Sheffield – 27th & 28th August

It was raining, cold and miserable on Thursday 27th August – it was still quite dark at 10am and I wasn’t used to that. Typically the weekend was the bank holiday in the UK so that made sense that the weather had changed.
Around 3pm Vanessa popped round to collect something and address any last minute preparations for their holiday which they had booked through me at Resort Experts. Her and Matt were off on a cruise and stay holiday in the USA and Canada to celebrate her 60th birthday and they were really looking forward to it. We had a cup of tea and some bacon sandwiches while chatting and then we popped out for a quick drive as Vanessa had errands to run and I needed to tighten up my new glasses.
It was another busy day, not finishing work until late. Captain Caveman and I had a walk round the block when it stopped raining and resisted the pub, before having another dinner at home. I cooked fish fingers and wedges and managed to make a mess of getting the fish fingers off the tray but they tasted fine.

Gratitude List
1. Knowing we were going away this weekend to escape the rain
2. Seeing Vanessa before her trip
3. Going outside for the first time since Sunday.

It was another hectic day for me on Friday 28th August and, instead of looking forward to going away, I’d started to get a bit stressed. I don’t have the luxury at the moment of being able to not work and weekends and evenings do tend to be my most demanding times of the week – especially bank holidays. I think it was at the back of my mind that I was still going to have to fit in working at least a few hours per day over the next few weeks. I ploughed through the to do list in the morning, then broke off to sort laundry so I had my stuff for taking on holiday. We had soup and a bacon sandwich for brunch at about 1pm and then we had a lot of travel related tasks to do; getting my travel insurance sorted, booking trains to and from Manchester airport, booking the airport hotel for when we got back from Belgium next month and checking we were ready to depart to Poland tomorrow. Disappointingly, the most important thing on my to do list was to have completed the internal pages of The Handy Travel Diary 2027, which I had hit a bit of a delay on.
At 4.30pm we had another flat viewing in the area and, although it had 2 bedrooms but only 1 bathroom it did come with a parking space right outside. It didn’t have any outside space or an ensuite though – which we liked on the first flat we viewed. It was £20,000 cheaper but I’m not sure we both ranked it as high as the other one.
We also were able to view a first floor flat which was a bargain but had only 1 bathroom and no allocated parking space. It did come fully furnished and was amazing inside, although no outdoor space or balcony. I still thought it was a strong contender and Captain Caveman said he wouldn’t rule it out.
I made slimming world style pizzas for dinner, using Captain Caveman’s pasta sauce and wraps. We also opened a bottle of red wine to mark the end of a frugal and sober week. We watched a cycling event go past and Captain Caveman was a bit jealous as he still was suffering with gout so couldn’t have joined.

We decided to have a wander to the pub with it being Friday night and we had been very frugal for the last 4 days. Today was pay day for Captain Caveman which was a good job as I had completely run out of money. Captain Caveman treated us both to a drink in the Kelham Wine Bar and then we decided to pop over to the Alder for a second drink. We spent most of the night discussing the possibility of Captain Caveman buying a flat in the near future and what our future looked like after that. I went to bed that night with a lot to think about and also with a bit of worry about how on earth I was going to manage 3 holidays on a budget with people who earned so much more money than me (including Captain Caveman) – it was going to be tough.

Gratitude List
1. Getting a load of things done to help make it easier to work while abroad
2. Captain Caveman looking to buy a flat in Kelham Island, Sheffield
3. Going to the pub with Captain Caveman.

Sheffield – 24th to 26th August

Monday 24th August was a full on working day where I was researching and compiling multiple customer quotes. It felt good to be back in the UK and connecting with more friends plus referred people who wanted me to look at their holidays for 2027 and 2028. I even had a 2029 enquiry for a special trip too. People were definitely planning ahead even more than I was.
I broke off from the laptop for lunch of fish fingers, wedges and beans only to find we were out of beans. We made do without and had a discussion that we would try to get to the end of the week without spending much or buying any non-essentials. We had just 5 days until our holiday so needed to be sensible.
In the evening we made do with leftovers and I said I would make a veggie curry tomorrow.

Gratitude List
1. Getting some more potential customers and bookings
2. Fish fingers
3. Being able to look forward to more holidays.

It was another busy day for both of us spent working hard on Tuesday 25th August. I’d got in to the habit of posting a Top Tip every Tuesday and this week my post got over 400% more views, over 300% of which were from people who didn’t know me already. I was trying to grow my following on Facebook so that I could earn money from my original content but it was still proving tricky as I was short of the 500 followers needed to get started. I persisted in trying to increase this and write useful, genuine posts to get this increased but it wasn’t easy.
I made a slow cooker chickpea, lentil and spinach curry for dinner and we had it with some warmed up wraps. It’s really cheap to make, we had all the ingredients in the cupboard already and it is healthy and tasty. I should’ve made more but we did have leftovers for tomorrow.
That evening I caught up on my blogging a bit before bed, as I was getting behind.

Gratitude List
1. My Top Tip Tuesday posts becoming more popular
2. A homemade veggie curry
3. A no spend, zero alcohol day.

I found myself missing the ladies of Fat Club on Wednesday 26th August. The group chat was busy with positive vibe messages and encouragement for all those who may have succumbed to Sabotage Tuesday yesterday. In the absence of any scales I took my measurements to find I had lost 1cm from my bust, 2cm from my waist but stayed the same on my hips – that wasn’t bad considering the amount of food and drink I’d had this weekend!
It was another busy day in the office but I did break off to have leftover curry for lunch with Captain Caveman. In the evening Captain Caveman went to Bridge and I did more writing.
For dinner Captain Caveman made sausage pasta with the sausages we had bought for breakfast at the weekend but not used, plus his home made tomato pasta sauce from the freezer.
It was day 3 of no spending and zero alcohol in readiness for our forthcoming holiday this weekend.

