The Sunday Drive

[GHT]

There's a lovely pub/restaurant called The Roal Oak that we love to drive to. It's original roof is thatched, but the extention is tiled, the mix of the two is just right, perfect picture postcard, only I didn't think to take a photo. However, we did have something to eat, not exactly what you would get in the McDonald's drive through: Too much for one, we shared our meal, the serving board is actually the plate. I'll put up a picture of the pub next time we visit:

 

[Touchofevil]

There's a lovely pub/restaurant called The Roal Oak that we love to drive to. It's original roof is thatched, but the extention is tiled, the mix of the two is just right, perfect picture postcard, only I didn't think to take a photo. However, we did have something to eat, not exactly what you would get in the McDonald's drive through: Too much for one, we shared our meal, the serving board is actually the plate. I'll put up a picture of the pub next time we visit:
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That photo is beautiful. If your meal looked and tasted as good as that picture looks, I would be a regular.

 

[Big Man]

After everything settled down after Easter Sunday church, dinner, and visits, it was time to take a nice ride on an old dirt road across the mountain. Now THIS is what a "Sunday Drive" is all about!

 

[So33]

Wow, Big Man. I'd pay you money for a Sunday drive like that.

 

[GHT]

Very impressive Big Man, by the way, that's a lovely photo of your grandchildren in the families of the lounge thread.

My niece and her new husband asked us if we knew somewhere unusual where they could take hubby's parents for Sunday lunch. My wife and I had met his parents at the wedding but since then, haven't had much chance to become acquainted. When I learned that he was something of a railway enthusiast I knew the perfect place. A former station on a defunct railway name of Holmsley. Formerly it was Holmsley Station, nowadays it's known as Holmsley Tea Rooms. And it's full of railway paraphernalia, old timetables, travel tickets, photos and memorabilia.

We enjoyed a traditional Sunday lunch and then we took my niece's inlaws through The New Forest, following where possible, the trackbed of the former railway. These pictures are of Holmsley when it was a station and how it looks today. The magnificent bridge was dubbed Lady Wimborne Bridge. The trains ran over the land of Lord Wimborne, the bridge spans the main drive to his country pile, Canford House. The railway is long gone, but the bridge, like a lot of other structures along the line, has a preservation order on it.

 

[Big Man]

Very impressive Big Man, by the way, that's a lovely photo of your grandchildren in the families of the lounge thread.

My niece and her new husband asked us if we knew somewhere unusual where they could take hubby's parents for Sunday lunch. My wife and I had met his parents at the wedding but since then, haven't had much chance to become acquainted. When I learned that he was something of a railway enthusiast I knew the perfect place. A former station on a defunct railway name of Holmsley. Formerly it was Holmsley Station, nowadays it's known as Holmsley Tea Rooms. And it's full of railway paraphernalia, old timetables, travel tickets, photos and memorabilia.

We enjoyed a traditional Sunday lunch and then we took my niece's inlaws through The New Forest, following where possible, the trackbed of the former railway. These pictures are of Holmsley when it was a station and how it looks today. The magnificent bridge was dubbed Lady Wimborne Bridge. The trains ran over the land of Lord Wimborne, the bridge spans the main drive to his country pile, Canford House. The railway is long gone, but the bridge, like a lot of other structures along the line, has a preservation order on it.

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Thanks for the kind words.

The old railway station looks like a place I'd like to visit. I'm always glad when older buildings can be saved and repurposed.

 

[Big Man]

OK, so it wasn't a "Sunday drive" but a Saturday drive. Just about the same thing.

Yesterday, my wife, Anne, and I got back from another grand adventure. We left out yesterday morning in the '27 Bugatti and headed up Curtis Creek road (a winding single lane mountain dirt road) to the Blue Ridge Parkway. I'd planned to go to Mount Mitchell, but it looked like it was raining on top of the mountain so I elected to head north on the Parkway towards Linville Falls. Well, wouldn't you know, the rain hit us hard about Crabtree Meadows and continued to rain the rest of the trip. (I bet it was clear on top of Mitchell.)

Once we reached Linville Falls (soaking wet, I might add), we stopped off at Famous Louise's Rock House restaurant for a bite to eat and some hot coffee. Refreshed and warm (but still wet), we headed back out in the rain.

I thought about going down old 105 (a very rough single lane dirt road across the mountain ridgeline), but that would be too easy. Instead, we headed across 183 to 181 (paved roads), then down to Gingercake and the road to Table Rock (another single lane mountain dirt road). By this time everything on FS 210 (a Forest Service dirt "road") was pure mud. Of course that made it all the more fun. We made the trip down the mountain in good shape (although covered with mud).

Hitting 181 again, we went a couple miles to Rose Creek road (dirt), and followed it out to the Fish Hatchery road. From there we went to 126 and on home by way of Linville River.

It was a great trip, and the old car did good. Riding in an open car (with no windshield) in a driving rain is quite an experience. Once we got home, the sun came out and started shining (wouldn't you know). Maybe that's a sign that we still had time for another road trip before dark. Who knows ...

 

[scottyrocks]

OK, so it wasn't a "Sunday drive" but a Saturday drive. Just about the same thing.

Yesterday, my wife, Anne, and I got back from another grand adventure. We left out yesterday morning in the '27 Bugatti and headed up Curtis Creek road (a winding single lane mountain dirt road) to the Blue Ridge Parkway. I'd planned to go to Mount Mitchell, but it looked like it was raining on top of the mountain so I elected to head north on the Parkway towards Linville Falls. Well, wouldn't you know, the rain hit us hard about Crabtree Meadows and continued to rain the rest of the trip. (I bet it was clear on top of Mitchell.)

Once we reached Linville Falls (soaking wet, I might add), we stopped off at Famous Louise's Rock House restaurant for a bite to eat and some hot coffee. Refreshed and warm (but still wet), we headed back out in the rain.

I thought about going down old 105 (a very rough single lane dirt road across the mountain ridgeline), but that would be too easy. Instead, we headed across 183 to 181 (paved roads), then down to Gingercake and the road to Table Rock (another single lane mountain dirt road). By this time everything on FS 210 (a Forest Service dirt "road") was pure mud. Of course that made it all the more fun. We made the trip down the mountain in good shape (although covered with mud).

Hitting 181 again, we went a couple miles to Rose Creek road (dirt), and followed it out to the Fish Hatchery road. From there we went to 126 and on home by way of Linville River.

It was a great trip, and the old car did good. Riding in an open car (with no windshield) in a driving rain is quite an experience. Once we got home, the sun came out and started shining (wouldn't you know). Maybe that's a sign that we still had time for another road trip before dark. Who knows ...

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Fantastic!

My wife would never stand for something like that. haha

 

[GHT]

Great photos Big Man, at least your mud spatters were from having fun, and what fun it looks too.


There's a vintage event that we go to every year called The Goodwood Revival, a nostalgia show like no other. It's so popular that all accommodation from B&B to top hotels are booked out solid well in advance, so it's a question of camping, or as my missus puts it, glamping. That's glamour camping, we have a camper van and awning.

A couple of years back torrential rain turned the campsites into a quagmire, and what a state the MG got into. At first glance you might think that the photo shows a puncture, but you can see the mud accumulation. The garage had to get the car up on the ramps and steam the underside, it took hours. Then all the underseal had to be renewed, the costs I would rather forget.