tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8564704486086041632024-03-22T04:24:50.815+00:00Random Glimpses of My LifeMemoirs of the life of Pauline HornsbyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00277579157497515953noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856470448608604163.post-71891486397860924792017-06-08T14:38:00.002+01:002017-06-08T14:38:43.463+01:00Hop-a-long<span style="font-size: large;">I am not sure whether we have adopted him or whether he has adopted us but we have a delightful white pigeon (or dove?) that visits our garden regularly. His left foot is badly damaged, which is why we affectionately named him Hop-a-long. Sadly he is bullied by the other pigeons at the feeding stations. Of an evening when the other pigeons have flown to roost, Hop-a-long still remains in the garden often perched on a window ledge or on the roof of the glass lean-to. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Dave has taken to feeding Hop-a-long at this time of night, being given his own dish full of goodies. Dave keeps guard to keep any other pigeons away. This has resulted in Hop-a-long following Dave closely around the garden and his not being afraid to come to the lean-to when we are in there. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We feel very privileged to have Hop-a-long in our garden. We might not be able to do anything about his foot but we can show him some kindness and maybe prevent his starvation. Life is life and all life deserves compassion and respect. </span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00277579157497515953noreply@blogger.com0Huntingdon, UK52.33146 -0.1825519999999869552.292654999999996 -0.26323299999998695 52.370265 -0.10187099999998694tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856470448608604163.post-81513303428402397022017-05-29T16:28:00.001+01:002017-05-29T16:28:06.540+01:00Our Garden Today - Monday 29th May 2017<span style="font-size: large;">So much </span><span style="font-size: large;">going on in the garden today. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Back Garden</span></b> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPPrXXNpccey6XG12xEPZIOh3_UM1XWplO3V9olgR4GZ2M23z-rRdxoCyVXKTsY1bGjyuqvNC9X9zd1ozhkA7elJnu1UAMm1usSYadLV0UVP0gB-zcBQUJ3wh2nu4c5XGr_IDq4RIWulM/s1600/Foxglove+r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPPrXXNpccey6XG12xEPZIOh3_UM1XWplO3V9olgR4GZ2M23z-rRdxoCyVXKTsY1bGjyuqvNC9X9zd1ozhkA7elJnu1UAMm1usSYadLV0UVP0gB-zcBQUJ3wh2nu4c5XGr_IDq4RIWulM/s400/Foxglove+r.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Foxgloves</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqpOArkA3ifF0QNusUU8WQekNAEaPS3flpUl8gvTOkNP7V2XLh_QOuHdGv3LUW2q4j0BFb1aJRshzR3ImbmDuN9a-xsebifSe1Yhm-p8udW16DyAMGKjcLAdaLq_xiFRXMzVonzgIl6F1r/s1600/Brambles+2+r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqpOArkA3ifF0QNusUU8WQekNAEaPS3flpUl8gvTOkNP7V2XLh_QOuHdGv3LUW2q4j0BFb1aJRshzR3ImbmDuN9a-xsebifSe1Yhm-p8udW16DyAMGKjcLAdaLq_xiFRXMzVonzgIl6F1r/s400/Brambles+2+r.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Foxgloves and brambles</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdyebGhIDbatYKUZn2STO19WmotkVTu3NzXoPEgL-qbAjc8uBbZJQb1ZurXnxx-ips_iIGniBaUa_7smg88WuIFNBPtEJowBIHWowaTiZ2hG-PNdUCkqYu_UzFdPNHQd-QuhzfeRCDwXX/s1600/Brambles+1+r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdyebGhIDbatYKUZn2STO19WmotkVTu3NzXoPEgL-qbAjc8uBbZJQb1ZurXnxx-ips_iIGniBaUa_7smg88WuIFNBPtEJowBIHWowaTiZ2hG-PNdUCkqYu_UzFdPNHQd-QuhzfeRCDwXX/s400/Brambles+1+r.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Brambles</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtGAT-8tLxfuD9NlaKEhb6NNjSweNM-vxYKN39SNQdVofZ5sWQdNbbHVUczlWP8lavjY3CaQwIcTPnxBySIASJ_xYnNhrXGplSNaU-OjQVWRqgYJX6VMOx1EPvX-SboOAK-t5RWnAo_b-/s1600/Hedgehog+Holly+1+r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtGAT-8tLxfuD9NlaKEhb6NNjSweNM-vxYKN39SNQdVofZ5sWQdNbbHVUczlWP8lavjY3CaQwIcTPnxBySIASJ_xYnNhrXGplSNaU-OjQVWRqgYJX6VMOx1EPvX-SboOAK-t5RWnAo_b-/s400/Hedgehog+Holly+1+r.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hedgehog Holly (<i>Ilex aquifolium).<br /></i>There are prickles on the top side of the leaves.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjtuazIWIEDISH8EIV1YLBtIgkec5MqXV9kb8sCLFQJKNilh-OvTQzpEhjjMaor8aJOnJK8LSsp3Z1fiRZw628RoUHQI-77LM2GzZ7sGvowsG3k1YpxjZVWIlo71j48SgDvawGXNa0yfa/s1600/Aquilegia+%2528Columbine%2529+1+r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjtuazIWIEDISH8EIV1YLBtIgkec5MqXV9kb8sCLFQJKNilh-OvTQzpEhjjMaor8aJOnJK8LSsp3Z1fiRZw628RoUHQI-77LM2GzZ7sGvowsG3k1YpxjZVWIlo71j48SgDvawGXNa0yfa/s400/Aquilegia+%2528Columbine%2529+1+r.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Aquiligia (Columbine)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmAFvdtrDlfPeB7KEY-iHT87unTgveOpxAZK9NkdFFn-ptjwAQWyUVKPpXTrWISFNTTeG8hdwR3DSO3_IbqxomoieTuySxPexWcDH0ZVBJTyAIiQF1j-SQo2TkXugEmJReMgrNWBie89Vg/s1600/Policeman%2527s+Buttons.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmAFvdtrDlfPeB7KEY-iHT87unTgveOpxAZK9NkdFFn-ptjwAQWyUVKPpXTrWISFNTTeG8hdwR3DSO3_IbqxomoieTuySxPexWcDH0ZVBJTyAIiQF1j-SQo2TkXugEmJReMgrNWBie89Vg/s400/Policeman%2527s+Buttons.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Policeman's Buttons"</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-PI7Yu3HSsXswXGbQix0Q3DD2J2yLsQHW7QLHbuUR8rJY74GpaC0raraF-Kae2OTd1PF6Cm0fIy6knCTP8C2tBMgHXcubpD37cCUmki3V99TEH8nkz7JxEel8rMe9GG50Lzcx12fkzzn/s1600/Irises.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-PI7Yu3HSsXswXGbQix0Q3DD2J2yLsQHW7QLHbuUR8rJY74GpaC0raraF-Kae2OTd1PF6Cm0fIy6knCTP8C2tBMgHXcubpD37cCUmki3V99TEH8nkz7JxEel8rMe9GG50Lzcx12fkzzn/s400/Irises.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yellow Irises</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTLOh8quQd6JbDjmPaJJx_3COgivYE2Tlg5Jb1xUICbrcRSM2_BARlqWHzjSkoCKWWqWTtnMJJKWvnRo8Bi4Fay32iStr2uwCbtpv5mTYuWTWAbe3PC_nPvDRDeDBHqTQwBfxvcR6twXg/s1600/Name+unknown..JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTLOh8quQd6JbDjmPaJJx_3COgivYE2Tlg5Jb1xUICbrcRSM2_BARlqWHzjSkoCKWWqWTtnMJJKWvnRo8Bi4Fay32iStr2uwCbtpv5mTYuWTWAbe3PC_nPvDRDeDBHqTQwBfxvcR6twXg/s400/Name+unknown..JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Name unknown</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDh1ZeEShqzk0i74lxTdmDs_BDfFnev8OBNa0_9lGw9v9rQHc6JNvNOu3imazWSDYXB04JeNg3hiQKBcon3hKa4FFpetBiTUSlSZ6fU6FT5AIeAsBiDYGNbN2ZmCL3U-l-9BT0X1rt9uQ/s1600/Snow+in+Summer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDh1ZeEShqzk0i74lxTdmDs_BDfFnev8OBNa0_9lGw9v9rQHc6JNvNOu3imazWSDYXB04JeNg3hiQKBcon3hKa4FFpetBiTUSlSZ6fU6FT5AIeAsBiDYGNbN2ZmCL3U-l-9BT0X1rt9uQ/s400/Snow+in+Summer.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Snow in Summer"</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikeCcUpLeqBkaD6TZY1WEQc_p7NeBQEg2yPlHeuZJVkw9WugI0Dj9m4qjjNi-61hFlFVVfrDVL6DkBDRRPYjhGq94XAEgUePCpNyZ3bhiuoBaJtKsJ1Et1xPtFi3_5grf-Bwdu7tlH2J4Z/s1600/Geraniums+r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikeCcUpLeqBkaD6TZY1WEQc_p7NeBQEg2yPlHeuZJVkw9WugI0Dj9m4qjjNi-61hFlFVVfrDVL6DkBDRRPYjhGq94XAEgUePCpNyZ3bhiuoBaJtKsJ1Et1xPtFi3_5grf-Bwdu7tlH2J4Z/s400/Geraniums+r.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Geraniums</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAf-mraP7bqVPEvKk7c1gN0DofWSEpoVB2PUcMK58hcWvnFy9bxJI1xUhoFcoQROd258ZZ39V27mR5C4ntIdY4BIWDII8mRD_REIdEUhKIcVt78jlMOxAv9C1hTYeiI5LaSC5NRgcp0zss/s1600/Clematis+2+r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAf-mraP7bqVPEvKk7c1gN0DofWSEpoVB2PUcMK58hcWvnFy9bxJI1xUhoFcoQROd258ZZ39V27mR5C4ntIdY4BIWDII8mRD_REIdEUhKIcVt78jlMOxAv9C1hTYeiI5LaSC5NRgcp0zss/s400/Clematis+2+r.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Clematis</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2DZAMyBwyKbW-9n9NmmV5vcNJhxgwRQMUeBFg0xkuwPUCt9fiDOUpl0DerWnD57PPqwIXfIcbNFkFjE1PK0QU-G_WpkhdDj0mi98f1vSc8QAV1vm174xiedtjuaAkSk-a6uOdnHG1X40l/s400/Apple+tree+r.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Apple tree</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9tLMziMiw_t-rYvi87KhaMMpEORbGBN-lHFi6CfdQjGtR0yL_pUA0TFdzIKoE_85iWgnOLma8XHJRdbLeNmZsn1ZhFABr0m1k0C1laI2_gyI7EYrrB6AYDP8uzslq95ChM-rh_rMtfRp/s1600/Pear+tree+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9tLMziMiw_t-rYvi87KhaMMpEORbGBN-lHFi6CfdQjGtR0yL_pUA0TFdzIKoE_85iWgnOLma8XHJRdbLeNmZsn1ZhFABr0m1k0C1laI2_gyI7EYrrB6AYDP8uzslq95ChM-rh_rMtfRp/s320/Pear+tree+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Pear tree</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wkyLs1iOKlMq7Ya4hRNvIC9l5ko1hmmgAKr0GvyzORz7BMWyS7vzF2eH6DfEaz6wMQrT1gVw1b3Ziw8R2DgXRsEte3X7RQkx0f5F2aFMw88NyvRyiu3fBmR4Wm0Jw5bu_rTxpQdt5E9b/s1600/Pear+tree.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wkyLs1iOKlMq7Ya4hRNvIC9l5ko1hmmgAKr0GvyzORz7BMWyS7vzF2eH6DfEaz6wMQrT1gVw1b3Ziw8R2DgXRsEte3X7RQkx0f5F2aFMw88NyvRyiu3fBmR4Wm0Jw5bu_rTxpQdt5E9b/s400/Pear+tree.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Pear tree</span> </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LSUK5-k-RCTIuINzQoQXO7OMwNOSH6EvXqVV6BZ2hvF9qpK0Be-bUvw8NoMKsEcOibzJQaf2bfNegk29O2O3DsmTIQOQDkur47DASPn88TmoTddWZAg-lOZ4UcUrJxn8uKdpxludAgpt/s1600/Cherry+Tree+2+r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LSUK5-k-RCTIuINzQoQXO7OMwNOSH6EvXqVV6BZ2hvF9qpK0Be-bUvw8NoMKsEcOibzJQaf2bfNegk29O2O3DsmTIQOQDkur47DASPn88TmoTddWZAg-lOZ4UcUrJxn8uKdpxludAgpt/s400/Cherry+Tree+2+r.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Cherry tree</span> </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Prickleless Holly </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQi99nFNnFfeEbwF5ikScgKxN9ZHZDtNrxLVcX7wG7dbG0KWWHHU-XEu1rlAsVK_HkCpAe6AfBGTbMectg5wPn8BBGxtLDr7lpZytllZUxOKOSOJMpI2fJUVXNdPSGNkTGz9Eac7r4wxm/s1600/Fucshia+r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQi99nFNnFfeEbwF5ikScgKxN9ZHZDtNrxLVcX7wG7dbG0KWWHHU-XEu1rlAsVK_HkCpAe6AfBGTbMectg5wPn8BBGxtLDr7lpZytllZUxOKOSOJMpI2fJUVXNdPSGNkTGz9Eac7r4wxm/s400/Fucshia+r.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Fucshia</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Front Garden</span></b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2Inz9NOHKp6Bslp1sLYVmNhwADupUdCfdbYny_A51KOm6MZ0jUWdMu_G0k9Q4MGy9Z3J3CGDTgcyyCz3nKLNWfWkTCQDSRWIEadWoHTxJkQPA5mkzr4_4lMV_t1cKGW6PBjjl9QHUKBr/s1600/Fucshia+and+Lavender+1+r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2Inz9NOHKp6Bslp1sLYVmNhwADupUdCfdbYny_A51KOm6MZ0jUWdMu_G0k9Q4MGy9Z3J3CGDTgcyyCz3nKLNWfWkTCQDSRWIEadWoHTxJkQPA5mkzr4_4lMV_t1cKGW6PBjjl9QHUKBr/s400/Fucshia+and+Lavender+1+r.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Fuchsia at the back, Lavender at the front. </span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00277579157497515953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856470448608604163.post-59645565235908303692017-05-20T13:57:00.000+01:002017-05-20T13:57:58.698+01:00Mystery Day Trip - Norwich 9th May 2017Our Mystery Day Trip with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NorthStarTravelStIves/" target="_blank">North Star Travel</a> on Tuesday 9th May 2017 took us to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwich" target="_blank">Norwich</a>.. The coach dropped us outside <a href="https://www.johnlewis.com/our-shops/norwich" target="_blank">John Lewis</a>. With such a temptation, this just had to be our first port of call so that we could visit our favourite departments. After the Electrical Department to see what was new we went to the Haberdashery Department - the biggest John Lewis Haberdashery Department I have ever seen.<br />
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Posting this 'find' on Facebook, one of my long ago knitting pals commented that the same Tuesday at John Lewis was her knitting club day and I could have joined them. It would have been good to have seen her again.<br />
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Dave and I decided to visit the shops, including the famous market, rather than the <a href="http://www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk/visit_us/norwich_castle/index.htm" target="_blank">castle</a>, <a href="http://www.cathedral.org.uk/" target="_blank">cathedral</a> and other places of interest which we has seen on previous visits to the city. Dave was looking for new polo shirts and trousers while I was looking for a birthday gift having had no inspiration after weeks of searching. Finding clothes in Dave's size was impossible. However, Dave did find the perfect gift in the form of a bookmark in <a href="http://www.norwichlanes.co.uk/shop/st-gregorys-antiques-collectables/" target="_blank">St Gregory's Antiques & Collectables</a>, a silken cord with a pewter owl at one end and a pewter Tudor rose at the other. The recipient is an avid reader and is also very fond of owls.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00277579157497515953noreply@blogger.com0Huntingdon, UK52.33146 -0.1825519999999869552.292654999999996 -0.26323299999998695 52.370265 -0.10187099999998694tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856470448608604163.post-83261772404323027962016-10-08T14:03:00.000+01:002016-10-08T14:03:03.871+01:00Pear trees ready to harvest, 8th October 2016Our pear tree, together with a cherry tree and another fruit tree that didn't make it, were given as a present more than 25 years ago. The trees were described as miniature but it seems that nobody told them that. Both remaining trees are many feet high.<br />
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And the pear tree has encroached into the cherry tree's space.<br />
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This year there is a bumper pear harvest. We do not use pesticides in our garden meaning that the pears each have to be inspected and and bad areas removed when the fruit is peeled. The remaining good parts of the fruit are cut into pieces, washed then microwaved with a small amount of water. Just as well that stewed pears are a favourite of ours. The cooked fruit can be easily frozen for future use. At the moment we are eating windfalls but it won't be long until we can remove the pears from the tree easily.<br />
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Some of the branches are so heavy that they have reached the ground and some branches have snapped. In the first of the following two pictures the string preventing the branch from drooping further can be seen at the top left. The plant on the extreme left with the yellowy leaves is an apple tree. Plenty of blossom early in the year but no fruit.<br />
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Some of the branches are now so low that we cannot walk easily on the footpath under the pear tree but have to walk around it on the lawn. The picture, taken from the back door, shows the garden path.<br />
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The final picture shows the view from under the pear tree looking towards the bird and hedgehog feeding stations and the hedgehog house.<br />
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After this year's harvest both the pear tree and the cherry tree will be cut back.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00277579157497515953noreply@blogger.com0Huntingdon, UK52.33146 -0.1825519999999869552.292654999999996 -0.26323299999998695 52.370265 -0.10187099999998694tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856470448608604163.post-13519104086199987032016-09-04T15:02:00.000+01:002016-09-04T15:02:36.987+01:00Eileen and Trevor's Wedding, Saturday 18th June 2016Both Dave and I were delighted to receive an invitation to Eileen and Trevor's wedding on Saturday 18th June 2016. The ceremony and the reception were held at The George Hotel, Huntingdon. We don't usually attend weddings but this one (and another - a family wedding - held in July) was an exception. Having shared Eileen's excitement about her wedding, I was looking forward to the Big Day.<br />
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Having no previous idea about the wedding dress, Eileen looked so beautiful as she walked into the room in a purple and diamante creation. The two matrons of honour wore similar flattering dresses and the young bridesmaids were a joy to behold in their white dresses, white socks, silver shoes and fluffy white boleros. Trevor wore a purple tie, whether by design or accident I don't know.<br />
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The room for the ceremony and the room for the reception looked stunning decorated in white and purple. Unfortunately we had to leave hurriedly after the wedding breakfast so did not join in the evening celebrations.<br />
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To our friends Eileen and Trevor: Wishing you every health and happiness as you undertake life's journey together. Congratulations!!<br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;">Introducing Mr and Mrs Trevor Smith:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp5uZSW5rL-ShnkgGZJ-XyktZ5Wcb9efBnca6tJUEwphSpJPINoAIHlRjlHnWvUEpRMmZ5GBZ6UDb8R-SRu_WzWPdJGbJsv7izmRFbeBsVga2M4zZmuMOVtRwtWgTOeh6CC2DTOvvP2dF8/s1600/Trev+and+Eileen+after+signing+Register.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp5uZSW5rL-ShnkgGZJ-XyktZ5Wcb9efBnca6tJUEwphSpJPINoAIHlRjlHnWvUEpRMmZ5GBZ6UDb8R-SRu_WzWPdJGbJsv7izmRFbeBsVga2M4zZmuMOVtRwtWgTOeh6CC2DTOvvP2dF8/s400/Trev+and+Eileen+after+signing+Register.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After signing the register.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bride, Matrons of Honour and Bridesmaids.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77-CxSNgahHZuyIzukbtpJAT9COD8vIEaVASMXZ0pSyLQiwjvHpYTpv9KQi7ryXqLO0eYReVxByWgx3kOAhXW6s3wpOzguUaS1zWLDPP9jbNSjMVkVFEa_cNNuQTCuV02JP9sNzov2YAH/s1600/Eileen+and+Trev+VIPs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77-CxSNgahHZuyIzukbtpJAT9COD8vIEaVASMXZ0pSyLQiwjvHpYTpv9KQi7ryXqLO0eYReVxByWgx3kOAhXW6s3wpOzguUaS1zWLDPP9jbNSjMVkVFEa_cNNuQTCuV02JP9sNzov2YAH/s400/Eileen+and+Trev+VIPs.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wedding VIPs. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7383kESfJIuoPqMhT5WRGdBqDTnv_Flku_UakK8MzwRu0fU3baqdiT6LLpFnwov4WfdKhflF8eS2o7bSo6ohb7VI4D9Q6QENNXVUsRLRQHwzhqWrYa80x3vz-p-3i9O39MYAm9Z3M8xn8/s1600/Patr%252C+Eileen+and+Pauline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7383kESfJIuoPqMhT5WRGdBqDTnv_Flku_UakK8MzwRu0fU3baqdiT6LLpFnwov4WfdKhflF8eS2o7bSo6ohb7VI4D9Q6QENNXVUsRLRQHwzhqWrYa80x3vz-p-3i9O39MYAm9Z3M8xn8/s400/Patr%252C+Eileen+and+Pauline.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left to right: Patr (friend of the Bride and Groom), Eileen (Bride), self (friend of the Bride and Groom). </td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00277579157497515953noreply@blogger.com0Huntingdon, UK52.33146 -0.1825519999999869552.292654999999996 -0.26323299999998695 52.370265 -0.10187099999998694tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856470448608604163.post-16505869651302688902014-10-13T16:18:00.000+01:002014-10-13T16:18:44.566+01:00Bletchley Park, 23rd May 2014We had been to <a href="http://www.bletchleypark.org.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bletchley Park</a> some years before. As we had enjoyed that visit so much we went on a day coach trip as a wedding anniversary treat. My personal opinion is that it should now be called Botch-Up Park. Where on our previous visit there had seemed to be many collections, societies and re-enactment/living history groups now there were seemingly sterile buildings with far too much of the atmosphere gone. What I found incredulous was that the <a href="http://www.tnmoc.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">National Museum of Computing</a> is not part of the Trust so that visitors need to leave the Trust property through the entrance and walk to the Museum which is at the opposite end of the Trust's boundary. When we visited last time, when we saw the computers ~ as far as we can remember ~ they had been part of the overall site. In the Trust's favour, the map handed to visitors was extremely useful in finding our way around and gave suggestions as to what to see in a visitor's time available. Multimedia guides were also available.<br />
