Kate and Bron's Diary for 2002-09-13

Stayed the night in York

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From: "Kate McMullin" <kate@brong.net>
Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 20:10:50 +1000 (EST)
We went to the Oxfam again to check my email for a response to the email
I had sent about compensation - no reply, surprise, surprise! We also
didn't get the promised phone call from Select managers... again. Our
patience has been sorely tested by this experience with Select.

We then headed off to the station to catch the train to Scarborough to
visit my Aunty Flo (Dad's aunt, Grandma's big sister). The info screens
at the station have both the origin and destination of all trains - and
not clearly labelled for the uninitiated... So we hopped on a train FROM
Scarborough, thought it odd that we seemed to be going in the opposite
direction from expected... changed trains at Leeds to head back again!
Thankfully we didn't have to wait at all for the correct train at
Leeds... waved at York with embarrassed faces as we went through...

Last time I was in Scarborough, Dad had drawn me a map of how to get to
Hoxton Rd - which of course I didn't bring with me on this trip. I knew
the general direction of where Aunty Flo lived, but couldn't remember
the specifics, so I had to ask at Tourist Info for directions. Good
start to the day!

It was great to see Aunty Flo again - she must be in her late eighties,
but she lives independently, is so sharp witted and has a great sense of
humour. We had lunch and a long chat: she's coming up to the 67th
anniversary of her wedding, and she so showed us her wedding photo and
told us about their wedding day.

Bron and I went off for a walk around the town - we walked along the
beach, where the tide was well out. We saw boats that were completely
stranded in mud, while the water was at least 300m away - I guess
boating people know enough about tides to plan for them.

Went back and had dinner with Aunty Flo at a nice Italian restaurant
around the corner from her house. We'd thought about going to a show at
the theatre opposite the station, but it finished after the last train
left for York, so we coudn't go. It was an adaptation of a Mozart opera
(Marriage of Figaro, I think), which sounded really good. Oh well.

When we got back to the hostel, we tried to do our washing, but the
machine really sucks. It took ages, because there's a button for 'Quick
wash' that keeps being unpressed - so it then takes two hours rather
than one... Then the bloody machine didn't drain, so we had to get a
bucket and wring out the water from the clothes. Then after an hour in
the dryer, the clothes were still very wet and weren't warm. Grrrr.
Wasted 5 pounds that night, getting our clothes half washed.

To make our late night even later, there was a couple (kind of drunk, I
think) who apparently had a really loud argument in the dorm (just
before we arrived), but who proceeded to 'make up' in a rather noisy
manner. They also had the bunk beside the door, so the first thing that
greeted us when entering the room was a naked arse (male) sticking out
from the bedclothes (only designed for one) and everyone tripped over
their stuff when opening the door. Loverley. The joys of hostel
dormitory accomodation!

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