So I did celebrated hitting my 50th year by spending a long weekend in Totnes in Devon. Catching up with some great friends whilst also meeting some new people too.
I had a few Guinness
Started most mornings there with a croissant and coffee (not a Guinness) and on my birthday had an almond and cherry croissant to start the day, it was lush.
Then after meeting a friend in the day had a few beers and finally settled on a curry in the evening which was h a chicken madras and mushroom bhaji and pilau rice again really good quality grub.
The accommodation was a great choice and right in the centre of town with everything on its door step.
A week on Sunday and I will be in a Devon Town called Totnes for a birthday get away. It’s my 50 birthday and so I wanted to do something different and hopefully memorable in a positive way. It will be the first time that I have stayed as a guest on holiday since going to Ireland with my Dad in 2024 for St Patricks day. Although its just a train ride down the track rather than a flight or a ferry it means a lot to me to try and get away and do something a little different.
Totnes is a historic and vibrant market town in South Devon, England, located on the River Dart. Renowned for its bohemian counterculture and focus on sustainability, the town features a steep High Street lined with independent boutiques, ethical restaurants, and wholefood cafes, sitting in the shadow of a medieval castle.
I’m really looking forward to getting there. I went and did a little recce (reconnaissance) a few weeks ago to decide whether or not I really wanted to go and stay there and loved the place and area and even took a look and had a meal and a pint at the pub that I will be staying in. Though it will be hot I hope to find places to keep my cool while there.
I have also ordered a t-shirt that I hope arrives in time to take with me which is a dragon singing design that I am having made up.
Front of new designed t-shirt
Back of new ordered t-shirt
Being the first holiday with out my dad will be strange and also running into my 50 year while there will be strange to. if any one asked me how life is I could turn around and say yes not to bad thank you. I am grateful to presently have good mental health and not to bad physical health. I enjoy the company of good friends and also have close friends to call on when I need or want to. Social life is pretty good and though work can be a challenge I work with good people that help me get the job done.
Nothing is perfect nor should it be but it would have been nice to have had a chance to have another relationship / partner or something like that by now – the thought still somewhat terrifies me but it would still be nice to try again. I really think I would never have the energy or mental well being to have had children but most people that I meet that are single and want to mingle have been there and got the t-shirt of parenthood already so that pressure is not really on me or any potential partner.
Some friends have been busy getting in and out of relationships or sorts this year and I have been happy for them but also hoping I get to give it a try again at some time too but most likely will continue to tick along as I am. I am a nightmare hoping for the right person at the right time in the right place. Well we do live learn and love!
Don’t you worry child (Radio Edit) – Swedish House Mafia, John Martin
This time last year me and Dad were on holiday in Ireland for St Patricks day, thanks to a bet that I won on the horse the day after Christmas 2023. It was an unexpected win for a number of reasons and so when the bet paid out I shared some of the money with my mum and dad as the money did not really feel like mine anyway.
Dad said that rather than have the cash he wanted to go on holiday to Ireland and so that is exactly what we did. I paid for the accommodation and flights and we shared the costs of the meals and drinks. It was so much fun and went to some new places that I had not visited before as well as some tried and tested places. We initially got a ferry over from south Wales, which very nearly did not happen to County Wexford, then stayed in lovely hotel there and then travelled to Cork where dads Nan was from. We then went up to Limerick and onto Galway where we spent a weekend and was in St Patricks day for the Sunday. Finally we headed back to Dublin for a few days and then caught a flight back home. I love Ireland; I love my family and feel like although I am missing my Dad now that he is no longer with us I am very grateful for the time we shared together.
I feel like I am counting my blessings at present rather than counting my curses and there are many blessings. Though I hoped and thought he would live longer the time we all shared with him was special and I feel honoured to have known him and had him as part of my life.
July 9th 2010 is a date that comes up on my computer pictures timeline for a wonderful visit from Portsmouth to the Island of Alderney on a tall ship no less when I was 34 some 14 years ago now.
Alderney is the northernmost of the inhabited Channel Islands. It is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown dependency. It is 3 miles long and 1+1⁄2 miles wide. The island’s area is 3 square miles, making it the third-largest island of the Channel Islands, and the second largest in the Bailiwick.
I was staying in supported accommodation in Chepstow in South Wales at the time of the trip to Alderney, after having come out of a hospital stay, due to struggling with my mental health back then. Though I am pleased to say that that was the last time I spent time in hospital due to my mental health and had I not been staying in accommodation in Chepstow I would never have been invited to sail on the ship.
I was well on the way to recovery when this trip to Alderney took place and it really was a great adventure and a real privilege to go there on the working tall ship. I have just spent the last two hours trying to work out the name of the charity that we sailed with and also the name of the boat. Which I am pleased to say I found out eventually.
