Kings, Saints and Angels

Once chipped from the ice a visit with the grandchildren to Lichfield Cathedral's festival of Christmas Trees.

As well as the trees there were over 10000 paper angels. Winter lighting of the architecture and of course the West Entrance with its Norman and Saxon Kings, Saints and Prophets flanked by the Archangels.

Riff Raff

Mercury Dropping

Below -4c I am left still iced up and my human braves the frost on two wheels.

Not a great start my human can only get two gears to work and Dave is having to mend a puncture.
Once they did get going The Chase was amazing, temperatures stayed low and frost clinged on to everything. So cold the canal was frozen and narrow boats could not move. Brrrrr..

Not as cold as in human Wilfrid's day when snow was deep and cars could only move in the deep frozen ruts on roads and my human when a lad wore shorts all winter.

Lost and Found

An early wet start for me and my human to take part in a search and rescue exercise on Cannock Chase.

Wrapped up and ready to go, it's bitter up here at the Glacial Boulder.

Trying to get lost in a place you know like the back of your hand was not easy for my human, apparently he had a grid ref to be at so he was not really lost.

Not a bad place to await rescue.

They did eventually find him, deal with his pretend puncture and I guess he probably overacted his injuries, too many years as a mummer. The rescuers got him back to me in good time for him to get to his band rehearsal.

Underneath the Larches

A dull day brightened by glowing Autumnal colours. My human and Dave return from a muddy ride somewhat damp and dirty.

I know the post title is a bit corny. I had loads of time to think it up as I hung around waiting beneath falling needles.

My human and Dave had stopped off at Springslade Tearooms, 2016 winner of Tearoom of the year and Silver tourism award, now that's what I call achievement, congratulations.

Patched Up

A visit to my creator for a heater repair.

I did not expect this, it feels like I have been mended with vinegar and brown paper.

I was then driven around snowy Derbyshire to find a gents outfitters in Bakewell. How embarrassing.

Its only November, brrrrrr.

Two by two at Callow Top

Two birthdays, two firework displays, two major heater failures on a very cold weekend.
We arrived at Callow Top on a dark November night, the sky is clear with a promise of frost. This seems a strange way to celebrate two birthdays, my humans sons on November the 5th and his partners on November the 4th.

Apparently my companion Pegasus a huge caravan belonging to my humans son had a malfunctioning heating system and inside was like a fridge all the humans were 😩 miserable, not a nice trait in humans. But my human leapt to the rsscue with my newly acquired fan heater especially purchased for me, the cheek of it, so Pegasus was soon as warm as toast and all the humans looked 😁 happy. I was left out in the cold and dark, some party.


Having not only deprived me of my fan heater my humans then decided not to take me to Ashbourne for the Firework display but walk the two miles in the pitch dark and through the old railway tunnel which luckily for them was lit. They reckoned they could hear the echoes of old trains as they walked through the tunnel, such nonsense!

What a show the fireworks were and I missed them. of course my humans had to walk back and went into Pegasus for a warm drink before turning in for the night.

It's cold!

My humans try to get my cab heater working but it won't ha ha I have an air lock in my pipes after last weeks major service. I bet they wish they had not taken my electric fan heater to Pegasus.


Next day it's colder, Pegasus looked cold in the early sun but inside she is toasty, more than you can say for me until the sun gets higher.

I am left again and the humans walk back into Ashbourne. It looks like they are enjoying themselves despite the cold.

They spend the day drinking, eating and painting pottery before a cold walk back to Callow Top.
Saturday evening and it's still cold with a great sunset 🌅 and a fantastic firework display and bonfire, followed by Baked Potatoes and Chilly cooked by Pegasus, this warms my humans souls, I suppose I can forgive them at least they slept in me and were cosy enough under the many duvets.

Human Wilfrid loved bonfire night which was always celebrated at his wife's sisters, followed by similar food my humans had after the display at Callow Top.

Note from human, Wilfrid you could hear the ghosts of trains in that old tunnel. It was also very inconsiderate of you to have no heater working, poor show.

A dark place

😈👹👽Help!👽👹👿

I have been abandoned in a dark place, huge metal doors slammed shut, chains rattling, locks heard turning and I am ALONE, with my thoughts of last nights frights from Halloween still so vivid.

I only came in for a transfusion and some filters as my display said SERVICE NOW. My human left me at 8.30am and rode off on one of his mountain bikes.

I see my human had a nice day with his mate Dave, no rattling chains, whistling wind, creaking metal and complete darkness for him, oooooo what's that?

Precious Cargo

A trip to Hampton Magna transporting my humans guitars to a Luthier. One remained for some major treatment apparently due to the mystery of highs and lows of humidity in this case highs. I should know you should see the condensation on my windows after my humans spend a night in me!

A fantastic journey through Warwickshire countryside, autumn colours at their best on this misty end to British Summer Time.

Human Wilfrid regularly made this trip on his bike to see plays at Stratford Theatre.

Dry run...or not.

A rude awakening for the first dry run (not so dry) as support vehicle to Dave. Bike ride from Rugeley to Flint along The Cut.

At 30k still raining and we wait for Dave to arrive at Norbury Junction' wet, muddy and freezing but spot on time at 6.30 am.

Daylight at Bridge Inn and the rain stopped. Dave decides to change his bike in the hope of a more comfortable ride. I brew him a nice cuppa and he's off again.

We will find out in another 30k if the change in bike helped.

Dave did not look happy, I reckon these canal tow paths are hard work. More coffee provided and away we go again.

End of the road, Flint 2pm. The wind picked up but the sun shone. All I have to do now is get them home safely.

Human Wilfrid never had the support I gave Dave on his bike rides to Wales but neither did he ride along canal tow paths.

I did get to drive over a great bridge on the way home. Also the largest solar panel farm I have ever seen.

Apparently 180,000 panels powering 11,000 homes. I bet Dave wished he had some of that energy for his bike ride.

I can see clearly now....

Fixed! Autoglass to the rescue.

Hurting to Please

I know my human admires Split Screen Camper Vans, but I am not sure this is what he means, it HURTS!

Note from human, No Wilfrid that is not the split screen I wish for, you really need to duck next time. Hit by a stone from a boy racer getting nowhere between Welshpool and Shrewsbury.

Moonlighting

My human went for a moon lit walk along Barmouth front before settling down for the night in my comfortable bed.

Ancient rambling

My human is 67 today and with his wife Kathy set off on a 13k walk on a beautiful October day.

Along empty beaches. Human Wilfrid loved this beach but probably hardly never saw it this empty as he visited during the busy August holidays.

The view from where human Wilfrid and Peggy were set free a few years ago on a much windier day.
More wave patterns on my human's return.

I cooked them a vegetable curry for the Birthday Dinner.