I was woken by a symphony of screeching seagulls at 5.45! We had been talking about the small number of seagulls around due to bird flu deaths. Not this morning, the whole of Cornwalls seagulls descend on my window sill. Up & showered, packed and raring to go. Janet having cleared the fridge & the boys having a last minute throw out of booze bottles & rubbish. We trundle past the Ship with our luggage to wait for our taxi! Janet has booked a large taxi so imagine our despair at a small Citroen arriving! The rotund red faced driver did not worry he got all five of us in including, six suitcases , five ruck sacks , three shopping bags and an alcohol carrier! It was a bit of a squash!!! Giggling we arrive intact at Penzance station. Early for the train we sit outside the in the sunshine and Olly buys us coffee. People watching is fascinating. A group of young ladies wearing all sorts of strange attire including a pink tutu another in full tyrolean costume! Dear Janet has booked us in first class & our seats are at the front of the train with our own middle aged jolly trolly dolly serving complimentary drinks & snacks. We pass fabulous scenery, golf courses, fields of sheep, garden centres, beautiful homes, farms, barns & outbuildings, estuaries with beautiful boats. At Plymouth the trolly dolly loaded bar service!!! Oh no!! Over bridges, rows after rows of terrace houses. At Plymouth two police officers join the train! They announce they have passive drug dogs on board, Nothing to worry about they say unless you are nicking someone’s luggage or haven’t got a ticket we laugh!! We follow the coastline to Teignmouth. Now we leave the water & go inland , Richard falls asleep and starts snoring! Olly does some homework ready for his next show laughing at himself… Janet’s reading a smouldering book. After Roger’s brush with a stroke I make him get up & walk about and stretch! The train is speeding along & we all remark how smooth and comfy the ride is unlike the bumpy Norwich/Liverpool St train! We eat our sandwiches which I prepared last night with all the fridge leftovers, these saved the day as there wasn’t any decent food on any of the trains because its the weekend we are told. Considering the raucous week we have had the trip on this leg of the journey is fairly quiet. Me updating my blog, Olly rehearsing jokes on passengers, Richard & Roger dozing & Janet feeding everyone as usual. Until there’s a call from George who has lost two of Janets chickens. They have escaped into the next door neighbour’s garden and causing havoc. Janet explains at length how George should catch them to the amusement of the rest of the carriage. We get to Paddington, change for the Liverpool Street Norwich train only to find the Elizabeth line closed again. Circle line to Liverpool street then find there is no direct train to Norwich!! We have to take the Chelmsford train and bus from Ingatestone to Marks Tay, a really naff trip on a crowded bus, then pick up the Norwich train – we have to carry our heavy cases over the track bridge not great for my poorly knee or Richards poor toe. Eventually we find seats, can’t be bothered to find our first class carriage and plonk down in cattle class, Roger opens the gin and we consume a bottle between us. Janet magics up some nuts & biscuits which she offers around the whole carriage bless her. We arrive at Norwich Thorpe giggling and promising to catch up again soon, we make Ricahrd promise to invite us all round to see his remodelled house and go to seek out our 5 person taxi Olly has ordered. Only one small one turns up so we insist the guys take it and Roger & I wait for the next one. We bump into Paul an old customer of the Ribs and have a chat still waiting for the now non existent taxi to arrive. Eventually dear Olly returns in his limo and pick us up. As we all need provisions we all go to Aldi and whizz round for urgent supplies. This is like a carry on film! Trying to load the back of Olly’s van with shopping amongst his many props including cases of make up, vicars outfits, cowboy clothing, Green cross men and his schools road safety props to name but a few – it’s hilarious and life changing! On exiting Aldi car park we see there is now a camera to catch the naughty drivers that turn right when it’s clearly only turn left! A stupid Cow as Olly calls her tried to cross the road in front of us with her phone glued to her ear only to get a mouthful from Olly Day no less! So good to get home after another epic trip. Thank you Janet for organising things so well and to Olly & Richard for being such great company and silly sods. Cheers guys.
Liquid Tales 