Thursday 13th September and 49 members of West Somerset and Quantock National Trust Associations were on our way to Lancashire. The weather was good, but the motorway was not. Nevertheless, with Lorraine as our driver it was no problem, and all was well in the end. After a coffee stop at Gloucester Services we headed north to Biddulph Grange Gardens. A National Trust garden in Staffordshire. This amazing Victorian garden was created by James Bateman for his collection of plants from around the world. Not a large garden but with 400 steps and many stone tunnels, curving paths and smaller themed gardens hidden behind numerous hedges it was certainly an interesting garden. The most memorable garden being the China garden with its bright, loud, foreign colours, lit up with gold.

Onto our hotel Barton Grange in time for dinner. The next day an early start for Lytham Hall. Once home to a very colourful family called Clifton. This lovely Hall is run by a Conservation Trust and houses many of the fixtures and fittings owned by the Cliftons. Lytham Hall is an 18th-century Georgian country house in Lytham, Lancashire, a mile from the centre of the town in 78 acres of wooded parkland. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. What a lovely place this was. The guide was very knowledgeable and filled us in on the family and their very colourful history. And now for something completely different! Blackpool. What springs to mind are Noise, Razzmatazz, Lights and of course the Tower. All true!

That being said, there is plenty of history too. Our visit to the wonderful Grand Theatre was exceptional with the best guide ever. The Grand Theatre was opened in 1894. It was built in nine months at a cost of £20,000. But for the dedication and hard work of a group of volunteers this magnificent building would have been demolished in the 1970s to make way for a Littlewoods Shop! Thank goodness that did not happen. It is now a very active theatre and one of the tourist highlights in Blackpool.

Free time for a stroll and tea if needed then we were driven by Lorraine to our next holiday high spot. A trip along the Golden Mile in one of their Heritage Trams. What an experience that was. As the evening drew in and it started to get dark we made our way along the sea front stopping about three quarters of the way for a fish and chip supper on board. What fun that was. Moving on and as it got darker we were in for a treat. The Illuminations. I have seen them on the television but that is nothing like the real thing. What a delight. To end the evening there was a fantastic firework display from the North Pier. We returned to our hotel and beds after a very long day weary but happy. 

It was raining when we left our hotel on Saturday morning but by the time we reached the WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre a little later it had stopped. We were met by three volunteers who guided us around the park. Martin Mere is part of the Peter Scott World Wildlife Trust group. It first opened to the public in March 1975. Since then it has become a site of international importance. A world class nature reserve and home to thousands of species of wildlife. After our guided walks we had free time for lunch and to explore, some of us took a boat ride around the wetlands. Our hope was to see a kingfisher or even a water vole, both of which have been spotted recently. Unfortunately my group was out of luck but I think one member saw a kingfisher 

After lunch we travelled on to Rufford Old Hall our second National Trust property of the holiday. A fine Tudor building, the home for stories of romance, wealth and 500 years of Hesketh family history. This wonderful Tudor Great Hall with its fantastic furniture, armour, tapestries and the carved oak screen, this rare survivor from the 1500s is steeped with history. There is some evidence that Shakespeare stayed there in his youth. 

The next day, Sunday, we again set off again in rain. It was a very short journey to Barton Grange Garden Centre and Canal Basin. Here we joined the narrow boat for a two-hour cruise along the Lancashire Canal. Although it rained for most of the trip we managed (most of us) to stay dry and enjoy the commentary and take in the wildlife along the canal banks. Coffee was served on the boat. 

Returning to the Garden Centre, one of the largest I have ever seen, we had a lovely lunch before making our way back to the coach and onwards to Lancaster Castle. The Castle was used as a prison until 2011. Here we saw County and Crown Court Rooms (still in use - hence no photographs) and heard about the long and gruesome role this castle played in English history. 

There was a short walk to Lancaster Station where we caught a local train to Carnforth (Sue’s surprise). Carnforth the famous station featured in Brief Encounter. Yes, we did see the clock! The original that stood above the station platform where Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson first met. It was this timepiece which, with an iron hand, governed their short-lived affair and determined when they should part. 

Lorraine picked us up at the station and drove along the coast through Morecombe with fabulous views of Morecombe Bay. 

Our last day and we had an early start as we had a long journey. However, we did not travel straight home, stopping for a very quick break then onto Croome Park, our last National Trust property. During the Second World War and the Cold War years that followed, RAF Defford the secret airfield built in the grounds of Croome Park was one of the most secret places in the country. It was at Defford that Airborne Radar was tested, developed and proven. Airborne Radar provided a decisive factor in Victory for the Allies. Part of the base is now a visitor centre but was once a hub of activity for thousands of people. 

Outside is the grandest of English landscapes, ‘Capability’ Brown’s masterful first commission, with commanding views over the Malvern Hills. Croome Court was once home to the Earls of Coventry with four floors to explore. Although there is not a lot of the original fixtures and fittings there is plenty of interest to see. 

All too soon it was time for us to return the coach and the final part of our journey home. Once again Sue has given us an excellent holiday. We have made many friends and many lasting memories. An altogether unforgettable time.