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Welcome to the Scottish
Holiday Week at Kippford Holiday Park near Dalbeattie, Dumfries.
The weeks event was organised
by Donald and Christine Collier on behalf of the JBA Owners
Club. Donald is the South of Scotland representative.
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Saturday dawned to bright warm
sunny start for the start of the Scottish holiday week. This
was a nice welcome after 52 days of continual rain. Thirteen JBA's
arrived at this beautifully appointed caravan and camping
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Ten JBA's arrived from England
and Wales with three from Scotland and myself in a tin car. Some
of the members were staying in static caravans and bungalows. In
the evening we met in the large Gazebo for a drink and a natter,
being introduced to members, we had not met before.
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Mick and Angie Sykes together with
their son Josh, could only manage to stay for the weekend due to
work commitments and school for the youngster.
Too bad Josh just another
week to go.
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Sunday started warm but overcast,
this did not deter owners from having the hood down. A very
pleasant run, with a stop for coffee at the Smugglers Inn. Another
stop at Balcary Bay.
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Then on with the run round the coast to the
little village of Bourge, where we stopped for lunch at the
Bourge Hotel. That's it on the left of the photo, with the
red sign above the window. |
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The meal was absolutely first
class with friendly efficient service and at a very
reasonable cost.
The sweets were out of this world.
Tec, Eurwen and their
daughter Gwyneth had their lunch in the beer garden, as they
had their dogs with them. Meg in the front, Bess behind and
Shelley out of camera. |
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It was an exciting day for Mavis Millington,
her sister has moved from England to live in this area and came
to meet Mavis at the hotel, as it was her birthday. Mavis had
done her a lovely card, which we all signed.
The return journey was via Castle Douglas with a stop for
petrol. The sun came out just after 3pm. and lasted all evening
for our quiz night. How much did we know about the sixties.
Quite a laugh at our answers.
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Monday started overcast with light rain as we left
Kippford at 10am on our way to New Abbey for a stop to see
Sweetheart Abbey
We had tea or coffee and toasted tea cakes in
the tea room.
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The weather cleared up for our run round the Solway
Coast and up into the town of Moffat, famous for it's Woolen
Mill. We parked in the first car park on the left and across
the road were beautiful gardens with a children's play area which
had cascading water placed at different parts of the ground going
off and on all the time. There was also a beautiful boating
lake with the boats made like Swans. The Woolen Mill shop
had a vast array of goods for tourists including all different
kinds of spirits which were well displayed and an assistant was
offering tastes of different brands if you wished to participate.
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Tuesday was a free day with no activities planned
until evening. Some owners went on short sight-seeing trips,
others went shopping or down to the bay in Kippford or had a bar
lunch and some took to the golf course. Beautiful sunshine
in the morning but turned overcast in the afternoon.
In the evening it was Scottish Country Dance night which was held
in a village community hall, which everyone enjoyed and
Christine and Donald's friends made everyone welcome.
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Pete Henstock our chairman,
with his wife Anne dressed in tartan for the dance.
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Wednesday
A nice run to Moniave and Tynron, mostly on
single track roads with a stop for coffee at the "Hen Hoose".
Onwards to Thornhill for a look, then a visit to Robert Burns
Farmhouse on the way back to camp.
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That evening was our
Barbeque night.
Deryl Millington made the night with his attire
as a chef.
He was a good cook into the bargain.
We had a visit from King Malcolm that's him in
the photo below, King Malcolm of Fawdry that is.
A very enjoyable evening was had by all.
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Thursday
We started out for a run to Clatteringshaw
Loch where we had the usual coffee stop which was a lovely
site then onto Newton Stewart with plenty of shops to browse
through.
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From there onto the Bladnoch Distillery for a guided
tour and a dram if you wanted which cost a £1. There was also a
small shop which sold quite a selection of gift ware.
Then we
started back to the site and later on that night most of the
company went down to the pub in the village. |
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Friday
The run today started with a trip to the David
Coulthard Pit Stop which is a coffee shop with an annexe which has
been made into a Museum, containing various cars, suits helmets,
steering wheels and photographs.
On leaving there we went to
Gatehouse where the famous Mill On The Fleet is a great tourist
attraction.
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At night we were booked into a hotel for a meal
as this was the last night of the holiday. Everyone had a
good laugh as Christine read out the answers to the three quizes
she had given everyone at the start of the holiday.
There
was only one point between the first and second winners who were
Anne & Pete Henstock, They were given a lovely prize of two
whisky glasses as a memento of DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY, and the
second prize of a "HAGGIS" went to David & Pam
Bunting.
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After Christine's prize
giving the chairman Pete Henstock presented Donald and
Christine, our hosts, with cut glass candlesticks. A
gift from the Owners Club for all the work that they
both put in. |
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Yes it was a great week.
The weather was kind to us and we did enjoy ourselves.
Especially the Scottish Dance night. Les Fragle, Keith
Hays, David and Pam Bunting, John Sparrow and myself. We
were the talk of the hall, mostly from the ladies, you will never guess where our
Highland Fling landed us. |
Thank You to both Donald and Christine for a Terrific Week.
Thank you also to Dave & Ken of JBA Engineering Ltd. for sending me a present.
And to Mick Sykes for bring it all the way from Standish.
Copyright © www.robbiegibson.com
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Safe Driving All the Best Regards Robbie 
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