Cheshire and a little culture.

Port Sunlight

The day's travelling across England brought us into Liverpool and down through the Mersey tunnel into Cheshire. It wasn't far to the delightful town of Port Sunlight. Although not far from where I grew up I had never been here before.  I had once visited the soap factory as part of a school excursion and you may recall the famous name of Sunlight Soap? It was the successful establishment of this huge industrial enterprise by Lord Lever that provided his enormous wealth. He also built the whole township of Port Sunlight to house his workforce. The place is an absolute picture.

 This is the Lady Lever Art Gallery built by Lord Lever to honour his wife. He filled it with over two thousand pieces of fine art from his private collection. Now open free to the public .  It was a great way to pass the afternoon.

 By the way do you recall the pork pie from yesterday? Well we went back to that Jamaican/English butcher and to his surprise and delight bought another two pies which we ate for lunch today . What a couple of colonial piggies we are!!!

Unfortunately I can't find the photos from inside the gallery. I can hear your heartbroken sighs of utmost disappointment. I shall search the memory cards and hopefully relieve your pain!

Oh what fortune, for the photos that where lost have been found!!

Only a few as we don't want to spoil your appetite for Paris and Italy!!!

All our love Poss and Pop

Lincoln and Aunties

Lincoln

It appeared that we would have a quiet day with not too much planned. How wrong we were! A quiet brekkie with simple fare on offer - toast, yoghurts, cereals etc. Then we set off to walk across town to meet her Aunt Jean. Keep in mind that Lincoln is not as flat as Shepparton and we discovered that four klms is much further here than there.

Jean and Poss share memories and pictures.

We eventually reached Aunty Jean's house after buying a useless map and consulting a useless shopkeeper! Thank goodness for a well informed Council worker.

We so enjoyed our time with Jean who fondly recalled the visit last year of Brigid(Bid), Robyn and Lauren. She was so interested in all that they were up to and sad to hear of Robyn's Mum's passing. After several hours chatting and tea we bade our farewells with hugs and kisses and great mutual fondness. As we walked back along Monk St. we looked up the hillside and picked out Jean's bungalow... and at the window was Jean waving strongly in recognition and return of our own waving arms! Such a touching and memorable moment. We walked back through Lincoln's beautiful gardens to the cathedral and a pork pie lunch on the lawns.

We then decided to travel about 17 miles to try catching up with Aunty Beverley (one of Pop's aunts)at the little country village of Marston. The road was through rural farming land that was being harvested for wheat and silage. Tractors swung around bends with alarming speed and yet apparent immunity from accidents. We visited Uncle Tom's grave and called at the local store which surprisingly doubled as the local pub or actually vice versa. Yes they were well acquainted with Beverley but suggested we buy a cake to take with us on the visit. Alas we rang the bell and waited for a response in vain.

Tom's grave in Marston.

Part from the hill upon which Lincoln cathedral and castle are built the surrounding countryside is flat just like around Shepparton.

When we arrived back in town we had trouble getting the car back up the incredibly tight driveway of the BandB. Eventually we had to drive around the block and approach it from the opposite end of the lane(I won't call it a road ). Little did we know that some civilly upright citizens had reported us to the Police for driving the last fiftymetres of said lane the wrong way!!! When we returned to our accommodation after a delightful Spanish dinner our host informed us that the Police from the adjoining station had called seeking the driver of the offending vehicle. Sense prevailed with no further action necessary on their part or ours. 

Let's hope that is the only brush we have with the law this trip!

Off to Cheshire and Paul's place of origin tomorrow so a blog may be light on if at all.

You are all very much in our thoughts and prayers.

Poss and Pop

Traveling South

Which way now?

Well even the best laid plans sometimes go awry. Our departure from Keswick went according to plan and our hosts Pauline and Mark seemed sorry to see their Aussie wanderers depart. The sat/nav kicked in and we progressed pretty well despite every sort of mechanical impediment known to British roadways taking to the very roads we were taking. I mean ... a lorry with a long and wide caravan behind (I.e. towing it) immediately followed by a four wheel drive towing a large horse float; with a mix of assorted cement mixers, furniture vans and buses...well the trip did take quite a bit longer than we anticipated.

