Today it begins!

This is the first page of the story of a year of travel - at least that's the idea.

It begins with the fact that, at last - and sadly - we've given up the role of island shop keepers.  Long summers of brightly coloured buckets and spades grasped by eager, sandy little hands, myriads of greetings cards in shiny wrappers glistening against the wall, multicoloured bouncy balls that always seemed to escape across the floor, all as the sun threw diamonds across the sea and the Waverley beat her elegant path to the pier.  Or winters, when winds so violent caused our plate glass shop window to creak ominously and salt spray coated it with crystals.  Christmas, when the Christmas tree went up across the road on the crazy golf, and tinsel sparkled and our little nativity scene told its story.

Time to move on.  Time to see the world.  So trips are planned to USA, New Zealand, Australia, India and France.  But today is the first trip, and it's to Bath!