Category Archives: travel

Cruising to Southend

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Marshes at Leigh-on-sea

Marshes at Leigh-on-sea

Why Southend you may ask? Well, it’s the nearest place I could think of along the coast that I hadn’t been to and seemed like an easy place to cruise to in the Audi. Fair game then…

I had also wanted to check out Essex Mustang Centre (which I soon found was shut on a Sunday).

So the Audi drove down nice and smooth, a very comfy drive taking around an hour and a half. This, compared to three to Norfolk, makes this a do-able alternative.

I had some fun mucking around with a Corsa B slammed to the ground and kickdown (obviously the Corsa had no chance unless it was a redtop, unlikely).

Chevy Nova

Nice Chevy Nova spotted

I spent the day walking – probably did around 5 or 6 miles – and finished off with cod and chips and completing my Eric Clapton autobiography. A Bank Holiday weekend put to good use!

 

Being an auto the drive back was effortless and could be enjoyed even with a fair amount of heavy traffic 🙂

Folk on the Pier 2013

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Cromer Pier

Cromer Pier – credits www.simplonpc.co.uk

Building on my previous post (England: An ideal Holiday Destination), I thought I’d write a little about this year’s FoTP show in Cromer.

We, as a family, have been visiting Cromer on the North Norfolk coast, for some time. Mum’s friends have a chalet there that we stay in and we’ve had a dog for the last seven years and he loves the beach. It’s ideal for him as he can stay in the chalet too!

Moving on… Cromer pretty much relies on the tourist trade to keep going. It’s predominantly a fishing town, and for 6 months of the year, relies on the tourists and visitors to shows on the pier and around the town to keep it going.

Folk on the Pier has been going for 15 years and is dubbed as ‘the best gig on the North Sea‘.

As taken from the web site it is described as follows:

Folk on the Pier is a highly regarded showcase for the finest folk, rock and folk-rock acts from the UK and beyond.

The event takes place in over three days in May every year but is extremely popular so be sure to book tickets well in advance!

Whilst you’re in town be sure to check out Mary Jane’s Fish Bar and The Cliff Top Cafe

As a fan of good music and folk in particular, I love this event!

Nights out in Oxford

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Oxford is a lovely, lovely place. I have come to the conclusion of this after only being there a couple of times and both at night / late evening.

The people are different, and it’s definitely more friendly than some places you can visit.

The first time I visited, in December 2012, we were recommended The Living Room to eat at which is absolutely fabulous and probably some of the best food I’ve ever had to eat… in some of the most stylish surroundings. The waitress was hot, the food was hotter and there was live music (guitar and piano) afterwards in the bar area. The drinks they served were also top notch!

On asking the waitress where to go on to drink we were recommended Raoul’s Bar! This turned out to be rated ‘One of the top 50 bars on earth’ – Sunday Times 2012.

On my second visit for my Birthday last weekend, we were recommended Lola Lo’s (now closed, unfortunately) by some very nice ladies in Raoul’s. (At least I think that’s where we ended up). Ultimately they know how do things properly! I would also highly recommend you try a Bourbon Street! Very tasty!

Both times we stayed at the Victoria Hotel, which is reasonably priced, considering that it’s a 25-30 minute walk from the centre.

I recommend you visit Oxford!