London – 9th August

With just 2 more days left for me in the UK, Captain Caveman really pulled out the stops again on Saturday 9th August. He had told me he was taking me out for a surprise in the afternoon so I was excited to know what it would be. He had got in from work at 4am and had slept for just 6 hours after working all day and night!
In the morning we had a wander round the Barnes Farmers market, which is so lovely. Captain Caveman bought his usual black pudding, bacon and sausages but we didn’t get any sausage rolls or belly pork this time as we were off out for lunch. I always admire the Cakehole stall but I never allow myself a treat from there – the cakes look amazing though. I did have bacon, a sausage, beans and toast for breakfast, cooked by Captain Caveman and it was delicious.
We also booked my train ticket from Barnes to Gatwick for Monday evening, which made me a little bit sad. After more than a month in England you’d think I would be itching to get back to Dalyan but I had really enjoyed being back and the month had gone so fast.

The time had come to set off for our afternoon surprise and I definitely would not have guessed what it was.
We arrived in Brixton Village at a place called Fish, Wings & Tings and we found the only 2 seats available outside in the sun. Time was of the essence so I hurriedly chose chicken wings, Captain Caveman ordered cod fish fritters and we both had a Carib beer. When it came, mine was super spicy and my mouth was a bit numb from the chillies (which I thought I’d picked out) so Captain Caveman got to eat all 6 of his fish fritters and half of my chicken wings. I had to order second beers as my mouth was on fire and I hoped whatever activity we were in a rush for next, did not involve having a good stomach. Our total bill for lunch with 4 beers came to £38 and that wasn’t the surprise.

The surprise was amazing and I soon forgot about my mouth being on fire. Captain Caveman had booked us tickets to a film at the Ritzy cinema in Brixton. He went to the counter to pick up the tickets and I still had no idea what we were going to see. The cinema was quiet and we didn’t get any popcorn or other snacks.
As soon as the film started, I knew exactly what it was. One of the best concert films of all time, especially if you’re a Talking Heads fan; ‘Stop Making Sense’ was made in 1984 and is just fantastic.
I was so happy and it was probably the first time I’d sat and listened to most of these songs without singing along – but I wanted to! I’d never seen it on the big screen before either so it was just an amazing experience. It was a really thoughtful surprise and we both thoroughly enjoyed the showing, although I think I saw Captain Caveman napping.

On the way back to Barnes we popped in to a Holland & Barrett for more Gin Gins (ginger sweets which are great for sea sickness) and were £11.84 for 2 packets. As it was sunny, we had a stroll around the stalls in Brixton Village on the way back to the station. We decided to get off at Barnes Bridge for a walk along the Thames and a crafty drink at the Coach and Horses, where I’m very partial to their house wine. We called in to M&S for provisions where I didn’t keep Captain Caveman’s receipt – probably because he knew I’d comment on how expensive tomatoes are compared to the ones from Dalyan market – he wouldn’t miss that, when I’d gone!
To finish the wonderful day off, Captain Caveman knocked up a carbonara for dinner which we had with rocket and raspberries for afters. We drank red wine and I didn’t fall asleep on the sofa as we had crisps to nibble on. Tomorrow would be our last full day together so we had more plans for a lovely day.

Gratitude List
1. Brixton beers in the sun
2. Seeing ‘Stop Making Sense’ at the Ritzy with Captain Caveman
3. The effort Captain Caveman put in to the day, despite him being knackered from working so much.

London – 8th August

Captain Caveman had volunteered for site work on Friday 8th August so he was working all day until 4pm, then having a sleep before doing a night shift! I cracked on with work and book stuff too.
At lunch time, I popped to the shop to get a card for a friend, I also noticed they had personalised Toblerones and she loves them. I generally no longer spend money on cards or gifts but I decided to splash out, seeing as though it was her 80th birthday next week and I was invited to her party. She was also getting a copy of my book, ‘You Can’t Shit Yourself on a Bicycle’ to go with it as she does ride a bike and she might find it useful.

Here’s what I bought at the local gift shop, prices in pounds;

Presents
Birthday card 2.99
Toblerone 4.99
Total spent 7.98

I went back home and worked on various ongoing projects and then finished at 4pm. While Captain Caveman went for a sleep, I went out shopping, here’s what I bought and what I spent;

Marks and Spencer’s
Raspberries 2.50
Blueberries 2.50
Olives 2.66
Tomatoes 2.66
Edamame beans 2.67
Parmesan 3.40
4 mini Cheeses 5.30
Total spent £21.70

Sainsbury’s Supermarket
Garlic 0.55
Rocket 0.89
1 Double Decker 0.95
1 Mars bar 1.15
Cream crackers 1.45
2 Fajita mix 2.00
Options drinking chocolate 5.95
Total spent £12.94

What I didn’t realise until I got back was that the mini cheeses were 5 for £4 but I’d only got 4 and paid £5.30! But now there are no cashier’s, no one points these things out and, even if I went back, there was not anything I could do. I usually avoid self scan supermarkets but it was getting harder to do. Some of the items I got to take with me back to Dalyan, so I put those to one side.
We had a chicken and chorizo pasta for dinner before Captain Caveman went to work in East London for the night.

Gratitude List
1. Being in Barnes with lots of nice shops nearby
2. Stocking up on a few treats to take back to Dalyan
3. Finishing at 4pm on a Friday.

