Blaxhall, Suffolk

A friend of mine owns a fabulous cottage in Blaxhall which she lets for summer breaks etc. I just love it here so I invited Auntie Fairy to come with me with the intention of SCRAP, SCRAP, SCRAP however we seem to have spent rather a lot of time touring the countryside in my lovely new Fiat 500. Her name is IZABELLA by Italian Bella.

If you follow Auntie Fairy's blog you may well see that we have had a lot of laughing and joking regarding finding our way around Essex and Suffolk, don't believe everything she says. Anyway it is her SatNav which we left on the kitchen worktop as I thought I could find my way home and back within about 4 hours allowing for a coffee break. WRONG Izabella decided we were going to Tiptree with the aim of going to the Cheap Shop which we did following tea at the Wilkins Jam Factory. On the A12 I saw the sign for Flatford Mill where only hours earlier Jayne had said she would like to go to take pictures of Constable country - fine no problems there, pleasant hour wandering around. I said we are so near Manningtree and I have read novels which mention Manningtree and the WITCHFINDER GENERAL (Cromwellian times - i think) - I have always felt an urge to go there. It was after that the problems started. Manningree to Mistley to Manningtree to Dovercourt to Harwich oops to Colchester and finally Ipswich, ah I know the way from here.

I didn't find Jayne's remarks about signposting being compared to hours or miles. e.g. is that 1½ miles or 1½ HOURS. So my friends the answer is get a MAP and someone who can read one, or a SatNav and put it in the car.