Saturday 16th May
Saturday 16th a more leisurely start but we were still out practising our routine at 10.00am in front of the hotel for a display we were giving on Sunday. First time we had tried it on the new scooters and it was soon decided that we would use only 6 scooters for the display as the space needed for 8 with the bigger scooters and the extra time it took would be too difficult to arrange. Kathryn, the hotels General Manger came out to watch, then had a go on a scooter herself. We all posed under the Premier Inn sign and had a photo taken with Kathryn – she said she’d be putting a copy in their mag.
Kathryn, Manageress Premier Inn
The rest of the day was free and we all went our various ways to see sights we had heard about and wanted to see.
Sunday 17th May
Sunday 17th a Leisurely start today and lovely sunshine. We sat outside and chatted or read for a while before getting changed into our wheelie gear before we left for Gilsland Primary School at about 12.45. It only took ½ hour, less than expected to get there. At first there was nobody around but then the Headmistress and another lady let us in the school for the loo and a mum with her little one (plus baby) made up most of our audience! 2 carloads of people watched too once we began.....
Gilsland School
We did 2 displays – both really good! With 6 of us, not 8 – much better on the bigger Quingos. After our performance which went really well seeing as it was the first time we had done it in public we went inside for tea and biccies. A really lovely little old school (started 1840s) with 2 teachers (inc Head) and 22 pupils – just as you imagine a village school to be.
After the display we went over the road to Willowford Farm where we’d been invited to go and look at the gorge on their land. Really something and the largest and longest stretch of Hadrian’s Wall we had so far seen – great. It was too steep and slippery (on grass) for us to visit the actual gorge but the “boys” went down to the gorge and took more photos.
Heading towards Willowford Bridge and Gorge
Back to the hotel around 5ish & had cuppas in lounge. Short rest & then dinner at 7pm again. Very good dinner again – Pete had to wait for his scampi & he’s now thinking he’s jinxed something as last night he ordered sausage & mash was told there was none left so ordered something else and then got the sausage and mash as well as what he’d ordered!
