Oh dear - we did not have such smiley faces after this photo was taken!
Thelma & I went out for some geocaching along the Montgomery Canal near the Queens Head. The first cache was a puzzle cache (Beyond the Boneworks - GC1BG7V) and after working out the maths thought we had the spot for the final cache but could not find it, so moved on to the next one (Graham's Cache -GCTJC1) an hours walk away. This was a beautiful site for a cache next to a lock on the canal, but this was also a tricky cache but I was not going to be foxed twice so after a bit more searching eventually found it.
There are 3 of us on this photo because we bought along Cathy along to discover what we kept going on about, unfortunately she is not a walker and struggled on the way back, with her feet (bad shoes) hips and knees causing her a lot of discomfort and in the end was reduced to a hobble - poor thing - then the heavens opened and we got drenched!
Thelma went on ahead and bought the car back to pick Cathy up - but her car developed a flat tyre (we found a large nail stuck in it!) and we had to wait an hour for the AA to come and rescue us poor damsels - whilst we were freezing cold because we were wet. Then it cost her £150 for a new tyre!
So all in all not a good day and these photos were taken before we looked like drowned rats after the downpour. Thelma & I are not defeated - not sure if Cathy will want to come out with us again though!!
We have just spent a gorgeous Autumn afternoon at Attingham Park. It was rather sureal being surrounded by conkers and falling leaves amid beautiful warm sunshine and blue skies. How strange that in October Steven would be out wearing T shirt & shorts!
In celebration of the English apple - the orchards were open for the public to eat any of the apples on the trees. All the apples had gone from the lower reachable branches so Steven had to throw some windfalls into the trees to get some from high up. They were gorgeous and makes you never want to eat a crappy supermarket apple ever again.
Wandering from the orchard we found a traditional walled garden - just like the secret garden. The produce was mostly finished now but you could see it had been very productive over the summer.
Shrewsbury was defended by some strong town walls in Medieval times, but this tower and short bit of wall are all that remain of it now. We are surrounded by a river -the Severn which does a very good job of keeping people out of town when it floods!
This beautiful building is Abbots house and used to be the grand home of my GP - but the surgery moved into purpose built out of town building a few years ago - which is ideal, but I do miss walking up the old creaky stairs in this place.
There are many little passages and 'shuts' in and around town. This view is at the top of 'Grope Lane' - not sure if I want to know how it got its name!
Shrewsburys famous son - Charles Darwin. He was born here and went to school here as his father was the local Doctor. His house is owned by the tax collecting department and despite many battles by the Council they have not been able to get the tax people to part with it to allow it to be opened up as a Darwin Museum. We have this fancy sign in front of a shopping arcade though! 
This is the library where Darwin went to school - it has been very well restored. Shrewsbury School is no longer housed here but in large grounds overlooking the Quarry (our park)
This house at the entrance to the Quarry houses the Horticultural Society which puts on the famous flower show in the park in August each year.
St Chads church overlooks the quarry and is rather lovely and is famous for being one of just a few round churches built.
This is the dingle inside the quarry and a delightful garden it is. The world famous Percy Thrower 9he made the blue peter garden) was head Gardner here for many years and my not so famous dad was one of the gardner's who worked here!
Some of many old timbered buildings in the town.
This is the old Market Hall in the square - this is where trading was done in the olden days. It has now been beautifully restored and is now a cafe and cinema - which are both worth a visit. The cinema is fab and shows films which are not the usual blockbusters but other but equally worth watching films - we love watching the films here.
This is our castle - I waited for ages - but the white van man would just not move! 
The Bear Steps cafe with art gallery next door
This is Steven's coin - chosen because Eleanor is at Liverpool. Steven left his coin at Craven Arms last week and it has also been picked up and now resides in by Clee Hill. This is the other side of his coin.
I planned a circular route starting from the Discovery Centre, up to Sallow Coppice - through the woods, then up to another wood and up the hill to View Edge. The down the other side ending up at Stokesay Castle. It was a great route and the journey took about 3 hours though we did stop for lunch. 
We managed 7 geocaches! but I only have these few photos to show as Steven gets cross if I am forever stopping to take photos.
