Yep, I've made the move, finally packed my belongings and headed down to East Sussex to pastures new, brought the wife as well and the two dogs, it seemed the right thing to do. Ok I'm not here permanently, only for a week but I thought I'd share it with you all so you can see a bit of this part of the UK.
I had a visit today from a very nice man and a GTR owner, can you guess who it could be?
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-1.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-1.jpg.html)
My very good friend, Mr Rusty :clap:
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-4.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-4.jpg.html)
Many thanks for popping in, satnav's eh great little devices :whistling: .
Lovely biking roads around here, shame I had to leave mine behind. Day of rest today and then tomorrow we'll have a drive around and see what there is to visit. We only arrived yesterday and I'm still getting used to where things are in the house, too many rooms! I just hope the house isn't haunted like the place in Lincoln from a few years back. :shocked:
Eventually it was time for Mr Rusty to go back home for a very nice curry and a few drinks. Tomorrow evening he has a concert to go to, we won't go into that on here though, :mfr_lol:
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-3.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-3.jpg.html)
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-2.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-2.jpg.html)
Couldn't you find a big house to stay at Steve :mfr_lol:
That bike is filthy
I can see that the hugger that you all rave on about does a fine job. :shocked: :nono: :no:
I'm surprised they let you past immigration control.
Whereabouts are you (asks someone from just over the border in Kent)?
Kevin
It was a pleasure to pop across to " the east side" and meet up with all the Wolf family ... Even if the sat nav was playing up :whistling:
About 65 miles from door to door with some great 3rd possibly a bit of 4 th gear roads but wet and slippy where they were covered and shaded. The house is lovely and I am sure the southerners will look after Mr Wolf :yes:
Now .... Time to wash that bike !!!! :mfr_lol:
Quote from: Kevin on May 05, 2013, 07:07:02 AM
I'm surprised they let you past immigration control.
Whereabouts are you (asks someone from just over the border in Kent)?
Kevin
Kevin, hi, I'm in Northiam. Whatever you do, don't ask Rusty for directions! :oops:
I have investigated my directional errors !!! Missing the last 2 letters of the postcode didn't help !.... left me bout 4 miles down the road ! :oops:
Honestly ... when I left home it was wet and miserable and my gloved fingers clearly were not pushing the right buttons .. yes yes I know ... should have set it all up before I left .... :mfr_lol: :mfr_lol:
Today ?? Hot and sunny .... so wherever you are I hope you have been out and about !
Mr Wolfs holiday home is verrrry nice :smiley: :smiley:.
Ps ... Geoff .... if I had a bigger hugger it wouldn't make all that mess when the weather is shitty and if there is no mess I wouldn't have anything to clean !!!!!!!!!!!!!! :mfr_lol: :mfr_lol:
Bit of a disappointing day today, we went to Blackpool, I mean Brighton to have a walk on the front, possibly take the dogs on the beach and have a stroll on the famous pier, alas it was not to be, cause we couldn't bloody get parked! :angry: First impressions of the place not printable, but we might give it another chance later in the week. So we had a bit of a drive around and then reluctantly headed back home. Took a few photos of the lovely countryside and came across a club or similar paragliding at the side of the carriageway. (http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-5.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-5.jpg.html)There were well into double figures of people flying the things, looked quite impressive. (Better than Brighton) This probably gives a better impression of the gliders. (http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-6.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-6.jpg.html)(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-7.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-7.jpg.html)Good biking roads....pity I couldn't have brought it with me. :biker3: (http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-8.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-8.jpg.html)
Steve ... those para gliders were just by the A27 at Lewes if I am not mistaken ... any warm weather and they will be there .. more and more every year. Shame you didn't get on with Brighton but on a warm BH weekend ... :wink: :wink:
Keep the "diary" going .. and lets have a piccy of the doggies in a deckchair on Brighton beach !! :mfr_lol:
Steve, its great to see that you are all having a well deserved break, any holiday area is going to be busy on a bank Holiday, lets hope it quietens down a bit for you all as the week progresses.
Hmmm! Paragliding. Excellent sport. Although I'm not very good at it - I have had two 'mishaps' and the latter of which was quite nasty... I was actually quite lucky to escape with my life... Got a great video of it too...
