The Wonders of the Isle of Wight with Midi & Isobel

 The Wonders of The Isle of Wight 

Wow! How lucky were we! The sun was shinning as we visited the infamous tourist attraction The Needles. The views were simply spectacular. 

A trip on the steam train took us on a nostalgic journey and we imagined what it would have been like to travel on this train 60 years ago. The museum was full of old memorabilia and showcased the evolution of trains from steam to diesel. 

We explored the aviary and the birds of prey and we were thrilled to see a black kite and a two week old baby owl! 

It was our turn to get creative at the Sand Shop where we filled our chosen ornaments with the brightly coloured sand that can only be found on the island. We were all pretty proud of our creations! 

Another fabulous experience was enjoyed as we watched  the skilled glass craftsmen at work making some incredible items which we got to see in the gift shop, some of us treating ourselves to a little memento!

You would always find us on the dance floor, partying away in true JollyDays style! One of the highlights was showing off our line dancing skills to the Isle of Wights very own cowboy. 

A brilliant time was spent down at the bowling alley where it was game on! There were some great shots and even a few strikes! It was great to see everyone cheering each other on. 

We had some great archers in our group all giving Robin Hood a run for his money! After a few practise shots we were all hitting the target scoring highly! 

Steam Railways in Yorkshire with Netty & Jamie

Steam Railways in Yorkshire 

Our group of train enthusiasts headed to the National Rail Museum which houses a massive collection of both trains and railway exhibits. We were thrilled to be able to see iconic trains such as The Mallard, Stephenson's Rocket and we even sat down in a carriage onboard the Japanese Bullet. 

The sun was shining as we headed to Bolton Abbey. We collected our tickets from the vintage waiting room and listened to the chugging of the steam train approaching. 

We took our seats in the old fashioned carriage and set off through some incredible scenery.

 

After our ride on the Pickering Steam Railway we stopped at Goathland which is the famous filming location of Hogsmeade from the world famous film Harry Potter. It is also the village from the hit tv series Heartbeat. We soon were spotting iconic places featured in the show such as Scripp's Garage and the Aidensfield Arms pub. 

A wonderful day was spent at Eden Camp, a modern history museum set in a former prisoner of war cap from World War II. It housed over 1000 mainly Italian but also some German prisoners who were transported to the camp by train. The museum is set within the grounds of the former accommodation. Each hut covers a different aspect of the war, starting with the rise of the Nazi Party, Hitler and The Outbreak of War. In a large hangar we got up close to military vehicles and listened to a former army soldier explain about the working of a tank.

We made our way to the market town of Knaresborough and looked around the shops surrounding the market square before heading into the grounds of the 13th century castle ruins. From the high viewpoint we could see the famous viaduct and the river below, which we got up close to as we walked down the many stairs to the riverside

We couldn’t not visit Ripon Cathedral, a religious spectacle where we descended deep into the tunnels leading to the crypt.

We boarded a canal barge on the Leeds and Liverpool canal and listened to the skipper as he told us the brief history of the famous waterways. As we cruised along on the river we waved at other pleasure craft on the water, what a relaxing afternoon.