19th April photo - Thomas Telford

Back to Telford again this evening to do a nice little geocache. This one has been on my to do list for ages but the square where it is hidden is always thronging with people and I did not want any people getting in the way of this lovely sculpture and spoiling my photos - so waited until evening (19.30hrs) and the place was deserted, so I was able to take photos and find the geocache without anyone else about.

As usual - I have taken far too many photos - these are the ones I like the best so will choose one from these.

The man in the sculpture is Thomas Telford the famous engineer and builder of roads, canals and bridges and from where the new town of Telford got its name. This square is quite high up and overlooks the town - so I like this photo of Thomas Telford standing and looking over his town.

18th April photo - book I am reading

This is the book I am reading at the moment and I can say without a doubt that it is my top 3 books that I have ever read. This is my 3rd time round and I never fail to be amazed at the fortitude of the victims of the Holocaust. This book was recommended to me by my tutor at the time (Arim Grunbacher - whose parents were children in Germany during the war), when I was doing a module for my degree on European History and I am so glad that I was able to track it down.

The author Marc Roseman had interviewed Marianne Strauss in his role as historian at Southampton University to hear about her experiences during the war. After she died her son contacted Marc to say that he had found a large trunk of his mothers documents relating to the war and would he like to see them. What he found was the most fantastic record of Marianne's past and what was even more remarkable was that these had survived at all, because as a Jew she was constantly 'on the run' during the war. This book has constructed her tragic war experience from these amazing documents.

There were formal documents and passes but the most poignant were the love letters between her & her boyfriend Ernst from his incarceration in a concentration (death) camp. Also recorded were the Gestapo's report on how she escaped from them when they came to round up her family - she just ran through the front door while they were down in the basement, but she did not have time to say goodbye to her parents and brother and she never saw them again.

Frustratingly she did not tell the author about any of this when she was alive and I kept wishing that she had told him, so that he could have found out more - but as he very succinctly put it at the end of the book - had she wanted to share this with him she would have done. Survivors have many different ways of coping with the horrors they faced and in Marianne's case she dealt with it by only talking about minor matters and keeping the worst memories buried deep inside her.

17th April photo - another shop in town

Before Jess left this morning - we went into town so that she could stock up on some goodies from her favourite deli - Christophers.

This is a long established independent deli in Mardol and is a firm favourite with the 6th form students in town. They all head there each lunch time to buy chocolate brownies, flajacks or any of their delicious cakes. When Jess first went to Norwich, I used to have to send her parcels containing some of Christopher's goodies as she had withdrawal symptoms from missing her daily visit. She is quite recovered now but does like to take a few back with her.

I like to buy their quiches, which they make fresh on the premises each morning - so are usually still warm when I am carrying them home.

16th April 2009 photo - Lasagna

Jess goes back to uni tomorrow so in her honour we have had her favourite tea tonight - Lasagna & potato wedges.

I think I am becoming addicted to potato wedges now that I have discovered Cajun seasoning for them - I used to add tarragon and olive oil, but now the whole packet of Cajun seasoning is added to the potatoes and yumm they are delicious and moreish!

We had apple crumble & custard for pudding - though I should say everyone else had crumble - I had a yogurt - just remembered this diet thing is not much fun.

My second chiropractor session went well this morning - I can now move all my toes except the big toe which still stubbornly refuses to do as it is told - so I am already seeing and feeling some improvement. After my next session on Monday she is going to decide if I need to be referred for an MRI scan or not.

15th April 2009 - 114 photos but all poor!

First of all - thank you for all your lovely comments about yesterdays post. I do have a bit of a struggle on at the moment - its nice to know you are all thinking of me.

I took Eleanor back to Liverpool yesterday so stayed over to do some geocaching there today. I ventured over to the Wirral and managed 21 caches! My main aim was to do a lovely long flat walk (as I can't go up hills for a while) and I really enjoyed finding some nice countryside.

The day started out quite grey and miserable but by lunchtime it was beautiful - but despite this todays photos are rubbish. I think the one I may choose for today is is this sailing boat on White mere - at Ellesmere in Shropshire!!! - I called in to do this cache on the way home.

I started off the day at Birkenhead Priory and had been quite looking forward to this cache as the info promised views over the city from the tower - but the tower was closed today!

So I have a few ruins and the top half of a ship from as high up as I could get on the site.


Next stop was at Seaport ferries, another cache which promised views over the city - but the morning was still very grey - so the photo is just as dull!

Out into the countryside then in the sunshine. The cows confused me - half were sitting down and half were standing up - so I didn't know if it was going to rain on me or not - it didn't - thankfully. 2 photos of a Wirral country walk - the cows and the motorway I had to cross to get from one field to another. The hum of the traffic was never far away.

Sometimes you can take just one photo a day and it is fab and other days - like today - you can take loads and for some reason they just don't work.

14th April 2009 - a new me??

Today's photo is very strange - but fitting I think as I am taking an in-depth look at myself!

I have just been for my first Chiropractic session to try and sort out my numb left foot caused by 2 herniated lumber discs and this was the skeleton in her treatment room. I think the Chiropractor thought that I was a little mad wanting to take a photo of this - I assured her that I was quite sane - but maybe this is what the project is driving me to!!

I did not think that she did very much to me as she did not hurt me, but when she tested my foot at the end of my treatment - I was able to do 2 out of the 3 motor functions that I could not do before the treatment - so clearly she did something positive.

I feel that today is going to mark the start of a new chapter in my life:-

1] Get my health sorted out - I have always been healthy, so have kind of taken it for granted, but this back issue has made me focus more closely on it.

2] My diet is starting again today - I have eaten my Easter egg so no more chocolate. I did it before so I can do it again. Loosing weight again has got to be beneficial for my back and my health in general.

3] As I am taking a close look at myself , I think it is time to sort out a few other life issues.

So 3 things to focus on and 3 is my favourite number so lets hope I can be successful in all 3.

13th April 2009 photo - fun & laughter with the Downes's

My sister and her family spent the day with us today ( we were still not complete, as this time Graeme & Ross were working) and I had planned that my photo for today would be a nice group shot of us all - but as my best laid plans go - I have actually chosen a different one.


We had had quite a fun day - but once out in the garden for the photo shoot things just got sillier and sillier - so much so that when we tried to get a nice photo of me, Janet & mum - we were so doubled up in laughter that we could hardly stand up - so I have chosen this photo as my photo of the day - to remind me that I do laugh occasionally!

This is the photo that I thought that I would use for today. I much prefer the fun shot to the formal posed one.
The children always complain about having their photos taken - so to cheer them up and get away from the formal and usually grumpy photo - I tried a trick I had read about somewhere - get the children to run towards the camera. However I think this might only work with younger children though - as Sian refused to run and then started fighting with Peter, so I ended up with children all over the place- got a few smiling shots though which is more than I usually get.

On your marks..Come on Sian you are getting left behind!Sian deciding that if she was not going to run then neither was Peter!See Sian can laugh!We had just about recovered to have this one taken.Whoa - Liam is nearly smiling!