Where are Back Roomers off to for the festive season and what journeys will be involved?
I started a similar thread last year which produced some interesting replies, so let's hear what your are up to for Christmas, 2009.
I'll be finishing work around normal time on Christmas Eve and driving the 40-odd miles down the A1(M) to my caravan in leafy North Yorkshire.
Christmas Day it's across to Southport - about 100 miles from the 'van - to meet family in a hotel for an evening meal.
Looks like my Christmas lunch will be a cheese sandwich and a bag of crisps in a layby somewhere on the way.
Stopping at the hotel for two nights, then it's back to Ifithelps Towers in time to return to work the next day.
So Christmas for me will be a long weekend including a 300-mile round trip.
What will you be up to?
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Lazing around and no driving if I have my way!
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I'm going back to 'home' to Leicestershire for Christmas Day but since we have orders to arrived very early, before Santa Claus has hung his reins up for another year, the A47 will be very quiet:)
Pat
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Usual trips the length and breadth of the Country, although this year it will only be about 700 miles, rather than the 1,000 or so I did last Christmas
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Staying in my own delightful home.
I spend precious little time there for the rest of the year, really don't want to be rushing about over Christmas.
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As per usual, in the Holyland, on the coasts of the Med and Red Seas. Nice drive down on 28th Dec from north to Eilat via the Wilderness of Zin. Lots of winding roads with some interesting straights along valley floors and the occasional air base to keep the kids interested.
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Bradford to Dresden,using the Hull Rotterdam ferry through Holland onto the A2 grand prix circuit lovely drive on Dec 24th and hopefully home in time for the family party.
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>> Christmas Day it's across to Southport - about 100 miles from the 'van - tomeet family in a hotel for an evening meal.
Well, as a native of the afore-mentioned town I hope that you have a very pleasant visit. Which hotel are you staying in?What will you be up to?
Not a lot. My festive journey is a very short one indeed. From Birkdale (a suburb of Southport) to Woodvale (likewise) - approx three miles. And I won't be driving it either as I've done the ligaments in my right ankle so I can't drive.
Merry Christmas to all BackRoomers, wherever you are!
Cheers.
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...Which hotel are you staying in?...
Badwolf,
The Ramada on the seafront.
Been there before, quite comfy in a modern sort of way and reasonably priced for a four star.
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...Which hotel are you staying in?
The Ramada on the seafront.
Aye, it's not a bad one, that. A vast improvement on what was there previously. If you're looking for somewhere nice to eat while you're in Southport, try Cloisters down Bank Passage (careful how you say that!) in between Ask and Barclays Bank on Lord Street.
Have a good Christmas and, like I say, enjoy your stay in Southport - I love living here!
Cheers.
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I have lots of cheap red wine courtesy of Asda, lots of champagne, lots of gin in stock. All purchased to avoid the January tax rise (or so I told Mrs Mad).
So although I will as usual do my normal 6 mile Christmas and New Year runs before breakfast, the alcohol in my system will make me incapable of driving.
Hic.
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I'll be visiting the outlaws in Surrey.
Cosmic. Can't wait.
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I'll be living on bread & water from xmas eve til new years eve and sending some money to Gaza, I sent a few bob to Trincomalee last year.
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Leaving my beautiful home to spend Christmas with the MIL 100 miles away in her tiny flat on the fourth floor with no lifts, all four of us on the sofa bed. (wife and kids, not mother in law). I hate every lingering second of it and look forward to the drive back a couple of days later. I can't even dull it all with vodka, I'm the only driver so will have to endure family visits completely sober. Never used to hate Christmas but I do these days.
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Sounds as though it'd be worth your while to do two 200-mile round trips to go and collect her then take her back after Christmas!
I can sympathise as there's little worse than doing something you detest at a time when everybody expects you to be all jolly. Hope you make the most of the situation, BBD and have as good a Christmas as you can!
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Bad luck Dave ! Conversely, I shall be mainly at my own quite pleasant house other than an 8 mile round trip on the 25th to eat my brother in law's food and drink his booze. Little effort and the total cost to me will be the contributory couple of bottles of wine. Must get myself down to Aldi come to think of it.....
Have a good one !!
;-)
Edited by Humph Backbridge on 17/12/2009 at 14:44
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"Sounds as though it'd be worth your while to do two 200-mile round trips to go and collect her then take her back after Christmas!"
Would love to but the Polish Matriarchal Mafia is unbreakable, the whole family converge at Christmas, I've tried to break the routine but to be honest - the kids love it.
I actually went for a gratuitous drive last Christmas, the only time I've ever driven for the sake of driving, I just wanted half an hour on my own.
I do miss England at Christmas, pub with the old man in daft pullovers...
Cheers all!
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I'm guaranteed a white Chrimbo this year.
Off skiing on Saturday, leave Norfolk at silly o'clock to drive to Dover, then from Calais to Dijon for the night.
Arriving near Mont Blanc on Sunday.
Returning home on 27th.
Lets hope the snow stays away so silly o'clock doesnt become very silly o'clock on Saturday!
