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.
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.
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.
Saturday 2nd August was a more stressful day, as we had to wait all day for the Virgin engineer to come. We had been using our phones on GiffGaff as hotspots which was fine in certain parts of the house but Captain Caveman had also bought EE as a hotspot which required me to keep logging in every hour. I was getting a bit tetchy about it and was also a bit aggrieved that there was only one towel in the house that we had to keep washing, drying and sharing. 15 years ago I’d have had a complete meltdown at that situation as I used to be that woman who used a massive bath towel for body plus a smaller towel for hair and a decent bath mat! Over the years of knowing Captain Caveman I’d grown accustomed to using just the one towel, and often a lot smaller in size when we lived in Asia. He was surprised that I had not brought my travel towel with me from Turkey but I had wrongly assumed there may have been adequate provision for towels. I was trying to convince Captain Caveman he needed more stuff, he was adamant that he had only rented until the end of the year so was reluctant to spend any money or time on getting things he could do without. Meanwhile, I was stressing over not having a bath mat and having to use a t-shirt to stand on so I didn’t slip on the tiled floor. I packed all my stuff up while Captain Caveman waited for the engineer, we were meant to be doing things in Sheffield but we got delayed. Finally, the engineer arrived, agreed with Captain Caveman on the cause of the problem and proceeded to instal wires and fix it. He finished by 6pm and we were on the road, heading for Mosborough via a trip to IKEA. At Ikea, we ate food first then I pretty much followed Captain Caveman around trying to keep up and suggest things he ‘needed’, then face an argument that he didn’t need things. The main thing we needed, in my opinion, was a bath mat, needless to say we did not agree on that item and we almost didn’t get one! Here’s what we did buy with the prices in pounds;
IKEA 1 washing up brush 1.00 Oven glove 2.00 1 corkscrew 3.00 1 plate rack 3.00 1 draining board 3.00 1 bath mat 4.00 1 pair of scissors 5.00 1 bath towel 6.00 1 small frying pan 7.00 2 pillow cases 8.00 1 fitted bed sheet 9.00 2 roller cheese graters 10.00 2 pillows 12.00 1 double bedding set 20.00 3 pans 35.00 1 office chair 60.00 Total spent £203.00
We attempted to get 2 folding chairs but they were out of stock and only had one available so I suggested we come back for them tomorrow. The assistant said he would have more out tomorrow but Captain Caveman wasn’t keen on that idea so he just bought the one chair. I left him to do the check out as I needed the loo and by the time I got back he was ready to leave. He was not in a good mood and neither was I, I think we were still bloody arguing about a £4 bath mat. The good thing is though we both had a new roller cheese grater which I had seen at his parents, they are a game changer – especially for parmesan straight out of the freezer! It was late when we arrived at my parents, we’d brought them an adapter plug, some Pontecarlo midget gems with liquorice black ones in and a bottle of wine. My head was frazzled so I suggested we opened the wine then showed off my new cheese grater! It was too late to go out so we had a couple of drinks with Ma & Pa and they laughed at us falling out in IKEA.
Gratitude List 1. Finally getting Virgin internet sorted at Captain Caveman’s home 2. A successful (as in we got necessary items) trip to IKEA 3. Finally arriving in Mosborough for drinks with my parents.
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.
Captain Caveman left Mosborough very early on the morning of Monday 28th July to go back to Pontefract. He would work from home there and I was working from home at my parents. It was cold again and I checked my banking before work. I paid off my Turkish credit card in full and the monthly water bill came out at just 337.88 lira (£6.23). At 12, I broke off from work for a break and walked with my parents to the pharmacy, I then walked to the shops to see if they had any treats that I liked. They didn’t and I came back without buying anything. I had a sandwich for lunch and then cracked back on with work. After work, I had nothing written in my diary and I’d not heard from any of the friends I’d not caught up with at the weekend yet. I had got a catch up pencilled in for next week, though, which I was looking forward to. Before dinner, I met Amanda and Chris for a walk with their dogs, Ted and Bruno. We had a good walk and chatted about all things, including holidays. I even went back to their house for a cup of tea which made a nice change from the pub. I’d been drinking far too much alcohol on this trip and needed to get back on track a bit. In the evening, I worked on designing my Resort Experts business card and decided I would use QR codes to link to my website and also put my book on the back of it. I spoke to Captain Caveman who had booked my train ticket to come visit his new home in Ponte, tomorrow. He helped me with the QR code and I got my mom to test if she could access it, it worked!
