Re: Mick's Motoring South Coast Saunter

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mickthemaverick
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Re: Mick's Motoring South Coast Saunter

Post by mickthemaverick »

I've completed the route plotting today incorporating all the suggestions received so far. Here is the projected mileage chart:
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Re: Mick's Motoring South Coast Saunter

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Looks like your route takes you throught Devizes Mick

I know POTD did have a "Devizes" day back in 2016 and our CitroJim contributed this
CitroJim wrote: 28 Oct 2016, 08:41 I really like Devizes - somewhere I could live very happily...

One thing worth visiting is the Caen Hill Lock Flight

And for the beer lovers amongst us, it's the home of Wadworth's Brewery. They still use horse-drawn drays around the town and have a training pub!!!

Their brewery buildings are absolutely gorgeous... Their visitor centre looks worth a visit.

Even the Wiltshire Police HQ buildings in the town are attractive...

In fact the whole town is most attractive - even down to the duck pond...
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Re: Mick's Motoring South Coast Saunter

Post by mickthemaverick »

NewcastleFalcon wrote: 03 Oct 2020, 21:14 Looks like your route takes you through Devizes Mick
Indeed it does, specifically because of Wadworth's and Ken's brother living there!!
I know POTD did have a "Devizes" day back in 2016 and our CitroJim contributed this
CitroJim wrote: 28 Oct 2016, 08:41 I really like Devizes - somewhere I could live very happily...
Me too
One thing worth visiting is the Caen Hill Lock Flight
On the itinerary
And for the beer lovers amongst us, it's the home of Wadworth's Brewery. They still use horse-drawn drays around the town and have a training pub!!!

Their brewery buildings are absolutely gorgeous... Their visitor centre looks worth a visit.

Even the Wiltshire Police HQ buildings in the town are attractive...

In fact the whole town is most attractive - even down to the duck pond...
Regards Neil
I have a very sad but funny anecdote about my time at Bath University for an OU Summer School and Wadworth's 6X, but I'll save it for the write up (come to think of it, Ken was with me then too!!) ! :-D
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Re: Re: Mick's Motoring South Coast Saunter

Post by CitroJim »

Mick, when are you planning to be in Devizes?

I ask as I'm going down that way soon and will be passing through the town... You never know, we may be able to make our visits coincide :)

My schedule is quite flexible...
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Re: Mick's Motoring South Coast Saunter

Post by mickthemaverick »

As it stands Jim, we will be starting on 8th November so I have just realised that Devizes on Day 6 will be Friday 13th!! The dates are still not cast in stone but that is where we are at the moment. A lunchtime get together would be great!! :-D
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Re: Mick's Motoring South Coast Saunter

Post by CitroJim »

mickthemaverick wrote: 04 Oct 2020, 07:19 As it stands Jim, we will be starting on 8th November so I have just realised that Devizes on Day 6 will be Friday 13th!! The dates are still not cast in stone but that is where we are at the moment. A lunchtime get together would be great!! :-D
Excellent Mick, I reckon we can make that a date :D
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Re: Mick's Motoring South Coast Saunter

Post by mickthemaverick »

I'll add that to the schedule later, have you got any lunch venue suggestions? :)
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Re: Mick's Motoring South Coast Saunter

Post by CitroJim »

mickthemaverick wrote: 04 Oct 2020, 07:43 I'll add that to the schedule later, have you got any lunch venue suggestions? :)
I'll get thinking... It's been a while since I've eaten down that way but I'll be down before November so that'll give me a chance to check out some potential venues...
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Re: Mick's Motoring South Coast Saunter

Post by mickthemaverick »

Latest itinerary:
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Re: Mick's Motoring South Coast Saunter

Post by mickthemaverick »

I have now finalised the dates so the trip commences on Sunday 8th November Covid permitting. I have now booked the o/n stays and the itinerary now looks like this: :)
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Re: Mick's Motoring South Coast Saunter

Post by mickthemaverick »

James' suggestion for Horsham cheese supplier, linked here for my convenience:

viewtopic.php?p=659477#p659477
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Re: Mick's Motoring South Coast Saunter

Post by mickthemaverick »

Again linked here for convenience a possible lunch venue in Devizes from Jim

viewtopic.php?p=659669#p659669
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Re: Mick's Motoring South Coast Saunter

Post by mickthemaverick »

Things are looking a bit dicey on the Covid front. I'm off to Alicante to collect my mate Ken who is doing the Saunter with me so I am hoping nothing interupts our plan. I fly out on Saturday and we drive his car back, to bring his dog, via the Bilbao - Portsmouth ferry then isolate for two weeks until the Wednesday before the saunter. Then he will join me to monitor the ACA sale on 7th November before we leave on the Sunday. So many possible things to go wrong but hopefully they won't!! :-D
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Re: Re: Mick's Motoring South Coast Saunter

Post by CitroJim »

Fingers crossed Mick...

I'm off for a few days in Somerset next week, a little earlier than planned, in case we get locked down and confined to barracks...
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Re: Mick's Motoring South Coast Saunter

Post by mickthemaverick »

The prelude to the saunter began yesterday with my rather strange journey to Spain. It was so unusual I thought I'd post the tale up here to give you an idea of international travel under Covid.

Having had a delicious lunch in The Three Horseshoes in Smallford SWMBO dropped me off at St Albans City station to catch my train to Gatwick. The train arrived bang on time and I boarded it and was greeted with the first abnormality:
Billy no mates!
Billy no mates!
Billy no mates either!
Billy no mates either!
One advantage of this was I was able to act like a tourist and get some "out the window" shots of London's buildings on the way through the capital:
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The skyline has changed so much since my last ride through there and it was good to see the "modern" buildings in the flesh!!

I arrived at Gatwick on time still and jumped on the shuttle to the North Terminal. The South Terminall is closed and all operating flights are using the North Terminal. When I arrived in departures another reminder of the times we live in:
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When it came to boarding I, having bought the cheapest ticket available with a £4 seat at the back, arrived at the gate to find my fellow passengers. We boarded and having settled in my seat, the hostess asked me if I would be prepared to give up my £4.00 leg wrecker and take up residence in one of the emergency exit seats to man the door in the event of an emergency. I always used to book one of those seats for the super legroom but stopped when Easyjet raised their price to £18!! So I volunteered for the arduous task on offer and moved up to the center rows. However when the doors were closed I couldn't believe the state of the aircraft, an Airbus 321:
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Taxiing out to the runway and taking off it was clear just how much equipment is redundant:
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This flight cost me £26 including the £4 seat reservation. I ended up in an £18 seat with the fastest service I've ever experienced.
However I was a little concerned when my bacon roll arrived and I wonder if anyone on here knows what an Artis is?
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The flight was uneventful so the camera stayed off until I saw the array of Sodium lights as we approached Murcia!
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Finally we arrived and I got the last picture of the crowds alighting:
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So now it's a day's leisure before we set off for Bilbao and the ferry to Portsmouth on Monday so I am sure you will all be pleased to know that I probably won't be wittering on anymore for a couple of days at least!! :-D
Last edited by mickthemaverick on 18 Oct 2020, 14:45, edited 1 time in total.
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