Ros,post that video on here if you wish for all to see.
Hmmm... I'll try and dig it out at lunch time...
Quote from: Ros on May 06, 2013, 10:11:39 AM
Hmmm... I'll try and dig it out at lunch time...
Jolly good. :clap:
OK, not lunch time yet but here it is... Basically what happened is that I got the paraglider up and flying OK, and you can see it lifted me off the deck. I let the brakes off too fast and I lost the small amount of height I had and came back down again. Then I had to keep running but the glider was already going faster than me and overtook me. This caused the leading edge to collapse and no paraglider to support me as I was running off the edge. As I approached the edge (and yes that is 1000ft straight down) my instructor (who you can see) shouted at me to 'STOP STOP STOP', which was obviously urgent (I had no idea of the state of the paraglider at that point) so I put all strength into my right leg for stopping. This separated the quadriceps in my right leg, and obviously caused me to fall over on the astro-turf surface (causing nasty friction burns to add to my pains...). The instructor grabbed an armful of lines to try and stop me going over the edge... Although if I had carried on, there's no way he could stop me - I'm twice the weight of him!
I have to say, that :censored: hurt... and I was quite close to the edge when I stopped :) Nice trip to the hospital and no walking (or riding) for quite a while. I looked like a walking motorcycle accident with all the astro-turf rash etc.
Here's the vid... (http://s512.photobucket.com/user/rosbif_2000/media/Odds%20and%20sods/DSCF4005-Richgetsitallwrong.mp4.html) :surrender:
Ros
Blimey Ros, I'd say you were lucky to get away with relatively small injuries :shocked:
Indeed. At the risk of hijacking the thread...
Here (http://s512.photobucket.com/user/rosbif_2000/media/Odds%20and%20sods/DSCF2386-Richtakeofftoutseul.mp4.html) is the previous takeoff - how it's supposed to be done (ish)
Injuries:
(http://i512.photobucket.com/albums/t328/rosbif_2000/Odds%20and%20sods/DSC06132-Richinjuries.jpg)
and the other incident...
I was coming in on approach under instruction, and the instructor had to tend to someone else who was already on finals. I did a 180 to avoid some HV pylons (I'm not that stupid) and came back around for final approach. As I did, I came over the top of the pub and there was some turbulence about 30m above it, which caused me to drop about 20m during the final turn. This didn't leave enough altitude to get to the landing zone. The only option was to straighten up and lift my feet over the trees and put it down in someone's garden. The only problem was, that in the middle of the garden was one of those plastic children's slides... Well I hit it at the best part of 30 knots landed just after it and the paraglider ended up in a tree...
Picture courtesy of my sister who couldn't stop laughing...
(http://i512.photobucket.com/albums/t328/rosbif_2000/Odds%20and%20sods/aaDSCF4315-RichCarnage.jpg)
No injuries sustained during that one apart from my pride...
None of this stopped me going back up again though :punk:
Ros
Ros, mere flesh wounds, get over it! :mfr_lol: (Enjoyed watching the videos though)
Well today we went looking for a dog friendly beach for the two Spaniels. (The other ones shy, so no photo).
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-17.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-17.jpg.html)
We ended up at Camber beach, £7 to park and there was that much mist we couldn't even see the sea at first. It did eventually clear though.
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-11.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-11.jpg.html)
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-12.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-12.jpg.html)
A quick walk up and down the beach and then we headed further south ever so slightly towards Dungeness to see the lighthouse. What a waste of petrol, it made the shit hole where I live at Bradford look posh!
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-13.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-13.jpg.html)
For those who have ever seen the film, The Hills Have Eyes, does this look familiar or what?
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-15.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-15.jpg.html)
People actually live in these houses, deliberately!
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-16.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-16.jpg.html)
What a dump, We then had a drive into Hastings which I had previously been told was full of Slovakian drug dealing, rapists :whistling: Hmm, interesting place, been there, box ticked, now move on. :shit:
Back to civilisation, we drove into Battle :tank: , no not that kind of battle, the town Battle. Very pleasant, there are such contrasting environments within such a short travelling distance it can catch you by surprise.
Now, doesn't this look nice?
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-18.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-18.jpg.html)
Just outside the area where we are staying.....
