We were down for breakfast on time (of course) and thoroughly enjoyed it. Freshly cooked with really nice toast and the best bacon we have had in ages, but the bonus was a hot, metal plunger coffee pot, with decent coffee. Such a simple luxury.
There was no rush but we ambled out to see brother Malc and headed off to what was advertised as a Route 66 show, which to me, meant Americana, out near Bournemouth airport.
The £10 entry fee was a bit steep, but there were more exhibits and people inside than visitors!
There was a certainly a good variety with a native American Indian reservation set up – right next to a group of cowboys, lawnmower racing, mobile displays, dodgems (at £3 a go) and even a wrestling ring for later. I did make a purchase from a model seller – a limited edition boxed set of 3 Austin A35s, which I managed to get for £20.
It didn’t take too long to wander around, but miraculously, after yesterday’s problems with my knee, all pain had gone. My suspicion is that I had slept awkwardly Friday night and hadn’t loosened the bed covers enough. The knee support may have helped.
Afterwards, to the ‘Blossom’ garden centre where the roast dinner looked really good and was very popular, but Paula and I opted for a ploughman’s lunch between us. The chunk of cheese was more than generous (as was the mountain of lettuce). We drank a toast to our much loved late Dad, who would have been 104 today.
We dropped Malc off at home so that he could relax out in the warm sun for the afternoon and we headed back to the Dean Park Inn, picking up a magnum (ice cream) on the way.
Back out to Malc again and this time to a Harvester (chain) pub/eatery at Tuckton, near Christchurch, down on the river. Another good meal and my ‘chicken trio’ of a Cajun spiced ½ chicken beast, ¼ chicken and a grilled ½ chicken breast with jacket potato and coleslaw plus their salad bar, was filling. A glass of Stowford cider went down well too. We noted the ‘Tommy’ award on the door and considered that appropriate considering the birthday we were toasting.
On the way back to the Dean Court, which is just a few yards past a very busy junction, we found the junction sealed off by the police after a road accident. One ambulance, plus 8 police vehicles and a police photographer in attendance and we had to detour quite a way to get back to the Wimborne Road to get to the Inn. Just as we got out, there was a lot of yelling and shouting as one dumb motorist drove through the police tapes and right over the debris! I don’t think the police were very impressed.
Staying at these older places is fine, just as long as in the UK particularly, you accept that the ensuite bathrooms are a late conversion, most do not have a fridge, nor air-conditioning and apparently, all wooden floors squeak. The shower at the Dean Park for example, whilst clean, is tiny, with half opening doors at 90 degrees, and with no rack for the shower supplies. Bending down to pick up the shampoo was nigh on impossible for either of us - and we had to enter and exit sideways. Incidentally, why is it that most purveyors of those small bottles of shampoo/conditioner/gel, use such tiny print on their labels?
It was a warm evening after the day-time temperatures of around 25c and we expect a warm night, before heading off towards Heathrow tomorrow and a catch up in Cheam, with Paula’s previous dance teacher Richard, and his wife, Olya. Paula is really looking forward to that, as Richard was as much a mentor to her as a teacher.
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