Ferry Meadows, Peterborough 17-20 Jan 14

In much the same way as we found with Cambridge, going to a local site really has its advantages in that the journey times are short, yet it still feels like a holiday. So it was with Ferry Meadows. We took the bikes and cycled around 15 miles on the Saturday, going into Peterborough for a bit of shopping and a nice lunch in a microbrewery which sold fantastic Thai food. We then got lost around the many cycle ways of Peterborough before finding Halfords to negotiate a new bike for Debs.
 
On Sunday we pootled around the country park, had a light lunch, a long walk and watched the sun go down before heading to the local Beefeater for dinner. Another excellent night's kip followed and an early start on a misty cold morning back home ready for Debs to start work.
 
Ferry Meadows really is a very nice site, spotlessly clean with huge pitches. I think that we will be back (but not when its full of kids!)

Bike and Bus - perfect machines!
 

Is that Victoria Pendleton? Surely not?

Crystal Palace 8 - 12 Jan 2014

Happy New Year! It's been a while since we've been out in the bus, but family commitments and a rapid trip to Ireland, put paid to any planned trips away. Anyway, back again to this very useful site, travelling by a less tortuous route than the north and south circular roads and setting up and on the way to visit Mother in Chiswick in no time, meeting up with Debs back at Crystal Palace later that evening. We really enjoyed just sitting there with a glass of wine after such a long absence.

On Friday Deb went to work and I bimbled around a bit playing with the new radio before heading off to Canary Wharf to meet her for lunch. I really do not like Canary Wharf much. At twelve o'clock it is like somebody has stirred an ants nest as thousands of suited arrogants barge through the tunnels. Luckily, after lunch I was able to escape to the Museum of London Docklands and spent a very interesting and informative afternoon browsing this superb museum before meeting Deb and heading to the mother-in-law's for dinner, then back to the site on the very useful 227 bus.

Up and out early on Saturday to get to Twickenham for breakfast in the Webb Ellis pub and then watch the game against Clermont Auvergne. As usual, trains in London were totally screwed (why can't they run a railway? They charge enough.) and it took hours to get to Twickenham, but we ate, drank, watched the game (we lost), drank some more and then returned to Crystal Palace much later than anticipated.

Sunday - a quick read of the papers, breakfast and then back home.