Or, as it is much more usually named, the Long Shop Museum at Leiston. Finally found our way there, another of those ‘we’ve lived in the area 25 years and still haven’t been to one of the many local attractions’ moments. Of course, we’ve been to Leiston before and to the remarkably well preserved Abbey ruins, but it’s taken the Arts Pass to shake off the inertia and visit the museum.
General
Once More Unto The Cats…
Barely three weeks after the last catsitting sojourn, we were back there again whilst S&G ventured to the highlands of Scotland. This one lasted over a fortnight and I managed to secure four hotel visits travelling up and down the country.
It Snows In Benidorm
Spent yesterday afternoon popping up to Aldeburgh to catch the late afternoon matinee of “It Snows In Benidorm“, primarily because it starred Timothy Spall, one of our favourite actors. Heard it described as “part noirish story about corruption and a missing person, part romantic comedy about a buttoned-up Brit who discovers a sensual side in a southern clime“. Not too sure as whilst anything with …
Catsitting and Beyond
No sooner was Mrs. No Name back from a four day catsitting whilst son and girlfriend attended Latitude than we were scheduled back up in Sunderland for the longer holiday vigil. So we bookended the visit to make it a little more of a holiday break, blessed by lovely weather throughout.
Took a two nighter at Wentbridge House hotel, fast becoming the customary stopover on the way up. Took two nights so we could sample a couple of National Trust / English Heritage properties:-
Cambridge 2022…
Or, more specifically, the Cambridge Folk Festival 2022, using tickets held over from 2020; we were originally scheduled for the Saturday before the 2020 festival was cancelled by the pandemic, and because we decided to hold the tickets we didn’t get the usual opportunity to survey the daily line-ups to choose a preferred day.
Breaking Free….continued
Been to a couple more pubs on the ‘must be visited soon pile’, and both proved to be well worth the trek into the Suffolk wilds. The first was in Laxfield and the second in Hartest. Both to the west in the Bury St. Edmunds area, they were a good 45 minutes to an hour away, depending on traffic. I won’t mention the maniac muppet who illegally nearly took us out on the A14 Bury roundabout on our return. Thumbs up to Mrs. No Name and her excellent reactions and car control, unlike the prat in question – red traffic lights, right of way and completely wrong lane all amply in evidence. Said I wouldn’t mention it though!!
Local but lovely…
Going out for lunch yesterday and decided that we’d make a return to Seckford Hall. I say this as though we had last visited a couple of weeks ago, not years ago. I conjecture that applies to most experiences after the last couple of ‘pandemic years’. Anyway, we deviated from the predetermined Hasketon Barn Cafe (which is lovely, by the way) and drove into the hall.
Bury overnighter…
Just back from a Sunday overnighter, originally booked in 2020 (and again in 2021), both times postponed because of the pandemic. Went to Ickworth House on the Sunday afternoon and took the “green walk” around the estate. Just a leisurely ramble, but it still took just under two hours and was very pleasant – think we were both secretly pleased we achieved it without any serious injuries!
Lakes at Leisure..
Well, I say leisure, this was all a little bit touch and go after Centre Parcs. Mrs. No Name was quite poorly for a while and after she moved on to a second course of antibiotics we decided to cancel the first Lakes hotel and hope for the best thereafter.
Another First
In February 2020 we met our friends whom we had first met on “Jewel Of The Seas” (2007), and we agreed to get together again in around six months time. We finally made it over two years later! We chose the opportunity to try a 4 night Centre Parcs break for the first time – sort of killing two birds with one stone, with the added bonus that this particular resort was around an hour away un Elvedon Forest near Thetford.
Easter Visit
S&G came down on the Easter Friday for a three day break and made very good time, despite all the dire warnings about the incredibly heavy traffic. Guess that must have been going on everywhere else but the A19/A1/A14 route down to Kesgrave 🙂
Breaking Free (….continued)
Just a short post to add to our local culinary experiences. On Thursday we tried the Crown at Ufford, a pub we have passed on many occasions but never actually got through the door. Glad to report, it has a lovely interior, very welcoming hosts and a choice of seating – bar, outside (it was a lovely day) or restaurant. We went for the latter, …