Another beautiful day. We piled up the stuff in the car, and took off - armed with a 'Touristic Map' of South Wales with instructions on how to get to Hay-on-Wye.
We took a wonderful road through some hills and over a pass. It was wonderful scenery - wind-swept looking though. But it all looked glorious in the sunshine.
Karen wasn't too keen on the driving as it was really a lane she was driving on for a good part of the trip. There wasn't enough space for two cars to pass, so one or the other has to reverse to a wee layby and let the other pass.
We wandered down the other side of the hill to Hey-on-Wye. It was funny seeing the people prepare for a 'tramp' over these hills. There'd be a carpark at the start of the walk, and for most of the walk I don't think you'd lose sight of your car! Yet it was all taken seriously. At least these people were walkign on tracks - many trampers just walk the back lanes. Odd. Happy little trampers, walking along geting buzzed by cars.
Hay-on-Wye was nice. We arrived at about 10:30am and wandered around for a couple of hours. There was a bookshop hidden in the ruins of Hay Castle. And for 50p you could take a photo inside! Yeah, right.
Hay-on-Wye would make a nice place to stop for a couple of days. Just browsing each wee shop.
We had lunch there and then left for Manchester - Bury, Bolton and Ramsbottom.
We skirted around Manchester and hit Bury. Mum had spent some time here as a child. Aunt Nancy and Aunt Rita used to live here. After some confusion Mum couldn't recognise some parts, what with no railway station any more, the shopping road ("The Rock") blocked off and motorways criss-crossing the place.
We found Bolton Road, which is where Mum's house used to be. It is gone now and replaced with a taxi company.
We then headed to Ramsbottom, about 15 min north of Bury. This is where Mum was told Michael Dickinson lived and worked as a driving instructor. We accosted some local in his garden and looked up all the Dickinsons in the phone book. There were heaps (about 20) and no M Dickinsons. Rang a D Dickinson in Ramsbottom but that was no good. Called in at the Police Station, but that was shut. Finally, Mum called Aunt Nancy and she gave us Michael's number. Turns out he had never lived in Ramsbottom, and lived 15 min away in Radcliffe.
We drove down there and met him and his family. Deidre was at home with two of the boys, Andy and Richard. The oldest boy, Matthew, was at a friend's house. We wandered to their local - the Beer Engine [now The Unicorn, 351 Bolton Rd, Radcliffe M26 3QQ] - and had a few drinks. Michael turned uip and it was lovely to see how he and mum greeted each other. Mum and Deidre talked for hours. We then walked back the 5min back to their house and ordered a 'dough bag' which was takeaway Indian food delivered to your door.
Mike and I fell asleep on the lounge room floor (as did Robert on the couch). Everyone else went to bed around 2:30am. We slept until 7:30am with a blanket over us and a beanbag as a pillow. Comfy night's sleep too it was!
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