Creeping Bentgrass at the Fylde Car Club Meeting

Saturday night saw us once again at the Coast Riders Diner venue, playing for the Fylde Car Club as they met prior to the next day's display at Cleveleys.

They brought a great line-up of classic cars with them - I always thought that a car became vintage when it reached 25 years old. But thanks to an anonymous comment which I checked on the Oxford Dictionaries site, I now know they are 1919-30. Given that cars become and will always become rare once they reach a certain age, I quite liked my "wrong" version... Anyway, I'm thankful for learning something new!

This is the first incarnation of the Ford Capri. A two-door version of the Consul Classic with a streamlined rear window - the Classic had a window that sloped inwards like the 1960s Anglia. The bright red really pops and red is an infamous colour for fading over time.

Another 1960s car, the Triumph Herald. As a teenager a couple of my friends had these in the seventies in various states of disrepair. I remember one which had a huge hole in the floor and you had to rest your feet on the bulkhead in front of you whilst watching the road fly past beneath your legs... It was a bad idea to go out in this car on wet days because spray from the wheels shot into the car interior, particularly when the wheels turned to go round a corner! This example was in much better condition!

We were there to play a bit of music though and enjoyed ourselves playing to an audience that sang along, clapped and shouted for more.

When we play Status Quo's Rockin' All Over The World audiences always do the "Quo Dance", testing out their hips and waists with gusto! We were unable to see the cars at Cleveleys the following day due to our playing at Myerscough College's Open Day - a report of that to follow later. But we'll catch up with the classic cars later in the year at Fairhaven Lake near Lytham.

Boat Trip Around Capri

Saturday 20 August 2005. If you can remember back to the last entry from this holiday, we were on the island of Capri where Mum was bewildering the locals and anyone younger than 70 by singing a non-stop medley of Gracie Fields songs, interspaced with sayings like "Eeh, cum on, lass, sing along!" and "Hey up! Whatever's t'matter wi' y'all?"

We have moved from the island onto a small swaying boat and here's Gino climbing up to the lookout tower (well, alright, but he was climbing up to something ok?) to give us a running commentary of what we would see. Despite the notice, we are not going to see the famous Blue Grotto. We don't have long enough as the grotto entrance is so low that the viewing involves putting off all the passengers in ones and twos to lie down in rowing boats to go into the cave.

We pass by the harbour at the town of Capri, where we landed this morning.

There's a figure on a rock up ahead. I took it just for someone sunbathing at first, but on closer viewing it turns out to be a statue.

"Is-a where the sirens sat to lure the boats onto the rocks with their singing," explained Gino, looking sternly at Mum.

We might not be able to go into the Blue Grotto, but there are plenty of caves along the way to look at.

The boat captain backs us into a larger one and we can see the reflected blue of the sea on the roof of the cave.

I'm so busy trying to take a photo that when I take the camera from my eye and turn round there's a hard rock cave archway about an inch from my nose...

The trip takes us past some spectacular scenery. There's a soaring rock archway high up on this hillside.

And then we spot the Faglieri Rocks in front of us. Ooh! Will we sail between them? Er... hang on... er... he isn't going to... he is, you know... Yikes!

I was awestruck, thinking we were about to sail between the two rocks, but no... We sailed through the hole in the smaller of the rocks.

We have just sailed through the archway in the left hand rock. I was having thoughts of Poseidon rising to hold the towering rocks apart for us like in Jason and the Argonauts!

And just look at the sheer size of this cavern set into the hillside of Capri. You'd get a whole shedload of sirens sitting in there!

We come to the Blue Grotto. There are several boats waiting to transfer people into the rowing boats. There are two of them behind the boats in the foreground whilst a third is disappearing into the grotto just behind the driver with white shirt and white hair in the left hand boat. A steady stream of people are walking down the steps on the cliff, waiting for their turn to view inside. We slow whilst Gino tells us what we are missing and then carry on.

This is a low archway rather than a cave, but just look at the colour of the water! Now it's time for us to head back to the larger boat that will take us back to Sorrento.

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Capri Meanderings

Saturday 20 August 2005. Our free time in the town of Capri, on the island of Capri, but not driving round in a Capri, is coming to an end and we meet up again with the rest of the excursionists under the clock tower.

There are masses of people wandering about - it's a wonder the island doesn't sink every summer and bob up again when the tourists have gone. Jennifer Lopez was peeping out of her hotel window and thinking "Bugger that, I'm not going out there with all that lot wandering about..."

We were shepherded onto a coach - "Hey-a Shepino, come-a by-a!" and off we went to a marvellous viewpoint that included the very thing Mum had come to see.

One of those white roofs down there below us was Gracie Fields' villa. I've no idea which one... Gracie was of course something of a legend. A brilliant singer - though this might be disputed by any modern ear that listens to "Sally, Salleeeeeeee! Don't ever wander..."