It turns out the boat is called as already mentioned in the title the Queen Galadriel and was originally built in 1937 in Svenborg, Denmark and was named Else first after the Captain’s daughter. She traded as a cargo vessel around the coasts of Denmark and Norway, initially as a motor sailor but after 1956 under motor alone. In 1983, she was bought by The Cirdan Sailing Trust and went into service, renamed the Queen Galadriel. The Ciridan Saling trust still run her today and groups or individuals can still pay to go on trips with her.
Back in 2010 the weather was stunning when we sailed out to Alderney, really hot, but with a cool breeze on the ship so you did not really feel the heat too much when sailing. Alderney was such a lovely place to visit also, with the beaches there being really special as well.
24 years ago today I was making my way to Temple bar area of Dublin for what was a really special and fun filled day of listening to live music and drinking Guinness in a pub called Fitzsimmons bar. Today I’m in Galway where the morning started with a wonderful plate of pancakes and fruit with a coffee and a drink of orange juice.
Happy St Patrick’s Day
We got home last night in a taxi after venturing around Galway city centre where we had a wonderful meal while watching England play France in the 6 nations rugby. We have been planning this holiday since boxing day 2023 and me and my Dad are really having a lovely time.
Lovely steak and chips
I was a little nervous about leaving the pub that we had just eaten in and going to another bar. But some great music came on from one of the bars we were outside so we decided to venture in.
Great bar with excellent music
When there we met Tony a local Galway lad that took us under his wing talking to us and even giving us a little tour of the city and taking us to a bar called Murphy which he said has the best Guinness in Galway and it was delicious.
Guinness Time
We are hoping to meet up with Tony and some of his friends later for a Paddy day drink. It’s been so cool to meet a local guy able to let us know where to head to in Galway. Such a lovely place.
So day 3 in Ireland, we have had a lot of rain on our travels but it certainly has not dampened our spirits. We were in Cork yesterday and Dad went on a wonder in the evening and managed to get some lovely evening photos.
Hotel Maldon CorkCork Opera house Photo of one of the bridges across Cork.
The photos that Dad got above were taken on his iPhone ill try and pursade him to take some more while we are here. It’s been so cloudy since we have been in Ireland and it rained alot on the first day in Wexford. But when we arrived in Wexford this afternoon the sun came out to say hello.
Limerick train stationFather with pipeMe with father’s finger in way
So we have checked in to the Old Quarter Town house now where I’m just catching my breath. It’s a bar and restaurant with live music reminds me a little of The Ship in Exeter though don’t know if any where here does karaoke on a Friday though.
Bedroom for the nightView from bedroom in Limerick
So me and Dad arrived in Ireland yesterday evening, though we nearly did not make it due to our ferry being cancelled because of bad weather.
We set off from Exeter St David’s train station at 7.20am on Wednesday 13th March 2024.
Train from Exeter (It’s too early) Woken up a little more now!
I’m going to try and get more photos of the trip this holiday I normally try to relax and enjoy the moment and drink too much Guinness and not look like a tourist. But what the heck I’m on holiday and I am a tourist.
So we then headed to Bristol it turns out the Cheltenham horse racing meeting was on too so as we got closer to Cheltenham the train got busier and busier. Luckily for us though we were able to change train at Bristol Temple Meads and head to Swansea in South Wales.
We got to Swansea dad dashed out of train station to smoke a pipe and I walked to the next platform our train to where we were hoping to get a ferry to Ireland from was departing from.
A message then came up saying ferry to Fishguard cancelled. We started worrying about what are options were then and I phoned the ferry company and they told us to get to Fishguard where they would lay on a taxi to Pembrook dock where we could catch a different ferry to rosslare Harbour. So off we went.
Our Ferry from the shore
So we were on the ferry and the waters a bit choppy but Ireland was our destination of choice. There were only 17 walk on passengers on the whole ferry the rest were in cars or lorries. Due to the time of year more people were heading from Ireland to Cheltenham for the races than the other way around.
A pint of Guinness each on the ferry.
We finally arrived at the hotel about 8pm so nearly a 13 hours traveling. It had been a long day and a little stressful not knowing at times how, when or if we would get to Ireland.
First pint on Irish soil was a lemonade.
The hotel that we stayed in on 13 March had a bar and restaurant where we were able to get some gorgeous food and I got my glass of lemonade. My stomach needed settling with some food as all I had ate on the day was a croissant for breakfast and a sandwich for lunch so by 9pm I was needing to eat.
We did make it out to a bar on our favourite part of Wexford where I was able to finally have my first pint in Ireland listen to local musicians play some traditional it was awesome!
We’re off to Cork today where my Dad’s grandfather was born. Dad has never visited Cork so he is really looking forward to going.
Also I nearly forgot to mention that a message came up on my Facebook page to say the 13th March 2000 me and some friends also went to Ireland for 8 days in Dublin. Some 24 years ago. How time flies.
