Dank Holiday Monday

Went to the boot sale at Moss Farm this morning despite the ominous dark clouds and the showers. Luckliy the rain kept off until we had been round most of it. Surprisingly quite well attended though few bargains to be had. I found some scratchy records much to Hazel's annoyance including the Lonnie Donegan(above) and his first LP on Pye for a quid each. They are rather battered though so surprised if they are worth more than that. Also found Rambling Syd Rumpo by Kenneth Williams and some of George Formby songs from the terrible films he made. Archie got a couple of books and 8mm film splicer. Hazel got some fat balls for the bird table. When she got home she discovered some tablets for tummy upsets at the bottom of the bag - a free gift?
Archie bought Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 yesterday and has been playing it non-stop ever since, building more and more convoluted rides to make his punters feel queasy. He's been moaning for ages that the other RCT game didnt work properly on the new PC so he's happy now. I finished Halo and now playing Deus Ex 2 which is very complicated and I may ditch it soon if I still can't figure out what's going on.
There's another boot sale at Lostock but the rain still keeps coming down so I think we are giving it a miss.

Walk In Marbury

Had a nice walk in the woods and fields at Marbury Country Park yesterday. We meant to go last week but it looked like rain. It did drizzle a bit today but thankfully stopped and was quite pleasant. Our old neighbour Sarah and her two kids, Thomas and Lucy came along too. Not forgetting Monty the very old and overweight dog who huffed and puffed along too. We saw another dog very like Monty on the walk and I said he was Monty's "double". This will mean nothing to anyone who hasnt seen the creaky old British film of a similar name!
We didnt go down to the mere as Monty still likes to jump in the water to scare the ducks despite his age and infirmities. Later Sarah bough the kids ice-creams from the van in the car park and we sat by the play area which contains some climbing frames, a sand pit, balancing apparatus etc. The boys went off to make a den and see-saw nearby.
Afterwards we went into town to collect the hundred odd photos that Hazel had printed from our CD of digital images. We miss having photos to stick in our albums since the advent of digital cameras and out printer at home isnt really up to the task. We found that Boots did prints for 7p each if you had over 100 done.

Llandudno

Llandudno
Originally uploaded by wastedpapiers.

Just back from nice couple of days by the sea at Llandudno in North Wales. We went for a day trip hoping to find a B&B so we could stay longer and luckily found one on the Parade which runs along the sea front. A comfy en-suite family room on the top floor that over looked the bay. If you stood on the bed you could see our car parked outside and if you stuck your head out of the window you could see the Great Orme. That's it behind Archie and Hazel in this photo. At the other end of the bay is the Little Orme, another imposing rocky prominence.
We went to the top of the Great Orme in an old rattling tram that takes 20 minutes or so to get to the top up some very steep gradients. At the top is a cable car that takes you down to the Happy Valley - a steep wooded park and gardens that look out over the pier. Also on the Great Orme is the Bronze age copper mine that you can explore with aid of a plastic helmet. A warren of narrow passages hewn out of the rock in prehistoric times go down 220 feet but the public can only go down 60 feet which seemed plenty! I was getting quite claustrophobic at times and glad to get back into the light again.
The town is also very quaint with lots of charity shops and arcades. We didn't really have time to explore it all so looking forward to going back next year to stay longer perhaps. We were annoyed that we had just missed Ken Dodd on at the local theatre the night before but assumed it was sold out anyway. Maybe see him there next year. "Buddy" the long running musical was on now but we'd seen that in London so not bothered about seeing it again.
Archie enjoyed the beach and bought a bucket and spade to make a few castles and moats and looked for tiny crabs when the tide went out and more sand was exposed.
The Llandudno town brass band played on the bandstand one evening and drew quite a crowd to hear selections from Gilbert & Sullivan and other favourites.
The weather took a turn for the worse today so we came home as planned and beat the thunderstorms back to Northwich.
We ache all over now from our walks down the steep streets and over pebbly beaches!

Raining Still

Baby Brown Frog
Originally uploaded by wastedpapiers.

