Saturday 30 November 2024 - Bridgnorth

It was a pleasure to meet up again with my old university pal Peter and his wife Cassie. We last saw them on a sunny day in April last year. They are over here again from Calgary - on a fairly short visit mainly to visit family and friends.

We arrived in time for lunch (thanks Cassie and Peter), at the same cottage that they hired last year, then we enjoyed a 4km wander into and around Bridgnorth on a busy Saturday afternoon, with lots of Brummie accents amongst the visitors.

The small park in the upper town (the Castle Gardens) was decked with Rememberance Day poppies, and some box hedges had been neatly trimmed to represent an aircraft, a ship, and a tank.

The C12 castle's remains still tower awkwardly; their angle of lean is four times as much as the leaning tower of Pisa.

Sue and I posed next to a Saxon warrior that guards the signage for the Mercian Way, a long distance cycle route.

From the Upper Town, there are good views to the River Severn, which is fairly full at present thanks to some recent storms.

We took the Cliff Railway to the Lower Town. It's the only inland railway of this nature in the UK.

Back in the Upper Town, we did a little window shopping and passed the Town Hall, built on stilts to provide a covered market place for the town.

Back at the cottage, we enjoyed an ample tea before setting off home while Peter and Cassie headed for a nearby concert.

It was great to catch up, and thanks P&C for the lunch, tea and goodies. You are very generous.

Saturday 30 November 2024 - Wythenshawe parkrun #596, and a Community Run

Saturday morning would have been sunny, had the sun risen sufficiently to be appreciated. Oliver Cromwell was the first to spot it on the horizon.

This week just 213 participants turned up. They were expecting a muddy course, but all that was on offer was a bit of wet grass and a very shallow bog.

Here a shot taken during Andy's expert (ie quick) briefing.

We all got round happily, and the full results are here. Jan dashed off to watch some football, and we were due in Bridgnorth by lunchtime, so it was a quick coffee with Jan and Andy, the Barbers being in Bletchley, then we dashed off.

Sunday morning. Raining steadily. Just 60 or so turned up for the 2km and 5km Community Runs. Here's a view from the back of the field.

My time was 35:30. I never did catch up with any of the 5km runners, apart from Tom Lavin, whose dog proved to be somewhat of a handicap. Anyway, I enjoyed a good chat with 'Tail Runner' Alison before she resumed her 'admin' duties and I collected the cones that separate runners from cars entering the car park.

Friday = Isabella Day (80)

Some dinosaurs had arrived in the post, together with some paints. So Isabella got kitted up for a bit of fun. She started with the Brontosaurus and moved on to the Dimetrodon.

Rodney Rabbit joined in for a while, and Sue had a go at the Stegosaurus.

Then there was a lot of misbehaviour amongst the farm animals to sort out.

Isabella has taken to awarding herself medals from our 'trophy cabinet'. This one is for sorting out all the naughty farm animals.

This is what she thinks of grandad's intrusive camera work.

"I want to go out!"

So Sue took her on her balance bike to our local soft play 'Antz in your Pantz' area. The hill was quite interesting as she hasn't worked out how to use the brake.

There was lots of fun to be had here.

Grandma took these pictures, or was it Rodney, who had his own channel on the slide. Meanwhile grandad stayed at home, cooked lunch, and didn't intrude any further with his camera during the showing of Octonauts and the painting of a rather grey T rex, before the campervan family were put to bed and Isabella was returned to Didsbury for her tea.

What a lovely day.