London – 7th August

The weather was a tad warmer in London on Thursday 7th August but I was still feeling cold at 16°C. It was hard to believe it was summer! Captain Caveman was on a course in London and I worked from the dining room at his parents’ home.
I decided I would take myself off to Tesco, for lunch and some shopping, which is the far side of Barnes. I wanted to see if my new Club Card app worked, and it did. Here’s what I bought with the prices in pounds;

Tesco Supermarket
500g Penne pasta 0.69
1 pint skimmed milk 0.85
Wholemeal bread 0.99
Chocolate croissant 1.30
6 eggs 1.75
Peppers 2.00
225g chorizo 2.70
Meal Deal 3.60
400g chicken breast 4.45
Total spent £18.33

I had a saunter back with a heavy bag, while eating the chocolate croissant in the park. Back at the house, I did a mixture of work and laundry. I struggled to tie the washing line and Captain Caveman wasn’t there to help, so I improvised.

In the evening I got the train in to London where I met Captain Caveman and Clare at The Hole in the Wall, a pub very close to Waterloo station – I even found it without getting lost.

Next, we decided to try Vaulty Towers, an unusually decorated pub, which served food. It was very busy and we had to wait a bit for a table but then we had drinks and food. Captain Caveman had tacos, Clare had a fish finger sandwich and I had a chicken burger which was very nice but did cost £16.95 and a large glass of wine was £10. It was a fun pub, though, and they even have a tree house you can sit in to escape the bustle of the bar area.

Clare had to get her train back to Southampton so we walked back, paying tribute to an ex Aviva colleague and friend, Rob Marsh, by singing ‘What’s that coming over the hill?’ as we passed Cafe Del Marsh on Lower Marsh. A quick trip to M&S in Waterloo station where I insisted on train tins, £8.50 for 3. Captain Caveman and Clare got a G&T and I had a Pina Colada (and yes I did sing that song too)!
We were home before 9pm and I fell asleep on the sofa (again)!

Gratitude List
1. Being a fully working Clubcard member at Tesco’s
2. Finding my way to The Hole in the Wall pub
3.Meeting up for another great night with Captain Caveman and Clare.

Pontecarlo and London – 6th August

There were lots of shenanigans for Captain Caveman and I on Wednesday 6th August. It didn’t go unnoticed that it was weigh day, the last one I would be in the UK for, but we didn’t have any bathroom scales in Ponte. I did my measurements to find they weren’t too favourable but that was to be expected with the amount of treats and booze I’d consumed. I’d put 2cm on my bust, waist and hips! I had a chance to see the IKEA products in situ, around Captain Caveman’s house, which was nice and I even had a shower using a fresh new towel and standing on a lovely bath mat – it’s the little things, eh!?
Captain Caveman made us bacon sandwiches for breakfast as Fuck İn was closed for a holiday!! We both had work and meetings to do before we set off for a trip back to London.
Captain Caveman and I both had a full diary so there was no let up, Captain Caveman had work calls on his way south and I attended a Zoom meeting about my Travel Planner with Claire Clarke. I could hear Claire speaking but noone could hear me and I only realised afterwards that it was because my phone had Google maps on. My phone had assumed that I was driving (I wasn’t) so wouldn’t let me participate, I also was super travel sick by the time we arrived in Barnes at 2pm.
I was excited to find a test notebook had arrived from Amazon which I’d been trialling a glossy book cover on, in readiness for my new travel planner. After a bit more work and various calls, it was time for a trip in to the city of London to meet a friend.

I had arranged for Captain Caveman and I to meet Clare after work on Bond Street. Clare had booked a table at a Malaysian restaurant called Med Salleh, which none of us had been to before. Amazingly, they had Saigon Red beer on the menu so Captain Caveman and I ordered one at £4.50 each. The food was amazing and I had a chicken, prawn & tofu noodle soup which was massive and good value at £16. The others also enjoyed their food and I would love to go there again.

The building itself was impressive and I had a good look round when I nipped to the toilet. After our meal, it was still early so we decided to have a couple of drinks in bars nearby, one of which was the Bayswater Arms. It was great to see Clare again and we even decided we could meet again tomorrow, after work, for a final farewell of this trip.

Gratitude List
1. Seeing the bath mat was worth the arguments in IKEA
2. An eventful journey to London
3. A fab evening with Captain Caveman and Clare in London.

Sheffield and Pontecarlo – 5th August

I worked and packed my things up in the morning of Tuesday 5th August. Mom came in to ask if I fancied a roast pork sandwich for lunch from the shop and I’d not had one this visit so, of course, I said yes. All 3 of us went for a walk as I wanted to get Captain Caveman a tin opener. He’d declined to buy the £1 one in IKEA which was probably rubbish so I got him one for a whopping £7 from the Co-op.
Ma left Pa with me while she went to the post office and cash machine but the sandwiches were ready before she returned. I had everything but dripping on, Dad had everything and Mom had her’s without apple sauce. I paid £14.60 for 3 sandwiches and a packet of pork scratchings which I didn’t think was bad and is cheaper than Beres. My sister, Gayle, popped round in the afternoon with Sumo, the dog, and we all said our goodbyes, hoping to see them in Turkey soon enough.
I got the 5.30pm bus in to town for £2.60 and then I got the 18.49 train from Sheffield to Wakefield Kirkgate. There, it was after 7pm and the waiting room closes so I was really cold in the wind as I had to wait 20 minutes for the train to Pontefract Tanshelf. I ate a packet of salt n vinegar discos while I waited and wondered why I’d not been eating more crisps this visit. I didn’t realise there were no toilet facilities at the station so I was pretty desperate for a pee when I got on the train. Luckily the train had toilets and it meant I arrived just after 8pm to be met by Captain Caveman, without jogging about for the loo.
He took my bag and we walked straight to the Robin Hood pub ready for the quiz. There were no seats inside and the huge beer garden was very smokey so we stood up next to the entrance. The quiz was a good one where we didn’t embarrass ourselves but we didn’t win. I had cherry beers and, at half time, they did sandwiches which were welcomed. I’m not usually a fan of a pub quiz, especially with genius Captain Caveman, but I did enjoy this one.
I was tired by the time we walked home so it was straight to bed without even checking where all the IKEA items were.

