Trip Day 23 - London Baby...AllyPally

We've enjoyed a few leisurely days, taking it easy as we returned the motorhome and picked up a rental car, catching up on sleep, and not venturing too far. But today, today was the day for an early start as we embarked on a journey to London, baby!

Around six months ago, Mum and I had booked tickets to the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace, complete with reservations for two exciting classes. We hit the road at 6:30 am, with our first class scheduled for 10 am and a journey of just over two hours ahead of us. Little did we know that London had its own timetable in mind. We found ourselves stuck on the M11 in Essex for a good hour and a half, and though we were fortunate enough to secure parking at Ally Pally, we had missed our first class by a good 40 minutes. It seemed like there were a few others who had faced delays, as the first hour at the show was delightfully uncrowded, but the crowds soon swelled, and navigating the venue became quite the challenge!

One of the highlights of the show was the kaleidoscope of colours everywhere you looked. I couldn't help but be mesmerised by a wall adorned with hand-dyed wool, a true feast for the eyes. Another stall offered fabric stamps and dye kits, a unique way to add creativity to fabrics. Mum was thrilled to discover the bead show she frequents online and eagerly explored the offerings, even having the chance to meet the owners in person.

One stall had fabric stamps, where you could buy a kit with dye to use on fabrics, the stamps themselves where really intriguing.

Mum found her bead show she purchases from online, and had a good look around and purchase, and was excited to finally meet the owners in person.

By 1:30 pm, it was time for our afternoon class, during which we learned to create a No-Sew Liberty Print Bauble. 

To be honest, Mum encountered a few challenges, and there was a moment when she humorously declared that she had "lost the will to live" while working on her bauble, as you can probably tell from her expression!

Eventually, it was time to bid farewell to the show. 

We had family to visit before heading back home to Norwich, and our journey involved a bit of traffic but nothing too unbearable. 

We made a successful stop in Brentwood to see the Talbot side of the family, where we spent a delightful hour and a half with some cousins on my Dad's side whom I hadn't seen in years. It was great to learn that they would be visiting New Zealand at Christmas for a holiday, and we're hoping they'll find their way to Wellington for a visit.

Mum and I arrived back in Norwich around 7:30 pm, just in time to heat up some dinner in the Air Fryer. I then dedicated some time playing with Sophie, who needed to burn off some energy before we all headed off to bed. 

Road Trip Day 18 - Melton Mowbray to Norwich

Our final full day on the road has arrived, and we're determined to check off one last bucket list item for Mum. When you're in Melton Mowbray, there's no question about it—you simply must get a Melton Mowbray Pork Pie from Ye Old Pork Pie Shoppe. 

Now, I have to admit that I'm not particularly fond of Pork Pies myself, but I have a soft spot for a good Sausage Roll, and let me tell you, this one was absolutely outstanding!

After a satisfying breakfast, it was time for us to hit the road. Our destination: Desborough, where we visited the Wacoal Bra Factory. This is a regular stop for Mum and me. The lovely ladies at the factory even remembered us from last year when we arrived in the motorhome. They graciously allowed us to park at the factory entrance, where the trucks typically roll in. Such kind people!

The drive back was pleasant, and we spent a good two hours unloading the motorhome and finding suitable spots for all our purchases. To cap off the evening, we decided to order dinner via Uber Eats—a convenient way to conclude our day.

Road Trip Day 17 - Stoke-on-Trent to Melton Mowbray

As our road trip nears its end, we find ourselves with just one more night before returning to Norwich. Today, being a Sunday, we decided to take it easy and enjoy a leisurely start to the day. With approximately two hours of driving ahead, we hit the road around 11 am. As we left Stoke-on-Trent, an intriguing sign for a farm shop caught our attention, and after a somewhat disappointing experience a few days prior, we thought, "Why not give it a try?" Well, this time, it didn't disappoint one bit. Our time at Denstone Hall Farm Shop & Café was so enjoyable that I was too engrossed to take photos, so I've borrowed a few from the web (thanks, Google).

Denstone Hall Farm Shop & Café holds the title of "Best Large Farm Shop & Cafe in the UK" for 2019, 

(I did manage to get this photo though)

After our delightful farm shop visit, we headed south to Leicester. This was a perfect opportunity to stock up the motorhome with various bulk items from Costco and grab some reasonably priced diesel. Our Costco shopping spree was quite successful, with £400 worth of goods filling up the motorhome's "boot." We acquired paper towels, toilet paper, rolled oats, cranberry juice, clothing, crisps, and much more!

Following our shopping adventures, we made our way to our campground for the night. We're staying at a new site in Melton Mowbray called The Grange, which boasts a garden center, café, and restaurant on its premises. Given that it was Sunday and the clock was approaching 3:30 pm, we thought a Sunday Roast at the restaurant would be the perfect choice. Is it a late lunch or an early dinner? We'll call it "Lunner." We opted for the shared Sunday Roast, and beef it was. It was a delightful experience, spending an hour or two indulging in delicious food, all within a stone's throw from our motorhome.

The campground itself had a lot to offer in the charming town of Melton Mowbray.

Overall, it was a wonderful way to spend our final night in the motorhome, with great food and a comfortable setting to cap off our memorable road trip.