Gratitude List 1. Having zero debt and my Turkish bills being paid 2. Dog walking with friends 3. Coming up with a design for my business card.
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).
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.
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
Captain Caveman came back to the Jonas Hotel in Sheffield in the early hours of Saturday 31st May. I woke up because he had to turn on the light and go to the bathroom. He’d also not been able to get in with his key as, when I had asked for another, they had cancelled the first one. I didn’t get much sleep due to Captain Caveman’s snoring and we were up for breakfast early. The hotel included a hot beverage and a croissant (plain or chocolate) which was very nice and meant I could take a tablet. I was meant to be calling in to see my parents but I was still quite unwell and decided it would be better to push on and get the journey down to London over with. I’d already warned Captain Caveman that I’d need to stop for several toilet breaks along the way. Our first stop off was at Dunston Hall Garden Centre where I had a soup with a pot of herbal tea, Captain Caveman ordered a sausage sandwich and chips with a coffee. The food was good but the service seemed a bit chaotic and amateur. Captain Caveman paid the bill while I had another toilet visit and got stuck in the one way system of the Garden Centre. We drove down to London, with just one more very brief pee stop and finally got to Barnes in the late afternoon. Captain Caveman and I were welcomed by his parents and sat out in the garden, meeting some friends of theirs. There was wine but I just had a juice and some of the crisps. I went to unpack and managed to have a little lay down but no sleep and then we were given a lovely home cooked pasta dish for dinner. I was fit for nothing and in bed very early which was a shame as I’d not seen the in-laws for such a long time. I managed to check my finances as I was very keen to see if I’d managed to come in within the £400 budget I had set for myself this month. With 11 days in the UK, mostly with Captain Caveman, I doubted that I had managed it so at first I was only going to count my Turkish Bank, which I only use in Turkey. I had put 20,716 lira (approx £400) in to that account for my budget. Unbelievably I had managed to spend 20,598 lira including 2 water bills, the electric bill and paying my credit card off in full. I was pleased at that but then I looked at my Wise account which I use mainly in the UK. Between me and Captain Caveman we had deposited £603 in total, unfortunately we had then spent £673, with £261.55 being spent on stuff that was only related to me! This meant I’d gone over budget by £260 at least in May, this also didn’t include anything that Captain Caveman had paid for directly. June was going to be tough and I needed to keep under budget to be able to start to get some savings in again. May had been such a fantastic month, though, and I was finally feeling like things were getting better financially.
Gratitude List 1. Making it to London despite feeling rather unwell 2. Seeing Captain Caveman’s parents 3. Being able to have some treats which meant going over budget.
