Melton and One Year On

Back from Newcastle, one day of work and it was onto another train, this time bound for Melton in Suffolk and a weekend away with Steve n Eileen. You may remember them from a few months back with the Woodbridge regatta and when the folks visited.
Upon arriving it was a night down “the Doom” as they affectionately call their local pub (actually called the Horse & Groom). It’s an interesting little pub with an interesting crowd and made for a fun relaxing night. Getting set up by your 68year old ‘uncle’ was certainly an interesting one. Christine was friendly and chatty enough as Steve n Eileen excused themselves for the evening... Her friend, Sue joined us and it became a very entertaining conversation and night.

Saturday was a slow enough start as Steve took us out on their boat down the Woodbridge river. A lovely sunny day and it was just great to cruise on down the river in the sun. Upon time to head back, the tiller was handed to me and it was time for me to ‘guide the ship’ so to speak... It’s been a few years since I’ve had the helm of a boat of any sort with the last one being the One & All, the tall ship I spent two weeks aboard as training crew. Still, guiding sizeable boats is cool no matter whether it’s with a large wheel or a long tiller. I even managed to steer it past a boat named the ‘Alice May’.
Back on land and it was a rather late breakfast at the local breakfast caravan in the boat yard. Again, sitting in the sun with the other folks from the boat yard and just enjoying the banter with the locals. A good breakfast too, I might add.
From here we headed back towards town and stopped off in the Coach & Horses which was built back in the 1400’s. Amazing the ages of some of the places over here. It also goes to show you just how much folks have grown over the last 600+ years as the ceiling wasn’t exactly high. A quaint spot with what would make for a better atmosphere than the ‘Doom’ if it had more people in it.
And speaking of the ‘Doom’, that’s where we ended up for the afternoon - in the beer garden with some of the folks I’d met last time as well as on the Friday night. Tales of two of them and their adventures with mashed potato and the blender created some good entertainment as we whiled away the afternoon in the sun.
Home cooked dinner to follow and it was all good.

Sunday saw us head down to Ipswich and the boating store for some bits. This was followed by a visit to the Ipswich Marina that you can see on the left, where we had to take advantage of the harbour-side cafes in yet another lovely sunny day. Having a look around the Fairline yard/dock was also impressive. Someone out there is buying these awesome cruisers as they had several lined up being fitted out.
A further jaunt through Ipswich and it was back to Melton via the cruisey riverside Maybush Pub (right). Excellent pub and beer garden right on the riverbank just outside of Ipswich. Great food too. And I was loving the sun - it’s something I haven’t seen much of lately. Shortly after and it was back to that same entertaining beer garden in Melton before hopping the evening train back to London. A great weekend of just switching the world off and relaxing with my cousins. Well needed with some of the stresses of late...

Monday marked the passing of 365 days since I touched down in London last year. Any excuse to have a few drinks, and several of us found ourselves at the picturesque Counting House for the evening. From here after several beverages and much conversation, those of us that were left headed further into central London for something that I’ve avoided for many years - Karaoke.
Yep, I finally succumbed and managed to do a decent job of Queen’s “Don’t Stop me now” and Def Leppard’s “Love Bites”. I won’t say too much about my version of Bon Jovi’s “Blaze of Glory” except to say that I may have a good stand up act because I did it as Bob Dylan. Unfortunately, Belinda’s rendition of Brittany Speers has left me in the worst place to be with a hangover this morning - with Brittany’s song stuck in my head! As if the headache wasn’t bad enough... Anyway, a top way to finish off the night and round out the last twelve months.

As to how those last twelve months have gone... well... you tell me. It’s (nearly) all here...
At least the next twelve months looks far more promising!