Marsden and Bradford

 Had a nice weekend in Yorkshire visiting our old friend Dave Smith in Marsden. We stayed at the Cobblers again- a small holiday cottage that used to be a cobblers shop. We stayed there a couple of years ago and it's ideal, just two doors away from Dave and next to a bubbling brook with ducks.  Dave treated us to a slap up meal at the Olive Branch nearby where we used to stay until we discovered the Cobblers.
The next day Dave drove us to Bradford to see the Media Museum which I've always wanted to see. Hazel had been before with students I think and Archie did once with a school trip.  It looks rather shabby on the outside but the 7 floors are packed with interesting stuff from old cameras and photographic equipment to 8 bit games machines to a fully equipped TV studio where you can make your own news snippet. Hazel had a go and result is on my Flickr stream.  Also loads of things for kids to do - like these giant sets for the Borrowers etc.

We had a nice lunch in the cafe and continued discovering new rooms of wonder through the afternoon. Like the flashy hall of mirrors, the stereo views ( including one of Southend's Pier Hill ).
We managed to negotiate the nightmarish road system of Bradford ( not unlike Leeds)  and found our way back to the tranquility of Marsden.  We got some fish and chips from the busy village chippy ( full of rowdy drunks) and had a nice meal back at the Cobblers with Dave, who bought round his home made stereo viewer and some slides of New York.
We rushed back the next day to avoid the "storm" that was big in the news , coming from the West. Luckily we missed it but the sat -nav took us through the centre of Manchester where we certainly didn't want to be - poor Hazel was having kittens! Thankfully not as busy as a week day. Got back at 9:30am with just a bit of drizzle to contend with. Phew!