Friday 30th was meant to have been my last day to catch up with various people I’d not seen yet, as well as some I already had. The plan had been to finish work early and meet Louisa then, when Captain Caveman finished work, he would come join along with Vanessa and some of her family before attending Caz’s birthday celebrations that night. My sister was hoping to be able to meet me too before she went on holiday and I needed to say bye to my parents before I went back to Turkey. Captain Caveman and I were driving back to London the next day and I would get to see his parents before I flew back to Dalaman on Monday. Unfortunately, I woke up feeling worse and the cystitis medication was doing bugger all to alleviate the pain, or the symptoms. Most of the day was spent in pain, feeling nauseous and a bit blurry. Vanessa was dealing with a delivery of a couple of sofa throws which had been ordered for her settee in Dalyan and they were really nice, but heavy and big. She’d asked Matt to get some made in Dalyan to save paying for luggage but he’d not been able to get any. I agreed to take one in my suitcase as I had enough room and was already taking a jar of Branston, which they had forgotten on their last trip out, plus a couple of bits. I didn’t mind at all but I only had space for 1 of them, poor Vanessa would have to take the other in her under seat bag. I started doing some packing while Captain Caveman was in meetings and Vanessa went out to meet her son and his girlfriend, with arrangements to see us at the Lescar pub later. I doubted I would be able to go but I really wanted to see people before I left as I didn’t know when I would be back. At lunch time, Captain Caveman gave me a 2 minute warning that we needed to pack up and leave during his lunch hour as he had another important meeting and we needed to get across town. Months ago when Captain Caveman had arranged to go to Caz’s birthday celebrations he had thought he would stay at a hotel he had used before, the Jonas hotel, Endcliffe. I wasn’t quite with it as I hastily packed and rushed to the toilet in between as I still was in a predicament.
We arrived at the hotel which is located in a student area and is really stylish. Captain Caveman logged on in the communal working area ready for his 2pm meeting and I ordered a cup of Yorkshire tea and a cake for £4.50 as my lunch (there were no sandwiches left). I took the key and went up to the room where I tried to have a little sleep but I felt quite sick. I googled my symptoms and decided I needed to see if I could get antibiotics from somewhere and set off walking to Boots on Ecclesall Road. I got as far as the Tesco Supermarket and was nearly peeing my pants so went in to find a toilet. They didn’t have one, but I did find an adaptor plug for £4. At the pharmacy, still desperate for a wee, there was a massive queue and I could hear the on duty pharmacist saying he would love to visit Turkey for a holiday to one of the staff. That member of staff then told the woman in front of me that there was not a prescribing pharmacist on duty today so she would need to go to the walk-in centre. I was already distressed and desperate for a pee so I decided to ask the lady at the counter if I could speak to the pharmacist in private. Mo, the on duty pharmacist, obliged and we went in to the room next door where I explained my predicament. I also told a bit of a fib that I was due to drive to Gatwick tomorrow to get my flight back to Turkey and that I was so worried I wouldn’t be able to travel. We chatted about Turkey, politics and how if he needed a pee sample I could probably fill a bucket while crying, right now. He prescribed me Nitrofurantoin and said it was probably a bladder infection. By 4pm, I left the Boots Pharmacy, having paid £9.90 and was so relieved to have seen Mo. He was a lovely fella and really helped me out in a predicament. I located the nearest chain coffee shop for the toilet, in desperation. I had to buy an overpriced bottle of water (£2.25) to get a code to get in for the biggest (painful) pee of the day. I was so relieved and took my first tablet while on the loo. I walked back to the hotel but got lost and ended up walking quite far out of my way, up and down big hills, which I’m no longer used to. I got back and went to bed, which was super comfy but would’ve benefited from extra pillows.