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During the Second World War Bletchley Park was the home of the Government Code and Cypher School. Here enemy codes were broken, eventually with the use of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Turing/Welchman Bombe</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus_computer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Colossus</a>, the world's first electronic computer.<br />
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Much of what we saw was of more interest to Dave than to me but then much of what I wanted to see was of little interest to him. So we compromised.<br />
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The first thing that caught my eye in the Visitor Centre was the poster for knitted socks. This was at the entrance into Introductory Exhibition. There was much to see and absorb in this exhibition, and I found it helpful to go back and look at it again at the<span style="background-color: white;"> end of our visit. </span><br />
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From the Visitor Centre we visited the National Radio Centre ~ operated by the <a href="http://rsgb.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Radio Society of Great Britain</a> ~ where Dave was in his element. In fact we visited the Radio Centre quite a few times on that day.<br />
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As we wended our way round we found many of the buildings occupied but not open to visitors and a few other buildings marked on the map as open to visitors but were actually closed. To give Bletchley Park its due, it is undergoing restoration funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. <br />
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Following my interest in the Home Front I was content to come across a reconstruction of a bedroom in which a female operator who lived in digs would have slept. The blankets folded over the back of the green wicker chair are knitted.<br />
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And the reconstruction of a living room, complete with knitting and knitting patterns. The knitting pattern shown in the top of the following two pictures is Bestway 877 for Sailor, Soldier and Airman Dolls. The embroidery is a just about my level ~ <span id="goog_1775799986"></span><a href="http://www.art-of-threads.com/chain-stitch-family/lazy-daisy-stitch" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">lazy daisy stitches</a><span id="goog_1775799987"></span>. See also the socks, the rag or latch hook rug and other haberdashery items. Apologies for the reflections from the glass.<br />
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These two rooms were along a wall of a space set out as a classroom. The desks took me back to my primary school days. I spent quite some time in this area while Dave spent some time in the "business" part of the exhibitions in this block. For what is where at Bletchley Park see the <a href="http://www.bletchleypark.org.uk/content/visit/whattosee.rhtm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">What to See</a> section of their website. <br />
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After more exploring and after lunch we started to make our way to the Mansion. The Garage had some impressive vehicles and there was also an exhibition by the <a href="http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/lbmbc/Links/Clubs/clubs.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Leighton Buzzard Model Boat Club</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRRutpb1FP6ZWWM2r4dGOP9c_wTHVf_gw1YjLKVrWIWX9kUoneFRvgMCLCEZKl4aODH3NycrS627GtifSfOl0-ESBMlnaZO9mKXtPR0MpcbaaYBYfO-JI1PKsIKbIgswLdBZE42jzySwoU/s1600/sedan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRRutpb1FP6ZWWM2r4dGOP9c_wTHVf_gw1YjLKVrWIWX9kUoneFRvgMCLCEZKl4aODH3NycrS627GtifSfOl0-ESBMlnaZO9mKXtPR0MpcbaaYBYfO-JI1PKsIKbIgswLdBZE42jzySwoU/s1600/sedan.jpg" height="292" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1940 Pickard Six cylinder Touring Sedan.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1943 Norton WD16H. 500cc single cylinder.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1938 Austin 18 Ambulance. Six cylinders.</span></td></tr>
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The Mansion was not as we remembered it. There were some <a href="http://www.bletchleypark.org.uk/content/visit/whattosee/TheMansion.rhtm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">furnished rooms and the library</a> but the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2288931/Churchill-exhibition-Bletchley-Park-scrapped-museum-bosses-claim-wartime-prime-minister-synonymous-code-breakers-work.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Churchill exhibition had gone</a>. With the chairs set out as they were, the inside of the building looked like a conference centre rather than reflecting the important building that it is. I asked one of the staff in the Mansion shop if she knew what had happened to the Churchill collection and she said that only that day she had heard that it was going to the <a href="http://www.stratfordarmouries.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stratford Armouries</a>. See the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/stratfordarmouriesinfo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stratford Armouries Facebook Page</a> entry dated 9th June 2014.<br />
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Tucked away behind the Mansion are two gems. The first is the <a href="http://www.bletchleycovers.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bletchley Park Post Office</a> which sells first day covers and will send them all over the world. The second is the Holley-Cornelius Toy Collection. This is a small space jam packed with not only toys but also bygone household items including knitting tools, patterns and beautifully knitted garments. All the time visitors could be heard saying phrases like: "I/We had one of those", "I remember them", "I've not seem one of those for years". I bought a Bellmans pattern originally costing one shilling (5p).<br />
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There were many yarncraft tools and haberdashery, some of which I recognised and some which I didn't. What I did see and know about were the wrist yarn holders. The ball goes into the holder with the working end coming out through the hole at the top and the holder is held on the wrist. I used to have one of these years ago and found it extremely useful.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wrist yarn holders.</span></td></tr>
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When I got home I donated a knitting pattern for a Coronation set to the Collection. The pattern had been used so some lucky boy or girl got to wear one of these in 1953.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHpskeF9PMn3U7FqQ77gjRYxRgpHTf0uBdunxeITunZYOHHtuCBKnBaNEAIp-zmZmx5qjnA1yBN-uJvZjYOdNCia6-oEWV-nB1RLQH4Z5MQxMwz3rFhtwO156rPNydnaU7aWhjZLtaTCp/s1600/coronation+set+pattern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHpskeF9PMn3U7FqQ77gjRYxRgpHTf0uBdunxeITunZYOHHtuCBKnBaNEAIp-zmZmx5qjnA1yBN-uJvZjYOdNCia6-oEWV-nB1RLQH4Z5MQxMwz3rFhtwO156rPNydnaU7aWhjZLtaTCp/s1600/coronation+set+pattern.jpg" height="320" width="251" /></a></div>
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In the early afternoon we visited the National Museum of Computing to see the the <a href="http://www.tnmoc.org/explore/colossus-gallery" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Colossus Gallery</a> and the <a href="http://www.tnmoc.org/explore/tunny-gallery" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tunny Gallery</a>. We were fortunate to be with a group of students and we were allowed to stay to listen to the talk they were given. When we returned to Bletchley Park we retraced our steps to make sure that we had seen everything.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwoejQn5gnVQjw9RAIsj0ZNnGnAbC59CoPq7u3XE02T7cI9wjXfrhhoN8BiVxQZv7eIVVi6SneF3RUiVRAaAnezwXsRqz4O3Ek9qLNn2taEzvWFUSc-S6xa2AxXobCwV3ZzQZ-eMuLSVDp/s1600/enigma+machine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwoejQn5gnVQjw9RAIsj0ZNnGnAbC59CoPq7u3XE02T7cI9wjXfrhhoN8BiVxQZv7eIVVi6SneF3RUiVRAaAnezwXsRqz4O3Ek9qLNn2taEzvWFUSc-S6xa2AxXobCwV3ZzQZ-eMuLSVDp/s1600/enigma+machine.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Enigma Cypher Machine.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZn0LEA__InE1CptAo76be4YuB2Lb3hU0_sE65ETW9ygaefMhcTvoX-M9LDDHmHSc_wxjVqFsqzzH2bx2wN0_FBgI_spipud50-cca9hUQWCrbYpCXnQDWen3aWBT5vrOeWOqxc5EYff0A/s1600/german+machine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZn0LEA__InE1CptAo76be4YuB2Lb3hU0_sE65ETW9ygaefMhcTvoX-M9LDDHmHSc_wxjVqFsqzzH2bx2wN0_FBgI_spipud50-cca9hUQWCrbYpCXnQDWen3aWBT5vrOeWOqxc5EYff0A/s1600/german+machine.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lorenz Cypher Machine.</span></td></tr>
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There was time for sustenance before visiting the gift shop and returning home.<br />
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There would be more pictures but the memory card from my camera has become lost.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00277579157497515953noreply@blogger.com1Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, UK52.33146 -0.1825519999999869552.292654999999996 -0.26323299999998695 52.370265 -0.10187099999998694tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856470448608604163.post-69524773420072021182014-10-10T17:09:00.000+01:002014-10-10T17:09:05.854+01:00Beamish Open Air Museum, Whitby and the North York Moors, September 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On Friday 12th September 2014 we left for a coach holiday with <a href="http://www.newmarketholidays.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Newmarket Holidays</a> taking in the <a href="http://www.beamish.org.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Beamish Open Air Museum</a>, <a href="http://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">North York Moors</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitby" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Whitby</a>. We were fortunate in being the last to be picked up by the feeder coach so there was no need for an early morning rush to the pick-up point at the Railway Station. We were taken to Peterborough Services just off the A1 to transfer the the main coach. There were two coaches for this holiday. Although we sometimes saw the second coach we didn't know where the holidaymakers were staying. We had a courier with us at all times who was very personable and very knowledgeable, and also supplied us with maps of the towns we visited. The driver was excellent too. Our holiday was very enjoyable and jam-packed with activities.<br />
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Our major stop northwards was at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrogate" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Harrogate</a>. This is a beautiful spa town in North Yorkshire, noted for its floral displays.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgWesXNev7bkTe9_dM6aq5dXtxFjErrV_FspUlQ6ZU9GSR6R1e951ufpOd9NfPuVb6YJrmlbT2rn6lTjKH0gafsM7lsM0U2_kZsEhi2PoWT7WbrDzgoY6DeX_ezWId8PS5SLc1kLGKfwo/s1600/floral+Harrogate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgWesXNev7bkTe9_dM6aq5dXtxFjErrV_FspUlQ6ZU9GSR6R1e951ufpOd9NfPuVb6YJrmlbT2rn6lTjKH0gafsM7lsM0U2_kZsEhi2PoWT7WbrDzgoY6DeX_ezWId8PS5SLc1kLGKfwo/s1600/floral+Harrogate.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Our courier told us about t<span style="background-color: white;">he spa water, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Pump_Room,_Harrogate" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Royal Pump Room</a>, <a href="http://www.harrogate.gov.uk/pos/Pages/TheStray.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Stray</a>, <a href="http://www.bettys.co.uk/tea-rooms/locations/harrogate" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Betty's Café Tea Rooms</a>, and other interesting facts. The first stage of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Tour_de_France" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2014 Tour de France</a> had started in Leeds and ended in Harrogate on 5th July. Th</span>ere was still some Tour de France bunting in some of the shops but not in the streets, and yellow bicycles were still in place. On Montpelier Hill was <a href="http://www.harrogateadvertiser.co.uk/sport/other-sports/tour-de-france-a-lasting-legacy-for-harrogate-1-6245494" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a beautiful tree sculpture</a> to commemorate the event.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvUbcC4Us23wk11e3wQtRvW3Xli142QHrPxTbh2vGs4T4AaFX2gKRTubQHI-ZxDIop4Br9ir7x7itdEv4RrylDlWNuL1gpiTMt52waC7TFBjCcO1abI1R0L8-tPXgMwp3Mk6334LSMzbF/s1600/TdeF+Harrogate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvUbcC4Us23wk11e3wQtRvW3Xli142QHrPxTbh2vGs4T4AaFX2gKRTubQHI-ZxDIop4Br9ir7x7itdEv4RrylDlWNuL1gpiTMt52waC7TFBjCcO1abI1R0L8-tPXgMwp3Mk6334LSMzbF/s1600/TdeF+Harrogate.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The Tour de France went through Cambridge on Monday 7th July. I had made a small contribution to the <a href="http://paulineknit.blogspot.co.uk/2014_06_01_archive.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">knitted bunting</a> erected for that occasion.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-iGEBNbJvPJq4469PHrK1soskgbpWn8rGK31Xc_B9_YkKGpaZAjZeC9Pplu8NuchcVH6ymKvaQr-PPq-lCL3KJf2PDoxDIGdjx637oSOuIg88QHaDlfcpfrZ1IAqJtxzGI0lmU7QrYsRj/s1600/Tour+de+France+Bunting+-+white,+green,+yellow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-iGEBNbJvPJq4469PHrK1soskgbpWn8rGK31Xc_B9_YkKGpaZAjZeC9Pplu8NuchcVH6ymKvaQr-PPq-lCL3KJf2PDoxDIGdjx637oSOuIg88QHaDlfcpfrZ1IAqJtxzGI0lmU7QrYsRj/s1600/Tour+de+France+Bunting+-+white,+green,+yellow.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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We didn't go into Betty's Café Tea Rooms because there were too many people in there but we did find somewhere else serving tea and cakes which we greatly enjoyed.<br />
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The weather was decidedly cooler than at home and, although I was wearing a jacket and a summer jumper, I was cold.<span style="background-color: white;"> Looking only for something to tide me over the weekend as I had plenty of knits at home (and should have brought some with me) by chance we discovered a Primark. I was ab</span>le to buy a cardigan for £6 and a jumper suitable for evening wear for £5. The cardigan had five mother of pearl-style buttons and two spare. I can't remember where but over the weekend I saw a card of six or eight similar buttons in a craft shop on sale for almost the same price I paid for the cardigan.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1pCu9FfJDER2c7WUIX2agfBheGn1ppEFQ1cDJL37MwhKIWmgPbCPvNwX3IRY_ABDpnAdcbXGzkmvmatn4ZjQCWPNAVPEpBMNlDeB2XcTTJJ5l7M1MwzympdlzTcTUQOc7UdERF1pHVOym/s1600/harrogate+pictures.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1pCu9FfJDER2c7WUIX2agfBheGn1ppEFQ1cDJL37MwhKIWmgPbCPvNwX3IRY_ABDpnAdcbXGzkmvmatn4ZjQCWPNAVPEpBMNlDeB2XcTTJJ5l7M1MwzympdlzTcTUQOc7UdERF1pHVOym/s1600/harrogate+pictures.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Harrogate.</span></td></tr>
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We reached the hotel in the late afternoon, the <a href="http://www.parkheadcountryhotel.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Park Head Hotel</a> at New Coundon, Bishop Auckland, County Durham.<br />