"Hey-a you! You with-a da hat! You-a stop-a da woman-a screeching-a hey?" Look, easier said than done, pal. She's my Mum, I've known her all my life and she's never been shy. She single-handedly saved 120 sailors once at Dover in a thick fog when the fog horn broke and she stood on the rocks bellowing "F-o-g-g-g-g-g! F-o-g-g-g-g-g!" Strangely enough at the same time three ships were run aground at Calais, thinking they were perilously close to the White Cliffs...

Anyway we came originally from Rochdale so Gracie was almost family in my mother's eyes. When she was still alive (I'm back talking about Gracie now by the way) she used to invite any Britishers with the stomach to listen for a cup of tea and an arpeggio or two. I think "arpeggios" are those rather dry biscuits that you can dunk...

So we have a communal picture taken, mainly because if I'd taken one of Mum on her own she'd have backed herself over the cliff edge... "Sally, Salleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!" Now the keen-eyed and faithful followers amongst you may have noticed that this photo was included on the last page about Capri... If not - then please pay more attention.

And yes, at this point I'll apologise now for the hat. After the first splash of sea spray after getting on the boat to come to Capri, it just sort of flopped. However I grew quite attached to it and was almost inconsolable when, on our way home, I put it in the X-ray machine at the airport and it didn't come out the other side. I'd grabbed all my bags and bits and bobs (Well I didn't want X-rays getting at them...!) and I was sitting on the plane and fastening my seat belt when I suddenly said in an anguished voice "Where's me hat?!?"

Meanwhile half a dozen security guards were trying it on and saying to each other "Hey-a, whaddaya think-a, pretty damn-a chica no?"
"Hey-a is-a mine-a!"
"No-a mine-a!"
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
"Is-a okay-dokay-a you-a can have-a the cruddy thing-a!"

The coach takes us round to the town of Anacapri where we have some free time to look around the shops and street market.

The ladies are suitably impressed with this and with a cursory glance at the perfume bottles, liqueur bottles and shampoo bottles, they make a bee-line for the inevitable fridge magnets stall.

Meanwhile, I - and my hat - are quite content...

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Wet Bottom? Make A Wish!

Saturday 20 August 2005. We have landed on the island of Capri, in the town of Capri, having sailed from Sorrento where we are staying for a week.

Following Gino, our guide for the day, we trundled up the funicular railway up the hill to the town of Capri. Hang on... what was that bit with the harbour at the bottom then? On the summit is this magnificent view.

The colour of the sea is a wonderful mix of deep blues and turquoise. Looking one way we can see the luxury yachts that tell us this place is a magnet for the well-off set.

Looking the other way we can see the imposing Faglieri Rocks. We'll get a closer look - a much closer look(!) - this afternoon.

The town of Capri attracts a rather rich clientele. In fact, a rich and famous clientele. Gino was saying that Jennifer Lopez had spent some time there not long previously. Given that such people tend to enjoy the night life and that it was only around 11:00am, I don't think we were likely to run into anyone famous and indeed we didn't. Happen as well, given what is to come later. But all in good time!

Gino led us as a group to a park with a fabulous view of the interior of the island, as seen above. There he left us for an hour or hour and a half's free time. It was boiling hot. We weren't going to start dashing round anywhere and in any case we had already walked through the shopping streets, which tended to reflect the anticipated spending power of Jennifer Lopez and chums

It was in the park that we spied a raised pond, a bit like a wishing well, but filled to the very brim. It made a nice picture and we suggested to Mum she perch on the edge for a photo. WRONG!!! She sat well back as though it was a settee... So far back in fact that I dropped the camera on its strap round my neck in preparation for dashing forward to save her, thinking she would fall in backwards.

Amazingly she sat there smiling away, totally oblivious to the water lapping at her rear end which was of course an inch or three underwater. It took us a while to even convince her that she had sat in the water... "Ah, well it'll dry in this sun..." was all she said as we walked down the path, leaving a trail of drops behind us like breadcrumbs for anyone to follow our path. We tried for a while to block anyone's view of what looked like an even more unfortunate incident than it really was!

It did dry quickly however and thankfully left no mark so we made our way back through the shopping streets and found a little cafe bar.

And there we'll stay enjoying ourselves until the next instalment - in which we get a look at Gracie Fields' villa! Oh no, don't start again, Mother! "Sally, Salleeeee! Pride of our alley..." Never mind singing about back passages... Just squirm about on the cushion until you're certain yours is dry...

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Arriving at Capri

Saturday 20 August 2005. It's been a fun journey from Sorrento to the Isle of Capri.

From the moment we rounded the headland and saw Capri in the distance, Mum broke into every Gracie Fields song she could remember... "Sally, Salleeeeeee, pride of our alley!" followed by Sing As We Go and then Wish Me Luck As You Wave Me Goodbye!

"Goodbye!" [SPLASH]

Now, where were we? Ah yes, Gino, our guide for the day has handed out little round stickers with his name on. "Today you can all-a be-a Gino! Is a great honour, yes?" A little light banter may have followed at this point... "Hey-a, you just keep your Mama quiet, ok?"

We learn that the Capri has two large towns, one called Capri ("That'll confuse the buggers!" the town planners chortled...) and the other called... er... Anacapri ("Hey-a, Anna is-a my-a signora! I no call it after her, I-a get-a no nookie!")

