Mick & Deb do Dethick

A weekend spent catching up with family is followed by a mini invasion to the tranquility and calm of Dethick by the Clarke duo

In space no one can hear you scream…so the emptiness all around is a perfect environment for Deb & Me to go head to head with our version of the 'Chatter Olympics'

Medal table later….

Very misguided men behaving oddly….

A short amble down the lanes breaks up the bouts of camper banter

Beermeister Mick insists on us helping him deplete his extensive 'Home Brew' stock

Good Man….

Deb thinks the AA (not roadside recovery) are on to us and goes in to hiding

Next day we are off walking in the glorious local countryside amid fears that Mick's nagging back issues may raise their heads...

This peaceful towpath walk along the Cromford canal was preceded by some bizarre 'off piste' orienteering from yours truly. Much moaning from my nearest and dearest made worse by the trek to the  strangely 'closed' tea room which was having 'an exam' (at lunchtime on a summer's weekday)

Oh well, our impromptu lunch was had canal side on a bench with Deb's Baps (homegrown bread rolls) and some school outing-like tucker

A chance for Mick to rest his back...

Caged mud wrestling women, or so my imagination lead me to consider...

Max, the soon to be smelly dog, just cooling off in the stagnant canal water

Just three level miles takes us..

to a mini pub crawl around cromford village

(we were tired at this stage)

Mick is confident of his sense of direction, totally forgetting its me who's in charge of getting lost..

Short route back then…

Fuelled by real ale and a walking App that sends us up a 1 in 3 hike the team keeps smiling and press ever onwards…..fools!

The 'walk' takes in the 'Jug & Glass' at Lea where we have to wait a while to be let in (sad or what?)

We study App data and discover Mick's identical App has us down as walking further so the paltry 17km is the least we'd done.

Still way too much for dikky backs though

Yours truly makes amends next day by helping to serve up a 'Big Breakfast'

Mick is in 'Painkiller mode'

Daft grinsRus and the grease is served….yum yum

That medal table:

Deb 1st Place, 4 golds, 1 bronze

Gold - Conversation Marathon

Gold - Drinking steeplechase

Gold - Underwater talking

Gold - Not drawing breath (LOL)

Bronze - Alcohol abstention

Pete Runner-up, 2 golds

Gold - Letting Deb talk

Gold - IPA consumption

Silver - Orienteering

Bronze - Getting a word in…

Best Amateurs..

Nina & Mick 

Gold - sharing what oxygen was left in the room

Its take two in a few days time back at their gaff for more frivolity...

Co Durham, The Cathcarts & Coughing

The coughing bit first….

Nina's been coughing for England for many weeks now and a trip to the quacks reveals a probable viral  cause. I've been thinking six weeks is a pretty long time to go without getting it off her so was quite disgruntled when I eventually display her symptoms and just a week before our RV with Pat & Jane in Co Durham at Sedgefield

Hey Ho, cheers Nina…

Parked up nicely just out of town on a CL we all embark on the short walk in to Sedgefield

The sun is shining and we soon find ourselves a quiet beer garden to start our catch-up and try out our synchronised coughing on our poor chums…

The lovely Dun Cow Inn where we later availed ourselves of some fine tucker and quality beers

Pat at work...

What a really nice English village this is. Lots of common areas given over to trees and greens, an array of boutique shops for the girls, and several decent old pubs for us thirsty guys

If you bring your cow to town why not park it here!

Next day morning coffee is taken on our private lawn (which later doubled as a Boules pitch)

Pat, as ever, has the local bus timetables at the ready and plots our route to nearby Durham City

The castle looming over the River Wear

Tour guide Pat lures the girls away from the shops and suggests a ramble along the riverbank. Surprisingly they fall for this trap easily and once again our wallets breathe a sigh of relief!

The Cathedral where we were pleasantly surprised by its free admission policy and more so by the stunning interior which was vast to say the least….

No photos unfortunately as its taboo to release the shutter within its walls

Hardcore fishing

So many bridges here offering lovely views of the riverside

Grow up you two!

Several shops later we slump in to a little bar that Pat spotted earlier and rest our tired feet

The day was topped off nicely with a quality Indian meal back in Sedgefield and merriment back at the vans….

Right then! Boots on!

Time next day to go visit the nearby Hardwick Park on foot. 

The sun breaks through for what was to be a very pleasant day just strolling the park and of course lubricating the whistles...

The Hardwick Hotel in the grounds provided the refreshment stop where we entertained our chums with yet more coughing duets..

Back in the village a huge magnet pulls us spookily in to our first watering hole from Day 1 and Pat & Jane succumb to our insistence to buy a scratch card as he's been pooped on today by a bird and was attracting money spiders all day

Result was a £5.00 win!

Back at base camp tinnies are pulled and a game of Professional Boules is commenced..

Enormous fun this, and several hours were passed in the lovely sunshine with wine, beer & nibbles

Jane & I narrowly beat the other two having had the benefit of lubrication and Pat's magic tape which went well for us (most of the time)

Nina & Jane served us up a hearty pasta dish and apple pud to follow then we all retired to our van to chew the fat and sink a few more Spanish Vino Tintos

Another great time with the Cathcarts. Thanks for organising the trip and we both look forward now to our regular Bingham jaunt coming up next month….