Skytower Roadshow Tour 2008 – Day 1
Posted by Skytower on Fri June 27, 2008
Well, the two week tour of the south and south-west is underway. At last. Loads of scheduled destinations, an itinerary (pictured) containing details of all the hotels, destinations, and dates; one man, equipped with two suitcases (I never travel light – fact), and a Mondeo with a wheezing exhaust. Never mind that, it’ll survive.
Day one’s primary focus was on getting to Minehead. Given that I was travelling straight from work (finishing work at 6am and leaving work twenty minutes later), I expected to be tired – although not quite as tired as it turned out. Lovely and sunny leaving Leicester, which didn’t help the eyes. Primary intention – get beyond Birmingham before rush hour kicks in, and then I can have a nap if need be… which was precisely what happened. The services at junction 2 of the M42 – Hopwood Park – couldn’t have come at a better time.
A ninety-minute nap (and a sandwich) later, and we’re back on the road, ready to tackle the never-ending M5. I hate the signs that say “Exeter 87″ (or whatever it is) because it just seems bloody ages away. Fortunately, I go nowhere near Exeter, as Minehead is in north Somerset – proper cider country!
Through Bridgwater (and past a venue that clearly has top cabaret), and a trouble and traffic-free journey sees me getting into Minehead for pretty much bang-on midday. At this point, I realise that I’ve not set the satnav to locate the hotel – merely central Minehead – and am left frantically tapping in the postcode whilst traversing a pedestrian-filled area. No casualties, fortunately. The Marston Lodge Hotel is our home for the next two nights – typically, though, the room is two flights of stairs up… not much fun with two suitcases. Still, the view is nice… if you like chickens.
The car gets abandoned, and – as will be a running feature of the fortnight – it is time to explore on foot. Minehead appears to be much less commercial than I’d imagined, Butlins excepted. The first of many planned pubs is located – The Quay – and the drinking begins. It’s already looking like a real ale fest, despite my reservations about how they serve beer in the south and south-west.
It’s not the best of days weather-wise here, somewhat grey but warm enough. A wander up the seafront – as far as the Butlins complex – and a wander back. It’s got a remarkably short seafront, although most of the town extends inwards, with the main road into the town containing everything you need. A beer is had at a hotel bar – which subsequently closes not long after ordering – and then a little trip up the main street to locate an off licence. Let’s face it, off licences are much cheaper than hotel bars! Hmmm… bottled ale… not a bad idea.
Back to the hotel – it’s about 4ish – and time for a bottle of beer and a bit of a chill out. Read a book, have another beer. It’s 5ish… think I’ll have a brief nap and consider popping into the town this evening… at least, that was the plan. The “brief nap” turns into a coma (anyone would think I needed sleep!), sleeping through the phone alarm, and not waking until gone 10. Far too late now to do anything, so roll over and back to sleep. End of day one.
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