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Easter is a time to relax and enjoy some time off work. I had many cakes to make, and Nick did gardening work, but we still found time to eat nice meals outside and to visit places of interest.

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Banner Mottisfont
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The main building is a13th-century former priory.
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There is a circular river walk.
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A Monet-like bridge, where we played the world's quickest game of Pooh Sticks.
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The old trees were fabulous.
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This seemed like a chapel for buried pets.
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There were tombstones from the 1800s.
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The cellar beneath the abbey
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The actual font at Mottisfont.
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We've been wanting to visit Shipley Windmill, in Sussex, for a long time, mainly because it sometimes serves as the quirky dwelling of TV's loveable crime solver/magician, Jonathan Creek.
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Caroline Quentin and Alan Davies in the TV series
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Our favourite DVD set
A clip of Jonathan Creek's bottom
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Standing on the same balcony where Jonathan dined in the Mother Redcap episode.
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Shortly after I photographed this Cute Dad, I fell down the steps inside the windmill.
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Just up the road from Shipley Windmill is Petworth House, we exercised our new National Trust membership by visiting the house that features The Trust's largest art collection.
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It was Easter Monday, and there was an Alice in Wonderland theme for kids.
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Turner painted the house and some of his works are inside
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These photos were taken from the National Trust's website.
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Intricate wooden carvings by Grinling Gibbons in the Carved Room
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Another view of the carved room, with many newly restored paintings
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The final journey of our Easter holidays was to visit the Pembrokeshire coast of Wales. Our main destination was Skomer island, which is home to the puffins that Nick has always wanted to see. On our way there, we visited other fun and interesting places. To see our other visit to Wales, including Cardiff, click HERE.
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Nick negotiated the perilous path at Aberdulais Falls.
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More remote and beautiful was the area near Henrhyd Falls.
   
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Henrhyd Falls is South Wales' highest waterfall.
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I liked the old tree beside the water.
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We sought out the Tudor Merchant's House in Tenby, but it was closed on Saturdays.
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Imitating Cher's If I Could Turn Back Time video
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Pembroke Castle, birthplace of the first Tudor king
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The Stackpole Estate includes eight miles of cliffs.
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This tatooed dad was having a great time with his daughter.
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This was the sweetest posh boy, who was visiting with his elderly female relatives, with whom he was charming and polite.
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He seemed delighted to strip down to his American Eagle boxer shorts and dash into the waves.
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A bird snacking on leftover crumble at the National Trust café.
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We stayed in a wonderful bed & breakfast called Over the Rainbow, near the Cardigan coast
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Our room was the sumptuous and coveted Fuji room, with its huge round window, a definite selling point for this house!
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The boat to Skomer island
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We saw this black bunny on the isle of Skomer
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The Wick, on Skomer, is home to a puffin colony
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We finally saw puffins after the fog cleared
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The Neck, a narrow strip of land leading to the peninsula.
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Richard was one of the island's many helpful employees.

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He told us lots about the island's wildlife, including the mysterious, nocturnal, Manx Shearwater. If I ever write a crime novel, that's going to the the name of my detective.
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During our last hour on the island, we spotted this playful and inquisitive grey seal. We also saw porpoises during our return boat journey.
   

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