After our disappointing dip into Wales (Hay-on-Wye) we decided that we would drive along the road to nearby Ross-on-Wye, so back over the border into England we tootled. I’ve always fancied visiting Ross ever since I saw an episode of Terry and June years and years ago, in which Terry was teasing June because he was going to Ross on a business trip and apparently he couldn’t take her with him. June was desperate to go as she loved Ross-on-Wye. For some reason that has always stuck in my mind, it must be 30 or 40 years since I saw that episode. Anyway, that’s why we went to Ross.

It’s another hilly place and we parked in the Morrison’s car park at the bottom of the town and walked up a steep hill. At first I thought it was going to be another disappointment because it wasn’t my idea of a pretty town but when you get up the hill things improve a lot. I only took a couple of photos though and this one is the result of them ‘stitched’.

Ross-on-Wye is a small market town with just over 10,000 inhabitants but it’s quite a tourist spot and it’s famous for cider and perry apparently. Sadly we went there on a Wednesday afternoon and it seemed to be their half-day closing day. I didn’t realise that businesses still did that. It seems a daft thing to do, especially if you are relying on visitors spending money in the place.

Picture me with my nose almost pressed up against a shop window – ogling TWO hand-cranked sewing machines. One was a Vesta, the other was a Jones, both of them were things of beauty and only £20 each! I know, I know – I already have a Singer hand-cranked sewing machine but these ones were different, the oscillating shuttle type. The shop was SHUT of course, and there was no way of contacting them. I imagine that Jack was breathing a sigh of relief, and to be fair, I need another sewing machine like the proverbial hole in the head. But I was so annoyed as I had only ever seen those machines on Ebay and they’re always miles away with the cost of postage alone being £20.

So that’ll now be my abiding memory of Ross, a missed opportunity. If you don’t know who Terry and June are have a look below. The programme was very popular in the 1970s and early 80s, when things on TV were much gentler. Sadly I couldn’t find the Ross-on-Wye clip.

I don’t think the comedy has aged very well!