We were full of excitement, like kids on Christmas Eve, even though it was the day before Christmas Eve!
Stacey, her friend and I all met up outside Hamish's work, waiting for him to be let go and then we were off in our flash soccer mum car that had never been rented before. The GPS proved a little tricky and the Friday night traffic was bad but we made it to the massive supermarket in Essex where we did a mammoth shop (c. £170) and then piled it all into the car again and finally made it to our little cottage called Poplars.
It was everything we had hoped for, a proper grandma cottage with everything in it. We dumped our stuff and as we were starving headed out to one of the many little local pubs. The only one serving at this very late hour (8pm) was the Mill where we tucked into local ales, fish and chips and greeted the other car load of kiwi travellers. Pretty tuckered out by this stage so to bed early (after we had found a mass tree in the wardrobe, result!).
Stacey, her friend and I all met up outside Hamish's work, waiting for him to be let go and then we were off in our flash soccer mum car that had never been rented before. The GPS proved a little tricky and the Friday night traffic was bad but we made it to the massive supermarket in Essex where we did a mammoth shop (c. £170) and then piled it all into the car again and finally made it to our little cottage called Poplars.
It was everything we had hoped for, a proper grandma cottage with everything in it. We dumped our stuff and as we were starving headed out to one of the many little local pubs. The only one serving at this very late hour (8pm) was the Mill where we tucked into local ales, fish and chips and greeted the other car load of kiwi travellers. Pretty tuckered out by this stage so to bed early (after we had found a mass tree in the wardrobe, result!).
A bit about Aldeburgh - Aldeburgh is a coastal town in Suffolk, East Anglia. In the 16th century, Aldeburgh was a leading port, and had a flourishing ship-building industry. Sir Francis Drake's ships Greyhound and Pelican were both built in Aldeburgh. When the River Alde silted up and was unable to accommodate larger ships, the area went into decline. Aldeburgh survived principally as a fishing village until the nineteenth century, when it became popular as a seaside resort.
Xmas eve morning, we breakfasted and then decided the only thing for it was a country walk. Our cottage was literally on the boundary of a scenic reserve and the weather was just beautiful. We trekked on until we found the House in the Heavens, a random shaped building that apparently costs a bomb to stay in. Next stop was the pebble beach, which was very hard work on the legs to walk along! Here we found the infamous Scallop sculpture - the Scallop, dedicated to Benjamin Britten, who used to walk along the beach in the afternoons. Created from stainless steel by Suffolk-based artist Maggi Hambling, it stands 4m high and was unveiled in November 2003. The piece is made up of two interlocking scallop shells, each broken, the upright shell being pierced with the words: "I hear those voices that will not be drowned", which are taken from Britten's opera Peter Grimes. The sculpture is controversial in the local area. Many people consider that it is inappropriate for a man-made object to spoil a beautiful natural setting. It has been attacked with graffiti and paint on a number of occasions, and there have been petitions to have it removed.
We stopped for a bit to see a fisherman with his daily catch and then onto the 'Best Fish and Chip shop in England'. And I tell you what, they were pretty dam good. The best I have had in England that’s for sure. We spent the rest of the afternoon with the central heating cranked up, watching DVDs and then onto the board games cupboard with some drinks in hand. The drinking continued and so did the silly games until it was time to don the coats and scarves to head up the road to the Railway pub where there was a Xmas Eve disco. We stormed in expecting a dance floor and some great tunes and found an old man's pub with a DJ playing music to no one. That didn't stop us; I don’t think the locals had ever seen anything like it. Such good fun. We danced till closing and then home to bed.
Highlight#1: The food! and the drink and the company, a gorgeous wee town.
Highlight #2: Lou! if you want a good Christmas feat then you need her. Shes awesome and it wouldnt have been the same without her.
Lowlight: It went too quickly!
Interesting Fact: The first ever fish and chip shop opened in London in 1860.
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