The additional problem surfaced when we stopped for a bite of lunch. Lovely pub called The Angel in a place whose name we didn't catch. Well the sat/nav didn't come back from lunch!!!  We drove on intrepidly guided by our Aussie sense of Outback direction, the position of the Sun, flight of passing seagulls, wind direction etc.

Of course the odd signpost to Lincoln occasionally aided our navigation of these treacherous roadways.

Alas for all those wanting pictures.. not many taken today. Too busy driving and navigating and after all ... One roadway tends to look like another.

But the GPS did come back online and guided us into Lincoln and the next BandB.

Dropped our bags and car and walked just around the corner to the Castle and Cathedral. So finally some pics.

 This pub Matthew may recognize from a historic pub quiz back in 2004? It was a laugh.

The forecourt of the Castle

Then we again acquainted ourselves with the most magnificent English cathedral.

 What can you say?

We wandered just amazed at the workmanship and commitment that has gone into building  this great house dedicated to God. We were invited to sit in the choir stalls where once sat Lords and Bishops and dignitaries. We listened to the choir of a local parish sing Evensong and their voices soared into the lofty ceiling buttresses. It may not have appealed to many of you but Poss and Pop were rapt!

On the way home we stopped at the aforementioned pub The Lion and The Snake for a light meal and a few refreshing ales. The local brews aren't too bad and Poss has even taken a liking to the occassional 'Alf (pronounced here as arrf!)

One of the castle towers on the way home.

Tomorrow sees us meeting up with Poss' Aunt Jean who is Carl's widow (Nanna Toomey's brother). Catch you all later. Love to you all from Poss and Pop

Lakes, Landscapes and Literatue

Wandering Around the Lakes.

We started the day with another hearty breakfast (They look at you strangely if you simply have muesli, cereal or yoghurt). So in preparation for an energetic day we fuelled up on bacon, eggs, black pudding (Pop), Cumberland sausage (Poss) and tomatoes. Then it was out to walk it off and thanks to our host Mark, we found a little track across the fields to a beautiful little waterfall. In wetter days it would have been perhaps more spectacular but it was still a beautiful spot .

There was nobody around except for some scraggy coated sheep. The stone walls flank each field and no doubt the boundaries of each farm. However, these sheep appear to have amazing skills in leaping these walls and wandering along the very busy roads! We nearly secured next Sunday's roast a couple of times.

Down to the bottom of Ayr Force (aforementioned waterfall) and the beautiful Ullswater. Here we took to the water in one of the lake steamers (although now diesel) for a leisurely two hour cruise the length of this magnificent lake.

If you expand this photo you will see our steamer The Lady of the Lake.
Apart from the spectacular scenery some kind person had arranged a low level fly  over by a Tornado jet fighter and two massive helicopters!! The boat carried many young families with little kids that reminded us of our wonderful grandkids so far away. So stay safe you littlies!!!

 Have we mentioned the local style of stone cottage? The construction is the same as used in the stone walls. Quite peculiar to the North and very picturesque. We visited the cottage in which William Wordsworth (poet) wrote some of his most famous works. You really should have a read of some of his work which is inspired by the scenery up here. The white cottage is Wordsworth's and the other a museum dedicated to him and other poets.

  

The chimney stacks are built in stone as well and yet are cylindrical!!! Amazing.

The less attractive aspect to this district which is probably a national infliction is the constant need to pay parking fees which can be quite exorbitant. We have never paid out so much in one day to simply park the car. No wonder the Lake District is a favorite place for walkers!!
Anyway, Poss commented that even if we had dedicated the whole of our trip to this fabulous region we would not have discovered all its gems. Put on your to do list but watch out for conventions!!!
To Lincoln tomorrow and the start of our rellie hunting agenda. But to close ... a few more pics of this place.

