Visit to Devon

Last Wednesday we set off for Devon to see June & Terry (Jim's sister & her Husband). We never got to see them last time we were home, so its been 2 years since we saw them. So lots of catching up to do. June was with us the first time we went to the USA back in 1997, and again in 1999 when I fell in love with Florida. We spent 2 nights with them and had a great time.

Jim and his Big sister June.

June and Terry.

Down the "Pub" for a good meal and a pint or two.

Look what I found !!!!!!!! In Lyme Regis.

We came home the long way, stopping in Sidmonth and Lyme Regis. These are 2 towns we have never been too. What nice towns and the sun was shinning all the way home.

Keeping England safe........

So much work to do on the roof, but so glad people are still practicing these old trades.

What a veiw they will have out to sea.

This is what it will look like when its finished.

The sea front at Sidmouth.

Just a very small old car I liked the look of.

A Tourist View of our town....Birmingham.

They say you have to leave something before you appreciate it
properly. Nothing could be more true when it comes to our
home city Birmingham. I (Jim) worked as a Police Officer in
the city from the mid 70's 'til the early 90's, and then on the
odd occasion until I retired in 2004. As a result, my
opinion of the city was less than complimentary.
Well the city fathers have been busy in our absence, and what was
once a drab typical industrial city, dating back to the Victorian era,
and then a bad attempt at modernisation in the 60's, has now
become a vibrant, mainly pedestrianised, city, with some of the
best museums of art and history in the United Kingdom, a
new waterside entertainment area, and a new
feeling of... wow.... This is OUR city !!!!!

Below are just a few of the photographs we shot today on our
tourist visit. Unknown to us, this is Jazz Festival week in Birmingham
with different entertainers performing in Victoria Square every lunch
time. All for free.
Today it was was the Great Blues man, Chick Willis, from Georgia, USA.
What a treat he was............




The Council House in the background, Jim on the steps.




The Old Town Hall, being looked after here by Queen Victoria,
in the square named for "Her Majesty"
Can you believe they were considering demolishing
this old building just before I retired. Thankfully someone
saw sense, and it has been fully restored to its former glory.
Jane played her cello there in 1970, with the
Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, one of the best orchestra's
in the world.


A WW 11 Spitfire fighter plane. They were made here in
Birmingham, and were vital in the Battle of Britain.


Chick "Stoop Down" Willis, performing in Victoria Square.
"Wonderful"




More Chick Willis

MMmmm. Were we tempted or what? Believe it or not

we were good, and walked passed.......drooling!!!!



The Old and the New.

On the left.....Selfridges Department Store.

On the right, St Martins in The Bull Ring Parish Church.

Poor Nick.......

Can you think of our Nick in your prayers, as he fell at school this week and fractured his cheek bone.He Also has a deep cut in his cheek. Dan & George had to decide whether to let nature heal it, or have it pinned. As Nick is not in any pain, they decided to leave it to heal on its own.

Nick.......Before his accident.

Sunday drive to Alcester & Evesham.

St.Nicholas Church Alcester

St Nicholas Church history

Alcester Town Hall.

Evesham Stocks.

OLDE RED HORSE
This where we had Sunday Lunch, Jim had roast pork and I had roast chicken with 7 veg each, that should keep me going for a week.


I had to take a photo of this ladder on the wall, with the plant pots on it, what a great idea.

Inside St. Lawrence's Church. Horse drawn Hearse

ww.visitchurches.org.uk/uploads/publications/64.pdf

Boats on the River Avon.

The Bank.

The first family tent........

We called in to see Dan & Georgina's for coffee, just in time to help put up the new tent.
I can remember how excited Jim & I were, we got our first tent when the girls were little. It opened up a new world for us all, and led to the great 6 year trip we took many years later.


Click on photo to see bigger

A great visit with my little sister.

My sister and brother in law, Les and Tony, have a beautiful home in Maccelsfield, not far from Manchester. We set off to see them this morning with Mum and Dad, it was the first time they had been to her new house. We got to meet her new puppy dog George. (The Old English Sheep dog). Sacha and Oz were there too, but the puppy got most of the fuss.

Mum and I sat back and got waited on hand and foot.

Sacha.

George.



Part of the house was a bakery years ago, you can see where the oven's were in the wall at the back. Jim and Jack are trying to work out how the wiring was done as that far wall is under ground.

Mum was glad to see her baby girl.

Emma our little Cheer Leader.

The whole team from Widney School did so well.

She looked so good.

She made me promise not to worry when they lifted her up.

A Day at RAF Cosford

What a great day out we had to day. Cosford Air Museum is about 30 miles from home and we had never been there before today. The Web page below will tell you all about it. I did get a bit carried away with the camera, as you can see. You can "click" on the collages to read the info better.

Cosford Air Museum West Midlands days out in Shropshire - RAF Museum

This amazed me. Ronald made these models from old war-time crash sites around England, Scotland & Wales.

A working Prisoner of War radio.

A home made P.O.W coffee-tea maker.

The telegram NO one want's.