The Wonders of the Isle of Wight with Leo & Netty

 The Wonders of the Isle of Wight 

The sun was shining as we made our to the iconic landmark The Needles, known for its striking multi-coloured cliffs and clear blue waters. The views were spectacular. 

An afternoon was spent at the Haven Monkey Sanctuary, a hidden gem for animal lovers and conservation enthusiasts alike. This sanctuary offers a unique and heartwarming experience, allowing us to witness the rehabilitation of rescued monkeys and learn about the critical role of wildlife conservation. There were so many species for us to admire as well as a variety of owls who had all been rescued. 

Down at the archery shed we were hoping to give Robin Hood a run for his money. Aimee was our star archer scoring a bullseye on her first shot. After a few goes, everyone was hitting the target, scoring highly. We then headed to rifle shooting where we were given a safety briefing before everyone aimed and fired their riffle. We were all happy with our high scores. 

We had a full day ahead of us starting with filling ornaments with the local sand which was great fun, and we were all thrilled with our masterpieces.

It was then into Alum Bay glass factory to watch how they made glass ornaments from sand. It was so interesting to watch these skilled workmen create beautiful pieces right before our very eyes. After a lovely lunch we headed to the sweet factory and watched how they make sweets from raw sugar into tasty treats. Luckily for us we got to sample a few delights! 

An ice cream treat is always welcome on one of our Jolly holidays. 

The evening entertainment never disappoint. You will always find us dancing the night away to the in house band. We particularly loved practising our line dancing to the islands famous cowboy, Country Joe! 

Steam Railways in Yorkshire with Marguerite & Jackie

 Steam Railways in Yorkshire 

Our jollybus headed towards Pickering station to board the steam train to Goathland made famous for the filming of both Heartbeat and Harry Potter. The station was bustling with like-minded travellers and as the train puffed into the station the noise of the whistling steam was deafening. We boarded and enjoyed an hour’s trip taking in the scenic views along the way before disembarking at the picturesque station of Goathland. Here we made our first stop at the souvenir shop buying Harry Potter memorabilia, everyone excited to be standing on the station that was once transformed into Hogsmeade Station. 

Our next stop was at Scripps Garage, made famous by the fictional TV series Heartbeat. We posed for photographs outside and then purchased more souvenirs to take home.

Ready for our next steam train adventure we drove to Bolton Abbey station and boarded the 1903 electric autocar, a restored unique wooden bodied Edwardian autocar and auto coach which had been found buried in a hedge and had initially been used as camping accommodation. It was lovingly restored to its original specification and now is enjoyed by the public transporting passengers to Embsay station. We passed through the rolling green hills of the Dales spotting much wildlife and marvelled at the Embsay Crag, an impressive natural landmark in the hills above.

Today we visited York to the National Railway Museum to immerse ourselves in the home of iconic locomotives and an unrivalled collection of engineering brilliance. The museum tells the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. Everyone loved wandering around this huge hanger marvelling at the sheer size of the exhibits. There were plenty of photo opportunities and Kevin shared his train knowledge with us throughout the day which was very interesting. 

At Whitby harbour we climbed aboard the Black Pearl Pirate boat where we channelled our inner Jack Sparrow. This was a fun cruise around the harbour and out to sea. We dressed up whilst we cruised and took some great photographs donning hats, holding cutlasses and skulls. What a fun experience. 

A fun day was spent and we were keen to see who we could leave behind at the Prison and Police Museum in Ripon. We first visited the workhouse museum and garden and spent time learning how people lived, worked and slept in the workhouse and read stories of separation, poverty and social inequality, sad lives in Victorian society before the welfare system. 

The gardens covered a wide area, and a huge variety of vegetables and fruit were grown here. We then took a short walk to the Prison and Police Museum to discover what life was like for Victorian prisoners. 

 

Plenty of photo opportunities were taken whilst we were here. Kevin and Michael really loved this experience and took every opportunity to dress up and role play, great stuff guys! 