It stopped long enough for us to go for a short walk around the lake at Shakerley. Archie spotted this tiny brown frog before he almost trod on it. It was camouflaged so well against the brown and green of the path. Saw two other tiny brown frogs a bit further on heading for the lake. Feeding the ducks with our stale bread noticed that the bread kept being slurped by some big fish. They had whiskers like cat fish but I don't think they were. I bet the fishermen on the other side of the lake were wondering why they weren't getting any nibbles.
No boot sale today sadly as the rain has been bucketing down for most of the night and most of this morning so the ground would be a quagmire.
An old art school chum Rick Cox came over on his way to Lincoln to see his Dad on Friday. I haven't seen him for 35 years though recently exchanging mail and I've taken part in one of his assembling artist book projects. It was nice to have a chat about old times and catch up with what he'd been up to all these years. He sneakily left a great stack of stuff to "redistribute" which I found on the sofa after he's left. Tons of old books and metal objects, badges, pen nibs, slide mounts etc. so he obviously had a good idea of what interests us! Hazel was quick to seize upon some nice old policeman's metal whistles for her blog. He gave Archie a wonderful old Mickey Mouse magic lantern and glass slides set which came in it's own carrying case. Parts of the lantern were missing but all the slides were intact and also included some old faded 16mm film of uncertain vintage in small spools.

Park and Ride

Clock - Chester
Originally uploaded by wastedpapiers.

Just back from Chester where we went shopping and had our cheese and pickle sandwiches by the River Dee. This photo was taken last time I went on m own as my camera has run out of juice.
We also took a 15 minute chuggy boat ride along the river and back again narrowly missing some scullers( is that what they're called?) and pedalo's thrashing about. Archie steered as he let the Norwegians do it last time. 15 minutes is probably about enough for a land lubber like me!
Didn't get many bargains in the shops though did find some CD envelopes in the Pound Shop for 67 pence. Archie bought some Heavy Metal guitar picks and some drum sticks despite having no drums - I think this may be a hint?
Hazel bought a yellow duster for her new car.
We walked along the old Roman wall and watched the archeoligists scraping away at the dirt where the amphitheatre used to be. You still see the rough shape of the arena and the underground cells or cages for animals?
Half of it is built on and has some large trees growing out of it so a complete restoration job seems unlikely.
It stated to rain quite heavily as we came out of the covered market and so we left earlier than planned and go the small single decker bus back to the car park which was about 10 minutes away. A great idea - all small towns should do it.

Lucky for some.

Hazel and Archie at the Zoo
Originally uploaded by wastedpapiers.

Not so lucky at the boot sale this morning at Verdin Park which started off drizzly and got wetter and wetter. Not surprisingly it's the 13th today! I should have known. I didn'y find a thing - not even a scratchy record. The only one of interest was a Wout Steenhuis,with him playing a Hawaiian guitar on his lap on the cover and when I looked inside it was a different record altogether by the Waikiki Beach Boys! Hazel bought an old and very cute looking 8mm Russian projector for two quid. Not sure if it works yet - still drying out. Archie didn't find any bargains either. Ofcourse the sun is shining now that everyone has packed up and gone home!

Knowsley Safari Park

Archie has had enough of Rock School so went to Knowsley Safari Park near Liverpool today as he's wanted to go for a while now and Hazel has always been a bit nervous about getting past Warrington and all the roundabouts over that way. We managed to get there o.k. though with slight diversion into a garage forecourt to look at the map. We followed the AA Routefinder printed from the internet which was a great help.
The park itself is set in some lovely grounds of an old stately home and it took an hour to drive round. Hazel didnt want her windscreen wipers and aerial pulled off by mad monkeys so we didn't go into the baboon enclosure like many other cars. We watched from outside some electrified fencing as they got mauled and covered in squished bananas etc. " Oh no, I couldn't do that to my lovely new car!" exclaimed Hazel, looking horrified as several huge female baboons pressed their red bottoms on the windscreen of some poor old Ford Fiesta!
Other highlights were the fat wallabys who sat by the roadside like enigmatic trolls and rheas ( a bit like the ostrich ) who walked hautily among the cars and pecked at the food left by the monkeys. Afterwards we got out to stretch our legs and walk around the zoo and the fun fair. Archie went on the small roller coaster and we bought a couple of expensive and dull sandwiches to eat by the miniature train track. Also visited the Bug House and saw a talking parrot/macaw display. There was also a small petting farm with piglets and donkeys etc. Altogether a nice day out with just enough to do and see. Lucklily the rain stayed away and it was quite sunny most of the time. Managed to find out way home again despite traffic jams through Warrington.

Bob's Yer Uncle!

