Van

 Trip in brother's electric van today...to see a friend's 2004 Fiat based Self Contained campervan...he lives near Christchurch.... Christchurch NZ....

It was his trade example for a trade fair in 2004. For the past 4½ years it has been sitting in a farmyard...moved 18 months ago across the yard.

It is sweet inside..but a bit dingy outside.

If only it wasn't so far away! A while ago I got a quote to move it up to us...£500+....not practical as we couldn't do any work on it.  It is 150 miles from the Oily One who could work on it...

We have to tell our friend what his options are...what the cost of renovation would be....his one idea has been to return it to NZ...but that is probably not financially feasible.

Now, I would love to have it....but....

Tor Tour

 We got adventurous today...Pirate did something for the first time in 84 years...and I did for the first time in 50 years..so I should have known better!!

We walked up the footpath towards the South and steeper side of the Tor

which leads across fields...and meets a road where there is no waymarker!

We went left and in a quarter mile found the two disabled parking bays at the foot of the climb. I had looked for these unsuccessfully on websites and maps..

I hadn't ever been up this side....I can't say I felt too happy..not being that keen on ups with steep downs and no handrail and just a narrow concrete path.....

At the top we were almost in the clouds...and it was definitely Hang onto your hat!!!

Down the slightly less steep path that comes out by the Chalice Well Gardens..and if we had parked in the blue badge bays we would have had to walk back up that lane to there!

By the path end

And an old sign on the main road 

An achievement...nearly five miles walking..a good start to getting fit again!!

Exhibitions

 Saturday didn't quite happen as planned..but at least Pirate got moving a little earlier.. unfortunately we were still just over half an hour late arriving at the Arts Centre...SiL's greeting was "good afternoon"..oops!! 

Two interesting exhibitions though, one inspired by Cwm Elan and its drowning and what was lost, by an artist who was artist in residence there in 2022. The other's main piece was about choices...and divisions. An installation that at one time was in her house. A table with a fence down the middle and you had to choose to go in the front or the back of her  house. At one point her granddaughter was one side...and the rest of the family the other...naturally she was upset.   An analogy for Brexit as well as other happenings.

Daughter had to rush off to a life drawing class and then SiL and grandsons dashed off to town....so not a lot of time together.   But at least we saw the exhibition of work by Wally Keeler and the permanent exhibition..good to renew inspiration.

And the collection

Then head off to Newport to see friends racing and officiating, and see the Oily One (son #1) and friend. Another clear run...until the last half mile of traffic jams!!

After the event finished, pick up a deli picnic in a local supermarket and eat in the carpark..and then the last 75 miles rolled away..to brother's house, our base for a week!