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There were some courtyard rooms but we had a room inside the main building. Although the room window faced the courtyard, the courtyard couldn't be seen very well beyond the roofscape.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibnmC4M-nMKcGWXbKWlb_1dejp2k8yGCOmZBwzLHzR-KbRmR8oTZx1kTCFwung7MvfH933bcVyYABn1IoUmTfAnwTISuEonaGcy0-G_XGgiWvHhdDegHlZrlB0H999aS4PL5bB4DpOBXRl/s1600/park+head+courtyard+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibnmC4M-nMKcGWXbKWlb_1dejp2k8yGCOmZBwzLHzR-KbRmR8oTZx1kTCFwung7MvfH933bcVyYABn1IoUmTfAnwTISuEonaGcy0-G_XGgiWvHhdDegHlZrlB0H999aS4PL5bB4DpOBXRl/s1600/park+head+courtyard+2.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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The room was clean and welcoming. The food was excellent, with carvery service for the main course at dinner and self-service at breakfast ~ and plenty of it. As a vegetarian, I had no problem with the food choices and amounts offered. In reception and the dining room were framed pictures which, at first, looked like tapestries, but were excellent lookalikes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7LEgCFDvrQ2eIA3CDe5hKr1lIJqi5rWRtzO2KW3910XS6ifk3rkHG3ODzTbHKRtLv8dgrrRCnbqbeHAipio8viLWegBnHB1lHk9St0lUN92yeuHmypAOoru0JnGteoafbTIoIYvY0Q2rS/s1600/Tapestry+lookalike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7LEgCFDvrQ2eIA3CDe5hKr1lIJqi5rWRtzO2KW3910XS6ifk3rkHG3ODzTbHKRtLv8dgrrRCnbqbeHAipio8viLWegBnHB1lHk9St0lUN92yeuHmypAOoru0JnGteoafbTIoIYvY0Q2rS/s1600/Tapestry+lookalike.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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In a way we were glad there was no entertainment. This gave us an opportunity to keep on top of electronic messages, to chat to the other guests, and to get to bed early.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJhvulMk-NVEzECZmfrAdxMD92yLrK4zzeONbNSWWez8uENdMIkz8ZbsLyRY26hbh__BLzBw4E0tXHCUlul2wrReATadhjzerG1ZWS6o57omNtfFkdm2RdIZWGiDuCmPgzB4j0ECOUIk5F/s1600/Us+at+park+head.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: yellow; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJhvulMk-NVEzECZmfrAdxMD92yLrK4zzeONbNSWWez8uENdMIkz8ZbsLyRY26hbh__BLzBw4E0tXHCUlul2wrReATadhjzerG1ZWS6o57omNtfFkdm2RdIZWGiDuCmPgzB4j0ECOUIk5F/s1600/Us+at+park+head.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: small;">Left: Dave relaxing in the bar after dinner and showing off his<br />hand knitted gadget pouch.<br />Right: Me wearing my Primark jumper. </span></td></tr>
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Saturday required an early start, breakfast at 7am and departure at 8am. The coach took us over the North York Moors to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickering,_North_Yorkshire" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pickering</a>, a pretty town in North Yorkshire, where we were to catch the 10.30am train on the <a href="http://www.nymr.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">North Yorkshire Moors Railway</a> (see also this link: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Yorkshire_Moors_Railway" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">North Yorkshire Moors Railway</a>) to Grosmont. Unfortunately the train wouldn't start and we had to wait for the 11.37am train. The NYMR preserved railway also passes through <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goathland" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Goathland</a>, where the television series <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartbeat_(UK_TV_series)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Heartbeat</a></i> was filmed. We had a good look around Pickering station before taking ourselves off into the town. The station had a small memorial garden to the railway men and women who fell during the Second World War.<br />
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By chance we found <a href="http://poppiestraditionaltearooms.webs.com/" target="_blank">Poppies Tea Rooms</a>. Teapots with hand knitted cosies in one window, a basket full of knitted hedgehogs, yarn and patterns in the other. Inside we found a single room divided into a small tearoom area, a knit and natter session, and areas for yarn and patterns and.... Just perfect for me! Considering my passion for knitting and our passion for hedgehogs, the hedgehog pattern<span style="background-color: white;"> ~ <a href="http://www.kingcole.co.uk/knitting-patterns/toys-and-novelties/hegehog.html" target="_blank">King Cole 9015</a> ~ and yarn ~ <a href="http://www.kingcole.co.uk/knitting-yarns/chunky/tinsel-chunky.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">King Cole Tinsel Chunky, colour Gold</a> ~ were immediately bought and kept until we got home. The pattern gives instructions for Small, Medium and Large hedgehogs. We choose Large. He measures 25cm (10 inches) from tip of nose to rear end. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkW2YKnD9N4hD5-uuLk-hBvmrVn2RN64BLeoShFmfTmz5R7-pinqUBw6FNcb_n54gTRG5m2mZhZyjGUURdELsFwVpj4NoHhPIetL8vqm3hU1bLcTj6wbA11rVMsTzMk9kga-g_1dWygsR/s1600/Tinsel+Ted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkW2YKnD9N4hD5-uuLk-hBvmrVn2RN64BLeoShFmfTmz5R7-pinqUBw6FNcb_n54gTRG5m2mZhZyjGUURdELsFwVpj4NoHhPIetL8vqm3hU1bLcTj6wbA11rVMsTzMk9kga-g_1dWygsR/s1600/Tinsel+Ted.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: small;">Completed knitted hedgehog, which we have named Tinsel Ted. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">We continu</span>ed our wander around the town before finding another, bigger, tea room ~ <a href="http://www.botham.co.uk/bakery/Pickering-Shop-and-Tea-Room.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bothams</a>. We were about to order tea for two when we spotted on the menu an 'all day' cream tea at a very reasonable price so we settled on one of these. An enormous scone each, a small jar of jam each and a more than adequate dish of thick cream each, plus the tea. All with more than £2 change from a ten pound note. Highly recommended.<br />
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We wended our way back to the station and caught the train. It was diesel engine ~ as befitted the special diesel engine weekend ~ and not steam but it didn't matter. The blocks on the edge of the platform are there for a reason ~ there is a high step and a wide gap to negotiate to get on the train.<br />
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On the journey we saw the <i><a href="http://www.sirnigelgresley.org.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sir Nigel Gresley</a></i> Pacific engine (see also <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LNER_Class_A4_4498_Sir_Nigel_Gresley" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LNER_Class_A4_4498_Sir_Nigel_Gresley</a>). When we reached Grosmont the coach was waiting to take us on to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitby" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Whitby</a>. The drive into Whitby was incredible, with beautiful views of the town from the high ground.<br />
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On reaching Whitby we telephoned our friend Pip who came to pick us up and take us home to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wragby-Farm/316644078459119" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wragby Farm</a> for a brief visit. She made us very welcome, offering tea and cheese sandwiches with delicious home made chutney. Duke, not knowing us, suitably raised the alarm but he soon settled.<br />
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After much chatting and catching up, we went to see Pip's <a href="http://www.teeswater-sheep.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Teeswater sheep</a>, including the recent prizewinners.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK498OZRP8PcFMDfbbmfyGRlN5zvw6B9GCY9YnYrPrK5oAIuIm3zUqUbQnHSPOiDfOLPCGaPp0W2mRh3ZleuM-HGTIUw1TWu2jHTaTw0WeV4KTkyOAunPzkA4O9PnGQr653zBTyxsKMflu/s1600/prizewinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK498OZRP8PcFMDfbbmfyGRlN5zvw6B9GCY9YnYrPrK5oAIuIm3zUqUbQnHSPOiDfOLPCGaPp0W2mRh3ZleuM-HGTIUw1TWu2jHTaTw0WeV4KTkyOAunPzkA4O9PnGQr653zBTyxsKMflu/s1600/prizewinner.jpg" height="320" width="148" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I won first prize"</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wyC3jIKjsODPsGNl-Z43j4A3ETZvQac0eWZprem6Nj6UNK2Tjh0B9dkm2ywOLUabfb1QEpgsZhuh4lTuk4JiFAcryN7dOaXYQlGQbahJ4w2ThaYAFRFk06ZtAsT_oilPypGWnbQiBpYK/s1600/part+flock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wyC3jIKjsODPsGNl-Z43j4A3ETZvQac0eWZprem6Nj6UNK2Tjh0B9dkm2ywOLUabfb1QEpgsZhuh4lTuk4JiFAcryN7dOaXYQlGQbahJ4w2ThaYAFRFk06ZtAsT_oilPypGWnbQiBpYK/s1600/part+flock.jpg" height="229" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Some of the ewes. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: yellow;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">It must have been in 2007 when we visited Pip while we were on a coach holiday based at Scarborough. We missed her when we later stayed at Bridlington. During that 2007 visit I ordered some of the yarn that had been spun from Pip's Teeswater fleeces. I designed and started to make myself a jacket, finishing the back and part of one of the fronts. At that time I was still working and active in the community so was not as speedy knitting as I should have been. The pattern has long since been misplaced but I intend to find it and continue with the garment. I did not dye the yarn before knitting because I wanted to keep the natural fleece colour and lustre.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVA2pezg1gHlazIskfwoN9Mj4qSEWgZAAohhB2Ga6KisZRnhgnV6lHnPykqlIadOkIUCwXoCk1VCd4qZCXD2em3HVeymJhH6SrZM6TUfhpeZG-dB44t6bcUtKoxc5IZEQJT61CcL_x2S4/s1600/Teeswater+back+&+LF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVA2pezg1gHlazIskfwoN9Mj4qSEWgZAAohhB2Ga6KisZRnhgnV6lHnPykqlIadOkIUCwXoCk1VCd4qZCXD2em3HVeymJhH6SrZM6TUfhpeZG-dB44t6bcUtKoxc5IZEQJT61CcL_x2S4/s1600/Teeswater+back+&+LF.jpg" height="226" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Teeswater jacket back and part of left front.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXp5uPSv4tKg4GXM3f0U8N_kKxZPonQ9iSYL-EDE_Hlcw6Xkrk0DDu-1ooiwVe36Y0fs8IVnuWJB5GZjEI9x4_7vT5sbYnZ6FuVvYP5nlHmnF1mgAnzQUOMdtk8Uh-zJnm6rXAELH_dHm/s1600/teeswater+jacket+back+rib+detail+taken+6.10.14+reduced.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXp5uPSv4tKg4GXM3f0U8N_kKxZPonQ9iSYL-EDE_Hlcw6Xkrk0DDu-1ooiwVe36Y0fs8IVnuWJB5GZjEI9x4_7vT5sbYnZ6FuVvYP5nlHmnF1mgAnzQUOMdtk8Uh-zJnm6rXAELH_dHm/s1600/teeswater+jacket+back+rib+detail+taken+6.10.14+reduced.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Teeswater jacket back cabled rib detail</span></td></tr>
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We didn't have much time and all to soon it was time to leave. We didn't see Pip's Dexter cattle except for a wave as we drove past the field on the way back to Whitby. Thank you Pip for a wonderful meet up. We hope to see you again soon.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE3mOAkFs1PfKOHDzG0zhH7BvXuCEIxRM6wETG2LX0-6idXT4_DXkHzL1V_W_iJk7SzZrGhIv_I_afGR6lLiRCsum-y5iRN17VM7CVYhwQ-4lIOors8IUWeNzeW4U5-VvxNAsyesGkQusc/s1600/Pip+and+us+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE3mOAkFs1PfKOHDzG0zhH7BvXuCEIxRM6wETG2LX0-6idXT4_DXkHzL1V_W_iJk7SzZrGhIv_I_afGR6lLiRCsum-y5iRN17VM7CVYhwQ-4lIOors8IUWeNzeW4U5-VvxNAsyesGkQusc/s1600/Pip+and+us+2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Top: Pip and Dave.<br />Bottom: Pip and me. </span></td></tr>
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We returned to the hotel by coach but I slept most of the way and missed the North York Moors scenery. In fact I slept a lot on the coach, often leaning over into the aisle and waking up wondering where I was. Another good dinner followed by an early night. At least Sunday's breakfast wasn't until 8am.<br />
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We left the hotel at 9am to go to <a href="http://www.beamish.org.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Beamish Open Air Museum</a>. We had already decided where we wanted to go and had planned our route. We started off walking from the entrance building to the colliery, first taking ourselves around t<span style="background-color: white;">he winding engine building. </span><br />
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We went <span style="background-color: white;">t</span>o the Mahogany Drift Mine where we were taken inside the mine by an extremely knowledgeable, enthusiastic and interesting guide. It started off OK, walking upright, but then the mine became darker and darker, lower and lower, wetter and wetter. We were grateful for the protection of hard hats. The guide described how men would work eight hour shifts, the shift times not starting until the men had reached the coal face, often working in spaces only 18 inches (46cm) high. He turned off the light and nothing whatsoever could be seen. As well as men and boys, ponies worked in this mine.<br />
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We went into the engine shed before going to the 1910s pit village, starting at Francis Street, a row of furnished and peopled cottages. [The pushchair was not part of the exhibit.]<br />
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The gardens were at the front of the houses and each garden was different. One completely turned to vegetables, one with livestock and so on.<br />
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Inside the houses were fully furnished in the style of the time. Women were cooking in kitchen with blazing fires. One of the bedrooms had this beautiful bed. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">We also espied these lovely cushions. The one on the left looks as though it is patchwork, the one on the right looks as though it could be a form of candlewick. We couldn't get close enough to find out. The picture was taken using a telephoto lens.</span><br />
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There were floral buttonhole making sessions in the Band Hall but we didn't go in. Even at this early stage of our visit we were wondering if we would have enough time to see everything Beamish had to offer. We gave the school a miss as well. However, we did visit the colliery stables which were home to three ponies. As we walked on to the 1940s farm there was a wonderful view of the pit village.<br />
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Before going to the farmhouse and farm cottages we stopped at the British Kitchen for rest and refreshment. Initially I misinterpreted the name, thinking it was an exhibit of a 1940s-style kitchen and cooking demonstrations. We were glad we stopped there. A cheeky robin kept appearing on the fence, probably hopeful for some of our scraps. Behind the opposite fence was a clattering of jackdaws. With the comings and going we think that we counted eight. There seemed to be some food behind the fence because the birds always had something in their beak when flying from the ground to the top of the fence. Bees were visiting some pink flowers, crawling deep inside. Somewhere inside the main flower in the photograph is a busy bee.<br />
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In the farm cottages we found two women cooking, again with a blazing fire, another woman crocheting a snood and anothe<span style="background-color: white;">r knitting a scarf using a pattern from a Sirdar knitting pattern booklet for the Forces. We conversed with the yarn crafters. The young woman making the scarf had not been knitting for very long and I prom</span>ised to email her the pattern for some garter stitch gloves, which I did. We also visited the main farmhouse.<br />
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In all the houses we visited at Beamish there were rag rugs on the floor and some in progress. The Beamish gift shop had the book <i><a href="http://friendsofbeamish.co.uk/quilting/ragstoriches.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">From Rags to Riches</a> North Country Rag Rugs, The Beamish Collections</i> ~ by Rosemary E Allan on sale and I am annoyed with myself for not buying a copy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Dd7C-aQrGL6MxGPnxvQyTgC5o3w_qnNabtkQCHmNWQwgud1rcIQnydWlIG_95WihZWWyEt1pSJCNZbrHsAoqXcRzLVWHO8Cd20gzsciu8Eu1DcBIN79q1P5zTgsQphf1aM_ToPTG2P0f/s1600/1940s+farm+rag+rug+WIP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Dd7C-aQrGL6MxGPnxvQyTgC5o3w_qnNabtkQCHmNWQwgud1rcIQnydWlIG_95WihZWWyEt1pSJCNZbrHsAoqXcRzLVWHO8Cd20gzsciu8Eu1DcBIN79q1P5zTgsQphf1aM_ToPTG2P0f/s1600/1940s+farm+rag+rug+WIP.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rag rug in progress in the farmhouse. </span></td></tr>
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Alongside the farmhouse was a stable with three horses. The two horses nearest to the through footpath for the public were extremely good natured, allowing themselves to be patted, spoken to and photographed. The third horse was on the other side of one of these horses, in an enclosed space with no public access to go up close. I felt really sorry for him missing out on any attention and petting.<br />
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We took advantage of the transport provided to travel to the 1910s town. We gave the fairground a miss ~ not our scene ~ and took just a cursory look at the railway station while we were seeing the town. We heard what we thought was a steam engine but didn't see it, even after waiting for some while to see if it would arrive.<br />
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When viewing the town we started off at the Freemason's Hall, at the opposite end to the railway station. An imposing building. The stained glass was breathtaking.<br />
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Next door was Barclays Bank. The town also boasted a baker, a Co-operative store, garage, sweetie shop, music teacher, dentist, and more. Dave lost his resolve and bought some jelly beans. The town also had a beautiful park.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">The Annfield Plain Industrial Co-operative Society shop was stocked with anything and everything anyone could want ~ or didn't know they wanted until they saw it. Here could be seen "Superior quality handkerchief initials" by J and J Cash Ltd, Coventry, and skeins of Shetland and other wools. In addition there were threads and haberdashery of all types.</span><br />
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We caught the tram to the 1820s Pockerley Old Hall, which like the other exhibits had re-enactors. Lots of lovely things in here, including luxurious beds, more cooking, and not so dark as the miners' and farm workers' houses.<br />
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We took a slow walk down the slope to the medieval church under construction, St Helen's from Eston in Cleveland. Some of the bricks still had the chalk numbers on them so that they could be reassembled in their correct places.We rested while watching from a distance the 1820s Pockerley Waggonway. The guest steam engine <i>The Steam Elephant</i> chugged backwards and forwards with its motley collection of carriages.<br />