I’m not much of a tablet taker so I immediately noticed that the Nitrofurantoin was having a weird effect on me, in the afternoon. I’d already had to start letting people know I wouldn’t be in any fit state to see them today. I needed to take my next tablet with or after food and needed to avoid citrus and spicy food. It was such a shame as Captain Caveman had finished work and wanted to go out for a nice meal before going to meet Caz and all the others at the Lescar for drinks. We decided to walk down the hill and find a restaurant to get a meal and I could take my next tablet. After mooching about and me not fancying anything because the thought of eating didn’t appeal, we settled on a Spanish Tapas place. That way, I could nibble on something and Captain Caveman could enjoy a nice meal with a drink or two. Here’s what we had with prices in pounds;
Iberico Restaurant Olive oil with Balsamic 1.00 Alioli (extra) 1.00 Bread 3.50 75ml sherry 4.00 Belly pork 5.00 Chorizo with honey and toast 5.00 Artichokes 5.00 Tortilla 7.00 Ham Croquettes 9.00 250ml red wine 11.00 2 Manchego with Membrillo 12.00 Lots of tap water (free) Total spent £63.50
I loved the Manchego cheese and even managed to eat the meat dishes but, when the tortilla came, I had to make a dash for the toilet to be sick. Eggs can often make me feel nauseous when I’m ill but I was in a state and needed to lay down. As we were so near to the Lescar, we decided I would go and wish Caz a Happy Birthday, say thank you and farewell to Vanessa and hopefully see some of the other friends while I was there. Captain Caveman and I were the first there, shortly followed by Caz and Tim. I said hello, apologised for being ill, found out water infections are more common during menopause and drank just half of my tap water. I was in a bit of a state but I did have time to at least say hello to Caz and friends and get in a photo. I had to run to the loo to pee and throw up but was conscious of wasting the antibiotic so swallowed it! Vanessa and Brad didn’t arrive and I couldn’t wait any longer so Captain Caveman and I left, he would return after walking me back. My sister messaged to say she was sorry she hadn’t been able to meet me but was at a family meal at Gill’s & Co on Ecclesall Road. We were walking past it, so we went in just to say bye to everyone. I had a soda water, Captain Caveman had a drop of the bottle of wine on the table and my sister was on good form. It looked like a lovely place to dine. I paid visits to the toilet more than once and then I just had to get back to the hotel for a lay down. I said bye to everyone with promises to see them in the summer, so not too long to wait. Captain Caveman left to rejoin Caz’s birthday bash and I walked back up the hill to the hotel. I could see the hotel so went in my bag to get the hotel key, only to realise that I didn’t have it. I called Captain Caveman and text but no answer. When I did speak to him, I was already in the hotel reception toilets, trying not to throw up. He wasn’t about to come back with the key so he said to ask reception for a new one, which they were very accommodating about. I had the second shower of the day and put my PJs on to go to sleep, just hoping I would be well enough to get to London tomorrow. At 9.20pm Vanessa messaged to say they were still at Grandma’s having had a Chinese so wouldn’t be able to make it out, after all. She wished me well for my journey and I her for her flight tomorrow and I would see her in Dalyan next week.
Gratitude List 1. Mo, the pharmacist – life saver! 2. Iberico – I will have to visit again when I’m better to fully appreciate it. 3. At least seeing Caz (and friends) on her birthday night out and saying bye to the Lessing family.
Captain Caveman was working in Stoke all day on Thursday 29th May and I decided, as Vanessa was going back to Dalyan before me, I would take the afternoon off to spend time with her. After tea and toast for breakfast I did a full morning of work, including our Resort Experts team meeting. I’d finished around 12.30 and we got the tram to Crystal Peaks. Vanessa and I were both really surprised at how neither of us had got a hangover, especially after at least 6 rum & cokes and 3 ‘Blow Jobs’ yesterday. Oddly though, I had a strange pain in-between my stomach and groin area, which I’d never experienced before. Vanessa thought my symptoms seemed like it could be Cystitis and she used to be a doctor’s receptionist so I took her word for it. Our first stop was at the retail park and Boots where I bought mini face wash, mouth wash, moisturiser, plus a bottle of water and some cystitis medication for a total of £6.80. Our mission of the day had been to have a KFC because it’s our favourite junk food. Usually Vanessa would just have a 1 piece meal but today we both ordered a 2 piece meal, I went large but Vanessa had normal with BBQ beans. I had water and she had a strange drink I’d never heard of before and it looked like a milkshake but with things in it. The food was great but my pain was getting worse and I did not feel well at all. In Marks & Spencer they had bras in my size but, because of all the weight I’d lost I was now a 34B and I’d been a 38E at one point! If only I could shift that much from my waist! I bought a pack of 3 for £20 and I didn’t even need underwired anymore! I’d always thought I’d got big boobs but it turned out I was just fat! While in M&S I started to feel even more unwell and I needed to pee 3 times. Granted, I had drank quite a bit of water before bed last night and again this morning plus the cystitis meds but it felt different – like it was coming on all of a sudden. Our next shopping stint was in I Love Sweets, a traditional sweet shop which had every type of childhood confectionery you could think of. We were like the proverbial kids in a sweet shop and I bought Floral Gums, Yorkshire Mixture and Sherbet Pips – I could easily have bought more and if you’re in the area I can highly recommend the place. We had a lovely nostalgic chat with the owner and I loved the shop. Unfortunately, as we left I needed to pee again and felt a bit woozy. I wasn’t sure what was happening as one minute I was absolutely fine the next I thought I might collapse. I had started to really need a lay down so, as Vanessa headed over to Poundland to see if they had Weetabix, I had to nip to the loo again. I ended up in Peacock’s where I bought some size 12 pyjamas (without trying them on!) and another bottle of water as I was now desperately thirsty. I paid £12.75 and didn’t realise until later that I had picked lilac and grey, which were Vanessa’s colours.
