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Covid Christmas

 A bit of a weird Xmas Day this year for obvious reasons.  Went over to Hazel's Mom and sister's for a socially distanced shiver in the back garden> Hazel took a pile of logs and sticks and she made a fire in the mexican stove.  Pulled some crackers through the slit in the door.  Ate some mince pies.  Home for some cheese and crackers.  Had a nice zoom chat to Archie and Meriel who are hunkered down in Fulham.  The usual nut roast and all the trimmings later in the afternoon.  Bucks fizz and crackers.  Watched lots of nonsense on the telly.  Hopefully next year will be back to normal.  Fingers crossed!

Dad's Letter

 I thought I'd better preserve this rare document - a crumbling clipping from the Tonbridge "Courier"  from 1965 when my Dad wrote them this letter .  I wonder if George Stapley ever got in touch?

Sunny Ponds

 Sunny walk around the park at Anderton - around the fishing ponds - dazzled by the light!   Hazel also went to the garden centre at Marbury to get some Xmas presents and a plant for her Mom who's birthday is next week. We also bought a small xmas tree in a pot so that we can plant it back out into the garden after crimblemess. 

Graham Gibberd

 RIP Graham Gibberd. Sad news about our old friend and neighbour in Lambeth who passed away with dementia recently. A lovely man who was very kind and generous - who put a rubber roof on our old leaky flat in Lambeth Walk just before Archie was born. Enormously knowledgable about the Lower Marsh area and wrote a definitive book on the subject which is now highly collectable. He will be greatly missed.

West Cheshire Museums Archive

 Donated to the Covid related archive at the West Cheshire Museums recently - Captain Covid Space Helmet and ray gun plus a the S.S. Corona tug boat all made from housegold waste and papier mache.  Glad to free up some space - most of these things are due to be stored in the loft. 

Marbury and Garden Centre

 Friday morning walk over at Marbury Country Park which wasn't too crowded for a change.  I think it gets busier at weekends so Friday is a good day to walk in the woods and by the lake.  A friendly twitcher who socially distanced in the bird hide we sat in told us he was looking out for the bittern - a rare and shy bird that he'd spotted and photographed before.  He showed us a photo that was very impressive , of a bittern blending in very well with the brown reeds.  Also some lovely shots of kingfishers he's seen at the very spot we occupied.  Mind you, he did have a very large and expensive looking camera with a telephoto lens about a yard long!   Afterwards  we wandered over to the garden centre as Hazel wanted to buy some plants for her Mom and sister.  The walled garden was full of Xmas trees.  We were tempted but will buy one nearer Christmas when hopefully they will be a little cheaper.

Down To The Canal

 Another wander down to the Trent and Mersey canal at the Broken Cross to see what was happening with the section they had drained.  Still not much going on after a week - nothing we could see differently from our last visit anyway.  Extremely cold and frosty morning - nice clear blue sky with shades of yellow and pink on the horizon as the sun rose.  From the silt a few more objects - a florid tile and some metal fastenings although these maybe some gadgets the workmen had bought along to attach the tarpaulin to the scaffolding dam they had built.  Water still being pumped out both ends - ducks bobbing about in the frothy bubbles.  A short walk to the other end of the bit cordened off - the boats that had gathered had all gone. We assumed they had turned around in the bit that was wider for just that purpose and gone back from whence they came.

River Dane Walk

 Early walk to the River Dane and fishing ponds.  Lots of geese flying overhead - some in formation and others in a rag taggle bunch.  Honking away as they vanish through the tree tops.  Also a heron standing very still but flew off as we approached trying to get a better picture.  Very muddy paths - I nearly slipped over a couple of times much to Hazel's amusement!  We shan't be going that way again until the mud dries up.

Walkies

 

Two walks this morning - first down to the C0-op for the "Chicken Run" and another just now to deliver the chicken and other groceries to Hazel's Mom and sister in the next village. A short walk around the village and up to the by-pass and back. Exciting eh? 14th Nov. 2020

Tuckit Bags

 

Off to the park today in the old donkey cart. The road was strewn with orange. I wish I'd taken my hasselblad - such was the autumnal glory that we beholdeth. Dazzling hues of all hueness. The trip trappy bridge is always fun especially if a loaded dung cart is coming the other way but we were spared the scrape and spark of the hooves this time.

The journey takes just 40 minutes around the back of beyond, past the nether fizzles and then further along the byways and leafy hue ways.

The town was in low swing and we swung into action with our gander bags. Bulged they did with odd curiosments and gew-gaws. I found a tin lizard pranger and a half boiled rangle-swuppit. Hoozle got a few ancient cards of poppits and poke-its. elbows a kimbo we spent a good hour hear until the call of nature and skip hoppy to the septic urals.

Then the charshops and more delights of the mouldering kind. Pac pins and seedy sleeves.

Tummy rumolds so home for tiffin and more jumbucks in our tuckit bags.  I must go and have a lie down now in a darkly room.

Early Walk To River Dane

 Early morning walk to the fishing ponds and the River Dane.  Stunning pink and orange sky as the sun rose over the distant horizon.  Many geese honking in formation overhead - not quick enough to take a photo. Also a young swan on the larger pond which squeaked at us but realising perhaps that we had no food it took off and skimmed the trees and  flew in the direction of the River Dane and maybe the larger lakes and meres beyond.  Activity in the secret orchard suggested some fence making from cut branches - also a notice about some missing tools and if found the finders should put them under the carved logs.

Walk To Marbury Lane

 Early morning walk to Carey Park and then up Marbury Lane to the canal bridge and back again.  A few joggers and doggies.  Trees really outstanding in their fields - amazing autumnal colours!  A bit of tree hugging went on and some skipping in the road as you can see.  Decided not to go into town as it looked busy - people making a last ditch effort to buy stuff before it all goes into lockdown again tomorrow.

Fishing Pond

 A murky walk to the fishing ponds and the River Dane.  The largest pond has been dredged of weeds just recently and the piles of weed can be seen all round the edge - quite alarming how much there is!  One wonders if there is much more to drag out.  A small tractor with caterpillar tracks did the job by the looks of it.  We saw two swans circling around trying to land but in the end they decided the pond was too small and went off flapping to the canal or the larger lakes nearby.  They made a curious noise like a wet fish slapping a whoopee cushion.  The cornfield was even muddier than before and Hazel took another photo of it with me looking perplexed.  Lots of activity in the lane as diggers and vans stopped at the temporary traffic lights and others went into the new housing estate to finish off the pavements and drains etc.  Back home up the hill - the last bit of our workout.

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Blakemere Wonderland

Nice walk around the woods at Blakemere.  Stumbled upon a Autumnal wonderland of rockets and planets hung in trees - part of the "Magical Woodland" experience that's on every evening from October to the end of November I think - lots of illuminations, lasers and projections etc.  More impressive by night we imagine although we were delighted to see it in the daytime and have it all to ourselves!
 

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Early Walk To River Dane