Having miserably failed to find anywhere to go on holiday in the South of France at short notice, we're now heading off to the west country for five days. I'm sure I'll find the English riviera as alluring as the French one would have been. Ahem. After that I'm spending a couple of days in Glasgow at the end of the week, although this will be a bit of a busman's holiday as I am speaking at a conference of political academics on Saturday.
All this means that unless the weather is awful and/or I am bored out of my tiny mind, there won't be much blogging (if any) over the course of the next seven days. And to be honest, it will probably do me good to have a complete break from it.
I will, however, keep twittering from time to time, If you don't follow my twitter feed but would like to click HERE.
Aha! Opportunity in the mean time to try and half-inch some of Iain's audience, lol.
ReplyDeleteMight be interesting to see if other blogs get an audience boost when bloggers with a large following go away. Anyone noticed this?
While you're down here, ask a few people what their annual wages are. You're in for a bit of a shock. Have a good time, it's the best place in Britain and I wouldn't swap it for anything despite the poor pay.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the traffic Iain!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy it!
ReplyDeleteWhile in Glesga, visit the City Merchant. Or I'll cut you.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice holiday and come back refreshed. It's going to be a busy next 9 months or so.
ReplyDeleteCrockle Alert !
ReplyDeleteAvoid M5 anyhere between Bristol and Taunton unless you like playing I-Spy
Have a good one in God's own cider orchard.
Fawlty Towers here we come?
ReplyDeleteYou know Iain, when I began reading this post I more or less expected Cliff Richard to pop up singing "Summer Holiday".
ReplyDeleteMaybe, like me, you don't have the technology. :)
Plenty clotted cream now, good for the bones they say.
I have a lovely place you could have rented this week - you should have said earlier.
ReplyDeleteNow you tell me! I blogged about my in vain search several weeks ago!
ReplyDeleteCheck this out for future reference:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.maisonduparadou.com/
Hopefully the weather you get shall be better than the dreary weather in Northern Ireland lately.
ReplyDeleteHave a great break,
Tim
It's been pissing down in Glasgow for the past three weeks. Bring a brolly.
ReplyDeleteJust got back from Umbria, Italy.. Great place, hardly any Brits only an hour from Florence and Siena, big lake to chill out to, lots of Italian food and no chavs. Bliss.
ReplyDeleteWell, at least you'll know the language better and...
ReplyDeleteOh. Wait...
While youi are there check out Michael Yon and his post of 19 August on Afghanistan about Yanks and Brits. It might concentrate the mind.
ReplyDeleteYou'll be better off in Herne Bay than Torbay.
ReplyDeleteThese have been available all year
ReplyDeletehttp://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mobile-home-Caravan-Holiday-South-France-nr-St-Tropez_W0QQitemZ310163022606QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Tickets_Travel_Accommodation_ET?hash=item483728230e&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14 even saw one which went for £100 for late July but I couldn't face the drive so went to Cornwall - probably saved a couple of hours.
Ahh, You may stop off in Dorset, now in full harvest. Worborrow bay is the place to enjoy a swim. Fill your tank up before you set off, our fuel prices in the rural villages are a disgrace.
ReplyDeleteYou will probably be asleep by nine! Lots of golf courses to enjoy too
Never mind that shit. We just won the Ashes.
ReplyDeleteGiven your interest,am surprised you haven't planned to go on holiday to Germany, unless John isn't keen! That said the English South West Coast is rather lovely this time of year
ReplyDeleteIt does you credit that you are not lolling on some millionaire's yacht.
ReplyDeleteAs I recollect, you were originally hoping to take two weeks off, now it's come down to 7 days, with 2 of them being a busman's holiday.
Quite right too. When you are forging ahead in your career, holidays are for wimps.
Enjoy whatever leisure you can snatch.
Scrolling down from this post, I saw that the headline of the preceding one read:
"As the Election Looms, Will Tory Bloggers Start to Pull"
If that's your ambition, good luck.
Take care on the narrow winding roads - what passes for a main A road in North Somerset would be a C road at home.
ReplyDeleteHope those in Grockle country are wider.
While you are away Iain, have a thought about one of your lot who will only select a pretty woman as a candidate in his association.
ReplyDeleteThis is a new campaigning tactic that I am not too familiar with.
Explain.
South of France is vulgar, expensive and full of muggers!
ReplyDelete(I was mugged twice in one afternoon, so I know).