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-19.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-19.jpg.html)
This tiny property was attracting a few photographers, Smugglers Cottage was its name.
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-20.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-20.jpg.html)
So there are some lovely areas down here and some not so. It's a shame really that this stunning part of the country has been spoilt by commercialisation and drunks.
We saw a dark coloured GTR on the Old London Road coming out of Hastings at quarter past three in the afternoon, was it anyone on here?
Aaaah - Kitesurfing! Excellent sport. I'm not much good at that either...
Just kidding :mfr_lol: The missus won't let me try it...
Those are excellent pics - looks like you had a really nice trip! Well, apart from the bit near the Dungeon...
Half decent weather too - bet you wish you took the bike now!
Ros
Ros, yes the weather has been excellent so far on our trip. Four more days to go hopefully it'll keep decent for us.
Quote from: Lonewolf on May 06, 2013, 09:12:43 PM<snip>We then had a drive into Hastings which I had previously been told was full of Slovakian drug dealing, rapists :whistling: Hmm, interesting place, been there, box ticked, now move on. :shit: <snip>
We saw a dark coloured GTR on the Old London Road coming out of Hastings at quarter past three in the afternoon, was it anyone on here?
You were in Hastings today? Weren't there thousands of bikes there?
We too were in Hastings today (for our first ride in four months) to see my mother who, fortunately lives in a village on the outskirts so we only had to battle the other bikes on the way in and out and not all the way to the front. Rye car park, which usually has quite a few bikes in it over the weekend, was heaving as well.
Kevin
Kevin, hi. Yes there were certainly what seemed like thousands of bikes heading into and actually in Hastings. Most were behaving themselves but some were seriously testing my patience. We had quite a few bikes approaching from the front on some routes using our side of the road which was a tad unnerving and it seems that I was expected to move for them! :gun_bandana:
Quote from: Lonewolf on May 06, 2013, 09:33:28 PM
Ros, yes the weather has been excellent so far on our trip. Four more days to go hopefully it'll keep decent for us.
Nice one Steve, I hope the great British weather stays kind to you :yes:
Dungeness and most of the surrounding area is a :shit: hole.
I used to deliver packages there. <shudder>
I can still hear the banjos and witches cackles! :no:
I assume you've done Bodiam Castle and had a trundle on the Bodiam-Tenterden steam railway to remind you of how they do stuff oop north wi cole an't shovel! :mfr_lol:
Enjoy the south-east. That funny yellow thing in the sky is called the sun and we haven't seen much of it down here recently so enjoy it!
Boomer we've not done Bodiam Castle yet or the train ride but we'll possibly do that tomorrow. Today we went to Leeds Castle near Maidstone, the bright spaniel on yesterday's posting wasn't as bright today though, he thought he'd travel in the boot and jumped in while we were putting a few bits and bats in there.
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-22.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-22.jpg.html)
It would have been good to actually go in to Leeds Castle but don't forget I'm a tight fisted Yorkshireman and there's no way I'm paying £21 each to visit some old building!
We discovered though, (as Yorkshire men do) that there's always a way of seeing summat for nowt. :whistling:
If you drove away from the Castle, parked in a nearby church car park, walked through four fields, over a trench and then stood on your tip toes you could see the Castle for free. :clap:
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-24.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-24.jpg.html)
Told ya!! :mfr_lol:
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-27.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-27.jpg.html)
This is the church where they very kindly allowed us to abuse their car park.
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-32.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-32.jpg.html)
In one of the small villages we passed through there was an unusual clock tower, the time was wrong but only by about three and half hours!
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-33.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-33.jpg.html)
Again I think we've been very lucky with the weather, 20 degrees, I can live with that, perhaps summer has finally arrived.
The last pic is for Ros.
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-30.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-30.jpg.html)
Aaaah yes of course! Microlight flying! Excellent sport....
Not tried it yet. :mfr_lol:
Great pics again and obviously the Brit weather is currently better than here. A rather mean and torrential thunderstorm ruined my bbq cooking this evening...
Just out of interest, what camera are you shooting with? You seem to have an eye for some of the landscape shots... Or maybe it was just luck... :whistling:
Ros
Ros I use a Nikon D7000, I guess it's a classed as a decent enthusiast camera. Considering I had a dog tugging on the lead which was being held in one hand and the camera in the other they haven't come out too bad.