Gratitude List
1. Still keeping in touch with the Fat Club ladies
2. Good home made food
3. Another no spend and zero alcohol day.

Sheffield – 21st August

There was some excitement on Friday 21st August as our friend, Clare, was coming to Sheffield for the weekend. I’d already been in touch with our other mutual friends, Kerrie and Louisa, who were also keen to meet up.
After cramming in lots of work and I also managed to do the hoovering and clean up a bit, I walked to the train station to meet Clare. I’d not seen her since we went for drinks and steak in London so it was great to catch up again. Clare had just a small backpack and it was a lovely day so we decided to walk it back to Kelham Island from the train station. According to Captain Caveman it should take 15 minutes but I’d say it was more like 20.
Back home, Clare was shown around the flat and she was allocated the spare room/office which I turfed Captain Caveman out of. He was able to finish work a little earlier on a Friday and was able to nip to the shops for provisions. He also bought me some Lactase enzyme supplements because he was convinced I was intolerant to lactose. I’d not realised that both Kerrie and Louisa had been ready to meet up earlier in the day than we could be ready for. We rushed to get ready and I messaged them to say we were heading to the pub. As it turned out, they were both running late now so we had time to show Clare the area, have a quick pint in the Alder, then another drink in the Neepsend Social Club, where I went on to wine. We waited in the Gardener’s Rest for our friends to join us with a third drink while sharing the last of the pork pies and food as none of us had eaten. I was very impressed with the pork to pastry ratio in the pork pie too.

At 5pm Louisa, Kerrie and her son, Jack, arrived at the Gardener’s Rest and more drinks were ordered – I was already quite merry by this point!
Kerrie and Jack made me laugh, especially Jack who was telling us all about his football and they couldn’t stay long as they had to get up early for football tomorrow.

After the Gardener’s Rest, Louisa, Clare, Captain Caveman and I walked to the next pub, The Workshop. Here the girls went on to cocktails, I stuck to wine and Captain Caveman beer but I had already overdone it and was hungry. We ended up having chips and gravy which I knew I was drunk by this time as I’m not fond of gravy but I ate it and enjoyed it!

We really should have gone home after that as I had definitely had too much wine but we went for a last drink at the Church, where, apparently, I had a margarita and Captain Caveman fell asleep. Louisa’s husband came to pick her up and I think we kept him waiting a bit too long while she drank up and said her farewells. We organised to see her again tomorrow for something new that Clare and I were really looking forward to.

Gratitude List
1. Clare coming to stay with us for the weekend in Sheffield
2. Drinks at Kelham Island with our friends
3. That pork pie in the Gardener’s Rest.

Sheffield – 8th August

Saturday 8th August was a very busy day for me. I was at the laptop in the morning and then Captain Caveman and I had the viewing of the nearby flat that we both liked the look of. Captain Caveman had put both of us down to help with a neighbourhood litter picking mission at 10am but he was unable to go because of a gout flare up. Instead, I went and I met some new people and had quite a good time. It was hot and sweaty by the time we finished and I had to have a shower before our next appointment at noon. The property was a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom flat with a decent sized hall way and kitchen/living space and even an outdoor area with views of the River Don and a parking space. We both liked it and decided that Captain Caveman was going to look into getting a mortgage appointment so that he could perhaps put in an offer. The mortgage appointment was made but the next available one with Captain Caveman’s preferred provider wasn’t until the second week of September.

Our next mission was for me to return to the opticians, with Captain Caveman so he could help me choose my glasses and pay for them. Vision Express do an eye care plan where you pay a monthly direct debit over 2 years (interest free) and it works out 20% cheaper than paying for the glasses. It also includes a free eye test, accidental breakage and loss protection as well as free adjustments and servicing. Captain Caveman was very helpful at the opticians but we did make the lady serving us laugh at his bluntness. When we were choosing the colour of the prescription sunglasses and my transitional lenses in the normal glasses – he made some comment about not getting the colour that made me look like a sex offender!

I ordered my 2 pairs which apparently was a good deal and came to a total of £436, after discount, despite me picking the lowest priced frames and that included 50% off the second pair. I paid the first £19 to set up the plan but Captain Caveman had to put the direct debit in his name starting from September. I was so happy and they would be ready in less than 2 week’s time.

I was ready to get back home as I had a headache but Captain Caveman fancied a pint in the Fargate pub. It had opened earlier this year and we’d not been in yet. It was £8.44 for a pint and a half and, although the pub was nicely done out, I wasn’t a fan of it. It was dark inside and a somewhat depressing feel to it. The clientele was a bit to be desired too and it reminded me of a flat roofed boozer on a rough estate. Captain Caveman had started to have a flare up of gout so I’d questioned him drinking beer (a trigger for gout) but he insisted beer or wine doesn’t affect it, just prawns or mushrooms which I’d not seen him have in over a year! We had to go to Boots to buy paracetamol and ibuprofen for £1.74 so that he could relieve the pain a bit.

In the evening I had been invited to one of Vanessa’s 60th birthday celebrations, which we had planned in the diary for quite some time. It was an 80s night at OEC in Hillsborough, next door to the dog track.
I met Vanessa and her gang of celebrators in the foyer at 6.30pm and most people, especially Vanessa, had made an effort to dress up in the appropriate 80s gear. Luckily, Vanessa had brought some extra props too so I could borrow some to jazz up my outfit.

