Day 9 - A Case of Food Poisoning

At 8am, I went down to breakfast and had the freshly cooked huge Full English with scrambled egg followed by cereal and toast. It was delicious and washed down with orange juice and a large pot of coffee.

There were only 2 other people in breakfast and I entertained myself by earwigging in on their conversation. The elderly woman claimed to have been a retired engineer, who is now the biggest distributor of sewing machine parts in the world. She and the Irishman she was talking to, were slagging off Brexit and Trump’s tariffs and how it had affected her business. I did wonder why if she was that successful she staying at such a cheap and cheerful hotel!

At 10am, I checked out and drove to Sainsbury’s to buy some energy drinks and sweets for the long day ahead. I ended up buying 3 dinner plates to add to our collection and at Jackie’s request an Egyptian Cotton duvet set reduced from £55 to £43. I went to pay and the duvet set came up wrongly at just £13.70. I was elated. This went someway to recouping the money I lost on my Norwich hotel. I returned to the store for sweets and drinks that I had originally gone in for.

My elation soon turned to concern, when my stomach started to rumble, then turned to real pains. It had me running back to the store for a third time to now use the loo. I’m not going to dwell on it, but my stomach was permanently in knots for the remainder of the day. I returned to the loo a further ten times utilising mainly supermarket loos, but also a remarkable clean public toilet in Glastonbury and the disabled toilet at the gig venue. It was a clear case of food poisoning, either last night’s kebab or from this morning’s delicious Full English.

Before leaving I had to stop at Sixfields Stadium, Northampton football ground, because I was amazed how easy it was to see most of the pitch from a huge grass bank outside one end of the ground. I can only imagine the bank is covered with supporters watching the game for free on match day.

It was then a 3 hour drive to Wells, England’s smallest city, passing by Oxford, Swindon, along the M4, then down the A4 passing Bath and on to Wells. I parked in their Waitrose car park, which was free for the first hour.

I walked to Wells Cathedral and was shocked to discover that there was now a £15 entrance fee. My now aging Lonely Planet Guide book stated entry was free as did a lot of current websites. I was not impressed, places of worship should be free, with the option to make a donation. I obviously didn’t go in, but instead took a walk around the outside and the grounds which were very pretty.

Wells Cathedral is famous for its early Gothic architecture, which includes the unique scissor arches that support the central tower, the elaborate West Front with hundreds of original medieval statues and the Wells Clock. It is also celebrated as the first English cathedral built in the Gothic style and is considered by some to be the "most poetic" of the English cathedrals

The famous Wells clock is considered to be the second oldest clock mechanism in Britain, and probably in the world, to survive in original condition and still in use. The original works were made about 1390 and the clock face is the oldest surviving original of its kind anywhere.

An hour later, after buying a sandwich in Waitrose, I headed further south to Glastonbury. I parked up on a street in sight of Glastonbury Tor.

Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, known for its spiritual and eccentric character and the famous annual Glastonbury Festival. The town is considered a spiritual mecca, attracting seekers and mystics due to its rich history and many legends. It is also rich in myths and steeped in Arthurian legend, and features attractions like Glastonbury Tor and Glastonbury Abbey.

I walked into town, which was quite frankly full of shops selling spiritual tat, general weirdos, people who have taken way too many drugs in their lifetime and elderly people ill-advisedly trying to dress like hippies.

The Abbey had a £14 entrance fee, however I discovered that I could look over the wall next to the ticket office and take a photo of the Abbey for free.

I decided that to climb up to the Tor was not an option with my dodgy stomach, so instead I drove on to Frome. On the outskirts of Frome I found another Sainsbury’s Superstore, where I bought two more plates and watched the latest episode of Brassic.

When the door opening time approached, I drove to the Cheese and Grain and parked up in the huge free car park next to the venue.

The Cheese and Grain is described as an iconic independent venue located in the heart of Frome, Somerset. The venue is a dynamic hub for live music, community events, and the cultural heartbeat of the area.

On the way in there were posters of upcoming events. I got involved in a conversation with 2 women as to whether Craig Charles was a convicted rapist. We discovered he was acquitted at his trial, but still a rapist in my eyes.

Apart from saying hello to Louise, Paul & JP, I stayed out of the way, halfway back and off to the side to protect my sensitive stomach. I always enjoy watching the show from different perspectives.

During the final song, Green and Grey, I slid away without waiting to the end for the obligatory photo. I was keen to avoid a massive queue trying to get out of the car park.

It was a 2 hour 20 drive home, passing Longleat, Stonehenge on the A303, then onto the M3, where I stopped at Fleet Services for yet another‘comfort break’. I arrived home at 1.30am and rushed straight to the loo. Thankfully for the final time.

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