Misc Trips & Holidays down the Years

On having a trawl through the photo albums that I have built up down the years I discovered these little gems that reflect some of the totally miserable and not quite as miserable times I have had on hols and trips out over the years (just joking - they were all magic)....

Considering that the 1970's contained a major heat wave (1976 - complete with Ladybird plague), we never seemed to see any of the sun when we went on holiday. I think was about 1977 (?) and this was Lands End with one of those collection boxes made out of a mine. I think I have just been bought some Matchbox Dragsters and I look well pleased with them. The other lad is Darren Scott who now works at Fitness First in Runcorn.

Zooming forward to the 1990's (about 1998?) and this is me at Lower Dee Mill, Llangollen - with Ivor the Engine. A note to our transatlantic visitors (and anyone who grew up of the generation that had to endure second rate cartoons about martial arts turtles or Pokemon) - this was a cartoon about a steam engine that wanted to sing in the local choir and had a family of dragons living in his firebox (Oliver Postgate - a certified genius if ever I saw one). Do you want me to talk you through it again?

Again in Wales and I think was about 1995 - the Horseshoe Pass that is just above Llangollen - with a top cafe and gift shop. I still have the old Crystal Palace shirt. I recall that on this day that I took two cameras out with me - one loaded with colour and the other with black and white.

Now I know this was September 1996 as I had just started University when Martin suggested a day trip to the Isle of Man. Here I am on the way out on a lovely old tub of a boat (the Lady of Man I think - that by the time I am typing this has probably been turned into razor blades)......

A trip to the Mining Museum (erm.... 2002.... perhaps Martin can help with that one) where one can see the industry that was cynically cut down by the Tories (you all in your hearts know the goddamn issues.....). This was the old locker room and possibly one of the spookiest places on earth.

My fave holiday destination on earth? Toronto? Berlin? No - Tenby in South Wales. This is about May 2001. I have been here many times from the 1970's onwards. This is the rock that used to feature on the That's Wales for you.... advertising campaign. I had a swim in the sea on this morning and regretted it PDQ.

Not far from Tenby - the old NATO range (mainly used by the German Army) which was built around the village of Castlemartin.... well pleased with the composition in this photo...

Mum & dad and Sue & Adam playing some number game that I never really took to (I was more of a Trivial Pursuit man myself) - in the Caravan in Dawlish..... I know this was about 2002 'cos Sue was carrying my Nephew, George.....

Me and my big brother, Michael, in Scotland - 1978 (I think). This is outside our tent that we seemed to spend a lot of our holidays in during the 1970's. I am wearing the kind of toweling pyjamas that you just cannot get nowadays and Mike has caught a fish of some description (from the way he is holding it you would think it was a Marlin!)....

I think this might have been Newquay  (same holiday as the first picture)... me and Sue and mum and dad. I do remember that this was the day of our departure and the trailer contained our tent. The car that we had was an M reg (VRC701M) Hillman Hunter in Grasshopper Green....

I am climbing on some rocks here, dressed like I am on K2. I have no idea when or where this is.... but the Gola trainers give it some brilliant period detail....

This is in Great Yarmouth about..... 1978? I was well pleased with this machine gun game and had spent the whole week on it - the things you shot at were actually models - no superb 3d graphics back then.

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