Christmas Shopping in Manchester

Some time ago, my wife expressed a wish to visit Manchester to do our Christmas shopping. We agreed in late October that we would go. However, in the meantime, life took a slight turn which affected the decision. We volunteered to take care of our friends' daughter on any occasion necessary during her younger brother, Mally's, hip operation in Alder Hey Children's hospital in Liverpool. Liz, his mum, would be staying with him in the hospital, and David, his father, would be shuttling between Anglesey and Liverpool. This meant waiting until we knew what day or days we might be required. There was a delay in Mally's return home because the hospital had to be sure he would be OK if released back to his foster parents' care.

During this period I had problems with COPD from which I often suffer. This entailed an x-ray and a subsequent doctor's appointment. When the doctor discussed the x-ray result with me I learned that my chest was free of infection but that my heart appeared to be slightly enlarged. the result was an appointment a week later to have an ECG done. Whilst I was not worried about this there was always the possibility that a further appointment might be necessary so we could not arrange our 2 days in Manchester until this was clear. However, the ECG gave a good result and an earlier colesterol blood test proved OK too.

So, now the way was clear to book the two days. No city centre rooms were available unless we were prepared to pay a silly price. So we booked in at a Rochdale hotel for one night, knowing we could dine there too. We drove to Manchester and parked outside House of Fraser where we began our shopping. We had a pleasant lunch at Cafe Rouge in Deansgate and explored Waterstones bookshop across the road. Next we walked across to St Anne's Square to the Christmas Market to see if it compared to last year's experience in Salzburg. It didn't!

As the afternoon wore on we completed our shopping and then went to the hotel to pack presents ready to deliver to our family in Castleton and Mildrow.

Next we called on our daughter who was, naturally, surprised to see us. We spent a short time with her and our grandaughter, Ellie and then drove over to deliver secret Christmas presents to our son's home. He was away on business but we delivered the parcels and I kept the girls entertained so they would not see where their mum was hiding our presents. It was lovely to see everyone.

We returned to our hotel to get ready for dinner. The rest of the evening involved dinner in a lovely Italian restaurant attached to the hotel. Next day we drove back to Manchester to continue shopping in the city centre. It was not long before we realised the centre was not a shadow of its former self so we left to continue in the Trafford Centre. We completed our shopping and had lunch during our stay in the Centre. At three o'clock we set off back to home in Anglesey.

The weather was very strange indeed. From large remaining puddl;es we could see there had been heavy rain in the afternoon. Spray was a hazard on the motorway and visibility was bad because there was the largest and lowest black cloud hovering above us as we drove. It was so dark we checked the time! But after a few miles it improved. We were homeward bound and the light was better in the west.

On arriving home we lit the fire and settled down with our feet up. They were really aching after all the walking we had done. It was good to be home and we decided we would not repeat the experience again. Manchester would not be a choice for Christmas shopping. Home is where the heart is and our hearts are firmly established in Anglesey.

Venice in Autumn 2009

We recently decided to spend 4,000 Air Miles and fly to Venice. To say it was eventful is not an overestimate. On Monday this week we checked in at Manchester Airport and found the flight was delayed due to the late arrival of the inbound aircraft. It turned out that Zurich Airport had experienced fog that morning and many flights to and from there were delayed. Of course, we were concerned about arriving in Zurich in time to catch our onward flight to Venice. This is where Swiss Airlines excel!

As we approached Zurich Airport we received the usual information on the monitors telling us the gates from which our onward flights were leaving. Where passengers had completely missed their flights but there were later ones they were booked on them. If there was no possibility of flying on a Swiss flight passengers were directed to the transfer desk. Where the connection was still viable we were given the relevant gate numbers. We fell into the latter category as the flight was delayed by the earlier weather problems but was wanting to leave asap to try to make up time.
It is a long time since Pauline had walked that quickly as we changed flights! Only the other day she had experienced painful arthritis. We got to the aircraft which was a Fokker 100. As soon as we boarded the door was closed and take off was being organised. As we waited for the pilot to get permission to push back and start engines we saw the baggage man drive up and our suitcase was loaded. A few minutes later we were taking off for Venice Marco Polo Airport and the flight took 45 minutes.

