Setting off for Sidmouth

It was an early start this morning with the radio turning on at 6.30am. We set off at 8.45am as we had to be at Lostwithiel Community Centre car park by 10am where we met up with two other cars.

We then made our way up to Plymouth, crossing the Tamar over the bridge ...

and stopped in the lay-by at Lee Mill where three more cars joined the convoy. Hamish was coming with us for the weekend at a Sidmouth hotel and he was quite at home travelling on the parcel shelf ...

After leaving the motorway at Exeter ...

We headed for the Double Locks Hotel where we were booked in for lunch ...

It was freezing cold but we had a wander around as it was somewhere I'd always wanted to visit but never had.

The pub is situated on the Exeter Ship Canal ...

and you can see the cathedral in the distance ...

The name Double Locks comes from the width of the lock rather than its length as two or more vessels can pass side by side.

After lunch we made our way to Sidmouth and after parking up ...

we all checked into the Bedford Hotel and were shown to our rooms. We always take a sheet with us to cover the bed and Hamish immediately made himself at home ...

It was a lovely room with a balcony and sea view ...

We took Hamish for a walk along the prom ...

and then on the way back he went down onto the beach.

He is not too keen on pebbles and was quite happy to leave and return to the hotel ...

Two more cars were joining the group at the hotel and so in the evening we had a long table for 18 people and we weren't the quietest diners in the restaurant!

The food was fantastic and I definitely ate too much! When everyone adjourned to the lounge for coffee we went to our room and fed Hamish and brought him down to join the group ...

He is such a good boy and everyone loves him!