I had to cancel my plans for the evening and I really struggled to make it back to Vanessa’s without pissing myself. I was now at the stage where I didn’t know if I needed to pee or not and when I did I was crying out in pain. I had a rest on the bed and Vanessa made us all fajitas for dinner which was a lovely meal. I was a bit upset that I’d had to cancel my evening plan to meet friends but I felt so poorly. Even Captain Caveman, who was meant to be going to a caving catch up before joining me and my friends, didn’t go out. I took more medication, drank loads of water and went to bed early, hoping I’d be ok for tomorrow.
Gratitude List 1. KFC for lunch with Vanessa 2. Bras 3. I Love Sweets
Apologies for lack of photos, I was too busy feeling poorly.
Wednesday 28th May was certainly not the day we had planned although it all started off like a regular Wednesday. It would not end that way. Both Captain Caveman and I were at our laptops from 9am, he had a meeting first thing so was in the bedroom while I used the desk in the living room. Captain Caveman made me toast and Vanessa was getting ready to go out for lunch with her mother-in-law and daughter. We’d decided we were going to have fajitas for dinner and plans were going well for Captain Caveman to work until 5pm. I needed to buy some bras and perhaps something to wear for the weekend, so I decided I would meet Vanessa in town around 3pm. With it being a Wednesday, I got weighed and did my measurements. It was not a great result after 1 week in England; I had put on 1.1kg (2.4lb) and was now 2.7kg (almost 6lb) over target. My measurements showed I had put 1cm on my bust and waist but had lost 1cm off my hips. Interestingly, my waist measurement was the biggest it had been in a long time and was 5cm over target. I was starting to notice that when I put weight on in the UK it goes on to my waist very easily. I was definitely eating less fruit and vegetables too. I still had 5 days left in England, 2 of them in London. By 3pm, I had got on the tram, bought a day saver for £5.70 and I was heading to Marks & Spencer’s to go bra shopping. Vanessa had been for lunch at the Banker’s Draft and would meet me there as she wanted to try a new pub nearby. When I got off the tram, at Sheffield Cathedral, Vanessa and her daughter, Alicia, were waiting for me. We did the introductions and then said we would meet Alicia in the pub after I’d been shopping. I didn’t get any bras as they didn’t have my new size or the style I liked so off we went to the pub. Unfortunately, the one Vanessa has heard of being a new opening was not there so we stuck with what we knew. As we walked to where we were going we cut through the Banker’s Draft which I’d not been in for many years. It was definitely an eye opener and I did not expect it to be rammed full with a game of bingo going on at 4pm in the afternoon. The Dove and Rainbow is one of the best pubs in the centre of Sheffield and it had been a while since my last visit. For just less than a tenner, Vanessa had a cider, I had a pint of tap water (free) and a pint of Guiness and we went out the back to sit with Alicia and her friends, Jamie and Lucy. I messaged Captain Caveman to arrange for him to come join us after he finished work, as it’s a favourite pub of his. Once Vanessa and I had joined Alicia on the rum and cokes, it was pretty obvious things were going to get messy. When another friend, T, turned up, Lucy got a round of ‘Blow Job’ shots in and we all enjoyed them. Vanessa had a bit of trouble getting hers down in one, because of all the cream. By the time Captain Caveman arrived, he had missed more ‘Blow Jobs’ from Jamie and Alicia and we were all on our merry way. We were all having a great time but it was about to get even better when, at 6.30pm, I noticed the sign for a quiz. It’s on the last Thursday of every month, starts at 7pm and it got pretty busy. The drinks kept flowing as we did the quiz and another friend joined us so we split in to 2 teams of 4. I have no idea what time we left but I vaguely recall us getting a takeaway from Gleadless Townend on our way home! Captain Caveman and I shared a pizza and some chips, while Vanessa ordered a doner kebab. When we got back to her’s she didn’t eat the kebab at all, as her stomach couldn’t handle it.