We know from comments that you are enjoying the photos. They are straight from the camera and not touched up or altered in any way. I don't know how yet. 

Love to everyone.Poss and Pop

The Lakes, mountains and dales.

Keswick 

We are so lucky that we booked our accommodation here as it coincides with the Keswick Convention. Three thousand or more Christian charismatics at the one spot... how lucky are we?

The one thing that this district is famous for is the scenery. It is truly fabulous and thousands of people are here to trek, climb, cycle and generally outdo each other with feats of endurance and pain. So we have generously stood back and not contributed to any congestion on the mountain trails. 

I 

View from our room

We started exploring after first going to mass at St. Joseph's in Cockermouth. The choir in this little village church was fantastic and certainly rivalled our own parish music ministry. Fr.Tom gave a great sermon with a pause for personal reflection in the middle. He told me afterwards that it was the fourth time he had delivered it this weekend. "Fair enough to need a breather!" I replied. We spent a few hours wandering around this beautiful old town. Lots of tiny little laneways that lead into gardens shops and cottages. We found a lovely little cafe down one of these that did delicious coffee and toasties. 

Then it was more exploring through lanes that would test even the most hardened of rally drivers. At places you had to stop and inch past the oncoming vehicle and on two occasions they were double decker buses would you believe? (Driver war brown pants!).

We finished the day back in Keswick and visited the famous pencil museum. You know the one where Derwent colored pencils come from? Poss was in seventh heaven and would have broken the bank with one set of pencils selling for £250. Needless to say they are still in the shop!

Well we are now going to head into town for some tea and a pint.

Love to you all, stay safe and well. Poss and Pop

Rugby and Relocation

Rugby Sevens at Ibrox 

A very early start today as we all had appointments at various venues around the games. We had received tickets to the Rugby Sevens along with some 40,000 others from all over the World. We also had to pack our bags as we were leaving Scotland immediately after the rugby. It was a little sad to say goodbye to Sandy and Cathy (our hosts at the BandB) and Ruth, a young volunteer from Wembley, who hugged us as we left.

It was quite a contrast traveling into the city without the peak hour rush of the working week. Nor did we in anyway get lost as we transferred to the little subway trains for the trip from the city to the stadium.

Following the line of people up to the stadium we joined the queue to pass through security again performed by the military. And again despite our best efforts, the handsome young guardsman, bashfully declined to frisk Poss. We proceeded to our designated turnstile which was unmanned and locked. A queue had already begun to form and eventually an embarrassed steward allowed us to enter through his turnstile (this we were to later find out would lead to trouble). We then started to ascend the steep and seeming!y endless stairs to the uppermost level of the Ibrox. After showing our tickets to two further stewards we eventually made it to our seats.

Home of Rangers F.C.

Aust. V Sri Lanka

Sevens is a fantastically fast game played on a full sized pitch in two seven minute halves. Games follow each other almost immediately and so there was continuous entertainment. The preliminary rounds that we had come to see were very one sided with the powerhouse sides like NZ and Aus having little trouble.

Kiwis V. Canada

It was after the first Australia game that our trouble started! People arrived to sit in the seats we now had occupied for some hours. After the obligatory checking of numbers and rows, we discovered we were in the wrong area. Off to find the stewards who appeared to already be aware of this confusion. "Follow me!"  and off we went into the bowels of the members stand, down narrow tunnels and pokey little doorways. It was rather like something out of The Hobbit!!! We did eventually emerge on ground level and found our proper seats amongst other Aussies and Kiwis. We had gone from the top to the bottom of the stand all due to the fact that the initial steward had allowed us to enter through the wrong turnstiles. In the process we missed the whole of one game but now had a different view and experience of the game. Much closer to the action.