I think this is my favourite of all the old postcards I bought at Crewe flea market this morning. I bought about 30 altogether and just beat Audrey to the stall who usually snaps up all the good ones for Granma! Some more over at Flickr.
Archie went off to the Rock School again. We dropped him off and drove to Crewe via Granma's to pick Audrey up.
Not many other bargains to be had. Qite a busy market though as the sun was out. I went through several boxes of old vinyl but seemed to be the same stuff I looked through last time. Got a cassette of Spanish sounding band in the Oxfam shop someone had bought on holiday no doubt. I haven't listened to it yet. I dont expect much for 49p.
Hazel shouted out as we sat and ate our breakfast this morning "Is that a woodpecker?!" and sure enough it was, pecking her fat balls. Very rare to see them in the garden though we hear them often enough in Marbury Country Park etc. It flew off by the time Archie dragged himself in to look. He thought Hazel had shouted "Get dressed!"

Red is the luckiest number

O yes, I have added my monthly upload to Swapatorium for August which this time is a record by The Two Ronnies.

Shuttlesnoop

Actually not sure what the name of this game is. Snootlesnatch? Fizzogfumble? Anyway the idea is you throw your face in this handy cuppettes and the other person has to catch it and throw it back very quickly and not over next door's garden.
You can also play it with a very hard plastic ball that gets stuck in the apple tree ( where it still is ).
Archie went to the ROCK SCHOOL yesterday at Winnington ( above the bowling alley ) and enjoyed it despite being one of the youngest and not having the obligotory black T-shirt and skull and cross bones, monster head, screaming mummy motif and long hair like all the other "moshers". They split up into two bands each having a drummer and three lead guitars and two rythym guitars it seems and practiced a Guns & Roses song for 5 hours! He is keen to go back and do it all again today.
We took the opportunity to go over to Granma's to paint her front gate and wash down the garage door in readiness for painting tomorrow. What fun!
It was a bright sunny day so ideal paint drying weather. The trouble is the gate is ontop of an ants nest and they were running up my legs and biting my nether regions. Audrey went and got some anti-ant spray and that did the trick. Hazel also insisted on going to Next to seed what the sale had to offer. I went and oggled the gadgets in Currys instead.
Archie was home by 3-15 and had blisters on his fingers so lay on the settee for a couple of hours watching Futurama to recover.

Boot at Chelford

Baby sunflower
Originally uploaded by wastedpapiers.

As there were none around our neck of the woods we trundled over to Chelford to the very big boot sale ( very expensive too!) which we try to avoid normally. It's a scandalous two and half quid to park now and still no decnt toilets just a corrogated iron pig sty for the gents .
I did get a couple of scratchy records though after looking htrough piles of Mantovani, Russ Conway and Sound of Musak etc. One was Best of the Two Ronnies and the other was Marlene Dietrich Live In Rio which I have added to Boot Sale Sounds already.
Also got a video of Frank Zappa and his band in concert in the 80's. Never really seen him play live so interested to see what he was like. very much like I expected really." Is There Humor In Music?" is the title. Is there proper spelling in America?
Hazel got a weird gadget - a sock darner that lights up so you can see whilst in the dark? Why? She seemed happy with it anyway. Archie got some annuals but he discovered later that he had them already. I told him he should make a list but he never does.
He also found a plastic bag type glove puppet of Dennis The Menace from the Beano- a giveaway toy that he doesnt have for 50p.
The exit of the car boot was in the back of beyond and it took us quite a while to find out way home again. Hazel would normally be chewing the steering wheel if this happens but today she was much calmer and happy to enjoy the detour round some picturesque country lanes that we'd not seen before.
Oh yes, Archie alsdo bought a weird garden ball and cup catching game which we played when we got home. It's a mutant strain of tennis and lacrosse.

Walk along the Weaver

Its been very wet and windy earlier in the week so stayed in to catch up with mail and collage project for Rick Cox's friend in Cardiff. It was sunny and warm again today so after the man had been to quote for the "kerb dropping" we drove over to Winsford to walk along the River Weaver - a walk we saw whilst buying Hazel's car recently. Some naughty teenagers were racing a scrambling bike around the park and a park ranger was close behind in his Range Rover. They were much faster though and so he was always trailing. He stopped by us once and asked if we'd seen them and we pointed in the direction we saw them go. We passed him several times and although we tried to avoid him and the noisy bikers we always heard them close by which spoiled our peaceful walk rather. Took a few photos which you can find HERE. Also some of the collages that I did yeasterday. It's an assembling book so a few pages to do yet before the deadline.
Hazel and Archie have been digging up the front garden and putting it in bags to take to the tip. Ray, the handy-man is going to cement the slabs back in that we took out originally.