and when we ain’t outdoor bathing, I’m teaching Mrs Fogg the game of Backgammon

Well the opportunity arose and a rapid bit of planning was undertaken, with Mrs Fogg booking some alternate locations and Johnny Copilot suggesting some routes to travel. “Hey Johnny, plan me a pleasant 5 day ride away from motorways, exploring some of the east coast and returning through the Yorkshire dales”.

Day 1

York to Helmsley to Hutton-le-Hole to Blakey Ridge to Castleton to Danny to Grosmont  to Whitby

Day 2 

Whitby to Robin Hood’s Bay to Runswick to Staithes to Saltburn to Redcar to Hartlepool to Seaham to Durham

Day 3

Durham to Sunderland to South Shields to Whitley Bay to Blyth to Newbiggin-by-the-Sea to Amble to Alnwick

Day 4 

Alnwick to Longframlington to Rothbury to Thropton to Elsdon to Corbridge to Tow Law to Piercebridge to Richmond to Catterick to Newton-le-Willows

Day 5 

Newton-le-Willows to Knayton to Northallerton to Thirsk to Easingwold to Alne to Linton-on-Ouse to York and then home 

And what a fantastic trip of 1,016 miles on a 18 year old Harley Road King Classic, stopping in some AirBnB and some hotels. The quirkiest being the Truck at Athey’s Airfield. The highlight being enjoying the ride, the roads and the scenery. Catching up with an old friend and Mrs Fogg joining me for an evening of stargazing in Northumberland.

The weather was surprisingly excellent apart from Day 4 on the stretch from Thropton to Richmond on the A68 where the heavens opened and the wind was a paltry 45mph blowing right to left.

All told though an excellent few day

We have been static at chez Fogg for a weeney while now, the field with a house.

Today we did a scouring to see what was available in comparison, can we move to somewhere different, smaller garden, neighbours, yadda, yadda?

I look back to 2017 when we first saw this place and thought wowza and realised there ain’t nowhere like it. And today we tried to see what comes next and even our lil queen agrees with Dorothy…

There ain’t no place like home!

We’ve got some help too from a gardener who is coming regularly to help clear the borders and get things ship shape.

Someone is in her element solving a puzzle, me I’m just eating food!

Solved it, Colonel Mustard, in the Library, with a candlestick! Elementary my dear Watson.

A womble round the one street village and Mrs Fogg picking up a couple of Ribeye steaks for food, after we enjoy the sunset in the Dark Tower (oooh I feel like the Gunslinger).

Here we are in a 4 storey tower with wide open windows and a sliding sunroof over the bath so you can watch the stars. No hustle or bustle.

Your safety is our responsibility so please block the vestibules and ilses since we are over crowded

And sat here in Chesterfield waiting for the York train, listening to the constant stream of delays and excuses:

• Engineering work
• Engineering works not completed correctly or on time
• Flooding
• Disruption due to late running trains
• Track repairs
• Emergency track repairs
• Insufficient drivers available to drive the trains
• Issues with the train
• Sped restrictions due to rain
• No one told us we were supposed to be running this service today and everyone had tickets for it. It’s news to us, that’s why we’re late
• Trespassers on the tracks
• But the day ain’t over until they cancel the service at Leeds and say tough!

How on earth does this country manage to survive! Why can’t they just be honest and admit they are clueless and don’t know how to fix a broken rail system.

5.5hours and 3 trains to get from London to York!

And another magic sign, nope we couldn’t fine one at all