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From there we walked to the tram stop. On the way we met a glorious pig. The photographs do not do justice to her enormous size.<br />
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We caught the tram up the hill to the entrance building, the shop and the refreshments. While we were enjoying our cup of tea a woman asked me where I had bought my brooch. Dave had bought it for me about twenty years ago so I doubt if the same design would be available now. She was disappointed because her friend "back home" in America is hedgehog crazy and would have loved a brooch like it.<br />
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Dave was able to give her the website addresses of the <a href="http://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">British Hedgehog Preservation Society</a> and <a href="http://www.hedgehogcare.org.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hedgehog Care </a>and she went away happy. We found our way back to the coach and travelled back to the hotel tired but content.<br />
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On Monday we travelled home via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richmond,_North_Yorkshire" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Richmond, North Yorkshire</a>. On the way we saw the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_of_the_North" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Angel of the North</a>, stopping for a photoshoot.<br />
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At Richmond, the first building we wanted to see was <a href="http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/richmond-castle/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Richmond Castle</a>. Not sure how long it would take us to properly explore the castle and knowing that there were many other buildings we wanted to see in the time available we didn't go in.<br />
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The area at the front of the left picture above was the beer garden of The Bishop Blaize public house. We were amused by the potted history of the town written on the blackboard.<br />
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We carried on walking, liking the town very much, but we were not too sure of the cobbled walkways under our feet on steeply sloped streets. We were glad that it wasn't icy or snowy weather. From the castle we found our way back in <a href="http://www.richmondhudswellparish.org.uk/holy-trinity-chapel.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trinity Church Square</a> and on to <a href="http://www.richmond.org/guide/friary.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Friary Gardens</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Trinity Church.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Friary Gardens</span></td></tr>
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We then started to walk along Friars Wynd, which is directly opposite the view of the Friary ruins shown in the above picture on the right, back towards Trinity Church Square, past the <a href="http://www.georgiantheatreroyal.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Georgian Theatre Royal</a> and one of the postern gates into the town. We decided to view the inside of the theatre and experience a treat to the eyes, to the mind and to the soul. The guide was so very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the theatre. A visit highly recommended to any visitor to Richmond.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7BU53q4xeF2rzkVJKrpgoX9jGcXQCqZR9f45t4hQo6BwgjTq0jk3LxCIEyP5b9aY6ZEFNX8c_Ag4l-mHph2RewfArFVPFfVTeNuzCV0atbAMEeFt0vwSFu8YIpuq7A-6Gtbj6iLzCkW9/s1600/Theatre+Royal+Richm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7BU53q4xeF2rzkVJKrpgoX9jGcXQCqZR9f45t4hQo6BwgjTq0jk3LxCIEyP5b9aY6ZEFNX8c_Ag4l-mHph2RewfArFVPFfVTeNuzCV0atbAMEeFt0vwSFu8YIpuq7A-6Gtbj6iLzCkW9/s1600/Theatre+Royal+Richm.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Georgian Theatre Royal.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZnp49sPP3wyE-EkNWQARPtZSZb3cN-IqTSoZMzG0ydnCDLVRUPO_C4MRGi4a4YWdhGEmtMJhue3B4O3z6nRuv-cVDN_qiaN6KBbkBrdG2QO7DfVyHeCuBfuw79InwfhCVu9PCgUCEGG2/s1600/entrance+to+Friar's%2BWynd%2BRichmond.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZnp49sPP3wyE-EkNWQARPtZSZb3cN-IqTSoZMzG0ydnCDLVRUPO_C4MRGi4a4YWdhGEmtMJhue3B4O3z6nRuv-cVDN_qiaN6KBbkBrdG2QO7DfVyHeCuBfuw79InwfhCVu9PCgUCEGG2/s1600/entrance+to+Friar's%2BWynd%2BRichmond.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Entrance to Friars Wynd from opposite the Friary ruins.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCanOGeHyssAOyyiLQHRJ_jqix2qP4QsFf1Uhk43wTG2QOSoRa3hXkpC5dlDMjAEWkw_U96LSjdM0MsFR7J0sa5tjzvr7DFSKrAWiJfBxx0YDDIWHL0aOu5i3isSHvg6bDjxVk0lnndxU/s1600/FWynd+to+TCSq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCanOGeHyssAOyyiLQHRJ_jqix2qP4QsFf1Uhk43wTG2QOSoRa3hXkpC5dlDMjAEWkw_U96LSjdM0MsFR7J0sa5tjzvr7DFSKrAWiJfBxx0YDDIWHL0aOu5i3isSHvg6bDjxVk0lnndxU/s1600/FWynd+to+TCSq.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Friars Wynd looking towards Trinity Church Square. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The postern gate can be seen in the picture on the left.</span></td></tr>
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We came out by Trinity Church and almost opposite the front of The Bishop Blaize public house.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSeHuEzUs8iGZIsB4ccuNkkbVEN2baU7PstkdBGtu4VxrL6Sv02_1-c-4LoHJbNGZVRAN6lq3zjsyVBCYo7s_guIcLo84-klm72uhwOQPA0mNKcZQ18o03zOBet-8TNkw7h97bz0CE6Gi/s1600/Front+of+The+Bishop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSeHuEzUs8iGZIsB4ccuNkkbVEN2baU7PstkdBGtu4VxrL6Sv02_1-c-4LoHJbNGZVRAN6lq3zjsyVBCYo7s_guIcLo84-klm72uhwOQPA0mNKcZQ18o03zOBet-8TNkw7h97bz0CE6Gi/s1600/Front+of+The+Bishop.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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We found the <a href="http://www.crossviewtearooms.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cross View Tea Rooms & Restaurant</a> for cups of tea and enormous cakes before boarding coach for home. When not sleeping on the coach I had done some knitting while travelling and also when at the hotel. <span style="background-color: white;">There were other women knitting on the coach also. I was able to complete three garter stitch scarves for younger children for <a href="http://www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shoeboxes</a>, two knitted vertically with pointed ends and one knitted lengthways/sideways. The pointed scarves are easy to make. Work right side rows as "knit one stitch, knit two stitches together, knit to the last two stitches, knit into the front and then the back of the next stitch, knit last stitch". Work wrong side rows as "knit every stitch" without shaping. When measuring, let the needle lay at the same angle as the cast on edge. Note that the scarf width will be narrower than the cast on edge as a result of the sloped knitting. The yarn for all three scarves was donated Patons Mona Lisa worked using 4.5mm needles. Pictures below. </span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj74lPozMScOx2v-zXaRyV5-7IOea4XKLLIdhiaakLiaVaoLwTIwW2R43nPICUHPOoJhzHPAwbggThvxZ8TcZRE4_f9jZdgcwFYYh5kEl7EYyK-eyLzhh2TU3W4Lehbama1Una-91kfLBvD/s1600/Two+pointed+end+scarves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj74lPozMScOx2v-zXaRyV5-7IOea4XKLLIdhiaakLiaVaoLwTIwW2R43nPICUHPOoJhzHPAwbggThvxZ8TcZRE4_f9jZdgcwFYYh5kEl7EYyK-eyLzhh2TU3W4Lehbama1Una-91kfLBvD/s1600/Two+pointed+end+scarves.jpg" height="174" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: small;">Two garter stitch scarves with pointed ends.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: small;">Shown together to prove I am not claiming the same one twice!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: yellow;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1fG8VH1IqcdqpzsZBo_AnJroWneOXtfB5AvkirPIIkgCqjBtubqrR2Gv41oFtIh9NiT36N-iUygcWMZWycHD_EzrJlmVg8Wgw3krpB0C3U938WM6yOYgAo7dwWaPRNpF3IG8AP7Y4lITb/s1600/sideways+knitted+scarf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1fG8VH1IqcdqpzsZBo_AnJroWneOXtfB5AvkirPIIkgCqjBtubqrR2Gv41oFtIh9NiT36N-iUygcWMZWycHD_EzrJlmVg8Wgw3krpB0C3U938WM6yOYgAo7dwWaPRNpF3IG8AP7Y4lITb/s1600/sideways+knitted+scarf.jpg" height="200" width="140" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: small;">Garter stitch scarf worked lengthways/sideways.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyMHEwQsN6gIRGellUx1j3M9KJRbNtyvFIpo1A9acS__RaIDjSnx5eUgmdZrd-FGcwLO7sVRu9EiQY95MhZuN4KOeYLptNpq_ipMZ-gX5d38son8nLhnac2ZMONwuUnpKSGYEhA49FmNmG/s1600/one+pointed+end+and+one+widthways+knitted+scarf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyMHEwQsN6gIRGellUx1j3M9KJRbNtyvFIpo1A9acS__RaIDjSnx5eUgmdZrd-FGcwLO7sVRu9EiQY95MhZuN4KOeYLptNpq_ipMZ-gX5d38son8nLhnac2ZMONwuUnpKSGYEhA49FmNmG/s1600/one+pointed+end+and+one+widthways+knitted+scarf.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: small;">One garter stitch scarf with pointed ends </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: small;">and one garter stitch scarf worked lengthways/sideways. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: small;">The yarn is variegated and the direction of the rows can be seen.</span></td></tr>
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We reached Peterborough with a smooth crossover to the feeder coach to take us back to our original pick up point. Here we took a taxi for the short distance home. We had had a superb and happy time, so glad that we had experienced this holiday. We knew we were back home after we had been indoors only minutes, when there was a telephone call from someone trying to sell us solar panels.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00277579157497515953noreply@blogger.com0Huntingdon, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, UK52.33146 -0.1825519999999869552.292654999999996 -0.26323299999998695 52.370265 -0.10187099999998694tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856470448608604163.post-88357488184110227612014-08-25T14:12:00.002+01:002014-08-25T14:12:55.819+01:00"Police Five" and other innocent brushes with The Law<a href="http://www.channel5.com/shows/police-5"><i>Police Five</i></a> recently made a comeback on Channel 5.<br />
<br />
I remember when the original programme first hit our television screens in the early 1960s with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaw_Taylor">Shaw Taylor</a> as the presenter. Now in his late 80s he presented the Channel 5 show.<br />
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One day someone knocked on our door to ask if he could take some photographs from the window of my parents' bedroom. Apparently this window in our second floor flat was the ideal place to take some action shots of the recreation of the robbery that had happened in the business opposite. This was when we lived at the Borough in London.<br />
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I was off school on the day the photographer was due, home on my own. I cannot remember whether it was a school holiday or whether I had been poorly. When a knock at the door finally came, it wasn't the photographer but two plain clothes police officers to protect me. One of my parents had telephoned the police station with doubts about leaving me on my own and this was the result. The remainder of the day for me was spent playing cards and drinking tea with these two fellows. They must have been bored out of their wits. The photographer never came.<br />
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The police officers told me to leave the milk on the doorstep (this was in the days when everyone had their milk delivered) and when my mother came home she started a tongue lashing about how lazy I was because I "couldn't even be bothered to take in the milk". Her attitude soon changed when faced with the two men.<br />
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Anyway, checks were made and the photographers eventually arrived, this time when I was at school and one of my parents was at home. The stills were shown on the <i>Police 5</i> programme but I don't remember whether or not the robbers were caught. Although exciting at the time ~ I suppose in my lonely-only world of childhood I felt like I was on the set of <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z-Cars" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Z Cars</a></i> ~ the incident is insignificant now.<br />
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My mother had a circle of friends, one of whom was married to a Special Constable. On one occasion I was asked to join them at the Policeman's Ball (no kidding). Having stayed in Oxford for a while and attended a ball or two, I wore the pink brocade gown and pearls I had worn on those occasions. My mother said nothing. I am recording the humiliation of arriving at the Policeman's Ball to find that it was not a formal affair at all. To make it worse a string of pearls broke and the beads scattered everywhere. On the plus side, every female was given a manicure set, some of the pieces of which I still have.<br />
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Knowing this Special Constable did have its benefits. One night when I was followed home on a train I was able to ring him from the station and he took me home. Mother was far from pleased, not about my being followed but because I had called out her friend.<br />
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It was on the evening my 25th birthday when my then friend Gillian and I were walking from Glasgow Central Station to the University of Strathclyde Students' Union disco to celebrate. I felt a tug at my bag, to see it disappearing along the street clutched in the hand of a young fellow. Believe it or not the words "Stop! Thief!" ejected from my mouth as Gillian and I gave chase. Other people joined in and the fellow was eventually caught by an off duty policeman. My joy was tempered somewhat when I found that my brand new handbag, given to me by my mother for my birthday and was being used for the first time, had been dropped in a puddle. Part of the lining was soaked and forever stained but other than that not much damage was done.<br />
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Gillian and I had to go to the police station to give statements. In our finery of long skirts, high heels, jewellery and makeup, we were ushered into the front of a Black Maria like a pair of streetwalkers for the journey, the thief safely locked up in the back. I got my bag back with nothing missing. The young fellow had escaped from a youth detention centre a few days previously and would be sent back. So no charges were brought and we were allowed to go on our way to the disco ~ in the back of a police car.<br />
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So Dave and I were enjoying our stay at Matlock Bath. We had walked into Matlock for a meal and were in Matlock Bath walking back to our B&B when we saw a Border Collie running backwards and forwards across the main road running alongside the river. Fearing an accident we managed to catch the dog but there was no disc with name and contact details. Being not far from our lodging we managed to get the dog there and Dave ~ always prepared for anything and everything ~ found a length of rope in the car which made a makeshift lead. The dog obediently came to the telephone box with us while we rang the police.<br />
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Could we please take the dog to the Police Station? We couldn't take him in the car because Dave had had a pint or two so we had to walk back to Matlock. One of the policemen thought he knew who the dog belonged to but had to put him in the kennel in the meantime. The dog had for some reason taken a liking to me and was reluctant to go. Not long after the policeman and dog had disappeared, the policeman came back: "Excuse me, madam. Would you mind coming with me. We can't get the dog in the kennel." 'Madam' went and the dog did as requested. We received an apology for the dog not being collected but there were not any police cars equipped to carry dogs available. But we did get a lift back to our B&B in a police car. We just hoped that nobody was looking out of the window.<br />
<br />
Then there was the time we went on a drive to Derbyshire. It was one of Dave's rest days and the car had been fixed at the garage a few days previously so we decided to take Billy, our Border Collie, for a run around <a href="http://www.peakdistrictinformation.com/visits/blackrocks.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Black Rock</a>. We travelled without incident on the motorway and pulled off onto the exit slip road. As we did the car ground to a halt. I had just enough time to take my mobile phone from my bag and to start dialling the breakdown company when a police car screeched (or so it seemed) to a halt and two burly fellows got out to admonish us for stopping on the slip road. When they saw our poor engine and realised that we couldn't move another inch even if we tried, they were extremely helpful. Eventually the breakdown lorry arrived, one that would accept a dog as a passenger, and had to take us back all the way to Cambridgeshire. Just as well Billy liked being driven around. It's just a shame that he missed his walk. But we consider ourselves lucky because if the car had stopped working on the motorway ...<br />
<br />
We were going to Elena's wedding in Margate. We had accommodation booked for the night of the wedding but not for the night before. We had accepted a lift on the Friday and thought that we could find a room when we got there. The hotel where we were to stay on Saturday was fully booked so we started to look at B&Bs for vacancies. We found one not far from the hotel. When freshening up we could not help but notice that there was only a small hand towel between us. We asked the proprietor about towels to be told: "You've got one." This set the tone of the accommodation. It was only mid-afternoon so we were able to go shopping and buy some decent towels. It didn't make much change to the facilities in the room because the used water in the sink didn't drain away. Our complaint didn't make any difference.<br />
<br />