Gratitude List
1. Pork sandwiches with my parents
2. Being able to say bye to Gayle and Sumo
3. Pub quizzing in Pontecarlo with Captain Caveman.

Sheffield – 4th August

I had in my diary on Monday 4th August to start work early so that I could finish by 4pm. This was so that I could take time off to meet up with the friends I had promised to see while I was in Sheffield and before I went back down south. I only had 1 week left in the UK and I hoped to cram a lot in, especially as I didn’t have any plans to return for the rest of the year. I’d written in pencil the names Caz, Natalie, Becca and Louisa with a question mark and a note about tea and cake somewhere out of the city centre. I’d not heard from some of the girls so I’d added a Facebook event to suggest that I wandered over to Craftworks micropub (which do great cakes) in Mosborough for a spot of tea or hot chocolate. That way I could still have my laptop to hand as I had a few ongoing holiday enquiries that I needed to keep an eye on. What I didn’t realise is that I had written these plans on the wrong Monday and it should have been last week. Luckily, Louisa had the 4th in her diary and I didn’t realise my mistake until later on.
Captain Caveman had been up and off back to Pontecarlo very early so I had started working by 7am. He’d got back and in his lunch hour sent me my train tickets to join him tomorrow night. I worked from a table next to the bar where the internet was as good as the Yorkshire tea. It was also fairly busy with people coming and going so I got to meet and fuss a few dogs while I checked out prices of hotels and last minute holidays. Louisa arrived, on time and with a new addition to her family. Her new dog, Bodhi, was only a little puppy – he was so cute and very well behaved. He had his own seat as Louisa and I chatted and ate cake. When Louisa went to the loo, which was upstairs, I got to have a little cuddle with Bodhi which was lovely. It was good to catch up and, at this point, I was still blissfully unaware that I had agreed the wrong date with Caz! Until I got a message to say she was on holiday abroad!! I said a sad farewell to Louisa and Bodhi and we mentioned she might pop over to visit me in Turkey as she had days booked off in September/October.

I had my last meal at my parents’, which was one of my favourites that my Mom cooks, sweet and sour chicken with spring rolls. I loved it and we had a nice relaxing evening. We even spoke to Captain Caveman who assured me that the bath mat was in situ and awaiting my arrival. Tomorrow I would be back to Pontecarlo and then heading back to London before my departure back to Turkey.

Gratitude List
1. Craftworks and cake
2. Seeing Louisa and her new pup
3. A last meal in the Uk with my parents.

Sheffield – 3rd August

Captain Caveman had admitted defeat about the bath mat by the time we woke up on Sunday 3rd August. My friend, who I wouldn’t get to see on this visit, was off on her holidays and sent me a photo to let me know she was reading my book on the flight to Lanzarote, which was nice. We decided to join my parents on a walk but first we had to nip to the shop to pick up a birthday card for my niece. I had intended to put money in a card but when we got to there, they had one of her favourite tipples on offer. We bought a bottle of Aperol, a bottle of Prosecco and a card from the Co-op and hurried back as Dad was ready to go walking. We decided to walk up as far as my niece’s and then we would go drop off the birthday present, which Captain Caveman was carrying. Ma & Pa thought they might not want visitors so they carried on with their walk. When we got to my sister’s, there was a full house all eating a cooked breakfast so we didn’t stay long. My sister was stressing over a sushi situation and they didn’t have specific plans for later. We said we would probably go for a walk and end up at the pub if they fancied a birthday drink but nothing was arranged. Captain Caveman had got the wrong end of the stick that my Dad had said they were walking to the Phoenix pub for a drink so we set off to catch them up. I was struggling to make it or keep up with Captain Caveman’s pace, as usual. I had worn jeans and a black long sleeved top so, for once, I was too hot once the sun came out!
When we got to the top of Ridgeway Road, I was really flagging so we decided we would walk down to the Queen’s Head for a refreshment and miss out the Phoenix. While there, I called my Mom to check if they were in the Phoenix but they had not got that far either and were now back at home. Captain Caveman had the bright idea that we would cut across the fields and meet them in the Alma pub. He reckoned it would take 40 minutes and I suspected it would be twice that, at my pace. We set off walking and all was quite pleasant, we picked blackberries and raspberries and ate them as we went along.

