Travels With My Aunt - Aunty E

Aunty E and I shared a wonderful thirty six years in each other's company. Well, the first ten were wonderful, the remainder, a little less joyful. You see, during the early years, as I've mentioned in the previous post, we experienced life through, how shall I say, an alcoholic haze, mainly at weekends, or on the odd occasion mid-week if our meeting together was required.

Back in the summer of 1981 you could buy a very cheap ticket, I think it was around eleven pounds Irish money at the time, no Euros back then, to travel by boat to Hollyhead for the day. I rounded up two of my friends plus one of their mothers to keep Aunty E company and off we set sail. Think "women behaving badly" as opposed to the TV series "Men Behaving Badly"!

I must immediately point out that my two friends played absolutely no part in our missing the return boat journey.

To make a very long story fairly short: Aunty E and I were first to the bar as soon as it opened - it was a three hour sailing and no one was counting the scoops. My friend's mother proceeded to buy a bottle of brandy with the intention of bringing it home. On docking in Hollyhead, Aunty E and I each bought a pair of shoes, same colour, same brand. Along the main street there seemed to be some sort of awards ceremony in preparation where tables were laden with trophies of varying shapes and sizes. I of course, having never won an award, seized upon the occasion to hold high one of the cups while hastily instructing Aunty E to take a photograph.

We had dinner somewhere I believe. With not much time left we stumbled upon a wedding group having their photos taken outside a church. So beautiful was the bride and the bridemaids' hats that I just had to get a picture. My God, what was I like? Aunty E decided to tag along despite pleas from the others that if we didn't hurry we'd miss the boat. They slowly headed back to the ferry terminal while Aunty E and I managed to get ourselves lost.

With not one ounce of navigational skills between us we arrived back just in time to watch our ferry slowly pull out from the quayside. Oh dear! With the next ferry not leaving for another twelve hours - 3.00am in the morning, there was nothing for it but to while away the hours, preferably somewhere with seating facilities. As I'd never been to Bangor I thought why not avail of this opportune moment! Eventually it was agreed by all, well most, that that's where we'd head for.

This next escapade will require a further blog post.......

Hollyhead Road image via: www.itraveluk.co.uk
Stena Line image via: www.groundedtravel.com

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