I have had a glorious half-term despite the lugubrious cloud of doom, Reports that hung over me (and usually causes it to be somewhat miserable). The excitement began on Friday evening.
7pm-ish Intrepid explorers, we ventured out in car heaving at the seams to wend our way to Wells in Somerset. After the stresses of navigating Bristol and ending up in “The End of the world” via a very, very, very dark and twisty lane which concluded in a strange grotty Dagenham-style suburb (with interminable signs inviting us to go to Horseworld), we finally found our destination. It was with alacrity that we arrived at Burcott Mill in Wookey, Wells very late! Located in the Organic places to stay guide, it boasts the only working water-mill in Somerset (where they make their own organic Spelt-flour). Our very comfortable and white Attic-room was a welcome respite and sleep was the order of the hour!
Saturday morning 7.15ish After a very very early wake-up, we arose to enter the breakfast room. A splendid array of Organic produce was there for us. We had cereal followed by appetizing bread and jams (bread produced from scratch with their flour), tea and juices concluded with a sumptuous fried breakfast, bacon, eggs, tomato, sausage etc which CBC unfortunately had to decline due to the necessitous dash to arrive to register for his cycling-race.
Left alone, I was bound for a trek to the cross-roads to catch a bus to Cheddar Gorge at 8.30. Unfortunately, I discovered at this point, that CBC had not only departed with my luggage (as planned) but with all my shoes!!! I being of the ilk that tends to walk around wherever I am in socked feet! I was all in a quandary as to what I should do! Consulting with my hostess and realising that none of her wellies could be lent to me due to my enormous feet, I concluded that I must phone CBC to try and rescue footwear! CBC not answering his phone, I gathered up my belongings into my bags and hung around in the dining room reading Somerset life sheepishly but amusedly, aware that I probably looked a right muppet!
8.45ish Finally, CBC turned up like a knight on a white charger (Pale blue in this case!) to return my lost slipper(s) and drove me to Wells where we also purchased other essential items that had also been forgotten! Thus dispensed at the Bus station, via kitch retro shop where I purchased Wacky Racers on DVD (!!!), I set off on the scenic 126 to the picturesque village of Cheddar. After a trek past many tourists, I arrived at the offices of Cheddar Gorge Adventure, where I met with my team and instructor to take part in a morning of CAVING!
11.30: After signing a document stating that we didn’t mind death and destruction (ok, minor bruises and scrapes) Ridiculously attired in an already muddy boiler suit, gargantuan wellies and a head torch and helmet, looking much like one of the Dharma initiative, my team of 10 and 2 instructors set off into the Gough cave. Past a curious bunch of keen, early tourists, who I believe suspected we were part of the exhibit, admiring the stalactites and stalagmites, we arrived at deeper cave. Climbing up a steep pile of rocks aided by a rope, we left the straight and narrow, ending up in a pitch-black mushroom cave (shape, not indicative of growth). Brief discussion ensued and then the greater adventure began. Crawling under low caves; climbing up and down 40ft ladders through tiny holes; lying flat and crawling through letter-box-like cracks; schlomping through mud; clambering along rocks, mud on hands; mud on face; mud on feet; mud seeping through to knees; banging knees, bumping elbows, thwacking heads occasionally when an angle misjudged; going head-first and hands into tiny-holes downwards, sitting in the pitch-black with our headtorches off listening to tales of world records being broken for how long someone sat in these caves in complete darkness for; (286 days I think? Sadly for him, broken by someone else 8 days later or so). For many people, their idea of hell, but I loved it! I really dislike heights, but I like caves and have no worry about the claustrophobic elements of it. It feels real! A real feeling of exhilaration and unknown realms, and the sheer childish delight of adventure! I think it is another symptom of my Enid Blyton joy! Caves, buried treasure and the such-like. We had a great laugh and I am so glad to have done that, since I haven’t been potholing for some 10 years now!
Around 2.00ish I departed, covered in mud (yes, suspicions of knee-seepage proved founded). After a brief sojourn to eat some lunch, and quench my parched-throat with tea, I set off to enjoy some more of Cheddar Gorge. As the deluge of rain began, I sought sanctuary in the smaller cave, name forgotten, and the Crystal Quest. Again, more beautiful cave formations, somewhat annoyingly accompanied by hippyfied music and opera, then there was a sort of quest section, which was ok.
I climbed out to emerge at Jacob’s ladder, a 274 step climb to the top of the gorge. Unfortunately, around 20 steps up, the rain decided to reak havoc and exhaustedly reaching the peak, doing an excellent impression of a drowned rat, it was unbelievable how wet I was, I climbed the watch-tower to enjoy misty views in all directions.
Returning down the Biblical path, bizarrely, as I entered a very nice establishment selling all things Sheepskin, my legs felt all shaky. I therefore had to give into the rain-misery feeling and buy sheepskin slipper boots!
Arranging meet-up with CBC, I sought my water-logged path back to the bus, to scenically traverse my way back to Wells.
After some fudge and briefly exploring Wells, CBC and I met and began the weary, mud-encrusted journey (both of us, CBC very adorably, due to biking in the rain) to Luckbridge in Exmoor national park to seek our second Organic place to stay, Cutthorne, a Georgian Farmhouse (so cross I forgot the Regency costume!). An anxious navigation on my part ensued, finally arriving at our destination with only a moment of getting lost in yucky Taunton!