Unfortunately, I got slower and slower while Captain Caveman sped off with my bag which had the working phone and water in! We got to a bit of a field that had recently been burned so the path was not clear. I was fuming and convinced we were going the wrong way. A couple of ramblers were heading our way and I saw Captain Caveman chatting with them. When they got to me, I asked if I was heading to the Alma and Mosborough. The man said I needed to turn back and I just lost it and even used the F word. He then looked concerned and said he was only joking and that I was going the right way. I thought Captain Caveman had told the guy to play a trick on me for a laugh so I shouted to him to wait for me! When I got to Captain Caveman he swore he did not and that the man made the joke of his own accord – what is wrong with people!?
I eventually got to the pub and my parents had been there a while, waiting! It took us 1 hour and I was surprised it wasn’t longer. They were laughing as when they asked how our walk was Captain Caveman said it was great while the look on my face said it all. I was pleased Captain Caveman had enjoyed his Sunday walk as he doesn’t get much exercise and fresh air these days, but I was hot, sweaty and tired.

While at the pub I got a message from Jamie, back in Dalyan, to tell me that our pool was a funny colour and half empty. He wondered if we knew about it, as it’s unusual for this to happen during the holiday season. We didn’t know so Captain Caveman and I were a bit concerned that the pool and garden company were not doing their job properly (again). My mom noticed in a Facebook group that there was a bloke nearby giving away a dining room table so Captain Caveman, my Dad and I decided to say we would have it and we arranged to call and collect it. We had a couple of pints and then Ma cheered me up no end! She had decided to make us all a Sunday dinner, the second one in a row. Captain Caveman was so pleased that he even raced to the shop to buy stuffing when Ma said she didn’t have any. He also bought more wine and chopped up the whole cabbage – he knew I wasn’t eating enough veggies. The Sunday dinner was so good and we each got 3 Yorkshire puddings and I even had a drop of gravy! Ma excelled herself as we also got fresh strawberries with evaporated milk (my favourite) for afters. More wine was had and Ma gave Captain Caveman some of the kitchen things I had left at their’s over the years, including a board for cheese and a pie maker, plus her massive slow cooker she had already promised.

Gratitude List
1. Getting to wish my niece happy birthday in person
2. Knowing that Captain Caveman thoroughly enjoyed our Sunday Walk
3. Spending time with Captain Caveman and my parents at the pub and having a Sunday Dinner.

Pontecarlo – 1st August

My first job on Friday 1st August was to check how I did against my budget in July. I felt sure I had gone wildly over the £1,000 budget I’d set and I perhaps had if I included all the money Captain Caveman spent. I was lucky to have spent just £971 which included in Turkey and in the UK. I was still going to be in England for another 11 days, which wouldn’t be cheap and a holiday for Captain Caveman in Turkey was coming up at the end of August. I still left August’s budget at £1,000, optimistically.
While Captain Caveman made me tea, I made toast (on the grill, as there was no toaster). I checked July’s blog traffic to see a 13% increase in views on the previous month. The top 3 viewing countries were the UK, Turkey and Spain, followed by USA, Australia, France, Sweden and then Vietnam in 8th – back in the top 10!
We both worked hard all day but I decided I would try to finish at 4pm with it being the weekend. As luck would have it, I made a couple of last minute bookings, one for a friend and another for someone I didn’t know. It was cold out and looked like rain but at least we were warm inside. At lunch time we had salad and I messed about with my new case which was really easy to remove the detachable wheels of.
At 4pm there was an impromptu clearing up and reorganising of the bedroom wardrobe so that I could have space for my clothes. Captain Caveman found a load more crap that he didn’t want, including Christmas decorations, a tree and some dressing up clothes. There was a woman’s top with tags still on but a size 10 – I tried it on and it fitted so we washed and kept it. Captain Caveman also kept a couple of pairs of shoes and a polo top. He was getting excited as the bin man had been today which meant 2 of his bins were emptied and he could refill them. We had also hoped to see the Virgin internet man but he never came! We had thought we might go back to Sheffield after work but Virgin assured us that the man was definitely coming tomorrow before 6pm!

By 6.30pm Captain Caveman and I were off for a walk and to find a pub or 2 for a Friday beverage. I was a bit chilly in the summery clothes I had so I had to wear a fleece with shorts and sandals to try to keep warm. Captain Caveman had jeans, jumper and walking boots on so he was fine. We walked passed a diabetes clinic, the hospital, a quaker burial site and a big posh house before heading towards the church and castle. It was a good way to acknowledge Yorkshire day, sightseeing in Pontecarlo. Our first stop off was the Hope & Anchor pub which was very loud and busy. I tried the blood orange cider (it was too sweet for me) and we went outside to the beer garden. I was too cold so we had to come back indoors but Captain Caveman wasn’t too impressed with the acoustics. We decided to continue on a wander and head in to town, perhaps have a couple more drinks then go for a meal.

Captain Caveman and I were ‘out out’ in Pontecarlo. We wandered via Pontefract Castle, the Elizabeth Love Museum, Castle Chain House and plenty of old buildings. We decided to call for a drink in the Irish pub, Galway Girl, where there was live music. Captain Caveman had a Guinness and I had a medium sized glass of wine for around £12. The music was good, the pub was busy and we had a couple of rounds in there. Captain Caveman suggested we try the fine dining restaurant next door, called Erubi. I was conscious of money and said we should go somewhere cheaper, we both fancied trying the Indian restaurant along the street.