Gratitude List 1. The Dove & Rainbow pub 2. Meeting Vanessa’s daughter, Alicia and her friends 3. Having a really good night at the quiz.
On Sunday 25th May Captain Caveman and I decided on an outing in to Sheffield town centre. I needed a hairbrush and some clothes and Captain Caveman had said he would treat us to a trip to the Curzon cinema to see The Phoenician Scheme. As the cast of this Wes Anderson sounded good, I had agreed and was excited to finally be going to the cinema. The last film I’d seen had been a disappointing Barbie film in Fethiye. In the morning I did a bit of work as I had forgotten it was Bank Holiday Monday tomorrow so Captain Caveman was off for the day. We got the supertram in to town from Gleadless Town End at £3.40 each. Once in Sheffield, our first stop off was at Superdrug, here’s what we bought with prices in pounds;
I went in to Primark, Captain Caveman isn’t a fan so he mooched about while I bought 5 pairs of socks for £3.50. I saw a large suitcase for only £38 and wanted to get it but we were going to the cinema. I wanted clothes but there was nothing to my liking so Captain Caveman suggested Blacks. Here’s what we bought, prices in pounds;
Blacks 4 tops (for me) £31.44 A coat (for him) £59.00 Total spent £90.44
While I looked and found nothing in New Look, Captain Caveman went back for the £38 suitcase from Primark. We shoved all our stuff in to the case and took it to the cinema, as you do. The Curzon was very nice and Captain Caveman had a beer, I had a glass of wine but no popcorn! The film was a massive disappointment and I’ve never been in a cinema where most people around me were snoring at one point or another. Even I fell asleep! We left in confusion and rain, wheeled our new suitcase to the bus station and got the bus to Mosborough, which cost £2.60 each. We called briefly to see my parents and pick up the van before going home for a nice meal at ‘home’ with Vanessa. She had been to her grandson’s birthday party where one of my other Sheffield friend’s son had gone. They got chatting and worked out they both knew me and that I had invited Vanessa to Caz’s birthday celebrations next Friday. It’s a small world.
Gratitude List 1. Captain Caveman taking me shopping 2. A new suitcase 3. Having a nap in the cinema.
As it was a Bank Holiday in England on Monday 26th May, we decided to have a day out in Sheffield. Check out the old stomping ground and see the sights. I’d been waiting to hear from my Mom who needed taking to an appointment but luckily my sister could take her so Captain Caveman’s offer of a lift wasn’t needed and we could go out. We got the bus in and had a wander along a canal, down by the old Castle Market area and then along to our first pub stop, The Harlequin. A great bar where Captain Caveman had a proper beer and I had an Ascension cider.
Our next stop was Riverside where it had now started to rain so more drinks were had as we took shelter. By this time I was getting peckish and the menu looked good.
