Stratford Upon Avon (revisited)

It wasn't all that long ago since Clare and I went to the Butterfly Farm in Stratford but we found ourselves there again today with friends.

There didn't seem to be as many butterflies as last time but there were some different types.  There were also a lot more birds (cockatiels and parrots).  Clare was disappointed that there was no food in the dispensers to feed the fish.

Afterwards we headed into Stratford and after a quick tour of the shops headed for Cafe Pasta for something to eat. I went for pizza with goats cheese, onions and peppers. It was lovely.  We had a 2 for one voucher (for up to 6 people) but when the bill came only one meal had been deducted.  When we queried it the manageress told us that the voucher meant that only one meal was free for every table of six!  So much for buy one get one free.  In our case it should have read buy three and get the fourth free. She did however, as a goodwill gesture, deduct the second meal.

All in all a good day out although I had hoped to have a quick look around the new revamped theatre but unfortunately we didn't have the time.   I'll have to wait until next time.

Down In The Woods

Went walking yesterday.  It was up in the air as to where we'd go but we ended up at Hay Wood near Baddesley Clinton.  There was shooting taking place and the sign said to stay on the main tracks.  It wasn't long before we came to a dead end.  After a few minutes looking at the map it was decided that if we headed out the wood  we could complete a 7 mile walk around Baddesley Clinton and Rowington.

As we set out across fields and along lanes the weather, which had been cloudy all morning, brightened.  Blue skies and sunshine and although it is still the start of January there was a feel of Spring in the air.

The walk itself took about 3 hours and took us onto the canal tow path.  The canal was still frozen in places but looked lovely in the sunshine.

Leaving in the tow path we headed down the road and then down a very muddy track until we got to the house at Baddesley Clinton.  It was closed but we sat in the grounds and ate our packed lunch before walking up past the church and back to the car at Hay Wood.

Barmy Army!

England have won The Ashes Series beating Australia 3-1.  It's the first time in 24 years they have won on Australian soil. 

The final Test in Sydney saw England win by an innings and 83 runs. The time difference meant staying up all night to watch it but I couldn't manage that.  Each morning I would wake up and put on the news to see that England had edged a little closer to victory.

India (ranked number 1 in the world) are due here in the summer and if England can maintain their form it looks like it will be a great year for cricket!

January Songs - Darren Hayman

As I mentioned the other day Darren Hayman is writing and recording a new song each day throughought January. You can download them free of charge here.

Along with the song there are diary notes and videos.  Here is the video for Isle of Eigg (January 4th), written by Darren and sung by Gordon McIntyre from Ballboy.


Isle of Eigg (sung by Gorgon McIntyre) from Darren Hayman on Vimeo.

Solar Eclipse and Meteor Shower

There was a partial solar eclipse this morning but just like the lunar eclipse last month cloud cover prevented me from seeing it.  I could see the orange glow of the sun between the clouds but could not see the sun itself. 

There is also a meteor shower. The Quadrantid meteor shower is an annual vent that is active during January 1st through January 10th every year. The maximum peak of this year's shower is expected to be tonight with 30 to 50 meteors per hour!  I've just been outside and again there is cloud cover.  When it comes to looking at the skies I don't seem to have much luck.

New Year's Day

Took a walk around Brueton Park yesterday.  There were plenty of birds around. We stopped at the cafe and watched them at the feeders through the window.  After a quick coffee we walked around the lake and amongst the usual ducks and geese were a pair of Bewick Swans!

Other birds we saw included a Grey Heron, Kestrel, 2 x Bullfinch, 2 x Nuthatch, Chaffinch and Long Tailed Tits.

Happy New Year!

I quite like the New Year.  I'm not one of those people that mourn the loss of another year nor am I one who makes unrealistic promises to themselves about the future. I do however have a certain amount of optimism.

Now that the whole Christmas thing is over and Spring is still a long way off, January can feel like a long month but there is a ray of light.  Darren Hayman will be writing, recording and releasing a new song every day throughout January!  He will be posting them on Soundcloud and you can download them free of charge for a limited period.

You can get all the info and relevant links from the page below.

http://januarysongs.tumblr.com/