The journey South was only marginally better than the trip from Oxford to Musselburgh. We encountered traffic jams between Lancaster and Birmingham on the M6 and arrived two hours later than is normal. Not likely to do this again for a long time.
The Border country between Scotland and England was as beautiful as ever.
This peaceful scene greeted us from Sister Sue's verandah and brought us back to earth.
We took Charlie, Sarah and Phil's dog for a walk and encountered this family of Swans.
Although the cygnets are fairly big, mum and dad are still very protective. A couple of days later the birds had disappeared much to the concern of dog walkers though it was probably them that brought it about.
This is dog walking territory and owners carry plastic bags to pick up the poop.
Portishead always put on a good flower show each summer.
A ship moves up the channel towards Avonmouth docks past the beer garden of the local pub.
A new shed for the RNLI lifeboat has recently been built to the right of the white building.
This is the launch ramp. At low tide a tractor pushes the boat around the headland for deeper water.
There are 70 statues of "Shaun the Sheep" scattered around the city of Bristol. Shaun, created by Nick Park, started its life in Bristol. At the end of the exhibition the statues, all different, will be auctioned off in aid of The Bristol Children's Hospital"
Next day we visited Bath. This is Don Felton. For the final year of WW2 dad was stationed in Sydney, Australia as part of a British Naval team looking after Rest and Recuperation facilities for Naval personnel. He lodged with the Felton family and Don's father, Tom, was the son of the family. Don with his wife Ann were on their first visit to Britain and stayed close by Sue for three nights.
Upstairs on a Bath sightseeing bus. Don and Ann at the back and Grandma Sue with her grandchildren.
Anna trying to tune in to the tour guide, though she is pretty Tech savvy and probably already has! It was me having difficulties - I think the connections were a bit weathered.
Bath Cathedral with queues waiting to get into the Roman Baths. We gave the baths a miss!
Ann talking to the guy posted outside the Jane Austen tea rooms. Jane Austen was the author of "Pride and Prejudice" among other famous novels.
Inside having tea and scones in what used to be Jane's bedroom,
CLEVEDON
Clevedon pier.
Clevedon sea front with Bristol channel.
A little further up the channel, Portishead Beach?!
KEYNSHAM
This is the former home of my Godmother, Phyllis Adams, in Keynsham - half way between Bristol and Bath
Sally lives just up the road and we had a very delicious meal with her.
Only a few hundred metres away is this building which was once one big house and a nursing home where both Sue and I were born.
PORTISHEAD
A yacht approaching Portishead locks at high tide.
And in she goes.
It's a different story at low tide. The tide rises and falls around 40 ft (12 mtrs) here
These people were late for the last tide and had to remain aboard their beached boats for up to 12 hours!
A sculpture which represents looking out to sea and back to safe harbour.
Sue's son John and his wife Karen with Sue on the deck behind their house overlooking the Bristol Channel.
Cousin John with his wife Chris looking remarkably cheerful despite the enormous pressure they were under.
They have been trying to sell their property for the past two years and have been negotiating with two lots of developers who have been messing them about. They thought it was about to be sold so found a new place to live close by. They want to move by September.
The conveyancing system in England is hopeless. In Australia, if you want to buy a property you put down a small holding deposit which is good for 10 days while you check the property out. You then put down a full deposit, usually 10%, for a period of a month to enable you to organize finance etc. If after that time you don't go through with the purchase you lose your deposit. Good for the seller and it protects the buyer as the property is off the market during this time.
It all worked out well in the end. Soon after we got back to Australia we got news that both deals had been settled!
PLYMOUTH
Aunty Joan who is recovering from a chest infection did not look well on arrival.
Golf Course up the hill behind where she lives which overlooks Plympton near Plymouth.
CORNWALL
Trevaunance Cove, the beach for the village of St. Agnes where Cathy's neice Gail, husband Paul and children Iona and Archie live.
Paul and Iona set out to swim to a buoy approx 400 mtrs out to sea.
Paul, top centre, in this appeal banner.
The lifeboat.
The Miners Pub where we had lunch.
Cathy, Gail and Iona.
The Driftwood Spars where Gail works.
Typical of this part of Cornwall. An old pump house used to pump water from the tin mines (refer: The TV series POLDARK)
BRITTANY FERRY
Goodbye Plymouth. Despite notices at the port and a flyer handed out we were given a chorus of car alarms as we took to sea because many people failed to turn them off.
The gap in the shoreline beyond the ships wake is where The Mayflower would have sailed for America and convict ships bound for Australia.
We had to wait off Roscoff, Brittany, France for the Irish Ferry to leave.
Bonjour Roscoff.
GUEMENE- SUR - SCORFF
Back in Guemene we have one week to finalise odd jobs before departing for Australia. Most important is a gate beside house three as clearing work around the ruin has exposed access to the back yard.
Not too difficult a job to fabricate a gate but how to get it in place as it is too heavy for one person and no help available?
Step 1. Look hopefully up at target over brambles and rock strewn path!
Step 2. Roll end over end toward door of ruin where bank height is least and brambles thinnest.
Then end over end round the ruin taking care not to slip and fall into the chasm between cliff and house.
Finally secure into place with ropes. Hinges are there but too coated in rust at the moment.
AUSTRALIA
Back home in Australia. Sitting in my study with Kangaroo mate resting outside the window!