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A quiet one for me this year, I lost my mum in April and my girlfriend left in May so I will be seeing more than enough of the M1, visiting my dad on the 25th and ferrying my kids to and from their mum's place.
Oil, antifreeze, screenwash, tyres and AA membership all checked and ready to roll. Hope the snow stays away.
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Everyone coming here...sadly not MIL for the first time in 40 yrs but we'll be thinking of her.
Got a letter from the Crem today saying her memorial stone is ready so we'll go and sort that out after the hols.
Eleven for dinner including the 3 ankle-biters so it'll be hectic. No driving for a few days..mostly doing the rounds at neighbours for drinkies and nibbles...starting next Monday with a solstice party next door but one. Birthday between Chrimbo and New year.
Sold my Renault van by phone today so looking forward to meeting new owner when he comes after New Year.
Best wishes to all here and good luck in the New Year.
Father Ted
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It'll be the 3rd year without the MIL, bless her, as she sadly passed away on the 19th, but as usual we'll raise a glass or 3 to her.
My wife's middle sister of 3 and her family will be coming here for crimbo dinner, and her husband and I will talk the usual bull about F1 and all things motorsport while getting slightly inebriated.
Boxing day, it's a bit further oop north to my parents and sister on Tyneside for a few hours, then it's back home and back to the grind the day after.
Merry Christmas to everyone, and remember to stay safe if your travelling.
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A quiet one for me this year
Further to my post above, it looks as though I shall be sans enfants for New Year's Eve, so if anyone within a couple of hours' drive of Leicester (motoring link) wants to invite a fully housetrained single 37-year-old to see in the new year with them...
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on Saturday leave Norfolk at silly o'clock to drive to Dover then from Calais to Dijon for the night.
>>
Whoops! I wonder how that went?
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Like the previous 7 yrs at work. Its the way the shift pattern works. Xmas day 8am till 2pm, Saturday (boxing day) start nights 1st shift 10.00pm till 10.00am then nights till following friday night with wednesday night off. We have to adjust things around the shifts, hence xmas dinner this year at my sisters but late afternoon.
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A 230-odd mile round trip to Auckland airport on the 23rd, then staying at or close to home for the holidays, so not much driving anticipated. No threat of snow and ice here :-)
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Playing organ at Sonning church as usual up to Christmas morning, then go to see my mum (92 not out), fortunately only 20 miles away in Farnham: children and other halves, plus our 3-months-old granddaughter, come to us on Boxing Day.
Hopefully there might be a warmer dry spell the week after so I can take the Z3 for a nice long run.
Edited by Avant on 19/12/2009 at 16:27
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Finished work yesterday till the new year.
Some family coming on Christmas Day, some on Boxing...reminds me got a BMW interim oil change to slip in, see i'm good to them.
No return to work till the new year.
Apart from nipping out early in the week for some supplies there's every chance the cars won't get started till Jan 1 when we may well visit the resting places of the ones we lost years ago.
Probably give my car a slow battery charge at some point before return to work.
Did i mention that i'm finished with work till the new year? :-)
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Did i mention that i'm finished with work till the new year? :-)
Part-timer! ;-)
Not much driving for me over Crimbo, but working in-between hols (the only farm animals that stop eating at Christmas are the turkeys!) then down to daughter's in Gosport for New Year. Great for the grandkids cos they get two visits from Santa but we'll be glad to get back home on the Saturday. Good thing about grandkids you can give 'em back.
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Flying out of Leeds/Bradford 6am on the 27th..KLM via Schipol to SF. Collect our 4x4 then drive to friends who live near Lake Tahoe. He has a Toyota Tundra SR5 4.7 V8 so I am hoping for an upgrade to 'out truck' him. Last time I managed a Dodge Ram BigHorn 5.3 V8 Hemi. Then lots of healthy outdoor stuff...margueritas in their hot tub (currently surrounded by 24" of snow) dog walking with snow shoes etc.
I gave up using snow chains years ago. I much prefer winter tyres and 4WD.
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Thanks for that Legacylad - can I come ?
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Of course you can Pu.
We need help with our baggage...KLM confirmed our hold allowance (because we booked in July) is 46kg each, so approx 20kg in CDM, Whole Nut, F & Nut, Orkney oatcakes, Bassetts Liquorice Allsorts and lots and lots of hide chews for mine hosts dogs. Far better than paying for our accommodation! The colonials, I mean friends, have strange tastes.
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...a Dodge Ram BigHorn 5.3 V8 Hemi...
I'm no historian, but isn't Big Horn a strange choice of name?
The Seventh Cavalry suffered huge losses - not something I'd have thought the Americans would want to remember.
Land Rover Dunkirk, anyone?
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That was Little Big Horn ifithelps. BigHorn is probably some ghastly variety of cattle. Americans are quite literal-minded. They are puzzled by suggestions, references and nuances. Irony gets on their nerves. They know where they are with clear statements.
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...BigHorn is probably some ghastly variety of cattle....
Ah, good point, m'Lud.
Sometimes when I see a stick, I can't help picking up the wrong end of it.