On arrival we collected our suitcase and set off down the long walkway to the water bus station. A half hour later we were heading towards Venice across the lagoon. But by this time we had been visited by hundreds of mosquitos and Pauline, unknown to her, was bitten in many places. A little over an hour later we arrived at the San Zacarria landing stage and we disembarked and walked across the wide pavement to our hotel which was opposite. It was Hotel Paganelli, according to the badges on the coat hangers, a Best Western establishment.

We soon unpacked and went out for dinner close by. The food was very good indeed and we experienced some Prosecco Sur Lie for the first time. Later we returned to our room and went to sleep. In the night I experienced heartburn and had to take some tablets to deal with it. This disturbed my sleep to the point where I had to take a morning nap to counteract the feeling of being wiped out. Pauline went out alone and came back with a massive set of insect bites on principally her arms and legs. They were beginning to itch like mad! Not funny!

That afternoon we took it easy and just wandered around the streets and canals once the sun had lessened.

That night we discovered another restaurant and had another excellent meal. The waiter there explained how Venice was more humid than countries like Greece and experienced very little wind. This plus the fact that the whole airport and city was built on a swamp explained the large mosquito community. By this time, Pauline had bought some hydro cortisone cream to put on the bites but it was not as effective as hoped. Like the brave woman she is, Pauline endured the agony in order to get her money's worth out of the visit!

Next day , after breakfast, we walked down to St Mark's Square and witnessed the cafes ripping off visitors to a high tune. Later the queues of visitors to St Mark's Basilica had grown less so we joined them and viewed the inside. It was dark and dismal and we were not impressed at all. There was a charge to ascend the stone staircase to the balcony and another for a visit to the golden altar backing. I think there was one too to see the treasury.

After this we had a walk round the streets and returned to the hotel to collect cameras etc. On the way there we are stopped by a well dressed man who asked if we would like a free boat ride to the island of Murano to see glass making. Is there really such a thing as a free ride we wondered. We told him we were going to our hotel and would return quite soon. Later we returned and located him again. He gave us two complimentary tickets for the speedboat and asked us to follow him. Soon we were bumping across the waves as we sped towards the island of Murano, famous as the place where Venetian glass is created.

We arrived at the private landing stage for the glass factory and were shown in to large area where two furnaces were roaring away and men of different ages and experience were creating glass objects. One young man took his molten glass from the furnace, rolled it on a steel table, and then shaped it with tongs to create a prancing horse. It was beautiful. Next he took another lump of glass from the furnace and turned into a beautiful bulbous vase in about two minutes.

Our next stage was to be ushered into the complex of showrooms to browse the creations displayed. Some objects we were ugly whilst others were tacky. But, for the most part there was a treasury of beautiful glass created by fine craftsmen. We bought a small vase and paid for it as it was carefully wrapped to withstand the journey home. We love it! We expected to be charged for the return trip to Venice itself but this was free too. We shared the speedboat with two of the loveliest Americans we have met - they were two gay men from Hawaii. Chatting with them and enjoying their company, the journey was soon completed.

It was later that day that Pauline and I went shopping for a leather handbag and eventually located the shop we had seen earlier. We also found a glass shop where we bought a Murano dish for a friend who had expressed a wish for some glassware. Along the way we found ourselves in many streets and by many canals we had not seen before. It was fascinating.

On Thursday we had to make our way back to the airport. It was a slow journey by water bus that edged its way slowly through thick fog on the lagoon. On arrival we found another delay with the arrival of our aircraft from Zurich! We had to exercise patience once more and hope the delay was Zurich weather again and that we would make our Manchester flight from Switzerland. Eventually we boarded the aircraft and flew to Zurich. On approach we learned that, whilst others were facing further delays we were lucky and should be able to catch the Manchester flight.

