Towards the Ribble Valley

After breakfast we take leave of Russell and Hilary, who have been such kind and generous hosts. Our holiday has gotten off to such an incredible start and we can only make them promise that they'll brave the long journey(!) and visit us soon so we can return the kindness... next year right? Right?!

Our (now) roadworthy hire car gets us to nearby Sale by mid-morning to catch up with some more dear friends. Together we drive to Altrincham and brave the crowds at the popular Market House to grab some lunch.

Lunch with Vaughn, Jeannie and Dave

The day starts out sunny and warm but it becomes overcast and increasingly humid. After saying our goodbyes we hit the motorway for the one hour drive to the Ribble Valley. By the time we reach Padiham on the outer fringes of Burnley, there's a steady drizzle. The stone buildings in town look particularly grey and bleak and our new home for the next 3 days doesn't look particularly inviting. Once inside though, The Lawrence Hotel is comfortable and we're made to feel very welcome. 

Our room is at the top of a narrow stair (which makes lugging heavy suitcases quite fun) and although refurbished, still retains a few quirky heritage features. The boutique hotel is in a historical building used previously as a doctor's surgery. Fortunately no hospital trolleys but there is a large claw foot bath in the room ... which takes up a lot of space. 

We rest for a while before venturing out in the late afternoon. Having eaten plenty in the last few days we fancy some light snacks for dinner, so we wander down the hill to Tesco and bring some food back to our room. Padiham itself is nothing to write home about - its old buildings give it some character, and the many pubs give it some life - but it is not particularly aesthetic. Hopefully it is the gateway to the Ribble Valley that it promises to be. In any case, that is something to worry about in the morning.

For now, it's just the hope that jet lag has finally been banished and there's some uninterrupted sleep to be had...

*******

Sleep at last!

Sleeping for England

Although it was a late night and we managed to stay awake until 11pm, sleep is evasive. Wide awake from 2am, I spend the rest of the night listening to the Incredible Sleeping Man while feeling increasingly frustrated that I can't sleep but he can (sleep thief?). What's he doing... sleeping for England?! Ross gets up feeling quite refreshed while I try desperately to get a couple hours sleep. Not to be.

Our hosts have places they need to be, so after breakfast we are left with the key and the freedom to go out if we please. Ross decides to check the oil in the hire car and so starts the Europcar saga. The dipstick only registers a minuscule amount of oil and of course the 'Customer Service' number is anything but. After trying several numbers, keying through nonsensical directory options and finally speaking to a human, Ross is advised not to drive the car and that the AA will come and inspect the vehicle. It was probably just as well that we had no plans (and just as bloody well we didn't discover this the hard way having broken down on a motorway somewhere in North Wales)... It makes for a very quiet morning as it takes a while for the AA man to arrive, inspect the car, determine that not only is oil nonexistent but also fluid in the radiator and windscreen washer reservoir. Then it takes more time for the AA man to get the necessary supplies and return to fix the problem...

Afternoon comes and we are too tired to go anywhere so when Russell and Hilary return we sit in their lovely garden. Warm sunshine and beautiful flowers, what a nice way to while away the hours.

A sunny afternoon in the garden

It is our last evening with our delightful hosts so we enjoy a meal at a local Italian restaurant and return to our comfortable room... hopefully for a better night's sleep. Not that it really matters to Ross, he's out like a light *sigh* 

Tackling Manchester

The problem with going to sleep so early is that we find ourselves awake in the wee small hours of the morning. The house still sleeps while we creep downstairs with our iThings and sit in the lounge to eagerly connect to Wifi. Slowly it starts getting light and we hungrily eye the breakfast table that has already been set with delicious items.

The table set for breakfast... and the garden beyond

Breakfast is as wonderful as the set table promised and once we are all set, Russell drives us into Manchester so we can wander around for a few hours while he goes to work. Our first stop is the Manchester University campus to see the grand old buildings and ivy clad quad.

Manchester University

We gradually walk towards the city centre, stopping in at the Manchester Museum along the way. School holidays mean crowds and lots of noise, and our jet lagged bodies just want to sit and rest... We force ourselves on and pass numerous cranes and construction sites. Everywhere we look, the city is booming with redevelopment. The crowds get thicker as we approach the city centre and we start to wonder if we have perhaps been a bit too ambitious to spend so many hours out and about on our first day. Happily a short break for food and a sit down helps. Manchester is a big city and a juxtaposition of historic buildings and new development, smartly dressed office workers and the desperate and homeless who approach to ask for spare change, slick shops and seedy laneways, light skies and greyness. 

The John Rylands Library provides some welcome quiet. It is our second visit here but we are just as awestruck as before.

Sweeping staircases and vaulted ceilings

The magnificent reading room just lends itself to quiet contemplation... it would have been a perfect place for writing a thesis?!

Reading room 

A thesis writing space

There are new discoveries to be made on every visit... all we had to do was look up and see the skill that went into the ceiling carvings.

Ceiling carvings... every one is different

Russell collects us at 3pm and we return home for a few hours rest. Hilary has been busy all day and when evening comes, we are treated to a wonderful home-cooked meal with the rest of the family. There are lots of laughs and funny stories and it is so nice tonight to be part of this close-knit family and warm and welcome home. 

A great evening with a beautiful family

Some time the next day

We're not really sure whether it's night or day by the time we land in Manchester. A short transit in Doha means that we can at least shower and freshen up before boarding the next plane for the 'shorter' 7.5 hour flight but it still adds up to a very long journey.

Manchester Airport turns out to be quite a disappointment as the intended stop at Duty Free  just isn't possible. Surely it must be the only international airport without a Duty Free in Arrivals? To be honest there is nothing at Arrivals except blank walls and monotony. Walking out of the terminal we're at least met with a sunny warm afternoon. There is a wait to collect the hire-car but before long we find ourselves engulfed by busy traffic on the Manchester ring road... A quick correction so that we're actually going in the right direction on the ring road(!) soon sees us navigating a rabbit warren of streets near Russell's house. 

The grim old buildings that line the main road conceal a pocket of new builds. We turn into the estate to find neat rows of beautiful new houses and at last... at the end of the street, a grassy bank and the welcome front door of Hilary and Russell's house. A warm welcome, a comfortable room to install our things and later ourselves, and an afternoon spent catching up while sitting in the soft folds of a nice sofa. The inevitable veil of drowsiness starts to fall across both our brows and our astute hosts usher us to a very early supper and then to bed. And so our first day in the UK comes to a close at 7pm. The long dusk is only just starting but we're totally oblivious to the light that creeps into the room. For now it is only weariness from jet lag and wonderful wonderful sleep.

A holiday... at last!

It has been a very long time since any holiday anywhere but I start the trip a little worse for wear. Fatigue from a busy few months, adrenaline pumping away all weekend from the graduation ceremony, and a possible virus mean boarding the plane feeling quite awful. 

BUT the fact we're flying Business Class this time (a special treat) gives me plenty to smile about. Lounge access before boarding, a personal pod on the plane with every comfort (plush blanket, pillow, pyjamas?! Wow), personal attention from cabin crew, on-demand dining... one could get very used to this.

Flying in comfort for a change

More than a seat... it's a personal pod

It is 11pm when our flight takes off and it is not long before seats are transformed into lie-flat beds, draped in a nice spongy mattress. For the first time maybe ever(?) I actually manage to get a few hours sleep on a plane. We take off into the inky blackness towards Doha and home recedes more and more into the distance as the hours slip by.