Bob and Rita Mee, who confessed to me their dedication to British television nostalgia like Surgical Spirits and The Bill, (watched with an accompaniment of bangers-and-mash), have just been ‘home’ to Derbyshire. And they have some hints for fellow migrants heading back to the UK.
Fly into Manchester if you’re heading north of the Watford Gap. ‘The hassles of Heathrow and the choked traffic to London can ruin your holiday before it starts,’ says ex-Rolls Royce worker Bob, 56. ‘Hire a little Ford Fiesta; it’s speedy enough for the motorways. We did 2,500 miles in ours and it didn’t miss a beat.
‘If you want to take time to see the countryside from a coach window take the National Express. There’s a cheap Sunday rate and by booking in advance and travelling at off-peak times you can save a lot of money.’
Interested in quaint pubs? ‘We bought "Pub Walks in Derbyshire", in the Charles Wildgoose series. They are also published about other counties and are available at W H Smith book stores. We arranged with a pub landlord in advance to be allowed to park our car and then we’d set off on the walk, following the map. The book has a brief history of the pub, its opening times, and the meals it offers. If you like visiting castles, as we did, castles and stately homes are under the umbrella of the National Trust and a season pass for $30 is a better deal than paying $4 or $5 for each visit.
‘Choose bed and breakfast accommodation. It is reasonably priced and readily available.’
