Looking back...June & July

As June started we were in the Hebrides - it's so much more than somewhere we go on holiday now - we have friends there and always seem to come back having made new ones - this year it was Stuart, Simon, Deborah & Jennifer who we enjoyed some fantastic RSPB walks with.

RSPB Balranald

The second week of our holiday also saw our 2-day trip over to Lewis/Harris. It's a lovely ferry crossing and we've found an excellent campsite with fabulous views and just a stones throw from a beach with amazing sunsets....look....

Shawbost Beach, Lewis

...so although it eats a chunk of our budget we don't mind a bit!

July started rather oddly as my lovely Dad suffered a small heart attack early in the month. Once they established the seriousness of the problems he stayed in hospital - first here in Harlow and subsequently being moved to Basildon's supposedly fantastic new cardiac unit. This is not the place  to discuss that but we were distinctly unimpressed. His triple-bypass went without a hitch thankfully and he was discharged home just 4 days later.

In between hospital visiting we did manage to squeeze in a few other bits too - not least a weekend camping in Suffolk for my birthday. We visited the wonderful RSPB Minsmere reserve, then moved on to Aldeburgh for the evening, as ever stopping to take photos of "that" sculpture...

...and lots of fabulous butterflies...

We followed that with a trip to another of our favourite spots the next day - Southwold, with it's wonderful pier and brightly coloured beach huts. A PROPER British seaside resort.

There were other bits of fun too - a beery trip to Sheffield where we met up with LOTS of lovely folk from our Great British Beer Festival Bar, and also had tea & cake with another cheery pal, Jenni. There was our usual trip to the North Norfolk Railway beer festival, and lots of fab walks in the sunshine too!