Somerset Lavender Farm, Faulkland, Monday, 26th August, 2013.

Taking to the roads of England on a sunny Bank Holiday Monday? It's lunacy! 

Still, at least we have a new-fangled sat-nav-app thingy on Vicky's iPad to try out if the Motorways get jammed up on the way. 

It sent us to Faulkland via a 'scenic route' thru' Bath which included a little stone toll bridge that cost 60p and we only took a wrong turn twice! Then, on the way back, it lost the 'signal' a couple of times so we ended up coming back via a different 'scenic route' through Bath that we made up as we went along (as you do). 

We're so modern.

Howard and some lavender.

David (now with a tummy full of a ploughman's and apple pickle) and a lot of lavender.

Vicky on the edge of some lavender.

Vicky loves her dry stone walls.

A flutterbye on some lavender.

Lavender coloured but not lavender.

Buzzin' busy-bee on something else that's lavender coloured but isn't lavender (unless lavender comes in more varieties than we realise. I mean, we're not experts or anything).

Even the flies are beautiful in these 'ere parts.

If we were in Australia this would be a tourist attraction called 'The Big Cabbage'. 

But we aren't, so it isn't. 

One sunflower past it's best and two still blooming.

Scrummy. 

David's tummy gurgling at the thought of more apple, happily not recorded here.

A cool cranberry juice in Tetbury helps Vicky recover from the trials and tribulations of the iPad satnav app-thingy. David went for the risotto washed down with copious amounts of tea option. We are already feeling much better.

Tetbury (yesterday).

Now then, let's set off a voyage of discovery as the satnav app-thingy takes us back to the M5 via the back roads and home to Emlyn.

Shelsley Walsh, Sunday, 18th August, 2013.

The theme of today is a Celebration of Aston Martin. So let's be naughty and start with a shot of an unsuccessful car: the ill-fated AMR One from 2011. Still, it looks the part, doesn't it?

Steve Briggs about to give the 2009 Lola-Aston Martin DBR1/2 some wellie from a rolling start.

Howard's up for giving those pesky Astons a run for their money.

Don't spill a drop Vic! 

Every sip is precious in this long hot sultry summer of 2013. It'll go down in the annuls, you'll see.

At last! David's got a big one of his own to play with. 

Trouble is, it's a bit surplus to requirements at a hillclimb.

Multi-champion Scott Moran and the next generation of the hillclimbing family dynasty.

The most photographed buzzard at Shelsley circles the paddock.

There's too many people here, says David for the umpteenth time. 

We should have come on the Saturday!

What manner of hillclimbing lunacy is this!?

It's Karl Scholar in his 1000cc Spectre Mk 7, actually. Makes yer wonder what the first six versions must have looked like, eh?

David cracked his toe on the side of the bed whilst getting ready this morning and has been whining on about his discomfort to an unsympathetic Vicky (and Howard) all day. 

And get yer cowin' toe-nails cut an' all!

Old chap getting older, Monday, August 12th, 2013.

Mott The Hoople's Greatest Hits? Check.

Triumph Hurricane T shirt? Check.

'Fight's the five signs of ageing' face-cream? Check.

Everything in place to ensure it is forever 1973.

Gerrimorfme! I don't care if it's his special day, he's tryin' to chew his way into me brain!

Vicky's driven the old chap over to Kidderminster for a trip on the Severn Valley Railway. 

This is the 11:40am to Bridgnorth.

Howard's ready to be loaded on with the baggage.

We're in a First Class carriage and Vicky's got the £6 surcharge ready. Bargain.

We have arrived at Highley Station and the (now) 12:21 for Bridgnorth departs.

The 12:44 for Kidderminster has left Highley Station and trundles over The Severn on the way back to Kidderminster.

Not an actual Train Driver or, indeed, a Fireman.

The 02:04 for Kidderminster arrives at Highley Station.

Hurtling, well trundling, thru' the Worcestershire countryside.

Back in Kidderminster at bang-on 2:43 and straight into the Museum/Tea Room for another cuppa tea before the drive back home.

CRMC Classic Motorcycle Festival, Donington Park, Saturday, 10th August, 2013.

Old chap surrounded by old 'bikes tackles new-fangled gadget.

It's old and it's a Triumph: that's all we know.

Vicky's in Bazza Heaven (again).

Lots of chaps watch another chap putting his leg over a Norton.

RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight with The Dambusters March playing over the tannoy. We're still young. We shouldn't find this stuff stirring should we? But we do.

L to r: Spitfire, Lancaster, and Hurricane. 

Voice of David droning on about Airfix kits thankfully not recorded here.

A proper Ducati gets a proper thrashing in one of the euphemistically entitled 'Parades'. 

We're now in The Exhibition Centre and Howard's enjoying one of the classic speedway 'bikes.

Sidecars rumble through Roberts Chicane.

Classic 'bike enthusiasts soak up the atmosphere. Well, they've been soaking up something.

Sammy Miller's so good he doesn't have to look where he's going. He's riding a 1955 Moto Guzzi 500cc V8. Yep, that's right, a V8. They don't make 'em like that anymore.

They may be replicas, but what replicas. 

Honda 6-cyclinder 350cc and MV 3-cylinder 500cc at Redgate.

Vicky and one of Eddie Lawson's Cagiva 500's. Note how she's getting misty-eyed as she remembers taking a shot of Eddie on this very 'bike in this very paddock back in the day. See Vic, now you're getting nostalgic an' all.

Typical of yer 'bike racing fans. They gather 'round one of Rossi's but ignore the one ridden by the one and only Loris. What they like?

Oops, nearly forgot. As the main theme of The Festival was the anniversary of Peter Williams winning the 1973 TT on a Norton we better finish off with this shot.

Donington Park are getting behind the Festival and it has grown considerably since last year. There's already far too much to see in one day. If it carries on expanding at this rate we'll have to come for two days next time!

Evesham Cats Protection, Sunday, 4th August, 2013.

Never mind how snuggly things are up here, just don't look at the state of things downstairs.

We did warn you!

Tripod (not our name, given to him by the vet): Cat Of The Day by a country mile.

Katie getting in some practice in case someone living in a high-rise decides to adopt her.

.......after ten hours of walking 'round Silverstone and a six thirty alarm call this morning Vicky manages a smile through gritted teeth at the end of another hard shift of shovelling sh*t. Now let's get home and have a kip.

Carol Kirkwood's name is muck again. She promised it wouldn't rain 'til 1 o'clock. Maggie says, listen to that woman at yer peril.

I'm gonna huff 'n' puff 'til you stick that gizmo where the sun don't shine.