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The problem has always been
trying to do something better than last year.
Those of us who meet in a pub high in the Peak
District Hills every Monday night have been organising a Christmas
Outing since 1989. Time was that a visit to the local Chinese Restaurant
was considered exotic, but we've moved on a bit since then, sampling
Greyhound Racing, a Casino, Indoor Ski-in and even dinner in Nice.
So the thirst for new experiences remains
strong, and as December 2005 approached, how would we match our last two
trips, a two day expedition to the Lake District, and the 45 mile cycle
ride around the paths of Belgium and Holland?
Well we managed it. A 48 hour winter journey
into the hills of Spain. Sunshine, walking, fantastic picnic lunches and
evening meals in local restaurants. Collected from and delivered to the
airport, accommodated in village rooms, where the lights may not always
have worked, but where nobody seemed to care since we were all having
such a good time.
I can't praise Gill, Dave and everyone else
enough, and I'm as cynical as they come. I've travelled the world many
times, I even used to produce a travel programme on local radio, I’ve
been conned by tour operators, fleeced by airlines, let down by hotel
chains who should know better, but not here.
From the moment Elaine and I agreed a price
for looking after eight fifty something blokes, everything worked like
clockwork, despite her ability to phone me just as I was about to
broadcast a football report on Radio One! What I wanted was to arrive on
a Monday night, have two evenings eating and drinking, two days walking
and two nights in reasonable comfort. Elaine offered to do it at a
price where the profit margin must have been minimal. I think we were a
"lost leader,” but we'd have paid more and still considered it a
bargain.
Elaine even provided women! Carol and Ann
joined us for both days walking, and had to put up with us in the
restaurants, both in Torrox and on the second night down on the Costa.
If we were feeling unwell, then she'd also laid on a doctor, Mike from
Wakefield, who especially enjoyed our daily sojourns down to Paco's bar
in the town, where the Spanish version of "Celebrity Come Dancing," was
showing on his omnipresent TV.
The sun didn't shine all the time, but it was
the second week in December, and Elaine’s insistence on wearing”
layers," was absolutely the right thing.
So who am I writing this for? If you've not
been walking in Andalucia before, then we can all recommend it without
hesitation. If you're a regular, then you'll know what I mean. I think
they thought of everything, including a couple of glasses of wine with
lunch, and a friendly dog to accompany us and scare the wildlife. There
were those in our group who didn't think they'd last the course, but
they all did.
I'll come back again, bring my wife and show
her what she missed. In a few weeks time we'll have to sit down and plan
Christmas 2006 ( it takes us a long time!!). So how do we do better
than this one?
Peter Slater BBC Radio 5 Live Football Commentator