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hopefully finish painting bedroom doors. - always hated Xmas as it always meant trip to outlaws - what a dissfunctional family - all gone now except SIL who I never ever want to meet again. -
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ifithelps: I've just remembered that when I was in America briefly in the early seventies, I saw a motel somewhere in the South-West whose name shone out for miles in proud neon: The King's Ransom.
It looked a bit on the expensive side for me, but judging by its name it was far, far too expensive for anyone who actually knows English. My guess is some small provincial capitalist had once seen the phrase and thought it sounded classy. He hadn't bothered to work out what it actually meant.
Perhaps that's just the stingy Brit in me speaking. Perhaps Americans love the idea of a sort of loadsamoney lifestyle. Or perhaps the owner was commenting ruefully on the arm and leg it had cost him to build it.
:o}
Edited by Lud on 19/12/2009 at 19:51
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Still alive and well in a small town called Sedona Lud.
Edited by Pugugly on 19/12/2009 at 19:56
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Good heavens. Have you seen it PU? Did you Google it? What State?
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Arizona - Google I'm afraid.
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Arizona
Brilliant PU. But the flatlands before the mountains. Not Flagstaff. Probably 100 miles west of it back along 66. It was a long time ago though.
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>>> Or perhaps the owner was commenting ruefully on the arm and leg it had cost him to build it.
Perhaps his name was King and his gains were ill gotten - bit like Dunrobin.
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Tee hee perro, very ingenious (and somehow typical of you if you don't mind my saying so)!
No doubt you have enjoyed the work of the superior modern pulp novelist Elmore Leonard?
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>>> and somehow typical of you if you don't mind my saying so <<<
Hehe! I was expecting that Lud :) I actually don't read many novels as I prefer non fiction, my elder Brother was a gangster in the 40's (before I was born) he knew the Crays, Richardsons, 'mad' Frankie Frazer etc.
I see from Wikipedia that Elmore Leonard was a prolific writer and many of his novels were made into well known films, he's now 84 btw.
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he's now 84 btw.
And for many years employed a professional researcher to find out how police, other government agencies and various sorts of criminals operated. Despite - or more likely because of - that his stuff usually escaped formulaic boringness.
The books read sometimes like very good film proposals. But not all the films make the best of the original pulp.
Please don't try to scare me with all yr hood antecedents. I was born scared.
By the way, there was a particularly nasty West End hood called Curly King when I was a young bohemian slinking about town. Never met him thank goodness. He sounded absolutely terrifying.
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Kray gang tried to get into the Manchester Club scene. Arrived by train at Piccadilly Station.
Met By the legendary Det Ch. Supt. Douglas Nimmo with a posse of burly uniform.
Shepherded to another platform and invited to climb aboard an express to Euston.
Never came back !
Had enough of our own.
Ted
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Ted, I've now got a mental picture of you as a sort of prototype Gene Hunt !
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Have you got hold of those books about 70s Policing in Mcr yet Ted - that sounds like a sub-plot from one of them.
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Not yet, Rob, but I have googlizated them and found a few for sale.
Been too busy buying Atlas resin model steam locos...lovely models, mostly continental steam and only 6 to 10 kwid a time. hava amassed a dozen !
Ted
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Not going anywhere this year-just the way I like it! Last day at work today then I am off for 7 days. Will try and do as little driving as possible, car probably won't get touched between 23rd and 28th, beer, pool, wine etc awaits. Wonder if any more snow will fall in Peterborough?
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Miserable for those wanting to cross the channel at the moment isn't it ? I very nearly agreed to drive down to Italy this week. Would have been leaving the UK today. Glad I postponed it until the New Year.
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Heard on the news 'one of the problems' is EuroTunnel cannot contact its staff in the tunnel because there is no radio signal.
Startling - if true.
They surely don't just wave bye-bye to each train as it enters one end of the tunnel and hope it comes out in one piece at the other?
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>>> Please don't try to scare me with all yr hood antecedents <<<
The hoods of yesteryear wouldn't 'slap' you without good reason Sire, unlike some of the toe-rags on the streets today.
One Author that I have got into over the years is Colin Wilson, I've a few of his books ~ The Outsider, and Dreaming to Some Purpose, he had a house over the back of me at Gorran Haven.
I'm also 'into' Pythagoras, Lao-Tzu, Whitman, Swedenborg, Christ, Kipling, & The Beezer :)
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Where are Back Roomers off to for the festive season and what journeys will be involved?
Christmas Eve we will be expecting Mrs H's family (aka the travelling circus) to share our festive spirit. Christmas day they will be taking their hangovers to Mrs H's sister's in Halifax.
They won't have a drop of screenwash, a scraper, a blanket, an overcoat or a Mars bar between them and I will be expected to do whatever's necessary to make their vehicles fit for the journey.
Christmas day Mrs. H will be off to Darlington to try and catch some of the salvo of Christmas babies. Parking will probably be difficult owing to the many festive visitors in the streets near the hospital. She should return about 10pm in need of some sustenance and support.
29th December we will also be journeying to Halifax towing the s-i-l's spare bedroom (aka the caravan) behind us. I might have a job getting the tin box up their icy (at the mo.) unadopted road. We'll see what happens.
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