Mar – Apr 2025

April shows

A 7-day adventure by Dave Read more

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Trip start
March 31, 2025
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- Day 1
- Monday, March 31, 2025 at 8:47 AM
- ☀️ 9 °C
- Altitude: 15 m
- Jersey St Helier 49.180601, -2.096749°10’50” N 2°5’48” W
Leave home
March 31 in Jersey ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C
The first oddity to trip us up during this trip happened before we'd even got into the airport. We've taken to using Evie electric hire cars as a cheaper self-drive alternative to taxis. Except we've always found they struggled up the hill towards the airport. On a whim I thought I'd put the car into sports mode, and wouldn't you know it the higher power mode actually made it go up the hill better. To say I felt dim was quite an understatement.Read more
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- Day 1
- Monday, March 31, 2025 at 9:18 AM
- ☀️ 10 °C
- Altitude: 90 m
- Jersey St Peter 49.20527, -2.19694149°12’19” N 2°11’49” W
Jersey airport
March 31 in Jersey ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C
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- Day 1
- Monday, March 31, 2025 at 11:45 AM
- ☀️ 10 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- France 49.543095, -2.02933849°32’35” N 2°1’46” W
In the air
March 31 in France ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C
The flight across was as gorgeous as the pilot predicted. The day began beautifully and stayed that way throughout.
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- Day 1
- Monday, March 31, 2025 at 11:26 AM
- ☀️ 13 °C
- Altitude: 53 m
- England Crawley 51.154902, -0.1651°9’18” N 0°9’36” W
Landing in Gatwick
March 31 in England ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
We landed in Gatwick about half an hour early, too early for our hire car company to have quite yet organised everything although we didn't have to wait long at all.

The two hour drive to Swindon was lovely. The M25 had its usual selection of slightly grumpy truck drivers and the M4 didn't feel as familiar as it did back in the days I'd be on there at least once a month. We found our car park near our hotel really quickly although leaving it on foot was slightly challenging due to lots of roads being dug up.Read more
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- Day 1
- Monday, March 31, 2025 at 1:59 PM
- ☀️ 15 °C
- Altitude: 92 m
- England Swindon 51.562336, -1.78772451°33’44” N 1°47’16” W
The Sir Daniel Arms
March 31 in England ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
We were too early to check in to our hotel so a drink and shopping was in order. For our drink we visited what's probably the "big spoons" in town. For a Monday afternoon it was unexpectedly busy, clearly full of it's regular clientele as well. We sat outside in the sun happily cooking ourselves under a lovely warm sun. It was a gorgeous day for an outdoors pint.Read more
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- Day 1
- Monday, March 31, 2025 at 3:07 PM
- ⛅ 15 °C
- Altitude: 108 m
- England Swindon 51.559797, -1.78211851°33’35” N 1°46’56” W
The Savoy
March 31 in England ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
I haven't decided yet if I'll spin this story as "we went to the Savoy for lunch" although that is of course exactly what we did. Ok it was a late lunch and this particular Savoy is probably the town's "little spoons" but it was very nice. Food wasn't bad either.Read more
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- Day 1
- Monday, March 31, 2025 at 4:00 PM
- ⛅ 15 °C
- Altitude: 113 m
- England Swindon 51.559107, -1.78311751°33’33” N 1°46’59” W
Afternoon rest
March 31 in England ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
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- Day 1
- Monday, March 31, 2025 at 7:22 PM
- ⛅ 13 °C
- Altitude: 107 m
- England Swindon 51.560026, -1.78517151°33’36” N 1°47’7” W
Brunel statue
March 31 in England ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
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- Day 1–2
- March 31, 2025 at 7:52 PM - April 1, 2025
- 1 night
- ⛅ 12 °C
- Altitude: 113 m
- England Swindon 51.559102, -1.78312351°33’33” N 1°46’59” W
Pizza and sleep
Mar 31–Apr 1 in England ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
After a short wander around town I picked up a very reasonably priced takeaway pizza and we settled down to watch TV and relaxed after what had been an unexpectedly tiring day.
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- Day 2
- Tuesday, April 1, 2025 at 2:54 PM
- ☀️ 15 °C
- Altitude: 84 m
- England Bath 51.405965, -2.40623451°24’21” N 2°24’22” W
Weston walk
April 1 in England ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
The following day we met up with a friend who was incredibly lovely and who, knowing we enjoy a good walk, took us out for one of her occasional running routes. It was a rather hilly one at that but an excellent way to spend the afternoon.Read more
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- Day 2–3
- April 1, 2025 at 4:02 PM - April 2, 2025
- 1 night
- ☀️ 14 °C
- Altitude: 225 m
- England Bath 51.415978, -2.39554451°24’58” N 2°23’44” W
The Charlcombe Inn
Apr 1–2 in England ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
A lovely pub at which we both spent a lovely night and an excellent meal with the same friend as earlier for our hilly walk and her family. Breakfast was superb as well. We'll be back.
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- Day 3
- Wednesday, April 2, 2025 at 10:52 AM
- ☀️ 12 °C
- Altitude: 19 m
- England Bristol 51.458568, -2.58529751°27’31” N 2°35’7” W
Cabot Circus
April 2 in England ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
The drive to Bristol was nice enough and again we were in early so another shopping trip was in order. Primark was a highlight here but a nice way to pass the time without going to a pub!
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- Day 3
- Wednesday, April 2, 2025 at 12:19 PM
- ☀️ 14 °C
- Altitude: 16 m
- England Bristol 51.449814, -2.60073151°26’59” N 2°36’3” W
Millennium Square
April 2 in England ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
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- Day 3
- Wednesday, April 2, 2025 at 12:30 PM
- ☀️ 14 °C
- Altitude: 15 m
- England Bristol 51.449853, -2.59883951°26’59” N 2°35’56” W
V-Shed
April 2 in England ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
The town large Spoons which took it's name from the name of the freight shed that used to stand there
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- Day 3
- Wednesday, April 2, 2025 at 2:22 PM
- ☀️ 16 °C
- Altitude: 33 m
- England Bristol 51.453211, -2.59883451°27’12” N 2°35’56” W
Now That's What I Call A Musical
April 2 in England ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
@ Bristol Hippodrome

