Worcester, Thursday, 6th March, 2014.

Pat and Graham have come down to Worcester today for a dinner at Carluccio's in celebration of Erin and Brett's successful emigration to Perth W.A. and the recent announcement that Erin is expecting. 

Here, all starters have been finished and the mains are keenly anticipated.

Two olde boys get all emotional about something other than BSA motorbikes for once. 

To help digest our scran we take a little stroll down Friar Street before heading back to the car park and then home in time for Pat and Graham to get back home before the motorways clog up in the rush hour.

Birmingham, Tuesday, 4th March, 2014.

With Vicky on a week of annual leave we have an opportunity to come into Birmingham (via Aston Cemetery and lunch in The Jewellery Quarter) for the second time in a few days. Our first trip was a cultural/culinary one; whilst this one is of a 'doing our bit for the economy' nature.

Here, two Feds keep an eagle eye on Vicky as she decides whether to support a demonstration against the closing of a local swimming baths. We contribute a few 'grrrr's' and shout 'Down With The Coalition' a couple of times (as you do) and then continue our quest to boost the economy.

This boosting the economy malarky is a tiring and frustrating affair. We've been to two shops so far and bought absolutely nothing. Debenhams didn't have a suitable breadbin that went with our kitchen decor whilst Next had trousers that fitted me (David) but didn't have them in the right style. 

Thank goodness for Char Wallah: a haven of quiet tranquility if ever there was one. We linger as long as we can and then reluctantly continue on our forlorn quest to spend some money.

Having then trudged to Gap, only to find that it is now a branch of Poundland (ye Gods), then gone across Corporation Street into House of Fraser to find that there are more shop assistants than customers and that all of them, to a man and woman, only want to point out that there's a better selection of products on-line, we manage to persuade them to let us buy two pillow cases. 

Thoroughly demoralised we plod back to the car park, via the grounds of St Phillips Cathedral, with just two bags (and one of those is of food from Marks and Sparks).

We conclude that as we can have a thoroughly demoralising shopping experience in Worcester any time we wish there's no need to come back in to Birmingham unless it's for a cultural/culinary experience which, we have to say, Birmingham does very well.

Then, just to cap things off nicely, the drive home takes over an hour and a half (normal time, 40 mins tops) thanks to roadworks on the Hagley Road and on the M5.

Not one of our better days then.

Birmingham, Saturday, 1st March, 2014.

We've come into Birmingham today to see The Birmingham Royal Ballet Company's 2:30pm performance of The Prince Of The Pagodas. 

We got delayed on the M5 thanks to about 12 miles of roadworks (didn't see one single chap doing any roadworks), had to make a brisk walk across town to get here on time, so didn't have time to take any photos on the way. Disaster!

Quite enjoyed the ballet. Really enjoyed the intervals. There were two in total. Each almost as long as the three segments of the ballet. We guess the dancers need time to recover from all that flinging each other about and....er....dancin'. Made us quite tired just watching them.

We originally had tickets for The Nutcracker in December but Vic's op put paid to that. Shame, but there you go.

It's now about 5:45pm and we're starvin'. Not had anything since breakfast. We originally intended to eat at our old favourite haunt, Bella Italia, but it was rammed to the gills with hungry folk so we had to walk up New Street another couple of doors and try out a 'Cafe Rouge'. Not too bad as it goes. Vicky had Caesar Salad........

.....whilst greedy guts didn't. He had chicken, leeks and mushrooms in a creamy sauce, with mash. 

It had a fancy French name but we can't remember that now. 

It tasted lovely tho', and that's the main thing.

Walking back to the car park we couldn't resist taking a slightly fuzzy shot of The Library of Birmingham (must not be called Birmingham Library) at night. 

Set the camera down on a wall an' all. Ruddy digital compacts.

Flooding - the big clean up, Worcester, Tuesday, 25th February, 2014.

Flood - wot flood?

The river level has dropped right back down again and I (David) am able to walk back home from town along the river once more.

The Council have sent out a team of chaps to jetwash the footpaths (both lower and upper), which is a good job as I am not too sure what manner of glim I am walking in at the mo'. 

Best not to think about it, eh?

Note the light coloured bands around the tree trunks to the right. They indicate how high the river was at its '14 peak. 

Put it this way: if I had stood here a couple of weeks or so ago the water would have been above my knees.

No doubt this trees' roots were already a bit dodgy but the fact it's fallen shows the power of the river in flood. 

The flood was right across the racecourse and whole sections of the plastic course marker posts were uprooted and deposited on the allotments on its far side.

Winter, wot winter? Worcester, Thursday, 20th February, 2014.

We haven't had a 'cold snap' so far this winter. Today, our morning constitutional was lovely and typical of those days that haven't been mild and wet: ten degrees, bright sunshine, with just a few clouds.

