Birthday treats on a posh train, a 21st birthday party and dog sitting in Bristol

Our posh train ride to Wales and back on the beautifully restored Pullman Statesman. We were pulled by a Class 47 diesel D1935 originally built by Brush Electric in Loughborough. A total or 512 Class 47's were built between 1962 and 1968 and the numbers range from D1100 to D1999 so this was one of the later ones built

The last of Brian's birthday celebrations was another train ride, but this one was special. A flyer had come through the doors couple of months before advertising the Statesman Pullman Train going from South Wales to North Wales, and back. One of its stops was Barnt Green, just down the road, for a luxury day out. The first thing I knew was a WhatsApp from John at 06.00 with a screenshot of the train journey saying it was running an hour late and suggesting that it was cancelled. It wasn't that bad, it was an hour late, but only the first stop had been cancelled, due to a problem with the doors. We rang the emergency contact who was on the train and confirmed the delay, but assured us we should still turn up. John came to collect us, in our smarter than average clothes, to take us to BG and showed us the live train times tracker. We joined the many other smartly dressed people on the platform, making immediate friends with people by letting them know what was going on, and tracking the train.

Dressed in our posher than normal clothes but not ultra posh, we were ready to be spoilt in luxury

It pulled in at 09.00 and we all boarded with much excitement, just hope we have a couple we have something in common with to share our table. Oh look, it's the lady with lovely shoes, well that's a good start. They were a great couple, having the trip for Richard's 60th birthday, rather than Brian's 70th. We tried, without much luck, to give them some space as alone time was obviously something they didn't get much of.

We had time for a walk through Betws-y-Coed by the river and to visit all the outdoor shops looking for gear. We just felt a bit odd looking for climbing shoes dressed smart whilst everyone else was dressed in rugged outdoor gear giving us strange looks (they probably weren't it just felt like it)

A champagne cocktail was served and breakfast order taken. Eggs Benedict for us, coffee, pastries, more coffee, and more pastries. By the time we arrived in Betws-y-Coed at 12.30 we were only 15 minutes late. We disembarked here, with many others. The train was continuing to Blaenau Ffestiniog where there was an optional steam train ride. This hadn't been an option for us as we were too late and it was full so we opted to stay in Betws-y-Coed where there is more going on. The weather forecast had been rubbish, and it wasn't very good, but it wasn't what the day was about. We went in every outdoor shop looking for rock shoes, mine are 14+ years old so I'd like some new ones, but this was not to be. We certainly didn't need any lunch so we stopped for a GnT and the crossword before returning to the station to watch the train come in to take us back home.

A look inside St Mary's Church in Betws. Parked in its car park many times in the past for a break on the way back from climbing mountains in Snowdonia (Eryri) to look in the gear shops but never been in. Somehow on a posh day out it seems the right thing to do and what a nice church it is

We were welcomed back onboard with champagne and hors d'ouvres and so started 4 hours of eating, drinking and chat. The fish starter was lovely and followed by some amazingly tender lamb. The cheese board was stunning, taking two members of staff to carry it down the carriage, a chocolatey pudding I couldn't eat all of, all accompanied by half a bottle of wine and rounded off with coffee and petite fours, finished as we pulled into Barnt Green at 20.30. What a luxurious way to spend a day. We didn't even need to get John to collect us, though he had offered, as one of the people we'd been talking to on the platform in the morning had offered us a lift home as they were passing the door.

Champagne on the journey back followed by a 4 course dinner, wine and afternoon tea

The next week was all much more prosaic, a trip to the financial advisor, a walk with John, climbing, Monday night curry and a regular CT scan for Brian.

Out on a Tuesday walk with John and this sort of stop is essential. I've spent too many years rushing from place to place on motorways when I was working and looking longingly at people who are out walking and taking life easy. Well, it's payback time, particularly when there's a traffic jam underneath

The weekend was spent in Tring celebrating Caroline's 21st birthday. We went the long way down, via Telford to collect Veronica and Ron, Lucy's mum and stepdad. Well we are much closer than anyone else to collect them. We had lunch at the house where we caught up with Jonathan, Lucy, Charles and Caroline and the 5 friends she had from Oxford Uni coming to the party. Haven't seen Charles for ages so it was good to be able to spend some time learning about training with the Commandos. We went to check in to our Airbnb, which was very nice, on the High Street in Tring where I grew up, but have probably only set foot in twice in the last 25 years. We had a good little amble about as I reminisced about all sorts of things. There has been a lot of reminiscing going on recently as for his birthday Fiona bought Brian something called 'Your life in a book'. Rather than just give him homework she did one for me too, which is lovely. Once a week we are sent a question to answer, so far all about our young memories. You can write as much or little as you want and add pictures, it's a really lovely thing to be doing.

Easy does it on our Tuesday walk

The party was at the Kings Arms where I used to drink before going to university. I even had my tankard behind the bar with all the lads. Thoroughly enjoyable evening, much chatting and socialising, not least Jonathan coming in at the end of the speeches in a dinosaur costume, much to Caroline's delight.

