Holidays Archives

Walks on the Beach and Robbie Burns

2014-08-24 Thom Bedford 2014-08-23 - Ayr

Arrival Date: 2014-08-23
Departure Date: 2014-08-26
Accommodation: Mercure, Ayr

The beginning of our August bank holiday weekend got off to a sad start as our guinea pig Mushroom very suddenly fell ill and passed away just a couple of hours before we were due to leave. The plan was originally for me to pick Helen up from work (as she was working the Saturday), then get something to eat in Manchester and get on the road early. Instead, we went home to say goodbye to Mushroom first, then ultimately decided we should still go away and have a good time to remember her. So we dedicated this holiday to Mushroom.

The Leaning Tower of Caerphilly Castle

2013-04-11 Thom Bedford 2013-04-09 - Cardiff

Continued from Part 1…

We woke up and did our usual on Thursday morning, got ready for the day, got a nice big full-English breakfast inside of us, then checked out of the hotel and went off on our adventures. We set off to Caerphilly to visit the castle there (castles are our favourites after all). It didn’t take us long to get there, and after navigating around the town, we parked at the back of the castle and made our way round to the front.

Cardiff and Cardiff Castle

2013-04-10 Thom Bedford 2013-04-09 - Cardiff

Arrival Date: 2013-04-09
Departure Date: 2013-04-11
Accommodation: Novotel, Cardiff Centre

For our short two-night stay in Cardiff for Helen’s birthday, we left on the Tuesday afternoon after lunch, and around 3 hours later we found ourselves in the hotel. The hotel itself was very nice, clean, and professional, it seemed mostly business-oriented, but the minibar was stocked, and the restaurant was inviting, so we were happy.

Ludlow Castle and Medieval Christmas Fayre

2012-11-25 Thom Bedford 2012-11-23 - Telford

Continued from Part 1…

We woke up utterly freezing, and went to have a cooked breakfast, then get ready for the day. The shower was an improvement to the day before, but only in that water came out at an acceptable temperature… The water itself was little more than a dribble from the showerhead unfortunately, so another disappointing morning in the hotel. We went to check-out, expecting a discussion with the hotel manager, only to be told that no messages had been left for him, and he was going on holiday for the week that day so didn’t want to come in to work in the morning.

Ironbridge and Blists Hill Victorian Town

2012-11-24 Thom Bedford 2012-11-23 - Telford

Arrival Date: 2012-11-23
Departure Date: 2012-11-25
Accommodation: Mercure Telford, Madeley Court

Another late arrival on a Friday night due to work commitments found us in Telford at around 10pm. The hotel itself looked beautiful, but unfortunately that’s the only good thing about this hotel. We checked in to our room, which was perfectly adequate, then went to get a drink from the bar before bed.