The Ham Nomads

1 Oct 2014. <GB-ENG> Bourton-on-the-Water, & Gloucester (Huilin's), Glos —

Today was a marking time and getting-back-up-to-Gloucester day. We started off by putting in an hour at Macca's in Trowbridge, to blog and catch up on email.

We then drove northwards to Bourton-on-the-Water, a lovely village with a shallow river passing through it (the River Windrush), a large village green, many stone cottages and shops that have changed little since the 1930s, and a model of that same village, built to 1/9 scale, using the same stone. Throughout the model village the trees have been planted exactly as in the full-sized village, and they have used Bonsai-like techniques to keep them more-or-less in scale with the model. The one thing you don't have in the model is the hordes of tourists who descend on the village every day. The village is thriving, and it is all from the tourist trade!

By the way, in the Model Village they have a separate exhibition of miniature models which is quite delightful. There are miniatures of a fashion designer's establishment, of a mouse's home, of a feast with King Henry VIII, of an old man's carpentry workshop, and so on, and so on. We don't know how people find the patience to do such intricate work! There is also a collection of 1/32nd scale miniature landscapes by Mr J Constable, done over 25 years, and with each cottage represented being of architectural or historical interest. One was of Thomas Hardy's cottage in its original state, so we see it here not as it was when we visited it some weeks ago.

We didn't have time to do more in Bourton, which is a shame, as they have a Model Railway Exhibition (admittedly, closed today), a Motoring Museum and Toy Collection, a Maze, not to mention the various pubs and restaurants. But we needed to get to Richard in Gloucester, so we left at about 3.30. Met up with Richard at 4.15. He measured the van, decided that he needs to do the job at another location — we won't fit into his Bristol Road workshop — and arranged for us to check in with him on Friday. He also suggested we might like to do a little looking for replacement engines on the web — we might find something that he hasn't. Otherwise the job will take up to 3 weeks — not that we will be stuck in Gloucester for that time, as we have found a campervan rental here that seems to have no bookings for the month of October. We will check in with them tomorrow to see what we can arrange, but should have a replacement vehicle for the time ours is off the road. Wish us luck! We're overnighting in our old layby on the A40, just outside Gloucester.

Distance driven — today, 57 miles ( 91 km ); to date, 8,268 miles ( 13,306 km )