Have a wonderful day! Happy birthday.

Once again the electric rays worked their magic and two more photos were received from the Birthday Girl.

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'Look who turned up to help me celebrate today'!



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A slightly windswept Sundae enjoying her big day.

Happy post dated birthday!

Monkey? You mean the carpet matches the ape's.

DING DING DING DING WE HAVE A WINNER thanks everyone for your participation in this thread

Happy Belateds, SundaeGirl!

Tagline?

The Cellar: Where the carpet matches the apes

when we cooperate we all win

Sundae is now in her way home and I look forward to seeing her account of her Birthday Extravaganza here soon.

Sent by thought transference

So here I am; writing up again!

I left my packing until the last minute. My excuse being that I had things to do until the last minute. Mostly just slacking off. Although I did clean the rats' cage (oh I have two rats btw! but more of that in another thread on another day)

In the end I just flung about 90% of the clean clothes I could find in my brown "leather" bag to cover a range of weathers. I didn't trust the forecast you see. I was right not to. Anyway I counted on Limey to make up the shortfall, which she did. Just as well, because I managed not to pack toothbrush and toothpaste!

I'll try not to duplicate the photos I sent from my p[hone to Carruthers. But I trust you not to be too mad at me if I do.

Otley to Leeds and I realised I'd also forgotten my earplugs.
This was a disaster. I HATE travelling without them, listening to other people's yap and their constant picnics and the repeated tannoy announcements which I can never quite make out. That's okay Sundae, deep breath, you have a Boots giftcard [thank you Godfather Peter] you can buy en route.

Leeds bus station to Leeds railway station. MOG this bag is heavy.
So I didn't detour via Boots. So I suffered...
First train was from Leeds to Carlisle. No seat booked as it was only a two carriage train. I was pleased to be on it, as it was the first connection hit - yay me.

I was quite excited at crossing the Ribblehead Viaduct, but as Limey and Carruthers noted afterwards, it's more exciting from outside the train! The little stations are lovely though, and my book sat unread for much of this section.

Then Carlisle station, to change. Carruthers wasn't just posting my photos, he was also my support line. He looked up my changes, noted the platforms, sent me station plans, all so I didn't end up in tears. What an everyday hero.

I splashed out on a panini in the "bistro" on the station platform. It was so grim. When we ordered paninis on the station on our way to Peckham, despite the place being the size of a cupboard, they were put in a proper panini press. This was taken out of a plastic wrapper and microwaved, making it limp, soggy and too hot to hold. I felt brave enough to take it back. I still shudder when I think of it. The guy serving was SO unimpressed with me. \/\/hatever....

Carlisle station
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Neither of these passengers were yapping on.
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Onto an Intercity train for the next leg to Glasgow Central.
Seat booked.
Some bugger was sat in it.

This made me feel extremely uncomfortable. I could have asked him to move, but there were other seats available, and I would have had to sit with people who knew I'd made a fuss for the rest of the trip.

So I went and sat in a different seat, but I fumed internally.
It upset me. I know, I know - it's absolutely nothing in the scheme of things. And it wasn't personal - he may have been on the train since London, he may have simply misread his own ticket. This is all connected to my present inability to put things in perspective, that's all.

Anyway. This was the shortest and easiest part of the journey, so I didn't have to suffer for long. Less than two hours later I was decanted in Caledonia and back to a familiar station. Again, the changes allowed plenty of time, so I spent a little £ on a "thank you in advance" prize for the Limey's. Guess who forgot Mr Limey is (very successfully) managing diabetes :facepalm:

Glasgow Central to Ardrossan Harbour - the most familiar part of the trip (aside from the initial bus ride from home!)
I knew I had no worries here, although I did worry of course, as I had a large bag and what if the train was full and would people expect me to stand rather than take up an extra seat and I couldn't leave my bag in the luggage because it held all my favourite clothes and and and.

It was fine.

Onto the ferry, which I have already photographed a number of times.
Sat on the Observation Deck watching Limey come closer and closer. Arran I mean. I didn't really see Limey until we disembarked. And Mr Limey too. I was chauffeured back to Chez Limey to a roast chicken dinner. Nom nom nom.

True to form, I subjected the poor Limeys to my version of culture by making them watch a DVD. Not a horror this time - Limes still shudders at the mention of Utopia. I can't actually remember what it was now. Which is awful, I know. It would not have been high culture, I can tell you that at least :lol:

Lovely comfortable bed and cats and sleeps and tea and cake...

Next morning, cooked breakfast!
Every day in fact, cooked breakfast!
I don't think the Limes eat this every day. And in fact they were always healthy variations. But it was wonderful to me, who can go for five days without a hot meal.

And off we went to Arran Heritage Museum.
I was staggered that we [by which I mean Limey] had to pay to get in. I am spoiled by London, Leeds and even Aylesbury, where museums are fully funded and free. It was jolly good though.

There was quite a substantial and moving section on Arran's involvement in the World Wars. I wish I could do it justice. I know there are a number of people here in the Cellar who would have been fascinated. Even as a pedestrian observer I was interested.
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Ships featured too, obviously given this is an island.
It doesn't have the smuggler/ wreck connections of a place like the Scilly Isles (where the prayer used to be something along the lines of "save the souls of those who sail, but should they wreck, let it be here") but the maritime history is still strong.
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There is a Smithy, a room devoted to pre-recorded history, the Clearances, a recreation of various rooms of their time including a whole cottage (these islanders must have been teeny-tiny) and a geology exhibit.

[Withnail and I]

Sent by thought transference

Thank you!

In truth I remembered as soon as I had a chance to think.
Hiatus in my transcript and memory loss due to being bored senseless by someone who showed total disregard of the fact I was trying to use the computer, and regaled me with her personal history. Worse, because I've heard most of it twice already...

Anyway, back to the museum.
There were proper olde worlde farming implements, but I liked the look of the tractors more. Limes offered to take a pic of me on this tractor, but sadly it was infested with children every time we were together. I only caught this shot of it empty because for some reason everyone decided to come and look at the little schoolroom when we were in there.
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You couldn't sit on this one, but I thought it worth including. It still looks useful.
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A gorgeous, shallow pebble-based burn runs behind the museum.
I could so picnic there (except the tearoom... well, that's to follow)
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