Monday, September 26, 2011

OFF TO THE EAST OF ENGLAND!

Monday, September 26, 2011 - Hello from a small village called Snitterby in eastern England--this area is known as Lincolnshire! I think I would compare the area to eastern Washington...it reminds me of it with the lowlands and farming every where.

Last Thursday, September 22,  we left rainy Silverdale and went through Carnforth:


Back to Garstang and Preston for dental appointments then on the motorway (M6) headed to the east side of England...some road signs, traffic and sights along the way (love the abbreviations--M'cr=Manchester, B'ham=Birmingham, etc.):
It says that it is the highest motorway in England at 1,221 feet (the summit)!
Doesn't it look like we are in the wrong lane & on the wrong side of the road???
Beautiful country in the Leeds area.
That is the bridge built over the motorway pass so that the Pennine Way would not be interrupted.
Saw several of these coal power plants in one area that mines coal...they look like nuclear cooling towers to me!
One huge aluminum beam--says on the end of it..."Made from 1.5 million recycled aluminum drink cans"!   Ah, so they DO make something out of them!!!!
North Lincolnshire farmlands...no more stonewalls here!
Just a few of the thousands of RVs at the season finale of the RV/music festival on the showfield outside of Lincoln, England--it was very impressive even if this picture doesn't show it all!


We got entertained each night with Bee Gee, Roy Orbison, Tina Turner tributes, comedians, X Factor talent, lots of rock n roll plus 60s, 70s and even country music.  The last night they had show tunes from Lion King, Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, etc.   They know how to entertain the crowds as well as show you all the latest and greatest (and expensive) RVs on the road!  We had a great time with Geoff's friends Rob and Thelma!

On Saturday, we rode the bus into the town of Lincoln to see it--it's a beautiful, thriving yet very old town with a huge catherdral and castle walls:
Check out the writing on this Irish van...can you read it--I thought it was something:

Here they are "queing" to play Bingo--apparently this is an every day, all day long happening!:

Fascinating history (over 2000 years of it) if you can enlarge this photo to read it:

I loved the different old buildings:

War memorial in the city center:


Union protesters marching down the center of the city:

My first visit to an English Starbucks:

Famous swans swim the canal that runs through the city:

Some fabulous drummers raising money for the local air ambulance service:

Geoff says these little tunnels off the street are "ginnells":

Lunch in the Wetherspoon Pub with Thelma and Rob:

As we leave Lincoln to go back to the showground:

On Sunday, September 24, we went to Scrampton to The Dambusters Inn (this is RAF Red Arrow trainig grounds) and had a traditional Yorkshire pudding and roast beef meal that was splendid!  I forgot to get a picture of it, but did capture some of the pub and the RAF WWII memorabilis as well as the newest pub owner:

Pub owner above who is locating more memorabilia to add!  Here he holds up a WWII pilots ruck sack!

Then, this morning, Monday, it was on to Snitterby via small villages and lanes:

Travelling along a country lane in farm country!



Pretty directional sign!
Typical sight--farm house and crops!
Downtown Market Rasen (they train and race horses around here).
Loved this sign: "YES! YES! YES! to British Pork"--new one on me!
Geoff says they put up the flag for me!  Arrived in Snitterby!
The pub that owns our tiny (but nice) campground!
Mom, I found this feather outside our RV when I decided to look around..I think Pop approves!!! :)

That;s all folks...Snitterby today and tomorrow then back to Garstang on Wednesay through the weekend.  The weather forecast here is for sunshine and warm temps--supposed to be warmer than Hawaii tomorrow but we shall see!   :)   Loving the sunshine!!!
Love, Geoff & Sue in sunny Lincoln, England



Friday, September 23, 2011

...BATTERY POWER RESTORED SO i CARRY ON...

BE SURE TO READ THE LAST BLOG POSTED FIRST SINCE THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF IT:

Back to our day and night in Blackpool:

(Geoff always spots the VW s everywhere we go!):



The old tram that we rode down the promenade for the Illuminations!:

Our last view of the lights!:


Geoff in the White Bull in Great Eccleston the way home from Blackpool!:

Monday, September 19th, we headed out in the afternoon and stayed near Longlands pub at Tewitfield then drove to Arnside and Silverdale on Tuesday the 20th where we camped by Morecambe Bay in the Gibraltar Farm campsite!    Lovely sights along the way:
The road narrows to one lane here!:

Countryside outside of Arnside on way to Silverdale above!



Downtown Arnside!

Morecambe Bay with tide out!:


We are headed to the campsite:

The farm land terraced campground next to the bay!  I could hear sheep baaing:


Three friendly Chicken Little’s running around the site! :

 Morecombe Bay with Grange Over Sands in the background (above).

The sun actually was shining even though there were some clouds and we had one spectacular sunset over Morecambe Bay!  You decide for yourself:







I just couldn’t get enough of it!

Wednesday it was windy in the morning and then poured down rain for about an hour in the afternoon but didn’t stop us from enjoying the beauty around us.

FACTS:  People from Blackpool are called Blackpudlians…Millions flock to Blackpool to view the Illuminations each year…The number of pubs is commensurate to the number of villages in England!   (I made that one up!)  J

Thursday, we headed back to Garstang to take care of some appointments and then head south to Lincoln for the annual RV and music fest!   We are here in Lincoln now enjoying the huge RV show and daily music festival!  
That's it for now...blog will be continued as battery power is reinstated!   :)
Love, Sue & Geoff