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Travel Blog Sunday 11
th May 2014 to Sunday 25th May 2014 -
HERE WE GO AGAIN Sunday 11
th May to Sunday 25th May 2014.
After 21 months, here we go again. Mother’s Day.
We leave home at 9.40am with Sharmayne and met up with Megan and Petey for lunch at a very busy restaurant. Shane unfortunately was not with us as he had travelled to Qld for a wedding.
We are dropped off at the airport – no problem with baggage weight this time. Arrived London Monday 12
th May 9.40am. No problems at customs and out to find our pre-booked driver waiting for us. 2 hour drive to Braintree at a cost of ₤95 – much better than 2 trains and a taxi with our luggage and at the same total cost and much quicker.
Checked into Holiday Inn Express. Tom then contacted the mechanic and organized to go with him tomorrow to motorhome storage yard.
Tuesday 13
th May 2014.
Gaye walked into town to have a look around and buy some stuff and Tom went with 2 staff from mechanics to collect van.
They had to jump start
van but unable to select gears – clutch stuck, so had to keep pressing and depressing clutch to free it up. Tom followed the mechanic staff back to workshop. Tom had forgotten the fun of driving on such narrow roads with the motorhome – NOT. Left the van at the workshop for repairs, service and check for MOT (registration). Tom got a lift back to Holiday Inn. Dinner at 7pm and an early night to catch up on some sleep.
Wednesday 14
th May 2014.
Walked to mechanics to get some clothes and linen from motorhome that needed washing after long storage. Walked to town to launderette and then back to Holiday Inn.
Mechanic said van wouldn’t be ready till Thursday, possible Friday at the earliest – bumma. Checked with receptionist about staying an extra night. After much deliberation we decided to ring Simon and Linda to see if we could impose on them earlier than expected. No problem for them – what would we do without them.
Thursday 15
th May 2014.
Hired a little Pugeot 107 for 6 days ₤80. Told mechanic we would come back Tuesday to collect. So off
we head (after learning how to use our new TomTom).
Saturday 17
th May 2014.
Up very early and leave at 6.45am. Drove 1.25hr to Epping railway station and train 1.25hr to London to meet up with our friends from home - Linda and Bill (currently on a 6 week holiday). Met them at Portabella Markets at 9.30am. Coffee first to catch up and then off to struggle with the crowd and peruse the merchandise. Tom says lucky us girls did not find anything to buy !!!
Then off to Kings Cross Station and Pizza Express for lunch – quite good.
National Library was the next stop to see ‘The Magna Carta’ was currently on display and other very old books and music.
Went to see where Linda and Bill are staying in London – an airB&B. Then off to the pub to meet up with Sean and Leanne (both work in London). Much talking and catching up. Linda & Bill left later in the day and the rest of us went off to ‘Pasha’, a Turkish restaurant – very good.
Back home on the train to Epping and then drive home. Arrive
at 10.30pm. Great day.
Sunday 18
th May 2014.
Lazy day – off to BBQ at Dawn and Chris’s house. We met them last time here and met the other couple Ian and Melissa - they will be going to Glastonbudget Festival as well.
Monday 19
th May 2014.
Go for a drive up north to the coastal area of Suffolk called ‘The Broads’. First to Oulston Broads – very busy so out of town to ‘The Carlton Marshes’ Nature Reserve– went for a 2 hour walk . Back to town for lunch on the waters edges at a pub – there was a lock, boats etc.
Then drove to Beccles – another village on The Broads. Walked around town – would need to spend a week at least in the area with bikes.
Tuesday 20
th May 2014.
Drove to mechanics to collect motorhome. Had to still wait an hour as not finished nor washed. Took paperwork into town and did MOT at post office ₤125 and then back to collect motorhome.
Ready to roll ₤625 later. Gaye drove hire car back to depot and Tom followed with the motorhome.
Then back to Linda and Simons to start cleaning.
Friday 23
rd May 2014.
Up early and off to Glastonbudget. Off again on some country roads – not wide enough for a centre line - argghhh. Gaye has eyes shut.
Arrive at site and queue up with the rest of the vans. After 1.5 hours they start slowly allowing us into site. Has been raining so take it easy so as not to get bogged. Arrive at our pitch and then all of a sudden it’s instant crowd – lots of people.
Set up the tent – attached to side of motorhome and get organized to meet up with the others later in the day. They are in tents and they have to carry all their stuff from the car park, so a few trips for them.
Drizzling rain.
The Glastonbudget Festival is all tribute bands. Some great, some OK, some bad. Friday night we saw ‘Talon’ – tribute to The Eagles – very good, Policy Academy tribute to Police – very good, Who’s Who – tribute to Who – not bad, MJUK – tribute to Michael Jackson – not bad. Glad I
bought my gumboots. Very muddy and only going to get worse.
Saturday 24
th May 2014.
Slept in - still raining. Tom on the trainer
Wandered up to festival at 2.30pm. The band in the Big Top were too heavy metal for us so went to Main Stage and met up with the rest of the riff raff. On stage was Oasish – tribute to Oasis - very good.
Mud slides in the crowd were starting to happen - J.
Then Mercury – tribute to Queen – really good, then ABBA Revival – tribute to ABBA – good. That was the end of Tom, he went off to bed 9.15pm. I went to see Bon Jovi Experience in Big Top. He was good but drummer drowned him out – acoustics not great in Big Top. I went back to Main Stage and watched The Bootleg Beatles with the rest of the gang. They were also very good. I stayed till 10.30pm.
Sunday 25
th May 2014.
Not raining thank goodness but still a mud bath where everyone is walking.
Tom up on his trainer for 1.5 hours. Late lunch and
then up to festival at 2.30pm to see The Doors Alive – they were really good.
The Darkside – tribute to Pink Floyd – terrible due to being in the Big Top – too much base and distortion. Nothing like Pink Floyd live.
So off to Main Stage to meet with the rest of the riff raff and watched T’Rextasy – tribute to TRex – very good. Main Stage to see The Hot Red Chilli Peppers tribute band – very good, Then came Guns 2 Roses tribute band – not so good. Back to van for bed at 10pm.
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Al
non-member comment
Enjoy guys, the concert in the mud sounds like fun!