Potfest in the Park

 Up early-ish today and off to Hutton in the Forest, just Northwest of Penrith.

It was 105 miles... Auntie Goggle said 2 hours 12 minutes.....which would have been very close, without a cloudburst just before Dumfries, and another longer section of torrential rain while on the motorway . The sort that has you down to 40 mph , wipers on fast, fog lights on fire and aft and beginning to wonder if you are going a smidgin too fast....and still there were grey cars without lights on passing at speed.....I was glad that I'd had a break after an hour and 38 miles at Thornhill , the usual stop.

It is Potfest in the Park weekend...105 potters /ceramists/artists in clay....there were only 90 when we went a few years ago, but it has obviously slowly and steadily increased!

I met up with a few friends, chatted to others and treated myself to chips and mushy peas for lunch !!

Musical entertainment...a string quartet 

The house...I didn't have a wander around the gardens this time as it started raining again!!

I even had a nap in the car after lunch...and went back for a second look...there was every sort of work, every type of clay, every size you could imagine!  Inspiring yet mind blowing.

I did the return trip in one hit.. although ready to stop for a break at any time...in nice dry and sunny weather. I did the first 20 miles on ordinary roads to get back into driving mode... luckily there is a 15 mile stretch of the A 6 that is almost parallel to the motorway and it is a nice clear rolling road.....then a quick 10  motorway miles over the border to Scotland and on the B roads through villages to Dumfries, avoiding the traffic on the A75 heading for the ferry to Ireland. Up the A76 to New Cumnock, then on the back roads for a quieter shorter last 15 miles to home....

Now to put my feet up... until tomorrow!!