It was harder this time because Pauline found walking difficult with weeping blisters etc on her feet and legs. Eventually we were approaching the area for Terminal B and showed our passports. Next we had to go through security. A member of the Swiss Airlines staff called out for passengers for Manchester and asked the queueing passengers to allow us priority. It was a quick passage through security and then we were collected in a minibus which delivered us to the aircraft. Soon we were flying home on the last leg of our journey to Manchester to collect our car and drive back to Anglesey. Sadly, this time our suitcase didn't make it to the aircraft so we reported this to Global Baggage Solutions who arranged for it to be sent on to us. It arrived the following afternoon.

We had enjoyed our city break and looked forward to our evening meal at the Tre-Ysgowen Hotel and Spa, ten miles away to celebrate our wedding anniversary. It was to be a wonderful experience with excellent food cooked well and presented well. It was even less than we had paid in our favourite waterside restaurant in Venice!

Coming away from the Manchester check in area, Pauline noticed Mark Lawrenson, the football commentator and pundit, heading into the check in. As we boarded the aircraft later we found he was travelling on the same aircraft. He was sitting in Economy across the aisle from us. It turned out that he was flying via Zurich to Florence where Liverpool FC were playing that night. The Sky football commentator was flying Business Class!

We have had an eventful time this visit and we are glad too that we went. I suppose this qualifies as a success. Venice is lovely in parts and ugly in parts, particularly where scaffolding is covered in a tacky fashion to allow work not to impinge on the image of the World Heritage Site. It is also over expensive and most of its prices are nut justifiable. But there you are, if you want to see this special city you will have to accept the prices. So we did. But we refused to be ripped off by taking coffee in St Mark's Square like many others. There were very few tables occupied, even though string quartets were playing lovely music for the patrons.

Travels by others

I have just read an article on BBC News website telling how a plane had to land at Exeter and not Cardiff because it had been on the end of a lightning strike. people were invited to add their thoughts in terms of a complaint at landing short of their destination airport. In fact, the pilot selected Exeter because that is where FlyBe have their depot and the plane can be checked out thoroughly before continuing in service. The passengers were delayed but did continue by plane to Cardiff.
It is pleasing to hear of this sort of decision because the next passengers on the particular plane can travel safely in the knowledge that their plane is as airworthy as can be. Some years ago I travelled to Zakynthos by JAT as the TEA aircraft was marooned in Cyprus due to a fuel strike. The plane was not my first choice and the service on board was rubbish. The landing was rough and there was no reason for this. But we did get to Zakynthos and have a lovely holiday. If things work out safely we should say so and thank those who have taken trouble to get us there safely. Delays might be part of this scene but we get there safely. That is the good news.
I wish people would not moan so much and get on with living fruitfully.n It really is the best way!!!

August in Anghistri

In less than two weeks we shall be travelling to our favourite Greek island, Anghistri. It is a little known island among British travellers and is found in the Saronic Gulf, just 20 miles from Athens. There are about 700 residents but many more in the summer months. Tomorrow's maximum temperature is forecast to be 39 degrees Celsius or 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit! This is the first time we shall be there in August. Our usual visits have been in September.

Our eldest granddaughter, Ellie, is coming with us and we are really looking forward to introducing her to the Greek people we know. Clearly, we have an extra responsibility to keep out of the sun as much as possible, and that is a good thing. We usually take lunch late so that we are indoors during the hottest part of the day.

Once more we are flying with Swiss Airlines from Manchester. We first fly to Zurich and then on to Athens using an Airbus. On arrival at Athens we need to get our luggage as quickly as possible to catch the express bus down to the port of Piraeus in order to board the 6.30pm Flying Dolphin hydrofoil via Aegina to Anghistri. These days we are able to disembark at Megalohori, the village in which we stay each time we go. Our friend and host, Christos, will meet us at the port and drive us and our luggage to Hotel Boulas.

