The 2010 Bimble : Thursday

Miles :237
Start: Crowcombe, Somerset
End: Hay-on-wye

I woke early in the Somerset morning light and found an outside spot with a view of the surrounding valleys to update the blog. Whilst sitting there the sweetest little dog with the face of a Jack Russel the body of a Spaniel and the tail of a Pommerainian came up to say hello.

I later found out that this is the Pub dog, Toby, who they adopted whilst they were living in spain. I did ask her if the language barrier was a problem for him. She said no but when the farmer who owns the next door field switches his Sheep for Cows Toby gets very confused for a couple of days and barks and growls at them for being too big and not wooly.

We had breakfast in a room they also use as a tea shoppe (sic) during the week and it was so pink and frilly I felt like I was gaining weight just looking at it.

After a good breakfast we wished goodbye to the Carew Arms and Toby that sweet stray spanish hound. We headed out through the countryside to Dunster castle which inexplicably is closed only one day a week. And that day happens to be Thursday. However the town it is attched to was open and that was lovely. A stone built turn of the century market type town all whitewash and black beams.

From there we headed into Exmoor forest which was wild and rugged almost untamed and other adjectives from the romantic novelists reptore. It was very differnt to the genteel hills and swells of the south Downs but equally impressive. The road twisted around the valleys and summits as if it was trying to free itself from gravitys grasp. Em described this near rollercoaster experience as 'chicanery'.

After following our trail of breadcrumbs out of the forest we headed to Cheddar Gorge which is a road cut right through the rock itself. The bottom is a tourist trap but you can drive through the gorge for free which is waht I'd reccomend you do instead of forking over a tener to sit on a bus next to some Austrailians and be driven up there.

Although there was a shop at the bottom called Cheddar Gorge Cheese, which are three words I love in any order. Cheddar. Gorge. Cheese. There is no way in which rearranging those words doesn't please me.


As we left the valley there were a fleet of sheep on the road all going in the same direction as us al on the left hand side of the road like they were commuting to work. Have we caused some kind of brutal natural selection? Only those sheep with good lane disipline survive?

Moving on, we drove into Bath which is at the bottom of another valley with green slopes on allsides studded with indivual house looking out into the valey. They use a particular sandstone here with a rich yellow colour that makes every building seem matched.

We walked through the madness of the town proper, decided against the two hour wait to see the roman baths and instead heading up to the relative calm of the circle and the royal cresent. From their we walked onto the botonical gardens which I'd never seen before.

A great collection of plants that Em seemed to be very excited about although whilst resting on a bench we did se two baby squirrels playfighting with each other. It was like those old cartoons of Chip and Dale fighting over a nut and just as funny although involving fewer uses of Frying pans and other acme products.

From the calm of Baths gardens to Bristol in rush hour traffic was quite a culture adjustment but we did well and were able to take in the Clifton Suspension Bridge which is a stunning bridge which you can drive over or under. It just seems to appear out if the rock and span the gorge sticking two fingers up at physics as it does so

We met my Relatives for a good catch up and much needed bite to eat and drove back into Wales (woo!) for our final stop at Hay-on-Wye.

It was quite a long journey in the near dark but it was nice to see Welsh words on roadsigns again. Although I had to notice when we were driving the windy roads in Kent the corner signs would be enourmous for even a small bend;

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Whereas back in wales the same corner would merit a;

>MEH>

I'm sure theres a rational explanation but it did tickle me at the time.

We stopped at the old Black Lion Inn which was very comfortable but Hay itself surprised me. Its a really really small town. I mean really small. but it has over 20 different bookshops! It was a fun town and a good place to bring this bimble to an end.

Eight hundred and ninety four miles over six days seems like a lot but it was a great trip and a great experience. We are already discussing Bimble Two : Son of Bimble which we think will take us down the leg of Cornwall with the aim of getting Em to Her spiritual home, The Eden Project which was just that little bit too far away for this trip.

The 2010 Bimble : Wedneday

Miles :141
Start: Tangley, Hampshire
End: Crowcombe, Somerset

Its One AM. You've just been woken up by something but you can't quite work out what. There's a strange noise that, as you shrug off the tendrils of sleep, you realise IS THE MAN NEXT DOOR STILL LISTENING TO THE GODAMNED RADIO AT ONE IN THE MORNING!!!!!

I banged on the wall and he turned it down, not off and I spent the next two hours furious that in a pub we'd selected to be off the beaten track and quiet as possible we were getting noise pollution! I'm quite grumpy when I don't get enough sleep, as you can probably tell. Luckily Em only woke up to hear me banging on the wall, harrumphed in a manner that probably meant 'Oh God he's at it again.' rolled over and went back to sleep.

