Holiday Day 1

This is a scheduled post. By the time it is published I will be on the way to my first adventure.

First, an update from yesterday. The charity took all of the furniture except for the TV unit as they feel that they are difficult to sell now that people prefer to mount their TVs on the wall. This means I only have the one piece to dispose of when I get back - I'll offer it 'free to collector' on Gumtree to see if anyone is interested.

Back to today ... I like to make the journey part of the holiday so will avoid the motorway and just stop and start as I feel like it. If I drive straight there it will be just under a four hour journey, but I'm leaving at 7am and booking in time at the hotel is any time after 2:30pm so I have plenty of time and don't need to rush. My plan is to head towards Bourton-on-the-Water as my first stop and look around the model village. After that, I'll get my second breakfast (fairly sure there are hobbits somewhere in my ancestry!) and then decide what to do next. It's not quite as airy fairy as it sounds as I do have a list of ideas and will see what grabs my interest, and of course, it does depend on the weather - apparently it's going to rain.

Here's the itinerary for my holiday:

The first part is the Derbyshire Discovery Tour, where all trips except one are arranged, there is a tour leader and transport is provided. It's full board in an HF Holiday house/hotel (breakfast and evening meal with a packed lunch).

• Friday 10th: arrival day
• Saturday 11th: Ilam Hall and Haddon Hall
• Sunday 12th: Derwent Dam and Eyam
• Monday 13th: free day, probably looking around Chesterfield
• Tuesday 14th: Bakewell and Chatsworth House
• Wednesday 15th: Tissington, Sudbury and Ashbourne
• Thursday 16th: Cromford Canal
• Friday 17th: departure day, drive to Liverpool

For the second part of my holiday I've booked into an Airbnb ensuite room with easy access to local shops and transport (if I want a rest from driving). I have to sort out my own meals for this part but there are cooking facilities in the house is I want, or I can eat out.

• Saturday 18th: visit 'Another Place' at Crosby 
• Sunday 19th: visit an exhibition of the Terracotta Warriers on loan from China
• Monday 20th: departure day, drive to Brecon

For the final part of the holiday I'll be back with HF Holidays, again full board for a self guided walking holiday, but I'll be driving to the places I want to see.

• Tuesday 21st: 'Big Pit', the mining museum
• Wednesday 22nd: Hereford Cathedral 
• Thursday 23rd: Brecon 
• Friday 24th: departure day, drive home   

I'm taking my laptop with me so will try to post some photos every day but I doubt that I'll write any proper posts while I'm away.  I'm not leaving my house empty - a friend is house sitting for me and will stay on for a couple of extra days when I get back so we can have a good chat and catch-up.