 | We have spent the last couple of days deep in our prior home in the north of Yorkshire. The patch that was ours is so very tiny. We have walked around it fully over these days. We have debated and reminded the hows, whys and whens of all our growing ups days. Today we have been struck by a revelation. We have debated for 50 years what possessed our parents to make a decision to move 12,000 miles and resettle in Adelaide. In 1965 Yorkshire families were born, lived and died within 30 miles of their north Yorkshire village. What was different about Phil and Ida that let them, like the thousands of others prepared to move, step outside the zone we have wandered these last days, while most stayed here. I think we have something. |
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 Today has been a big driving day. Inverness at the top of Scotland down to Whitby in Yorkshire in one day. We have been told we are crazy to attempt such a feat but well, it is only like Ballarat from Adelaide and how often have I done that after work on a Friday.
“How hard can it be?” Well, it was not easy. This is not Australian driving as I have said before but let’s begin with a brief stop before we head south.  Well top of the UK anyway.
We had planned to make the trek from Inverness to the very top of Scotland. I wanted to see Thurso. I am not sure why, it just rang a bell with me. It was not planned with any of the family history tour in mind but with being as far north as you can go in the mainland and that seemed good enough for me. Also, It’s not that far. Not for Australians who really know long distance driving. It looks like about 175 km so that must mean under 2 hours right. Ahhh slow down.
 I seem surrounded by Phds. A number of times now we have found ourselves in conversation with academics. Pairs of female academics in fact. Retired female academics. Today we were sitting at the Glenfiddich coffee shop and at the next table were the latest retired female academics. Being loud Australians they overheard my latest theory and laughed out loud. They actually ridiculed my theory all across the coffee area, at first. Soon they came to understand my thoughts. Eventually the history professor - professor of Scottish History I believe, turned to her Physicist colleague with,
“He may actually have something there, I will need to think about this!”  To date I have no complaints about our accommodation.
Places where we choose to stay can offer many things to command our Dollars, Pounds, Euros. There are things I prefer like soap to body wash. There are things I miss if they are not there, like a desk to sit at. Gotta say, writing this sitting on the bed, MacBook Air 11” propped on 2 pillows on my knees is a hoot. There is one thing however that a hotel must do if it is to win my approval. It must, must, must, manage my expectation. To suggest WiFi is free does not manage my expectation if the internet does not work reliably. To offer tea and coffee in the room where I find a plunger and not instant, is a joy. Please hotels, under promise and over deliver.  Leaving Ambleside for the drive north was perturbing. Were we OK enough to drive? Would the 24 hours without food help or hinder? Only one was to be sure… so off we went.
Driving in UK has been a revelation. It has been many years since I drove here and I was keen to know how the Motorways worked as well as the romantic minor roads. It was romantic minor roads for the first hour or so till we hit the M6 heading north. Cue Paul McCartney; Helen Wheels. We were driving north along the M6, Paul was singing about a band taking the road from Glasgow to London. I just kept singing “M6 south down to Liverpool where they play that west coast sound.” Listen to the song. I find it fascinating that it comes from the Band on the Run album sessions and was recorded in Lagos Nigeria.
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GeoffI love to travel but don't get to as much as I want. Occasionally I get to make a trip. When I do I'll post a few pics and thoughts about my places. I'll also drag out a few old photos from time to time and remember my time in those exotic places. Archives
June 2015
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