Our mini break in Hove VI

Homeward bound!

Another good nights sleep and our last hearty breakfast

We said goodbye to Bluebells

We left for our journey home at 8.40 am, we checked the map and decided as we didn't really want to go through Salisbury city centre being a bank holiday Saturday we thought we would go through Amesbury, which gets just as busy.................  We arrived at Amesbury at lunchtime so we decided to turn off and pop into the town for break and some lunch.  

When we got back in the car and sorted ourselves out, we found we had a travelling companion!

About an hour later we continued our journey.................

Have you ever looked around you when you get stuck in traffic jam...........?

On Amesbury industrial estate the top picture looked like some sort of bird statue from a distance but on closer inspection it looks a bit like a helicopter, and further down the road was a rather large model of a Stoneage Man.

and of course the cause of the traffic was 

STONEHENGE!

Once we had passed Amesbury we were on our way home, arriving home about 3pm

Our mini break in Hove V

Bluebell Railway

After another good nights sleep and another wonderful hearty breakfast we travelled into Hove to pick up Vivienne to go on the Bluebell Railway.  

Horsted Keynes Station.  

A 1930's multi platform station.  You can get off the train on both sides.

The cafe is original 1930's too.

Who remembers this chocolate?  

My grandad used to buy me bar everytime I visited him or he visited us.

Alex  and Viv have railways in their blood!  Alex' grandfather and Viv's father both made the seating for the railways.  They tell a story of how they held the tacks in their teeth, and used a magnetic hammer.

Horsted Keynes is the station inn the middle.  We travelled to Sheffield Park - the end of the line for lunch and to look around the engine shed.

All the engines are reminiscent of the Thomas the Tanks stories by the Rev. W Audrey

After we had something to eat, we got on the train again to East Grinsted, a very modern station and the other end of the line, the back to Hosted Keynes.

A lovely day was had by all

Our mini break in Hove IV

Amberley and Friends

(Bit photo heavy this post - sorry)

Last Thursday morning we decided to go to Amberley Museum.  We went about thirty odd years ago when it was the Chalk Pits Museum, then they had just opened a radio museum.  We were quite early and when we entered we were one of the first visitors of the day.

Lime Kilns

Vintage Wireless Exhibition

has grown somewhat in thirty years!

Telephone Exhibition

Fire Station

Bus Exhibition

Garage and AA box

Shop and printworks

I shall never watch the James Bond film "A View to a Kill" in the same light again!

click on picture to be able to read

some of the film was filmed at Amberley

This was growing wild all around the museum.  I am not sure of the proper name, but is this what we as children called 'old man's beard'?

The whole place has changed including name in thirty odd years

In the afternoon we went to Billingshurst, visiting our friends Philip and Elizabeth (no not that Philip and Elizabeth)!  We have known them since we lived in Essex, oh dear how time flies, that would have been about forty years ago.  

Our mini break in Hove III

Family reunion

Last Wednesday was a special day, the day we went to meet members of the family Alex hadn't seen since he was a tiny tot!  

We had another good nights sleeps and had a light breakfast.  Gathered together some paperwork concerning the family tree and some photos of our grandchildren - well you do don't you, take photos...........  We got in the car, checked the map and off we went.  We managed to miss the turn for Portslade and ended up travelling towards Brighton where we didn't want to be.  

Brighton Pier (taken from car - I wasn't driving!)

We went round the roundabout and back the way we came!

Grand Pier (taken from car)

As usual we were early so we went back to Tesco's carpark, bought a paper and a drink, I had cake in the car so we sat for a while then as time got closer we drove to Alex' cousin's house, where she gave us a parking permit for the day.  

We had arrived just before the rest of the family, who descended not long after us.  We were there to meet Alex' Great Uncle Charlie.*  The only member of the family with an honour.  And we think the only person ever to have an honour for fishmongering!  

We had lunch in the garden,but we could feel the weather getting chilly and damp but we managed to eat lunch as planned.  The then plan was to walk to the beach-hut.  We did..........

But this big black cloud followed us.  It rained, the wind blew, but we were determined to go!

We sat in the beach-hut admiring the view

one member of the family even took a dip!  He said the water was quite warm!

We even took Uncle Charlie's birthday cake, but we didn't stop for a cuppa as planned.  We went back to the house and had that.  

A flock of seagulls all of a sudden took off squawking!

Someone even has one as a pet!

The younger members of family decided they wanted to visit Brighton Pier so they walked there while we walked back to Viv's house

When we were altogether again 

Uncle Charlie cut his cake.

* read about Charlie here