We enjoyed our evening with family in their hotel and we managed a decent sleep in our room. The following morning using the sink still wasn't an option but there was nobody using the bathroom so we were each able to make full use of it. Breakfast was uneventful until we heard more voices and the dining room filled with bodies. It was a police raid. Thankfully it didn't affect us.<br />
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We found refuge with family in their hotel until our room was ready. The wedding was a wonderful occasion which went, as far as were concerned, without a hitch.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00277579157497515953noreply@blogger.com0Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, UK52.33146 -0.1825519999999869552.292654999999996 -0.26323299999998695 52.370265 -0.10187099999998694tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856470448608604163.post-45903998990699498762014-08-22T12:04:00.001+01:002014-08-31T14:50:53.048+01:00RAF Boy Entrants 48th Entry: 50th Anniversary of Passing Out CelebrationsThis 50th anniversary celebration being held in July and not, as was <a href="http://paulineehornsby.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/raf-boy-entrants-48th-entry-50th.html"><span style="color: blue;">the 50th anniversary of the 48th Entry joining up</span></a>, in January, the weather was much kinder to us. No snow!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzSm97e1RpHXnoEXtl1CPO03dj5rF5DjOzvBQzOcQbp1QxeRZvWiv-NhVHyiw1HQOJ9aD96pXMsTwdhiQBhenr7sp7zzE65Uv1eXCXZ_0JcvwHcE-D_V6Z76YiQnlydHRwbE_NOonojhe/s1600/cosford+camp+entrance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzSm97e1RpHXnoEXtl1CPO03dj5rF5DjOzvBQzOcQbp1QxeRZvWiv-NhVHyiw1HQOJ9aD96pXMsTwdhiQBhenr7sp7zzE65Uv1eXCXZ_0JcvwHcE-D_V6Z76YiQnlydHRwbE_NOonojhe/s1600/cosford+camp+entrance.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cosford RAF Camp entrance January 2013.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhw3cV_AtGPU2SCilDtF6t5GwM6Nav9WR_UiRo9MT1wHkyab7XqVSbzF-b-wFgzLDqY9lq5bBdIK8LJPMlw0nrrbMhBfm9FPzWUiGkeKYjErM3-oYmPOhgJK1RBr-Gq1U8gxpJSjadkSYF/s1600/RAF+Cosford+entrance+DAH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhw3cV_AtGPU2SCilDtF6t5GwM6Nav9WR_UiRo9MT1wHkyab7XqVSbzF-b-wFgzLDqY9lq5bBdIK8LJPMlw0nrrbMhBfm9FPzWUiGkeKYjErM3-oYmPOhgJK1RBr-Gq1U8gxpJSjadkSYF/s1600/RAF+Cosford+entrance+DAH.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cosford RAF Camp entrance 18th July 2014.</td></tr>
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We decided on a leisurely journey on Wednesday 16th July, catching the 9.49am train from Huntingdon to Peterborough. Dave doesn't drive very far these days. On the way to the station my jacket went into the suitcase. No need for it. Our day was further brightened by the beautiful baskets of flowers on the station forecourt.</div>
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There was also a small garden area that promises to also brighten up the station when it matures.<br />
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Like last time we spilt our ticket at Peterborough thus saving ourselves a few pounds or more each.<br />
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The wait at Peterborough for the train to Birmingham was supposed to be softened by a hot chocolate drink but it was not the best choice on such a hot day. The train, running from Stanstead Airport to Birmingham New Street via Timbuktu, had (as is usual) only two carriages. Hot day, two carriages, countless haphazardly placed suitcases, too many people.... In addition there was a very brave lady trying to move a refreshment trolley up and down the train between stops. In the end she had to give up because people sitting and standing were squashed tight already. When asked why the train could not have more carriages she replied that some of the platforms on the route could not accommodate longer trains. I think much but say nothing.<br />
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New Street to Wellington Station was a more pleasant journey. The underground, dark and closed in platform at New Street<br />
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was in stark contrast to the light, airy and floral platforms at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellington,_Shropshire" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wellington</a>.<br />
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The last leg of the journey was by the number 44 bus from the bus station. The steep and uneven steps up from the train station seemed even more treacherous on 16th July than they did when covered with snow. Dave had trouble handling the cases and I tripped three times, grazing my hand on one of the occasions.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wellngton Bus Station (taken on the morning of Thursday 17th July).</td></tr>
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The bus came quickly and we were soon at the <a href="http://www.telfordwhitehouse.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Telford Whitehouse Hotel</a> which we remembered well from last time.<br />
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Checking in was quick and simple, and we were soon unpacked and relaxing with a much needed cuppa. Where last time our room had been on the ground floor at the end of a long corridor, this time we were on the first floor almost next to the stairs and the lift, and almost opposite the walkway to the refreshment area. The room was the same layout as before.<br />
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While at reception our eyes fell on the sweeties on sale, some in packets for a charity and some in a coin-in-the-slot dispenser. Dave is very fond of jelly beans and I am guilty of buying them for him. Alas none.<br />
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After freshening up we proceeded to the Bar - correctly known at Sir Stephen's Brasserie - to meet up with previous and later arrivals. Some of the Boys had arrived on the previous day or even earlier. We joined Dennis Tipping at one of the tables. Dave and he started talking and there was no stopping them. Dennis had travelled from Australia and had decided to make the most of his trip to the UK by spending time before and after the reunion travelling around.<br />
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Lunch didn't sound all that exciting but we settled for a cheese sandwich. Little did we know that it would be a feast, with plentiful cheese and onion chutney (if you like that sort of thing) and salad.<br />
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Forgetting to pack teabags and milk (there are never enough in any hotel room) I nipped to the local shop. No jelly beans there either. On the way out of the hotel I bumped into Brian and Fay Todd. In their later years Dave and Brian had worked together for a while, and we had lived only a short distance apart. Brian and Fay had travelled in their campervan from Spain to attend.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Dave is not really a great talker but attending this reunion, and the previous one, transformed him into a happy chatterer. Thinking that he - and other Boys - might want to talk about things they would prefer their - or somebody else's - wife not to hear, on more than one occasion I made a simple exit. The heat made a good excuse to "go and freshen up". </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">I decided not to intrude on the Boys when I got back from the shop</span><span style="background-color: white;">, leaving them to talk together about times gone by and catching up on</span> the last 50+ years.<br />
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The evening meal was in Sir Stephen's Brasserie, and very good it was too.<br />
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And a peek out the window proved that the football pitch was still there.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjC8mAzbJX9Aiuu5ObpvSsXcZfFNitnxgA9eCwFTrfijJ_g8hCQ4fco9z5GFd69-UIPs2AyNNSlL9cGRdhMi3T9D_WNmjs7KhPBoL03ZsvuvFfpVa50wNQxwytIh-XyuaNguIrCQu1iET/s1600/football+ground.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjC8mAzbJX9Aiuu5ObpvSsXcZfFNitnxgA9eCwFTrfijJ_g8hCQ4fco9z5GFd69-UIPs2AyNNSlL9cGRdhMi3T9D_WNmjs7KhPBoL03ZsvuvFfpVa50wNQxwytIh-XyuaNguIrCQu1iET/s1600/football+ground.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">July 2014</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN98t86cEOa4F0i9dW_lxlHbl5LCaE9474kwfQ3gwF3CVs3npod6FguIpA4Le3SbEpD2zWVbonZk5zyCq_rzsOguRIw6gf135QJOL96Rd7_afbI-FS_JW6WjthKWidkckldgCgNIJFS37E/s1600/hotel+view+from+St+Stephen's%2BBrasserie%2B2%2Breduced.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN98t86cEOa4F0i9dW_lxlHbl5LCaE9474kwfQ3gwF3CVs3npod6FguIpA4Le3SbEpD2zWVbonZk5zyCq_rzsOguRIw6gf135QJOL96Rd7_afbI-FS_JW6WjthKWidkckldgCgNIJFS37E/s1600/hotel+view+from+St+Stephen's%2BBrasserie%2B2%2Breduced.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">January 2013</td></tr>
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Dinner was followed by more chatter, reminisces and catching up.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJWL9XelSGZElDHPynOcVGioVE2Jw60_WgtqwHkxWEeQk46d9SJoNdsHY7rfFlDM51nZ_-0LnymuL93bhkkLLOeSbZ6sRHRFBGc60AKGbSB51b31EuBd5hZGOARhCXHKyhHiT3aA96WIF/s1600/20140716_223021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJWL9XelSGZElDHPynOcVGioVE2Jw60_WgtqwHkxWEeQk46d9SJoNdsHY7rfFlDM51nZ_-0LnymuL93bhkkLLOeSbZ6sRHRFBGc60AKGbSB51b31EuBd5hZGOARhCXHKyhHiT3aA96WIF/s1600/20140716_223021.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Derek, Gordon and Des.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivh2GM0EF6xN6Qhh-_QvXyAJVDbtVKAfqyHX4Bgq7qKBISGOiO60ebKWRcsug-MI0C_57lTkRsmoFqazyOMYOOsk9rN-yP-K6gY22naP-Gf9AyVrLQW9ujCQ5eXCtXUU6eddgd5KX8i2go/s1600/20140716_223035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivh2GM0EF6xN6Qhh-_QvXyAJVDbtVKAfqyHX4Bgq7qKBISGOiO60ebKWRcsug-MI0C_57lTkRsmoFqazyOMYOOsk9rN-yP-K6gY22naP-Gf9AyVrLQW9ujCQ5eXCtXUU6eddgd5KX8i2go/s1600/20140716_223035.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Des Fay Todd, Brian Todd, Pat Lynch, Dave.</td></tr>
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But the Brasserie seemed to have some sort of strange influence over some of the menfolk. On more than one occasion a Boy was seen coming out of the (adequately labelled) Ladies convenience. I show no faces and name no names.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdz93QK-EVRqhgRqcPEsRdyhNTsEI9cNvCtOkyJasa8xmnNI7SJYcnAIMBxiZa6yLjEVvGcUScD011VcGA-YWKYiMb0_t-EZEmVFJ1GV_vQ2EJdU-SJqCx1pv3ZqnANcetaPPcgmDgpai/s1600/conveniences+doors+v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdz93QK-EVRqhgRqcPEsRdyhNTsEI9cNvCtOkyJasa8xmnNI7SJYcnAIMBxiZa6yLjEVvGcUScD011VcGA-YWKYiMb0_t-EZEmVFJ1GV_vQ2EJdU-SJqCx1pv3ZqnANcetaPPcgmDgpai/s1600/conveniences+doors+v2.jpg" height="126" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ladies on the left, Gents on the right.</td></tr>
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Thursday 17th July was the day of the Reunion Dinner. After a superb breakfast, including a continental-style cereal and fresh fruit (which we have at home) and a traditional hot selection (which we don't), everybody "did their own thing". The main talk was about a ride on the <a href="http://www.svr.co.uk/">Severn Valley Railway</a> between Bridgnorth and Kidderminster or a visit to <a href="http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/">Ironbridge</a>. In addition, some went to the <a href="http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/cosford/">Royal Air Force Museum at RAF Cosford</a> and some to the <a href="http://www.thenma.org.uk/">National Memorial <span style="background-color: white;">Arboretum at</span> Alrewas</a>. We went on a nostalgia trip to <a href="http://www.shrewsburyguide.info/">Shrewsbury</a>. We had been there in Ma<span style="background-color: white;">y 2008 to celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary, on </span>a coach holiday with Shearings, staying at the <a href="http://www.princeruperthotel.co.uk/">Prince Rupert Hotel</a>. Shrewsbury is only a short journey by train from Wellington.<br />
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Everyone will have their own memories of what they did on this day but I can only<span style="background-color: white;"> share with you </span><a href="http://paulineehornsby.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/visits-to-shrewsbury.html" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">our experiences in Shrewsbur</a><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://paulineehornsby.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/visits-to-shrewsbury.html" target="_blank">y</a>.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span>However, what might interest you here is our foray into McDonald's at 11 Pride Hill to escape the heat and to quench our thirst with a cold shake. I followed the sign for "100 seats downstairs" to enter a scene never before experienced in a McDonald's. Part of the town wall forms part of the external wall on the lower ground floor and the restaurant is furnished sympathetically. If you are ever in Shrewsbury it is worthwhile popping in just to have a look. More pictu<span style="background-color: white;">res <a href="http://paulineehornsby.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/visits-to-shrewsbury.html" target="_blank">in the Shrewsbury blog</a>.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRu04Xf050FLiOhawxyGBXxKdwwH4DKMelfnerPyS90ej9TXPJMBh4Tc2Pn1DmFdHpv9FA603FTdVwBuVB8yWZy-7RFtt74dbxHlM20A9eIk-625gKoloSlm-nE14SMY2itSOm-lqXnKq/s1600/mcd+chikldren's%2Bhole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRu04Xf050FLiOhawxyGBXxKdwwH4DKMelfnerPyS90ej9TXPJMBh4Tc2Pn1DmFdHpv9FA603FTdVwBuVB8yWZy-7RFtt74dbxHlM20A9eIk-625gKoloSlm-nE14SMY2itSOm-lqXnKq/s1600/mcd+chikldren's%2Bhole.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McDonald's Shrewsbury, Children's Area.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZVnmMOgTCnpZzqSzxyL_5Lgd5dRautcjKxn-uqc3R9_4k-8CasWvTIjU-YzId_rxP35EkI_QBYp_4-EXfCQJvmoUfdHALmQqFgsYyEklhPAxcIKTdgErBLx8rJFK6BcE8J3Y7t9F9R8H/s1600/mcd+lower+ground+floor.jpg" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McDonald's Shrewsbury, lower ground floor.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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On arriving back at the hotel it was another delicious cheese sandwich before I left Dave in the bar to natter while I made my excuses to rest up in preparation for the evening dinner.</div>
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The function room, the same one as last time, didn't disappoint, with four large well laid circular tables, with ten or twelve people to a table.<br />
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The battery operated white lights in a large clear glass vase, one on each table, were very pretty and impressive but did obscure seeing the people sitting opposite. Some sensible diners moved the vases. There were to be 42 at the dinner but 44 actually attended, the miscount being easily accounted for.<br />
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Starting with the person on my left and moving clockwise, on our table were Peter and Pat Lynch, Brian and Fay Todd, Anne and John Chenery, Ray Denning-Duke, Roger Garner, Dave and me, people we knew and whose company we enjoyed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYxZoSWoBEiKUrkZ8K7B2cu8pvgfLIbWwycsYsbKKZcZcY7NoFygUaTg9sgX4PLthSU0OwHJPcMjMBAocBa4Dm8X8OG6NZsVE2k1oeC8RJCYAduhAftqesMCVb0MWCF_t4c1NVgzzwaRS/s1600/dinner+our+table+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYxZoSWoBEiKUrkZ8K7B2cu8pvgfLIbWwycsYsbKKZcZcY7NoFygUaTg9sgX4PLthSU0OwHJPcMjMBAocBa4Dm8X8OG6NZsVE2k1oeC8RJCYAduhAftqesMCVb0MWCF_t4c1NVgzzwaRS/s1600/dinner+our+table+2.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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The food was good but, being vegetarian, there was a restricted choice and, to be honest, I would have much more enjoyed a repeat of the meal I had eaten the previous evening.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4M5MczGYEUIc-uYMH3M6QWqKE9zDMbSer8IH-Kq3McMV0R7UNDEDJu5VxHHv6qvDROgqnl7l4AhoA74iMXmFDMyr3lqJWBw_sf_sZonGLQ_5MlZCYBvYvxOoRG3cS4AHt7Piu5vzefTL/s1600/dinner+table+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4M5MczGYEUIc-uYMH3M6QWqKE9zDMbSer8IH-Kq3McMV0R7UNDEDJu5VxHHv6qvDROgqnl7l4AhoA74iMXmFDMyr3lqJWBw_sf_sZonGLQ_5MlZCYBvYvxOoRG3cS4AHt7Piu5vzefTL/s1600/dinner+table+3.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZxaX7ZpFFIpKdseI4GqWIjbNp5LxhAxjbwiaLF-4nofTZ1kxMExEGVe8Y3E2V-qCPEG27XPYXlmjJzyoRgi6x1VX1-n5zIRAbpkQc9GzGVkS9yJ9fzIXCsGN8o1sU5CbHIktQzV0j2Z3/s1600/dinner+table+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZxaX7ZpFFIpKdseI4GqWIjbNp5LxhAxjbwiaLF-4nofTZ1kxMExEGVe8Y3E2V-qCPEG27XPYXlmjJzyoRgi6x1VX1-n5zIRAbpkQc9GzGVkS9yJ9fzIXCsGN8o1sU5CbHIktQzV0j2Z3/s1600/dinner+table+4.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Richard Osler gave a speech thanking all who had come, and proposed the toast to Absent Friends.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQ4HRCcaezo1ccfh01fBct_hGjFFLxbKF8IlweA5W4ReQUTU88vYQMEprje3YgmJ9E31hJFAfunipvvkHS5batizhZZHCvSErJQwEtmOXAVfGN0U40Z3ujK0eJXmUjGbrewmpc-zx9vcf/s1600/speechmaker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQ4HRCcaezo1ccfh01fBct_hGjFFLxbKF8IlweA5W4ReQUTU88vYQMEprje3YgmJ9E31hJFAfunipvvkHS5batizhZZHCvSErJQwEtmOXAVfGN0U40Z3ujK0eJXmUjGbrewmpc-zx9vcf/s1600/speechmaker.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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The effort to attend made by some of the Boys was commendable. They had travelled from, in alphabetical order, Australia, Canada, Mauritius, Norway Papua New Guinea, Spain, Thailand, "and Swindon". I was well chuffed to hear Dave get a mention for helping to locate and contact some of the Boys. Ruth Quigley, wife of Frank, beautifully sang <i>Time to Say Goodbye </i>with great emotion. My eyes were welling up so I cannot imagine how the Boys must have been feeling. Apologies for there not being a picture of Ruth in action.<br />
