Saturday Walk

Nice walk around town to buy supplies- art folders from Works ( third cheaper than anywhere else ) and more DVD's from library sale. Then a pleasant autumnal walk along the river through Carey Park looking at all the yellows and russets and feeling like we were in the middle of nowhere but in fact Marks & Sparks is just 15 minutes walk away! Sat down on a Rotary Club donated bench to see the river cruise go by and wave - just then a heron swooped low over the river and did the most amazingly huge dump just missing the boat. It was like when one of those helicopters fighting a bush fire dumps gallons of water from a bucket! Then onto the Anderton Boat Lift for lunch in the cafe as the nearby pub was being refurbished. Luckily they had a some nice seasonal parsnip and pumpkin soup you could stand your spoon up in - along with half a buttered baguette. That and a decaff cappachino was ideal lunchtime fare Two coach loads of tourists had just arrived so just got into the cafe before they filled it up.

Best Of The Christmas Catalogues

My latest paperback is just out in time for Crimble! ( Launch date 15th October )  121 full colour pages of festive nonsense!  get your copy HERE. You can also get it from Black Scat Books in the USA. Thanks to Norman Conquest for allowing my silly cut ups to find a wider audience. He's as mad as I am!

Crewe Market

As Summer slides slowly into Autumn we find the bees still buzzing and burying their snouts into the pollen orifices. Off on a jaunt to Crewe on the bus which goes round several villages and takes ages but listened to Yoko Ono on Desert Island Discs and Michael Flanders biog on my trusty MP3 player which helped pass the time. Got to Crewe and met up with old chum Tony in the flea market. Wandered around looking through junk and piles of old 78's which caught our eye. I bought one for 50p - terribly worn and scratchy "comic duet" with Harry Kirkby & Harry Hudson ( without his Melody Men ). You can find it on my audio blog. Then a short shower so dived in the bakery cafe upstairs for a cuppa and cheese and onion toastie. Thankfully the sun came out and we were able to emerge fully restored with beverage and nosh. Then to Crewe's Victoria Park to see the new boating lake sans boats but a few laughing ducks. More coffee in the new cafe which looked a bit like a crematorium Tony said. Afterwards to Alsager to say heloo to Tone's other half Pene who had been ill but was now feeling better. Shandy and chat. Tone gave me a pile of stuff for Archie he had lurking in his copious shed/garage. Then off to the allotment and some free beans and that aniseedy root thing that I've forgotten the name of.? Tone kindly gave me a lift home - the scenic route past the salt works and the station at Sandbach.