On the island there are only four villages: Megalohori, Skala, Metochi and Limenaria. Megalohori (meaning "the great place") is the island capital, whilst Skala is basically a resort. Metochi and Limenaria are villages which have changed very little over the years. Metochi now has a number of holiday homes for wealthy UK residents, but Limenaria is completely Greek in every way. Most of the island comprises pine trees and is therefore a great fire risk each year. The fire engine can be seen on patrol every day in readiness as is the case on most islands. If the pine trees should catch light it would be necessary to call out the airborne fire fighters with their seaplanes which can scoop out sea water to extinguish the flames. Fire is an ever present fear in Greece. Lunch for the crew of the fire engine is usually taken in the shade of trees by the tiny church of St Barbara on the road to Limenaria.

Our favourite place to take lunch is further along this road at a beauty spot known as Aponisos with its vistas over to the Peloponnese. Here there is just one taverna using diesel power for its equipment as no electricity supply extends this far. With the growth of the port at Megalohori, many rich Greeks now visit the island in their motor yachts so the standard of cuisine has risen at Aponisos. You can buy some excellent seafood and wash it down with classy wines from Greek vineyards.

There are a few tavernas in Megalohori and loads at Skala together with cocktail bars like the Copa Cabana and the Quattro. One taverna in Skala overlooks the port there so you can people watch if a ferry is calling. There are also lovely views over to the larger island of Aegina.

If you take the ferry over there you can get a bus as far as the Temple of Aphaia which is a very well preserved temple with huge Doric columns. Travelling to the terminus would bring you to the resort of Aghia Marina which is a large semi circular bay with a sandy beach. Another small pretty place is Perdika with views of the tiny islet of Moni. Here you can have lunch right where the private yachts moor. One year we witnessed a fight between two Greek young men. You never know how any single day will be so you just take whatever comes. There was also a time when our entertainment was watching a group of young Italians trying to berth their sailing yacht. Eventually they achieved their objective and we all clapped!

All in all our holidays in the Saronic Gulf have been pure pleasure and so laid back as to be horizontal.

A Visit to Suffolk

Pauline had long held a wish to visit Suffolk and last week we did just that. We drove as far as Whittlesey in Cambridgeshire where we once lived for four years. A friend and former neighbour was our host for the night. Next day we continued via Ely to Suffolk. Stopping in Ely for about an hour, I was able to show Pauline what I had once seen in 1971, the cathedral. On that earlier occasion I remember the nave was completely clear of all seats and the great organ was being tuned. On this day I truly learned how deep a note the organ could create!

Today the chairs were all out and the east end of the cathedral was roped off whilst a Bollywood film was shot! However, we were able to gaze at the beautiful octagon tower with all its decoration. It was a marvellous scene. Then we returned to the car and continued to make our way to Suffolk. So that we did not arrive before 4.00pm as per the rules at our holiday cottage in Friston, we drove down to Aldeburgh where we strolled along the top of the shingle beach. Then we completed our journey as we arrived at our home for the next seven days.

In the cottage we found various leaflets telling us what Suffolk had to offer and this resulted in the following day with a visit to Orford, a short distance away. This tiny river port cum boating haven delighted us and we made plans to return before the end of our stay. The following day the weather was very doubtful as we arrived at Sutton Hoo just outside Woodbridge. The weather prevented our taking a guided tour round the many burial mounds there so we restricted our efforts within the confines of the exhibition centre run by the National Trust. It was fascinating to see photos of the famous ship burial discovered on the outbreak of war in 1939.

On the following day we drove to Great Yarmouth and Gorleston in Norfolk so that I could take pictures of the houses that were once occupied by members of my family and whom I had never met. Apart from one elusive family member no others appear to be in existence. The visit gave us the chance to visit the two houses preserved down by the docks. In previous days there was a huge community in Great Yarmouth known as "The Rows" with tiny terraced houses built close to each other. Some very interesting architectural features had been preserved and we could see something of life when this vibrant community was extant.

