Curios Thing #40

Latest CT zine which coincidentally is the 40th issue and this one was a collabortaion with my dear wife. We have been together 40 years in a few weeks time so timely in so many ways. Reminds us of our collaborations when we first met all those years ago. We shared a love of postal ephemera, rubber stamps, decorated envelopes etc. and so after corresponding for 6 months or so we finally met and the rest, as they say, is history.

Chester

Pleasant morning wandering around Chester. Hazel went off to the clothes shops and I explored the charity emporiums. Didn't find anything. Had al fresco vege sausage roll sitting outside the old cross. Roads were full of plonkers over taking on roundabouts etc. Chilly start but quite hot now.

Trent and Mersey Walk

This mornings walk to the canal and along the tow path to the A556. Nippy start but soon warming up in the Bank Holiday sunshine. Who'd have thunk it? Saw a few baby ducks in the reeds - a bit too dark to take a decent photo. Looking for gravy powder for Hazel's Mom. Didnt find any along the canal but asked in an asian shop that was open. He looked rather puzzled and showed me some cheese sauce packets. O well - looks like Granma will have to rely on what she has lurking in the cupboard.

Blakemere Boot sale

A few bargains from this mornings rummagings down at Blakemere. Hazel found all of them. Nothing for me. I must be getting more picky in what I buy these days! The Xmas crackers will be useful in December. The squares of kids materials for future craft projects Hazel has in mind. A posh Buckingham Palace mug to drink her tea out of. She has one already but handy to have a spare in case the other breaks. A nasty clock but with a useful mechanism or so we thought. Also some geraniums and cigarette cards about household hints. It wasa nice sunny morning but now clouded over with a cool breeze.

Community Orchard and Fishing Ponds

Nice wander down to the community orchard and the fishing ponds this morning in the sunshine. Hoped to see some baby coots like last years but none to be seen so far . Ponds getting more clogged with weed - a sad sight. Hopefully they can be dredged like they were a few years ago. 21st May 2023.

River Weaver and Furey Woods

Nice sunny walk along the River Weaver to Furey Woods this morning before the shops opened. Went round a few charity shops but didnt find anything. Hazel went off to get things for her Mom and sister. Then to Lostock to deliver groceries and collect knitted squares.

Marsden

Nice couple of days in West Yorkshire again. Things to sort. A quick walk up the canal to delightful woody bit with bluebells and dry stone walls. Rigo the cat has returned after being lost for 5 weeks so that was a nice reunion. She needed lots of well earned TLC after being goodness-knows-where!

Moss Farm Boot Sale

A nice sunny day for a boot sale down at Moss Farm. Not many cars or stalls. I didnt find anything but had a chat to Bob who was there selling an odd selection of things - cameras, binoculars, DVD's, books, jewelry etc. Hazel bought some jewelry for her sister. Also some plants - lupins, hollyhocks etc. from another stall holder. We drove to Verdin park for a short walk up the hill and sat on a bench in the sun. A few dog walkers but very quiet. We noticed the extension to the hospital being built nearby. They seemed be using part of the car park which seemed rather short-sighted as it's usually full up! I neglected to take my camera so here is an old collage of a boot sale I did.

Griffiths Park

Nice afternoon for a wander over to the local park and see the charity football match being played in the sunshine. Lots of folk taking part in various activities, games, stalls, bouncy castle etc. We got ourselves an ice cream and enjoyed the match sitting on the bench on the small hill nearby.

Marbury Woods

We escaped from the nonsense on the TV to the green and twittering woods of Marbury. The sun came out briefly and so we had better weather than London it seems. The bluebells still looking good. Very quiet except for the twitterpated birds and the cavorting squirrels. No bunting or grovelling peasants in sight.

Llandudno

A very nice ,sunny for the most part, May Bank Holiday weekend in the lovely town of Llandudno - our favourite seaside place in North Wales. Made a nice change from the stresses and strains of previous weeks. Delightful wanderings around the town, the shops, the pier, the fun fair ( not too much of that - a bit noisy!) and relaxing in the Promonad B&B - excellent new owners - delicious breakfasts! Home again now and going through the dozens of photos we took. Here's just a few for now.

Marsden _ Dave's Funeral

In Marsden for Dave's funeral and wake. April 2023. Hazel and Tanya did an excellent job of sorting out funeral plans and admin that goes with it. Hazel cut some Camelia from Daves garden to decorate the coffin. Humanist service in Halifax at delightful crematorium high on hill with blossoming cherry trees all around. I should have taken a photo but didnt seem right at the time. Wake was at local cafe and later at pub beer garden by the riverwith ducks coming into land every so often. Even a fly past by tow low flying jets! Who organised that I wonder?

Bluebells At Marbury

This mornings wander around the gorgeous bluebells at Marbury woods in the lovely sunshine. We had the whole place to ourselves which was nice ( except for the twitterpated birds and squirrels!) 20th April 2023.

Griffiths Park

No boot sales today. A bit drizzly We did venture out to the park though and had a wander down to the canal. Saw one solitairy duck looking furtive on the other side of the water. More vans and diggers down by the TATA factory for some reason. Expanding their empire? Sat on the bench on the hill for a short while. Decided it was too cold and windy and wet to sit there for much longer. Home again via the Co-op to drop off some plastic bags.

First Boot Sales Of The Year

Slim picken's at the two boot sales we went to this morning at Vagrants and Weston (near Crewe). Nice sunny day but a bitter wind was blowing so made it feel quite nippy. I should have worn my duffle coat! The thin raincoat wasn't doing it for me. Hazel had a thinner coat too and wished she'd worn something more substancial. I found nothing at Vagrants and the toilets were locked so took ages to get the bloke to open them. He said the wind had blown it shut. The next sale was a short drive away on the way to Stone. Much bigger but mostly household stuff and kids toys etc. Found a DVD of a Bill Murray film I'd not seen "Larger Than Life". Hazel got a few things including a fancy magic set in a wooden box, a moustache cup inscribed to a "Mr Harry Jones", some plants, an enamel bowl etc. It was nice to get back to the warm car.

Alsager

Nice sunny day for a drive over to Alsager and lunch with our old friends Tone and Pene. Delicious pasta and tomato based sauce and garlic bread etc. A walk afterward to the Salt Line ( once a train track carrying goods to the potteries ) and around the pond nearby. Back to have pudding in the back garden. Yummy strawberry muffins and tea. A pigeon pretending to be a crow inthe tree above us. Quite warm now in thier sun trap of a garden. Good to see photos from their Australia trip at Xmas time.

Neumann's Flashes

More walks about the local area. Yesterday was over at Griffiths Park and today Neumann's Flashes on the road that goes behind the tip towards Warrington. Bright dazzling sunshine but a bit nippy - even some frost this morning. Walked through the woods and found a bird hide to sit in. Observed far way ducks or geese. We could hear lots of birds chirping but they stayed well hidden. Twitchers laughing in the distance? Not sure why they were so amused - we kept well away.