G & J away from home

Saturday, 6 June

We left Sutton Coldfield at about 9 for an easy (Saturday) drive through to Market Harborough to visit Ron and Grace who were residents at Danby in Yorkshire when we saw them during our last trip to the UK in 2004.

Out the back of Ron and Grace's property is a canal and tow path - what a wonderful thing!  Our narrow boat trip on the Kennet and Avon canal in 2000 remains one of the highlights of all our visits to the UK and strolling along the tow path brought it very much to mind.

The tow path beyond the back gate

And then we rounded a corner to see the delightful Union Wharf development.  Ron's first narrow boat was built in the building on the left in the 1960s, a time was when the canals were overgrown and fading, before their restoration and growing popularity for locals and tourists.  Obviously since then the buildings around the basin have been converted to apartments and a very nice restaurant in the middle of the photo.

Union Wharf, Market Harborough

The meal was very nice and we were sitting by the window, looking out over the wharf.  Summer pudding was on the dessert menu and Ron, Grace, and I all partook.  It was as nice as it looked.

Summer pudding at lunch

After lunch we drove out to Ron and Grace's self-planted wood, now well-established with a glade in the middle full of fruit trees and an 'allotment' full of vegetables.  The plant shop was the next stop and there were a few plants that I liked the look of but I could only take photos to follow up at home. This heuchera (a plant which I know nothing about) really took my fancy with its look of fallen autumn leaves - if I got them established I could have autumn all year round!

Heuchera 'Fire Alarm' - pretty colour

We drove on to Wigston, south of Leicester, where we would be spending three nights at the Ramada.  Luckily Gary's loyalty card entitled us to a room upgrade which meant we have more room to spread out - and a fridge!  The fridge is a real bonus and very rare in our trip around the UK to date.

Settled in for three days

Gary is doing the daily accounts and the hedgehog is already out on my pillow.

The refund from Avalon for the cancelled portion of the river cruise has come through and is about $8,500. Should I be shopping for our next cruise?
______________________________