The cost of the ticket which included the meal, a band, singers and the DJ was £35 and it was definitely worth it. The food was excellent, the music was brilliant and we all had a lot of fun – with lots of dancing. Vanessa had a plan to avoid drinking too much or spending loads on wine which was a genius move too. She bought a bottle of wine and some soda water (which came with an ice bucket) for about £24 and lasted her all night. I didn’t do this as wasn’t sure if I’d drink a full bottle but still spent £15.53 on 2 glasses so Vanessa’s idea was a good one. There were 10 of us in total and I’d already met 2 of Vanessa’s entourage which was nice but it was great to meet the others. I managed to insult Vanessa’s best mate by commenting on her wig which turned out to be her real hair! One of the youngest in the group had to get the Rennie’s out as the meal was fantastic and the puddings very rich! The food was delicious and plenty of it too, I had the chicken with lots of roast potatoes and vegetables. The chocolate brownie was super sickly but fabulous and I managed to eat most of it.

By 11pm some of us were already flagging a little and couldn’t see us going the full distance to the 1am finish! The less mobile of the group got a second wind at some point and was giving it what for on the dancefloor, having ditched her walking stick! It was such a fun night and we all really enjoyed it. Taxis and lifts were sorted and we were on our way home before midnight. Vanessa’s son dropped me off so I didn’t have to get a taxi alone or walk home which was very kind and Captain Caveman was already in bed when I got back. He’d been out to support friends at the Transplant Games in Sheffield and his foot was really hurting him.

Gratitude List

1. Flat viewing and finding a potential new home for Captain Caveman
2. New Glasses with help from Captain Caveman
3. A fab night out for Vanessa’s 60th birthday.

Sheffield – 7th August

I was finally getting my eyes tested on the afternoon of Friday 7th August and had booked an appointment at Vision Express for 4pm.
Before work I used my own copy of The Handy Travel Planner to make a note of some of the research I’d done for my trip to Las Vegas next month, of the things I might like to see, do and eat while there.
Just after lunch time I set off walking in to town to the opticians and I was a little bit early so I popped in to Primark where I bought 5 pairs of socks for £3.50 and a travel bottle set for £1.
I noticed a new hotel on Pinstone Street and went in to have a look around. The Radisson Blu had a lovely roof top bar with fabulous views over the Sheffield city centre where there was a fair on this weekend. I took a couple of photos and noticed a nice roof terrace and quite a pricey drinks menu. I didn’t stay as I had to get to my appointment, where the optician was somewhat confused.

My transitional varifocals from 2 years ago and my non-transitional varifocals from 5 years ago (both purchased in Danang) were not even close to the correct prescription for me and the optician had to ask if I’d taken the sight test using the Vietnamese alphabet as she was very confused how I’d managed to find my way in today. She was also surprised I didn’t have any headaches. I chose 3 sets of glasses but time was against me and I decided I would come back tomorrow for a proper look and to narrow down my choice. I also needed to check with Captain Caveman as the glasses weren’t going to be cheap and I didn’t have the money for them. I’d actually thought my eyesight had improved a bit and that I’d be able to use my existing frames to save money but it wasn’t possible. I walked back home through town, splashing out on a snack and a bottle of water for £2.78 even though I probably shouldn’t have.
Captain Caveman made us a chicken salad for dinner and I went online to research travel insurance for my forthcoming 2 Europe plus 1 USA trips. The post office was coming up as the cheapest but was still over £100 for the 3 weeks when an annual policy was only £120. Unfortunately, I didn’t meet the criteria for an annual policy so decided I needed to shop around. I checked who Louisa was covered with but Coverwise were no longer taking on new customers.
Before bed I totted up the spending for this week and I’d spent £703.39 already (including just over half of that on flights). This was not great and Captain Caveman had to tell me he would pay for my new glasses as it was important that I get them and could see properly.

Gratitude List
1. Planning lots of free/cheap things to do in Vegas
2. Nice food at home
3. Captain Caveman helping me out with my new glasses.

Sheffield – 25th July

This weekend in Sheffield was the popular Tramlines festival so, on Saturday 25th July, I had arranged to check out the fringe part of it in the centre of town. After breakfast, Claire and I found ourselves in The Bed Shop at Kelham Island, where she bought a new pillow for £12 reduced from £40 so that she would have a comfier night’s sleep! The guy holding the fort in the bed shop was really nice and we liked the shop which had lamps, mirrors, furniture and a lot of beds.
Next, we walked in to town, getting a bit lost along the way and I bought a hand held fan from the tat shop. We also saw some of the lions as part of a charity initiative set up in Sheffield.

Our next mission was to meet Captain Caveman at The Twisted Burger Company at 1pm. He had been taking a group of walkers through the Sheffield Calverts, as a volunteer. He was late, we were early and we had a cup of Yorkshire tea each while we waited. We were meant to be meeting several friends, 2 of whom had to cancel due to childcare issues and hangovers so it meant we just needed to see Vanessa who was still celebrating her 60th birthday.
That didn’t work out well as we missed lunch to go meet her at a pub in the town centre. When we arrived, she wasn’t there but had text to say she was now at another pub, we went there and she was already at the next pub. It was getting a bit silly trying to catch up with Vanessa and her entourage as they were clearly drinking fast and we hadn’t even bought a drink in any of the 3 venues we had tried to find them in. Plus we had missed lunch and Captain Caveman had his bicycle with him. We decided to head to the Dog & Partridge and get a drink there, Claire and I shared a quick sandwich as we walked, not realising Captain Caveman would not have eaten.

The Dog & Partridge was good, had live music on and we got some crisps with our drinks. I was in the toilet and when I came out, I had a surprise. My friend, Becca, had decided to surprise me by turning up to say hello. It made me jump but it was fab and Steve was in the bar with Captain Caveman and Claire.
We had some drinks and Vanessa messaged to say she was now at the Dog & Partridge so we met her and her family and friends for a very quick drink.

