Shropshire 32 - Oswestry, the Ironworks/Sion got left behind/Moroccan Bean Soup/catching up on work and holidays

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"Are we there yet ?" Sion has been asking that question since around February . If it wasn't for holidays then it was trying to find out when he was going to meet his best friend Woolly. Holidays had gone by very quickly and he had kept quiet whilst we were in France. He realised that Woollys carer Jo was working and would not be around all summer . The Autumn trip to Denmark came and went and of course he realised that the glamping season was coming to an end and the cry "When are we meeting my best friend?" was ringing round the house.

Jo duly finished work and then things sort of got in the way. A out of sorts cooker. A car crash. With Christmas fast approaching though we just could not put off the trip to meet Jo and Woolly and catch up with the last six months was going to have to happen soon. Jo was waiting on a cooker. Without which Woolly would get no mince pies. I was waiting to hear from the body repair shop on a date to take Ziggy in for much needed repairs . The cooker repair came round much quicker than my car repairs . So with no repairs in sight this side of Christmas we made arrangements to meet . There were christmas trees in Powys, Erddig and Chirk but none of these places offered somewhere we could take Alfie. It had to be outside and with the weather turning cold it became quite difficult to think of somewhere suitable for two humans , a woolly sheep and a mammoth who did not feel cold and Alfie . Preferably without any water for Alfie to try to swim in. So it ended up as the Ironworks at Oswestry. Handy as it was about equal distance from Jo's home and ours . Handy because there were pleasant walks amongst what would be new sculptures and a cafe and shop.

Sion was extremely excited and got himself ready. The Christmas cards were a distraction for him . The day arrived . It was cold and frosty but could have been worse as temperatures were dipping to -8 . Unheard of for years. Icicles were forming and the gritters were out . I got ready, Thick coat , large pashmina to keep my neck warm. My Wrexham hat and my warm gloves . Picked up the christmas cards for Jo and Woolly and set out for Oswestry.

We arrived at almost the same time . Woolly was getting very excited and I could see the smile on his face . A smile that quickly turned as I realised that Sion was still behind the christmas cards . I had not realised that he had not come to the car with me . I was not going to be forgiven by either Woolly or Sion for this one for a long time . Apologies made we headed for the sculpture park with Alfie leading the way. There were new sculptures this year . The Knife Angel was on tour and we were seeing the new sculptures which we had missed at our last visit . A visit that was just after the first lockdown of Covid . How different today felt .

As we walked we fell into easy conversation. OUr holiday in France . How far we got to and how much we missed due to one reason or another . Jo and work over the summer. A hard slog of a start but made easier when another employee was found . She told me all about the site, the adventures she and Woolly had had over the summer and how she had been invited back to run the site for another season . We caught up on news as we walked .

We went in for lunch into the small cafe. It was all Christmassy with decorations everywhere and the shop selling all manner of christmas gifts. Finding a table we set Woolly up and took our coats off . The table for four was quickly filled with all our belongings . Jo went to order her food and I followed . Moroccan Bean soup with bread and a cheese scone fitted the bill rounded off with the usual double espresso. I realised I had no purse and spotted it opened and left on the table. Had someone picked it up they would have had a good christmas . Not much cash inside but full of credit cards, debit cards and everything else you can think of . Quickly retrieved I felt relieved to see no-one had picked my purse up. The Bean soup was filling and warming and set me up for another walk around the sculpture park. We swopped stories about Gabby being sold, cookers not working and our recent holidays to Scandanavia. I felt rather envious to hear that Woolly and Jo got to Copenhagen and Stockholm and the adventures they had made me green with envy.

Hopefully we will get another trip to catch up again before Jo returns back to work in the Spring . And yes Sion has still not stopped complaining that I left him behind .

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