26 March 2016

Safe

The good ship "Benn-My-Chree" was like a little cork bobbing across the Irish Sea. Rain was tumbling down like an endless series of waterfalls and the sky so thick with greyness that it felt that night was arriving far too soon. Aboard the little ship every single seat was taken in the passenger lounges so one naturally thought of the Atlantic slave trade and how terrible it must have been for those poor souls shackled below decks in cramped quarters, wondering if their voyages would ever end.

I am sure that several unkind bloggers with warped minds were praying that the "Benn-My-Chree" would sink to the inky black region where Davy Jones's locker is to be found - far below the salty waves where octopuses dwell. Such an event would have meant no more tedious Yorkshire Pudding blogposts to plough through!

To those unkind bloggers I have a news bulletin. We made it home safely! True there were traffic snarl ups in Heysham, Lancaster, Mottram and Glossop but I managed to keep control of my frothing temper - even when we were following a horse transporter over The Snake Pass. It was travelling so slowly I thought that horses were in fact pulling it.

Home now in Merry Olde England where (Mrs Meike Riley please note!) through the magic of television, I have just watched our football team beat Germany by three goals to two. We enjoyed our week on The Isle of Man but it is unlikely we shall ever go back. There are so many other places to see before we die but I am sorry to inform those unkind bloggers that such a morbid event is not planned for the foreseeable future.

23 comments:

  1. From the photo it looks like a rough trip and that you would have to keep your bum in a seat or risk being washed over. anyway , this blogger is glad that you're still in blogland.

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    1. Obviously, you are not an unkind blogger with a warped mind Red. Staggering about the ship I felt like "the drunken sailor".

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  2. I'm also glad that you're still with us. I'm looking forward to reading about your future travels!

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    1. Some of those travels will be closer to home Jennifer but we might make it to foreign climes this summer.

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    2. Come and visit the USA! You and Shirley would love Charleston and Beaufort and Savannah! And I could be your tour guide!

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    3. We love America but that was our last big trip to Vancouver and Washington State. Maybe in another year you and Gregg can push us around in our wheelchairs. We have been to Savannah and had lunch in Mrs Wilkes's Boarding House. She was still alive then. The southern lunch was really delightful. Have you eaten there?

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  3. I'm glad you made it safely home. Rough seas are no fun, that's for sure. I don't envy you that trip at all.

    Having one's feet back on firm ground is always most welcome...well, it is to me, anyway.

    No more boat trips for you for a while...do you hear?? :)

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    1. Cleverly, we took sea sickness pills before the voyage and read our books most of the time. It was good to have two seats - not everyone did. Am I allowed to row a small rowing boat across the pond in Crookes Valley Park?

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  4. What unkind bloggers YP ? Just tell us and we'll slap 'em down with a wet haddock !
    Glad you are safely home on dry land, after what must have been quite an eventful journey.

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    1. Unkind bloggers? They are lurking everywhere! Haven't you seen them CG? There were some outside our house last night and another was wailing down the chimney. Everywhere I tell you.

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  5. Glad you arrived home safe and sound both of you. Unkind bloggers? I do hope not - I even gave you a mention on mine and asked everyone to think of you on your choppy crossing. My son and his wife went for a week (we have friends who live there) and enjoyed it but said the same as you - they had spent the last day going to places they had been to before as they seemed to have run out of fresh places to visit. Any way - back to normality again - whatever that is.

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    1. Normality-on-the-Wold is near Driffield and it's populated by zombie-like unkind bloggers. I like the term "Choppy Crossing". It would be an excellent name for a new Chinese takeaway.

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  6. Good to know you are back home, and even though you felt like a drunken sailor, you weren't one and now do not have to battle a severe hangover.
    As for England beating Germany 3:2, I honestly couldn't care less. I've not watched any TV (or even listened to the news) since Thursday night but had a houseguest whom I spent a most lovely weekend with. (Even without said houseguest, I would not have watched the game.) Therefore, you are very welcome to this victory!

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    1. PS: Who is Davy Jones, and what's in his locker?

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    2. From "THE PHRASE FINDER":-
      Davy Jones is the evil spirit of the sea. There are various possible attempts to explain the name by associating it with someone of a similar name:

      Jones may be a corruption of name of the biblical seaman Jonah. Jonah denoted bad luck on to seamen.

      Davy Jones was a 16th century publican who imprisoned drunken sailors in a locker and press-ganged them to serve on ships.

      The name comes from the patron saint of sailors - St. David.

      None of these is supported by any evidence - they are little more than guesses.

      (By the way, England's goals were scored by Vardy, Kane and Dier. Davy Jones was not in the team)

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  7. The blighter resurfaces like a turd in a bath!
    Hey ho
    Xxx

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    1. Yes John. Sorry to disappoint you. I am a floater.

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  8. And what was it you were telling me about the wonderful benefits to my cultural being in visiting that sceptered isle? Huh!

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    1. Okay Graham! As the bishop said to the masseuse - Don't rub it in!

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  9. Welcome back Yorkie, and no I wasn't one of those praying for the demise of the Benn-My-Chree. (Did you make up that last bit? It sounds vaguely rude)

    I just hope you have dried off after your dip in the sea to get your photo of the ship ploughing through the briny. Were you wearing a lifejacket?

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    1. Yorkshiremen don't need life jackets Ian.
      Benn-My-Chree is Manx for "Girl of my heart". Try whispering it in Mrs P's ear.

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  10. Well, I'm glad you survived. It sounds like a hellish voyage but you and the Mrs are clearly intrepid souls. Oh, and I may indeed check out those Antony Gormley sculptures in Liverpool -- thanks for the tip!

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    1. If you do get to Crosby I hope that the weather, light and importantly the tide all conspire to assist your expert photography.

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