John inspecting Tardebigge Top Lock on the Worcester & Birmingham canal. It had to close earlier this year after the brick wall gave way and fell into the lock with hundreds of tons of soil, causing a complete blockage. Its a vital link for the narrowboat leisure industry, as well as the top of an historic flight of 30 locks, so its closure had a huge impact at the start of the season. Funds were raised and the massive job commenced only finally opening again a couple of weeks before this photo was taken. You can see the new blockwork under John's feet

Last week we came down to Iain and Bev's near Bristol as we have done many times. They are doing their usual month in Turkey and their booked house-sitter had backed out. Not that anyone can blame her, she works from home and 2 old cats have turned into one old cat and one 13 month old whippet. We met Freyja in May when we came for the weekend and she is a joy, so much energy it's scary, runs around like an absolute nutter after balls, frisbee's and other dogs. She's very good though, only her toys and on the whole bigger dogs than her as she bowls over smaller ones. Once the running is over, a good sniff through the woods before another few throws and she'll sleep all afternoon till it's time to do it all again! Talking of which.....

Our walk round Tring, Jackie's childhood home and a big reminisce for her. The house with a blue door was one of her homes and one where a box office was set up to sell tickets for the Gilbert and Sullivan am drams all her family were in on a number of occasions. Oh yes, I have heard many renditions of G&S songs sung by her mum and Jackie and, when in Spain, her dad and Jackie 

Victoria Hall, the place where they all used to perform the operas. Downstairs used to be the library and was the first place Jackie was allowed to walk to as a child as her house was just back through an alleyway and very safe

This used to be Jackies grandfathers business that her dad was MD of. It's just private houses and a small business area now, but it used to be a big concern in early IT equipment

The birthday girl! Caroline at  her 21st birthday party. You need to zoom in on this photo to see the amazing eye makeup  one of her friends did for her

Jackies brother Jonathan in his dinosaur costume bought specially for this event as Caroline is mad on dinosaurs

Monday night Diwan balti with Bill, Tim and Mark

And so to Bristol and a month of looking after Freyja dog while our friends go on holiday to Turkey. Somehow she just absorbs our time, but she's a lot of fun and can run like the wind! Here we are at a sculpture called Stronghold by Pat Daw, but commonly known as the hammer and spanner(!)

Here she is in full run mode. She has an on/off switch, she's either sleeping or at maximum speed either running or playing, nothing in between and that includes in the house. She will thunder around the house always causing a bit of a laugh. She doesn't know trot or walk and she hasn't worked out why a toy can't be pulled out of a hole in the side of her toy basket by its arm or leg. The whole thing won't go through resulting in the basket of toys being pulled across the living room past all the other toys deposited around the room. She can outrun almost any dog (greyhound excluded) and, in the park many try, eventually giving up as she's still going and leaving them standing. She will pant, have some water and a few treats and will be ready to do it all again after a few minutes rest. Oh to have that much energy!

A pause for a treat in between running after her ball. We are at Uphill Beacon here, above Weston-Super-Mare that you can see below. It has been very sunny but quite cold recently, particularly on the coast, so she's had her cosy coat on 

On the expansive beach at Weston. When the tide goes out, you can barely see the sea!

However, sand is only at the top of the beach, as the tide recedes (it has the second highest tidal range in the world) it exposes mud, hence the sign. Many people unflatteringly call it Weston-Super-Mud, but its not as bad as that!

There is some sand and Freyja likes to dig in it!

This is Ashton Court just outside Bristol and we like it here. Its a NT house with huge grounds and very popular with dog owners. It also has a cafe so we can stop for hot chocolate halfway!  Here Freyja is chasing her ball but we love it when other dogs appear and chase after her. They try valiantly to catch her but they really have no chance, she is a joy to watch and she loves running hard, it seems its what she lives for. We see so many dogs try but eventually give up completely exhausted. However, we only need to walk on a while and another dog gives chase and she's off again. How does she do it?

The switch is off!

Posing!

Being nosey looking out of the window

Not forgetting 17 year old Tinsel cat who has to put up with all this energy. She just keeps out of the way of mad dog!

Being good while we have a drink at the local pub

We managed a couple of hours out without Freyja to visit Tyntesfield, a fabulous Victorian country house. The original owners made their fortune and built this house from profits from guano (bird poo) imported from Peru. It was used as fertiliser and was in great demand at the start of the industrial revolution as demand for food expanded. It unfortunately decimated the islands in Peru where it was over exploited, slave labour was used and eventually led to the Peru, Chile, Bolivia war where Peru lost territory to Chile and Bolivia became a landlocked country losing its access to the sea to Chile. Not a great record unfortunately.

Now that's a staircase!

We were amused by this wallpaper in the huge dining room. There is a lot of wallpaper in here and, as the sign says, originally the background to the pattern was red, but they decided it made the room too dark so they employed someone to overpaint it in cream! Can you imagine!

They even had their own chapel for private services. Chapel!? Its bigger than a lot of churches we've been in!

Managed to snap this photo of a buzzard from our bedroom window this morning using full 40:1 zoom on my camera

We're down in Bristol for a month now, but before we went we bought a new addition for our back garden. Meet Babar, our baby elephant sculpture who's going to keep Geraldine the giraffe company while we're away