Sunday 05 September Durham

Am off today with a private group to Durham organised by Malcolm Harris of Malcolm's Travel.
I pick-up Malcolm and his wife Gill in Haslemere and then drive to nearby Grayshott where the other 39 people will be joining us.
I enjoy driving private groups because all I have to do is steer! And with Malcolm I know I will be in a nice hotel and the trips will be well researched. So just steer!
We are away from Grayshott by 08:00 and it is pleasing to recognise so many faces from previous trips.
After a coffee stop on the motorway we make our way to Stamford where we shall enjoy lunch. Malcolm and Gill have brought along enough food for an army and supply everyone with soup and a roll for lunch followed by a choice of desserts! Makes me wish the coach had a proper servery at the back but that will have to wait! On the next bus maybe?
Malcolm manages to serve all those who wanted soup just as the water is cooling down.
Leaving Stamford we continue on our way north and have another short stop at Ferrybridge services. Malcolm starts to make coffees only for the water to still be cold. I think the boiler may have been turned off accidently so I suggest we wait 10 minutes for it to heat the water.
Ten minutes later the water is still cool and I am at a loss as to why. Not that it takes much to put me at a loss!!
We bin the coffee idea and head for Durham. Malcolm gives the water one more go on the motorway but it is still not heating up. Bum!
We arrive at the very impressive Ramside Hall Hotel and Golf Club, a four star establishment located a couple of miles from the centre of Durham.
The luggage is taken away and the folk are off to their rooms. I park the coach in one of the designated bays at the rear of the car park and go off in search of my room, which I find on the ground floor directly next to the reception desk.
The room is very nice with everything you would expect from this standard hotel and a bed I will need a ladder to reach!
A couple of beers before dinner is always a pleasure, especially after a long drive, and sets me up for the carvery dinner.
I am sat on a table with four other people and give the soup a miss before enjoying roast turkey with all of the trimmings. I don't normally have a dessert but tonight tried the baked cheesecake which was absolutely gorgeous. What a bloater!