Tulsi doesn’t have an alcohol license so, while I waited for a table (it was busy), Captain Caveman popped to the off licence for beers. He bought Belgian Blue for him and a couple of cherry beers for me – perfect.
We shared onion bhajis, poppadoms, a pickle tray for starter, had 2 main dishes and shared rice and garlic naan bread. It wasn’t cheap at £44.80 without drinks but it was absolutely fantastic and we ate all of it. We didn’t manage all of the beers though so took them home. We finished our meal about 10.30pm and walked back ‘home’, it was really nice for Captain Caveman to be living so close to town.

Gratitude List
1. Getting organised at the house in Pontecarlo
2. Out out and live music in Pontecarlo
3. A tasty Indian meal with Captain Caveman.

Pontecarlo – 30th July

Captain Caveman had meetings from 9am on Wednesday 30th July and I had them from 10am. My Giffgaff phone was not responding well to being a hotspot for me to work from so I volunteered myself to do the breakfast sandwich run. Tuck In (great name for a sarnie shop) was just a few metres up the road and I ordered a bacon and tomato sandwich for Captain Caveman and a sausage sandwich for me. The 2 staff in there were really friendly and were asking if I was new round here. I explained I was visiting my other half who had just moved in and that we hadn’t yet had chance to stock up etc. The lady there recommended we use the Olio app to get free or cheap stuff, which was really nice of her. The sandwiches were lovely and it certainly wouldn’t be our last time there.
I took some photos of Captain Caveman’s new abode and then noticed I had a Resort Experts review from one of my close friends and now a customer. It was lovely and I was really pleased as, for some reason, it’s often more difficult to convince friends to support your business, while complete strangers are more likely to buy from you.
I attended my last Substack Zoom training with Ade at 10am and added to my to do list to look at setting up a profile, next month. Hopefully, this would bring more strangers in to my online world for both holidays and my book(s).
I made a shoping list for the house and then got on with more work until Captain Caveman’s lunch break. We drove to the supermarket and here’s what we bought with prices in pounds;

Tesco Supermarket
Fajita seasoning 0.85
8 Tortillas 0.99
150g Raspberries 1.70
500g peppers 1.79
4 toilet rolls 1.80
1 kitchen utensil 2.25
650g chicken breasts 5.10
4 way Extension cable 6.50
Plug adaptor 8.00
Total spent £28.98

I was looking forward to being able to use my new clubcard but I only had an email with the number on. A member of staff had to come over and key it in as I hadn’t downloaded the app which had a pretend card on it. I was hoping I’d get sent a physical card but, apparently, not any more. We did get 28 club card points, though, but not much use to me in Turkey.
For lunch Captain Caveman made himself something and I went to the shop for a sausage roll. It was a minimum spend of a fiver on a card so I treated myself to something I’d not seen before – a Ponte Pig. It’s like a gingerbread man but in the shape of a pig and was very nice. The shop staff were all friendly and I was really liking Pontefract, so much so that I’d started to affectionately refer to it as Pontecarlo.

At 1.30pm there was a delivery and I was so excited that it was for me! Captain Caveman had ordered me a new suitcase with detachable wheels, and small enough to fit under the seat on a plane! It was great and I could get more stuff than I thought I would in it!

To celebrate my new luggage we decided to have a walk through the area to a pub, The Carleton. It was one of those Greene King pubs and seemed to be very good with lots of different events on. A board advertised a monthly dog walk on the last Sunday of each month and lots of quizzes. We had a pint there which was less than £9 for 2 and then we walked back for Captain Caveman to cook us our first meal at home.

He’d already bought a big electric paella type pan so we had delicious chicken fajitas. He made his own tomato salsa and we were grateful for the 2 plates my Mom had given us. We drank white wine which I splashed out £9 on for a bottle, at the local shop. We didn’t have any wine glasses so we drank out of Mr & Mrs mugs, left by the previous tennants. The food was tasty and we had a great first full day in Pontecarlo – still no internet as Virgin are shit, but that’s too boring a story!

Gratitude List
1. Breakfast butties from Tuck In
2. A first try of a Ponte Pig
3. A lovely evening with Captain Caveman in Pontecarlo.

Sheffield to Pontefract – 29th July

$Sheffield to Pontefract – 29th July$

Tuesday 29th July was full of excitement as I was leaving Mosborough and Sheffield to go visit Captain Caveman at his new home in Pontefract. A place I’d not been to for quite some years. I worked in the morning then had a tea break where my Mom offered to give Captain Caveman her big slow cooker and I said he’d have it – ideal for batch cooking! I also tried some fab chocolate cookies from Aldi. My sister came to say bye and I gave her a copy of my book as she had still not managed to order one to read. She’s the funny one of the family so it would be interesting to see what she thought of it.

I said my farewells and rushed for the 3.35pm bus from Mosborough to Sheffield train station. The train wasn’t until 4.44pm so I had a browse round M&S and the Whistlestop before going to the platform. My first train was on time to Wakefield Kirkgate where I had to wait 11 mins for the next train to Pontefract. I arrived at Pontefract Tanshelf station at 6.02pm and Captain Caveman was there to meet me. It was very cold and looked like rain as we walked to the big Tesco to get something for dinner. It was obvious that if we had a club card we would save quite a lot, so I asked the very helpful security guard where we could get a club card. We had to get it online although he did offer to let us use his this time. We decided we would leave the big shop until tomorrow, apply for the club card and go check out a pub in town.