Italy and Croatia are much nicer if you are looking for Med sea, sand and culture.
Iain- honest question, have you experienced any problems being a gay couple visiting the West Country Hotels?
ReplyDeleteDo they make adequate provision for Gays. I would assume it is completely different than being in a metropolitan city.
I hope you ahve what we've had in Norfolk for the past four weeks. Sunshine, no rain, and its been wonderful (and the complete opposite of what the Met Office said four weeks ago).
ReplyDeleteHave a good break.
Having spent many a pleasant summer down that way, can recommend "No. 7" fish restaurant (http://www.no7-fish.com/frameset.html). Family run bistro with fresh daily catch, great wine list and easy parking. You'll need to book. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteWell, we know where Gordon Brown has been now: America. Nice free session at Martha's Vineyard?
ReplyDeleteInterview with Huffington Post on
...this is unbelievable....
Women's rights!
inowhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/gordon-brown/taking-womens-rights-seri_b_266578.html
Purple line
ReplyDeleteThe South west is loving and giving and very broadminded.
Hotels and B+Bs are always delighted to welcome guests from everywhere. A cosy break recharges the spirit!
After spending the past eight summers in the South of France, we decided to return to a favourite haunt in Devon - Dartmouth.
ReplyDeleteWe were lucky enough to be there when the English summer was as its best but it served to remind us just how good Britain is when the weather is good.
Repeat....when the weather is good...
Just been looking at the Met Office rainfall radar page. Judging by the rainfall they are showing I am (sadly for you)expecting blogging to resume from you soon, unless it has blown past by the time you read this.
ReplyDeleteDon't Twitter myself; feel about it as Widders does so comment here: It's Regatta Week in Dartmouth - the traffic will be vile; Carved Angel was good 25 years ago; changed hands so not the same place. Watch for drunken Hoorays!
ReplyDeleteOoh, just back from the Riviera myself. Avoid Torquay town centre and it can be lovely.
ReplyDeleteThere are a couple of splendid National Trust places around there - Coleton Fishacre, the former home of the D'Oyly Cartes (beautiful art deco place, great gardens); and Agatha Christie's holiday home at Greenway (which you can reach by ferry from Dartmouth). There's also a very good vineyard (no laughing) at Sharpham, which has a very good small restaurant.
i know you are on holiday , just wanted to say how sick and disgusted i was at what happend at west ham tonight , and yes i am a west ham fan , maybe when you come back you could share your thoughts ?
ReplyDeleteYou know Iain, you could have just turned up in Nice and booked a hotel from the street. Unless of course you don't like Nice. Meh, the west country's OK too. Enjoy your break.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about the fracas at West Ham Iain.
ReplyDeleteStill it's not all bad news today. That sh*tbag Edward Kennedy will no longer be stealing oxygen.
@AVPS - I hear Iain only has half an inch anyway.
ReplyDeleteIain
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your holiday but...campaigning never stops.
Have just started a facebook group that asks people to compare the release of Magrahi with the release of loyalist and republican terrorists. Suggests that people should ponder this before joing in the boycott of the UK.
Group is called ‘Releasing Megrahi bad? Releasing Northern Ireland’s Terrorists Good?’
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=123024433258&ref=mf
For anyone who wants to react to the anti-British 'BoycottScotland.com' with more than party political point scoring against the SNP and Labour.
Douglas
Just come back from Normandy. God probably has a different idea of where his cider country is.
ReplyDeleteCalvados - mmmmm.....
Trying to find anywhere in the South of France during les vacances is not likely to be successful. Try July next year when they are still at work...
ReplyDeleteAuntie Flo' said...
ReplyDelete"Well, we know where Gordon Brown has been now: America. Nice free session at Martha's Vineyard?"
I don't think so. The last I heard he was in the Lake District.
Doublas (Anon above) might consider the US attitudes to the only convicted mass murderer of the Mai Lai massacre US Lt Calley served 2 months for and those towards al-Megrahi:
ReplyDeletehttp://quietzapple-musing.blogspot.com/
Hope you enjoyed your stay down here in the Wesscun'ry. I somewhat doubt it as the weather has been as bad as any summer I can remember, did you bring it down Iain?
ReplyDeleteCome back :(
ReplyDeleteYou should have asked on here were to go in the South of France, I could have told you, as I expect a few more could have done.
ReplyDeleteMine was/is between Monaco and Menton.