Ramblings from the UK.

[johnboy]

I did a 'Ramblings across America' last year; and many among seemed to like it. But this year our rambling is being done in the UK; from the Orkney Islands down to London.

Hardly suitable material for a web-site dedicated to hot-rods!

But...if enough of you (and Mrmustang too of course!) want it I'll post it.
Hey: it's going to be written anyway!

So here goes the first installment:

Monday 9th May.
Fired up the Calais and in to Rawcliffes' New Plymouth around 8:30. Cuppa coffee and a yarn, and then we took them out out N P airport, where we caught an Air NZ plane for Auckland, and they drove our Calais back to their place to look after it for us for the next five weeks while we gallivant over Scotland and the U K.
Arrived Auckland with a couple of hours to spare, had a munchie, and jumped on a Cathay Pacific plane for Hong Kong. Their Premium economy seats are ratchet, one step up from cattle class; whereas Air NZ's premium economy are one step down...a world of difference.
At HK it was all go to catch a bus to catch the plane (Cathay Pacific again,) to fly us to Heathrow. There was panic to get to it; bur then we spent two hours sitting on the tarmac at HK..."No air space available," our pilot told us.
That two hour delay exacerbated things at Heathrow; it was again a mad scramble to get to the plane that was to fly us to Glasgow. But we made it...just
So arrived in Glasgow on Tuesday the 10th May after nearly forty hours getting here.
We were met by Rosie's cousin Jane and her husband James; (bloody fine people,) who took us to a flash pub for a slap up meal.All good...except we're both absolutely shattered: and to top it off my bloody computer started playing silly games.
Gave up in the finish: this pooter is no longer on Yahoo...it's on Firefox. I just couldn't get Yahoo to work.
So here I am, started on the pooter at around 3 o'clock; put first words to paper at around 5:30.
And after about forty hours with minimal sleep I AM NOT A HAPPY CAMPER.
A beer, a feed, and bed!

jb and She.

[40FordDeluxe]

JB, safe travels and have a great time! I've never been out of the USA so I'm all ears to hear about your trip and see the places you go. That's awesome that you and the one you obey get to go on a big trip each year. Pretty cool in my book!

[NTFDAY]

Fantastic johnboy I've always wanted to visit the British Isles, especially Scotland and Wales. Keep us updated and post some pictures if you have the time.
BTW, I don't think you'll be unhappy with Firefox. It's been my primary browser practically since it came out and very few problems as compared to others.
Be careful and have fun.

[Whiplash23T]

Yes, I too will be keen as mustard to hear about your travels over in Pommie land. I hope the weather improves for you and that you do get to spend a few days of sunshine while travelling about.

[34_40]

Heck Yeah! I loved the ramblings.. I didn't/don't understand what you're saying half the time but, that just adds to the fun of discovering the big world out there, but through your eyes.

Keep up the good work.

[rspears]

Hope you two have a wonderful trip wandering about the Orkney's. Knowing you as well as I do, the biggest smile I got from this thread to date was from Ken....

....and post some pictures if you have the time.

[NTFDAY]

Hope you two have a wonderful trip wandering about the Orkney's. Knowing you as well as I do, the biggest smile I got from this thread to date was from Ken....

Gotta poke the bear every once in awhile.

[rspears]

Gotta poke the bear every once in awhile.

jb asked me in a PM a week or so back if I thought he should make a "Ramblings" thread for this trip. I replied to him,

I'd say Ramblings from the UK will be well received, especially if you took a crash course in how to take & post pictures!! Go for it!

You see why your comment brought a smile....

[Rrumbler]

Wow! Off galavanting about the world again! Good on ya'.

Yeeeeeesssss. I would love to follow another trip. Your last one was most enjoyable.

You are going to wander about in my ancestral lands - heck, they are for a whole bunch of us, most likely. Most of my traceable (so far) kin have their roots in The British Isles, mostly Scotland, Wales, and Cornwall.

Enjoy, and take good care; I wait with bated breath for the next missive.

.

[Matthyj]

This is just about the only offering of foriegn culture (at least English) myself and many others on here probably will ever get, heck yes we enjoy it!

[johnboy]

Well thank-you all very much for the kind words!
I must say that the reaction has surprised me...I never expected it; that's for sure.

So I'll keep on sending my scribblings in.
So be it on your own heads!

[johnboy]

Got a second wind last night, and had a bit of a wander around the immediate environs of where we're staying. Wandered up Sauchiehall St, (a 'must do' in Glasgow,) and was impressed by the changes since our last visit three years or so ago. The city was decidedly decrepit and generally tattybogle then; whereas now, although it's still a bit rundown, there are decided improvements, and many buildings are enshrouded in scaffolding showing more improvements 'in progress'.
Glasgow was a very prosperous city in the 1800's and they built some extremely beautifully architected structures that only now are being restored.
Stopped in at a bar 'The Howlin' Wolf', aka 'Da Rum Ba', tried a gold rum on offer called Don De Jeremy...very nice; so had another.
Met the manager, 'Dick', a real bloody character; who has bones in NZ but he can't remember where. (?)
Back to the hotel, tried a couple of dark beers: 'Hobgoblin' (a bit on the sweet side,) and 'Dark Island'.
Both very palatable, and low alcohol.
So to bed and a full eight hours of sleep.

Wednesday 11th May.

Asleep by 9:00 last night, woke this morning around 5:30; totally refreshed after a good night's sleep.
Started prowling the pavements around 8:00; She wasn't going to let an opportunity like this escape her.
We did every mall, every gallery, (in Buchanan Galleries there was a structure that intrigued me; a clear plastic/pvc quonsett-type building 25ft x 12ft x 8-10ft high...housing Modelsown Cosmetics...would make a good growing-house,) and every clothes shop She could find.
I spent a lot of time sitting outside in the sun with a ciggie in my hand.
The Poms' traffic light system give an orange before the green for two seconds. the Kiwi, Aussie, and Yank systems don't. Our systems go straight from red to green. But their system also gives only a four second orange before the red; with others it's usually around six seconds.
Nett result is that there's virtually NO red light running that I saw after around three hours of observation.
(Although She didn't do all the shopping: I bought me a decent sized beer handle and a pair of braces (suspenders) from Watt Bros.)
Back to the hotel around 2:00...that shopping thing is hard work to me.

[rspears]

Hey, jb, when you're near Kirkwall stop by Findlay's Photo Shop at 11 Albert St. They sell a smash little pocket digital, and they give lessons!!

findlays.jpg

[johnboy]

What!

Are you having the temerity to suggest that I should part with my hard-earned coin?
(Splutter!)

Wash your mouth with superglue!

[Rrumbler]

Well thank-you all very much for the kind words!
I must say that the reaction has surprised me...I never expected it; that's for sure.

So I'll keep on sending my scribblings in.
So be it on your own heads!

I have been told, and even alluded to the fact a few times myself, that I have a big head, so, scribble away, I can handle it.