Square eyed in Bristol

South Africa Lonely Planet guide on the arm, but 2 cats take priority

Since waving Iain and Bev off we’ve spent a lot of time sitting in the comfy chairs with at least a cat each staring at brochures, laptops, phones and tablets. Why? We are going to Africa.... We have a Housesit in Johannesburg over Christmas for one little cat, Willow, who actually looks just like Mr.Pickles, but is younger, female and shyer. How then to see the most/best of South Africa? Where to get mother involved who has long said she would like to see Africa? We can’t travel as we usually do, get a flight and go with the flow. January is peak season so we need to be considering booking safaris now, so planning is full on. 

Showing pussy cats sit-ups. He doesn't seem impressed!

We’ve looked at all sorts of tours, been to a couple of travel agents, and spent inordinate amounts of time on the web. (My screen time is up 33% according to the iPad!) We’ve booked a flight out (which got us shouted at by the man in Trailfinders, but we had to prove to Cat we were serious) travel insurance and our first nights accommodation. Safari is expensive however you look at it, but not necessarily bad value for what you get. The luxury, the experience, the guiding and hopefully all the animals... We can, and will hire a car though it sounds fraught with perils walking isn’t an option. It just all feels a bit more scary and full on than we are used to.

Cute pussy cat photo

Four cats and only two laps - its a problem!

I wrote that two days ago, before he started talking to me about a self drive option along the Garden Route that would perhaps tick all the boxes for mum...

We’ve been into Portishead a couple of times for shopping and to select new glasses each. We’ve been into Bristol twice too. Bus in and out makes for an easy journey. 

We bought books on South Africa, oh and Germany, as that is actually the plan for October to December, back out in Ted, but that is really getting very little attention. On our

St Nicholas market, Bristol

first trip in we went to St Nicholas market for street food lunch as recommended by Iain and Bev. We stood in the longest queue for a fabulous Middle Eastern kebab, “Matina sell homemade Kurdish naan breads, marinaded lamb, chicken and halloumi skewers with a choice of freshly made salads and sauces.” We shared one, it was huge and delicious. While queuing we chatted to the guy in front of us who recommended the pitta place, with the second longest queue, and coming in on Saturday as the whole vibe of the city was great. We did a little shopping too, shorts, as come December they’ll be very hard to buy, but not much sightseeing. 

The three handed clock at the Corn Exchange Bristol. The black hand is 11 minutes behind the red hand, which is the exact time the sun reaches noon in Bristol after it has reached noon in Greenwich, London and was the time originally used in Bristol. With the coming of railways in 1841 it was necessary to standardise on GMT, but it took until 1852 until Bristol formally adopted GMT. Before that people used the clock to know the time in each place to avoid missing trains

The Christmas Steps, Bristol

So second trip was Saturday. We got off the bus, and I immediately walked in the opposite direction to where he thought we were going, to the box office of the Bristol Hippodrome where The Lion King was opening that night and where a queue was just forming. Does this mean they do cheap last minute tickets? No, but we did manage to get three tickets, not together for £20 each. Had they been together they would have been £80 each, but we can’t talk to each other while the performance is on anyway and they are close enough to meet up in the interval, so that’s a treat for when mum comes down to visit ....! After that we did actually do some tourist things, the Red Lodge, the three handed clock, the cathedral, the Christmas steps and the church of St John on the Wall. 

The Red Lodge, Bristol

Before back to St.Nicholas market to the pitta place. Again, we shared a meal, a huge hummus and falafel box, and still couldn’t actually have a proper dinner in the evening, only managing beans on toast! The plan was then to go on the free tour of the Clifton Suspension bridge. The bus should be just passing, so we waited, and waited and waited, having now not got enough time to walk! We made it with minutes to spare only to find it started from the other side of the bridge, but that man in the high vis jacket, just ahead, is the tour guide.... He was very good, but 30 odd people was too many really, apparently it was three last week!

waiting at the Clifton Suspension Bridge for our guide to start the tour. Did you know, there are three differences between the two towers, that were built independently by different contractors (remember there was no brigde connecting the two then), our guide asked us to try to spot them. If you don't want to know what they are don't read on....1. the far one has a more pointed top arch than the near one. 2. The far one has 4 angled corners, on this one they are square. 3. This one has side windows (you can just see them here), the far one has none

Bristol cathedral

Views on the Poets Walk, Clevedon

Today was bright and sunny so we went to Clevedon. Not somewhere we knew much about, except that Abi and her mum went for a day trip when we were sitting for her, and it’s only 10 minutes away! We had a lovely little visit, bit of a coastal walk, watching people in the saltwater pool, swimming, paddle boarding and crabbing. Walk along the seafront to the pier, the only grade one listed pier open to the public. It was lovely, museum, little porthole window to see the sub structure, cockles on the pier and a brass jazz band playing down the end. A fishing competition, lots of families, chips, ice cream, all very British. Cant keep this pace up!

