21st September 2023

This would ordinarily have been a slow and thoughtful day, set aside for finishing the packing for our trip to New England and Canada, ensuring we hadn’t overlooked any of the details required for a lengthy journey abroad. However, at this time of year, the fruit and vegetable plots are in full swing, their produce at peak ripeness, practically pleading to be picked, eaten, processed, or stored for winter.

Charlotte had visited the previous day to collect a mountain of fresh produce to either use herself or sell via Facebook in Rothwell. Even so, there was still plenty left today that needed to be dealt with, one way or another. A glut of tomatillos was juiced and the liquid transferred into a demijohn with a sachet of wine yeast to begin the fermentation process. I’m intrigued to see how that turns out. Sweetcorn, apples, pears, and tomatoes were picked and boxed, ready to be placed under the fir tree before we depart for Southampton, a final feast for the local wildlife before their month-long fast.

The afternoon became a frantic flurry of last-minute packing and repeated checks of timetables, documents, cables, and chargers. Finally, satisfied that we’d remembered everything important (fingers crossed), we changed into our smarter clothes and drove to Brooke Weston Academy at 6 p.m. to meet Charlotte and the family. Two very proud parents and grandparents were attending an award ceremony: Ellis was receiving a prize for IT, and Lucas was being honoured for his outstanding GCSE results, 9 A grades and A*s. It was a chance for the school to showcase its achievements, and they did so admirably. Their stated aim is to provide ‘a stimulating learning environment which maximises individual potential’, and this was clearly evident. The last few years have been tough for schools and students alike, but this is one institution that has thrived.

Beaming with pride, Sue and I returned to Willow Bank by 8.30 p.m. It was ‘pool night’, and I usually host a few mates in the Garden Room (affectionately known as The Dog & Partridge) from 9 p.m. The lads arrived on time, and we played several games, put the world to rights with our usual banter, and by 11 p.m., they had all left, each clutching a bag of tomatillos picked that morning.

Sean brought his brother along, but they left at 10 p.m., needing to catch an early morning flight to Sweden. As it turned out, they missed it and had to rebook for a later departure that evening.

22nd September 2023

It had been a chilly night, but the morning dawned bright and sunny, ideal weather for the three-hour drive to Southampton. With our bags already packed, we turned our attention to getting the house and garden ready to be left unattended for a month.

We left Willow Bank at 9.30 a.m., taking our time through the heavy traffic on our way to Titchfield Abbey, just outside Southampton. Once home to a 13th-century community of Premonstratensian canons, this English Heritage site was our chosen spot to break the journey and enjoy a picnic.

We arrived at 12.30 p.m. and were surprised to find a large, mixed group of people sitting and lying in a circle on the grass to one side of the ruins. A few others moved slowly around them, gently beating drums and occasionally making low, crooning sounds. Sue informed me that they were a wellness group; she’d taken part in a similar session with one of her U3A groups. To me, it just looked rather strange!

After giving this historic pile a thorough explore, we found a table in the shade of a small tree and tucked into our sandwiches, keeping one eye on the strange goings-on just a few metres away. A brief chat with a dog walker, out with his delightful six-month-old puppy, rounded off our visit, and we returned to the car to complete the short drive to the Mansion Hotel.

The Mansion at Coldeast is a refurbished Victorian property set within nine acres of landscaped grounds and woodland, near the Hamble River. We arrived at 2 p.m., a little early for check-in, so we passed the time first in the lounge catching up on emails, then by exploring the extensive grounds.

To our surprise, our room turned out to be a fully equipped apartment, complete with a separate lounge, kitchen, and bathroom. Ideal for a longer stay, though rather over the top for a single night!

We chose to dine in the hotel’s popular restaurant, both of us, perhaps subconsciously inspired by our imminent cruise to the USA and Canada, opting for different burgers with fries.

Later, we watched the England women’s football team take on Scotland on the room’s TV. A 2–1 win for the Lionesses masked what was, in truth, a very poor second-half performance; they were fortunate not to come away with a draw or even a loss.

23rd September 2023

We woke to a gorgeously warm and sunny day. Breakfast was taken at 8 a.m., followed by a visit to the water fountain in the hotel gardens, armed with scavenged pieces of toast to feed its resident carp.

By 10 a.m., we had repacked our day bags and stored them in the boot of the car, leaving us time to enjoy the sunshine and explore a little more of the grounds surrounding the Mansion. Half an hour later, we were on our way to the Sky Princess, berthed at Mayflower Dock.

With four large cruise ships in port today, the roads into the city, particularly those skirting the docks, were understandably congested, a mix of Saturday shoppers and cruise passengers in taxis and private cars. Although we had hoped to arrive by 11.30 a.m., it was closer to midday when we finally parked opposite the Sky Princess at Mayflower Terminal, after repeatedly (and tactfully) edging our way into stationary traffic at several junctions. Our ship alone was boarding 3,400 passengers, and two of the other three vessels were of similar size, a clear explanation for the traffic chaos.

We handed over the car keys to the port parking staff and wheeled our cases into the terminal, where check-in proved surprisingly swift. Just after midday, we were aboard and beginning to explore. Our cabin on Aloha Deck (Deck 12) wouldn’t be ready until 1 p.m., so we passed the time with a light lunch in the buffet.

Later in the afternoon, my suitcase arrived at the cabin, leaving us wondering why Sue’s case hadn’t accompanied it. We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the ship and familiarising ourselves with its layout in readiness for the activities we planned to take part in over the coming days.

By 6 p.m., Sue’s case still hadn’t turned up. The ship was already making its way down the Hamble and out to sea, and we were back in our cabin, watching England dismantle a plucky Chile side 74–0 in the Rugby World Cup. As Sue couldn’t change for dinner, I chose not to dress formally either, in solidarity. At our table of eight in the dining room, several other passengers were in a similar situation, their luggage still missing, and were dressed much like we were.

Fortunately, Sue’s wayward case appeared in our cabin while we were dining.

As is our usual preference, we spent the evening in the ship’s theatre. First, we were treated to a performance by a pair of lithe Argentinian dancers, followed by an excellent Scottish singer. Afterwards, we returned to Aloha Deck and settled in for a good night’s sleep.