We land at Capri. Both of them. At the same time.

We will visit Anacapri later but first the plan is to have a ride up a funicular railway into the centre of Capri - the town - and then will split up to explore on our own for a bit!

Right our gang! Are you ready, Mother? What? The biggest aspidistra in the world??? Ohhhh...

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Sorrento Harbour

Saturday 20 August 2005. We walk from our hotel in St Agnello into Sorrento as we have booked a boat trip to the Isle of Capri.

The first sight of the harbour makes us blink a bit as it is a long way down a very steep street, that has to double back on itself a couple of times in order to get down the cliff. Our guide meets us at the bottom and ushers us onto a boat, sticking a small badge onto everybody. His name his Gino. The badges say Gino. "Hey-a you are all-a Gino today, yes?" he laughs.

The view from the water gives the best idea of the height of the cliffs. But more than that, it gives some idea of the sheer (whoops was that a pun?) beauty of the place. Before we arrived we had no idea of what Sorrento was like apart from it being where it was, on the Bay of Naples. Had it been the most horrendous place on earth, it would still have been a great location as a base for exploring the region.

To come, during this week are trips to Capri, which we are now setting off towards, to the Roman ruins of Pompeii and Vesuvius, a wild careening bus ride to Positano along the mountainous and beautiful Amalfi Drive, and Amalfi itself.

But for now, aaaay... it's-a Gino, introducing himself as our guide for the day's trip to Capri. Mum's already singing Gracie Fields songs and wallowing in nostalgia of "Ow-er Gracie" and already our fellow passengers are starting to edge away from us... Surreptitiously I hear the French girl next to me ask Gino whether the Captain has a plank that he could run out from the side... but there is no time, Toulouse, we are on our way out of the harbour!

The lazy beggars on the tall ship haven't even got the sails up yet as we round the harbour wall and sail down past a more romantic way of sailing. Ok... Capri, here we come...

We settle down to enjoy the trip with the sun beating down on us and my new trusty hat adorning my noble brow. "Are you going to wear that all week?" asks Fran worriedly...

Once clear of the harbour we turn along the Sorrento peninsula and towards Capri which can be seen, four miles from the mainland. Mum was humming Gracie Fields songs already. It's going to be a long day... Join us for the next exciting episode to see if she survives.

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Sorrento 2005

I used to have a set of web pages about our 2005 Sorrento holiday but it disappeared when Orange decided they were doing away with the web pages offered by their predecessor, Wanadoo, and there were some good memories and some spectacular photos from then. (Just to bring this up to date, Orange took over Wanadoo who took over Freeserve, but then Orange were taken over by EE... Clear?)

Anyway however all that history of mobile phones, 14k modems (ka-ding-bzz-bzz-bzz-fchhhskek-fchhh-spa-dung and other such electronic noises) and early web sites apart, we arrived complete with my mother at Naples Airport and caught our transfer bus. Which took us to our hotel in a place called San Agnello, just a bit outside Sorrento.

By the time we got there and had unpacked it was a bit late to have Mum walking all the way into, around and back out of Sorrento. We had a look at San Agnello, such that it was and I bought a hat to stop my distinguished but slightly over-exposed top of head from getting sunburned. Then after our evening meal we went to watch the sun go down over the bay. There's a little harbour close by, but Sorrento's harbour is the one further round with the cluster of bright lights and the wake of the boat that has sailed out of the harbour, leading back towards it.

This was a pleasing view of Vesuvius, seen at sunset from a bar in St Agnello, a short walk from our hotel on the outskirts of Sorrento. Wait a moment... oh no... we've come all this way and the Italians have let the fire go out... Another eruption of Pompeiian proportions is, so the scientists tell us, quite a bit overdue. Vesuvius is not sleeping. It has erupted several times since the Romans woke saying things like "Is that next door's lad playing football against our fence again?"

Vesuvius has had 28 principal eruptions since the famous one in 79 AD. The last was in March 1944 and that followed a period of several weeks in the January and February where a pool of lava formed in the crater and overflowed into streams running down the mountain. Since the March 1944 eruption Vesuvius has been biding its time, working itself up perhaps for another spectacular eruption. It's a case of when - not if.

Our first night gave us this sunset. This was from the same spot but looking west by north west towards the islands of Ischia and Procida and the stumpy peninsula west of Naples that marks the northern edge of the Bay of Naples. I had mistaken Ischia for Capri at the time, but Capri, which we shall see later on this holiday, is further south and out of sight behind the peninsula upon which Sorrento sits.

There were some fantastic views to be savoured and the heady combination of sunset, wine, atmosphere and chirruping crickets made an intoxicating start to the holiday. We were on a half-board arrangement so all our evening meals were to be had in the hotel, which after seeing cosy little restaurants like this, could have been a mistake!

At the hotel bar. With the new hat. Rather natty I think! The hat will crop up regularly in photos of this holiday, but it all ends in tragedy for this excellent headgear by the time we leave Italy. Don't rush, there's more to see first!

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