We are now back from Devon!!
Here's what happened...
Got the 10am train from Huntingdon to King's Cross, then a tube (I HATE tubes) to Paddington train station. They had a little stall there selling "Paddington Bear's at Paddington Station", I was going to buy one on the way back, but more about that later.
Got to Paddington without a hitch and onto the Penzance train. The journey from Paddington to Exeter was 2.5 hours, then it was on another train from Exeter to Barnstaple where Justin's dad picked us up. Total journey time was 5.5 hours. It was lovely to see Justin's dad and Joan again.
Justin's dad and step mum live in Fremington (North Devon) and it's about 5 minutes drive from the coast. We got unpacked and they took us for a drive to Instow Beach. It's an estuary - lovely sandy beach, and it looks across to a little town called Appledore, where the Jackson 5 are currently living! Apparently Tito is seen on the beach eating ice cream most days. Matthew loves the beach. We had a gorgeous salad for dinner, followed by a fresh fruit salad, equally gorgeous! We were up until around 11.30pm and then bed, knackered.
Tuesday after a cooked breakfast, was spent in Clovelly, not that we got to see any of that because it was absolutely chucking it down with rain, so we went to a place called The Milky Way http://www.themilkyway.co.uk/ Matthew got to go in pens with sheep and goats, go on a massive play climbing thingy, a children's rollercoaster with Joan, first time on a roller coaster, it was great fun! Back for a dinner of roast beef and yorkshire pud and roast potatoes, after dinner we went to Westward Ho amusement arcade where Matthew played with the 2p fountain machines, great fun again! Back home for drinks before bed.
Wednesday we went to Woolacombe and spent the day on the beach. Matthew got soaked so I had to buy him another pair shorts and a beach towel as we'd forgotten to take any. In the evening, we left Matthew with his nan and grandad, and me and Justin went to Barnstaple to meet up with Justin's old friend in the pub. We spent 3 hours having a laugh. I'd never met him before, but he was lovely. Matthew, nannie and grandad played Monopoly!!
Thursday we went to Ilfracombe where Justin's mum and brother live. After meeting up with his mum we went and had coffee in a little cafe, then we climbed Capstone hill. Justin's brother, Adam, and his girlfriend, Emma, turned up when we were half way up so they came up with us. We then walked round to the harbour and looked in some of the little shops, then it was down to the pier to see a boat come in carrying passengers from Wales. We then had some chips by the harbour and got told off by the Town Crier for feeding the Sea Gulls! After that we bought some bits in some of the little shops, Matthew had an icecream, then we went in the pub and sat in the garden. We played in the amusements there and also played crazy golf. We got picked up from there around 8pm. We then went and bought some flowers for Justin's brothers grave and took them up there...
Back to the house and Joan gave Justin some whiskey, lol.
Friday morning Justin's dad had to go to work, which was a shame. Joan took us to Fremington Quay, and we stopped at a little restaurant and had coffee. We had to get the 2.39pm train from Barnstaple to Exeter... that's a right bone shaker of a train! We also stopped on the line for ages. Apparently there was a man on the line with a backpack! Then it was Exeter to Paddington. Matthew talked non stop to the woman that was sat at our table. She teaches 10 year olds so she said she was used to it. We had to then get a tube from Paddington to King's Cross. We went down to the Circle Line and got on a tube... which then terminated at the next station!!!!! So I think we were on the Hammersmith & District
line instead! We had to wait about 20 minutes for the correct tube to come in... I'm well stressed by now! We got to King's cross to find out that our train was on Platform 10... where the hell is that?????????? Found out, and we legged it to the train, only to find it was jam packed so decided to get the next one. I was shattered by the time we got home, but we had a great holiday and are going again next year!
I had to go back to work today, it was a long day... Justin goes back tomorrow - I shall miss him like mad! Joan had to go back Friday night... It seems strange not to see Joan and Steve every day at the moment, and Matthew would go back tonight if he could. He said he's going to walk if we won't take him, lol. He also said that he wants us, and his grandad that lives here, my dad, to move to Devon. I think he enjoyed himself!!
Sorry... Debbie asked me what happened with Paddington Bear. Well the trouble was, we were late arriving at Paddington Station due to a bloke standing on the tracks with a backpack on our train from Barnstaple, making us late into Paddington... so Paddington Bear is still at Paddington... (I've since amended the text above)
Got to Paddington without a hitch and onto the Penzance train. The journey from Paddington to Exeter was 2.5 hours, then it was on another train from Exeter to Barnstaple where Justin's dad picked us up. Total journey time was 5.5 hours. It was lovely to see Justin's dad and Joan again.