Later, we headed back to Kelham Island and we decided to go for a meal at Domo. It was my first visit and I really enjoyed it. We paid £88.38, including a 10% tip, for the 3 of us. We had 2 glasses of wine, a jug of tap water, veggies, caprese salad, aubergine, a spicy pizza and a calzone – all excellent. It was busy but the service was good and it was a real treat.

Gratitude List
1. Spending time with friends in Sheffield
2. Finally buying a handheld fan
3. Great food at Domo.

Sevenoaks to Costa Del Sol – 12th June

The day of our girls’ trip was here on Friday 12th June. Our group of 7 women and 1 (gay) man had been counting down the days until this much needed holiday. What had initially started as a group of about 10 and me being their travel agent had changed in to 7 of them and me being invited to join the booking! A first for me and definitely not an opportunity I wanted to pass by. Of course it helped that one of my best mates was in charge of the booking and I knew 2 or 3 of the other ladies so it was definitely a no-brainer when I was asked to join. I had not been on a girls trip for what seemed like forever so Claire and I were super giddy.
I’d been up since 4.30am for a pee and to check my phone to see if my customer had arrived at the hotel after a flight delay last night, but I had heard nothing. By 6am I was up and getting the contact details for the hotel to ask them to get my friend to contact me when they arrived.
Captain Caveman said farewell and was off to Bristol for work. As I accompanied him outside to his van to see him off, he made me laugh; we hugged and kissed goodbye and I said I loved him, he just said ‘yeah, I know’ but didn’t say it back – he never does. I was off on a 6 day trip to Spain then a 5 day Fam trip luxury river cruise and then meeting up with a friend in Vienna, after today, but he didn’t wish me well for any of that either. I would next see him again in 3 week’s time when I would be joining him in London.
After dropping Claire’s daughter off at school and taking Reg for a run about on the field, Claire and I decided to have sausage sandwiches at the cake shop/cafe.
At just after 9am (UK time) my friend messaged to say she had arrived at the hotel at 1am but hadn’t connected to the WiFi to let me know they had arrived – they had both had a good sleep and were about to have their first breakfast in Marrakesh. I was relieved and meant I could get on with getting excited for my own trip now.

Our flight was at 3.25pm and I had to make sure I had packed everything for my next 10 days; Spain, Mallorca, Hungary, Slovakia, Vienna and back to Türkiye – although I’d not booked my flight back from Vienna yet!
Claire had checked us in as 5 of us were on the flight from Gatwick to Malaga but the others had already departed from Bournemouth very early this morning.
Claire drove to the airport and we picked Dawn up on the way – now there were 3 giddy girls on their way to Costa Del Sol for a long weekend. At the airport we joined Carol and Spawn who were already in the Wetherspoons, drinking Prosecco. We had a few glasses of fizz each and then did a stock up for lunch on the plane at Pret a Manger, a posh sandwich shop which I usually avoid because it’s pricey! I chose a Turkish style salad which looked great and some chocolate, we all got water too – the tin water bottle would come in very handy for the holiday too.
We were all excited, I did a Friday travelator dance while singing and I snaffled most of my delicious salad before take off – I was now a Pret fan! As we had exit row seats, I had to put the rest of my food up in the cabin for take off. Pauline, my petite pink underseat case, also had to go up overhead too – she didn’t mind as she got to keep her detachable wheels on!
I nodded off, as I was tired from being up so early, but the girls continued with the fizz from the trolley.

On landing we all had to do the finger print thing at Málaga airport, where there were no queues, it was quick and straight forward for all but one person who had a dodgy finger. They had to go to a counter with a person at it and we went to pick up the one suitcase. Our Suntransfers driver was waiting when we arrived and we had a fairly straightforward journey to our hotel.
We were staying in the Ramada Hotel & Suites by Wyndham, located between Fuengirola and Mijas. The driver dropped us off at the top end of the massive resort and we walked through to find reception, passing wild boar on the way. We checked in and had to pay €20 deposit each for a pool towel – they don’t mess about in Spain!
Claire, Dawn and I were sharing a room with 1 bedroom and a pull-out sofa bed in the lounge. We had got a cheeky upgrade, which was nice. Carol and Spawn were sharing a twin room and they went to their room, with instructions to meet back in 20 minutes. Our room had a washing machine and kitchen, despite us having booked to include breakfast, and I was on the sofa bed which seemed pretty comfy.

It was after 8.30pm so we didn’t even get changed as the Bournemouth 3 were already out and we needed to catch up with them for dinner. We got 2 taxis which I paid about €12 for one of them down to a beach side restaurant called Ella’s in Fuengirola. Everyone said hello and were introduced to me, as we were celebrating Dawn’s 50th, Spawn’s Hen and Jamie’s 40th so a real good mix of celebrations this weekend. The rest of us were just celebrating being on the Costa Del Sol with some really fun people. I ordered a delicious tagliatelle carbonara which was only €14 and shared some wine and plenty of water. Claire wasn’t hungry so ordered a salad but when it came, it was massive. The weather was pleasant and the food was very good. As there was 8 of us, we split the bill and I paid €40 including the tip for my share. I took half my meal home to eat the rest tomorrow as it was a big portion and I wasn’t going to waste it. No one else did this and I realised it’s not a very common thing for my English friends to do. Most of the gang wanted to carry on so we went to a bar but I couldn’t physically drink any more. I was also tired from being up so early this morning so Claire and I went to buy bottles of water.
We all got a couple of taxis back and for one at after midnight it was around €15 with 4 of us in, so pretty reasonable. It had been a good first night but tomorrow was our first proper day and we planned to make the most of it.