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Then the group photographs. The Boys to pose, the ladies to work the cameras. For men who have gone through the discipline of RAF training, trying to organise themselves was the final word in chaos. Just as all were in what was thought to be position, as the shutters clicked up they got and moved around. Fortunately there was some finality to this and pictures were taken.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsNwj_qy1tXMVcL_u5w9V8_9XngRE7Aiaz4OwV6Ye-W8k8xfo1xkfPbA3J1pdKg1AbJUPRDIe0bIsc8gwB0ULlTUQyR_PqOLefVzbo3JGTnKELWhqXUCT0IzxOddlTvBZp5T5QqItDNPO/s1600/The+Boys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsNwj_qy1tXMVcL_u5w9V8_9XngRE7Aiaz4OwV6Ye-W8k8xfo1xkfPbA3J1pdKg1AbJUPRDIe0bIsc8gwB0ULlTUQyR_PqOLefVzbo3JGTnKELWhqXUCT0IzxOddlTvBZp5T5QqItDNPO/s1600/The+Boys.jpg" height="211" width="400" /></a></div>
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As for a group photograph of the ladies, we were poised and seemed to be so forever until the job was done.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZIdpJDb1F7OFqAq_q3aUEyJN3WzwPVvlRtTp9cfTC07jHUXeVEcBk5XU3m3HRsiaVRhphr3GUmZRiXblZYS9WuHE7c_BeXSgZoJ13nY5_oQz61SOmyu6xCsLqh3xWNY7yMCI0hbdmCr3/s1600/The+Ladies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZIdpJDb1F7OFqAq_q3aUEyJN3WzwPVvlRtTp9cfTC07jHUXeVEcBk5XU3m3HRsiaVRhphr3GUmZRiXblZYS9WuHE7c_BeXSgZoJ13nY5_oQz61SOmyu6xCsLqh3xWNY7yMCI0hbdmCr3/s1600/The+Ladies.jpg" height="207" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2HdO2kr_4ZwmDxSYFMri0LB-1Y_DCgoy8O3kI-K3n2oSCSIKZrmUeRWEvKawVTGgjicvSobda_yxdg-gBgvXZ4ecjjjsBuCdb-CSK8nrS9adUY6slmWdWRtgqZrlR_Rw84Y5n7oicEjNR/s1600/'Mates'.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2HdO2kr_4ZwmDxSYFMri0LB-1Y_DCgoy8O3kI-K3n2oSCSIKZrmUeRWEvKawVTGgjicvSobda_yxdg-gBgvXZ4ecjjjsBuCdb-CSK8nrS9adUY6slmWdWRtgqZrlR_Rw84Y5n7oicEjNR/s1600/'Mates'.jpg" height="197" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave Hornsby, Brian Todd, Pauline Hornsby (self), Pat Lynch, Ruth Quigley, Fay Todd, Peter Lynch. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QlBjnR8MJ9NOwQSijQsZgsUxhrB_Mqs0uKIwDkuwKD0C2pgRn8JABpZyU8XawU3nCRiMsx2lBE7HsDAqsA08G49CobpUcuzNgy5xxoeMRSF5a7UMhi-1ubBFCpG6tH4Lf3u2tqk_Dz1a/s1600/The+'Elite'%2BLadies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QlBjnR8MJ9NOwQSijQsZgsUxhrB_Mqs0uKIwDkuwKD0C2pgRn8JABpZyU8XawU3nCRiMsx2lBE7HsDAqsA08G49CobpUcuzNgy5xxoeMRSF5a7UMhi-1ubBFCpG6tH4Lf3u2tqk_Dz1a/s1600/The+'Elite'%2BLadies.jpg" height="320" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pauline Hornsby (self), Pat Lynch, Fay Todd, Ruth Quigley. </td></tr>
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Then, of course, more nattering before bedtime.<br />
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Breakfast was as the day before but for some reason I wasn't feeling so good. Possibly the heat and the excitement (and the thought of enduring the journey home). After checking out of the hotel, Dennis Tipping kindly gave us and our luggage a lift to <a href="http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcosford/">RAF Cosford</a> to visit the <a href="http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/cosford/">Royal Air Force Museum</a>. He saved us struggling with the cases on the bus then on the train, and then having the long walk from the station to the museum dragging our luggage. Thank you Dennis.<br />
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To be honest I am not that interested in aircraft and much of the museum did not inspire. Perhaps if I had felt better... However, sitting on a seat under the belly of the Vulcan aircraft was awe inspiring. Having written <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Books-Pauline-Hornsby/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=n%3A266239%2Cp_27%3APauline%20Hornsby">a children's publication on the subject</a>, I was more interested in the Home Front display. The tablecloth was hand embroidered.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-jBLIM4znA1T0kCkAD6qmPiq-iICAbSB5iig5ULwJzqxNG6Uwuz3T0MQ36q0jUTpxyUghr__TybyDMZFcm4LmS4EVqtBboFV9pE0Qft_Ys2c7rV5WcEY2GaGYObAHYvzzVHiEawAoaCj/s1600/home+front+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-jBLIM4znA1T0kCkAD6qmPiq-iICAbSB5iig5ULwJzqxNG6Uwuz3T0MQ36q0jUTpxyUghr__TybyDMZFcm4LmS4EVqtBboFV9pE0Qft_Ys2c7rV5WcEY2GaGYObAHYvzzVHiEawAoaCj/s1600/home+front+1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I was also interested in the <a href="http://www.44th-entry.org.uk/Boy%20Entrant%20Display.html">44th Entry Boy Entrants Display</a> which helped me to gain some more understanding of Dave's experiences. I wasn't an RAF wife, having met Dave after he left the RAF.<br />
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The caption on the picture reads: <i>Original painting by Neil Wooding (16th/17th Entry) presented by the RAFBEA to the Officer Commanding Royal Air Force Cosford at the 1997 Reunion Dinner on Saturday 13th September 1997 to mark the 50th anniversary year of post war Boy Entrant training. </i><br />
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In the afternoon we were given a guided tour of RAF Cosford, taken around the camp by coach. I found the introductory talk about RAF Cosford interesting and worthwhile. We were then shown some of the training rooms. Dave was into the hardware while I chatted with some of the ladies.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0xYIEhUrikatXNvWqaVKHgM8IdsPw2lIizCwDPHyC2MNfZTAj8xgAvO2f3U1RGkwW6lj98BeLkaBRzJR9zmsl3H8F25crY83vPtNUZXDgr8NPWXMoLdmrPonPf8AzsvQvneuA8KZpiJm/s1600/chatting+wives+at+RAF+cosford.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0xYIEhUrikatXNvWqaVKHgM8IdsPw2lIizCwDPHyC2MNfZTAj8xgAvO2f3U1RGkwW6lj98BeLkaBRzJR9zmsl3H8F25crY83vPtNUZXDgr8NPWXMoLdmrPonPf8AzsvQvneuA8KZpiJm/s1600/chatting+wives+at+RAF+cosford.jpg" height="320" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Self, Anne Chenery, Ruth Quigley.</td></tr>
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Dave was the one of we two taking photographs of the aircraft and technical artefacts. I am sure every Boy took photographs of his favourites so here are only a few of Dave's shots.<br />
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Unlike last time, we were given the opportunity to purchase afternoon tea and what looked like home made cakes in the dining hall. This was welcome in advance of the journey home.<br />
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The coach took us to the exit via the Fulton Block with the mandatory pictures, assuming that the Boys would keep still long enough for decent pictures to be taken!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">July 2014</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnls7mZJCz0Kd1lIWDqdPUgqwG0NmACPAsCUM4G_MPuEUjJiCpRaNCma0-CMh7m9IDFZsRSCf1ECXlm5SmBqxw-X5Zuaz6zViayL01pHlw7V5ZhAmFkPJffzbwYf-WGG60g5w3TUaEo81L/s1600/48th+now+3+reduced.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnls7mZJCz0Kd1lIWDqdPUgqwG0NmACPAsCUM4G_MPuEUjJiCpRaNCma0-CMh7m9IDFZsRSCf1ECXlm5SmBqxw-X5Zuaz6zViayL01pHlw7V5ZhAmFkPJffzbwYf-WGG60g5w3TUaEo81L/s1600/48th+now+3+reduced.jpg" height="163" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">January 2013</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">We said our goodbyes and the Boys promised to keep in touch and to meet up again in the future. Another thank you to Dennis for taking us to the station with our luggage. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cosford Station</td></tr>
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Then home, with a mind full of memories and my knowing more about my beloved husband in the years before I met him.</div>
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You might also like to read Mike Sinnott's blog on the reunion. </div>
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<a href="http://mikesinnott963.wordpress.com/2014/07/30/50-years-on/">http://mikesinnott963.wordpress.com/2014/07/30/50-years-on/</a></div>
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Also, have a look at Derek Clinick's Plane Art website for stunning pencil drawings of aircraft.</div>
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For those of you asking or wondering about the yellow fluff I was knitting, it was a scarf made with donated yarn for a <a href="http://www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/">Samaritan's Purse Shoebox</a>. The scarf is now comple<span style="background-color: white;">ted along with several others.</span></div>
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A picture added for my pleasure. Dave on the train from Birmingham to Wellington. </div>
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Just for fun, me and my shadow at Wellington Bus Station on the morning of Thursday 17th July on the way to Shrewsbury.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00277579157497515953noreply@blogger.com0Huntingdon, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, UK52.33146 -0.1825519999999869552.292654999999996 -0.26323299999998695 52.370265 -0.10187099999998694tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856470448608604163.post-46838996077258748002014-08-22T11:52:00.000+01:002014-08-22T12:06:15.051+01:00Visits to ShrewsburyWe have been to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrewsbury" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shrewsbury</a> three or four times. I have a vague recollection of us driving along a road, green land like a park on our left and urban on our right. My memory has always thought this to have been in Shrewsbury. Of course I could be utterly mistaken - you know the memory can play tricks - and we were driving in another place and I have transposed Shrewsbury upon it. Even if I'm not and I haven't, I have no idea where we would have been going on that journey or even when.<br />
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Either on that journey or during what I shall now call our first visit to Shrewsbury I do remember seeing at ground floor level an old white building with one or two steps leading to the door. On each side of the door were hanging baskets and on the pavement two half barrels or similar containers overflowing with flowers which somebody was watering. This image has for some reason haunted me, and made me want to return and explore the town more. On our next two visits, as well as online, I have tried to locate this building but without success. But if where I saw this image wasn't Shrewsbury then I wouldn't find it, would I?<br />
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Our definite first visit to Shrewsbury was in 1995 or thereabouts. We had booked a few days bed and breakfast at Tankerville Lodge, on the edge of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stiperstones">Stiperstones</a>. The property was unique, having a disused lead mine either in or accessible from the garden.<br />
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For information about the mine see <a href="http://www.shropshirecmc.org.uk/sites/tankerville.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.shropshirecmc.org.uk/sites/tankerville.html </a><br />
and <a href="http://www.midlandsheritage.co.uk/industrial/2724-tankerville-mine-shropshire.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.midlandsheritage.co.uk/industrial/2724-tankerville-mine-shropshire.html</a>.<br />
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Tankerville Lodge is still there but no longer seems to be a B&B.<br />
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We took Billy, our boisterous young Border Collie. Because of his behaviour he had to sleep in the car, obviously with frequent checks on his welfare. We made up for it by taking him for long walks on Stiperstones and making sure he was out of the car as much as possible.<br />
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At this point in our lives we weren't into recording our memories to share with other people so there are but few pictures and those that are shown are scanned prints so the quality is not so good.<br />
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On one of the days we visited Shrewsbury. We wanted to see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrewsbury_Abbey" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shrewsbury Abbey</a> so walked through the town to the English Bridge to find the river in (what seemed to us) flood. We also seem to remember a multistory car park on the town side of the bridge, which we thought rather out of keeping with the ancient ambience. We crossed the bridge to the Abbey Foregate then had to take it in turns to go inside the <a href="http://www.shrewsburyabbey.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Abbey</a>, one of us staying outside with Billy while the other went in. Opposite was the <a href="http://www.cadfael.de/html/es-s-quest.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shrewsbury Quest</a>, a recreated twelfth century monastery inspired by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadfael">Cadfael</a> novels of Ellis Peters, which opened in 1994, the same year as the <span id="goog_257881366"></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadfael_(TV_series)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cadfael television series</a><span id="goog_257881367"></span> started. Having Billy with us we didn't go in but vowed to do so on our next visit.<br />
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When we were travelling Billy used to love sitting on the parcel shelf.<br />
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This picture of him taken during our holiday was later translated into a hand knitted piece. (Link to follow.)<br />
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We had our main meals in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longden" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tankerville Arms in Longden</a>, conveniently on our evening route back to Tankerville Lodge. Generous portions, including freshly picked local wild berries. There was a shop attached, small but stocked everything.<br />
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Leaving for home Dave decided to drive along the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Mynd" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Long Mynd</a> to Church Stretton. We had a three wheel Reliant Rialto. The road was narrow, with a very long vertical drop on my side but the side of the mountain on his. Skilled driving did nothing for me. I was scared stupid. Then the car skidded on some gravel. Enough was enough! Screaming for Dave to stop I got out of the car and somehow managed to get myself pinned with my back against the solid mountain wall. Then it was small side steps, clinging to the solid ground beneath and behind me until I reached the town. I don't think I was very popular with the other drivers but I had never been so frightened in my life, before or since!<br />
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Our second visit to Shrewsbury was on a coach holiday with Shearings, 12th to 16th May 2008 to celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary. We stayed at the <a href="http://www.princeruperthotel.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Prince Rupert Hotel</a>, in room 113. Billy had died in 2005.<br />
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The hotel is in Butcher's Row ...<br />
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... almost opposite Grope Lane.<br />
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We had one of the modern rooms but this didn't stop us exploring the older parts of the building.<br />
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On one occasion we went into the basement and found the exercise equipment and the like. We also found a courtyard and let ourselves out to have a look. The door closed behind us and we couldn't get back in. After an initial panic a quick search found the door leading from the courtyard into the street through which we were able to escape and walk back to the front entrance.<br />
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There was no entertainment provided at the hotel but we didn't mind. Having quality food cooked to order and good company was enough. We were also able to spend some of the evening before nightfall exploring the town.<br />
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On the first night dinner was in the prestigious <a href="http://www.princeruperthotel.co.uk/food-and-drink/chambers" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chambers Bar and Bistro</a> although it might have been called Chambers-something-else then.<br />
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I dressed for dinner but found other people arriving in jeans, T-shirts and the like so didn't bother too much for the rest of the stay.<br />
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Our meals on the other evenings were in the <a href="http://www.princeruperthotel.co.uk/food-and-drink/royalist-restaurant" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Royalist Restaurant</a>, which again might have had another name in 2008.<br />
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We were glad to be able to spend a day in the town and had planned to visit the <a href="http://www.cadfael.de/html/es-s-quest.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shrewsbury Quest</a>. However, this had closed in 2001 and the premises were - and still are - occupied by the <a href="http://www.shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shropshire Wildlife Trust</a>. We visited the Trust after spending some time at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrewsbury_Abbey" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Abbey</a>.<br />
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Our visit to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mary's_Church,_Shrewsbury" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">St Mary's Church</a> could have been a disaster when a piece of masonry fell as if from nowhere and just missed Dave's head. We took the offending object to the woman who seemed to be 'on duty' and when we eventually managed to grasp her attention her attitude was less than unconcerned.<br />
