Across Country to Bridlington, and My Mother.

Travelling by train really is a great way to travel here in England.  Even if it involves lots of changing stations along the way.  Luckily my family happily drive me to the nearest station, in this case Kirkham, a mere ten minutes from the village of Elswick, where my sister lives. 

The journey from Kirkham to Bridlington  involved many changes.  First stop was Preston, just ten minutes away.  The new elctronic signs make it so much easier to find the correct platform than when I used to travel by train years ago. I found the platform for Manchester Oxford Road and was surprised to see Horwich as one of the stops on the journey.

 It was a packed train going to Manchester Oxford Road, standing room only, but luckily I had booked ahead and had a reserved seat. :-)

People were crammed into the aisles and it was a very interesting journey as I was opposite two very vocal and demanding children with a very patient father.

Something realy special happened on this trip. I went right through a little stop called Horwich Parkway.  My very good friend in Canada comes from Horwich, so I had to take this picture as I thought of Carole.  It was sad to think her sister Charlotte was so close, yet so far away. 

Manchester Oxford Road seemed to be fairly quiet too. I loved the big old clock there. 

From Manchester I got on a train to Seamer that passed through Leeds, a place I would be visiting later in December. The ultimate destination of this train was Scarborough, where I went to college for three years. However, I was getting off in Seamer, in order to get to Bridlington.  It was quite a long wait in Seamer, buffeted by the cold wind, and I was very happy to board my train to Bridlington. 

The station at Brid was all decked out for Christmas and made for a wonderful welcome to the east coast. I felt good to be back in this city which I had first visited when I was eighteen. I was working as a chamber maid in Scarborough through the summer season and took the bus down one weekend to visit my family who were vacationing in Bridlington in the caravans on Lime Kiln Lane. It was so strange that my parents chose to settle in Bridlington when they returned to England after so many years in Canada.  

Once in Bridlington I got the taxi to my Bed and Breakfast at Brentwood House Hotel which was on Princess St..

 What a great location, right in the centre of town and only a fifteen minute walk to my Mum's Care Home. I arrived on the fifteenth of December and I had my Christmas shopping to do so it was nice to be right near the shops and also not too far from Mum.

 The host at Brentwood House was amazing. He was so welcoming and he cooked some of the best breakfasts I have ever had.

 My room was lovely and I really felt blessed to have found this place as lots of Bed and Breakfasts were closed so near to Christmas.  

 I arrived in time to have a cup of tea in my room at the B and B before I walked over to see Mum. I knew her routine from previous visits and  seven o'clock at night is a great time to arrive as she has settled into her TV viewing after her tea.

I wrapped up warm and headed over to the Sandy Land Care Home.  She was so surprised to see me, and I got such a big smile and hugs and kisses. I knelt beside her for the first part of the visit just to be close to her. She held my hand and it was so good to be able to touch her and be close once again. 

I felt so happy to finally be with her.  More in the next post about my time in Bridlington and with my beautiful mother.