Wales (52) V Malaysia (0)

The Welsh were merciless and our team dominant despite the roar of "Uu Gan Da!!!" from all but a few of the 40,000. We left to get back to our car as soon as the Aussie game finished and ran into the players moving back to their marshaling area. Pop got  to high five every payer and trainer as our paths crossed. What a terrific encounter.

Eventually we drove out of Scotland and the Games with a hope that we may one day return and see much more of the land of the kilt, bagpipes and haggis. Not forgetting the whiskey!!!

Victors over the mob!

Castles, crowds and colour.

To the capital.

Edinburgh is truly a city of history, built around their buildings. Everywhere we looked there was history insinuated into the very sandstone which has been the preferred material of local architects.

We had a really quick and enjoyable train trip from our base in Airdrie to Edinburgh. The rail system does put our rattling rural transport to shame. I guess it is expensive travel but it enabled both of us to sightsee for the day. The train arrived right under the shadow of the Castle and we availed ourselves of the 'hop on - hop off' buses just outside the station. 

We got off at the Castle and Bid and Robyn will be familiar with all the sights that greeted us at this most iconic venue.

The castle forecourt for the Tattoo

The crowds of tourists began to build here with all sorts of flags and small toys on poles identifying the particular tour guides with their focused flocks swarming around them. How they maintain their energy and composure is a credit to their professionalism. The castle provides THE most magnificent views over the city...

And of course we loved to ask the local guides to assist us to record memories and they were happy to oblige us.

We have many photos of the castle views and rooms that we will inflict upon you when we get home. But maybe just a couple more

On the way down again.

We decided to jump off the bus at the Grass Market and grab some lunch at one of the numerous eating places in the area. Then we went walking down into town and we are so glad that we did. The streets were so colorful and interesting with lots of hanging baskets  showing off the sandstone so well.

Although hot for a walk it was delightful

We also discovered the most beautiful kirk (church or cathedral) of St.Giles. The stained glass windows were so beautiful and although reasonably modern retained the essence of great creative and artistic beauty.

It was one of the most beautiful cathedrals we have visited.

Our path wound down the hill through centuries of history now beneath our feet ... What happened in this place or that in decades past?

Look closely at the sign over this narrow lane connecting different streets and let your imagination wander ... But not too much as this is a family friendly blog!

No pillars of salt here!!!

Our day finished with the almost obligatory coffee before boarding our train back to Airdrie and a glass of wine and bed.

Tomorrow sees us off to an early start, packed  up and heading South after the rugby to the Lakes. What a great time we have had so far in this country of Celts. The games  are simply an excuse for our visit but will not be the reason that we will come back for another taste of Scotland!!!

Love to you all.   Poss and Pop

The Cwlth Games

Go Aussies!!!

Today we started quite early with a full Scottish breakfast at 7:00am. This consisted of magnificent bacon,poached egg,mushrooms, sausage, tomato and Toast. Also muesli, yoghurt and juices. They know how to make tea that Uncle Chris would approve of.

Then off to the station for our ride into Glasgow and our appointment for netball. On the way we stopped for the odd photo...

Add caption

and free coffee!

We were greeted everywhere by volunteers who wanted to help us with the quickest way to the venue. They only succeeded in confusing us so much that we eventually just walked there. As you can see we were greeted as winners which augurs well for the real athletes for which we were obviously mistaken!

We passed security without any ankle beeps and without Poss succeeding in getting the burly Scots Fusiliers to do a full body search.

After watching a pretty good match between Malawi and Nth Ireland our Aussie girls took the court against Wales. sorry Bethan but it really wasn't a contest despite some clear assistance to the team in Red from the English umpire.

I think the final margin was about thirty but itit was a great experience to be involved in a Games event. On the long walk back into town people would yell out of car windows "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!!!" Or G'day mate! So it would appear that the Scots now know that we are in Scotland.

The weather is simply superb and everyone thanks us for bringing it with us. Hope it holds for tomorrow as we venture up to Edinburgh for a day in the capital. 

We pray all is well with each and everyone of you. All our love. Poss and Pop