Boot sale and Blakemere

I forget to take my camera so these are from the archives. The oldest being from the 70's when I helped Trevor with some junk he had compiled for a boot sale near him in Staffs. Thats a friend of his standing by the stall. Actually it may have been Cheshire as he lived near Tarporley at the time. The others are more recent at Whitegate Cricket Club and Blakemere I think. Hazel and Beth looking through stuff. I didn't get anything today as it was mostly horse tack and equine related gear at the Equine Centre near Tarvin. It was very boring although interesting to see the horses being readied for jumps and trotting or whatever they do. So many huge barns full of stables. It went on for miles! There was also a saddlery and resturant etc. How the other half live! After that we went to root through the junk at the antique centre. Hazel found repro tin toy but it was £8 and we have plenty. Another chap seemed interested so she let him have it.

Newcastle-under-Lyme

Drizzly but hada nice drive over to Alsager to see Tone and Pene via Sandbach to pop round the charity shops and Aldi. Didnt get much just some beer, plants and biscuits . Tone drove us to the lovely old Victorian museum in Newcastle -under - Lyme (or is it Lyne?) Broughton Park? I can't quite remember the name but it wasa great place full of stuff - well collated and displayed. Friendly cafe too where we grabbed some lunch first before going round the various rooms of local history related things and then to the toy room upstairs. Also a great maze of old shops they had been made - windows you could see all the goods laid out inside. Lovely stuff! Took tons of photos but only a few here to give a flavour of what it was like.

Clumpooter Fivus Iz All Vixed

O dear - how annoying - computer virus's are a pain! Luckily they rarely happen but pop ups going bonkers threatening all manner of woes was quite scary. Thankfully all fixed now but cost an arm and leg. Not havig a PC for a few days was annoying - the ipad isnt much of a replacement - never really got the hang of the thing. Fat fingers? Something like that. I trust it more than the PC though. Apple seem to have sorted the problem of malware and nastiness. Or maybe I've just been lucky. I well heres a couple collages I did while tiddling my fat thumbs.

Walk Around Lostock

This mornings walk to the by-pass and back in Lostock Gralam. Did some gardening first at Audrey's. Picking up windfall apples and snipping back some twigs and brambles etc. Cooler today thankfully.

Walk Along Canal to Co-op.

This mornings walk to the canal and the park and then the Co-op to get a few bits. Plenty of foraging material - berries, plums, sloes etc. Saw some baby moorhens having a run along the canal bank and diving in. Nice cool breeze. A chance of some rain again. Rained last night - a few puddles around. Got apples and buns, plant sausages on special offer. Exciting eh?

Manchester - Ai Wei Wei Show

Fabulous Ai Wei Wei show at the Factory International in Manchester this morning. A bit pricey but worth it. Massive thought provoking sculptures and ceramics etc. Soundtrack was an audio piece with names of Chinese children being read out - all 5,000 were killed in an earthquake. It made Hazel cry. Then to the nearby park for alfresco lunch we bought with us. On the way back to the station we popped into the Spanish library to see small exhibition of posters by Joan Brossa. Started off quite cool but soon went very warm and muggy. Crawled back to station and got the 2 o'clock train. Phew!

Hazel's Birdbaths!

Celebrating Hazel's birthday with a walk round the local park and visit to the Co-op. We were going to Chester but it looked like rain. Turned out fine so we could have gone. Now planning a visit to the AiWei Wei show in Manchester. Hazel's in the garden now planting out some shrubs she got the other day. It was her sisters birthday yesterday so a joint pub lunch over in Marbury and then a wander round the garden centre.