Crewe

Sadly Crewe is a bit grim so no photos were taken. So here's a few birdies at the bottom of the back garden instead. Crewe was quite a lively place back in the noughties with a thriving junk market and lots of interesting shops but most seem to have closed and the whole place has the air of a community thats given up. Very sad. We certainly won't be going again in a hurry. We were actually going to Nantwich which is a nice lively town but the road was closed and the diversion took you miles out of your way. Maybe next week.

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.

Harry Hill at Crewe Lyceum

Lovely to get out for an evenings live entertainment after nearly 3 years of hardly venturing far from our sofas. Lucky enough to get some free tickets from our old chum Magda. We were a bit nervous about mixing with crowds but decided it was possible now since the covid rate seems to be levelling off. We did go to Dublin in the Summer and survived the trip so had high hopes all would be well. Anyway, first the good news - Harry was very funny and we enjoyed it very much. Even got to have a drink in the bar and eat our vege sausage roll and cheese and onion pastie (from Greggs) on the bench outside the theatre whilsy this inflatable Harry flapped about wildly in from of us sounding very much like a jet engine! Crewe seems to have improved slightly with major work being done on the shopping centre and markeyt hall buzzing with late night eateries and bars etc. Long waits for food though hence the Greggs snacks! The down side was Hazel now has a rotten cold which we assume was caught in the bar or theatre. First cold for 3 years. Just goes to show you - can't be too careful. I feel fine so far - touch wood.

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.

Crewe Boot

Shocked to see the empty market square at Crewe - a notice nearby saying because of refurbishment the Wednesday boot sale has moved to a car park some half mile away on the other side of the town. A short trek later and I find it - a shabby back street and a few stalls littered about - a shadow of it's former self. I didnt find much - a PS2 game of Bust-A-Bloc.
So then a wander round the charity shops where thankfully some bargains were to be had. A great Face Dough CD software thingy that made the collage grimace above. I have been having fun playing about with it. It sounds better than it really is. The manipulation is pretty basic and just revolves round two features- stretching point A to point B or morphing. I havent tried the morphing yet. Pushing faces round like dough it isn't though! Some other software we had did a better job but seem to have lost it.

Also got a pile of tin badges of various ages. My favourite is the one that says "Ferrets Are Fun!" with a silohette of a ferret on it. Archie choose the MAD badge to go with his increasing collection - a lot he's made himself from plastic dinasaurs and sharks with pins glued to the backs. Got him some insects which he is also utilising in this manner.