Anyway I eventually got back off to sleep at about three and that meant we were late getting up and Mr Radio next door had gone to work.

We had an excellent breakfast and headed now for Newbury for a quick look around. Newbury's not that new and seems to be quite a dull market town.

We headed over to a small hamlet called Kintbury where I have some relations who welcomed us with open arms and flowing coffee pots. We talked politics and they suggested we took this certain road out of the village. With a glint in his eye the husband said 'watch out for the cows'.

After waving goodbye took this road after eating our own body weight in macaroons and it turns out there's a common just outside the village where cows roam free. They are kept in this area by cattle grids but four roads run right through the centre of this pasture! It was lucky he had warned us as one cow made a suicidal dash across the road in front of us followed by the rest of the herd.

It was a toss up whether to plow on though. On the one hand a seriously damaged car could be an issue but on the other hand, free steaks for a week!

As we took the gorgeous road East we were passed by some cars and drivers that were clearly there to race on the most beautiful track ever. I can see why they'd be attracted to it, there are sweeping curves and sharp bends, rises and reveals of the valley below. However if they were only taking their own lives in their hands that would be one thing but they are risking every other road user as well.

We drove down the road and passed Stonehenge after being told not to bother stopping as the prices to walk around it were exorbitant. I can say it appears quite hengy and popular, but it's also smaller than I thought but not as small as Spinal Tap make out.

We turned south off the main road and had to follow a smelly tractor down single lane roads for about ten miles with the impatient queue building behind us. Being on a bimble it wasn't a problem for us and Em seemed to be quite enjoying its road clearing properties.

We said goodbye to the smelly tractor and stopped randomly at Shellbourne for essential supplies and found ourselves in a country town from the 60's. It was very impressive, yellow sandstone a quiet village atmosphere several pubs and a definite life to it. I would love to go back and stay for a night or two as it felt idyllic. You can tell I'm running out of positive adjectives to describe all the stuff we've seen. If this goes on much longer I'll end up calling something Avuncular. Anyways Shellborne was simply gorgeous.

From there we headed to the Cerne Abbas Giant which is the chalk man etched onto a hill which turns out is either a two thousand year old god or a mockery of Oliver Cromwell from the sixteen hundreds. Still its pretty impressive though to saw nothing of his enormous...Club.

We headed back north then and saw an array of visible light on the Dorset hills whilst on the A37 Dorchester to Yeovill Road. Now visible light is one of my favourite things its that glow that you sometime see on distant hills. Its simply beautiful, so to see this across all the range was spectacular.

Our tranquil revere was broken in Taunton at rush hour. It seems to have way over ts quota for roundabouts and as we found out later is second only to Milton Keynes itself for roundabout hell.

After our sat nav, nicked named 'Fiona' for reasons lost in the mists of time, tried to direct us up what was clearly an overgrown footpath we managed to reach the Carew Arms in Crowcombe. From the outside it looks like a ramshackle old building but the BnB rooms are modern and clean the bar is proper old fashioned with stags head and things on the walls and a skittles alley! They also serve some great beers and fantastic curries on a Wed night which is when we stopped. Bonus!

The most important thing though is that we as two strangers in the bar got into two great conversations with two separate groups of locals who were more than friendly. It really made us feel welcome and wanted which after a long day of traveling is exactly what you need in a pub. Which is where we heard about the landowners who own the pub and most of the surrounding buildings, which they paint a particular colour."If it's falling apart and painted blue it belongs to the Carews."

A few more pints of the Excellent Exmoor Ale and much putting the world to rights with people I didn't know from Adam an hour ago and it was time for bed.

New job:I can think of worse places to have lunch!

The 2010 Bimble : Tuesday

Miles :121
Start: Brighton
End: Tangley, Hampshire

I woke up early and took a walk out of our BnB towards the beach. Even though it was seriously cheap and cheerful we had a sea view. Sort of. It was down the length of a street with a car park on one side and the back of posh hotel on the other. Not exactly picturesque but a sea view nonetheless. I had a short stroll to the ruins of the west pier which was virtually destroyed by fire a couple of years back. Now its just a skeleton of rusted ironwork jutting out the ocean. I've no idea if it could be repaired but I really don't think it would be worth doing. They should either demolish it outright or declare it a seagull sanctuary (like THEY need protecting).

