What a decade! We celebrated New Year at the starting point of one of my biggest achievements, my Gold Duke of Edinburgh expedition. At the age of 18, I had finished all elements of my Gold D of E and resigned myself to never finishing it because I'm not a natural hiker. But thanks to Rachael, Keith, Paula and Ruth, I started off on my gold expedition from the Plume of Feathers pub in Princetown, Dartmoor in the summer before my 26th birthday (the deadline for D of E).
Ali, Brigitte, Al and I had a lovely scenic drive through Dartmoor to the pub for lunch, and then someone (i.e. me) thought that it would be a good idea to walk to the view of the prison (only a 5 min walk). However, with the windchill, it must have been about minus 5 so we only got as far as the visitor centre next door to warm up :) We eventually got to the view, then quickly walked back to the warmth of the car. It was freezing!
Before midnight, Ali got her wish to play deal or no deal (i detest it), the proof is in the scores. 95k for Ali, I had 110 pounds! Scrabble, monopoly followed. I won scrabble at least. Then it was time for the 5 courses to commence. Mozarella, Tomato and basil stacks, followed by salmon, new potatoes and runner beans, followed by chocolate fondue and fruits, then cheese course, then coffee and after eights. Alas, we didn't get to the 4th course before midnight. At midnight we watched Big Ben, i did auld lang syne with mum and dad on the phone, then off we went to Bedfordshire.
The first day of the teenies was spent on the beach at Lyme Regis, after we spent an hour to find a car parking space. In the glorious sunshine, we walked along the cobb, along the seafront for a pub lunch and then back again. Lyme regis was heaving but it was still glorious.
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