We arrived at the Malt Shovel, where I had an overwhelming sense of deja vu. We ordered drinks which were cheap but the barmaid insisted I had a taster of the pale ale with it being expensive at £4.60 a pint!! I applied for the Tesco club card and then had to go outside to have a look around, I felt sure I’d been here before. When I saw the alley next to the pub I realised it was the building where I sometimes had worked on Saturdays as a mortgage advisor at the Alliance and Leicester. I recognised the back upstairs rooms as well as the place now being made in to a strange bar called Society. I worked out it was probably over 30 years ago since I’d been there.

Next, we walked towards where Captain Caveman lived and called at another pub, the Robin Hood. This was a much more cosy place which happened to have a quiz on Tuesdays. We got chatting to some locals but we didn’t stay for the quiz as we needed to get home and eat.

It was about a 10 minute walk up a hill and Captain Caveman was living on a quiet road near to a Chinese takeaway, a sandwich shop and a newsagents/off licence shop. The Chinese was closed for a holiday so Captain Caveman bought us a bottle of red wine from the shop and we decided to order a pizza from nearby Papa John’s. While we waited for the delivery, I got a tour of the house. It was mostly unfurnished but did have a double bed with wardrobes in one bedroom. The kitchen was nice and modern but with very little crockery and the downstairs bathroom had a bath with a shower over it but no bathmat and only the one towel! There was no internet because Captain Caveman was waiting for Virgin to install the cable. All of the outside dustbins were rammed full from when the previous tenants had moved out and they had also left quite a few items. Luckily there was a washer, a tumble dryer, an oven/grill, a fridge and a freezer so all was good. Overall, I liked the house and could see Captain Caveman being happy there, for at least the next 6 months.
The pizza arrived and it was lovely, washed down with the wine while sat on camping chairs at the folding table/desk!

Gratitude List
1. Spending time with family
2. A trip to Pontefract to see Captain Caveman’s new home
3. Pizza and wine with Captain Caveman.

Sheffield – 27th July

I really enjoyed spending Sunday 27th July with Captain Caveman, Ma & Pa. I had tea and toast for breakfast followed by finishing off the butter chicken and rice from Friday night. We chilled out and I also managed to eat the M&S salad I still had in the fridge. In the afternoon, Captain Caveman and I went for a walk to the new Mosborough Co-op which had been the talk of the village. Mom had got a Co-op card so we took that but it turned out she needed a different coloured one. The Co-op was quite impressive and had lots of choice. Here’s what we bought with prices in pounds;

Co-op
Antihistamines 2.30
1 bottle of white wine 7.65
Total spent £9.95

When we got back, Ma had excelled herself with a roast chicken Sunday dinner with all the trimmings. Ma and I sat upstairs in the new comfy chairs with a glass of wine while it cooked and it was really nice with the sun streaming in. The dinner was fantastic and Captain Caveman was particularly impressed with the Yorkshire puddings and stuffing.
After eating, we drank wine in the living room and just relaxed after a boozy weekend. Captain Caveman was off back to Pontefract tomorrow, I would join him in a couple of days so he booked me my train tickets.

Gratitude List
1. A visit to Mosborough Co-op
2. Spending the day with my parents
3. A fantastic Sunday Dinner (I forgot to take photos).

Sheffield – 26th July

Saturday 26th July didn’t quite turn out as I’d imagined. Quite a few of our friends had said they would be at Tramlines festival over this weekend so we could meet up with them and I was looking forward to listening to live music. We hadn’t bothered getting tickets for the main events but we would just wander round the free stuff.
Mom excelled herself by doing a cooked breakfast for everyone in the morning. I had beans on toast with bacon, while the others had eggs and tomatoes with their’s. Ma & Pa weren’t up to coming in to town for Tramlines so they were going to stay home. My sister had said she might join us but then didn’t as they had overdone it last night. A few of the people who went to see Pulp last night had also overdone it so weren’t up for today.
We had arranged to meet Natalie and Paul in town and had chosen a pub on the edge of town, the Rutland Arms. It’s a cracking little pub with a great selection of beers and ciders, good staff and excellent music. We got the 1.30pm bus from Mosborough for £2.60 each and went straight to stock up on essential medication, here’s what we bought with prices in pounds;

Superdrug
Ibuprofen 0.39
Imodium 3.39
Fexofendine 8.99
2 packs of cystitis tablets 12.28
Total spent £25.05

Our next stop off was rather ill thought out and neither of us had realised it might have been a silly thing to do. As Captain Caveman had moved in to his new home without any crockery or cutlery he needed to buy a sharp knife. In fact he got 2 that were lovely and sharp with pink handles.

