Well, for all of you out there wondering.....I'm back after my little break away. It was a seriously good time.......well, when you take into consideration that everyone on the trip was a pensioner......although I have to say that there were one or two like me who had retired youngish.
By that I mean late fifties.
We had a really smooth journey down to Newquay...well, once we got over the fear that the taxi wasn't going to turn up to take us to Burnley. It did arrive eventually and we didn't even hold the bus up.
The drivers were really good with Muti....treated her like a queen.....helped with the chair and generally made us feel welcome. Now you may think that that is no big deal, but beleive me we have had some seriously surly drivers.......and the last trip we made I wanted to complain to the company......but Ma said 'NO.......they may talk to the other coach drivers and tell them that I am a troublesome old baggage'
The Hotel we stayed at was the Beresford which overlooks Tolcarne beach. We had a ground floor room at the back of the hotel......so the view wasn't anything to write about......but we weren't in the room for very long each day, so it really didn't matter that much. The beds were comfortable and we were warm and cosy and could make a brew if we wanted.
The meals were lovely and Muti enjoyed being waited on......and again flirted mercilessly with the waiter who was young enough to be her great grandson.......goodness I have tights that are older than him!
We were allocated a table with a couple of ladies. Both widows and they said when they were told that we were being put on their table 'they hoped we had a sense of humour'........well, we got on like a house on fire and were uproarious every mealtime....so much so that the table next to us asked if their table could be put with ours so that they could join in the fun.
We had excursions every day.......Truro and Falmouth were our first days trip. It was grey and overcast, it threatened to rain. Muti said just to park her chair somewhere and go off on my own. I told her 'NO way'......that we were going to check out the shops together.....and we did. I parked her outside one of the charity shops so that I could have a recce'.......Muti wanted some tops and jumpers. I found a couple of really pretty shirts and a colourful cardie......I went to the window to show her. Blow me! She was being chatted up by a guy in a wheel chair. She laughed when I told her that they would struggle to dance.
Even though it had been a very indifferent day weatherwise, Muti said she had enjoyed herself immensely. I thought to myself ' this is the cue to tell me she is tired and going to retire to bed after the evening meal'.......but no, she came to the ballroom and we sat with the two merry widows...played Bingo (won nothing) paticipated in the quiz (won nothing) and watched the entertainment. Now Muti doesn't partake of alcoholic beverages..... but she had 3 halves of shandy that night.......and I had 5 glasses of wine. I wasn't tipsy but I was on AMBER.......had to stop so that I would be in a fit state to push the chair the following day......didn't want to get arrested for being drunk in charge of a wheeled vehicle!
Now Muti always says that she sleeps really badly, well let me tell you she slept alright that night and she was not awake at 7:30. Breakfast at 8 meant I had to shake her awake......she could not believe it. I told her that maybe the shandy had helped.
We went to Land's end the following day. It wasn't quite as I had imagined it......but very breezy and I could have done with a vest.
on the way back to the hotel we called at a scrumpy farm......cream teas were laid on. I didn't have one, they don't agree with me.... but they looked very good. The scones were still warm from the oven.......the jam was made on the farm......Damson, Plum and Raspberry........I could have eaten some of that on a nice thick crust. Muti bought some jam and some chutney.......I tried a snort of Cornish Spirit......that brough tears to my eyes.......it was very much like Vodka, but it was laced with elderflowers which gave it an aromatic flavour. I couldn't drink it neat but I think it would have been good with a splash of tonic. Muti wanted to buy me a bottle but I wouldn't let her. It was quite expensive.
The best day of all was Thursday. We went to Mevagissey. It was beautiful......sunshine and lovely blue skies. I got some brilliant pictures of the harbour and the coloured houses that somehow seem to cling to the cliffs. It was a magical place....we just didn't have long enough to explore. On our way back to the coach Muti smelled fish and chips and immediately longed for some.......she went into the shop and ordered some and the guy cooked them specially for her......so we had to wait for them being cooked. Needless to say this meant that there was no way we could eat them before getting back to the coach.......so I wrapped them up in a newspaper and my scarf to keep them warm until we got back to base. It made everyone on the coach long for fish and chips.
When we got back to the hotel, the food was still piping hot......we ate it and then set off into Newquay to check out the charity shops there.
I got bird bombed......so Muti bought some raffle tickets and a lottery ticket. I thought it was just me that got 'bobbed' on but as Muti came out of the shop I could see that she had got the worst of it and I had just got the droppings......it was all over the back of her coat, the back of her chair and the hand brake. I did my best to clean off as much as I could......but it was still a mess. She said she didn't care she had had a good day.
Muti stayed up every night for the quizzes, the bingo and the entertainment......Oh yeah and the shandy. So I didn't do much people watching. I did a lot of laughing, singing and generally acting like a kid.
I think this break must qualify for the BEST ever UK break.......oh, I should have said it was so much better as the drinks were free.......so if you see one of these Shearings 5 day breaks advertised......and you can spare the time. Go. Believe me it was worth every penny.
