My Average Holidays

There’s been a trend that people are saying they want 2026 to be like 2016 because of some strange nostalgia thing. I was there. 2016 was a terrible year! That was the year of the Brexit vote, the year Trump was first elected, the year Bowie, Prince, Fisher, and Wogan died to mention just a few. The year that ‘Post Truth’ became a thing. So if January is anything to go by, they’re getting what they wished for. That’ll learn ‘ em.

Being the fashionista that I am, I decided 2026 would be the year of the moustache. Unfortunately, I caught one of those unprepared passing glimpses of myself, you know the sort, the ones that show you what you truly look like. Anyway, I looked very old (I know, but more) and also like a middle-ranking British army officer from the World Wars. The sort who sent his men over the top for no good reason while he sat two miles behind the lines having a tiffin and not giving a jot.

I was still sporting the ‘soup strainer’ (see below) for our first little trip in 2026. It was the same thing we did last year, and we went to Exeter Cathedral to see the light show. The theme this year was books and literature. I think I preferred this one, especially as we were first in the queue and pretty much got to see the whole thing without too many other humans about. We did decide that two years in a row is enough, though, and won’t be going back next year.

I can’t remember how it came up, but we’ve been talking about getting the bus to Barnstaple, and so that’s exactly what we did. Fortunately, we picked one of the few days between the constant parade of storms hitting the South West this year. We also picked a time, just after 9am which would mean the fewest people. No commuters, children, or OAPs, or at least fewer of them. I, of course, wanted to go on the top deck. The downer on the trip out was that, despite the sunshine, we couldn’t see a lot because of the condensation, and the seats at the front were taken up by a couple of teenagers going to college. However, no such issues on our ride back.

The cost of this trip was £6.50 each. This gave us unlimited bus travel for the whole of North Devon for 24 hours, which is amazing value when you think about it. The thing I liked about it the most was looking into people’s gardens, which is always interesting, but mostly the whole relaxed nature of it. Obviously, this is only the case if, like us, you don’t actually have to be anywhere. Even when we got to Barnstaple, there was no rushing around because we didn’t have a ticket on the car, which costs a small fortune by itself. We’re definitely going to be ‘bus wankers’ again and go further afield… maybe pack headphones.

We had planned to go to the Eden Project, which is only a couple of hours away, but as a surprise for my birthday, Lyn booked us a night in the Pier House in Charlestown, St Austell. Lyn was very pleased with herself because not only had she booked this all herself, but it turned out to be a very nice hotel/pub/restaurant and amazing value. St Austell Brewery has quite a few of these hotels in the South West; they all seem to be very good quality and are currently 30% off. Keep in mind it includes breakfast, which is £15pp on its own. If you have a few days free or even just one, get booking because the offer ends soon and must be used before the end of March.

While at dinner, I did catch myself doing the very old person thing of telling a complete stranger my medical history. This isn’t the first time, but I hope that now I recognise it will be the last (it won’t). I should start a new society, Medical History Anonymous (MHA for short), where addicts can go once a week and have a chat about anything other than their latest diagnosis.

After a pleasant stay, despite the weather, we made our way to the Eden Project. I got us a locals pass which cost £55 for both of us, but this gives us access for an entire year! I’ve not been before, so it was all new to me. The nature lover in Lyn, of course, loved it. She even found a new pal (a member of staff) who was showing her around almost like a personal tour. The Project is under threat due to a lack of visitor numbers and had to lay off 75 staff last year, so it’s nice to think we are doing our bit for what is a big attraction and employer in the region.

So that was January 2026. As Always… Quis Autem Reformationem.