Steve, that dog certainly isn't camera shy, brilliant picture :clap:
Bodiam Castle in itself isn't that interesting as it's a half-ruin but it looks good from outside and the history is fun.
The train ride is real "take you back to childhood" stuff. I kept wanting to lean out the window and shout "ToooooooT-ToooooT" :mfr_lol:
The train is a 5 minute walk from the castle so maybe drive to Tenterden, take the train, see the castle, train back again.
Leeds Castle isn't bad but as you say, pretty expensive. They usually have a Falconry demo, Archery tryout, gardens, lakes, playgrounds for kids, the castle itself (full of expensive stuff and bling as well as some history. I wouldn't say its worth £21 each. We paid £15 each a few years ago.
If you fancy a day out for all, try Rochester. Has a Norman Castle and an olde high street.
My personal favourite attraction in the area is Chatham Docks. Lots of ships and history and the ropery (they make ropes) and a submarine and art galleries, and ......
I've been twice and I'll be going again.
I have an older Nikon D80 with the 18-135 lens. Good cameras Nikon.
Boomer we went to Bodiam Castle today and to be fair I enjoyed it, I like anything like that whatever the condition of the castle, its all part of history. I could spend hours at old castles imagining what life used to be like centuries ago living in one.
In contrast to the castle there is a Second World War bunker in front of it which you can enter. Two rooms inside one which would have housed the big gun and then the other for the snipers. The large opening on the forward facing wall is where the big gun would have been mounted. You can see the gun mount on the second photo.
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-35.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-35.jpg.html)
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-36.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-36.jpg.html)
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-37.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-37.jpg.html)
Must have been a very unpleasant environment to live in and probably die in.
The bird killer Spaniel of ours had his eyes on the ducks which were everywhere in the grounds of the castle, no way could I have let him off the lead without a bloodshed.
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-38.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-38.jpg.html)
A well preserved castle I thought compared to some I've seen throughout the country.
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-39.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-39.jpg.html)
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-42.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-42.jpg.html)
Some very ornate wood carvings within the grounds too.
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-40.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-40.jpg.html)
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-41.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-41.jpg.html)
There were even some conservation type geezers getting some soil samples to test for something, they did tell me what they were doing but it sounded a bit boring so I didn't take much notice.
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-43.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-43.jpg.html)
I saw my first windmill down here today as well, turned up the track before I realised it was somebody's house so took the photo from a discreet distance and then retreated.
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-34.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-34.jpg.html)
So from what started out as a wet and miserable morning it turned into a half decent day, dry and comfortably warm. Took the dogs to the beach near Camber before coming back to the holiday home to watch some Harry Potter vids.
Glad to see it's all going well down here Steve ... told you about Hastings !!
Very glad to see the bird killer being restrained om a lead ... just imagine the carnage with all those ducks !! :mfr_lol:
Nigel, yes you did mention something about Hastings :nono: We went back to Brighton today and actually managed to get parked! Didn't stay long though, only about an hour. Some big black guy said we couldn't take the dogs onto the pier, couldn't see any signs, no idea who this dude was but he was much bigger than me so if he said no dogs on the pier, there would be no dogs on the pier!!! :mfr_lol:
I'll post the last instalment of the photos on tonight and tomorrow we get to play on the M25 again as we head back to civilisation in Bradford.
It's been a decent trip and it was great to meet up again, only a few weeks now till the 'Other Trip', :whistling: , Och Aye The Noo!
Here you go, Brighton's version of the London Eye.
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-44.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-44.jpg.html)
The famous pier.
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-45.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-45.jpg.html)
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-46.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-46.jpg.html)
Who has a sweet tooth?
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The beach looked good, but as with the pier, hounds not permitted.
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-49.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-49.jpg.html)
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Hastings%20Holiday/image-51.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Hastings%20Holiday/image-51.jpg.html)
Nice piccies of course ... amazed to see the beach almost empty. Glad you made it back ok to the homeland. :yes:
Steve as usually :yes: excellent pictures and write up :clap: now you know why I don't bother posting to many of my pictures :no: how can I compete with another "David bailey" :grin:
p.s liked the mud colour on the greenie gtr :wink: :mfr_lol: