Travelled down on Wednesday using the Scenic Route. Via Market Drayton, bypassing Newport and Telford, through Bridgenorth and Kidderminster, stopping for coffee at Waresley Little Chef on the A449; picking up M5 North of Worcester, then M4 to J18 and A46 South, pausing again at the Gorse Lane viewpoint just off the A420 for picnic lunch; continuing A46, avoiding Bath and using the Bathampton toll bridge to pick up A36 to Warminster; last leg, A350 to Shaftesbury then backroad through Melbury Abbas to Blandford and finally B3082 to Wimborne; arrived Broadstone in time for afternoon tea.
Thursday a leisurely day: taking Maisie for a walk on The Heath, before buying butties at Mollie’s and consuming them at the beach hut; then crossed to Studland on the ferry, and home via Corfe Castle and Wareham (pleasant half hour browsing Wareham high street).
Friday no more active: all four of us enjoyed taking the dogs on to the Heath again, this time including Rufus (and his ball — he moves surprisingly quickly when he wants to!); Mollie’s sandwiches again, this time by the boating lake in Poole Park; as usual, G&S in the evening (Pinafore), joined this year by Peter and Jan Connor.
Saturday, despite everyone telling us the forecast was lousy, we launched forth on the standard Joint Outing: this year, a circular walk from Osmington via Sutton Poyntz, up above the White Horse, where we enjoyed lunch with stunning views over Weymouth bay, and back down to Osmington (through a VERY muddy lane!). Weather was great throughout. Finished the evening with traditional curry.
Sunday dawned very wet but cleared up by the time we left, around midday (having spent a chunk of the morning tutoring Topher on his newly-installed Ubuntu PC). Home using the Easterly Route (A31, M27, A34, M40, then The Belfry, Lichfield, Rugeley, Woore) — mostly a good run, spoiled by closed road north of Bridgemere, causing a last-minute diversion through the countryside, to arrive home about 5.00
All-in-all and excellent time was had.