Nisbets
2 knives £12.71

With hindsight, walking round a town centre with entertainment on and an increased reputation for stabbings of late, carrying knives may have been a bit daft!
We met Natalie and Paul at the Rutland and had a couple of beers and a good chat. It had been quite a while since we’d all met up and, although we’d spoke on the phone, it was just great to meet in person. The chat flowed and we decided to walk in to town, nearer to where the action was. We wanted to meet up with Caz and the gang and also see Vanessa & Matt who were out with their friends too. Along the way we bumped in to a familiar face, another ex-Aviva colleague, Devon Francis, who was playing on stage later and we hoped to catch him. I messaged a few more friends to arrange where to meet and, although a few had sacked it off or were away, we had a plan to meet on Devonshire Green around 4.30pm.
I’m not entirely sure what happened but as we got to the entrance to the Devonshire Green music event, we noticed a queue and bags being searched – Captain Caveman was wary his new knives would be an issue, or be confiscated. We decided an impromptu beer in The Bath (another old pub) would be wise. They had some music on inside but we sat outside as the sun was shining. Here we met up with ex-Aviva colleague and friend, Sara (Killer), and her fella, Mark. We had another round while we were all introduced or reacquainted and by this time, Louisa was on her way to join us so we waited at The Bath. Captain Caveman was buying our rounds so I wasn’t really taking note of the prices, they were certainly cheaper than London.
We had such a laugh and Captain Caveman was on good form, enjoying being with old friends and meeting new ones. We even had a second Natalie join us when we sat at her table. Her friends had gone and she was on her own so we kind of got chatting.

By the time we were meant to be at the Devonshire Green we were already a bit merry and we decided we had better get a snack before we met the others. We tried to go to a pizza place but it was busy, Louisa had the idea to go to Cambridge Street Collective which is a food court style place with many different types of food. At first visit it can be a bit overwhelming as to what to choose but there is every type of food which makes it easier to please a group. Captain Caveman got on the app and ordered our food. I got the wrong end of the stick and thought he and I were sharing a pizza but he ordered Mexican for him and got me a slice of pizza from the top floor.
I finally put my hand in my pocket and went to the bar, here’s what I bought with the prices in pounds;

Cambridge Street Collective (bar)
1 rum and coke 6.25
1 pint of Guinness 6.70
2 pints of Abbeydale Heathen 11.50
2 pints of Aspall’s cider 12.00
Total spent £36.45

When my buzzer rang for me to collect the pizza I don’t mind saying I was pretty disappointed with it. It was a deep pan pepperoni (normally fine) slice but it was dripping in honey. I ate it but I wouldn’t have it again and Captain Caveman thought his burrito was nice. After that, I wondered if my stomach would tolerate the bus ride home and if buying only 1 pack of imodium earlier was a little optimistic. I was now drunk, tired, cold and bloated and needed my bed!
Unfortunately, we then had to say bye and go back to Mosborough but not before a cheeky visit to Sheffield train station for a toilet visit and some train tins. Here’s what we bought and prices in pounds;

M&S
1 porn star martini, 1 G&T, 1 limoncello spritzer (train tin deal) 8.50
2 large sausage rolls 1.20
Total spent £9.70

Our bus came at 9.50pm and it cost another £2.60 each to get home by which time we’d snaffled our sausage rolls but saved the train tins for home – we aren’t that wild!
When my parents asked how we’d enjoyed the bands and we replied that we hadn’t even seen one band, we did feel a bit foolish. We’d gone all that way for Tramlines, not even entered the Devonshire Green area and missed seeing bands and some of our friends!

Gratitude List
1. Breakfast by Mom
2. Meeting up with (some) friends in Sheffield
3. Sunshine and nice pubs.

Sevenoaks to Sheffield – 25th July

Captain Caveman had booked my train ticket from Otford on Friday 25th July at 10.59am which would go via London Blackfriars and St Pancras stations. I was due to arrive in to Sheffield at 2.42pm where Captain Caveman would already be working from a nearby cafe. Claire came with me to the train station and we said our farewells, hoping to see each other in Turkey in about 6 weeks’ time. I was still a bit teary at having to say goodbye, though, and always have such fun when I’m back with Claire.
My train was full and the couple sat next to me were mildly irritating by taking up all the table room which could’ve gone on the rack above them. Then sloshing tea and cake about and finally moving seats when we got to Leicester.
Captain Caveman met me in the Sheffield Tap and I used the facilities and logged in to finish some work emails before getting the bus. My parents had very kindly invited both Captain Caveman and I to stay with them for a few days and we were really looking forward to it. We got the 3.36pm Sheffield to Mosborough bus which cost £2.60 each for just one way – things had definitely gone up since my last visit! It was great to see my parents were doing well after both having some health issues; Dad was recovering well from a knee op and my Mom was doing well after eye surgery. It seemed only appropriate that we would celebrate with a quick trip to the pub. We were sipping pints int he The Alma by 4.30pm and, by 7pm, my sister and brother-in-law had joined us. We were going to have fish and chips at Tony’s but my sister is coeliac so it was a better option to go for an Indian. By 7.30pm we were all in The Vine Indian restaurant having a real feast with more drinks. We’d had a great afternoon and evening with the family, where a round of 4 drinks was less than £20 and starters, mains and drinks for 2 in the Indian came to £60. I even took half of my butter chicken and someone’s left over rice home for tomorrow.
Back home we had more drinks and celebrated being back in Mosborough some more.