Gratitude List
1. Sausage sandwiches to start the holiday off
2. Airport fizz with 4 of the gang
3. Dinner and drinks with all 8 of the gang.

Photo credit – some photos by Claire & Dawn

Sheffield & Sevenoaks – 8th & 9th June

On Monday 8th June, while having my tea and toast I tried to work out how much I had spent in the first week of this month. Just in the UK from my bank account I had spent £70, Captain Caveman had paid for stuff whenever I was with him, which I didn’t have receipts for, plus I had spent £100 in cash. I was supposed to be on a budget of £25 per day, just for me. I’d hope this week wouldn’t have been as expensive but it had been. I needed to keep a bit of a lid on it this next week because I was off to Spain with the girls in 4 day’s time and that would probably exceed the weekly budget.
Today, I got paid and unfortunately it wasn’t as much as I had planned for because how we got paid had changed. I was a little disappointed about the situation, despite a bit of notice, because I was lined up to be having my best pay day this year in July, which was Captain Caveman’s birthday month and we had loads planned that I had earmarked my cash for. It seemed that as soon as I had got straight and was starting to have saved enough for an emergency fund, there would be something crop up again to knock me back. After the summer holidays I promised I needed to rectify the situation. I had lots of ideas and some projects already started that I needed to get on with but there just didn’t seem to be enough hours in a day.
After work, Captain Caveman and I were off to stay with our friends near Sevenoaks and I was super excited to be seeing Claire and her family again, before our long weekend on the Costa Del Sol.
Pauline, my petite pink under seat case, was all set for her 2nd destination of her 3 week trip but this time she had been repacked with all my new clothes from Uniqlo – I just hoped it would be a bit warmer down south!
We arrived fairly late to a warm welcome from our hosts and my first drink was of course a nice pint of tap water – also a good one in the village of Otford!
Claire, Mark, Captain Caveman and I had a couple of welcome drinks and caught up on who was doing what and when during our stay. It was so good to see everyone again and I was looking forward to the next few days.

Gratitude List
1. Managing to personally spend within the allocated budget
2. Getting a full day’s work done
3. Seeing Claire and her family again.

It was a quiet day with minimum photos on Tuesday 9th June as I was busy getting stuff done before my next destination at the weekend. Everyone was out of the house when I got up at Claire’s so I had a cup of tea and some dog snogs from Reggie! He’s very affectionate and still a youngster so he needed belly rubs and attention. He also needed to make sure I knew where the snacks were kept – I did!
Everyone was working today and it was cold and rainy outside. We all came together for a family dinner, prepared by our hosts, in the evening. The weather wasn’t good enough for a BBQ outside so there was improvisation and we had it indoors. It was so lovely to be around the big table with everyone and such great food. We started before Captain Caveman because he had a late one but he soon caught up with us all.

Gratitude List

1. Reg, the dog
2. Getting through a good chunk of the to do list
3. Spending time with Claire and her family.

Sheffield – 6th June

It was another busy day for Captain Caveman and I on Saturday 6th June. Although I had changed my flight to come over a week earlier to see Captain Caveman, it appeared that I had managed to treat his days off as an opportunity to drag him along to catch ups with my friends – I don’t think he minded as we got to have lots of laughter along the way! I was already loving being back in Sheffield and I was so chuffed that Captain Caveman had moved in to Kelham Island, where I almost bought a flat about 20 years ago.
Today’s starting event was to the hovercraft racing at Rother Valley where we had arranged to meet Natalie, Paul and their 2 kids as well as tentative arrangements with other friends who might come depending on the weather. It was pretty cold and rainy so a few of those friends decided not to bother. Despite having no coat, I did have a pair of pumps at Captain Caveman’s, he lent me a coat and off we went. A tram from Kelham Island to Halfway and then a bit of a walk through the houses to Rother Valley Country park. We actually thought we would arrive later but were early and it had stopped raining by the time Natalie and her family arrived. It was good to see everyone and even though we were warned the kids wouldn’t speak much, we had a lovely walk round both lakes with lots of chatter on pretty much any subject. We had a stop for a break and Captain Caveman had a toasted teacake – I was tempted but decided not to. It was just nice to have a walk and talk with some of my oldest friends. We managed to get back and say farewells without any more rain and we were quite warm from the walk by the time we managed to get to a bus stop.

Luckily for my tired feet, Amanda & Chris picked us up and we were off to our next meet up with friends. It just happened to be convenient to be in a pub as we all needed to eat lunch/dinner. It was at this point that Vanessa, who had cancelled because of the rain, had text to say she was there at the Hovercraft race, so we had missed each other.
Captain Caveman and I both had a pie and chips at the British Oak, which was excellent and I had lashings of Hendos on mine. Another lovely afternoon with 2 more of my favourite people and then it was time for Amanda to dash to a Barry White tribute night (as you do).
We were so busy chatting and stuffing our faces that I forgot to take photos – this was becoming a habit, this visit! On the bus I messaged Amanda and asked for a selfie of her and Chris and then took one of us at the train station. The intention was to merge them to make it a photo of the 4 of us but I never got round to it.

We walked from town to Kelham Island and that’s when it started to rain again. We had to take shelter in another pub where I was tempted in to a Cherry Chouffe beer but not the pickled eggs or pork pie.
We checked out the music events for the rest of this month and next at the Gardener’s Rest too, especially as I would be back in Sheffield for the Tramlines festival.

