Tewksbury, Saturday, 8th March, 2014.

With a good weather forecast for today we've driven down the M5 to Tewkesbury to see what it looks like when it's not on the telly 'cos it's under flood from the Severn and Avon (the confluence is just outside the town centre - so it's not surprising it floods).

Here, Vicky is stood in the grounds of the Abbey on land that was surrounded by water just a couple of weeks or so ago.

Big olde gnarly tree.

Big olde gnarly tree and fairly big olde Abbey in context.

Stand there Dave, and look interesting.

Oh well, it'll have to do.

Inside the Abbey.

Lighting a candle for the gone but not forgotten.

On a bridge not above either the Severn or the Avon. Rather this is The Mill Avon. 

No wonder Tewkesbury floods. It's got nearly as many waterways as Birmingham.

Our second Tea Room today. 

Always a welcome respite from our wanderings and gawpings.

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.