Back to Reality #eckington 3

 The road back is quite a long path that winds into the distance on a slow incline. Unfortunately, it’s also a minor road so watch out for traffic. The only nice views you’ll have are of the surrounding hillsides. You’ll know that you’re going the right way as you follow the telegraph wires. Eventually you’ll start to enter civilisation as a few farmyard cottages will spring up alongside the road. Keep following the road passed a walled cottage painted in the style of a traditional Merchant’s house, and a T-Junction will come into view. Bear right towards another road, and as it continues around a left-hand bend head straight ahead onto a set of steps leading over the railway line. If needs must you can avoid the steps by following the road along to the high street, but you’ll miss the pub and church! From the other side of the steps, you’ll find The Bell on the left or you may prefer The Anchor which is a short walk opposite (signposted!).

Brotherly Duel #dreamdiary 167

I’m on holiday with my brother. I challenge him to a duel in the middle of town. I take the white glove and slap him in the face to make it official. I state that we should meet at the town square at noon. He just smiles at me. As the time approaches, I make my way to the meeting point. The square is filled out as a huge swimming pool. There’s shops on a balcony all around it, and there’s a statue in the centre, but other than that, it’s a huge pool. It looks a bit choppy, but the sun is shining down on it, and it’s crystal clear. You could see the sandstone floor beneath, but there was no sign of any filters which would explain why there’s no-one swimming in it though. Nevertheless, I pictured thousands of people taking a dip on a hot summer’s day.

Valley View #eckington 2

Once you’ve passed underneath the bridge, the Malverns will come into view. Turn south and the land here is that flat that you’ll even get a view of Bredon Hill and its beacon. But if you continue on the trail alongside the river, you’ll pass the local marina followed by a view of a church as you begin to turn south. The river gets quite wide and it’s a great place for spotting ducks. As you exit a kissing gate onto a road, you’ll notice a river lock to your right which is a great place to rest and there’s even some benches. If you’re lucky you might get an opportunity to see a narrowboat pass through. The main footpath continues south on the other side of the river towards the motorway, but you’ll need to follow the road north-east to return to your starting point. It’s a bit of an uphill climb.

Mother Goose

We have so much to learn from nature. You’d think that two different species with different attributes would constantly be at war with other. Yet a little feelgood story of a goose sheltering a puppy during a winter storm creates hope for us all. Perhaps the mother felt her maternal instincts kick in. Maybe she’d lost her family or lacked the opportunity to become a mother. She probably used the pole as a reference point so that help could be sort. It makes you wonder how the puppy got there in the first place. It would be hopeful to think that it was lost, but there’s always a chance that it could have been abandoned. I wonder what the puppy remember from the experience. It might be too young to have any sight or memory. There’s definitely an interesting story of how this tale originates but it may something that we can only guess at.

Eckington Wharf #eckington 1

This is a lovely, picturesque walk that’s easy to do by some nice riverside scenery on the border of the Cotswolds. It begins just outside the small village of Eckington where the road crosses the Avon over an old historic bridge. There’s a convenient picnic site with free car parking and benches with a lovely view of the bridge and river. There’s a lovely patch where the lily pads have clustered on the corner of the river. Cross the road directly opposite the entrance to the car park and head towards the bridge. Just before the stone walls you’ll see a footpath sign and a kissing gate. Follow the trail north-west through the hedge and it’ll become a dirt track alongside the river. Continue through the kissing gates and you’ll pass a bend and walk underneath the railway bridge. Time it right and you might see a train passing through.

Stinky Windows

He’s a quiet man with a van. He’s fairly tall and a little bit of a hunk without being too buff. He likes to be well groomed. He always has just the right amount of hair length both on top and in front. He’s never afraid to wear shorts whatever the weather, though sometimes he does wear a grey hoody in the winter. You get the impression that he’s usually a quiet and mild-mannered kind of person, but always looks happy and friendly despite being world-weary when executing his tasks. I suppose he’s got to if he wants to keep his customers. Sometimes he’s on his own and at other times he has a different assistant. You get the impression that his associates aren’t around to help him too much depending on what they’ve got going on with their lives. You wonder if it’s a different crew each time and whether it’s down to his style of employee management.

Tableside

Having a marble table may be a bit rich. It’s nice to have a heavy-duty worktop that’s smooth and looks as if it’s deep because it’s got veins in it and it’s very hardwearing. And at least the yellow beats can disguise any turmeric stains. The shade nearly matches the right page of the meu, even though the table’s older. I’m surprised the menu has survived given the number of pinholes in it. It’s certainly served its purpose. It’s almost as if the whole thing is placed on a Peshwari naan. It’s like a bad attempt with Photoshop. At one point we did have matching stools but we gave them a coat of paint to give them a new lease of live but they came out too dark. Our new worktop looks like granite, but because it’s not as bright I wonder if the scratches will be less disguised. Only time will tell.