Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Destination Unknown: Macclesfield

So, you know how I said I was so happy to get home the night of Waitangi Day celebrations?? Yyyyeahhhh... Woke up at 8am, and blatantly turned my alarm off. 10:15am, I wake up in a mad panic and realise I have 45 minutes to bus to Finsbury Park, then tube to Victoria Station and get on the coach in time. And I hadnt printed out my ticket yet. SHIT!!

I made it out the door in record time. Except I didnt clean my teeth and felt gross. But these sacrifices need to be made. Got to the bus stop in record time also, cos its a good 5 minute walk with luggage. Ran and jumped on the bus, so happy to have made it. Its only 10:25 so my chances look good of getting my bus. Eh, WRONG!! I slap a £20 note down the little table thing, and explain to mister driver that my morning's been shit and im in a total rush and im so gla--- what was that?? "You have to buy your ticket from that machine" (points out the door.) Shit. Ok, unload junk from the bus, open wallet. No coins. Run across to Boots to swap the 20, and the second bus drives past. Shit. At this stage, I run to Starbucks next door to use their loo, seeing as the next bus is coming in 13 minutes. Now the chances of making the bus are minimal...

Right I am. Because once I get to the train station, i need a ticket, then the tube takes forever to GET to Victoria Station, and once there, its a solid ten minutes down the road to the Coach station, so eventually I arrived there at 11:20am. Ohhhh well.... I got the 12pm one for only £12, so that was handy dandy.

EXCEPT!! I got some food and saved it for the 4 1/2 hour bus journey. This also included 2 magazines, a mars bar and a bag of gummies (ok, so i was pissed of at missing the bus and splurged, so sue me!) haha. Anyway, I get to my bus gate, at the other end of the terminal (more walking) We walk outside, and im standing in line for the bus. Thankfully, after learning my lesson from Disaster Day 1, i ask the girl infront of me, "this is the bus going to Manchester, yeah?"
"ahh, no, its going to Cardiff"
"Oh, thats not on the way to Manchester?"
"Err, no."
As it turns out, Cardiff is in the West, while Manchester is in the North... Like I would know that!!

After double checking I got on the right bus, the guy comes walking down the isle and goes, "so you're all going to Liverpool, yeah!!" I almost slogged him one :P

Anyway, I got the last seat on the bus next to a window, and this lovely 'plump' Indian lady came and sat next to me... So i take out my sammie, chow down cos this was breakfast and i deserved it after the horror start and mild hangover I was enduring. THEN! This lady takes out a needle from her bag, stands up, pulls up her Sari and INJECTS HERSELF IN THE LEG!!!!!! ARGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHILE IM EATING MY 6-INCH CHICKEN SUB!!!!!! EUGH!!!!!!!!!!! After the inital shock wore off, Chubbs sits down, smiles at me, and proceeds to eat at least 5 danish pastries, while eying up my Mars bar...

Anyway, the rest of the ride was fine, i caught a few more Z's and woke up to ask the dude behind me where we had stopped-- "Burmingham" oh ok, back to sleep :) "Wait, no, sorry, we're in Manchester. Shit!! Off I jump, then get quite lost cos we happened to depart at some random street and from there I wandered aimlessly trying to find Piccadilly and the bus to Macclesfield...

I found it, and the weird 4-eyed dude told me this is where I needed to wait. Liar, 30 minutes later my bus drives straight past me!! So i cabbed it to the train station and jumped on the train to Macclesfield. Then put my iPod in and almost missed the stop (thanks to the lady accross the isle from me, I didnt!)

Jenny met me at the station, we had a lovely wee catch up before arriving in this sweet little village just out of Macclesfield (still part of it but far nicer) Annie was waiting in the living room when I arrived (after I played with Jake and Poppy, the dogs, for a little bit) It was so lovely to see her, and it was nice and warm in her house!! The fire was burning, and after Richard came in, carrying mud in on his shoes, we cracked open some bubbles and drank champange!! How classy :)

We went to dinner in a local restaurant where Annie and Richard knew Kath (?) who'd owned and run it for yeeears and Annie knew her kids names and what they did and when they were born... Really odd experience for me, having grown up in a big city and not knowing my neighbours, it seems like everyone here knows everyone else!

Too right I was!! The next day:

"Hahaha sorry honey, ive also been out of communicado- hangin out in a 16th century amaaaaaazing home made of stone and fantastic-old-ness-stuff up in Macclesfield, north of Manchester. Having the best time in England!!!!!"

Again, this next bit is written post-fact, but memories and happiness are still strong :)

The next day, Annie decided she was going to take me out for a drive and show me the sights of an English countryside. I figured it'd be similar to NZ, but not really, considering I've never lived anywhere where it snows (in New Zealand, not Austria!)... She made the most filling breakfast of fresh eggs, bacon, baked beans, and toast with English Marmite (its runny, like honey!), and I read the papers and drank yummy coffee. We embarked a little while later, after i'd gone to see the hounds (so cute, but so smelly with all the poo) and went for a wander around the grounds, and took lots of photos of the mad dogs and beautiful snow-covered hills.

We drove to see Richards sister, and almost got snowed in because the snow began to fall at an alarming rate. Then, we went to the Hanging Gate, a little bar in the middle of nowhere, that Annie and my Dad went to about 30 years ago! It was so sweet, very quaint, and if you were taller than 6ft, you'd have a problem standing. We had a drink, but couldnt stay too long because the snow, wow! By the time we got home, it was quite heavy and there was enough of it to make a snowman! Jenny and I named him Morris, from Macclesfield. He had a very big head, coal eyes and teeth (even though Jake the dog kept stealing the coal and EATING it!) and he even had a hat (a bucket) and arms and a scarf! It was all very exciting :)

I loved seeing all the old, old photos on the stairwell of Richard's family; its so weird to think that this house is older than New Zealand's civilisation! It was beautiful, I cant wait to go back...

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