Back home, while Captain Caveman knocked up a pasta carbonara, I did a bit of work when I noticed a 7 day Danube River cruise, similar to the one I was going to be on in less than 2 weeks, but with a different company.
Dinner was lovely and we drank wine out of mugs as we still hadn’t bought any glasses. Tomorrow, Captain Caveman had suggested a more relaxed day for the 2 of us but I wasn’t convinced his version of ‘relaxed’, matched mine.

Gratitude List
1. A walk at Rother Valley Country Park with friends
2. Pub pies while chatting with more friends
3. Spending time with Captain Caveman.

Sheffield – 5th June

I didn’t get much work done on Friday 5th June because I was too busy getting on with other stuff before meeting up with more friends later on. My first mission of the day was to get the bus to the top of Ecclesall Road to Wax Inc. I used to go to the one in town but it had closed so I had to trek all the way across town. The bus took about 35 minutes from only a 5 minute walk away from Captain Caveman’s flat.
My waxing cost me another £30 plus the £8.50 deposit I had to pay when I booked and Ruby was very good. I arrived earlier than planned and she still fitted me in.
Next, I got a key cut for £7 at a shop further up the hill and called in to Sainsbury’s to get bread and some cream crackers for £2.85.
I decided to get the bus in to town because I needed to call in to Marks and Spencer to buy a bra. They had a sale on so this is what I bought there, prices in pounds:

M&S
1 orange bikini top £11.50
1 red bra £5.00
1 box of peppermint tea £2.70
Edamame beans £2.00
Total spent £18.80

I got the tram back to Kelham Island and didn’t realise until it was too late that today’s buses and trams had cost me £11.60 when a day saver would have been cheaper. It also wasted quite a bit of time being sat on public transport so I had no time to do any work other than to check my emails. Captain Caveman cooked us a breakfast for our lunch because time was cracking on and neither of us had eaten yet.
In the evening, Captain Caveman was off to Peak Cavern to see The Orb in concert, that wasn’t for me so I arranged to meet friends instead. Louisa was having trouble finding a bus to get to Kelham Island that didn’t take an hour so she ended up getting a taxi and we met in Salt. We had a couple of drinks in there before heading to 5 Tara for food where Kerrie was able to come and join us. The food was amazing and I had the butter chicken with rice and we shared a couple of different breads. The tap water came in a tin jug which was fantastic and cold – the people of Sheffield don’t know how lucky they are with their tap water!
After a delicious meal and lots to catch up on, we had a drink in The Ship. It had been done up since I was last there and seemed a decent place to drink in now. Kerrie had to get back for an early start tomorrow and Louisa was working really early tomorrow too so I said bye to them both and headed back to Salt where I met Luan and Paul for a couple more drinks. We made more plans for the summer to catch up with the rest of the gang. It was great to see so many friends while I was in Sheffield and there was still more to fit in this weekend. Captain Caveman got back from his gig around midnight and I was already asleep.

Gratitude List
1. Waxing
2. New bra and bikini top
3. Seeing Louisa, Kerrie, Luan and Paul.

Sheffield – 4th June

It was cold and raining in Sheffield on Thursday 4th June, looking like the heatwave had finished. I wandered round to Baker’s Yard to buy something for breakfast while Captain Caveman got ready for his morning meeting. I was starting to find that the more modern places in Sheffield didn’t readily accept cash and I’d brought almost £300 in 20 pound notes, back with me. At the cafe I ordered a croissant and a pain au chocolat and the guy serving let me pay with cash but didn’t have a till as such, more of a tub to keep some change in. I paid almost £8 in total which was probably double the price I would pay in Dalyan. When I got them home, they were very good and I had mine with a Yorkshire tea, obviously. Work was not so busy today but we did have the Resort Experts team meeting at 11am. For lunch Captain Caveman warmed up a baguette and sliced up a selection of cheeses which was lovely.
I managed to get an appointment for Friday for a bit of waxing, knowing I’d be putting my swimmers on in less than 10 days – on a girls holiday.
I was loving being able to drink the tap water and was getting down it like it was going out of fashion. After work, Captain Captain Caveman made another lovely meal of chicken and vegetables. We rushed a little because I had arranged to meet friends tonight. Louisa and Linda were meeting us in the Gardeners Rest, a local pub to Captain Caveman now and one of his favourites. I decided to try the non-alcoholic ginger beer which was nice, Captain Caveman had a pint of beer. It was good to see our friends and Louisa had bought me a travel adaptor plug for using in most countries. We had a brief catch up before walking to the nearby Cutlery Works to meet more friends. I’d chosen this place, even though I’d not been in for some years, based on the reviews saying it was good for kids and one of the moms was bringing the boys. Joining us there were Lucy, Caz, Nel and Liv, but Rach was under the weather and wasn’t up to it. It had been a while since our last catch up so it was great to see everyone again.
I wasn’t a fan of the Cutlery Works as the staff member had a face like a smacked arse and the place stunk of fried food. Lucy’s kids didn’t want to come in the end either, so I could have chosen better. It didn’t matter though as it was a school night so we only had until 9pm before the taxi and I forgot to take any photos. Louisa and Linda did order food and said it was tasty, I just had a couple of white wines. We all mentioned catching up again properly in August, which would be lovely and might have more time. We said our farewells and then Adam and I called in to the Alder, the nearest bar to Captain Caveman’s home, on the way back.

