Monkeys, Mark 1’s and memories

Leaving Telford we were due to be staying in Tewkesbury but as is often the case there after heavy rain the site was flooded, so we headed to stay with our niece and her wife (thanks Klaire and Cass, sorry I forgot to take a photo despite seeing you several times!) for a few days before making our way to the site.  

While in the area we were able to visit Blackfriars in Gloucester where Ian spent a lot of time when he was younger as his dad was custodian. It’s a beautiful site ( now a wedding venue) and although cared for by English Heritage, it’s free to visit when it is open.

It was also great to take the opportunity to meet up with friends and family over the week, and although we didn’t manage to see everyone we’d hoped to, it was great to have time with people we hadn’t seen for a while, particularly with dad as time is so precious now … some a very long time!

Tewkesbury Abbey is a fabulous site really close to the town with great restaurants, cafes and bars just a few minutes walk away, we love it and it works well for visiting family. We popped into the Abbey while we were there, which was lovely, but not a patch on Gloucester Cathedral.. We may be biased!

We’d originally planned to head home after leaving Gloucestershire, but having had a call to say our good friends Anne and David were going to be in Dorset for a few days in their caravan, inviting us to join them, we couldn’t resist, so Dorset became our final destination!

We’ve not spent much time in this area although have driven through to get to the Lymington ferry home on previous trips so it’s been lovely having time to visit. We stayed closed to Wareham, a lovely small town, but more importantly close to somewhere I had wonted to visit for a very long time.

We used to watch Monkey World on TV several years ago, following the antics of the rescue monkeys, gibbons, Macaques and apes. We haven't watched for years as it isn’t available on the channels we have access to, but I’d wanted to visit since seeing the series. It turned out, it was very close to the site, so of course we went!

It absolutely did not disappoint! We all had a wonderful day. Seeing all these beautiful (if a little occasionally fugly) creatures. The setting is stunning nestled in the woodland, with huge enclosures and places for them to climb, hide or sun themselves. Several clearly enjoyed showing off, possibly because their former lives were as performers in dreadful conditions, others liked to hide and although we knew they were there, we didn’t manage to spot them in the trees.

At one point I could see Ian keeping really still with his camera out in an area that wasn’t one of the enclosures. This is what he’d spotted!

These stunning deer were wild, although clearly spent plenty of time in the park as they were very comfortable with people being close to them. We also saw lots of birds including a nuthatch and robbins. It was a fabulous day. I’d highly recommend a visit if you are in the area. Of course all the money supports conservation and rescue work around the world, so it makes a difference while you marvel at the stunning wildlife.   

Our final day of our trip couldn’t have been more different to the wildlife and woodland at Monkey world. After a failed attempt to visit Swanage (which has become very campervan life unfriendly with no car parking anywhere near the town possible) we headed to the Tank Museum.

What a fabulous place. It’s huge and based near the active Army training camp. It tells the history of the tank, the people who served in wars  from the first world war to fairly current conflicts.

It houses the only surviving WW1 Mark 1 tank

  

Little Willie, the world's first working tank (the prototype of the Mark 1) as well as hundreds of other tanks, all telling the story of the individual tank displayed.

We were also lucky enough to be there when they opened the conservation centre where they store and repair tanks they have recovered, or have been donated. As we were there they were moving track links into the storage area for future restoration work.

You get to walk through replica trenches ( without the mud, smell and fear), visit a shop with very little food due to rations, and spend time in a shelter. 

It’s humbling, and makes me very thankful to those who choose to serve over decades to maintain our safety. I know I have said this before, but if we don’t face the horror of what our past includes, we don’t focus on why it is important to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Shying away isn’t going to make it better. I truly believe we need to recall, learn and sometimes be upset by past actions, as a reminder of how fortunate we are and what we have to work so hard to protect for our future. It’s a sombre note for the end of an incredible trip but we’ve travelled through the UK from South, to North and back again. We’ve learnt about Picts and Vikings, Kings and Queens, world wars and worldwide rescues.

We’ve met friends from years ago, family we see often and both friends and family we don’t see often enough. It’s been a wonderful trip, but we are ready to be home now. There'll be a break in blogs while we settle back into everyday life, but fear not, there’s an exciting trip in the planning, although Agy won’t be coming on this one, so let us know, should we blog that trip, or wait till we’re back on the road in Agy? 

Thanks for reading!

Turtles and trains

Leaving Shetland and the impending storms we made a very quick stop in Edinburgh before continuing our journey south. As we plan a journey we look at possible places to stay, often trying to find places we've not been before, so we thought stop at Barnard Castle.