By that I mean late fifties.
We had a really smooth journey down to Newquay...well, once we got over the fear that the taxi wasn't going to turn up to take us to Burnley. It did arrive eventually and we didn't even hold the bus up.
The drivers were really good with Muti....treated her like a queen.....helped with the chair and generally made us feel welcome. Now you may think that that is no big deal, but beleive me we have had some seriously surly drivers.......and the last trip we made I wanted to complain to the company......but Ma said 'NO.......they may talk to the other coach drivers and tell them that I am a troublesome old baggage'
The Hotel we stayed at was the Beresford which overlooks Tolcarne beach. We had a ground floor room at the back of the hotel......so the view wasn't anything to write about......but we weren't in the room for very long each day, so it really didn't matter that much. The beds were comfortable and we were warm and cosy and could make a brew if we wanted.
The meals were lovely and Muti enjoyed being waited on......and again flirted mercilessly with the waiter who was young enough to be her great grandson.......goodness I have tights that are older than him!
We were allocated a table with a couple of ladies. Both widows and they said when they were told that we were being put on their table 'they hoped we had a sense of humour'........well, we got on like a house on fire and were uproarious every mealtime....so much so that the table next to us asked if their table could be put with ours so that they could join in the fun.
We had excursions every day.......Truro and Falmouth were our first days trip. It was grey and overcast, it threatened to rain. Muti said just to park her chair somewhere and go off on my own. I told her 'NO way'......that we were going to check out the shops together.....and we did. I parked her outside one of the charity shops so that I could have a recce'.......Muti wanted some tops and jumpers. I found a couple of really pretty shirts and a colourful cardie......I went to the window to show her. Blow me! She was being chatted up by a guy in a wheel chair. She laughed when I told her that they would struggle to dance.
Even though it had been a very indifferent day weatherwise, Muti said she had enjoyed herself immensely. I thought to myself ' this is the cue to tell me she is tired and going to retire to bed after the evening meal'.......but no, she came to the ballroom and we sat with the two merry widows...played Bingo (won nothing) paticipated in the quiz (won nothing) and watched the entertainment. Now Muti doesn't partake of alcoholic beverages..... but she had 3 halves of shandy that night.......and I had 5 glasses of wine. I wasn't tipsy but I was on AMBER.......had to stop so that I would be in a fit state to push the chair the following day......didn't want to get arrested for being drunk in charge of a wheeled vehicle!
Now Muti always says that she sleeps really badly, well let me tell you she slept alright that night and she was not awake at 7:30. Breakfast at 8 meant I had to shake her awake......she could not believe it. I told her that maybe the shandy had helped.
We went to Land's end the following day. It wasn't quite as I had imagined it......but very breezy and I could have done with a vest.
on the way back to the hotel we called at a scrumpy farm......cream teas were laid on. I didn't have one, they don't agree with me.... but they looked very good. The scones were still warm from the oven.......the jam was made on the farm......Damson, Plum and Raspberry........I could have eaten some of that on a nice thick crust. Muti bought some jam and some chutney.......I tried a snort of Cornish Spirit......that brough tears to my eyes.......it was very much like Vodka, but it was laced with elderflowers which gave it an aromatic flavour. I couldn't drink it neat but I think it would have been good with a splash of tonic. Muti wanted to buy me a bottle but I wouldn't let her. It was quite expensive.
The best day of all was Thursday. We went to Mevagissey. It was beautiful......sunshine and lovely blue skies. I got some brilliant pictures of the harbour and the coloured houses that somehow seem to cling to the cliffs. It was a magical place....we just didn't have long enough to explore. On our way back to the coach Muti smelled fish and chips and immediately longed for some.......she went into the shop and ordered some and the guy cooked them specially for her......so we had to wait for them being cooked. Needless to say this meant that there was no way we could eat them before getting back to the coach.......so I wrapped them up in a newspaper and my scarf to keep them warm until we got back to base. It made everyone on the coach long for fish and chips.
When we got back to the hotel, the food was still piping hot......we ate it and then set off into Newquay to check out the charity shops there.
I got bird bombed......so Muti bought some raffle tickets and a lottery ticket. I thought it was just me that got 'bobbed' on but as Muti came out of the shop I could see that she had got the worst of it and I had just got the droppings......it was all over the back of her coat, the back of her chair and the hand brake. I did my best to clean off as much as I could......but it was still a mess. She said she didn't care she had had a good day.
Muti stayed up every night for the quizzes, the bingo and the entertainment......Oh yeah and the shandy. So I didn't do much people watching. I did a lot of laughing, singing and generally acting like a kid.
I think this break must qualify for the BEST ever UK break.......oh, I should have said it was so much better as the drinks were free.......so if you see one of these Shearings 5 day breaks advertised......and you can spare the time. Go. Believe me it was worth every penny.