Back to the BnB and we parked up the car and we were away before you needed a parking permit to stay there. We drove along the sea road watching the genteel Brighton giving way to the more industrialised west. Boat yards and spoil depots replaced hotels and apartment blocks. We turned into the land and saw across a green valley something called Lacing College Chapel. This thing was immense, jutting out of the green hillside like an errant ivory tooth. Most impressive.

Having skipped the breakfast at the hotel we stopped off and had a Sunlit fruit breakfast of orange juice, bananas and grapes. I'd love to say it was organically grown but it was actually tescos as we stopped to avoid a traffic jam. Still sunlit and still fruity though.

We headed into the South Downs national park (proposed). I propose you give it to them as its beautiful and if anything needs saving its our greenspaces. The drive up the hill and along the A272 was really special a rolling dipping highway through some lovely villages.

One of which was Midhurst, which we stopped at for essential supplies where we saw a ruined castle/country house called Cowdry which was apparently destroyed by action in the civil war. As we had no fixed timetable we took a walk along the raised marsh bed towards it. The ragged walls are still there, the roof is centuries gone but the jagged front standing proud against the level marshland was pretty impressive and a great random bimble find.

We drove onto Jane Austens House at Chawley. Now I actually like Austen, we had an extract from one of her books read out at our wedding, so seeing where she wrote all of her works was great and they certainly captured the period well. HOWEVER there was a sense that they were trying to beatify her into Saint Jane of Austen. It seems that for many people she represents a certain attitude and a certain lifestyle, almost 'Austen style' and in her they put their own fears and hopes. Whereas she was a decent writer she certainly wasn't a saint.

From there we needed a cuppa and butty so we headed to Winchester. I have to say it's rather like Chester but with added Win.

A very civil place a bit like Bath but without the pretensions. We found a little tea shop off the high street that did twenty different types of tea. Em had a High tea and I had low tea. Low tea is the same thing just with a toasted cheese sandwich rather than scones with jam and cream.

From there we walked up to the gate museum and Great hall where they claim to have 'THE' round table. Em was nearly apoplectic.

"There isn't a 'THE' round table and there never was! Is the meaning of the word MYTH lost on you people? It's a table that's round and nothing else!"

However they more than made up for their grammatical error with a lovely garden off to the side with all sorts of herbal and eating plants in! It also had a bench where I could have quite happily spent a couple of hours reading a novel. Unfortunately that wasn't an option so we went on to our stop of the night.

We had a very clear plan of not booking accommodation more than 24 hours ahead and so far I have to say its worked rather well. This pub, called the cricketers arms looks like a Small country cottage and has a chalet style accommodation block behind it made out of local timber. This chalet looks a touch like a upmarket motel but the rooms are lovely and decked out (Geddit?) all on wood.

We had a couple of pints of the Bowman ales Swift One (some cricket pun I think) and a wonderful meal. Then sat by the enormous fireplace with a cheery fire and listened to the locals chat about nothing in particular.

We headed to bed and fell into a sound sleep in spite of the room next to ours listening to Radio four quite loud.

The 2010 Bimble : Monday

Miles :142
Start: Gravesend
End: Brighton

We got up with Jane and Wez and wished them well on their way to work. Its to their credit that they didn't shout obscenities at us as they headed out to their jobs.

Then after a round of showers and toast we headed out into the bright blue dawn of the A2. Driving through the Kent countryside I can't help but be amazed at how lush and verdant it is. We passed acre after acre of beautiful green fields which were highlighted by the occasional yellow of a rape seed field.

We arrived at Canterbury in the glorious sunshine and left in the pouring rain. I can't think of anything we did to make the weather angry but it rained nonetheless. In between we had seen the glorious cathedral, at which even an avowed Agnostic such as myself can't help but be impressed. Em and I had an argument/discussion about whether a painting was of Charles the First or Charles the Second. Em won out, of course, but was good enough to point out it was commissioned by Charles the second so we were both right (No we weren't really)

We stopped off to have some lunch in a cafe on a side street and then through the pedestrianised streets we were watching fudge being made in a shop window and were invited in. It seemed like the lad doing it was having tremendous fun and really enjoyed the process. It wasn't cheap but it was the best fudge I've had for a long time.

We left Canterbury on the B2068 which you can't help but notice is quite a bit Roman, in that its straight as a die in some sections with the occasional sweeping bend. Em joked that it was every Friday the Roman road builders would get smashed at lunchtime and go off tangent a bit hence the term' gone on a bender'. Not sure about that one myself....

You can help but be reminded of history around here, passing through 'Norman Bay', 'Hastings' and of course my personal favourite 'Battle'. Its as if the towns themselves are trying to tell you of the men who fought and died there in wars long passed into the history books.

