UK March to April

 More of the same really.

On our cultural tour of Derby with John & Brian. Directions courtesy of Jackie, commentary & history courtesy of John. I just took the photos and drank beer! This is The Roundhouse next to the railway station. Originally it was the worlds first roundhouse, containing a turntable used to turn steam trains round. It was built in 1839 by Robert Stephenson, is a 16 sided polygon building 58m in diameter with a 15m high domed roof. We couldn't go inside but could see the old timbers supporting the roof through a window

Walking with John and Brian, firstly a cultural tour of Derby. I found a very short railway themed route near the station which didn't take long, before going to the Museum of Making which also seemed quite train focused, with a model railway. A jet engine and an exploded electric car on the site of the world's first factory made it the ideal place for us, though obviously not the local kids who were on holiday but conspicuous by their absence. The second floor had more exhibits than usual, all stacked together and unlabeled, but with a computer system to identify what you were looking at. Beer was provided at the Brunswick Inn, despite the Alexandra Hotel having the cab of a class 37 train in the carpark. A photo of this was deemed enough.

Next stop on Jackies cultural tour were the Railway Workers cottages in North Street & Midland Place. These historically listed terraced homes were built in the 1840's to house Midland Railway staff

The following week was more trains, the first day of the Camp Hill Line in Birmingham, going from Kings Norton to New Street via Pineapple Road, Kings Heath and Moseley Village for the first time since before the second world war. We had breakfast in Kings Norton at 'Upstairs at Chas Mann's' a biker cafe Alex and Rob had mentioned to us. Fab. Then the excitement of a whole new line! We are not the only ones who thought so, Abi was on the first train of the day, and as we got off at New Street I found myself being nudged by Tim who had come down from Derby to do just the same thing. A cup of coffee before back on the train to Pineapple Road from where we walked to the Old Moseley Arms for a couple of pints and then the Prince of Wales for more of the same.

Continuing our cultural tour of Derby here's the Class 37 loco front in the car park of the Alexander Hotel. Yes, I know its the wrong way round, I took a selfie

We've done a couple of local walks, including one from our station where Alvechurch Residents Association was meeting to show some support against the large number of new houses planned for the village. Thursday we met Denise and Paul for a walk around Lowsonford starting and finishing at the Fleur de Lys pub with a coffee stop outside the church midway. All very civilised.

Cultural tour of Derby continued: this is the Derby Market Hall, a beautiful building built between 1844 and 1866 at a cost of £29,000 and recognised as the UK's first purpose built undercover market

Easter Friday was a multi activity day, a family gathering at Steph's which was lovely, seeing their new house and meeting Jenny's new boyfriend, inconveniently called James but he seems very chilled and coped with the family en masse. We left them and went down to Bev and Iain's for the weekend. A lovely couple of days eating, drinking, chatting and walking Freyja dog. It all followed our general routine, chill on Friday, into Bristol on Saturday for a long lunch, at Pasture this time for fabulous steak, before a couple of pubs and Brozen the nitrogen cocktail bar. Sunday lunch at the local pub before returning home to find Brian has left his slippers AGAIN!

Cultural tour of Derby: this is the Museum of Making, a fabulous museum worthy of a good few hours of browsing. The building on the right, the entrance to the museum, was the Derby Silk Mill and widely regarded as the worlds first factory built by the Lombe brothers in 1721. When it opened it was considered a wonder of the world, producing thread on a scale never seen before. It attracted famous writers like Benjamin Franklin and Daniel Defoe

I've been into the BBC in Birmingham for the retirement do of the last of the Comms Department that I had such a happy time working for. A great evening with many old faces. Can't believe I've been gone nearly 14 years. The other big get together was a sadder event, the funeral of Richard Vernon, an old friend of Brian's from the Mountaineering Club, who also lived in the village. The club gave a good showing so it was nice to catch up and give support to his sister and the rest of the family.

This was a jumble of old artefacts in the museum, but just fascinating

We've had lovely times with Jonathan, Lucy Charles and Caroline, Abi, Fiona and James, Monday club and this weekend Sunday Tea club and Sunday club both on the same night! After another yummy meal (thanks Crystal) and lots of chat we made it to the Weighbridge with 10 minutes to spare where the beers were already waiting for us!

A jet engine made by Rolls Royce of Derby suspended from the ceiling in the museum

Life maintenance, car maintenance, gardening and planning our trip to Canada in mid May have taken the rest of the time making us wonder how people ever have time to go to work.

There's a model railway in the museum which is run twice a day so, of course, we had to time our visit to coincide with that. We just had to elbow the kids out of the way! (Not really!)

All that walking around was thirsty work! Fortunately the Brunswick Inn provided some refreshment!

