Wednesday 16th October
It has been a day of two halves weather wise, wet and windy this morning and dry and windy this afternoon. This morning we donned our waterproofs (we nearly live in them at the moment) and walked to Frampton to catch the bus to Gloucester. We decided not to get it from outside the marina and were going to wait near in the shelter near The Bell.
As we passed the road near the doctors surgery a woman came along and started talking about how awful the weather was. During the course of the conversation it transpired that she was catching the bus to Gloucester and she told us where to wait which was not anywhere near The Bell as it happened.
During conversation with another woman at the bus stop it further transpired that we could have caught the bus from Sandfield Bridge, which is very much closer to where we are moored up than, the marina and The Bell and the place where we did actually catch it! I mentioned it to the driver and he said (assume a West Country accent here) ‘What did you walk all the way down ‘ere for then?’
The journey took nearly an hour and serviced practically every village, hamlet and lone cottage between Frampton and Gloucester! As it was raining and the windows were steamed up we couldn’t see where we were going so it seemed even longer.
Once in Gloucester we visited the market hall and got some nice looking meat (belly pork slices, pigs liver and skirt) from one of the butchery stalls, some velcro from a haberdashery and some tandoori mix and olives from a herb and spice stall. We then trudged about in the rain looking for a Millets, Black’s or similar but were unsuccessful. After this we went to Sainsbury’s and Wilko’s then as the bus back went at 1 pm we had a quick one in The Regal which is right by the bus station.
We had forgotten to get mushrooms so we went to the Tesco Express in the bus station where, while queuing for the till, Ken noticed a woman in front of us with her skirt tucked in her knickers! Now, I never wear a skirt but if I did I would hope someone would tell me if I had it tucked in my knickers, so I sidled up to her and whispered in her ear. She quickly rearranged her attire.
When we left the shop she was giving her husband, who had been waiting for her outside, a handbagging for – a) laughing when she told him and – b) not mentioning it to her although he insisted he hadn’t noticed!
We arrived back in Frampton just before 2 pm and popped in to The Bell for one (and a wee) before walking home. Of course we could have got off at Sandfield Bridge but then we wouldn’t have got so much exercise walking back. Well, that’s our excuse and we’re sticking to it!
The weather is supposed to be better tomorrow so we may be moving again.