Between Christmas and New Year 2023 to 2024, me and my Dad made a decision to to go back to Ireland in 2024. I am so excited about the idea of going over there again. We have been on Holiday to Ireland in 2018 and 2019. Goodness those dates seem such a long time ago now and the two trips somehow have blended into one in my mind and some of the memories from those trips still feel like they happened just yesterday.
When we went to Ireland on our two journeys in the past we planned our holidays around horse race meetings and went to 3 different race courses which were Leopardstown, Tipperary and Tremor we were also supposed to go to a race course called Gowran Park but it was raining so much we never made it to the race course. When we went to Leopardstown we also ended up seeing one of my all time favourite bands playing at the race course who are called the Waterboys and they sang one of my favourite songs ‘Whole of the Moon’ on a moonlit night too which was just awesome.
Galway City – Ireland
This time when we go we are planning on being in Galway for St Patrick’s day which will just be magical. I am so excited about this, I just hope we can pull it off and go. The accommodation is already booked and the places we will be staying in look awesome, passports are also hopefully sorted now and we just need to make sure we can book our ferry over from Pembroke dock to Rosslare (and also hope the weather is good enough to allow us to travel across by Ferry from Wales to Southern Ireland! We plan to spend a few days in Dublin too where we will fly back to Exeter.
The trip this time around so far is all planned around the destinations were going to and the accommodation were staying in. No horse racing meetings to go to in Ireland for us this time although it just so happens that the biggest race meeting of the year is taking place in the UK which is called the Cheltenham Gold Cup, so we will be keeping an eye on that from wherever we are in Ireland.
Once we have got the ferry to Ireland we will head to Wexford which we have both really like and have stayed in before. After that we will then head to Cork where my Dad’s side of the family are from originally. Dad has never been to Cork but spoke about wanting to go there for years so it will be a really special place to visit and I have reserved a lovely hotel in the centre of Cork.
Maldron Hotel – Cork
We will then head to Limerick before arriving to Galway for St Patricks day. Finally head to Dublin to spend at least one night in the Temple Bar Inn Which I still have not worked out yet if it is next door to the Temple Bar pub in Dublin or whether it is actually the Temple Bar Pub in Dublin, I guess I will find out when we get there and then from Dublin we will catch a flight back home to Exeter.
Temple Bar – Dublin
I must absolutely promise myself to try and get some photos of where we are going to this time. I have taken so few photos of Ireland from my visits in the past and so really want to try and get some photos this time.
Me and Dad in a bar on Ragland Road in Tramore Ireland August 2018 I love this photo of my dad, in this picture there is a white sign which reads ‘Parents are responsible for their children at all times” I think we both looked after or acted responsibly or irresponsibly in equal measure on the holiday.
When we travelled to Ireland for the holiday we stayed in Wexford, Tramore, Dublin and Leopardstown. One of the reasons we went to county Wexford was because it was where Dad went on his holidays by the beach as a boy. We also stayed at the Faye Guest House in Wexford Town and then travelled by train to Tramore and went off to see the horse racing there too.
Entrance to Faye Guest House – Wexford
It was the first time me and Dad had gone on holiday to Ireland together and there was a little racing, drinking, eating and also a chance to see one of my all time favourite bands called the Waterboys sing whole of the moon on a moon lit night in Leopardstown.
Waterboys Band
It just so happens that it is my dad’s birthday tomorrow the 13th August and when we were in Ireland we planned the holiday so that we were there for his birthday too.
I am such a huge fan of Ireland with the music, the people and company and culture. As well as the food, drink and hospitality. They love to party and enjoy the company of good people as well as a pint of Guinness and a punt at the horse racing – what is not to love.
So I have just gone and booked a little city break to Ireland in Dublin.
Ha’Penny Bridge Dublin
The accomidation we will be staying in is an appartment right by the bridge in the photo above.
I am so excited and it was a little bit of an impulsive holiday booking for me and a good friend to go over for a long weekend in late November.
At present you are not able to travel to Ireland from the UK without getting a Covid-19 test first and then self-isolating on your way there and on your way back. I am hoping these rules with have been relaxed by November and we are able to travel over without these restriction in place.
Dublin can be a very expensive city to get accommodation in and the 3 nights stay in Dublin in our apartment is costing us about £33 each per night to stay which is so cheap and it’s a perfect location for the area of Dublin we have enjoyed staying at in the past.
If we can’t go not to worry, nothing ventured nothing gained as they say. But if we can it will be blast.
So I just need to make sure I can get the time of work now and arrange how we get to Dublin too.
Exciting times ahead, needing some of that luck of the Irish for this trip to come off though.
One time when I went to Dublin I saw the Waterboys sing the song below at a race course it was amazing. I look forward to making more memories there in November
Wateboys – Whole of the moon
Dublin is such a magical place with people from all over the world mixing, chatting, smiling, laughing and drinking.
A great none judgmental place that takes you as you are. Had so much fun there on many an occasion that I have been there and I do really hope I am there again in November.
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