Worcester, Wednesday 19th August 2009.

Had a little walk around Worcester city centre today (in additon to my usual walk along the River). Here's Sir Edward William Elgar. A great composer made even greater (in David's eyes, at least) by dint of the fact that he was a staunch supporter of The Mighty Wolves and regularly cycled to home games from Worcester on his trusty bicycle. He was inspired to compose such stirring pieces as the Enigma Variations and Pomp and Circumstance after The Wolves won the FA Cup for the first time in 1893 and then, when The Rev Kenneth Hunt led the Gold and Black army to victory over Everton in the 1908 FA Cup Final, he composed I Was Born Under A Wanderers Scarf and then his finest composition The Liquidator (ripped off in the 20th Century by Hollywood's Paint Yer Wagon and Harry J and The All Stars respectively). And how do the City Fathers pay homage to his memory? By surrounding him with some God-awful 1970's slab-sided concrete facaded shopping development. At least he's gazing towards the Cathedral. Let's hope he hasn't noticed what's lurking over his left shoulder.

Next, we come to the new Diglis Canal Basin Development. Very nice, you might think. But note how generic it is. There's one just like this in Birmingham and any other city/town with a canal basin in need of some tarting up.

Good to know that Town Planners still don't use the imagination they were born with, eh? Use some different materials/colours fergawdssake.

Gits.

Roden Dogs Trust nr Shrewsbury, Saturday 15th August '09.

We undertook the long slow drive to Roden again to say a final goodbye to Wally.

We found him in reasonable spirits. He is kept in the Medical Section where, although he is not available to the public, he gets plenty of training around human food, and so on.

He was fairly pleased to see us, although we weren't really sure that he recognised us.

We spent around two hours with him. Walking around the grounds or simply just relaxing with him as we all watched the goings on of a typical day at the Trust.

We really enjoyed it and we hope that Wally did too. It's given us a sense of closure, if nothing else.

At the finish he trotted off back to his kennel with a member of staff without a backwards glance.

Worcester CAMRA Beer Cider and Perry Festival, 10th Anniversary, Friday 14th August 2009.

John, Ray, Steve and Dave drink a toast to another season of success at the Molineux. Dave is drinking something called Bitter and Twisted. Oh the terrible irony.

Hmm, thinks Ray, Dave's on a second glass of the good stuff and he's already singing old Uriah Heep songs. No way am I gonna carry him home. No way.

Howard's big day out in the Cotswolds, Wednesday August 12th 2009.

This is an exciting moment. It's stopped raining at last and we can get out of the car and smell that fresh country air.


Having filled up on good fresh country food stuffs, none of which were grown locally (very odd), it's time to get back in the car and find something called Lower Slaughter.

Climb every mountain. Ford every stream etc etc.

You want how much? Having test ridden this pot plant-powered eco-friendly trike, Howard is appalled at its price. 'Stuff that', indeed.

Are the folk who live in such evocative dwellings really really happy? You can only hope so.

Evesham Cat's Protection, Sunday 9th August 2009.

Look. Please choose me. I can't keep this up forever you know.





I've got jungle-instincts me, oh yes. No way would I sit here if I thought someone was looking over my shoulder and having a laugh at my expense. No way.



Time for a cuppa but the job's only half-done? Don't tell Lucy!

Wolves v Real Valladolid, Saturday 8th August 2009.

This is what's ruining the modern game........


Blokes who hardly ever go to games nowadays, standing around having their photo taken by a loyal wife...........




................and then, when the game's over, barely spending £20 on useless tat at the club shop. How long can a club survive in the Prem with supporters like this?

Git.

Evesham Dogs Trust: Sunday 2nd August 2009 (pm).

After the traumas with Wally we thought it was about time we got back into dog walking. This is Tetley. He's an old boy who likes to stop and rest a lot more than actually going for a walk.

This is Enid. She's an old girl but is full of life and likes nothing better than winding up the other dogs.

Enid is ready for her close up.

This is Monty. Full of life and very strong. You'd need to be young and fit to look after him. That rules us out, then.

Taking a walk near Bewdley with the Worcester Heart Support Group, Sunday 2nd August 2009 (am).

This is St Leonard's Church. It wasn't at the beginning of the walk but that's where the blog software has stuck it. If we knew what we were doing we'd put it further down the page. But we don't. So we haven't. So there.


Setting out from Ribblesford.
It'll be all downhill from here, you'll see.








The residents of Bewdley are prone to posing.





In-out. In-out.

A nice pair (groan) of pears.

N.B. I think it's worth noting that all the photos on today's blog were taken with the Pentax Compact.