The word is a very exciting place

I arrived home from Matlock, tried to get a good night's sleep, before my interview the next day. I had applied to work in an NHS call centre for 111, and I was feeling very nervous about it. What if I wasn't good enough, what if the fact I had no qualifications would stop them from hiring me. What if I made a fool of myself and they laughed at me? Weirdly, this was one of the best interviews I had ever had, and I felt my nerves instantly dissipate once I was introduced to the two team leaders who were interviewing. They both made me feel so calm and collected, and we actually had a laugh together during the interview! It's proof that if you're made to feel welcomed and supported in the interview, then your skills & personality will show through.

 I know I say it every time, but where has the time gone? How can it be my final day already? I was coming home a day early as I had a job interview (more about that at the end) so I needed to be back in Southampton, whereas James & Rob were going to stay the final night. But I needed to be getting back to work, it's amazing how fast your money drains away when you're not working! Our final day consisted of a visit to Crich, the National Tramway Museum, and this was a real joy to visit. Even if you're not a tram enthusiast, there was plenty here to keep you entertained.             

 It seemed like a horrendous journey from Skegness to Matlock, but I think that was just the fact that it we doubled back on ourselves passing Lincoln, which we had driven the day before. We couldn't check in until 4pm, so we headed past Matlock and headed over to Peak Village, for a little bit of shopping therapy. I mean why not!  Before we even got in, we had already caused a scene in the car park. We pulled up, and James spotted there was a couple of ducks sat in the middle of the car park, just chilling out. Being the good samaritans we are, we pulled up nearby, got out and brought the bag of birdseed over with us.

 Today, we visited Lincoln, one of the most important and impressive Medieval cities in the UK. So impressive in fact, that the spire of the cathedral was the tallest man made building in the world for over 200 years. That gives you an indication as to how large & wealthy the town was. All through Lincoln there is charming buildings and details, and once we eventually managed to find a parking space, we were able to start exploring. We started at the bottom of the High Street, and headed up towards the cathedral. The Stonebow, which leads into the pedestrianised part of the high street. It's home to the council, and originally formed one of the gates to the city.

 The day after my virtual interview, we continued with our holiday and along with Rob, headed north east. Being a southerner, it's always a frightening prospect heading north! You never know what sort of accent they will have and what they will call a bread roll the further north you go in England. We stayed on a caravan/lodge park just outside of Skegness. It felt like it took forever to get to, I'm sure we have driven to York faster than that! But we stayed in a nice lodge in the Addlethorpe Country Park, which was situated on a golf course. Aside from the paper thin mattresses, it was very comfortable and gave us enough space for the three of us to spend some alone time if we wanted to. There was also fantastic views across the golf course and of the sunsets in the evenings (in between the clouds!). If a lodge (or glorified caravan) is your thing, have a look at their website  hoseasons.co.uk/addlethorpe-country-park

 My last full day on the island was a busy but enjoyable one, and it started with a lovely walk along the beach at Shanklin. Again, it was very quiet with very few people there, so having the beach to ourselves was a lovely experience!

 I woke up to an email about a video call interview for a job with the NHS in a couple of days time, but I would need a laptop for it. I then planned to come home from the island a few hours earlier than James and Rob to do the interview. That was a good start, I'd applied for quite a few jobs, but hadn't heard anything much yet from anyone! After a hearty full English breakfast we prepared where we were staying, we headed over to Compton Bay for a walk along the beach. It was cooler today, and rather blustery, as you can tell by some of the clouds & waves!

 Autumn was well and truly here, and James had booked two weeks off. (I had also originally, but as I wasnt working anymore, I could go away for as long as I liked!) I had been applying for jobs, I'd been having a good scour about. Would I go back into retail, or would I do something else?I'd applied for a few retail jobs, a couple of admin/call centre jobs, and a couple with the local council. So many applications I couldn't remember where I'd sent them for and where I hadn't. I'd be keeping a close eye on my emails for any responses while we were away! The view of the other ferry & the Southampton skyline. We caught the ferry across to the island, Me, James and Rob, who also lives with us and was coming along for the holiday. We had the car with us so we could explore the island more easily. Living in Southampton means it's super easy to cross over to the Island, just a shame it's so expensive to do so. There's frequent ferries, and it only tak...

If you're not from the South Coast, then you might be confused by the regard we have for Hovercrafts. Well some of us anyway. For some, the Hovercraft was not only a feat of engineering, but were famous for their speed, design & ease of use. And where better to appreciate and see them than at the Hovercraft Museum, in Lee-On-Solent. What makes it really special, is that it's the only Hovercraft Museum in the world. And it's right on our doorstep! Here you can see some of the smaller craft on display