Devon & Cornwall with Darren & Ayshea

 Devon & Cornwall 

The sun was shining as we made our way to the town of Lynmouth.  Our first stop was at the museum where we learnt about the flood of 1952 where the whole village was swept away from the raging water. After purchasing our tickets for the cliff railway we took our seats in the carriages and headed up the hillside in the world’s only water powered funicular which joins the twin towns of Lynmouth & Lynton built in 1890. Everyone was amazed yet shocked at how old it was and that it is still working. At the top we were greeted by spectacular views, looking all the way out to sea. 

Next stop was at the toy museum which was full to burst with memorabilia from years gone by. It was a nostalgic trip back to our childhood with toys, games and action figures. There were some interactive games, and we were keen to try them out. It was great to see everyone with smiles on their faces, exchanging stories about all the toys they used to play with. As we left a few of us bought some gifts including a Rubix cube and a Noddy toy. What a brilliant museum! 

An afternoon tea delight was enjoyed overlooking the beach and the freshly baked scones with clotted cream was everything we had dreamed of and more! We could certainly get used to this! 

A fascinating morning was spent at the Darlington Crystal Factory which opened in 1967 and is where some of the world’s best glass is made. Once our tour started, we were wowed by the things we learnt! Did you know that it takes 10 years to become a glassblower?! It was amazing to be able to watch the skilled craftsmen at work in the factory blowing glass into a variety of shapes! It was then onto the finishing stage where the glass is rounded and polished. Some were polishing the glass with gold and blue, and we also saw the machine to personalise the glass. . Everyone loved looking at the glass champagne flutes that had been made for the King’s Coronation and some replica vases for the late queen Elizabeth II. 

We drove to the bustling seaside town of Ilfracombe. The harbour was busy with other holiday makers, and it was great to see so many different boats bobbing around. The huge statue of a pregnant lady called Verity which was created by the artist Damien Hurst was standing prominently. It represents truth and justice in the modern world in his eyes. We couldn’t believe how big the statue was, and it was interesting to read how it was all put together. 

Our competitive side came out as we challenged each other to pool and table football competitions. Down at the bowling alley we scored strikes and high scores were a plenty. 

The sun was shining, and we were all excited to see what animals we could meet at Exmoor Zoo. With our maps in hand we planned our first stop, at the monkey enclosure! There were monkeys swinging from rope to rope right over our heads which was so much fun to see! They made it look effortless! We had also arrived in time to see them eating their lunch which they gobbled up! They weren’t phased by us looking at them through the glass. Next, we headed to the Tapir enclosure where some were napping in the sun but one was walking up and down which meant we got a good view of him! The black swan and wolverine were particularly interesting as none of us had seen them before! 

We spent the day in Plymouth visiting the National Marine Aquarium which is the largest in the UK. We were all full of high spirits at the thought of seeing different kinds of sea life. Our underwater adventure started in the rock pool area where there were star fish and jelly fish which were in an illuminated tank. The highlight was looking inside the gigantic fish tank where we saw sharks, stingrays and other large species of fish. Some even walked over a glass walkway where the fish swam below us. We also found some mermaids statues which made for a great photo opportunity! As did standing inside a shark’s jaw!

Today we were off on a steam train ride. We arrived at Paignton Station and made our way to the ticket office to collect our pre booked tickets. Luckily, we had arrived just in time to see the old engine chug into the platform. We then took our cosy seats in the old carriage and then the station master blew his whistle, and we were off to Dartmouth. The scenery was spectacular, passing lush green fields with horses roaming freely. We even rode alongside the coastline where we spotted yachts bobbing on the water. Once we arrived at Dartmouth, we took a little walk to catch our ferry. Our vessel was called Princess, and we were all very excited for our trip. It was a calm crossing, only took about 5 minutes; it was a great way to see Dartmouth from a different perspective.

 Dartmouth was known for its pirates many years ago and we saw spotted some statues, which gave us a great chance to take some photos. We wandered into the town where we were surrounded by old timber buildings. After lunch we walked to the main square where there was some live music, and we knew a few of his song so in true JollyDays style we danced along. Everyone was keen to purchase some souvenirs before it was time to head back to the harbour. 

Everyone was keen to but some souvenirs so we spent time browsing around the historic Pannier Market where there was an array of crafts and homemade produce for sale. We did a little bit of haggling and managed to grab a few bargains.