Again.
And this Monday morning seemed to bear extra angst for us, as we have been away for the weekend, taking part in a beading class or taking photographs. No guessing who did what!
The weekend began at three o'clock when Jools picked my up outside the yard gates. I had gone to work on the train as she needed the car to take the cats to the cattery. As a reward for the early start on the train, I was treated to a wonderful sunrise from the cliffs as I got near to the office down by the harbour. The colours of the rising sun on the cliffs and buildings were just stunning. Just have a look at my pictures, which I have included here (I hope).
So, once work was over with, we headed off up the Thanet Way towards London and the M25. Once again I won't bore you with the details of the traffic and how stressful it was, although jools did the driving. But, it wasn't as bad as it could have been, and soon enough we turned off onto the M3 and headed into the setting sun and towards Wiltshire.
We crossed the border into Wiltshire as dusk fell, but we could see enough of the countryside to appreciate how special it was. I turned to Jools and said 'I 'kin LOVE Wiltshire!'
We arrived in Devizes and found the B&B easily because we had stayed there before; back in 2007 on our first trip away together, we stayed here, and the folks had just taken it over, and as we left asked we return once they had 'done the place up.' It took 5 years, but we did return.
After exchanging news with the owner, we headed out into the town to find a place to eat, and for me to sample the local beer, Wadworth's 6X, or which more about later.....
We stopped for a drink at the Bell on the Green, and asked about food, but they made it seem like it was too much trouble, so after downing our drinks, we headed off to find somewhere else more easier to please.
And we found it in the Crown, and despite from being very busy, they had a table and made time to take our order and get us more drinks. I had a hand-made burger and Jools had chicken supreme, both of which were very good indeed, and with drinks came to only £26.
And as we walked back, we could hear an owl mournfully hooting in a tree by the rugby club; and wonderfully even in the darkness we could make it out up in the top of the tree, looking around. A fine end to a working day.
Saturday dawned bright and warm. After a shower we went down for a huge breakfast of cereal, fruit, toast and , of course, bacon, egg, mushroom and sausage. And several cups of fine English breakfast tea.
Jools got in the car and headed off for her beading class, and i had the day to call my own. I set off into the town centre, stopping off at both of the parish churches, and then photographing all the pubs, hotels and other interesting buildings in the town.
At a quarter to eleven I made my way to the Wadworth brewery, as I had arranged a brewery tour for the latter part of the morning. The tour last two hours, and took in all parts of the brewing process, and full of details, as well as a fine look round the Victorian building.
And at the end of the tour, the best part: the beer tasting! We tried four different beers, and by the end my head was beginning to spin slightly. Better find a place for a bite of lunch! I headed towards the Kennet and Avon Canal. As the canal passes through Devizes, it begins to drop going through 5 locks; until it reaches the Black Horse pub, and there 18 locks, one after the other, carries the canal down to the floor of the valley below.
I had a brie and cranberry French stick, and another pint of 6X,and it being so warm sat in the beer garden beside the canal in the early spring sunshine. It was perfect, or would have been had it not been for the young couple behind taking loudly about being drunk the previous night and a series of 'accidents' on the way to the smallest room.
It was with some relief as I drained my glass and I could leave the two young drunkards behind me. I headed off down the hill as i wanted to get a shot I missed last time I was there. Not sure how long the flight of locks are, but it took some time to get down to the bottom, get my shot and turn round and began to walk back up again.
By the time I got to the top of the hill, my feet were complaining, and I decided to head back for the guesthouse and maybe, if i was lucky, I would get a call from Jools offering to pick me up. Sadly, i got no call and so walked all the way back, and was fit for nothing other than to make a cuppa and lay on the huge bed and listen to the football on the radio.
That night we drove to the Wagon and Horses, a pub in the countryside near to Marlborough where I had booked a table. It was wonderful, we both had rack of lamb accompanied by fresh vegetables and onion rings, and then followed by a fine cheeseboard.
Sunday morning, after a repeat breakfast, we packed, loaded up the car and set off for Avebury. I had visited Avebury several times, but the conditions were never good, either raining or dusk was falling. This morning, it was bright but frosty. On the way I remembered that Silbury Hill was also nearby, and so we headed up the A4 towards Marlborough first.
No one is really sure what the Hill was built for, but it clearly is man-made, and stands beside the road, and amongst more natural hills in the rolling countryside. It is visible from Avebury; maybe the two are linked; who knows?
We got our shots and headed back up the road to Avebury. Being still early we had the stone henge to ourselves, and so we got the shots we both wanted, wandered around the village which lies at the centre of the stone circle.
As we stood there, we could see more cars arriving, and so we made our way back to the car pak, and headed down some narrow lanes to RAF Lyneham to have a llok before the bases closes for good. It was still guarded, so any thoughts of getting inside went out of the window, and so we headed up to Wootton Basset, or Royal Wootton Bassett as it now known, and onto the M4 and then eastwards to home.
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