Walk To River Weaver at Hartford

Nice walk along both banks of the river to the locks and the geese congregating. Bright blinding sunshine - blue sky. Geese going crazy - honking away. Suddenly a group of them take off fromthe water and fly honking down stream. A few joggers and dog walkers but pretty quiet mostly.

Walking In Marbury Park

This mornings walk around the garden centre and lake at Marbury. 12th October 2022.

Archie's 30th Birthday

Lovely to see Archie and Meriel for his 30th birthday. We had some nice food over the weekend including fish and chips from the Codfather we ate at Granma's house. Theye went off to Manchester on Sunday to pick Meriel''s work up from the Bankley Gallery Open. We went to the indoor boot sale but it was a quid to get in ( have I already said this?) so Hazel refused to enter. We went round the charity shops instead although not many are open on a Sunday! In the evening we had a lasagne I made and more cake. We watched a bit of Inherent Vice on Blu-ray but nobody was in the mood for such a complicated plot and 60's slang ridden dialogue so we watched an episode of Ghosts instead .

Pre Birthday Cake

Good to see old chums Tony and Pene Eve on Friday for some lunch and birthday cake that Hazel made. The explosive candle is always good fun! It's not Archie's 30th until Monday but the cake needs eating up or we'll be stuck with it all next week.

Archie and Meriel Visit

More yummy birthday cake with Archie Leigh-Jones and guests - Tony and Pene. Explosive candle! Elephant puppet was from a charity shop in West Yorkshire some years ago.

Carey Park

This mornings wander down to the River Weaver. Our favourite bench had some hair hanging in a tree nearby. Not sure if it was a wig or whatnot? Went round the shops. Got some whiteout and new pens. Nothing from charity shops.

Antique Fair

Yesterdays wander round the antiques and collectables at the Cheshire Showground - the last of the year sadly. Not as busy as previous fairs. A bit pricey so we didn't buy anything not even some chips! We took sandwiches along and some hot chocolate in a flask but were finished by 11.30am so went home for some lunch. Some unexpected visitors so had to make some soup. Luckily had time to cut up some root veg and boil it up in a large saucepan. Delicious with sour dough toast although I do say so myself!

Nantwich

Just a few bargains from our trip to Nantwich this morning. Roads a bit of a nightmare due to detours, etc. but nice to wander round the market and the charity shops. Found a nice frame and some cheap pens. A DVD copy of Joseph Losey's "The Servant" from the Oxfam shop. Hazel got some books and jug from the Hospice shop on the way home near Winsford. I got a book about WW2 memorablia and stack of CD-R's that are always useful. Home for tomatoes on toast.

Walk In Anderton Nature Reserve

Drizzly walk around the nature reserve to the River Weaver and the fishing ponds to see the last of the lily pads. Saw a few coots, swans, ducks and a gillomot? Very quiet as everyone was indoors watching the Queen's funeral one assumes. Some dog walkers but otherwise we had the place to ourselves.

The Queen's Toffees

I suppose I should mention a few encounters with the Queen as everybody else has - like the time she almost ran us over whilst crossing London Bridge ( or was it Waterloo Bridge? ) . My first glimpse of her was back in 1953 on a very tiny screen on a very big television in a neighbours house in Corringham, Essex. It was Coronation Day and the blurry pictures seemed quite magical at the time - flickering in the corner of a dark room with lots of other neighbours peering at 405 lines transmitted live from Westminster Abbey. Later there was a street party and I won a prize of tin of toffees for my Chelsea Pensioner's outfit that my mother had made from an old red coat and an old hat fashioned from a cut down trilby. The addition of some badges that my father had aquired in the Grenadier Guards set the whole ensemble off! On the lid of the tin of toffees was her majesty of course. I don't have the tin, or the outfit or the medals- just this photo of me on the back steps of the flat we lived in at the time with my mum looking out of the window.

Marsen and Slaitheswaite

Nice couple of days in West Yorkshire at Marsden and Slaithewaite. Stayed at our old friend Dave's place in Marsden. A nice walk around the town in the afternoon. Popped in the church as the organ was playing. Nobody but the chap guarding the book of condolence. Hazel felt obliged to sign but really we'd just come in to see the stained glass windows and the pillars etc. and hear the organ bouncing of the old stone walls. Stopped off at a couple of the charity shops. Found a lovely book about popular Indian art, posters, matchbox labels and murals etc. This morning in Slaitheswaite to buy some bread and pastries at the canalside bakery. Yum! Traffic a bit calmer coming home - no "school run" to contend with. 13th 14th Sept. 2022.

Scrumping

This afternoons wander down the sunny community orchard to grab some apples for an upside down French apple tart. Hazel fancied taking one over to Daves. Nice stroll round the coot pond. One coot emerged from the reeds in quite a hurry. Quiet down there except for some dog walkers and the birds twittering. Earlier we went to two boot sales near Crewe at Vagrants - the last of the season and the other at Weston cricket club. I didnt find anything but Hazel got a few things including an enamel bread bin to put flour and pulses in. a toffee tin, and other stuff I forget but you can see them here in this here photo-

Drizzly Walk

This mornings wanderings took us to the local post office via the docs to drop off my prescription form. Then down the alley to the park in the drizzle. Luckily Hazel had the good sense to bring a raincoat and an umbrella which we shared. Not really sandals weather but it hasn't rained during the day for about a month! It is September though and I suppose we must get used to it. Popped in the Co-op to dump our plastic bags and buy some milk and bread. Exciting eh? We live life in the fast lane.

Boot Sale at Knutsford

This mornings bumper boot sale bargains at the annual Scouts jamboree at Knutsford on the common. I got a box of letters word making game, badges, a rubber for BIG mistakes, a little plastic bird that makes a noise like a frog. Hazel got tons of stuff including flower pots, xmas crackers, wooden coat hangers, spoons, a small vice, Lego calendar, collar stiffeners? etc. etc. Hazel has done something to her back so cant bend down to get things under tables which makes life tricky at boot sales where most things are under tables or spread about on old bits of carpet. We stopped off at Granma and Audrey's on the way home to drop off the flower pots they wanted for their bulbs. They grumbled that they had just got up and hadnt had any breakfast and Granma didn't "have her ears in". So we had to shout at her.

Chester ( Part 2)

Nice wander around Chester this morning despite lack of public conveniences. Ended up rushing into Costa Coffee and using theres - they didnt seem to notice anyway - busy brewing up some thick brown primevil sludge! Didnt find many bargains - got a DVD of 1930 version of "All Quiet On The Western Front". I hear it's full of great laughs! Then off to the museum to look round the period rooms that we'd not seen before - hidden round the back by the bins. Some very amusing waxworks and the visitors are quite silly too!

Chester