The crocuses in Gheluvelt Park are always out at this time of year whatever the weather. So, no surprises there.

However, it was a lovely bonus to see this industrious chap out and about in the middle of February (well spotted, Vicky).

Sorry, slightly out of focus shot of the pollen on the bee (it's hard to bend down and keep a compact still when yer olde and grumpy).

Seconds later a cloud slid across the sun, the bee flew off back home, and the moment was over.

Evesham Cats Protection (slight return), Sunday, 16th February, 2014.

Our first shift at the ECP since October is just a three hour one to get Vicky back into the swing of things after her op.

This is Paws - easily the centre's most popular cat at the mo' - plenty of folk are interested in adopting him today but he's already spoken for.  He is being re-homed in a weeks time, after his vaccinations, at an old people's care home nearby. We get the feeling he is going to get a lot of TLC there.

First pen and Vicky is already in the wars. 

He looked such a friendly cat an' all. Mind you, there was a big sign saying 'Take Care'. 

We guess some folk just don't appreciate being kept in a pen.

Vince: a new resident cat. Our Cat Of The Day. 

Honey is keeping out of the way.

Blimey, we know the sun is bright today, but this is ridiculous.

Vicky and Sox. 

Last October they said Sox wasn't long for this world, but he is proving everyone wrong and is still hanging in there. 

Mind you, he's 22 years old and has a thyroid problem so let's give a fella a break.

Ben the Cock is still alive and well out the back and has now got Brenda for company. 

So he's well-happy.

Much later, rested and back at base, Vicky takes out her frustration at the thought of a phased return to work, which commences in the morning, by giving Fernando Alonso and his Ferrari a right good thrashing in yet another round of the Barbourne Winter Series.

(Yet another) Flood update, Worcester, Thursday 13th February, 2014.

In our unstinting desire to provide a 24 hour news blog we have set out at well before midday on what will prove to be a four (count 'em) mile trek around, under and over (but not thru) the flood waters of Worcester.

First stop: Barbourne Lane where Barbourne Brook has flooded the lake in Gheluvelt Park which has, in turn, flooded the Play Area. 

Appalling; even without a responsible child, as adults, we are unable to enter today.

Waterworks Road has now been abandoned by Sky News, yet life still goes on. 

This is the first time we have ever seen water this far up the road. It has come right around the bend and almost reached the old Pumphouse (which is now an Environment Centre/Cafe).

David bestrides the edge of the flooded Pitchcroft Car Park like a grumpy middle-aged chap.

 The flood water has risen beyond the duckboard in Pitchcroft Lane. 

We've never seen that before either.

Something nasty gushing out of the ground by the sewage treatment plant. Nice.

At least the geese are happy.

Now this is serious: no way through The Moors to the town centre beyond. 

Again, we have never seen this before.Time to find another route.

Didn't ever imagine we'd see this. Croft Road completely inundated. Yet another detour required.

This is the view from the car park outside Detroit's American Diner.......hmmm.................

....................aha! It's one o'clock and time for lunch! Dum-de-dum-de-dum (one for all you olde Genesis fans out there).

Sorry Vic, you'll have to speak up. 

Can't hear you for the sound of sirens (Food Police, not Emergency Services).

Oh no! We have miserably failed in our ambition to become 24 hour news bloggers.

Distracted by fine American dining we have missed the opportunity to take a decent shot of a 6-wheeled army vehicle battling with the flood waters as it heads into town to rescue folk.

Oh well, we'll simply have to find another vocation.

Splendid action shot (to make up for the disappointment of missing the 6-wheeled army truck) of two pigeons stoically ignoring a Shuttle Bus trundling across the Bridge Street bridge as it ferries folk from the west of Worcester across The Severn.

City centre still threatened by record flood levels.

Like the sign above Vicky's bonce says.

Last time, we could walk along Hylton Road to the pedestrian bridge across the River but we wont be doing that today. 

NB 24 hr news vans have been moved here from New Road which has flooded now.

Man from The Environment Agency is interviewed by one of our 24 hour news blogging rivals. 

We spoke to Mr Environment Agency afterwards and he told us that the river is at a record level and although it will fall in the short term it will rise again 'cos lots of rain is expected over the next few days. You read it here first.

The Bus Station has not flooded because some clever human beings have thwarted Mother Nature by laying a temporary layer of tarmac onto the road so that buses can get out (boo!).

To finish, here is a shot taken from outside the Bus Station of a still cut off Hive.

OK, it's time to stop taking photos now and walk into the town centre to do a spot of shopping, have a cuppa tea, and then walk back home along the eerily quiet main arterial Barbourne Road.

By the way: it's gonna tip it down tomorrow (gulp). All day. 

Probably stay in then, although Saturday could be interesting.