We were staying on a lovely site about 20 minutes walk into town though the woods, alongside the river Tees. As we’d taken out English Heritage membership earlier in the trip we popped into the medieval castle. I can see what you might choose here to test your eyesight as the views are stunning, even if the cost to enter is ridiculously high without membership.

Now, having started this blog by saying we try to visit new places, we returned to somewhere we’ve been many times in Agy (and previously), and although we love it, our visits here are almost always driven by meeting people we very much want to see. Yes, we were back in York, but this time we managed to coordinate our visit so we could catch up with our long term friend (please note I did not say old!) Ariane (Harry) and her lovely husband Steve.

Harry and I were at school together and were great friends, so much so she lived with us for our final upper sixth year, she became a Venture Scout with us and got to know many of our local friends too. It’d been far too long since we’ve managed to meet up, and the time flew by! Thanks for driving over to see us xx.

This is us, just a few years ago...

While we were in the vicinity we decided to make the most of our time and headed to Locomotion, part of the Science museum group and one of 2 sites of the biggest train museum in the world. We do love a train, and this didn’t disappoint.

There were so many stunning locos, carriages and as an extra bonus The Flying Scotsman was there having (what we think) was her insurance boiler testing done. A fabulous free day out!

                                        

Just before leaving York we made use of our English Heritage membership again with a trip up Clifford's tower, and booked in for a tour of the Cold War Bunker. An incredible building, now nestled in the middle of a modern housing estate.

This was a nuclear war fallout monitoring station where volunteers from across the area would report to in the event of a nuclear bomb dropping. We saw the main control room, accommodation and the water/air filtration systems that would keep the volunteers who were locked inside alive for 30 days. After the 30 days, enough information would have been gathered and the volunteers would have had to leave, to find whatever was left behind outside. A sobering thought.

We managed to also catch up with Kate and David again, hearing more about their family celebration before getting ready to party in Telford.

If we are friends, you will know that we are not people who do things like go to  YouTuber’s gathering, or pay to go to parties, but this was an exception. We’d started watching Tread the Globe in 2019 as they packed up their home to drive around the world in their 20 yr old campervan Trudy.

We thought it would be interesting to see where they go as we hadn’t had Agy long at that point. Marianne and Chris seemed like normal people, they are similar age to us and had a van, so it made sense. I’m not going to tell their story here, but as you will know not too long after they set off, the world changed for us all, and Marianne and Chris found themselves in lockdown in a car park in Istanbul. Their vlogs became compulsive viewing for us keeping us entertained through the many months of lockdown and beyond. As travel within Turkiye became possible Marianne and Chris headed off to explore more of the country that welcomed and supported them through such difficult times. On their travels they discovered a woman on a beach, living in a tent, desperately trying to save turtle nests that were being destroyed by locals driving and partying on the beach in Manavgat. That incredible woman is Saher. Chris and Marianne took on the responsibility to support the Dekafok turtle rescue and via their supporters have raised over £42,000, but there’s more needed.

At the party we went to they were celebrating the completion of their round the world drive - yes they did it!

The main aim was to raise funds for the turtle rescue. This is why we went. It was incredible to see the support for this couple who have achieved something remarkable. People they had met on their travels flew in from across the world, but despite the opportunity to come, Saher chose to stay at the rescue as they had 2 sick turtles in the centre that needed constant attention. They now have formal government recognition, academic research taking place and some hospital tanks for injured turtles. People no longer drive on the beach and every primary school child in the area goes to the centre to learn about the turtles and the importance of caring for their environment. It is incredible what a chance encounter ( that makes for very emotional watching) can do. Do go and watch the videos of their visits, and if you love a turtle, make a donation here https://www.gofundme.com/f/tread-the-globe-sea-turtles-rescue-fund

We did what we could to contribute. I made some raffle prizes, we won a few more that we have been able to give to family and friends who will enjoy using them more than us and will continue to follow and support Tread the Globe as they embark on their next epic adventure.. For the islanders, you may be interested to know Marianne grew up on the island and their T-shirts (some again supporting the turtle rescue) are all made on the island!    

I had also made Marianne a bag that had sea and turtle themed fabric on it (that matched the scrunchies and hairbands above). My thinking was it was useful and small in a van, and if anyone asked about her bag, she could tell them about Dekafok and continue to raise awareness on their travels. What I wasn't expecting was she would wear it at the gathering the night before, and for all of the party, as an accessory to her evening gown!

I can also confirm, van life people know how to party!

I did of course have to try the Tread the Globe gin where profits go towards Dekafok too - Oh my it’s delicious and available online! Message me for details!