CARS.... AGAIN!

Yes, today was another 5 gathering.

We set up the gazebo and the tables and chairs and prepared to have a good chin wag with friends.

17 cars turned up at the Looe Lions Classic Car show. Ours was definitely the best stand there not that I'm biased of course!

In the main arena - if you can call a circle made of hay bales - we all took it in turns on doing a 'turn' including Leo the Shire Horse.

Leo is 19 hands high and was kitted up in all the the brasses his owner had collected.

Then it was my turn - and i got a 'trophy' on my exit from the ring.

After the arena we had lunch - burger baps with fried onions courtesy of our camping stove and my culinary genius of course, followed by ice cream...

We had a marvellous day. The weather was incredible and the temperatures must have been hitting 26-27 degrees.

Fred kept cool in the shade of the gazebo or in the car under an umbrella!

Anyway - don't know how I manage these things but despite lashing loads of sun cream on myself and wearing a rather superb (LOL) sunhat and sun glasses, I now look like a panda with white eyes and very very red nose cheeks and chin! - I'll never buy fashionable huge sunglasses again!

Furniture Restoration....

And so to the real business of the day - we have spent the day sanding back all of our old pine bedroom furniture and giving it all a new lease of life.

My philosphy is if it ain't broke don't fix it - and these cupboards are absolutely fab they are just a bit dated.

And so, Paul set to work with his trusty sanding machine, and I with my paintbrush and roller followed by a pot of wax.

In my opinion they look fab and only cost the price of a new sponge roller, a tin of paint, and a tub of brushing wax!

Once I've fitted the final 2 drawer knobs we're back in business!

Summer Breeze Rose

How about this one then Sally-Ann?
Have to admit - this is loads more sedate and more fitting with my advancing years, but is it calmer on the eye .... mmmmm....

Disaster ???

Right then - I have many friends that view my blog - unfortunately I get most of my feedback by phone and text I think they are all scared of technology(!), and it seems that it's only you and me Ally that like this page, and I have to admit that it's already starting to bore me so it's back to the drawing board.....

I will find the perfect blog background for me - eventually, after many many trials I'm sure!

Messing Around

I've been having a fiddle - what do you think - too glitzy?

I know, I know, I am nearly forty - but a chick has to have a bit of glitter and glamour in her life right?

Feedback please.....

Wadebridge Car Rally

We returned home yesterday so that we could attend the car rally at Wadebridge with the MX-5 Owners club.

We had fantastic weather and a great turn out of 20 cars for the club.

*****

And just for our friend Andy who owns a well loved Caterham Super 7.....

The Cornish Sevens attended too!

Lynmouth

As is the norm for our trips to Somerset there are some places that we come as a tradition almost, as we enjoy them so much, and this is one of them, although it's not strictly Somerset but the Devon borders...

There is a funicular in the hillside taking you up to Lynton at the top of the cliff, and there are plenty of shops and pubs to keep you entertained in Lynmouth.

You can just see the funicular in the trees in the background above....

The famous river can be seen here that flooded and destroyed the village in the 50's.

An finally the harbour view, showing some of the shops.

#Hey Carrie-Ann....# As the song says...

It's Karen's Birthday today.

We can't be with you Karen, but we are thinking of you. Have a fantastic day.

xxx

Shopping

So, Paul's Mom and Keith arrived last night to spent a few days here with us and today we have shopping plans.

The is a designer retail village about 50 minutes drive from here and we are off the spend a few hours (and a few £'s there).

4 Hours later and completely spent out we return to the van will many many many bags between us all!

God help the little plastic card we used!

Sunshine

What a fab day, and it's expected to get better.

Time for cake and cream I think!

Well it is our holidays of course!

Drying up...

The rain has stopped after a bit of a deluge and the sun is coming out....

Weather!

So today is not so fab weather wise.

It's really warm but the rain is lashing down.

Still can't beat the view from the window though...

B.A.H - (Blue Anchor Hideaway for those slow pokes out there!)

Today we are off on our real hols.