Very much in the vein of the "I Should Be So Lucky" musical from last year this was a fun afternoon of well performed pop songs with an odd little story including flashbacks, which could be a little confusing at times, but still an excellent afternoon's entertainment.Read more
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- Day 3–4
- April 2, 2025 at 6:18 PM - April 3, 2025
- 1 night
- ☀️ 16 °C
- Altitude: 13 m
- England Bristol 51.449931, -2.60199251°26’60” N 2°36’7” W
Dinner and relax
Apr 2–3 in England ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
Not the very best hotel we'll ever stay at. Having about 10 different stays at various Ibis hotels in our forthcoming road trip, this very grubby and dated room wasn't very encouraging. Thankfully, a better experience later on improved that view, but actually we've now taken away a conclusion that an Ibis is somewhere quality wise in between a Travelodge and a Premier Inn. Informative at least.Read more
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- Day 4
- Thursday, April 3, 2025 at 1:11 PM
- ☀️ 18 °C
- Altitude: 37 m
- England London 51.563264, -0.27975351°33’48” N 0°16’47” W
The labyrinth at Wembley Park
April 3 in England ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
The very long drive of the trip took us across the country from Bristol along a good 100 miles of M4 and then an irritating twiddly bit through residential parts of London who clearly don't want cars in their backyards given the "traffic calming" measures in place such as artificial road narrowing barriers and annoying speed bumps. Maybe Google sent us a bad way, but maybe it had no choice as there were road works around too.

Anyway, we arrived early again so had time to kill before checking into our hotel although we were able to park there early which was great.