Cutthorne appeared like a glorious oasis, a beautiful remote location, fresh, free from the rain, and we were greeted by kind lady Pam, who was looking after us. She showed us to our glorious room which was like something out of Pride and Prejudice, beautifully vintagely decorated with antiques, arm-chairs and table, fire-place, 4-poster bed, knitted tea-cosy and much more, where we quickly unloaded our baggage and returned, marvelling at the décor, to the dining room where we were seated at the long central table (to ourselves) with the other 2 couples staying at separate side tables. We were served a delicious organic 3-course meal, mackerel salad for starters, a beef dish with many vegetables and mashed potatoes and finally an orange pavlova followed by tea. Very wearily, we took the tea back up, sat down for a moment and fell asleep! Obviously the day’s exertions had had their effect!
Sunday Morning:Awakening, much-rested, probably the only night I’ve had 10 hours sleep for years, we went for breakfast! What a sight beheld us on reaching the tranquil dining room! Cereals, nuts and dried fruits; bread of various types; their own organic fruit: gooseberries, rhubarb, blackcurrants; juices; tea and coffee and a welcome sign that offered other options kippers, croissants and more. When our benevolent hostess Pam arrived, she offered us full fried breakfast which we accepted with eagerness.
Thoroughly and impressively full, we returned to our sanctuary to consult OS maps to plan our walks (shamedly falling asleep, my fault, for another hour!). Finally, we departed to walk to Dunkery Beacon via a long and scenic route. We met very few people, but delightedly met with the famous Exmoor ponies who were setting a rousing pace up a hill! Many an enchanted glade was beheld, gangly young pony frolics observed, a prolific amount of chocolate buttons consumed and the ‘summit’ was reached where a large pile of stones was climbed by CBC! The return journey was one of delight, wonder and intrigue. Such beautiful fresh air, balmy sunshine, verdant greenness from every angle, gnarled trees in glades, reminiscent of images from my mind’s eyes when I listen to Debussy’s L’apres Midi, including Fawn!
Slightly sunburnt and in need of a drink we negotiated the winding narrow backlines (including perilous backing up a slope to allow passage to someone else!) and found our way to Dunster where I managed to buy 6 second-hand books in our first 10 minutes (village fete), bought ice-creams, congratulated ourselves at having found such a tranquil setting in comparison, and ended up in a tea-garden, where we enjoyed sandwiches, scones and tea in a charming setting!
Cutthorne was welcome, as was the slight snooze and reading-session that ensued!
Another delightful dinner was enjoyed and more wondrous sleep!
Monday Morning:
Disgustingly early arising secured hassle-free passage to Bath, home to the Jane Austen centre which we visited (I love Mr Darcy bag therein purchased!) and enjoyed a sumptuous Jane Austen tea in the award-winning tea-rooms on the top floor. I even managed to stare longingly alla Lizzie Bennett at the painting of Mr Fitzwilliam Colin Firth Darcy. We enjoyed a stroll in the architecturally pleasing city and ended up spending a blissful 2 hours in the Bath Spa, which was a wonderful indulgence to end our happy sojourn with!
Finally, praise the Lord, by-passing the Bank holiday rush, headed back to London to go to a Eurovision party 2 days late! Such great fun! We had score sheets and everything! I most enjoyed Romania, Greece and Iceland and was most distressed by the appalling Lily Allen style accent of the German winner (cute, but not winning material)
Tuesday:Ooops, shopping! Baby niece played with (very cute) and sibling and mother chatted to!
Wednesday
APP assessments (I’ve moaned about those before I am quite sure!), garden party stylie! Reports begun.
Thursday, Friday:
R-E-P-O-R-T-S
In words of one syllable, slow, yuck, sigh, but the relief and support provided by CBC working on his vegetable plot and work also plus Dogtanian interludes and delicious food! 14 reports complete. 3 more almost.
Saturday: Aside from lovely morning:
Oh halcyon day, oh ray of delight, oh great God in heaven! For on this day, I did hereby learn to ride a bike!!!! Lovely patient CBC provided the humour, support, holding onto the back, running lots, and encouragement for me to miraculously ride alone! What a glorious feeling it was to ride along in the cool evening, the breeze rustling my hair, the freedom and elation!
It is early days, corners still present an issue, as does the feeling of needing to jump off rather than apply the brakes! BUT, together with Betty Esmerelda Bickerton (my bike of course, a lovely vintage old lady), I shall achieve great things!!!!
Sunday:Music plans- sigh! Then reading, meet up with friend and correspondence. But it ended on a positive note, I had a achieved a good amount of work, largely due to the provision of distraction-free haven for me to work in provided by CBC and had enjoyed some lovely times in ‘foreign climes’.
How was yours?
I am listening to Stravinsky’s Song of the nightingale, which I purchased in Cheddar, as I type. I have played Tam-tam in it once, and now I long to play the 1st flute part. It is so beautiful! The feeling of being immersed in that effervescent orchestra sound, aciting as the Nightingale is something that sounds utterly delightful! It takes a short-cut to the top of my Top 10 flute wish-list.
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Books shamefully running behind schedule. But
19. Curtis Ann Matlock
Recipe for easy living. A very sweet book set in Valentine, Oklahoma, with a positive message and likeable characters set around Christmas. An adult book but told from the perspective of a 13 year old child. This book has a lot of heart (and highlighted to me just how appalling some American diets are!)
20. E.Nesbit
The House of Arden.
She wrote the Railway Children so this had to be good. Plus it involved treasure seeking, time-travelling and historical figures. Well recommended.
21. Louis Sachar
Small Steps.A sequel to Holes. An interesting read which extends the story of two characters in the prequel. Read in order to vet for my class book collection. I think, since it mentions a certain spiky-leaved-green plant with certain narcotic properties in a one-off sentence near the beginning, it might not be advisable to include it!
