Saturday 23 April 2022

21 April 2022

The row over Boris Johnson and Partygate is still raging. He has been fined for breaking Covid rules and refuses to accept any responsibility. It's beginning to look as if the Tory MPs are going to do a hatchet job on him as their inboxes fill up with emails from angry constitutents. He may be gone after the local elections in May.

Here's my latest recommended book - The Trespassers companion by Nick Hayes. A really interesting read on our need for access to land and our right to roam.



20 April 2022

Time for a Covid update. Covid is still raging in the UK. We have one of the highest death rates in the world. There are days when over 600 have died and recently nearly 2000 in one week. The government is doing nothing about it. 

Here is a lovely lamb we saw on our walk today.




18 April 2022

Easter Monday walk with Peter. We met at the Bulls Head in Mottram St Andrew and climbed up to Alderly Edge. I've never approached the Edge from this direction before. A good walk would do again. The Bulls is a good pub - recommended.



Manchester from the Edge





17 April 2022

Getting on with the gardening. I moved an old heavy plant pot and underneath I found a smooth newt! I've seen them in the garden before. I moved this one to a safe place.




15 April 2022

Good Friday and a trip to see the dragon - M-in-L. Also to meet Georgia and Keiran's puppy Ralph.

We had brunch at G & K's house the following day and I didn't take a single photo :(




14 April 2022

Have now managed to get stuck into the veg plot. Broadbeans, onions, and potatoes were the first in, followed by peas, parsnips, runner beans, and purple sprouting broccoli.

The leeks were plated last year and I have some more seedlings to put in.



11 April 2022

Out for a walk with Peter. Our original plan was stymied because I arrived 40 minutes late due to a road closure. So we went for a walk along the canal in Whaley Bridge. We were near the village of Buxworth. The name was changed from Bugsworth in 19c because the vicar didn't like 'bug". We managed to find a good couple of pubs.





10 April 2022

A & P's chickens love to roost in trees.



9 April 2022

Good meet-up with Pete and Anthea today. Chinese for a change and communing with lots of chickens, ducks, and geese. An overnight stay in their stable.




6 April 2022

How hard can it be? Take one photo a day and post it on here. Takes about 10 minutes max. But I'm sorry to report I'm 20 days behind! And I don't have a photo from every day :(.

Here's some blossom from my garden for the 6th. Expect gaps from now on!



Thursday 7 April 2022

4 April 2022

Out for a canal walk with Peter today nr Macclesfield. It was a chilly - in the wind - but a good day out with the usual crafty pint in a warm pub. 





3 April 2022

Adrian returned home and I'm posting a picture of the Dalek I met yesterday.




2 April 2022

Today I met up with Adrian in Liverpool. It was fine if a slightly chilly day. We were meant to go to a cost of living demo I saw advertised for 12pm. The demo was moved to 10am so we missed it. We had some consolation with a pint in the Baltic Fleet and then moved on to the Kazimier, followed by a trip to the Liverpool Museum to see the Planetarium.









1 April 2022

The Magnolia is looking even better! I hope it lasts.



31 March 2022

Thankfully it was a fairly good journey home though slower than the outward journey. I did it non-stop in 4.5 hours.

This gull really didn't want to be photographed.







30 March 2022

It was a mixed day with some rain and sun. I took Carol to the beach, at Barton on Sea, and the nearby garden centre. We had some lunch in the beach cafe. It was a good day out. Later I had a few pints with Mark in the Foresters Arms. 





29 March 2022

Today I set off on the long journey to the New Forest to see my Stepmother Carol who is 86. I had a good journey. No delays and made it in four hours! We went out for a meal in the Huntsman with Mark and Rachael.



27 January 2022

Saying goodbye to the lakes is hard! We had a quick, safe journey home. We always go over the Whinlatter pass and the views of Skiddaw are superb.




26 March 2022

A wonderful day with the walk around Buttermere and a visit to Crummock water. It was really warm and sunny. A welcome relief after what we had experienced yesterday.

The only problem with days like this is they don't last long enough.








25 March 2022

Today it was off to the Lakes for our first stay in a hotel in nearly five years. We went to The Bridge Hotel in Buttermere, which is in one of my favourite valleys.

The journey there turned out to be a nightmare. It should have taken 2.5 hours but ended up taking 5.5! First was a 45 minute hold up on the M6 near Preston due to an accident. Then very slow traffic near Lancaster slowed us down adding another 30 minutes or so. We decided to leave the motorway and drive through the Lakes to Keswick. Bad idea! On Dunmail raise we were mt by a police roadblock because of an accident up ahead. I stopped for a second to ask a policeman which was the quickest alternative route. Next second BANG! A motorcyclist ran into the back of us. He came off the bike. Fortunately, he had slowed down. I got out but the police had helped him to his feet and he said he was OK. The damage to our car was superficial. We took a detour via Ullswater which took ages and made it there by 5pm.

We managed to enjoy our wine and a good meal.