From A to B

This morning we departed Yorkshire at 9 o'clock, off the site and straight up on top of the moors. I really would like to have lingered, taken a long look over the landscape and maybe some photographs but the weather was set against us, the cloud was down to ground level and the screen was splattered with sleet. Driving was very unpleasant and we were both pleased to get back down below the cloud base. The remainder of the journey was quite uneventful and by 11 o'clock we were at our new location, Wrexham. The site owner kindly allowed us to set up on his drive due to the site being very wet. The view is pleasant and it is a top coat warmer than Yorkshire.

What Car?

Sadly our brief stay in Yorkshire comes to an end and I have to say a big thank you to our friends Andy and Pip who have been fantastic hosts, they have fed us, entertained us and chauffeured us around. Unfortunately, when they ordered the weather, they got the dates wrong. Yesterday, I went along with Andy to walk the dogs, it was rather wet but I enjoyed the scenery. That was after we had ransacked Todmorden flea market and collected a couple of goodies to help with the ballast.

Sadly, my footwear was not really the best for plodging around the very wet landscape I would love to have walked for longer.

This northern landscape of crags and ghosts of industry, has an attraction for me that I find difficult to explain, I am sure that we will return, hopefully in the not too distant future, any way, we have to, because the pies are magic.

Today, our hosts took us to Ramsbottom, a town that I have never heard of, but we had great time and ate what has to be, one of the best servings of fish and chips that I have eaten for a long time. Whilst there, we visited the local "Morrisons", Andy parked the car next to a small blue car that had a couple of modifications, one of which I don't recall having ever seen before. In the rear of the car was a pile of old polythene bags, the rear wings of the car were heavily splattered with mud, the screen, bonnet and wipers were sprinkled with straw and right in the centre of the bonnet was a lump of sheep shit.

I had to take a picture, at which point Andy said, "Do you know what this car is?.......it's a Turdbo" Thanks for having us, Tarra.

Moochin' about

Tuesday we went for a little mooch about Stockport, our friend Andy took us there in his car, the weather was not good and our hearts were not in it. As a result, we did not stay long. I have no wish to offend anyone, but it really is not my kind of place, too busy by far.

Wednesday we went to Hebden Bridge and had a mooch around there. We spent a good deal of time at the flea market, where I bought a couple of old tools. We thought it to be a lovely old town with loads of character. We bought a hot pork pie from a local bakery which we ate "on the hoof" and thoroughly enjoyed before walking along the Rochdale canal back to the site.

All of the boats in these pictures were being lived in, some had clearly not moved in years. I have to say, I for one, would not mind joining them, unfortunately Pat does not like water.

Ay up me duck

Wasn't the weather good for October? I don't remember any rain all month. Well Sunday 1st November certainly made up for it. We left Staffordshire at about 0900 hours bound for Yorkshire, Hebden Bridge actually, and it threw it down all of the way. Driving conditions were atrocious, we were both relieved when we arrived on site (in Mytholmroyd) at 1210 hours. We had a good deal from the site owners, being low season, the daily fee being just short of eight pounds with a hook up. For half an hour or so, we just sat, looking and relaxing after the journey. Suddenly, the van shook violently, rocking from side to side, woodland debris rattled on the roof and the leaves flew horizontally like golden snow. 15 seconds later all was calm once more. Except for one man that is, who emerged from a twin axle caravan 60 metres away from us, a tall silver birch tree had snapped off at the root and fallen across the rear of his van. Fortunately it turned out that there was only minor damage where the tree clipped the back end, 6ft forward and his van would have been a write off.

A couple of hours later our good friends Andy and Pip arrived, took us both back to their house and fed us like kings. We chatted and laughed for hours before they returned us to the truck. Next day, Monday, Andy picked us up again and took us for a little tour of the locality and back to the house. I went for a walk around the nearest town, Todmorden, while the other three sat chatting. I took a few pictures of this old town, wondering how on earth they built it all those years ago. The river runs through the town, the Rochdale canal runs over the river and the train line runs over the canal. Houses and mills have been squeezed into any area larger than 20 square feet. Funny, I don't think that we have ever been here before but it felt homely somehow. Anyway, here are a couple of pictures.

.

I got the feeling that many of the current locals didn't have much interest in just how difficult life would have been for the original occupants of such a town and I wondered if they even saw the attraction that was so obvious to me.