As we hit the South coast proper the satellite navigation had a bit of a tizzy and ended up sending us down narrower and narrower roads until I was afraid La Todo Poderosa wasn't going to fit! It didn't seem to bother the locals who came barrelling through the gaps threading the eye of the needle with their vans. Although without that route adjustment we wouldn't have seen a Street called 'Denbigh road' deep in the East Sussex Countryside.

Windmills of both descriptions are everywhere in that area. The old beautiful and useless, and the new very useful and the allegedly ugly new ones. Personally I like them, I think in a hundred years they're be an iconic reminder of our species becoming more environmentally aware. But then again I don't have one ruining my once pristine view.

Driving through this very flat land Rye is on a hill in the middle of the marshland, It towers out of the landscape like some fantasy castle with serfs huts surrounding it. Its an absolutely beautiful spot that I hope to go back to one day.

Hop houses are also everywhere around here as most of the hops used in the UK is grown in this area. There are tales of the soporific nature of the hops making people walking among them just nod of as they stroll around. I'd love to give that a go!

We drove into Brighton past a lorry that had gone on its side. Em and I decided that the driver had been so stunned at the incredible view that he simply turned too fast and toppled over! The South downs are simply gorgeous. They don't have the rugged beauty of the Snowdonian peaks but seem almost to have been manicured over the years to create an incredible series of slopes and ranges into the sea. Almost like a giant Bonsai sculpture. I don't know what they do with the ugly hills down here. Possibly just flatten them out and use the rubble to improve the gradient on some other not quite up to par peaks.

We checked into our BnB which was a real throw back to the seventies. The last time I saw half this furniture was in an episode of Rising Damp. I have to say it was clean and it was very cheap which are two of my favourite things in a hotel room.

We picked up Craig from his place in Newhaven, about ten miles down the coast and went out for an All-You-Can-Eat Thai/Chinese/Vietnamese meal. It was more like a More-Than-You-Should-Eat Thai/Chinese/Vietnamese meal but was bloody lovely all the same.

It was good to catch up with Craig who moved down here nearly Ten years ago now, and its great to see how settled he seems to be.

We headed back to the BnB and took a walk down to and along Brighton's East Pier which was nice but a bit like an upmarket Llandudno pier!

Then back to the hotel and some much needed rest.

The 2010 Bimble : Sunday

Miles :7
Start: Gravesend
End: Gravesend


Had an excellent chill out morning with Jane and Wez with breakfast butties and episodes of How I met your Mother. Then we went to Jake and Lauras house to meet the latest addition to their family, Daisy their daughter. She's absolutely lovely and has a really good temperament even I didn't scare her too much.

I'm very afraid when people hand me their kids to hold. I haven't really had much experience with Kids, I mean, I used to be one but I don't think that counts in the grand scheme of things. I don't understand when they start crying, it make me think that its me making them uncomfortable which makes me uncomfortable which makes them more uncomfortable etc etc etc

Laura and Jake are great though, you'd think they've been doing this years. When I mentioned this to them Jake indicated to me that it already felt like it had been forever but he wouldn't change a thing!

We talked for nigh on twelve hours and had a great laugh. They always much us feel so welcome so included that its always a joy coming this far south.

After much pizza and beer we headed back to the house ready for the next day and the start of the bimble proper.

The 2010 Bimble : Saturday

Miles :246
Start: Rhyl
End: Gravesend

The night before we set out on our bimble (Dictionary definition : A long meandering journey with no fixed point of destination,) was my leaving do from the council. Probably not the most ideal preparation for a long journey. I don't imagine Scott of the Antarctic decided to nip out the night before traveling south for twelve pints and a curry. Nevertheless it was important to me to say goodbye to a placed and people I've very much enjoyed working for and with.

They very sweetly bought me two tasting glasses and a lovely bottle of my favourite type of whiskey (Anything from the Isle of Islay, this one was a Caol Ila out of interest.) So we went out for a couple of pints which was good fun. I flatter myself that they'll miss me just as much as I'll miss them but I don't think so!

I remember vividly leaving a previous job with Denbighshire and as I left the pub my assembled ex-work colleagues gave me a resounding round of applause much to the amusement of the other patrons! That was a great moment for me.

Anyways leaving the council this time I've already written about in a lot of detail so I'll move on.

We picked up a few things in town before leaving. Rhyl on a Saturday morning has a special funk of its own. Everyone seems to be hurrying about as if they have somewhere vital to be. Mainly, I think, anywhere that isn't Rhyl. Even the buskers are of a lower quality than you've come to expect in other large towns. One of them mumbles over every word as if hes embarrassed to be caught singing in public. Which is strange as he's there everyday, you'd think he'd have learnt the words by now. The other has a better voice but was singing, in all seriousness, Achy Breaky Heart.