A fortnight at the van.

Lovely...............

An uneventful journey got us here in less than 3 hours - LOL to those of you sat in an airport for that long waiting to board a plane!

I love Somerset. Most people thought we would sell the van when we moved to Cornwall, but the landscape is so massively different to Cornwall up here. The soft rolling green hills and the gentle pace of life at the van watching the steam trains as they pass by - Cornwall is rugged and rocky and just as relaxing but in a different way........... ponder ponder, sigh sigh, I am soooo Lucky.

Home

We got home at 11.15 and placed the tent over the washing line to dry!

I've done 4 loads of washing and we've gutted the house to clean it.

Now we can pack to go on holiday tomorrow!

Washed Out and Rained Off

Sunday dawned - and that's about as good as it got!

The rain and gales had left everything mud washed and drenched and it was still going albeit as drizzle.

We had our breakfast, and then had to decamp and repack everything into the 5, despite it being a soggy mess, as we had to be off the camping area by 10.30 and onto the club exhibit stand.

Paul is concerned that the car needs a clean before we get onto the stand...

Then we heard a little voice call through the tent wall as I was placing the bacon on the cook - we are abandoning the day and returning to Cornwall - HURRAY!

Double Hurrah - the event organisers, Crash Box, have also cancelled the entire days events - at least we weren't wimping out unnecessarily!

This of course now meant that we had no deadline to pack up the wet kit and could do it leisurely.

We learnt from Fridays mistakes - I wore Mikes waterproof trousers and my green wellington boots and Paul stripped off - it easier to towel try skin was his theory!

We got everything down and in the car (- but mainly in the RV for speed) and headed off to Cornwall, and home.

Saturdays Event

A very wet night but a good breakfast can make everything good....

Saturday was a complete wash out rain wise and only 5 cars turned up on our stand to exhibit.

We abandoned the stand at 16.00 and evacuated back to the tent.

As Sally-Ann and Mike went up in their RV (because of the club gazebo and paraphernalia that go with running a car club) they were all warm and cosy, so we planted ourselves in their 'living room' and enjoyed their company until we thought it was safe to brave the wind and rain to get to our tent next door...

Well Paul slept fine - he wore ear plugs!

For Fred and I it was a different matter - at one point we thought the tent had blown into the next field and he curled up in my sleeping bag with me, just as scared as I was until the gales dropped, but by that time of course he was sound asleep with his head on my pillow!

Powderham

Today is the start of our fortnight's holiday.

We are spending 2 nights (tonight and tomorrow) camping at Powderham Castle at the 35th Historical Vehicle Gathering which is organised by crashbox.

We attended last year with the Cornish MX-5 Owners Club and it went so well we decided to do it again this year.

We arrived in the pouring rain and gale force winds on Friday evening and then had to put up the tent.

Needless to say we got soaked through to the skin and were now in a position of only having one more set of clothes that were actually dry - well I ask you - can you fit a wardrobe of clothes into an MX5 along with a 2 bed tent and an excitable dog?

Meanwhile, Fred was with our friends in the RV living the life of luxury...

Fred's the one on the left and Hamish is on the right - Fred loves his Uncle Mike, so H just doesn't get a look in!

Baby Boom

Today started off with brilliant blue skies and the view over the Carn as I opened the bedroom curtains was beautiful.

I had a very uneventful drive to work with the top down on the 5, and a plod along morning (despite the fact I used up a roll of loo paper on my very bunged up nose) and then I had an email from one of my best mates.

She's 6 weeks pregnant and I'm so very excited.

I now have 3 close friends all expecting children between September and the beginning of February.

I shall be Aunty Jo (or AJ I've decided, as that sounds much cooler I think!)

For those of you that are reading this that are the ladies in question - I'll mention no names of course - you know I can't wait to meet the mini you's and am there for you if you need me for anything.

Meanwhile I expect emails of the scan pictures and continuous updates on the morning sickness etc - I live vicariously and all that!

I AM SOOOO EXCITED ......