Day 06 - More rain. Decent food and yet another minor change to the plans.

After the usual erratic sleep, and another damp start to the day, we headed out to Ikea – for breakfast!  Sounds odd, but it is a hugely popular destination, even though a fair way out of town.  At a guess, 90% of the hundreds of people there at 10am, are not buying furniture or homeware.  The queues for food are adequate proof.  We had a small breakfast, a regular breakfast, two slices of toast, a wedge of delicious chocolate/nut/caramel tart, two (bottomless) hot drinks, for just over £6.  That is about $12NZ.  About a third or a quarter of what it would cost in NZ.

As always, we did browse the store and Paula went mad and bought no less than 3 wooden spoons – at a total cost of 9p.  She is going to have to curb her spending soon.

Back ‘home’ and to Morison’s supermarket for a few bits and pieces – then another much needed nana nap. 

Off later to see the family and a look through their house for the first time.  It was also Manu’s 40^th birthday.  Noah was quite taken with the sticker book I bought him and it wasn’t too long before he’d produced a water/beach scene, complete with a queue for the ice cream van!  He’d donned his Indian wedding outfit for the occasion.

We headed then to the local fish and chip shop and opted to eat in.  No prizes for guessing what I had, but Paula had a chicken wrap.  When we were growing up, this was our local fish and chip shop and all you could get was chips (of course), haddock, and plaice to order, plus mushy peas. There was no local competition either. They also had a large jar of pickled onions on the counter.  People used to be queuing right out the door on a Friday.  How times have changed.  A massive range of food options both within the shop and at several local eateries and takeaways, that have sprung up over the years but Beardsley’s fish, chips and peas from all those years ago, are still the standard against which all others are measured. 

On to Dave & Sue’s where Dave demonstrated his recently acquired electric drum kit.  Most impressive.  We headed back to the chilly AirBnb, through the rain and whilst the fan heater took off the chill, we got an email to say that our hotel accommodation at Blackpool had been changed.  A move two streets closer to the Winter Gardens.  We are now to be housed in the “Boomerang Hotel” – on Adelaide Street…  What next I wonder?