Generally I have a positive outlook an life and I think mankind is evolving in the right direction but I only have to hear that song to lose all hope and feel nothing but pity and dispair for mankind. When there's soooooooo much good music, important music, soulful meaningful music out there to sing and you choose a shit novelty song from the early nineties, you've got to question your entire value system.

I am very much anti-death penalty but I am in favour of planned music re-education camps. Where you go in loving JLS and Cheryl Cole and re-emerge as a productive member of society appreciating Led Zepplin and Joni Mitchell.

Oh, a caveat to that earlier statement. If you don't enjoy the music of Al Green you have no soul and should be shot like a rabid dog.

So with our provisions laid in we pointed La Poderosa(My car) south and set out.

This Bimble has been a delibrate attempt on my part to relax more on holiday. We've got a dinner appointment in Brighton on Monday evening and the next thing I have to do is on the following Saturday. Normally I have a schedule and a good idea of what we have to do and where we have to go but this time I'm leaving that all up to fate. We're just going to see where we wake up meander around for the day, find a BnB with a pub nearby and stay there.

It might backfire spectacularly but if worst comes to worst we can get home from anywhere on the south coast in about eight hours. And its not lke we don't have family around here.

Its that special time of year when the rape seed has blossomed and the fields on the way down were that special yellow of the rape oil plant which makes that pasture look like it has captured raw sunlight and is now emitting it out. It's a beautiful colour giving the rolling hills a depth and texture that they don't usually possess with their ordinary crops. The contrast between the deep green of a fallow field and that raw golden sunlight is most pleasing to my horticulturally blind eye.

I think I associate that view with the start of summer proper so when I see those fields of gold (Thanks Sting) I know that summers here. Woot!

Also due to my impassioned indifference to Football/Soccer/Nancyball, call it what you will, travelling on FA Cup final day is no biggie so the roads were virtually empty which made for a very pleasant journey.

We made excellent time and were welcomed to Kent by Jane and Wez who have very kindly put us up for the weekend. The rest of the evening was spent variously watching TV, eating and talking and laughing throughout all of the above.

My leaving Do : Fabulous!!!

Running to stand still

There are certain moments in my life I wish I could freezeframe forever. The wrap party in Cardiff, my final Final in Liverpool, waking up in the golden light in Paris with her still lying in my arms .
I think what Im trying to say is those moments are fond memories that i will treasure forever but I had to move on to really appricate them. However hard it feels at that time its a necessary part of moving on.
I am sad to leave good people and a couple of good friends but I know its important that I do.
So goodbye Conwy, I'll never forget you.

Quandarium

I've got a new job and it starts next week.

I'm really excited about it as its a pemanent job doing something I enjoy.

But I'm going to have to leave the place where I'm currently at. Somewhere I'm very happy. Somewhere I have good friends and a position I like.

I know its the right thing to do, but why does it feel so wrong?

Electoral Disfunction

Stayed up until 2 watching the election coverage. Long enough to realise that the seemingly ridiculous exit polls were pretty much spot on. The Lib Dems, whom I've voted for since I was 19 were going to gain an increase in the percentage of people voting but thanks to the historical vagaries of our system actually loose seats.

The coverage was interesting, I thought Channel Four did a good job of keeping the comedy working whilst waiting for actual results. The BBC were stuck with blokes around a table and couldn't cut to 'Come dine with me' or Charlie Brooker being sneering and yet somehow likeable.

And now we have a hung parliament, which can only be broken by the Lib dems making a pact with one of two devils. I can't believe that they are thinking of collaborating with the Conservatives. A Con-Dem-Nation (Not one of mine I'm afraid) wouldn't last but Cameron might use it to oust Brown, stumble on for a few months and then call another election. My only hope is that in the mean-time he pushes through electoral reform, although it has been pointed out to me that if it does go through the Lib Dems will get a more proportional representation in the house but so will the BNP.

It depresses me that nearly nine hundred thousand people in the UK feel so disillusioned that they'd vote for Nazis. Because that's who they are. You can dress it up any way you want. Keep hiding your policies behind a flag we should all be proud of but you are still adhering to National Socialist principles.

I should respect any mans right to believe what he wishes, I even have friends that are Torys, but the BNP make me irrationally angry. I find it hard to believe that in my tiny constituency (35000 voters)there are 827 people that actually put an X next to the BNP.

They should be rounded up and shot.

And its that kind of thinking that caused this mess in the first place.