A Chuffing Good Day

And so, here we are on a Saturday evening, over halfway through my week off.

Time slips through my fingers like grains of sands, thank's for that Bill and Ted!

Andrew arrived on Wednesday afternoon. Before he arrived I had done the Teso thing and gone to the butchers in Preston.

So we headed down to the pub on the beach here, The Coastguard and had a pint and a sandwich. It was crowded even at this time of year; mostly old folks, so we fitted right in!

Afterwards back here so Andrew could unpack, and for a cuppa or two. Andrew is a quiet bloke, and just give him football to watch and he is happy. And so we sat down that evening to watch the Real vs Milan game on tv before heading to bed, sepparate beds, after what had been a long day.

Thursday we headed out in the car to see where it would take us. In the end it took us to my favourite overlook of the Channel Tunnel, and we watched as freight and express Eurostars headed to and from France.

After that we headed towards Folkestone, and stopping in the village of Newington to take pictures of its 11th century church, which for a change was also open. Before heading out past Ashford to the village of Pluckley for a dinner date in the Black Horse, and a nice pint of autumn ale.

There really is not much more spendid than sitting in an ancient inn, drinking fine ale with an old friend; although he is not a conversationalist, we had a good time, and soon we were heading back to Dover and home for a quiet afternoon.

That night we tucked into bangers and mash and beans; a wonderfully filling dinner before sitting down to more football. Yay!

Friday morning we were bright and early as we were headed into deepest Suffolk to see some steam locomotives on the Bluebell Railway. We dropped Jools off at work and headed to Ashford before heading across to the coast road at Rye, and then on to Hastings, Eastbourne before heading into the golden Sussex countryside and to find the railway.



It was misty that morning, and we were treated to a stunning sunrise as the blood red sun climbed above the horizon. We went to my favourite church, and there I got a couple of classic shots as the sun rose behind it.



Into Sussex and we stopped off at an ancient church as the rays of the sun had lit it with a golden light; we got wet feet thanks to the heavy dew, but hardly noticed. That church too was open, and I recorded that as well with both cameras.

Bright sunshine took turns with heavy showers as we headed north; we resorted to checking the map to see if we were heading in the right direction; and we were, more or less.

At Sheffield Park, after grabbing the final car parking space, we joined the queue, and were delighted to find we were only going to be charged £10 to ride that day.

We caught the first train out at 11:00, and enjoyed the sunbathed countryside, littered, as it was, with photographers in bright orange tabbards.



We got out at the next station so I could take pictures of the train leaving; all smoke and steam. We grabbed a pint and a pastie before getting the train back to Sheffield Park and our car, and driving north to join the M25 and head back east to Dover and home.



As we neared Dover, the skies darkened and the heavens opened, and we were treated to a deluge of almost Biblical proportions. we drove through roads turned to rivers, and up the cliffs to the north and home to St Margarets and the warm welcome of three hungry cats. With time enough for me to prepare three man-size steaks for dinner. I may even be getting the hang of this cooking lark!