Mostly they stayed awake....
65 and still Not Out
Two more
action-packed diaries from some of those who enjoyed the Over-65
Holiday Club week
Click here for the final page of words and pictures
Click here for the final page of words and pictures
Wednesday, 16th June
Buoyed by two days of good, cheerful company and fascinating activities, we sharpened our minds this morning with jigsaw puzzles.
Despite many of us not encountering one in decades, we found them rather fascinating and set about our tasks with enthusiasm.
Joan brought us down to earth by announcing that she had been informed by the Canal Barge Company, hired for tomorrow’s tour,
that there was no water in the canal! Our dismay was short lived, however, as she soon told us we would cruise on another section of the waterway.
All was well in our world again!
We have been well blessed by the weather and some have eaten their picnic lunch in the sunny garden at St. Mary’s, enjoying not only each
other’s company but also of those passing by who stop for a chat.
It was a perfect day for a tour of Southport in the afternoon accompanied by a professional guide, Elizabeth, who had guided previous tours
and was highly acclaimed. Elizabeth did not disappoint, and a few of us will never visit Southport again without viewing it in a differing light,
seeing things we have, until now, never noticed before and trying to imagine it through the eyes of generations past.
Having had the dubious pleasure of riding on Southport/Formby sands many times in the teeth of a howling gale and raging seas, it was a shock
to learn that Southport bay is known as an extremely treacherous body of water. So treacherous in fact that it was here, through heroism of
simple fishermen dwelling in tiny hamlets scattered around our coastline, an appalling tragedy and the generosity of local benefactors,
that the foundation of the RNLI was laid. Southport in fact was home to the first real lifeboat.
A super cream tea at Southport’s new Ramada Hotel was a popular feature of our afternoon. The staff were very welcoming and the Hotel added
platters of sandwiches to the expected menu. Dot Wake was thrilled to be contemplating a repeat repast having won the raffle prize
– a gift certificate for two people for Afternoon Tea.
Very comfortably refreshed, we boarded our coach for the journey home.
Liz Makert, S. Faith’s, Great Crosby.
Thursday, 17th June
This was our full day trip out to Barton Grange Garden Centre. We left St. Mary’s at 10.00 am and arrived at the Garden Centre an hour later.
We had time to look around the many different areas of the Centre before enjoying our lunch in a lovely area of the restaurant which had been
specifically set aside for us. There was then an opportunity to revisit the various shopping areas and buy good we had set our hearts on before
going back to the coach.
We were met at the coach by a member of staff from the Canal Barge Company who arranged with our coach driver to give us a tour of the
countryside in the area.
We then boarded the barge for a cruise on the Lancaster Canal. We were warmly welcomed on board by the crew, and were able to relax and enjoy
a 2-hour sail. Drinks were served to our tables, the beautiful, warm, sunny weather held, the views were wonderful. We arrived back at St. Mary’s
at about 6.30 pm, feeling tired but having had a marvellous day out.
Margaret Hurst, Christ Church, Waterloo.
Buoyed by two days of good, cheerful company and fascinating activities, we sharpened our minds this morning with jigsaw puzzles.
Despite many of us not encountering one in decades, we found them rather fascinating and set about our tasks with enthusiasm.
Joan brought us down to earth by announcing that she had been informed by the Canal Barge Company, hired for tomorrow’s tour,
that there was no water in the canal! Our dismay was short lived, however, as she soon told us we would cruise on another section of the waterway.
All was well in our world again!
We have been well blessed by the weather and some have eaten their picnic lunch in the sunny garden at St. Mary’s, enjoying not only each
other’s company but also of those passing by who stop for a chat.
It was a perfect day for a tour of Southport in the afternoon accompanied by a professional guide, Elizabeth, who had guided previous tours
and was highly acclaimed. Elizabeth did not disappoint, and a few of us will never visit Southport again without viewing it in a differing light,
seeing things we have, until now, never noticed before and trying to imagine it through the eyes of generations past.
Having had the dubious pleasure of riding on Southport/Formby sands many times in the teeth of a howling gale and raging seas, it was a shock
to learn that Southport bay is known as an extremely treacherous body of water. So treacherous in fact that it was here, through heroism of
simple fishermen dwelling in tiny hamlets scattered around our coastline, an appalling tragedy and the generosity of local benefactors,
that the foundation of the RNLI was laid. Southport in fact was home to the first real lifeboat.
A super cream tea at Southport’s new Ramada Hotel was a popular feature of our afternoon. The staff were very welcoming and the Hotel added
platters of sandwiches to the expected menu. Dot Wake was thrilled to be contemplating a repeat repast having won the raffle prize
– a gift certificate for two people for Afternoon Tea.
Very comfortably refreshed, we boarded our coach for the journey home.
Liz Makert, S. Faith’s, Great Crosby.
Thursday, 17th June
This was our full day trip out to Barton Grange Garden Centre. We left St. Mary’s at 10.00 am and arrived at the Garden Centre an hour later.
We had time to look around the many different areas of the Centre before enjoying our lunch in a lovely area of the restaurant which had been
specifically set aside for us. There was then an opportunity to revisit the various shopping areas and buy good we had set our hearts on before
going back to the coach.
We were met at the coach by a member of staff from the Canal Barge Company who arranged with our coach driver to give us a tour of the
countryside in the area.
We then boarded the barge for a cruise on the Lancaster Canal. We were warmly welcomed on board by the crew, and were able to relax and enjoy
a 2-hour sail. Drinks were served to our tables, the beautiful, warm, sunny weather held, the views were wonderful. We arrived back at St. Mary’s
at about 6.30 pm, feeling tired but having had a marvellous day out.
Margaret Hurst, Christ Church, Waterloo.
Photographs by the Tudhopes
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