We took the opportunity of a short break before the busy Easter break to take the caravan to Suffolk and for me to indulge in a little fishing expedition. And jolly nice it was.
We stayed at Heathside in Wenhaston, not far from Southwold. When I say that we had the place to ourselves, that was literally true.
So this weekend we went to the Game Fair at Ragley Hall. And it was excellent. Nearly but not quite 100%.
The scale of the show is vast. Here we are just inside one of the entrances looking out over just a fraction of the show. The fishing lake is to the left, and the main bulk of the show ahead and to the right.
Our Northumbrian trip wasn’t only dedicated to Roman antiquities. We took time to drive over to Howick Hall, seat of Earl Grey of tea fame, where the gardens are open to the public.
The gardens and arboretum are designed such that different parts flourish at different time of year, so there’s always something different to see.
The wildflower and tulip gardens were still beautiful …
It’s always a joy and a pleasure to attend a River Cottage course, and this one had come up as a special offer. It would have been rude not to. It’s been a while since I did any shore fishing, so that clinched it.
For the first time, Jean didn’t join me on the course, but instead opted to explore the local area. That was OK, but as you’ll see, caused me pangs of guilt later in the day.
Last weekend, we went to the British Shooting and Countryman Show at Newark. It was, I have to admit, a special treat for me, and perhaps less than a special treat for Jean, who gallantly accompanied me. The show covers shotguns, rifles, and airguns, gamekeeping and gundogs, game fishing and bushcraft. It was a pretty foul day so I didn’t get many pictures, but fortunately much of the show is under cover.
This person, in what must have been the most uncomfortable job of the show, was raising funds for the England Women’s Flyfishing Team:
A couple of weeks ago, we took a few days off to explore beautiful Dorset. We stayed near Cerne Abbas, home of the giant.
We finished the holiday by car, going to see our friends Kathleen & Tom in La Crosse. It was strange to be on four wheels instead of two. Pros: Keeping dry and cool. Cons: No longer enjoying the countryside as much.
Here we’re passing one of the many windfarms in the USA. I’m astonished that most Europeans seem to think that Americans don’t go in for renewable energy. This one in Wisconsin has only 20 towers – quite small compared with those we’ve seen in Nebraska, but very substantial by UK standards.
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