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This window in St Mary's Church was made in the 16th century and features a rare collection of continental glass. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-27435971" target="_blank">The window was smashed on 16th May 2014</a>, six years almost to the day after our visit, and will cost £15,000 to repair.<br />
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As well as seeing the sights, it was during this visit that we walked along the Town Walls. Beautiful views but the drop on the other side didn't look so pleasing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VVAMRwFAGWUdq6SMqdiRy9ZEIPNrSUGG8WVqU6LuvQCS1c3RFn2QVcrRpaHcdSZesH9hih6I4_kJLIDuEWwUL-DKyI7zApuzgCDWXrSpNb-OuEe6HBM3HJjYAK6p2GNTLwqNLX8eXJzW/s1600/PICT0787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VVAMRwFAGWUdq6SMqdiRy9ZEIPNrSUGG8WVqU6LuvQCS1c3RFn2QVcrRpaHcdSZesH9hih6I4_kJLIDuEWwUL-DKyI7zApuzgCDWXrSpNb-OuEe6HBM3HJjYAK6p2GNTLwqNLX8eXJzW/s1600/PICT0787.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Market_Hall" target="_blank">The Old Market Hall.</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7TeVTCr9QdTWksNNLwMODRM8MBbZQjgRgHnCKOZD_7tpUQ8_x7B-xhvAqF7yUpLqaE_BoMSTAPDGWfGGPzNRP0BkLUV4M_R8OJCZEB-DoU6ikwrUhpmQcyjhuz7mtnVgMYkbqXNnKgPq/s1600/PICT0789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7TeVTCr9QdTWksNNLwMODRM8MBbZQjgRgHnCKOZD_7tpUQ8_x7B-xhvAqF7yUpLqaE_BoMSTAPDGWfGGPzNRP0BkLUV4M_R8OJCZEB-DoU6ikwrUhpmQcyjhuz7mtnVgMYkbqXNnKgPq/s1600/PICT0789.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statue of Robert Clive <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Clive" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">(Clive of India)</a> in The Square. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUT98gdPbI6W9o1lysC0WLljURfdeRYgxaRKjHciFKLnjXbEd71tqG6XphbOfHkYM0xyVHOhWgck5JbJMCUkFfB3J83lINCc_zswLEhXjP8QsSKx6h58I73TV91ncU-7jRnyo-TpRVoteQ/s1600/PICT0791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUT98gdPbI6W9o1lysC0WLljURfdeRYgxaRKjHciFKLnjXbEd71tqG6XphbOfHkYM0xyVHOhWgck5JbJMCUkFfB3J83lINCc_zswLEhXjP8QsSKx6h58I73TV91ncU-7jRnyo-TpRVoteQ/s1600/PICT0791.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Castle Street looking towards the railway station. </td></tr>
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With Dave constantly fluctuating in weight from slim and sexy to a beached whale, he has a selection of wedding rings so that he always has one that fits. As it was our wedding anniversary I bought him a multicoloured ring which is hard to describe: irridescent colours, like oil on a puddle. He offered to buy me a matching one and, like an idiot, I refused.<br />
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There were excursions on this holiday, to <a href="http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ironbridge</a> with all its attractions and a train journey. (Link to separate blog to follow.)<br />
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Our third visit to Shrewsbury was on Thursday 17th July 2014 when we were staying at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellington,_Shropshire" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wellington</a> for the 50th anniversary of the <a href="http://paulineehornsby.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/raf-boy-entrants-48th-entry-50th.html" target="_blank">RAF Boy Entrants 48th Entry Passing Out celebrations</a>. Shrewsbury is only a short journey from Wellington on the train.<br />
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<a href="http://www.shrewsburymuseum.org.uk/visit-shrewsbury/shrewsbury-castle/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shrewsbury Castle</a> is next to the train station. We had not visited the Castle before and were disappointed to find it closed on Thursdays. The <a href="http://www.shropshireregimentalmuseum.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shropshire Regimental Museum</a> is housed there.<br />
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However, we admired the superbly well kept gardens ... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiD9-uymeGk9y1PRctOs7cyfjaXUSuUD3Op3JOwjaa0zvdRjWFqI8f_7N15i7W4GzYvOAcy_DjJFLeGjo2I3HzI17wDxL7Fa-B7aQjp7eS0mdK0PmjzfrYQSyxB7Seamgt0Q0LUE7WrCeb/s1600/shrewsbury+castle+gardens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiD9-uymeGk9y1PRctOs7cyfjaXUSuUD3Op3JOwjaa0zvdRjWFqI8f_7N15i7W4GzYvOAcy_DjJFLeGjo2I3HzI17wDxL7Fa-B7aQjp7eS0mdK0PmjzfrYQSyxB7Seamgt0Q0LUE7WrCeb/s1600/shrewsbury+castle+gardens.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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... and managed the uphill walk and climb to Laura's Tower with its magnificent views of the town and countryside.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKOThjUVbEVDYVgy5j0tRvp_vVtnOa2TMwtKxXXyOTAQUyDTINuWj6ojpRt9KEznoCdLE7YoZWY4z7RsDQbzAjwMAmuMq44AlPvLXphPKqy4GJCUP-OiRHdhtf2gv0Z52853V0y6xGX7_/s1600/p+shrewsbury+castle+from+lt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKOThjUVbEVDYVgy5j0tRvp_vVtnOa2TMwtKxXXyOTAQUyDTINuWj6ojpRt9KEznoCdLE7YoZWY4z7RsDQbzAjwMAmuMq44AlPvLXphPKqy4GJCUP-OiRHdhtf2gv0Z52853V0y6xGX7_/s1600/p+shrewsbury+castle+from+lt.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shrewsbury Castle from Laura's Tower.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq8NnvPZ9xQXZEeolSM3nDJarp99k3ULTfqBP5SuG4fNNcMuI7tervtAoi8jn3u7rKHYtkPFNrLo83PU23uOlde-9rBpzW-80dYMStv3VPAFpcBDUWB5wIT1BQcMAoE1wciw5N_z4_dZoy/s1600/p+shrewsbury+station+from+lt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq8NnvPZ9xQXZEeolSM3nDJarp99k3ULTfqBP5SuG4fNNcMuI7tervtAoi8jn3u7rKHYtkPFNrLo83PU23uOlde-9rBpzW-80dYMStv3VPAFpcBDUWB5wIT1BQcMAoE1wciw5N_z4_dZoy/s1600/p+shrewsbury+station+from+lt.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shrewsbury Railway Station from Laura's Tower.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHUJ0SlB63u13vUSelEFwQMsDxLHuGd27gBV2JObGHNWHKHHgSprknI7lom8cEI5z7Pz1BH-cGcXaNnXEU3G-T9eFo_OKayz7Zf0HG1QX-TtbZZk7GH_NXWMSQB_ZIJVMzQy59GBRgl3F/s1600/railway+and+abbey+from+LT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHUJ0SlB63u13vUSelEFwQMsDxLHuGd27gBV2JObGHNWHKHHgSprknI7lom8cEI5z7Pz1BH-cGcXaNnXEU3G-T9eFo_OKayz7Zf0HG1QX-TtbZZk7GH_NXWMSQB_ZIJVMzQy59GBRgl3F/s1600/railway+and+abbey+from+LT.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Railway on the left and Shrewsbury Abbey on the right.</td></tr>
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Close by is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrewsbury_Library" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Library</a>, with the statue of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Darwin" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Charles Darwin</a> outside the front.<br />
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The day was hot and by now we were thirsty so went into McDonald's at 11 Pride Hill to escape the heat and to quench our thirst with a cold shake. The ground floor was as one would expect but reserved for disabled and elderly people and people with prams and buggies. I followed the sign for "100 seats downstairs" to enter a breathtaking scene never before experienced in a McDonald's. Part of the town wall, built between 1220 and 1252, forms part of the external wall on the lower ground floor. The restaurant is furnished sympathetically, and there is a mirrored pillar crammed with information about the building. Even if you don't like McDonald's, if you are ever in Shrewsbury it is worthwhile popping in and buying a drink just to have a look.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5EP0EjfKqbN87d59sBXafl5Jbp6_hfVvqi4wzqFZ5XAEULMLPvqHJUokwmqqW_Cvppmk7dbTHBTxObxd252nPHKjfNyRf2LA_9SMsZQBzfCO6FyzISqNhhgivusdGDKXTG0judObO-mv4/s1600/mcd+chikldren's%2Bhole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5EP0EjfKqbN87d59sBXafl5Jbp6_hfVvqi4wzqFZ5XAEULMLPvqHJUokwmqqW_Cvppmk7dbTHBTxObxd252nPHKjfNyRf2LA_9SMsZQBzfCO6FyzISqNhhgivusdGDKXTG0judObO-mv4/s1600/mcd+chikldren's%2Bhole.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Children's area, mezzanine floor.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGzv1c7rAOn5aSYA-1nmAhjYUXcwqYr7eLB5vMfTJ47RRCayNlY-SPsJtRtVeO98PJREDBnOGJmGwgsDrYHnvRqrt2SD9Ku-wXVX5nr6drA8eQZ7EQZQs-94-w1HiZJm8DY4JXxkWC-1s/s1600/view+from+LGF+children's%2Barea%2Bwindow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGzv1c7rAOn5aSYA-1nmAhjYUXcwqYr7eLB5vMfTJ47RRCayNlY-SPsJtRtVeO98PJREDBnOGJmGwgsDrYHnvRqrt2SD9Ku-wXVX5nr6drA8eQZ7EQZQs-94-w1HiZJm8DY4JXxkWC-1s/s1600/view+from+LGF+children's%2Barea%2Bwindow.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the window in children's area on lower ground floor.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx4ecYjWSFq0C7ozO0Z19Q2g-ZFpNgEkJ0kdwAWGC5RDE_55XIi18T809MrEtqIJDcUfiWkvedbvVHBc-jhprcFKZ0nF4HG0vdMfoNh4_Ej1bDMpPwLWfvGr6JpwD-OCDmBXlAbsTUpgvm/s1600/mcd+lgf+lighting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx4ecYjWSFq0C7ozO0Z19Q2g-ZFpNgEkJ0kdwAWGC5RDE_55XIi18T809MrEtqIJDcUfiWkvedbvVHBc-jhprcFKZ0nF4HG0vdMfoNh4_Ej1bDMpPwLWfvGr6JpwD-OCDmBXlAbsTUpgvm/s1600/mcd+lgf+lighting.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lighting on loweer ground floor.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuuhupvN3syGIEA7pNg303l_3IfbKdPzykLSHMwJyIsxQDP1NjJ7hDkOg8wtPtlXA6hIZLjNgZJsC8Fq7iXCM6sToeOd5GRxsWCEdc0wjR5p9y4Suq9cEQ7sF6i89YSuXKATFOFvKndYbn/s1600/mcd+lower+ground+floor+window+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuuhupvN3syGIEA7pNg303l_3IfbKdPzykLSHMwJyIsxQDP1NjJ7hDkOg8wtPtlXA6hIZLjNgZJsC8Fq7iXCM6sToeOd5GRxsWCEdc0wjR5p9y4Suq9cEQ7sF6i89YSuXKATFOFvKndYbn/s1600/mcd+lower+ground+floor+window+1.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Window on lower ground floor</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQOuqW5grrl9z4lTL40ELWETfrZNp54YijKWneJm1nHZXnhrmgfVqFDFA1-pBLyONNpDAQ-iZl_RdCEiry86lKqn1FV_optcWp65_hM1bkrsUzNTMDjLzJTyc-WMDcRkAi9NoxRXqJz7o/s1600/mcd+lower+ground+floor+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQOuqW5grrl9z4lTL40ELWETfrZNp54YijKWneJm1nHZXnhrmgfVqFDFA1-pBLyONNpDAQ-iZl_RdCEiry86lKqn1FV_optcWp65_hM1bkrsUzNTMDjLzJTyc-WMDcRkAi9NoxRXqJz7o/s1600/mcd+lower+ground+floor+(2).jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Window on lower ground floor.</td></tr>
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Our next purpose was to scour the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin_Shopping_Centre" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pride Hill, Darwin and Riverside shopping centres</a> looking for a ring identical to the one I had bought for Dave for him to buy for me. We couldn't remember in which shopping centre we had bought his ring and after two or three circuits of all three we had to admit defeat.<br />
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We took a nostalgic walk around the St Mary's Church, <a href="http://www.stalkmundschurch.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">St Alkmund's Church</a> and the Prince Rupert Hotel area before wending our way back to the railway station.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGAg_tpDnN8cxOgufzl20hR3GVk6SrnxYKCGv1hr7PVm6_7ANxnDSRDLRvGe8cq1a5Pv8P-a6SnYnBaqLg-xokgBFXo2ifE2x9WFUMKjlzbmcgQ4OGx0xHc-1fhiw7iouUvB9L6lxHeeG6/s1600/st+marys+church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGAg_tpDnN8cxOgufzl20hR3GVk6SrnxYKCGv1hr7PVm6_7ANxnDSRDLRvGe8cq1a5Pv8P-a6SnYnBaqLg-xokgBFXo2ifE2x9WFUMKjlzbmcgQ4OGx0xHc-1fhiw7iouUvB9L6lxHeeG6/s1600/st+marys+church.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St Mary's Church.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtk_ltHoRjZIDbI9u4dJvAlvZ_gu08Fc8CX8BnZpdtn-Nm-tNF8sUKH3Tqkr7rE7TqomLEwEabA-DC2DZRt_4-Y2qNXtOVWIdSM-1ZdiZ2zXOmX7XpcvBhTgDkRGjSBel7Fg8xj4JPrlw/s1600/st+alkmunds+church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtk_ltHoRjZIDbI9u4dJvAlvZ_gu08Fc8CX8BnZpdtn-Nm-tNF8sUKH3Tqkr7rE7TqomLEwEabA-DC2DZRt_4-Y2qNXtOVWIdSM-1ZdiZ2zXOmX7XpcvBhTgDkRGjSBel7Fg8xj4JPrlw/s1600/st+alkmunds+church.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St Alkmund's Church.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_Zh80Zb9lWe2YztmWfjMffpAr6Y2OL2TwnZ8HXRBLLD1XPq-37R_AhyAgIEl92Gd-IBLZo_NJriEtrwzfr9JBGa80UzvFds6a5heMxvHnNqaKx0WdtIloZHBxx10vsv_IxPXvB-18Ygn/s1600/st+alkmunds+church+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_Zh80Zb9lWe2YztmWfjMffpAr6Y2OL2TwnZ8HXRBLLD1XPq-37R_AhyAgIEl92Gd-IBLZo_NJriEtrwzfr9JBGa80UzvFds6a5heMxvHnNqaKx0WdtIloZHBxx10vsv_IxPXvB-18Ygn/s1600/st+alkmunds+church+2.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St Alkmund's Church.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLiUZIiK5-5ij-LwIO-tvRk-TLjBlKDL0_p8o_vocyeIC6OX0wMslFFjCjFeMQ1a_MwxHxUYmJczxDd5WBSvZOB_R-1QKEkRUcZ2MLhuLbbL7b9CyWHzW4P1HLSg8e78H5jtZxAuw5VN6x/s1600/prince+rupert+hotel+area.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLiUZIiK5-5ij-LwIO-tvRk-TLjBlKDL0_p8o_vocyeIC6OX0wMslFFjCjFeMQ1a_MwxHxUYmJczxDd5WBSvZOB_R-1QKEkRUcZ2MLhuLbbL7b9CyWHzW4P1HLSg8e78H5jtZxAuw5VN6x/s1600/prince+rupert+hotel+area.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St Alkmund's Church/Prince Rupert Hotel area.</td></tr>
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Shrewsbury town interactive map <a href="http://visitshrewsburymap.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://visitshrewsburymap.co.uk/</a><br />
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Copyright © Pauline Hornsby 2014<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00277579157497515953noreply@blogger.com0Huntingdon, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, UK52.33146 -0.1825519999999869552.292654999999996 -0.26323299999998695 52.370265 -0.10187099999998694tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856470448608604163.post-16088413719203941532014-03-25T15:39:00.001+00:002014-08-23T09:46:52.871+01:00Meet up with Cousin John and MarieOn Sunday 23rd March 2014 Dave and I travelled to Leeds - an approximate half-way point - to meet my cousin John and his wife for lunch. We had never met Marie and they had never met Dave. Sadly age prevented John's mother from joining the get-together.<br />
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John and I had not seen each other for more than 30 years. John's father was one of my father's brothers. Before my father died we used to visit John and his parents regularly at their house in Essex.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-tIP30DZwrUH2Vy3r6pbVgwtsAQeWwXff8j8TichqeHn6JcnZ0sAnCjNE7JBftL5D0NTsv-5iBxgISf3MfIR_Iz_sy1nkbV2L5PsR_bODI4GQ_V2NEuf0mbZs1sm1LehLUHyHogcsNpe/s1600/LITJOHN1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-tIP30DZwrUH2Vy3r6pbVgwtsAQeWwXff8j8TichqeHn6JcnZ0sAnCjNE7JBftL5D0NTsv-5iBxgISf3MfIR_Iz_sy1nkbV2L5PsR_bODI4GQ_V2NEuf0mbZs1sm1LehLUHyHogcsNpe/s1600/LITJOHN1.jpg" height="320" width="304" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and cousin John. No idea why we had the broom. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmVigSH_LTCk2MDApDyKqFyMmhY-znPMDMo2zMX-72SBtqnqY-oZ_FLlqLLlCrGqK14VOs8k9fJAOOurvGb4aAa16ItuUU4KRm2KhxsSXvqqeDmgpIOMMOcwJQcSx78J7imyIiTuTwpm1/s1600/BILLCAY1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmVigSH_LTCk2MDApDyKqFyMmhY-znPMDMo2zMX-72SBtqnqY-oZ_FLlqLLlCrGqK14VOs8k9fJAOOurvGb4aAa16ItuUU4KRm2KhxsSXvqqeDmgpIOMMOcwJQcSx78J7imyIiTuTwpm1/s1600/BILLCAY1.jpg" height="320" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left to right: My mother, John's mother, our Aunt Lilian<br />
(my mother's sister who married one of my father's other brothers). </td></tr>
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On the outward journey there was a problem with the overhead wires meaning that we had to change trains at Doncaster for York and then change again for Leeds. While waiting for us to arrive (an hour late) John and Marie found a nice restaurant for coffee and, after finding each other at Leeds station, we decided to have our lunch there. I can recommend Livin'italy at Granary Wharf, Leeds. Excellent Italian food at reasonable prices. <a href="http://www.livinitaly.com/">www.livinitaly.com</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP76D0lINvsxFr33uGW-22Q29tAjQdxpHMXHcGUsKf1t6m-xTlU2kZmOmNmhb3MUn4i_LTFUkduF0IVNwuKybsP-UHWCTUqEcqwK5NvyfUd1MV94eglVPftxvDDiK4CTAcze0Rz1xha27K/s1600/Leeds+23.3.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP76D0lINvsxFr33uGW-22Q29tAjQdxpHMXHcGUsKf1t6m-xTlU2kZmOmNmhb3MUn4i_LTFUkduF0IVNwuKybsP-UHWCTUqEcqwK5NvyfUd1MV94eglVPftxvDDiK4CTAcze0Rz1xha27K/s1600/Leeds+23.3.14.jpg" height="263" width="320" /></a></div>
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We stayed in the restaurant and chatted for a long time and caught up on old times, as well as filling in some of the three-decade gaps and family news. Thankfully we all got along together just fine, with no awkward silences. All too soon it was time to say "Cheerio" and make our ways home.<br />
