Coombe Abbey Hotel

More travelling this week.

This time I have been officially sent to Coventry. My office is based there and normally I go there one or two days in the week, or more recently 2 or 3 days in the month.

However, this week I have been based there. On Monday night I slept over in the usual hotel, not a bad place but somewhere I know like the back of my hand.

On Tuesday night, I was due to return home. But as the day turned into evening and then late evening and I was still in the office, I decided that a three-hour drive home and then a three-hour drive back at 5am was probably not a good idea. I had already dozed on the way to work once that morning, so the chances of falling asleep at the wheel completely, were probably high.

I looked around on the laterooms web-site for a place to hole up.

Incredibly the whole of the midlands was full. When I say full, I mean every hotel except for 3 or 4. I don’t know what was happening, maybe the last one-legged bobcat had appeared in Stourbridge. Whatever it was, there were very few places to stay, the cheapest of which was a strange place called Coombe Abbey Hotel.

I quickly booked it and set off in search of the place at 8pm. It was just outside the centre of Coventry.

It was dark when I arrived and I found a driveway that was at least half a mile long lined with huge trees. As I finally reached the end I found a car park but no sign of a hotel. It was a bit misty as I loitered it what seemed like the middle of a park.

I parked up and wandered around a path, hidden slightly by trees.

As I rounded the corner I was astounded by what stood in front of me. A large country park hotel with a moat and portcullis.

The light beckoned and I pushed a large door into a huge hall. Reception checked me in and sent me upstairs. When I say stairs, these were about 15-20 ft wide with suits of armour lining the walls. I took the lift up with my bags and made it into my bedroom. It was like something out of a Victorian drama. I half expected a maid to scurry into my room with a hot water bottle and fresh towels.

The place was built in the 12^th century and Queen Elizabeth I lived there as a child.

It is a bit of a one off. I had a good meal and some wine, and watched the end of the Champions League football on my phone in the restaurant. What a real pleb!

Not bad for a work night stop-over. When I remember staying in the Day’s Inn in Warwick and how crap that was, this was another world.

The next morning, I had to leave before breakfast. A Japanese tour group had already descended on the hallway, with a large collection of selfie sticks. That hotel must make a fortune. This is a tourists paradise.

Bosherton Lakes

A few weeks ago we had a weekend away. The weather was fantastic and we drove out to Tenby in the Pembrokeshire. What a lovely little place.  Not only is it on the coast and a quaint little town, but it is located near a very beautiful walk.

We stayed overnight at a hotel just outside that was part of the golf course complex. A good place to get away from the world. Only a few rooms and a decent restaurant. Just don’t expect a wifi that works!

On the Sunday, we fancied a bit of fresh air and a walk, and what a treat we had in store.

Bosherton Lakes is a series of freshwater lakes by the beach, full of lillies and plenty of walking paths. It is flat to walk on and there are plenty of varied things to see, the most interesting of which is a day flying bat.

At first we thought that a bat was confused and lost, but then we saw more and realised this was actually quite normal.

The picture below gives you a small idea of what is there, but does not really do it justice. If you are ever in the vicinity, pay it a visit. It is worth it.

My Two Pals

Most people like walking out with their dogs for company. In our house we have no dogs, but we do have hairy friends. The two cats love to keep us company when we are in the garden. As we set-off for a morning stroll around the garden, to look at what has changed, our two companions rush to join us. Sometimes, they are asleep and fall out of bed. Sometimes they are wandering their own path and they rush over to take part. But either way they like to join us as we walk.

They mark their own territory regularly and they look under every bush to make sure that no terrorist is waiting for us. But they stick with us. Around the garden, past the vegetables, under the fruit trees and through the farm gate. They balance on the wooden edges and they rush up the stairs. Finally arriving at the pond just in time to attack each other and rush around play fighting.

They balance on the top of the walls surrounding the parking area and then they jump off to walk up the drive.

It is the same routine each time and they love it. They sometimes wait outside in case we walk. They often sit on the bench and stare out over their estate, waiting for a stray animal to appear.

There is nothing more relaxing than walking around your garden with two little pals. Oh and my better half of course!

Charlie will often jump up for a cuddle and a carry, as if he was a young child. Often with wet muddy feet, and no warning.

Red Dragonfly

At this time of year, the dragonflies are out in full force. They are the beautiful big ones that sound like drones and zoom around the water and surrounding area. We have lots of water around us and there are lots of dragonflies.

The cats will try to catch them as they zoom by. Sometimes they are successful, and will swat the odd passing drone, but mostly they just leap in the air and miss by a mile.

There are so many types. The one oppostie is just an example I managed to snap. Sadly, the really big ones are also very elusive. But I will keep trying.

House Visitor

During the week my better half was looking out from our kitchen when she spotted a very strange visitor sitting on the patio.

A kingfisher!

Really, it was sitting on the patio.

She thinks it was a young one that had flown into the window. Creeping out she went to see if it was ok, but it flew away sharply before she got to hold it. It knew what was coming!

As much as we try to make our house obvious, the stupid birds keep flying into the windows.

The picture below is from inside, but gives you an idea of how close he was.

A Pear of Produce

This year we have had many different types of produce. Most of which we have had before and therefore it is nice to see them again but they are not a surprise.

However, this year I am most proud of our pears. The first year the tree was massively overgrown and didn’t produce a single fruit. I have cut it back and tended it, and now we have beautiful large fruits. Disappointingly they don’t seem to want to ripen as there is not enough sun, but they are very large. I am trying to ripen a few indoors, but I am not holding my breath.

It is so rewarding to see something come good after having struggled so much in the past.

A colleague went to a concert in London on Wednesday evening. A small venue with a few hundred people. But this group could still do their stuff. A real 80’s throwback but a guitarist like no other.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fQ8HYa1058

We are away for the next two weeks on holiday somewhere exotic. I am not sure what we will have in the way of connectivity, so bear with me if we have a gap in updates.

Have a great weekend!

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