43rd Anniversary - Nantwich - Ghosts

Yesterday was our 43rd first date anniversary. Fireworks , bonfires, rockets and sparks! A first kiss. Hazel gave me a present - a plastic fly with a rucksack on its back! This girl is the one for me! Ferdie the Fly turns up on anniversary cards from time to time. Hazel made a fly this year on her sewing machine - a tiny cloth fly with a spotty breast plate. After 43 years she hasn't lost her touch! So, this year was celebrated by going to Nantwich - one of our favourite places about 40 minutes drive away. It has a cool market and lots of charity shops. Also a nice table top sale in the parish hall. Hazel found a few bargains including a button hook, a game called Pile The Sticks On The Camel and other gew-gaws and toys. I only found a silicon mould of some tiny tools for £1. No idea what to do with it but it seems like fun and might even print if I pressed it onto a stamp pad. Also stopped off at the hospice warehouse on the way back to see what they had. Hazel found a few bits and I found a DVD of a film called Crumbcruncher or something daft like that. Crustscrimper? Anyway it seemed too good to pass up for only £1. After lunch we continued the celebrations by going to the cinema which is a rare treat. The new Ghosts - Possession Of Bungly Hall? was fun. A few photos from our day and previous celebrations attached.

Ruthin

Nice drive to North |Wales after picking up Audrey from Lostock. Took about an hour and half to get to Ruthin Crafts Centre where we met Linda Merriman who came from Dolgelau ( still cant spell it!) by three buses with her bus pass! To save her another three buses we decided to meet her half way and take in an exhibition and picnic at the same time. A nice fun exhibition of twee sculptures, ceramics and wood carvings etc. by craftspeople from different parts of the world as well as Wales. Lots of Japanese folk living in Wales it seems - who knew! Lucy Casson showed more of her quirky tin sculptures. They were the most fun. We still have work by her and Andy Hazell from the 80's when we discovered their work in a small gallery in Kings Cross. We commissioned a "Rubber Stamping Man" which we still have sitting in a cabinet underneath the TV. We had a sandwich and crips on a wet bench outside in the courtyard. Nice to see the Graham Sutherland sketchbooks and drawings etc. in one of the little side galleries. Most unexpected. Reminded me of my days studying Samuel Palmer in the Tate and the British Library. Set off about 1 and got to the antique emporiums at Blakemere an hour later. Very busy - lots of Halloween stuff going on it seems. After an hour we were knackered an just wanted to be home.

Walk - 28th Oct. 2026.

This mornings walk to the doc's to drop off my prescription and to book a winder flu jab. Also popped into the post office to take a mortgage out on some postage stamps! Then down the conky path , passed the junk yards and the dog poop to the park to do a walk round the circuit and sit on the bench briefly. A bit damp and cloudy. Off to the Co-op to get a few bits. Home to scrape dog poop off boots. Wash hands and put photos on Facebook and blog. Its all go!

Chester

The Worst Record AlbumCovers In The World - at the Grosvenor Museum until January I think? Great exibition we saw today and cheered us up no end! Some gems which I also have in my collection. From the dull to the ridiculous! A nice wander round the shops and met up with old chums Tone and Pene for lunch in the cavernous cafe in the Powerhouse? The fried eggsandwich is very nice and the coffee also despite being in a horrible cardboard mug.

Marbury and Planting Bulbs

This mornings wander round the garden centre in Marbury to look at pots and pansies. Hazel got a trolley load. Then back to Audrey's to try and pot up the hundreds of bulbs she bought in a catalogue! Blimey! I was knackered after 15 minutes and went and read the local rag. Hazel carried on until she run out of potting compost.

Old Warrington Road.

This mornings wanderings in town and then to the Old Warrington Road behind the tip. Lots of dog walkers and we even bumped into people we knew which is unusual. Our neighbour was in disguise so didnt recognise him at first until he said " I am your neighbour in disguise!" he had two white poodles with him in their jim jams! The sun was blinding but looked amazing as it left beams through the tree tops. The photos don't do it justice really.

Fishy Ponds

Nice wander around the fishy ponds and the comunity garden this morning. A man was mowing the grass around the largest pond and doing a good job. With gave him a thumbs up over the noise of the mower. He smiled. Ducks were doing a barn dance - dozy dowing to and frowing. A large fish splash sploshed nearby - a giant stickleback? A pike? It wasa hefty kipper for sure! Sat on the soggy bench and watched the apples grinning back at us. One was very scary - suitable for All Hallows Eve!