Our family get together at Brian's niece Steph and Sam's. LtoR: Sam, Becky (Brian's middle granddaughter), Paul and Abbie (Brian's eldest granddaughter)

Brian's sister Denise, Steph and Sam

Me and my daughter Fiona

Brian's three granddaughters, Becky with Ivy, (Steph and Sam's daughter), Jenny with boyfriend James (his first meeting with all the family - apparently he was scared to death!) and Abbie

With Bev and Iain on our weekend in Bristol with our frozen, very alcoholic cocktails

Mixing the cocktails in Brozen using liquid nitrogen

Out with John and Brian again on another Tuesday walk, this one to ride the new railway line through Moseley and Kings Heath on its first day of opening. But first, here we are in Chas Mann's biker cafe in Kings Norton waiting for our breakfasts!

We weren't the only people wanting to ride the line on the first day, it was full of people we might affectionately call anoraks, rail enthusiasts, often with grey beards and anoraks, filming trains, noting numbers and generally being excited. It was good fun

In Cannon Hill Park on our way to the Old Moseley Arms for some refreshment we passed this very old model of the Elan Valley in Wales, which is where Birmingham gets it tap water from

Out with Denise and Paul for a walk through Lowsonford and there's Denise and Jackie way ahead chatting, oblivious that they had gone in the wrong direction. The black sheep was trying to tell them!

A mid morning break at Preston Bagot church for a coffee and bun

Whilst looking at the new Spring Lambs in the field

Quick pose for a photo at the entrance to the church

Followed by a walk round inside the small historic church 

Out with Alvechurch Residents Association to protest at the 500 proposed houses planned to be built in our village, a number representing about 25% of the current size. The proposal is to build on all those fields behind us. We're in this photo - can you find us?

While Jackie was out with her old work colleagues, I went to a concert at our local village hall where Acoustic Roots were performing along with several other bands that Paul (on the right) opened up for them. Here's Big Keith on the left, his daughter Leah, Sue and Paul, with Brian on sound (bottom right)

Brian helping with set building at the village hall last weekend. The dramatic society (most of whom we go to the pub with on Wednesdays and Sundays) are putting on a play on Thursday, Friday and Saturday this week and they were a bit short of hands. I helped build a special cabinet for a ghostly scene with Big Keith and designed and built a sliding window with a hidden catch to allow it to slam shut at the appropriate time. I really enjoyed it, but it was hard work

I had strict instructions to leave the village hall by 4:15pm latest to get home, have a shower and get the train into Birmingham for Sunday Tea Club in the Chinese Quarter. LtoR: Ian, Brian, Jackie, Manu, Ming (Crystal), who orders all the food, Reuben and Helen. With pubs before and after we wove our way back to the station for the train back to Alvechurch 

Alvechurch station is almost next to the Weighbridge, our local and we knew some of the drama group would be in there after finishing set build and tech rehearsals, so it would have been rude not to join them. John got us the dinks in ready and we got there just before it closed. LtoR: Brian, John, Big Keith, Posh, Jackie and me. The end of a busy  (but fun) weekend

A month in the UK

A sunny late winters walk along our local canal

We've been back a month now and haven't done a blog. We've been doing lots of other things instead though.

Brian spent a long time planning a trip to Japan, which we have now put on ice. It feels a little foolhardy to be planning a trip in that direction just at the moment, so instead he's now looking at Canada which may not be much better cost wise with increased fuel prices!

Followed by lunch in our garden with Luna, next doors cat

We've been out walking with Brian and Keith. The first week Brian planned a walk along the length of the, nearly 2 mile, Netherton Tunnel which we have walked through in the past. This was different in that we followed the length of it from above to find all the pepper pots that mark the ventilation shafts. 

At one of the ventilation shafts of the Netherton canal tunnel. There were, I think, 7 in all and we had to visit all seven, even though they were all very similar. The advantages of a Tuesday walk!

We couldn't do this in a straight line however, with roads, houses and private fields in the way, but it certainly made an interesting outing. John, sensibly had a dental appointment, so met us at the Vine, a great Bathams pub attached to the brewery. 

Some of them were somewhat difficult to get to, but Brian and Keith are not one's to be put off! 

And when we got there it looked very similar to the others. I won't bore you with the other 5 (one of which was in the middle of a roundabout in a housing estate and another in someone's front garden!)

But it was a splendid walk through countryside

Finished with a few pints at the excellent Vine pub attached to Bathams brewery in Brierley Hill

The following week he was working and Brian was away so Keith drove Brian and I to the Cotswolds to walk around Belas Knap a Neolithic long house which we had been to before, Brian while walking the Cotswold Way, and both of us with Denise and Paul on a walk I think when we were house-sitting near Cheltenham. Another good walk with more restrained pub visiting. This was 'undone' on Friday when we were struggling with the crossword only to get a WhatsApp, of what turned out to be the back of our heads. John and Keith were hiding behind the car, giggling, like small children. We joined them at the Weighbridge for a few very enjoyable drinks! 

Out walking the following week with Keith to visit Belas Knap

With a couple of pints of Butcombe Rare Breed after in the Lion Inn in Winchcombe

This was  tainted by a message from John when he got home saying that little Emma cat wasn't well. After a trip to the 24 hour vets it was decided that she had FIP which her sister died of when he'd not had them long, so sadly the decision was made to put her to sleep.