I like it here and I can't wait to have a closer look at the moors and dales. Many years ago I spent a couple of years of my youth living in Yorkshire, nearer Harrogate though and I was sad to leave it then.

Time to get my own back

Yesterday I managed to get out with the camera for a little while, something which has taken a back seat over recent weeks. Despite the fact that throughout my life, I have seen more sunrises than I have missed, they still impress me. Yesterday was just such a day. I took about 30 photographs but here are just a couple.

Well those of you that know us personally or follow "The Vagabond Trail " will know that Pat, my wife, makes costume jewellery. For years I have been asked on an almost daily basis "What do you think of this?" or, "Do you think this stone goes with that?". Etc. etc. Well now the time has come for me to take some revenge. I like to keep my brain and hands busy too, so as a result I have many hobbies. Being recently inspired by my friend Sandy's unusual wrist cuff I decided to have a go at making something different for myself. So, the other dark evening, whilst being bored to tears with the TV, I sat with a sketch pad and pencil and doodled for a couple of hours. This was the first design that I came up with. It is made from copper,

brass and silver plated wire, then mounted on a thick leather cuff. "Hey Pat, what do you think of this?" I said. Well, she was full of praise so I decided to have another go. I already had an idea but I needed some old coins, I knew where to get some, so off I went on a mission. Armed with the necessary bits and pieces I turned out number two.

I am sorry that the image is a little blurred but it is not meant for a photography competition. "What do you think of this one then, Pat" I asked. Once again, she kindly made more positive remarks. Of course, I didn't need any more encouragement to have another go so here is another one.

Now, having got the sweet taste of revenge in my pallet I had to keep feeding it, so I messed about with a pendant and came up with this idea. Who knows where this new found pleasure will end, but I do have quite long arms for my height.

Just an update.

From Criccieth we went to stay with two good friends Sandy and Maureen, they live near Llanrwst. We stayed with them for about four days and had a really good time, they are a lovely couple and between them, made us feel very welcome. From there we headed back to the midlands, one of our grandchildren had been admitted to hospital so we felt that we should be close at hand in case any help was needed. Fortunately, after much medication and four days, she was well on the road to recovery and was discharged. We had no need to travel and so booked into a camp site about 10 miles away, we need electricity at this time of year in order to be comfortable. It is nothing to do with the weather, the batteries just cannot cope with the demand of the darker evenings. We have been here for about a week now and seem to have done more miles running around than ever. This is going to have to stop, the price of fuel is making travel by road a luxury once more.

Riverdance

A couple of days back I posted a photograph of a piece of driftwood that I had marked out and begun to whittle. Now here is the finished item, it's a ball in a cage made from a single piece of wood using no more elaborate a tool than a pocket knife. Sad aren't I? to spend hours producing an item that has no useful purpose. I can accept people taking that view, but for me it was a really satisfying way to spend some time. First came the pleasure of mooching along a deserted beach, just Pat and I, that we had walked a mile or so to get to, just to see what had washed up on the shore.Then picking up bits and pieces, examining them and trying to think how I might put them to use and at the same time watching the wildlife, at ease, because it was so quiet. We saw hundreds of birds in the hour or two that we were there. Several days later, I sat outside on my tool box, in the warm afternoon sun and began to whittle away. I was completely absorbed in what I was doing, working slowly and with caution, so as not to cut my hands, removing slivers of wood chip by chip. It was so peaceful the warm sinking sun on my face, Meg by my side and thoughts running through my head. I thought about my girls and their families, I thought about my Mom, I thought about my Dad, I thought about a couple of soldiers that I served with who didn't live long enough to see 21. I was then disturbed by the "Kronk" of a raven, followed by the "Mew" of a buzzard and I looked up to watch their aerial squabble. Then in the shadows of the back lit trees, I noticed the flying insects, thousands of them, dancing in large groups, swooping down as if all linked together by invisible cord and then up again as one body to be shattered into a thousand individuals as a grey wagtail darted into the hoard to snatch one for a meal. Quickly they regrouped, to continue their dance in the sunlight. I thought about the film "Riverdance" the hours of training, the countless rehearsals and retakes just to record a few minutes on film for our viewing pleasure. These fellows, the insects, gave such a display, no time for rehearsals, no training; most only live for a day, yet the dance was perfection with only the birds to provide the music. All too soon the sun sank below the horizon, the dancers all gone now, my eyes struggling to see in the low light and my hands niggling with a blister from holding the knife, I retired to the truck. A waste of time? ......................Yea. If you say so.