A few days away to see the family

Part 1: Stamford and Pin Mill

Friday 15th to Thursday 21st August 2008

In brief : An overnight stop at friends to break the journey south, but also to catch up on the news, then down to Suffolk to see our daughter, our son in law and the grandchildren.

Weather : Overcast but with some sun, partly due to being on the eastern side of the country.

A local walk from Angie's near Castle Bytham in Lincolnshire

Angie, a good friend through the OFC originally, invited us to stay overnight with herself and David, as we were travelling south down the A1 to Suffolk.

A very sociable evening was followed by a short local walk next morning to exercise ourselves and the dogs.

Jill Rowland had travelled over too and was the surprise guest waiting to greet us as we arrived.

Bethan and Harry take a breather in the warn morning air.

Jill and I watch as Angie tries to take a photo, try I say because her camera battery cover was falling apart !

However careful manipulation of the fingers brought success.

This was Ann's version of the photo - a Common Blue Butterfly

Ann's being artistic again as she found these bright Poppies at the edge of a corn field.

A small ford in Little Bytham, but we took the footpath on past the bridge rather than get our feet wet.

A very sociable, if brief visit, was concluded with lunch in the garden.

Jill, Angie, David and myself.

- - - o o o - - -

Cathy and Richard's home is in Pin Mill, a picturesque riverside village on the River Orwell in Suffolk.

It has a fine pub and two traditional boatyards that are lapped by the water at high tide.

Cathy's group of houses have a central courtyard with an entrance through this riverside arch.

High tide and sunshine . . . a wonderful combination.

Remember to turn sharp right if you are going out in the car !

Did I mention the boatyards and the pub ?

Several classic old barges are moored up in the river.

Harry King's yard and a modern sailing cruiser.	Two of the old East Coast barges.

What a welcoming sign . . . good food and real ale are for sale in the bar.

Lunchtime at the Butt and Oyster.

Cathy talks to her friend Karen (in the brown shirt) and Ann sits opposite Kevin.

The extended family and friends grab a table for lunch.

Pint of the best (Coke) for the lads.

Late afternoon and the tide's back in and the children enjoy messing about on the foreshore.

River view . . . the posts mark the low causeway out to the deep channel.

Another Thames Barge enjoying a new lease of life.

After lunch . . . coffee in the garden.

- - - o o o - - -

Next day it dawned overcast and rather windy so we decided on a local walk along the headland.

There were quite a few artists about today taking advantage of the many nautical scenes.

Not everyone was boat orientated.

Low tide and we could walk on the foreshore in front of the pub without getting our feet wet.

Cathy, Ann and Sarah walking past more artists quietly practicing their skills.

Pin Mill is famous for all the old houseboats that are moored up in the bay.

Traditionally a very messy place, it has been tidied up recently and is looking a little more respectable and cared for.

Young puppy.	Old boats.

The walk around the headland has been mapped by the authorities and is suitably signposted A lot of it is open access land or permissive footpaths which form a walk giving a delightful hour full of local interest.

The moorings out from Pin Mill are only just one of many similar facilities up and down the river.

In the distance the River Orwell Bridge taking the road traffic to and from Felixtowe, effectively a southern bypass route around Ipswich .

Matthew and Nia, Sarah's daughter.

I entertain the four dogs, Alexander is busy entertaining himself.

Cathy is trying to identify some large black seabirds further along the foreshore.

Sara's Ethan and our grandson, Sam.	Alexander wants a turn at the binoculars.

Is Ann practicing Irish Dancing or just washing the mud off her trainers ?

We leave the river and head back towards the village.

Danger deep water . . .	. . . an artificial lake for irrigation water.

No need to irrigate this crop.

The cereal is cut and harvested and the residual stalks already bailed for straw.

Rose Bay Willow Herb already starting to seed.	Does this coat make me look Scottish ?

Back down in the village, we pass the back of one boatyard . . .

. . . and through the other to reach the garden gate and home.

- - - o o o - - -

Technical note: Pictures taken with my Cannon G7 or Ann's Ixus 75 Digital cameras.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed with . . . sunshine on the high tide.

Go to - 15th to 21st August 2008 A few days with the family and friends (part two)

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Previous walk - 9th August 2008 The Wainwright Animal Centre

A previous time here - 4th to 6th April 2006 A similar visit to Pin Mill in 2006