Blogs from Chester, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom, Europe

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Europe » United Kingdom » England » Cheshire » Chester March 2nd 2023

Most dark nights we look up to the night sky. We sometimes see the stars in the heavens and many nights we see the moon hanging there in dark space. Perhaps we are so used to looking at the same stars that we take the night sky for granted . I guess we look up at the moon and marvel at it as it changes shape throughout the season . We look at its surface and can at times see features that are millions of miles away. But we never consider the distance between us and the planets nor do we often think of ourselves floating in the same way as the moon does. Why is it that we don't see ourselves and our planet in the same way ? I have often asked myself that ... read more
Floating in space -our planet
Nearly there Gaia round the corner
Bottle top Hippo

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Cheshire » Chester December 2nd 2022

After the long walk back from the Museum it was time to have a well-deserved coffee. We arrived at the Cathedral. A low squat building surrounded in parts with scaffolding. It was so cold and there was so little to see we did not bother to take photographs . Perhaps next time. The cathedral began its life as a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint Werburgh. The is the name I know it by rather than the mouthful of Christ and the Blessed Virgin. Mind you perhaps St Werburgh is a mouthful too. That Mercian saint with a massive name . We struggled to find the entrance which was tucked in at the front of the building. Normally we would stand outside and admire the doorway into the cathedral in the same way as we have done ... read more
The pulpit in the refectory
Christmas trees in the cloisters
The water of life

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Cheshire » Chester December 1st 2022

There is something about a trip that sometimes brings back memories. Memories both good and bad. Memories that have been long forgotten. Perhaps it is a place. Or a smell. Something just brings those memories flooding back. Today was one of those days. We never went to Chester much when I was a child. It was one of those day out trips. Not far away but involved what must have felt like a long and expensive ride out on a bus. A trip to a city. Much bigger than Wrexham. With much more history and infrastructure. Interesting shops. A medieval heart that Wrexham lacked. A cathedral. We only had a large church. A Victorian Gothic Town Hall, markets and the Walls. We drove from home to the nearby Park and Ride which took us for the ... read more
Along the walls
Welcome to Chester
Outside the Town Hall

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Cheshire » Chester January 1st 2022

The first minister of Wales had pronounced a whole raft of instructions and guidance on how to spend Christmas and New Year safely. In the company of a few people . Not allowed to watch football. Not going out to celebrate New Year . Nightclubs closed . . But across the border just a stones throw away Boris had allowed everyone a free rein to enjoy themselves . We could have listened to the first minister and stayed locked up . But this time we had had enough. We were fed up of being forced to stay in. It was time to spread our wings and rebel. So what did we decide to do? On the buses - that is the clue to how we spent the day. Did you watch Reg Varney all those years ... read more
London bus waiting for passengers
The big yellow bus on its way to Wrexham
IH going to Wrexham

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Cheshire » Chester August 31st 2019

I’ve been saying that Chester Zoo is a great day out for the last twenty years without, actually… you know… going. So, a couple of weeks ago we woke up and said; ‘What a nice day. Let’s go to Chester Zoo!’. I went as a schoolboy and had a marvellous time, although all I can remember is laughing at a monkey masturbating. As a thirteen-year-old it was a profound moment that impacted on so many levels. It certainly confirmed Darwin’s theory of evolution, as I and my classmates felt an instant connection to our simian relative. We also figured that the caged onanist was rebelling against his captors, if in a peculiar way. Twenty-five years later, I visited with an extended family group and a tiny primate urinated gleefully on my niece. Well… ‘it could have ... read more
Giraffe
Cheetah
Elephant

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Cheshire » Chester September 29th 2018

We had another busy day today as you will see from the pictures. I didn’t have time to make notes today but did copy and paste with info on all that we saw. Tomorrow we will be on the road once again...stay tuned! Below is info on North Wales: “North Wales is a region within Wales, a country in the U.K. Snowdonia National Park is a vast, rugged area with waterfalls and trails, including routes up Mount Snowdon. Medieval Conwy Castle has 8 huge towers, plus battlements with sea views. It’s near the resort town of Llandudno, with North Shore Beach. Other castles include 19th-century Penrhyn Castle, with Gothic stairways, and waterside Caernarfon Castle.” Below is information on Horseshoe Pass from Wikipedia: “The Horseshoe Pass (Welsh: Bwlch yr Oernant, "Pass of the Cold Stream") is a ... read more
Glenn Lightfoot Sheep dog exhibition
Sheep herding exhibition
Marie herding sheep

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Cheshire » Chester August 10th 2017

Woolly says – A twenty minute train ride away from Wrexham is the historic city of Deva, founded as a "castrum" or Roman fort in the reign of the Emperor Vespasian in 79 AD, it became one of the main army camps in Roman Britain. In 689 King Ethelred of Mercia founded the Minster Church of West Mercia, which later became the cities first cathedral. Although the Normans did their best to bring carnage to the place many of the buildings have survived and it has one of the best preserved walled cities in Britain. So much to see and do, I had a snack to pass the time. My small friend could hardly contain his excitement and even a deep frown from the man opposite him as he bounced higher and higher on his seat ... read more
Investigating the excavations
So old and beautiful
Beautiful architecture

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Cheshire » Chester July 13th 2017

Woolly says – I’d been up for hours, I’d checked the weather forecast, given myself a good brush down and found a couple of stray pistachio’s that I had stored behind my ears and had my autograph book at the ready, the women were still nowhere to be seen. I’m not sure where he thought he was going at 6am but having settled him in front of his favourite TV show I managed another couple of hours snoozing. Woolly says – having chuckled my way through two old episodes of The Secret Life of the Zoo I was ready to meet all the stars of the show and their keepers. Based at Chester Zoo the series follows the births, deaths and efforts in conservation that the zoo is making and with the added bonus that they ... read more
'Lets go home'
Now this is what you call beautiful
Catching up with the stars

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Cheshire » Chester July 24th 2015

Friday 24 July 2015 Waking to grey skies in Wales seems to be a common occurrence this summer. We feel sorry for those holidaymakers who have been looking forward to a week at the beach to spend it in a little caravan or hotel room. The news this morning is full of items about today being the busiest day of the year for travel. More flights, more cars on the road, more rain. We packed up, farewelled our host and hit the road for Gloucester. Polly was set for a day at the beach so we took a self-guided drive along the Welsh coast. We stopped several times to check out the beaches and facilities. There was no one around, which was a surprise as there was no rain and no sun. The beaches appear to ... read more
Rhyl
Rhyl
Chester

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Cheshire » Chester May 25th 2015

Going against the flow away from the Three Queens We happened to be back on the Wirral on the last Bank Holiday weekend of May which was during the scheduled events for celebrating the 175th anniversary of the Cunard company . Part of these celebrations were the ‘Three Queens’ (Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria) Cunard ships in formation on the River Mersey for the first time in maritime history. Although we knew it would be an amazing sight, we made a calculated decision as we knew thousands of people were making their way to Liverpool and the Wirral to see this event and going against the flow, we went to the Roman city of Chester for the day. As we were driving along the M53 motorway, it confirmed our decision had been right ... read more
'The Rows'
Yum, roast company!
Yes please Mr Simms...sweeties for us!




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