We found a random pub of our choosing and headed there, but not before a very rare sighting of one of the London underground labyrinths.Read more
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- Day 4
- Thursday, April 3, 2025 at 1:29 PM
- ☀️ 18 °C
- Altitude: 71 m
- England London 51.579397, -0.33418951°34’46” N 0°20’3” W
The Moon on the Hill
April 3 in England ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
A small friendly pub on the high street in Harrow right by the tube station. Good spot for a rest after a couple of hours driving. Very odd beer choice though! (No, I didn't have it!)
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- Day 4
- Thursday, April 3, 2025 at 2:51 PM
- ⛅ 18 °C
- Altitude: 45 m
- England London 51.563144, -0.279751°33’47” N 0°16’47” W
Wembley hotel
April 3 in England ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
When we could check into our hotel we did, but not before grabbing this photo down what is now Olympic Way. The one previous time I'd been in this part of the world was probably the best part of 30 years ago and Wembley Park station was a fraction of the size it is now and we came on Wembley market day just to have a look around. I bet they don't have market day any more!Read more
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- Day 4
- Thursday, April 3, 2025 at 6:50 PM
- ☁️ 15 °C
- Altitude: 44 m
- England London 51.56119, -0.28195551°33’40” N 0°16’55” W
Starlight Express
April 3 in England ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
This evening's entertainment was Starlight Express, a show we just had to catch while we could as we sensed it might not be around forever and it's just one of those 80s/90s classics like Phantom and Cats we wanted to see.

It was a good but not great evening in the end. Without giving too much away, if the story is centered on one girl's dreams, she should perhaps lay off the cheese a bit before bed time. Madness notwithstanding it was a great spectacle, much in the same vein as the Lion King, but much like that one the songs and the story didn't hold us as much. It was very well done and we're glad we watched, but we have seen better too.Read more
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- Day 4–5
- April 3, 2025 at 10:05 PM - April 4, 2025
- 1 night
- ☁️ 13 °C
- Altitude: 39 m
- England London 51.562651, -0.28094251°33’46” N 0°16’51” W
Premier Inn Wembley
Apr 3–4 in England ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
After our less good stay in Bristol, a return to comfortable consistency of Premier Inn was very welcome.
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- Day 5
- Friday, April 4, 2025 at 11:00 AM
- ☁️ 17 °C
- Altitude: 11 m
- England London 51.403444, -0.33847751°24’12” N 0°20’19” W
Hampton Court Palace
April 4 in England ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
The story about our next stop has a rather long history but a very specific origin. The 14th day of our walk along the Thames Path was a long 25 kilometre, 5 hour trek which passed by Hampton Court Palace and we very memorably stumbled across a rowing regatta with an enthusiastic crowd and extremely loud coach-type imploring on her favourites very loudly.

Since then we've decided to come back on several occasions and then decided again not to because of some reason or other - we added another show in or decided to go somewhere else. Finally, we made it.

Really the photos here speak for themselves. Having visited Buckingham House last year, it compares well. It's not as grand and decorative but it just shows as having an older style and the access you're given is excellent. There is one photo there where if you look closely you can see that the wall decoration is made entirely of guns. Some amazing sights and beautiful gardens, and a brilliant throwback to not just our Thames Path walk but also the River Thames Half Marathon done on a rather wet day a couple of years ago which came this way too.Read more
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- Day 5
- Friday, April 4, 2025 at 2:31 PM
- ☁️ 21 °C
- Altitude: 69 m
- England Reading 51.456488, -0.97070351°27’23” N 0°58’15” W
The Monks' Retreat
April 4 in England ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
We arrived back in Reading too early to check in - as seems a regular theme this trip - so back to our regular Reading haunt!
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- Day 5
- Friday, April 4, 2025 at 3:04 PM
- ☁️ 20 °C
- Altitude: 62 m
- England Reading 51.457231, -0.97270751°27’26” N 0°58’22” W
Afternoon rest
April 4 in England ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
The Ibis hotel in Reading partly restored our faith in this chain. More good experiences will be nice but I think we've still come away thinking they are more down-market than we'd previously thought so some of our value decisions might have gone differently for Europe if we'd known. Nice enough though.Read more
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- Day 5
- Friday, April 4, 2025 at 6:19 PM
- ☀️ 20 °C
- Altitude: 65 m
- England Reading 51.456783, -0.97078851°27’24” N 0°58’15” W
Slug & Lettuce Friar Street
April 4 in England ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
This new stop is a pub that opened in Friar Street (the nightlife street in Reading for those of you unfamiliar) after COVID. It had previously been a Yates which we'd never had any particular inclination to visit. It made a nice meeting up point and we picked up two quite expensive, although very nice, drinks before buying for our daughter a lovely cocktail which because we forgot about 2-for-1 cocktails was very very cheap.Read more
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