Friday, December 02, 2022

Here and There

 A few photos and notes from the last few days.

Monday was a lovely day which was good as we had set it aside for a long awaited visit to RAF Cosford.  Paul hadn't visited since the last Flight Simulator weekend in October 2019 and of course there hasn't been one for the last three years.



There was one plane he particularly wanted to see and photograph which had recently been put on display.  

The Gloster Gladiator Mk1 made in 1937.

The Gloster Gladiator was the last bi-plane fighter to be built for the RAF and served in the early years of the Second World War.  They were withdrawn from the front line in 1941 but continued to be used for meteorological reconnaissance and training.
 

Two books from those I had reserved at the library became available.

I've read one and I'm halfway through the other.  I'll soon be able to take them back so someone else can enjoy them.
 
We had two outings in one week the second was to Lichfield yesterday to visit the Christmas Tree Festival at the Cathedral.  I'll write a post about that later next week but for the moment here are a few photos I took around the centre.

I liked the symmetry of the three spires on the cathedral and the three Swans on the Minster Pool.
 
A short explanation of ownership of the pools on the walls of a nearby house.
 
Old and new together.  I wonder if the building works will be residential or commercial.

Erasmus Darwin's house museum  opposite the Cathedral. We didn't go inside this time.

A few festive displays around the modern shopping centre.
So may shops I remember in this area had gone and been replaced by others.  M&S food and Debenhams have gone.  Body shop still there thank goodness but they were out of stock of everything I wanted.  I bought an Advent Calendar from Seasalt featuring Mousehole in Cornwall.  I remember spending time there as a child whilst on holiday in St Ives.  I loved the name.  Still do.

We'd made sandwiches to eat in the car for lunch but on the way back home we dropped into the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust's headquarters at Wolesley Bridge.  By this time it was mid afternoon and getting quite cold.  A damp mist was beginning to hang in the still, quiet air.  We had a warm drink and a mince pie as a treat before taking a short walk around the reserve.  We did spot a Goldcrest and a Nuthatch but the little Goldcrest just didn't stay still long enough to photograph and I took a very poor photo of the Nuthatch which isn't good enough to show here.  It was lovely to be in the fresh air and as we walked around I spotted some lovely reflections.

There was hardly anyone about.
 
Just two older men taking close up photos of birds and fungi.

In the coffee shop there had been a cheerful birthday celebration going on around one large table.  

This piece of wood was an interesting shape and cast a great refelection in the pond.

It was getting dull and damp.  It was time to head towards home. 
All for now. I'll be back with the trees later.

14 comments:

  1. It sounds like a great week Rosie. Love the plane at RAF Cosford. We've been once to an air display when the children were a lot younger and we saw the Red Arrows but gosh was there a long queue to get in!!!
    So glad you made it to Lichfield to see the Christmas Tree Festival and I look forward to your post on that. Lovely photos of Lichfield City Centre - gosh they brought back memories for me!!!

    The nature reserve looks good :) Have a good weekend and take care.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The nature reserve is just the other side of Rugeley from Lichfield and on our way home, we often visit and some times pop down the road to Shugborough too, haven't done that for a while. I was so happy to be in Lichfield and it wasn't too busy, the Cathedral was vey quiet. Cosford is always fascinating although there were lots of school parties there we seemed to be able to avoid them. I've never been to an air show, would love to see one at Cosford but don't fancy the traffic queues in and out:)

      Delete
  2. Good to hear you got out and about again & the aircraft museum would be a magnet for my S-in-L who is an aircraft engineer. The reflections are lovely & the odd shaped timber looks like the open mouth of a crocodile (giggle). Also love the sculpture in the pond. Thanks for sharing, take care & hugs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The timber in the pond was quite unusual, it does look a bit animal like with a huge mouth to gobble things up. There are so many planes there from WWI to almost present, I'm sure you S-in-L would enjoy it. Take care:)

      Delete
  3. Replies
    1. The older planes are my favourites espeically the WWI and early Bi-planes:)

      Delete
  4. A nice outing, and great photos!

    ReplyDelete
  5. What an exciting week! I bet Paul enjoyed seeing all the planes again with some new ones thrown in too. Lichfield must have been a treat too, we must visit one day as we've only passed through. We stayed in a cottage in Mousehole which was right on The Wharf many years ago when the children were small, they loved it. Glad to hear you've had such a good time. 😊

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Two outings in one week! Not done that for a while. There were three planes he hadn't seen before, one of them in pieces whilst it was being maintained. How wonderful to stay right on The Wharf at Mousehole. We used to stay at the St Ives Holiday Village and sometimes in a B&B right in the town. Happy days:)

      Delete
  6. Looks like a busy week with lots of interesting things to see and do. I visited Mousehole many years ago. I believe the locals pronounce it muzzle! Hope you have a lovely week ahead Rosie. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was quite busy I've slowed down again now. Yes, we were told Mousehole was locally called mouzzle or something like that. I love local names for places. The little town near the village I grew up in Derbyshire was Bolsover but always called Bowser locally:)

      Delete
  7. Sounds like you had a good outing, but it did look cold, hope you were bundled up. I hope the new being built blends nicely with the old. I love older architecture and often find new "modern" buildings ugly by comparison. They just don't seem to have the character.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope the new builds are sympathetic to the old too. Yes, I was warm and cosy most of the day but it did get chilly at the nature reserve as we headed home. Two lovely days out last week:)

      Delete