After breakfast we packed the car and set off on our trip to Epsom for our last night.
Our first stop was at the Rufus Stone which we had hoped to visit on Sunday but
the volume of traffic prevented us from turning in. We travelled through the
New Forest and were thrilled to see several groups of horses who live there.
We were the only visitors at the Rufus Stone where William Rufus, king and son
of William the Conqueror, was ́'accidentally' killed with a stray arrow. His
brother quickly took the throne so maybe it was an assassination - who knows?
Next stop was Salisbury where we had a snack for lunch in the Cathedral cafe. A
Year 6 leavers event was taking place in the Cathedral. We were happy to admire
the building with its spire - the tallest in the UK - from outside.
After we left Salisbury Graeme noticed that one of the rear tyres had low
pressure. We stopped to pump up the tyres but it was soon evident we had a slow
puncture.
We managed to drive past Stonehenge and Mike got some photos. We really
didn't want to pay over £30 each to visit.
Mike did some research and found a highly rated tyre place in Epsom. It
turned out to be excellent and the staff repaired the tyre quickly whilst we
enjoyed the sunshine.
Then it was back to the Holiday Inn on Epsom racecourse where we had all stayed
in 2022. We all had very happy memories of dinner at the nearby Rubbing House.
In 2022 it was a red hot evening when we ate outdoors overlooking the
racecourse. It was cooler tonight so we ate indoors. Again the food was amazing
and we were very grateful to Mike and Marion for treating us.
Rufus Stone in the New Forest
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Big oaks from little acorns grow |



































































