tim a I drove to Studland over the chain ferry and parked in the pub carpark. We walked out to Old Harry Rocks and then followed the coatal path all the way round to Swanage.  It was a very hot day and it got rather humid in the sections of small paths away rom the coast edge.  After an ice cream we caught the bus back to Studland.