Gratitude List
1. Travelling back to Sheffield
2. Seeing family again
3. Drinks and Indian in Mosborough

Sevenoaks and London – 24th July

Claire had needed to be in London for work on Thursday 24th and, as luck would have it, so did Clare. This meant I could tag along and work from Claire’s office and sit with her daughter who was also tagging along in the hope of a shopping trip afterwards.
I worked in the morning and then we took the train in to London, walking past a couple of places of interest. We met Clare at a nice spot for lunch where we braved sitting outside. The restaurant already had prepared for all weather with sunglasses and blankets, and we ordered quickly so that people could get back to work. Both Clare and I ordered a duck salad, Claire had a rainbow salad and her daughter ordered a burger with some duck bao buns to share. The food was fantastic and the waiter very good, we even got an extra portion of bao buns due to a mix up which we hadn’t even noticed. Typically, my dishes had tons of chillies in so I picked them all out, Clare who had the same, and likes chillies, had far fewer in her food. Here’s what we paid, in pounds, keeping in mind it was in London;

D&Ms
1 pint of tap water (free)
1 Elderflower cordial 0.60
1 tonic 2.95
1 diet coke 4.10
1 Homemade lemonade 4.95
Duck Bao Buns 10.95
1 Rainbow salad with Halloumi 18.45
1 Cheeseburger 18.95
2 Duck salads 33.90
12.5% tip 11.86
Total spent £106.71

Given that I was staying with Claire and had not paid for anything, I paid for the 3 of us at £81.71 and Clare paid for her share. I found it hard to get my UK phone to work in the centre of London and when I mentioned it, my 2 friends said they had the same issue. I missed the Resort Experts weekly meeting and ironically I’d also missed a zoom session on ‘Manifesting for Sceptics’.

Next, we said bye to Clare and went to the other Claire’s work. We had to get a pass, go through security to go in and up to a very high floor. The canteen was fantastic and I had a hot chocolate which was better than most cafes. Claire’s daughter shared her dried mango with me while her mom was in a meeting and was really well behaved while I did a bit of work. As we were leaving the office, I got a bit of a shock when I bumped in to an ex-Aviva colleague – the one and only Dan Holmes who now works in International insurance. What a small world it is.
We walked back to London Bridge station, via buying a new jacket for Claire’s daughter, and then did a bit of food and drink shopping, here’s what we got with prices in pounds;

Holland & Barrett
Diablo Dark chocolate 2.99
2 packs Gin Gins 7.78
Total spent £10.77

Gin Gins are great for seasickness, which I suffer badly from, so I was stocking up.

M&S
Sour cream snacks 1.25
Apple & peanut butter snack 2.65
Sparkling water 3.10
Super nutty salad 3.20
Edamame beans 4.25
Tuna and sweetcorn salad 4.50
Prawn layered salad 5.25
Sushi selection 5.75
Cray fish salad 6.50
3 ‘Train Tins’ 8.50
Total spent £44.95

On the journey back to Otford, we got a bit excited as we had Train Tins – let me explain for the uninitiated; these are tins (or cans) of premixed drinks sold by supermarkets in train stations so that you can have a takeaway alcoholic beverage on your train ride! Genius idea and Marks & Spencers do a really good range at only £8.50 for 3. We chose a Pornstar Martini each and then shared a limoncello with sparkling wine. What we didn’t really account for was a pretty full train with commuters on and the fact that, while the child in our care dined on sushi, sliced apple and peanut butter washed down with a juice, we were downing train tins before 5pm like a couple of soaks!
It was my last night with Claire and we had a nice relaxing evening with our salads and nibbles for dinner. I’d been well and truly spoiled at Claire’s and was going to miss them all, even Dave the cat and Reg the dog!

Gratitude List
1. London lunch with some of the girls
2. Going in to Claire’s office
3. Discovering Train Tins

Sevenoaks & Pett – 23rd July

In the morning of Wednesday 23rd July I didn’t get weighed despite it being weigh day, my 2nd one since being in the UK. I did take my measurements though and was surprised they weren’t worse;
Bust -1cm and under target, Waist -2cm and on target, Hips -1cm and also on target!
Claire and I worked from her home, with me doing some enquiries which included the Con Dao Islands and Gia Lai, both in Vietnam. I also saw an interesting Facebook post on ways to stay organised. My 3rd session with Ade on Substack was at 10am and also clashed with day 3 of Matt Hall’s Audience Growth training. I played catch up on that session but it’s not the same as doing it live. I did more work on my travel planner which involved key words and categories for marketing purposes. I had another zoom call about book publishing at 3pm and that went really well.
By 5.30pm Claire, her daughter, Mark and I were in the car on our way to the seaside. Mark had something to attend to at their holiday cottage in Pett and Claire thought it would be a great opportunity for us to join him. The initial plan was for us to have fish and chips there too but when we arrived in Pett (not too far from Hastings), the fish and chip shop was closed on Wednesdays. What a shame, so we went for Plan B and went to Peking Takeaway for a Chinese takeaway instead. We must’ve been hungry as we ended up getting £50 worth of food for the 4 of us, including half a crispy duck with pancakes. The holiday cottage was lovely and it was great to be there, the Chinese food was fantastic and must have been my first in such a long time. There was loads left so we bagged it up to take back with us.

After stuffing our faces and Mark doing all his jobs, we drove to the beach. It was still light at 8.45pm and the beach had a glow about it. We had a laugh trying to copy Mark skimming stones in to the sea and I got a few photos of us on Pett beach. The drive back felt long as we were all a bit tired and there were road closures but it had been totally worth the trip out. Tomorrow would be my last full day and night with Claire and her family as I was heading up to Sheffield next – the time had gone so fast!

Gratitude List
1. My measurements still being good after 12 days in the UK
2. Chinese food for dinner
3. A fantastic impromptu visit to Pett.