Our first trip over seas! We started off Thursday 9th at 5.15 am. Holy Mackrel I don't like early mornings. I was in Pauls car with Paul, Fredi, Jeff and we picked up Pete in Exeter. Got to Weymouth Ferry port at 8 ish. Met up with our other van containing Mr & Mrs Loar. So where is Chris T I hear you ask? He was flying over later in day, as he was very ill on the last ferry trip he took. (I have to point out that I feel travel sick more often than him normally)
I got a bit blase and ate my egg sandwich. As the ferry was pulling out me Fredi got seducd by the sweets - 3 bags for 2 of natural confectionary products! So I ate a few of those, an hour or so in I started feeling a bit rough so went outside to sit on the back deck. It was windy and fairly chilly but better than the stuffy heat of inside. I sat staring at the horizon and eventually after my 3rd travel tablet I stated to feel better. Different people came out to see me during the next 2 hours to check on me, Paul was great, he got me sick bags in case and an extra coat. my fingers went completely numb but I wasn't risking going back inside as I had heard reports of people being sick on the floors ! Yukky pukky.
Ferry was 1 engine down so crossing was longer 3 and a quarter hours.
Also on the ferry we met up with Adam and Max our lighting crew from Cornwall who were with us at recent Truro gig and Falmouth. Also met Vasken, who was driving the sound van doing a live recording of the show.
On the other side, the trip really began. We got picked by by Karen the promoter and her brother Colin, they had big hire vehicles for us all to fit in. Some of them drove to the Venue and left their vans there. We went on to the Hotel called La Colinette. It was very nice. Karen (who was a total star the whole way through) had organised a buffet lunch for us at 1.15 so we had a chill in our room them went downstairs. I read all the bumpf in the room and found there was a old German bunker on the grounds of hotel. I didn't know anything much about the history of Guernsey in the 2nd world war until now.
The flying people arrived. Glenn (manager) and Jane (his wife) John (monitor engineer) and Ross (Sax) who all flew in from Gatwick. Chris arrived after them from Exeter.
He took this picture of our home town of Brixham from the air. The southern point is Berry Head and you can see our pier and Marina very clearly jutting out.
(He missed the buffet) he did get here just in time to get changed and meet the other downstairs for our meal on the nearby Island of Herm.
It was a 20 minute crossing, no cars are on Herm which is a lovely island with sand dunes. There are a few restaurants, and some house but not a lot else. you can go camping on Herm. What a tranquil holiday that would be! Lovely flowers and an almost mediterranean feel I felt.
Heres some pics from the trip to Herm
Pete, very smily! and Ross a bit smily.
Max in background, Jeff looking happy! Fredi and Mrs Loar taking pics of themselves and us respectively!!!
Oh my Mrs Loar in a picture my goodness!
