Wednesday 7th October 2009

Houghton Mill near Huntingdon

Last night (during the night) it poured with rain, but the morning starts bright and sunny. Kathleen feeds the ducks as has become her routine here, and then it is hair washing day, so not much will be done this morning.

After lunch, we take a walk along the River Ouse and return via Godmanchester Common, calling at the Axe & Compass for a drink.

Tuesday 6th October 2009

Houghton Mill near Huntingdon

It is my birthday, but it is raining!.

We have a leisurely breakfast and I open my cards etc, I am even excused from washing the dishes.

Given the weather we decide to take the bus to Cambridge (about 15 miles away). Once there the rain stops and the sun emerges.

We have a pleasant day wandering around Cambridge, the highlights for me are a pleasant lunch in Pret a Manger, and a trip in a punt along the River Cam. We could have had some nice photographs on the river, but the person in charge of the camera forgot to bring it along today. Kathleen enjoys herself spending an unexpected little windfall from interest payments on an account she had forgotten about, acquiring a pair of jeans, skirt and two blouses.

I have a wonderful business idea as I sit waiting outside the changing room. Why not have a store, stacked with “bargains”, where women could shop until they drop, but instead of having to all that tedious carrying the stuff home, at the checkout, they just put it in a charity bag for you and dump it at the front door. I think it could be a winner.

In the evening we walk to the “Three Jolly Butchers” pub in the village it is unbelievably mild, we do not even have to wear coats. We enjoy a super meal. Kathleen is her usual restrained self, sticking to two courses, but I go the full hog.

Monday 5th October 2009

Houghton Mill near Huntingdon
Not such a nice day today, dry but overcast. You cannot expect wall to wall sunshine in England at any time, but in October, definitely not.

We have been away long enough now to have built up a collection of washing, but one of the little rules here is no washing lines, so it is decide that we will go into Huntingdon on our bikes, and visit one of Kathleen’s favourite shops (Wilkinsons), to buy a clothes drier thing that we can hang on the van.

Off we go, across Godmanchester common, to Godmanchester then Huntingdon, a wasted trip since Wilkinsons are out of stock of clothes drier things, but we buy the ingredients for the Moroccan Chicken dish I am planning for tonight, so all is not lost.

On our way back we get a brief spell of sunshine and explore Godmanchester a little, another lovely little backwater.

Sunday 4th October 2009

Houghton Mill near Huntingdon

The weather so far has been excellent, and Sunday dawns even better, brilliant sunshine, not a cloud in the sky and if the local radio is to be believed 18C. I have used the internet to check out the location of the nearest Catholic Church, so we peddle off to St Ives a couple of miles through the woods. While Kathleen does her duty at church, I read the Sunday paper, and then we to the riverside in St Ives for coffee and carrot cake. Followed by another pleasant walk to work it off!

Saturday 3rd October 2009

Houghton Mill near Huntingdon
Kathleen cannot wait to make use of her “free” pensioners bus pass and we are told there is a good bus service from the village, so we walking into the village and take the bus to Huntingdon. Huntingdon has a good selection of shops, with a couple of supermarkets and even a Wilkinsons. I am irritated to find that the 3 Internet Dongle I have just bought in South Shields for £19.99 is only £17.99 here!. So Huntingdon is the nearest place for substantial shopping, but it is otherwise disappointing its old charm has been spoiled by shabby new developments. We even find a Greggs, where we have a sandwich lunch before returning to Houghton Mill.

After a bit of sitting reading the newspaper (what a hard life this is), we go for a walk along the river, for get some exercise for an hour.

Friday 2nd October 2009

Houghton Mill near Huntingdon

We choose a Sustrans, cycle ride. It is about 13 miles and is very a very pleasant ride with not a hill in sight. The weather continues to be fine and sunny, just right for peddling along and counting the squirrels we see. We pass by a working lock on the River Great Ouse, along a lane called “Common Lane” (which is anything but common, since it is lined with houses whose owners I am sure will not be voting for Mr Cable), and along a tarmac track across Godmanchester Common, skirt the edge of Godmanchester, then along the river to St Ives (a very pretty place) and then back to where we started.

Thursday 1st October 2009

Houghton Mill near Huntingdon

Our departure from home is delayed because we forget the iPod (an essential part of our evening entertainment),, we did not realise this until we are on the A19 and passing the exit to Hartlepool. Yes, we do carefully make a check list of things to be picked, but of course making the list is only one part of the equation, you also have to use it whilst packing.

We arrive at Houghton Mill Caravan Club site at about 16:00, the weather is excellent for October, pleanty of autumn sunshine, initial impressions are favourable. It is the usual high CC standard, but with the added advantage of being fairly small and a bit less formal than some of the CC sites we have visited.

We spend the rest of the evening exploring, until it gets dark. The site is in the grounds of a National Trust owned working Water Mill, and it is only 5 minutes walk into the twin villages of Houghton and Wyrton, where there is an Alladins Cave type village shop, two pubs (the Three Jolly Butchers is the best one in our view) and more thatched cottages than I have ever seen in one place.

The friendly Warden loans us a file about two inches thick of cycle rides, walks and other “things to do and see”.