Amble Day 1 - Cloudy with no chance of anything but rain.

Getting up later than expected the whole day would be shifted into the evening, but sometimes these things are unavoidable.  I walked Brody, just a quick round the top field as the gypsies are on the middle field and their horses are grazing.  Brody likes to bark at horses, so we have to keep well clear.  Then back to the house, to pack the car.  Brody was very concerned as he always is, he follows my every move and generally gets in the way, so he gets shut in the lounge.  When he came outside and saw his bed set up in the car for a long trip, his tail went mad for a minute.

We set off at 9:35, with an ETA of 15:05, so with 2 half hour stops that would be 16:05.  A12 - M25 - M11 - A14 - A1, all not too bad.  The traffic was slow, mainly because of the rain - which was almost constant, but at the first stop (for lunch) when we parked behind one of the many disused cafés alongside the A1, we were only a few minutes behind the ETA.  About 11am, we found out later, there was a six vehicle accident on the northbound A1 just our side of Doncaster, but by the time we found out we were already in the 30-mile tail back.  Progress was slow and after a second stop we arrived around 18:05 some 2 hours later than planned.  At one point we were diverted off the A1 and while still in the queue on the slip road were diverted back on to the A1.  As a result, we lost about 6 car 'slots', but at least it kept me clear of the crazy coach driver who seemed intent on not letting me pass.

We are in a terraced house in Amble, about 4 minutes walk from the sea, although at this point on the coast there is no beach, only rocks and a big sea wall. It was not to the sea we went after the owners had come to visit and collect their fee, but to the fish and chip shop.  Our usual approach is to take the fish and chips to the coast and taunt the gulls, but it is too cold for that, so we headed back to the house

Last walk of the day at 22:00, it's down to the coast to see the sea, and let Brody add his contribution.  It is cold enough for a winter coat, and wet enough too.  However, even with heavy cloud, there is still enough light to easily see the paths.  Soon we return to the house to continue building the list of things we forgot to bring.

The house is very nice, this is the lounge, with some of our junk already installed!

Southwark Bridge

After the lunacy that was happening last week I needed a walk, so I strolled over to the Tate Modern. For once it wasn't the art that caught my eye. It seems there is work going on to narrow the bridge. Southwark bridge is one of the few places in London where the traffic flows reasonably freely. Not true of the road it feeds on the North Bank of the Thames though. That's more congested now than before the infamous congestion charge was applied. The congestion charge is exactly what it says - a charge to sit in congestion - rarely has anything been so accurately named.

I digress - and I shouldn't do that.

Where this photo was taken there has often been a string of coaches parked. The passengers are visiting the Globe or the Tate. Apart from the steep steps down to the Thames its ideal. Close to the attractions and easy to find when you have to return. Where have the coaches gone? Where will the visitors have to return to? I have no idea.

I'm just convinced, in my grumpy old man way, that the people who lead London are doing their very best to remove cars from the city altogether, and with them of course the lorries and coaches. There will be only bendy-busses, cyclists and pedestrians soon.

Perhaps I should phone the number and ask WHY?

I will try to remember to get another picture at the end of February so you can see the effect its had on the road width.

Anyway back to the art. I was very pleased to see one exhibit in particular. Sorry no picture - mainly because I don't think its allowed, and the guard was rather suspicious of me as I looked really very closely at the exhibit. What was it?


A piece of marble - remarkable similar to one of the work tops we are thinking about for the kitchen. Really remarkably similar. Too square for my purposes though, and probably too heavy to carry on the train, and then there's that guard of course looking at me suspiciously. Perhaps now I know why.