May’s principal activity was our trip to Betws-y-Coed, superbly organised by Dave and Jan who found excellent accommodation for us at the Waterloo Hotel. Everyone arrived safely, having negotiated traffic chaos along extremely narrow lanes while following an un-signed diversion.
The steam train trip on the Ffestiniog railway was splendid, the abundant rhododendrons and azaleas beautiful, the mountain scenery magnificent, especially on Dave’s optional driving tour, and the company, as always, fabulous. Another highlight was the after-dinner entertainment unwittingly provided by participants of an outdoor exercise class, whose partially obscured manoeuvres were open to hilarious misinterpretation. Sue’s infectious laughter set us all off giggling and the fun continued the following evening when John, Russ, and Paul amused us again by irreverently demonstrating similar X-rated antics.
Huge thanks are due to Dave and Jan for putting together such a fantastic mini-break, Jon for managing the accounts, and our hosts for looking after us so well. Torrential rain meant that some had an ‘interesting’ drive home, but it was a small price to pay for such a brilliant time.
Nine of us ventured to Santa Pod for ‘The Main Event’ to witness dragsters reach speeds exceeding 300mph on the ¼ mile strip. Even wearing ear-defenders, it was a loud affair but nonetheless an awesome spectacle.
Finally, 50 members visited Baumber Walled Gardens, near Horncastle.
Although wet weather discouraged exploration of the attractive gardens, there were fresh flowers to admire on each table as we enjoyed our tasty afternoon tea in the marquee.
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