Gratitude List

1. Croissants for breakfast

2. Good food made by Captain Caveman

3. Meeting up with several friends at once.

Dalyan to Sheffield – 2nd June

It was time to hold on to your hats on Tuesday 2nd June as my 3 week holiday adventure was about to start. I had managed to pack Pauline, my petite pink under seat suitcase, with everything I needed to get me as far as sunny Sheffield. I was dressed for the heatwave, which everyone in the UK was talking about, and I wasn’t even taking a coat!
At 9.50am I was in the bank, making sure all was in order and that I had my holiday insurance. I didn’t have it earlier due to the bank holiday and today Murat, at the bank, sent me off to Delfin insurers to get it instead. I was going to be away for 3 weeks in the UK and Europe, including 5 days cruising down the Danube and I paid just 900 lira (£15) for my travel insurance.
Next, I bought 2 packs of pills for 884.48 lira (£14.74) and then popped to Migros for essentials. I spent 124.85 lira (£2.08) on cereal bars, 1 tub of quark and some haribo jellies. I bought a simit, cheese spread and a chocolate croissant at Parlak bakery for 190 lira (£3.17) and then went to say bye to my parents. On the way I decided to drop off Jamie and Drew’s key and when I arrived, I found Drew in his underpants looking tired. Norman was just about to have breakfast while Dennis the doorstop had soggy paws where Norman had done a little wee.

I said farewell to Ma & Pa then rushed home to shower ready for a midday pick up with Sonuç, who I’ve been using for airport transfers for a number of years. At the airport I said bye to Sonuç and headed through security as I was already checked in online.
I was early and, as I’m frugal, I don’t like to waste money in Dalaman airport. A good top tip for anyone flying from Dalaman airport who likes a drink; if you’re the type of person who begrudges wasting money on an airport Gin & Tonic in one of the most expensive airports, but have a couple of hours to kill, try this. Instead of paying more in the bar or a lounge, treat yourself to a cocktail tinny or mini bottle of wine (or 3) which are on sale just to the right as you leave the duty free area. Then find yourself a quiet spot, or put your noise cancelling headphones on and relax until boarding!

My flight left 45 minutes late but I did have access to a water dispenser near Gate 42 in the international departures.
The flight went fine, apart from it being delayed so I had to hurry to get my 18.17 train at Manchester airport. I was meant to arrive in to Sheffield at 19.34 with plans to meet Captain Caveman in the Wellington pub, near Kelham Island. I didn’t yet know where he had moved to so this made sense, however, I ended up on the slow train and arrived almost 1 hour late. I caught the tram from Sheffield station to Shalesmoor which cost £2.50. What I hadn’t known was that Captain Caveman had arranged for our friend, Luan, to also be there to meet me, which was a lovely surprise. Luan got the round in while Captain Caveman was preoccupied with a pub quiz that was halfway through. His friend was doing it and he was helping her while trying to pretend he wasn’t more interested in the quiz than my arrival. With it being a school night, Luan left first while I listened to the results of the quiz I hadn’t entered.
Captain Caveman showed me round his new home; a 2 bedroomed flat in Kelham Island near to a few bars and cafes. It was a great location and I knew it was going to be a fun week in Sheffield.

Gratitude List
1. Having time to say bye to a few people
2. Going to the UK and Europe for 3 weeks with Pauline, my petite pink suitcase.
3. Seeing Captain Caveman and Luan in the Wellington pub.

Dalyan – 5th May

I had a busy day in my office on Tuesday 5th May and there was quite a lot of building noise coming from outside. I took a break just before noon and went to the shop. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira:

Migros Supermarket
2 milk 28.50
Peanuts 35.00
Olives 61.50
Chickpeas 87.95
Cashew nuts 95.00
2 Quark 119.90
Total spent 427.85 lira (£7.13)

BIM Supermarket
Pasta 19.50
2 Basmati rice 159.00
Frozen berries 199.00
Total spent 377.50 lira (£6.29)

Parlak Bakery
Sourdough loaf 75.00 lira (£1.25)

It was a bit of an extravagant spend but I needed to stock up on some healthy treats to prevent me from being tempted to eat cheaper less healthy snacks. I was also out of rice and chickpeas so those were essential.
I found out the noise was due to the road being dug up to put cables in, apparently for internet use, but they were making a real mess. When they dig roads up here they often botch backfill them which results in uneven roads and trip hazards.
Our pool and garden was ready for summer now and the gardeners had even put in a rosemary plant. I was pleased about this as we used to have one but the previous company killed it off.
In the evening Nanny Kay and I had been invited to Jamie and Drew’s for dinner with them and there was a bit of a surprise in store. I arrived 5 minutes late due to having to walk the long way round because of the roads being dug up. I wasn’t planning on drinking with it being Fat Club weigh in tomorrow, but I did. Jamie and Drew made Nanny Kay and I walk away from the house and I thought we were meant to be looking at a bush or some decorating. We were both chuntering away when they said to turn round and look up towards the front balcony. There we saw Nick and Mark waving at us and they had been waiting in the bedroom to surprise us. It was a really great surprise, especially to cheer up Nanny Kay who had suffered a family loss recently. We had cottage pie and plenty of wine and laughs. I got the micky took out of me when I shared my intentions to do a 3 week trip with just an under seat bag. All 4 of the fellas are big packers who don’t travel light so they thought it was impossible and hilarious. It was quite funny to have the banter even though I would not be taking a suitcase to drag around Europe. Drew wasn’t feeling well so he went to bed earlier than us and Jamie had a disaster when he ran out of ice. He ended up putting frozen peas in Nick’s gin and tonic which was not pleasant. Norman, the dog, loved having everyone round and got to have treats, leftovers and cuddles. It was a lovely evening and I knew the scales would not be kind tomorrow.

Gratitude List
1. A lunch time shop
2. A surprise appearance from Nick & Mark
3. Dinner, drinks and lots of laughter with friends.