Little Emma cat when we were looking after her while John was away

We had only just returned home after a couple of nights away in Buxton. Having seen good weather forecast we impulsively booked a short trip. Keith recommended the Monsal Trail, an 8.5 mile cycle path to Bakewell on an old disused railway. It was a good cycle, lots of other cyclists and walkers all taking advantage of the good weather. 

Cycling the Monsal trail near Bakewell, Derbyshire

We left the bikes for a while to climb this hill for a classic view of Monsal Dale and the Victorian Monsalhead viaduct

Before cycling through the long Headstone tunnel to get to Bakewell

We enjoyed a Bakewell pudding (not tart, that's the modern version apparently) and cycled back. I'd been looking forward to a Thai meal in a restaurant close to our Airbnb and was quite surprised to see it looking busy when we walked past for a pre dinner pint. We booked a table, though actually it probably wasn't necessary, the tables emptied not long after we arrived as the occupants headed off to the Buxton Opera House to see Spitfire Girls. Not an opera, but a straight play that sounded quite interesting, so we decided to see if we could go too. We finished our meal and had 20 minutes to get down the hill, buy some tickets and make our way to our seats. Talk about spur of the moment.

Bakewell pudding with custard which followed our first course of Derbyshire Rarebit, both firsts for us. We ate them in the restaurant of the 17th century 'Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop' in Bakewell. We're told the pudding was invented by accident in the town and the recipe was, in 1860, secured by a Mrs. Wilson who started to produce them here. We thus ate Bakewell pudding to the original recipe in the building in which they were originally first produced. Others in the town, however, claim that's all rubbish and were originally produced in their shop! Believe what you will, it was a nice experience

The very splendid Buxton Opera House, where we attended a performance, in the centre of fabulous Buxton with its array of grand Victorian buildings built because of its supposed health giving Spa waters that bubble up nearby

The following morning before coming home we headed back to the Monsal Trail to do the Cheedale stepping stones walk. 3 miles by the river, very pretty, if not a bit muddy. Lots of dippers flying about, though I'm not sure he managed to get a good picture.

A lovely, spontaneous, few days.

Back to the Monsal trail next day to walk a bit we'd cycled the previous day to get to the Cheedale walking trail. At the bridge over the river crowds of people were gathered to abseil off the bridge to the path by the river below

Setting up their ropes for their abseiling day. Abseiling to us is just part of rock climbing and is a convenient way of getting back down. Here its an event on its own

Walking through the scenic Cheedale and, as usual, we were looking up at the crags either side to check out climbing routes

My best photo of a dipper. Its not very good as I didn't have my proper camera with me only the phone camera

Jackie heading over one of the two groups of stepping stones we had to negotiate

We've also walked from Church Stretton on a mountaineering club walk, though it turned out to be just us, with Alex and Rob and Taaibah, the walks secretary. A very atmospheric walk and a late pub lunch. Ideal. 

Our Solihull Mountaineering Club outing on the Long Mynd, led by Taaibah (in the white coat) with Rob and Alex

At Pole Bank in the mist, the highest point on the Long Mynd. Not the best day for a view!

A walk with Denise and Paul around Birmingham topped off our walks. They had a little puzzle booklet they'd bought to entertain the grandchildren in the summer, that they'd managed just less than half of. I think we enjoyed it more than the kids did and we saw some interesting bits of Birmingham we've never seen before despite walking past many times! Again, a pub lunch to finish the walk in the Old Joint Stock, there's a definite theme here!

Out with Denise & Paul on our puzzle walk through Birmingham City Centre

Solving one of the clues in a part of Birmingham we'd never been to before

We've seen Sunday club, Monday club and Terry and Sue. Been climbing and done lots of life maintenance - hygienist for me and hospital for Brian after his drugs trial. Financial advisor and much time spent trying to fit my awkward feet into some new walking shoes. He's even built a set of bookshelves in the bedroom, in a completely wasted space. I have filled it immediately, but it brings us a step closer to being able to change the unit in the living room. While he's been planning I've done lots of gardening and cooking, some really good meals though I do say so myself. I finally roasted the leg of lamb I'd bought at Christmas so a proper Sunday with John, before a Moroccan flatbread dish, lamb biryani and shepherd's pie, all of which stretched to feeding us for 5 days. I love leftovers!

Talking of which, it's getting around to that time again....

I sent him that, but he didn't get round to it, so a little more. Yesterday we went to RAF Cosford with John and Brian, not our usual walk, and it wasn't even Tuesday, but interesting nonetheless. I haven't been since mum and I took Charles and Caroline maybe 15 years ago and Brian has never been. There is no pub there, but when you are with people that know, we broke our journey in Wolverhampton and went to the Great Western for a hot pork sandwich and a few pints, so somethings stayed the same.

Yesterday's Tuesday walk on a Monday to Cosford RAF museum with Brian and John. It's a really interesting, large museum that has free entry (places to make a voluntary donation are available in many places). It was made even more interesting with John's amazing knowledge of aircraft and defense equipment

Jackie and Brian check out the oldest surviving Spitfire while John checks his phone