Justin's dad and step mum live in Fremington (North Devon) and it's about 5 minutes drive from the coast. We got unpacked and they took us for a drive to Instow Beach. It's an estuary - lovely sandy beach, and it looks across to a little town called Appledore, where the Jackson 5 are currently living! Apparently Tito is seen on the beach eating ice cream most days. Matthew loves the beach. We had a gorgeous salad for dinner, followed by a fresh fruit salad, equally gorgeous! We were up until around 11.30pm and then bed, knackered.
Tuesday after a cooked breakfast, was spent in Clovelly, not that we got to see any of that because it was absolutely chucking it down with rain, so we went to a place called The Milky Way http://www.themilkyway.co.uk/ Matthew got to go in pens with sheep and goats, go on a massive play climbing thingy, a children's rollercoaster with Joan, first time on a roller coaster, it was great fun! Back for a dinner of roast beef and yorkshire pud and roast potatoes, after dinner we went to Westward Ho amusement arcade where Matthew played with the 2p fountain machines, great fun again! Back home for drinks before bed.
Wednesday we went to Woolacombe and spent the day on the beach. Matthew got soaked so I had to buy him another pair shorts and a beach towel as we'd forgotten to take any. In the evening, we left Matthew with his nan and grandad, and me and Justin went to Barnstaple to meet up with Justin's old friend in the pub. We spent 3 hours having a laugh. I'd never met him before, but he was lovely. Matthew, nannie and grandad played Monopoly!!
Thursday we went to Ilfracombe where Justin's mum and brother live. After meeting up with his mum we went and had coffee in a little cafe, then we climbed Capstone hill. Justin's brother, Adam, and his girlfriend, Emma, turned up when we were half way up so they came up with us. We then walked round to the harbour and looked in some of the little shops, then it was down to the pier to see a boat come in carrying passengers from Wales. We then had some chips by the harbour and got told off by the Town Crier for feeding the Sea Gulls! After that we bought some bits in some of the little shops, Matthew had an icecream, then we went in the pub and sat in the garden. We played in the amusements there and also played crazy golf. We got picked up from there around 8pm. We then went and bought some flowers for Justin's brothers grave and took them up there...
Back to the house and Joan gave Justin some whiskey, lol.
Friday morning Justin's dad had to go to work, which was a shame. Joan took us to Fremington Quay, and we stopped at a little restaurant and had coffee. We had to get the 2.39pm train from Barnstaple to Exeter... that's a right bone shaker of a train! We also stopped on the line for ages. Apparently there was a man on the line with a backpack! Then it was Exeter to Paddington. Matthew talked non stop to the woman that was sat at our table. She teaches 10 year olds so she said she was used to it. We had to then get a tube from Paddington to King's Cross. We went down to the Circle Line and got on a tube... which then terminated at the next station!!!!! So I think we were on the Hammersmith & District
line instead! We had to wait about 20 minutes for the correct tube to come in... I'm well stressed by now! We got to King's cross to find out that our train was on Platform 10... where the hell is that?????????? Found out, and we legged it to the train, only to find it was jam packed so decided to get the next one. I was shattered by the time we got home, but we had a great holiday and are going again next year!
I had to go back to work today, it was a long day... Justin goes back tomorrow - I shall miss him like mad! Joan had to go back Friday night... It seems strange not to see Joan and Steve every day at the moment, and Matthew would go back tonight if he could. He said he's going to walk if we won't take him, lol. He also said that he wants us, and his grandad that lives here, my dad, to move to Devon. I think he enjoyed himself!!
Sorry... Debbie asked me what happened with Paddington Bear. Well the trouble was, we were late arriving at Paddington Station due to a bloke standing on the tracks with a backpack on our train from Barnstaple, making us late into Paddington... so Paddington Bear is still at Paddington... (I've since amended the text above)
Hi Roz,
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you're back safely and had a great time while away. So tell me, did I miss it, what did happen to Paddington Bear then. Is he still waiting for you at the station???
Love Debbie xx
Oops, sorry... Paddington Bear is still there... I got so stressed with the trains - we'd had a man on the line with a backpack on in front of the train near Exeter making us late in at Paddington, so then it was a rush to the tubes, we got on the wrong tube etc...
ReplyDelete