Captain Caveman had an alternative plan and took me for a mint tea and vegan sausage roll at Gaarde. I was dubious at first as to if the sausage roll was vegan as it was one of the best I’d had in ages. We had a trip to the Wellington and had pork scratchings with our beers there, intending to get the tram. There were track repairs and a bus replacement that went past us. After that we had an uphill walk through Sheffield to the cathedral where we caught the tram back to Vanessa’s as there was a curry and rice waiting for us, made in the slow cooker. It was delicious and we watched Race Across the World on TV which Captain Caveman loves.
Gratitude List 1. An impromptu day off 2. Spending time in my home town with Captain Caveman 3. Great night in front of the TV with Vanessa.
Both Captain Caveman and I worked all day on Tuesday 27th May while Vanessa went out with a friend in the afternoon. At lunchtime we drove to the nearest Asda to buy some more shopping, here’s what we bought with prices in pounds;
Asda Supermarket
Lasagne sheets 0.64* 2 garlic bread 0.70 Bananas 0.85 Orange juice 1.62 2 sausage casserole mix 1.90* 2 Thai curry paste 2.40* Toilet roll 2.76 3 Fajita packet mixes 3.15* Chicken 4.42 1 bottle of red wine 7.27 Total spent £25.71 The items with a * were for me to take back to Dalyan in my suitcase.
In the evening, Captain Caveman made a Spaghetti Bolognese for us all and we watched more Race Across the World on TV.
Gratitude List 1. Shopping at Asda 2. A lovely meal 3. Spending the evening with Captain Caveman and Vanessa, watching TV.
Captain Caveman and I had been invited to my niece, Morgan’s, 21st birthday BBQ on Saturday 24th May at 3pm. Before that, though, we arranged to visit my parents. Unfortunately, as Dad had recently had a knee replacement operation, Ma & Pa had decided they weren’t feeling up to being able to attend. It was a shame, as Dad was making great progress but just not able to leave home just yet. We drove over to my parents, calling at Crystal Peaks shopping centre on the way. Captain Caveman treated us all to Beres Pork sandwiches as the local shop in Mosborough no longer does them. They were really good and I’m glad we got the big size ones. I also managed to drink lots of pints of tap water, my favourite drink when I’m in Sheffield. For afters, Ma got some chocolate biscuits out and we all had one with a hot drink. It was good to see them and Dad was doing pretty well moving about. It had been just over 6 months since Captain Caveman and my parents had seen each other in Dalyan, despite being in the same town for almost 4 of those months. He’d tried to visit a few times but they had not been in when he’d called. We didn’t get much time with them, though, as we had to be at Gayle and Neil’s for the party. Neither of us were really feeling like drinking after last night’s shenanigans in Woodseats but it’s not every day we get to celebrate a 21st. We gave Morgan a present and a bottle of champagne, plus we took some wine and beer to drink. Her birthday was later in the week so she didn’t open any presents. April, my 18 year old niece, was in charge of making cocktails and had already started trying them out. I had Prosecco, Captain Caveman had beer and then we went on to Margaritas which were very good.
There was a piñata which is always a laugh, 3 dogs running about, lots of booze and a massive BBQ and buffet. Neil and his Dad did an excellent job of cooking the meat despite my sister grumbling it was a bit later than expected. Harley, April’s boyfriend, did a fab music quiz which Captain Caveman and I came 2nd at – surprisingly as Captain Caveman always says he’s no good at music. We had a brilliant afternoon and ended up getting a taxi home just as it was starting to get a bit messy! I also was a bit disappointed that I had not taken many photos and didn’t get any of the birthday girl. Someone had taken group photos but I couldn’t remember who and forgot to ask if I could have some. Luckily, my sister came up trumps on the photos later.
Gratitude List 1. Getting to see my parents and have pork sandwiches 2. An amazing 21st Birthday BBQ for Morgan 3. Captain Caveman being able to join me at a family event for the first time in 13 and a half years.
Captain Caveman having a bash at the piñata
Photo Credit – most photos & video by Gayle Leesing
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