Suffolk was the focus of our stay and so the rest of our times we spent discovering many extremely attractive old towns and villages. I have never seen so many Tudor framed houses before. One very interesting village used to be virtually a city until a violent storm in the 14th century dragged many tons of gravel to close up its harbour and eroded the cliffs so that a huge part of the city/town fell into the sea. The village is Dunwich where a local museum exists to tell the story of how Old Dunwich fell into the sea over the centuries. We bought a fascinating and very informative DVD that told how it had all happened.

We walked along the beach at Dunwich and took some lovely photos of the fishing boats pulled up the shingle bank above the sandy beach. Southwold was included on our itinerary as well as many other river and coast towns and villages.

But the most beautiful place was Flatford Mill on the River Stour. This, of course, was where John Constable painted a number of lovely landscapes. Interestingly, Flatford Mill was owned at that time by Constable's father. In the famous picture, the Haywain, stands a cottage known as Willy Bott's Cottage. It is still there and you can see it in the photo at the head of this blog. There is still a lock on the river which is really a navigation at this point but the lock is a new one and located in another place. the dry dock where Constable painted the boat building work is still there and can still be flooded and emptied as previously. The mill is still there, of course, and is quite a large building.

The River Stour Trust operate an electric launch along this stretch of the river and we could not resist a sail in it. we were very interested in the local wild life we could see. Lots of damsel flies flashed their blue bodies like tiny kingfishers as they flitted across the boat. We heard from the helmsman how the river bank was worn down with cattle arriving to drink the water. He told us that at the height of the tourist season hey sometimes failed to take the launch the full distance because so many people were our in the hired rowing boats.

As with our trip to Great Yarmouth we made another visit to Norfolk as we went to see Swaffham where the TV mystery film, Kingdom, is made. After this I got my treat by being able to travel to Thetford and visit Grimes Graves which is the name of a prehistoric flint mine under the care of English heritage. A number of years ago I did a year's course in Archaeology in which we studied prehistory. It included information about these flint mines. I was therefore fascinated to climb down the 32 rung ladder into the bottom of the shaft to see what the real thing looked like.

All in all we had a most amazing time exploring East Anglia and when we got back we had many photos to be loaded onto my PC. Nopw we can look back on a wonderful holiday and look forward to our next holiday in August when we go to Greece for three weeks.

The Great Orme Tramway

On 4th April we had some shopping to do at a store in Llandudno. Once the purchases had been made we decided to see if we could ride up the Great Orme Tramway. This pleased me because it was my wife's suggestion. I had always wondered what the tram way experience would be like. Once we had parked the car we walked over to Victoria Station, the town terminus of the tramway where a tramcar was almost full of travellers. The fare was a little over £10 for the two of us (no concessions). We went over to the tramcar and found the last available double seat.

The tramcars are blue and open ended with a glazed door between the attendant and the passengers. This is fascinating because the side windows are unglazed! Just before the tram moved forward there was the sound of a telephone. It was fitted to the tram. The attendant answered the phone and spoke to the caller. He replaced the receiver and then the tram began to move.

Slowly we ascended the steep street, closed to other vehicles except those requiring access. We next passed people sitting outside a pub and then crossed over the next street to begin the main climb. As I was sure the tram was electrically powered I was confused at the lack of a motor sound.

Eventually we arrived at the Half Way Station where it was necessary to alight and walk through the station to catch one of the trams that worked the upper section. Once we were all aboard the attendant turned to the front seat passengers and said, "I'll shut the door - it will keep out the draught." Much laughter was the reply to his joke, a reference to the unglazed side windows. Steadily we climbed and, just had happened on the lower section we slowed to move past the descending tramcar.

By this time I had worked out the means of propulsion. At the Halfway Station there was a control centre from where the trams were hauled by steel cables running in a groove below the tramway surface. the telephone call earlier had been to enquire of the attendant how many passengers were travelling. The controllers at Halfway Station would then make the relevant decision as to how much power was needed to haul the vehicle. The interesting side to this is that whilst each controller makes a phone call for the same reason the one dealing with the upper section hauls the car with less power than the one dealing with the lower section. This is because the lower section is the steepest and therefore requires more power to haul the cars.

