retiredmartin

I’ve run out of alphabet to mark all the stops on our trip, so I’ve gone back to A (2).

Stop C (2) was a “comfort break” in Millom on the A595. I thought the town (pop. 7,829) may actually have been created specifically as a comfort break, but Wiki tells me it used to have a large iron works before it became a honeypot for folk bored of Barrow.

Sadly, the Tesco was too small to have a loo, and the public toilets outside were boarded up, so we went to the transport cafe.

“Can I have a black coffee please ? An Americano ?”

It was as if I’d asked for my Ecuadorian beans to be trampled only by by vegans.

“We don’t do that. Only instant coffee.“

I was a bit confused by the presence of alternatives on the menu, till I remembered my Dad has sachets of instant Cappuccino. How far we’ve come in the last 20 years.

The tea cakes, swimming in butter, were marvellous. The instant coffee was fine, despite Mrs RM’s pretentiousness and assertion she’d have had better coffee in the campervan. And the toilets were as good as you could hope.

Despite light drizzle, I somehow convinced Mrs RM we should explore Millom’s pubs. I mean architecture.

Actually, it’s a bit light on pubs, and I can’t remember any of this lot gracing the GBG recently.

But it’s an attractive, if understated place, with a self-sufficiency of shops and services I didn’t see in Maryport.

And the nature reserves based around the old iron works are gorgeous.

Back in town we found a wealth of long-established businesses. LOADS of women’s clothes.

And a rare Salvation Army Fortress.

So, if you can’t afford the £650,000 to snap up that pubs near Sellafield, you can live here for a tenth of that.

£70k wouldn’t buy you a round of London Prides in Shepherds Bush.

I can see you’re tempted now.

This might clinch the deal;