Dalyan – 27th March

On the morning of Friday 27th March I wasn’t too happy at my early alarm. I let Norman out and then we both got on the sofa for an extra sleep. It was cold and rainy so it was nice to get under a blanket and try to get rid of my hangover. I’d consumed far too much alcohol yesterday and was feeling extremely delicate. No breakfast or lunch was eaten and I barely moved from the dining table/desk once I was functioning. Jet2 had yet another sale on so I had a few enquiries to deal with. It was pay day weekend for a lot of people and I was working all weekend after being a bit part time these last couple of days for Norman’s birthday.

Norman was well and truly done with celebrations and had requested an embargo on them for a while. After having his breakfast, he had gone back to sleep and not woken up until after 1pm! He insisted he was having a Doggy Day, like Debbie (Darling) has her Debbie day – both of whom were going nowhere today.

Meanwhile Captain Caveman was busting his chops in lycra in a very hot Vietnam, raising money for Saigon Children’s Charity. I had misunderstood the elevation of the route and thought Day 1 of the route ‘looked easy’. It was not, and I think Captain Caveman was regretting not having had any exercise, let alone been on a bicycle, in about a year! I was very proud of him as I could not have attempted what he was doing – he had 2 more days to go!

Then I remembered my agreeing to meet up with Ian at 3pm today, to give him some Yorkshire tea bags. I made the effort as I had no contact details for him, to cancel. I invited Norman who flatly refused.

I arrived at Ren Garden and we sat in the garden as the sun was back out again. Debbie (Darling) and Irena made it and Debbie foolishly ordered a white wine and soda, which she left. I had a pot of tea for 100 lira (£1.69) and then left as I had work to do and training sessions on cruises to attend.

I finally had my first meal of the day, a veggie pasta, at 4.30pm and I still struggled to get it eaten. Norman refused to go for a walk, stating he had already done his steps for the whole week, then reminded me of the Doggy Day! I finally finished my work at 8.15pm and was begging for mercy – vowing to never drink that much again (until the next celebration)! While sat on the sofa drinking water there was a massive bang (well actually 3 or 4 in quick succession) coming from upstairs. When I went to investigate, a framed certificate had fell off the wall at the top of the stairs and ‘bounced’ down the stairs, landing on the middle step. It was heavy and glass so when I picked it up I was expecting the glass to be broken. It was completely intact, despite hitting several travertine/marble steps. It was Jamie’s late husband, Graeme’s, star certificate. It was a bit spooky that it had managed to fly off the wall, but on further investigation it had been stuck on with velcro! I left it on the spare bed and made a note to tell Jamie.
It was an early night for me, ready to get up early tomorrow.

Gratitude List

1. Norman

2. Yorkshire tea bags

3. Free cruise training with Travelpack.

Pontecarlo to Sheffield – 13th January

I was at Pontefract Tanshelf train station in the dark on the morning of Tuesday 13th January, waiting for my train back to Sheffield. A return ticket was £12.30 which I had to collect at the station using a code for the machine on the opposite platform. Captain Caveman was driving up to Scotland for work and an interview tomorrow. I’d decided to spend my birthday money and arranged to meet Vanessa for a spot of shopping in Marks & Sparks, before going back to my parents for the evening.
I met Vanessa at 9.30am and we went straight to the M&S cafe for Yorkshire tea and bacon rolls. Vanessa treated me for a late birthday gift, which was lovely and we caught up on everything. She’d arrived limping and in need of paracetamol as she had a broken toe. I was surprised she had still turned up as she was in pain despite it being strapped up. I bought a really nice jumper for £20, using some of my birthday money and I picked up part of a present for my sister. I had decided that we would buy her Hotel Chocolat products but, after a chat with the shop assistant who said they couldn’t guarantee any of the chocolate was safe for coeliacs, we left empty handed. Next, we walked down to Primark where I picked up 2 thermal tops for £11 (using my birthday money). We popped in to Superdrug and Holland & Barrett where I stocked up on 4 boxes of Gin Gins for a bargain £10.20.
We decided to have a quick look in the Korean shop and then we both needed the toilet so we nipped in to see what was on at the cinema and go there. I was tempted by the pick n mix stalk but resisted. Our next stop was to get tea and cake at Massarella cafe on the ground floor of Atkinson’s. It was full of pensioners and I could see why, their jam and cream scones were excellent and the pots of tea ideal for at least 2 cups each. Oddly, each item was priced £3.50 whether it be a pot of tea or a sweet treat. This gave Vanessa time to rest before catching her bus and I went back to M&S to pick up some bits for tonight’s dinner. I’d offered to cook but Mom had said we could have burgers and chips if I didn’t want to spend money unnecessarily. I did fancy something a bit healthier for dinner but the M&S food section had looked like it had been hit by a plague of locusts. There was not much left and what they did have didn’t appeal so I just bought some breaded mushrooms and onion rings to go with the burgers, plus some ibuprofen and a plastic bag, spending a total of £9.20. I managed to get the 3.30pm bus, costing £2.60 for the 20 minute journey to Mosborough.
When I got to my parents’ it was getting late but I managed to log on and deal with some emails before food. The dinner was a bit too much and Dad couldn’t eat his, I soldiered on and Mom did ok but we had to leave room for birthday cake. It did make me laugh that Dad, who was complaining he couldn’t eat a burger, managed more than one small piece of chocolate cake – but it was amazing. By 9.30pm crisps were out and the salt and vinegar ones from Aldi were so good! Tomorrow was weigh day and I knew I had put on lots of weight because all my clothes were tight, especially around the waist!

Gratitude List

Meeting up with Vanessa for more birthday celebrations
So much food
Birthday cake with my parents.

joloyolo

The ramblings and observations of a fortysomething lady of leisure

Tag: yorkshire