At the top we were able to take a look at the visitor centre which gave details of the wildlife to be seen on the peninsular and something of the tramway's history. Alternatively we could also have visited the cafe at the summit some yards away. After a visit to the exhibition we took the descending car and made our slow way to the bottom of the hill.

Having returned to the car we found the entrance to the toll road which circumvents the Great Orme and did the tour. As it was out of season no one asked us for a toll. We then drove slowly anticlockwise round the hill. Almost 2 years previously we had sailed on the Balmoral, a preserved pleasure craft, past this spot and noticed a preserved motor coach using this road. As we returned to standard roads we agreed it had all been worthwhile.

Since coming to live in Anglesey we have grown to love our visits to Llandudno. It is a place that really lacks only one thing - sufficient parking spaces. There is a pier, a wide promenade, large hotels, a theatre (Venue Cymru), lots of quality shops and bags of fresh air. A short distance away at Llandudno Junction are many out of town shopping locations covering just about everything people will need. All in all it is a jewel in the North Wales crown.

Aberystwyth

Yesterday we travelled to Aberystwyth. I had previously visited the town but Pauline had not. Therefore we drove there so she could see what she thought of the place.

As far as accessibility is concerned it does not score very well. There is a rail link but it is downgraded to single line working. The train we saw travelling there was a 2 coach 158 which is not ideal for long distance work. I think all trains involve a change. The time is something like 4.5 hours of a journey from Bangor, Gwynedd. The road there has no dual carriageway at all as is the case for the entire A470 which passes north to south along the central spine of the principality. So you can say that many places are inaccessible to a degree. To travel to Cardiff it is probably best to fly from Anglesey Airport (RAF Valley).

On arrival there are considerable parking difficulties unless you have a disabled blue badge. Most of the streets are quite narrow and camels can be seen passing through needles! The promenade is narrow and the beach is uninspiring. It is partly sand and partly shingle. What hotels exist on the sea front looking unwelcoming and poorly maintained. The pier is a short and pretty ugly affair.

One would be wrong to think of the town as a seaside resort as it lacks those sort of facility. There is a lovely funicular railway at the opposite end of the sea front to the pier and this seems very well maintained. The shops are mostly the traditional shops as opposed to the modern shopping estates which is probably a good thing.

The only food outlet I have tried is "Le Figaro" next door to the Cambrian Hotel. I have to admit that when I last ate there it was on the house as I was advising the owner, Mike Fisher, on a business matter. But we ate there yesterday at our own expense and we were delighted with the standard of the food offered. The midday food was good and wholesome and the evening offering looked very good indeed. As for the wine list it took in the whole world and offered a wide variety of different quality of wine. This impressed us greatly for we love wine.

Travelling through Snowdonia is not the greatest experience with such narrow roads. We followed the Welsh Highland railway for quite a distance and there was a works train standing in the station at Rhy Ddu. Once we gained the A487 which strikes south near Dolgellau it was different mountain scenery. The road winds for most of the way and passes through a narrow pass which feels claustrophobic. But some of the vistas were quite delightful. Machynllyth proved to be quite an attractive old market town with a clock tower as a prominent feature there.

At one point we passed a sign directing tourists to the Corris Railway just outside Corris Uchaf. I know nothing of the railway but think it might be worth a visit for the railway enthusiast. There is an attraction called King Arthur's Labyrinth just off the main road but it looks like a contrived affait which would not sit well with some.

On the journey home we chose to travel via Porthmadoc and this proved a good choice. It is probably a slight detour but we thought it well worthwhile as the weight of traffic was less. After passing over the con between Boston Lodge Locomotive Works and Harbour Station on the Ffestiniog Railway we crossed the short street rail section of the Welsh Highland Railway which is due to run into Harbour Station this autumn.

We made good time and felt so much better once we had crossed the Britannia Bridge to our lovely Anglesey. It was good to be home but, despite not giving many marks to Aberystwyth, we had enjoyed the day out.