The Sugar Lookout, Clevedon

The cats are all such characters, even Tinsel, though her character is more slightly paranoid and loopy! The other three are all lap cats which is tricky with only two laps between us! They are all lovely jumping in as soon as one moves. There is one small problem however, and that is since the new kitchen went in a few months ago, it doesn’t smell right, so much scent marking is going on. This leads to much cleaning of cupboard doors, floors and the hob! It’s driving Bev mad, and I can quite see why. How do we break them of this?

Clevedon Marine Lake

Clevedon pier

The underside of the pier through the porthole in the cafe

The brass jazz band playing on the pier

Poor Mr Pickles has to patiently wait while Milly cat has first dibs at the wet food

Don't let Bev and Iain see this, but here's Mr. Pickles curled up in bed

And giving Jackie some nose to nose love

A familiar sight, a pussy cat curled up on a lap

From housesitting in Birmingham to housesitting in Bristol

Negotiating the stepping stones over the River Cole near Sarehole Mill, Hall Green

The last week has flown by, we are now in Bristol at Iain and Bev’s where we will be for four weeks. Three black cats and a black and white cat to care for it’s going to be fab.

Our time with Sooty was also fab, she is getting softer as she gets older, little sweetie puss. We only had a couple of little jobs while there, putting up a shelf in the conservatory and a grab rail in the loft. We had to visit a lighting shop for a new pull switch for the bedroom light as the old one came off in my hand. It wasn’t a difficult fix, though it appears that tying the little chain on, inside the fitting wasn’t as solid as it appeared. 

Just a 15 minute job (not!) to fit the handrail. Beneath that board was a lighting wire that one of the screws went through. Handrail back out, loft ladder mounting removed, loft lightswitch removed, loft board removed, damaged cable cut out, replaced with new cable, connected with two new connector blocks and all reassembled - 2 hours! 

The bit of cable with the screw hole

It came off in Abi’s hand at 03.00 in the morning, giving her no option but to trip the breaker! Don’t think we were popular! It could have been worse though, he could have done the grab rail just before we left rather than at the beginning of the week. An easy job, only took a few minutes, but when we went upstairs that night turning on the landing light from downstairs tripped all the upstairs lights! The second landing light switch also tripped the board, but the third one was ok, hmmm. We’ll look at it in the morning. He was a bit grumpy as on careful inspection he could see a cable going under the board that the loft ladder was attached to, he didn’t want to take it all apart but he had no choice. He’d never have managed to drill so precisely through the cable if he’d tried. How a 15 minute job turns into a 2 hour one!

Sooty cat went mad for the Cheng Huang Pork that Yukko and Jo (Glasgow housesit) gave to us from their Hong Kong visit last week

Birthday Tea Club. LtoR: Brian, Crystal, Reuben, Manu & Jackie

Brian’s Birthday on Tuesday, I know how to spoil him, eye tests, mums garden and lunch out! Apart from that it’s been eating, eating eating. Sunday tea club was postponed to Tuesday as Manu and Crystal had so much left over food from Saturday’s BBQ it would have been criminal not to help them eat it! Lovely to catch up with Helen, Ian, Hilary and Pete on Sunday with Manu and Crystal, and then M&C and Reuben out for Chinese on Tuesday. Monday was Monday Club plus, so curry at Diwan's as well as a pint, and for the first time, all the wives. 

Crystal's order list in the restaurant. Good choices?

Wednesday we had a long lunch with Denise and Paul. “Do you want some beans?” She said “yes” I said, but I didn’t expect half a bin bag full. Mum had some, her neighbours had some, Sarah refused as they have their own in the allotment. So in the end mum took a pile to Forge Mill where she volunteers, for people to just take a handful. I love beans, but they are just not that versatile! Thursday we went to the local pub with mum, Friday with Bev and Iain and last night I didn’t cook as I had a bit of a dodgy tummy, though I wasn’t actually hungry after the huge breakfast we had at the pub before taking B&I to the airport.

The valet man at Big Ted where we hoped he would have a full polish and wax before our forthcoming adventure. Unfortunately he didn't have the right cleaner to remove all the black streaks so he'll have to wait for his full body wax until we're back next year 

We’ve also seen Sarah and John, she’s back at home and looked so much better than when we saw her the previous week. She is just waiting for the histology report. Brian has the results from his biopsy which is all clear so we are keeping everything crossed for Sarah.

Housesitting at Bev and Ian's. This is Shadow cat making himself comfy

That's Milly cat asleep on an asleep Jackie. 

This is Tinsel cat.

And Mr. Pickles cat. They all have their own personalities: Mr pickles is the oldest at (I think) 20. He likes strokes, lifting his head in anticipation as you approach with your hand, but he can be very grumpy if you touch the wrong part swiping with a paw or teeth. Tinsel cat has a funny eye and is very timid, keeping out of the way. Shadow cat likes plenty of fuss, recognisable from the others by a little mark on his ear. Milly cat is very vocal, particularly at meal times, meowing incessantly.