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Here's looking forward to the next meet up.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00277579157497515953noreply@blogger.com0Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, UK52.33146 -0.1825519999999869552.292654999999996 -0.26323299999998695 52.370265 -0.10187099999998694tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856470448608604163.post-11399480911098242312014-03-05T11:10:00.000+00:002014-03-05T11:10:47.514+00:00Spring cometh and friendships flourishIn January last year (2013) I attended a 40th birthday party where all the guests were given a planted miniature daffodil bulb. Mine flourished and after flowering was left on the kitchen window ledge in the original pot to overwinter.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8f-yW0NkFDcSh7G1WMNF_sxlY9i76i8O-koZm6s1FDnIZQJSjWi3521KXx-3RbjGYeLXWQYl3Ferym58u7rYGK3K0FMV0NVCSBdh6WqFpSnbimYS4P1sm8xEm-RO29vKM89tlLQlOyNR/s1600/clare's+daffodil+spring+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8f-yW0NkFDcSh7G1WMNF_sxlY9i76i8O-koZm6s1FDnIZQJSjWi3521KXx-3RbjGYeLXWQYl3Ferym58u7rYGK3K0FMV0NVCSBdh6WqFpSnbimYS4P1sm8xEm-RO29vKM89tlLQlOyNR/s1600/clare's+daffodil+spring+2013.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwUMtYit1QDS5KwAtUdCwspmxWQRUmhE1Go_uzZMe5JzSST-LK2T-6MVkl0sVv_tjx-2P544oyndxeLpIyilLpUbJaJxkY0uMbmI0_4YFuzkSbrvfBI5BN05wisw2MlU51282HCrpV4CDE/s1600/clare%2527s+daffodil+spring+2013+v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwUMtYit1QDS5KwAtUdCwspmxWQRUmhE1Go_uzZMe5JzSST-LK2T-6MVkl0sVv_tjx-2P544oyndxeLpIyilLpUbJaJxkY0uMbmI0_4YFuzkSbrvfBI5BN05wisw2MlU51282HCrpV4CDE/s1600/clare%2527s+daffodil+spring+2013+v2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">This year (2014) the bulb has sprung back into life and produced another fine display. This heralding of spring is a joyful sight after all the bad weather, and the daffodil is a living reminder of a friendship made. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZVWRFkFks0Rjbhgmz15AtIGLyzw_bIt4Z8S2y3UICMFp__8I5InQ3hpWz7SI4bOQw_v92P4Z3qvYuKj9SOQvS8E-a0gq1KPp61ia1o_d9PAn9Rfk9ETJhkqu2W82Gw4QzF6gtMkqSxhy/s1600/clare's+daffodil+beg+of+March+2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZVWRFkFks0Rjbhgmz15AtIGLyzw_bIt4Z8S2y3UICMFp__8I5InQ3hpWz7SI4bOQw_v92P4Z3qvYuKj9SOQvS8E-a0gq1KPp61ia1o_d9PAn9Rfk9ETJhkqu2W82Gw4QzF6gtMkqSxhy/s1600/clare's+daffodil+beg+of+March+2014.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Later this month I will be attending the 41st birthday party of the same friend. Wishing her a very happy day and many more birthdays to come. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00277579157497515953noreply@blogger.com0Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, UK52.33146 -0.1825519999999869552.292654999999996 -0.26323299999998695 52.370265 -0.10187099999998694tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856470448608604163.post-86223021865319320722014-01-27T14:53:00.002+00:002014-01-27T14:53:53.561+00:00Hair we go again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Forty years of hairstyles<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5v7wVT1rbzDjf1RR7VbR37yvFokyuFomabEpwSAFMTU5GxVfOoydDTNBlPdR1EYUHTYQGHQJs5UMx9E03sW94VSdkg1hRZs6VOiHyKLCkhyphenhyphenRHQXULIDr_R6fz29OKXhJFS9mOyd5hyphenhyphenXL/s1600/Pauline+Graduation+1974%252C+Head+and+shoulders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5v7wVT1rbzDjf1RR7VbR37yvFokyuFomabEpwSAFMTU5GxVfOoydDTNBlPdR1EYUHTYQGHQJs5UMx9E03sW94VSdkg1hRZs6VOiHyKLCkhyphenhyphenRHQXULIDr_R6fz29OKXhJFS9mOyd5hyphenhyphenXL/s1600/Pauline+Graduation+1974%252C+Head+and+shoulders.jpg" height="293" width="320" /></a></div>
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1974</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEiEKgeNv-Dp5CqUu1IPZn49-4eDuKh8i0HJDnv6XrkW3ASnQtYtragLTJywbWzzZE68N6cVALRcUHfNtk4WnkoyTM4sEdRo3-RNXeN1RmMGCCOt7tpX1j0jg0qXTlIeYf87AERVLuJjNt/s1600/Pauline+January+2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEiEKgeNv-Dp5CqUu1IPZn49-4eDuKh8i0HJDnv6XrkW3ASnQtYtragLTJywbWzzZE68N6cVALRcUHfNtk4WnkoyTM4sEdRo3-RNXeN1RmMGCCOt7tpX1j0jg0qXTlIeYf87AERVLuJjNt/s1600/Pauline+January+2014.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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2014</div>
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And in between ......</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKUKJU7jXL1j6uo4TXZeIpzkOBWIqPwvbPTF595XNjRh-gIx8VwS4qwbSavHxq6S-pk2Y3Z0e1GOzST_J1xsmhPLfaJeICc4RVrTZ99ywGwPQ79kFLvwhWA0WUXhnuImkUJmr15WAL54o/s1600/Pauline_Girton.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKUKJU7jXL1j6uo4TXZeIpzkOBWIqPwvbPTF595XNjRh-gIx8VwS4qwbSavHxq6S-pk2Y3Z0e1GOzST_J1xsmhPLfaJeICc4RVrTZ99ywGwPQ79kFLvwhWA0WUXhnuImkUJmr15WAL54o/s1600/Pauline_Girton.JPG" height="316" width="320" /></a></div>
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35+ years of curly perms. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00277579157497515953noreply@blogger.com2Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, UK52.33146 -0.1825519999999869552.292654999999996 -0.26323299999998695 52.370265 -0.10187099999998694tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856470448608604163.post-88312881268219893382013-01-28T08:00:00.000+00:002014-08-14T10:56:59.326+01:00RAF Boy Entrants 48th Entry: 50th Anniversary Celebrations<br />
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It was some years ago that Fred Baldwin started the online conversation that the 48th Entry Boys should have a reunion for the 50th anniversary of their joining up. It was on 23rd January 1963 at RAF Cosford when the Boys all met for the first time. Apparently it was the coldest night of the worst winter on record. Away from home and not yet joined up, they were (as the story goes) each given eight extra blankets to keep themselves warm. On the next day they attested their allegiance to the Queen and this privilege was removed, as were all other home comforts.<br />
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With Friends Reunited messages, Facebook posts and emails flying in the ether around the world and with telephone calls made, this behind the scenes work of tracking down all the Boys was carried out in earnest. Dave set himself the task of trying to track down as many Boys as he could. Terry Jacobs, Des Martin and Michel Sinnott were doing likewise. Thanks go to Fred Baldwin who was able to supply some of the names and contact details from the previous attempt. Dave shared with me all his successes and failures, and I could see that for him this was a labour of love. With regret not all the Boys could be contacted, some that were couldn't come, and with great sadness it was found that not all the Boys made it to see this anniversary.<br />
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After a few hiccups the dates were set. I was pleased that at the dinner Dave had a mention in dispatches along with Terry and Michel for finding the Boys, and thanks must surely go to Des Martin and Richard Osler for making all the arrangements for the hotel and dinner. The hotel was a stunning venue, The Telford Whitehouse Hotel in Wellington. <a href="http://www.telfordwhitehouse.co.uk/">http://www.telfordwhitehouse.co.uk/</a></div>
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Some of the Boys arrived on Wednesday 23rd January. On the morning of Thursday 24th they went on a visit to the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas, Staffordshire. <a href="http://www.thenma.org.uk/">http://www.thenma.org.uk/</a><br />
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Our journey started on the snowridden footpaths of home just before 9am on Thursday 24th. Fortunately we were well wrapped up. I had been able to pack my things into an overnight case with wheels. Dave's holdall fitted comfortably on the top making transport easy. The bus to the bus station was on time and the walk from the bus station across Mill Common to the train station easy if the patches of ice were seen and avoided.<br />
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A hiccup was the fares. After discussion at the ticket office we bought two next day returns to Peterborough and there bought two period returns from Peterborough to Wellington, saving ourselves £30 each on the fares had we bought through tickets from Huntingdon. No idea why the difference, and we wondered how many people have and will unknowingly pay extra for some fares. <br />
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Catching the 09.47 train from Huntingdon, meant that at Peterborough we had time for a leisurely hot chocolate and use of the facilities before boarding the 10.52 train to Birmingham.<br />
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The journey to Birmingham took about two hours so there was time for puzzles and time for knitting.<br />
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I was feeling extremely grotty with a cold and cough which had been hanging about for well over a week, not much like smiling or enjoying myself at all. And even after a short journey the sight of snow became monotonous.<br />
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On arrival at Birmingham we had to change trains again, to the 13.05 to Wellington. Thankfully at Wellington the stairs from the train station to the bus station had been gritted. We were lucky in that the first bus driver we spoke to was driving the bus we needed and very kindly told us when we had reached the right stop. We couldn't have missed it really, being right outside the giant hotel building.<br />
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The Receptionist was helpful and told us that our room was “just through those double doors”. What she forgot to add was: “at the end of the corridor”.<br />
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We are not very experienced with upmarket hotels. Comfortable and adequate ones, yes, but not what we encountered here. There were two double beds, one of which was six feet wide. We opted for the narrower one – next to the radiator and easier for us to keep each other warm. At first we couldn't find the tea and coffee making facilities, not expecting to find them in a deep drawer disguised as two narrower ones.</div>
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We then went up to Sir Stephen's Brasserie for lunch. There we met some of the Boys acting as a reception committee. Identification badges and metal pin badges, both courtesy of Ron Seddon, were handed out. As one of the few women there I was made very welcome. <br />
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After chatting time we opted for the cheese and pickle sandwiches. What we didn't expect was a feast! The filling was thicker than the bread and there was a huge salad. Afterwards, out of curiosity I went to look out of the window and was staggered to find a grandstand view of the Telford United Football Club ground.<br />
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I left Dave reminiscing and went back to our room for a rest before the dinner. My left ear was partially blocked and was slightly discharging so had cotton wool in it. My right ear was also partially blocked. Hence my hearing was not at its best. Talking became difficult after a short while and because of my cold I couldn't speak very loudly so wasn't heard when trying to join a conversation. I also had a chesty cough. Not good in a social situation.<br />
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Dave thought the reunion an important occasion and brought a shirt and tie with him. He remembered to wear his wedding ring and announced regret that he had forgotten cuff links. Yes, a very special occasion indeed. <br />
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We made our way to the Wellington Suite to join the Boys for dinner. Beautifully set circular tables with candles, and red, white and blue table napkins. Menus had been designed by Ron Seddon and each person given one as a memento.<br />
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The main area of activity was the bar.<br />
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Before the dinner was the group photograph.<br />
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An opening speech was made by Richard Osler, followed by a toast to absent friends. <br />
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And the fabulous three course meal began and ended. Boys had come from all over the world to attend, Germany and Papua New Guinea are two countries that come to mind. After the meal Derek Clinick gave each person one of his greetings cards with a facsimile of one of his fabulous drawings on the front. <a href="http://www.planeart.co.uk/">http://www.planeart.co.uk/</a><br />
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I was sitting next to a slim and elegant woman who works as a community matron. It was fascinating to hear about her job. I felt rather shabby with my wobbly bits, red nose and other disadvantages (including having to rush from the dining suite with a coughing fit). I didn't regret wearing my hand knit glitter sweater. Not only for flying the hand knitting flag, but also for keeping me warm. A pity I had forgotten to bring the jewellery to wear with it. <br />
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I found it very moving that all these men who hadn't seen each other for almost 50 years were chatting and socialising as if the hiatus had not been there. After a suitable interval following dinner I left Dave with his pals while I went back to bed but not before looking out of the window of the Wellington Suite and seeing another fabulous grandstand view of the football ground. The carpet in the Wellington Suite and surrounding areas was dedicated to the team, with the team's emblem woven in.<br />
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On Friday morning the snow on the ground was almost as bad as the day before. Breakfast was self serve and was superb. Hot was hot and cold was cold, and plenty of it. We caught the bus to the station and then the 10.00 train to Cosford for the muster at 10.30am. There's about a half mile walk from the station to the RAF Museum at Cosford. <br />
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Dave thankfully pulled the overnight case and holdall while I crawled along behind trying not to slip. The road was clear of snow but there were patches of black ice. I was afraid of being hit by a car as there were no pavements (or if there were then we didn't see them). <br />
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The hot chocolate on arrival was nectar for the soul. We wandered about the museum at our own pace. I spent my time in the Cold War exhibition while Dave had a look at everything. I couldn't face going in and out of the cold to see all the hangers and outside exhibits. Dave took some excellent shots.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">Bristol Britannia</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">Hawker Siddeley Nimrod</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">Lockheed Neptune </td></tr>
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He took some good indoor shots as well.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKbnoZEJvYc2P8gFFrGb68s_hRad3ii7zASnrUn5tRpEO6wEeiBSZKpejbCGItDKZ72nNy3wd5O-n3DhLobIzT6aSFii0soU0BMBwahF8ATwCAsGPgT3pQmUIbU_N_W1tUu_0E7RaPqk/s1600/interior+cold+war+cosford+1+reduced.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKbnoZEJvYc2P8gFFrGb68s_hRad3ii7zASnrUn5tRpEO6wEeiBSZKpejbCGItDKZ72nNy3wd5O-n3DhLobIzT6aSFii0soU0BMBwahF8ATwCAsGPgT3pQmUIbU_N_W1tUu_0E7RaPqk/s320/interior+cold+war+cosford+1+reduced.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">English Electric Lightning</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIKK07dNNWPSqMZ8nVKESFjaoOYaK515WsIX6FalQ-CMEQFlb4Dgl4kuUWe_8w3XI_TdtXIfNC0FbewzspXj5iQEfKqATjXmz4hiOH6Hj4uq2VmE-oRe4OHgd0HV-0DHMa3KP42zuFJoY/s1600/interior+cold+war+cosford+2+reduced.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIKK07dNNWPSqMZ8nVKESFjaoOYaK515WsIX6FalQ-CMEQFlb4Dgl4kuUWe_8w3XI_TdtXIfNC0FbewzspXj5iQEfKqATjXmz4hiOH6Hj4uq2VmE-oRe4OHgd0HV-0DHMa3KP42zuFJoY/s320/interior+cold+war+cosford+2+reduced.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Thor Stand-off Rocket</td></tr>
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And I took one of him next to an Avro York, in a stance similar to that of his father also against an Avro York aircraft which had crashed at Luqa, Malta, <i>c</i>1953.<br />
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We also had a good look around the shop and I bought myself a book.<br />
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We were given a lift from the museum to RAF Cosford itself where a tour of the camp had been arranged by Richard Osler.</div>
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We were given an introductory talk about the history of RAF Cosford and its role as a training establishment, and then shown round three different training sections. Much of it was over my head but it was interesting to learn about the different types of weapons and how weapon technology has changed since the Second World War. <br />
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Then a coach tour around the camp with a stop at Fulton Block for a photoshoot. This building is said to be the largest brick built building in Europe and was where the Boys were billeted during their training. It is now used as offices and training rooms. Not all the Boys stayed for all or part of the Cosford visit. Some had a long way to travel home and heavy snow had been forecast.<br />
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The wording says: <i>FULTON BLOCK This building was erected in 1938 to provide accommodation for the thousands of Apprentices and Boy Entrants undergoing their technical training at RAF Cosford. During two periods of refurbishment, from 1989-1990 and 1993-1994, Fulton Block has been refitted for use as training accommodation. </i><br />
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After the tour farewells were said and we made our way to the station. There were about 35 minutes until the 16.18 train and we had hoped to have a warming drink in the café while we waited. Hopes were dashed when we found that the café closed at 15.00. The few of us whiled away the time with reminisces and social chatter. A young lady came to wait for the train and she and I struck up a conversation. She saw our luggage, and proud of the Boys I explained who they were. She volunteered that she was a civilian worker at RAF Cosford and that they were looking for stories from people who had been based there for its 75th anniversary this year <a href="http://cosfordairshow.co.uk/">http://cosfordairshow.co.uk/</a> and <a href="http://www.bada.uk.com/calendar/icalrepeat.detail/2013/06/09/41/-/raf-cosford-air-show-75th-anniversary-of-raf-cosford">http://www.bada.uk.com/calendar/icalrepeat.detail/2013/06/09/41/-/raf-cosford-air-show-75th-anniversary-of-raf-cosford</a>. She gave Dave a business card and he will contact the Boys with the details. <br />
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The train arrived and we started the journey home. There was enough time between arriving at Birmingham and catching the 17.22 to Peterborough to buy a sandwich and a hot drink. The 19.46 train to Huntingdon was already in so we had a seat in the relative warmth while we waited for it to depart. Steve's Taxis sent a car to pick us up at the station immediately we rang and we arrived home tired but happy. <br />
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The Boys want another reunion soon, perhaps for the Graduation Anniversary, 7th July 2014. If it will be as good as this one then we can't wait to go! <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00277579157497515953noreply@blogger.com3Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, UK52.33146 -0.1825519999999869552.292653 -0.26323299999998695 52.370267 -0.10187099999998694