The only way is up, Worcester, Friday, 8th May, 2015.

Given that it has been raining that light drizzly rain that gets you ever so soaked all morning we've had to cancel our plans to drive to Malvern, where we hoped to do some walking up (and down) The Hills, and just settle for one of our usual walks along the river with a slight diversion to the chemists (hence the cunningly disguised bag of prescription chemicals - you can never have enough Warfarin, we always say) and then, on Vicky's last day off, a visit to The Boston Tea Room for a snack (sliced apple cake and Darjeeling tea for Vic and a Bacon and egg tartlet-thingy and decaf tea for Dave). 

It's a good opportunity to chew over (excuse the pun) last nights election results if nowt else. 

Trouble is, Dave wasn't hungry until he had his tartlet, now at 12:30, he's whinging on about getting home so he can have his mackerel pate, onion, tomato and salad sammidges. 

They are calling out to him, evidently.

Gone 1 o'clock now and we are now heading back home along the river.

This is the face of a man who has just seen a treecreeper fly into one of the trees on the right and run up it (hence the title of this blog). 

If only we could be bothered with the hassle of carrying a proper camera we might have stood a chance of getting a half-decent photo. But we can't, so we settle for the memory.

Treecreepers are a wonderful antidote for election hangovers.

Rain stops play, Gheluvelt Park, Worcester, Thursday, 7th May, 2015.

Vicky's week off continues:

A nice lie-in today. Then up, out, and off down the Polling Station to vote and then to the park at 11:05 for a swift game of tennis.

Just getting nicely warmed up when a huge glowering black cloud came over and we had to stop and take refuge under the nearest tree.

So only got half an hour's play.

Better than nothing tho', eh?

The question remains:

Is that 'black cloud' an indicator of what might happen on Election Night?

Botanical Gardens, Birmingham, Wednesday, 6th May, 2015.

So why have we come to the Botanical Gardens?

We're here for a WWF event about their efforts to save Tigers in India and Nepal.

Great selfie: even got the logo coming out of our heads! Excellent work.

Pitchcroft, Worcester, Tuesday, 5th May, 2015.

Hmmm, it's a bit breezy today.

Slight diversion required.

Stratford-upon-Avon, Bank Holiday Monday, 4th May, 2015.

Now, as enny fule no, you should never venture out into the big bad world in your car on a Bank Holiday. But, sometimes, you see something that looks worthy of investigation and so, against your better judgement,  as 1:00pm arrives, you get in the car and set off full of hope.

Almost immediately you regret it as you become quickly mired in durr-brained 'Sunday' motorists trundling along country roads at a steady 40mph for mile after cowin' mile. They do 40 in villages with a 30mph speed limit and 40 on the open road with a 50mph limit. Other drivers get pissed off (no, not us) and take ridiculous risks to overtake along roads with blind bends and what-not. 

By the time we arrive in Stratford we wish we hadn't bothered.

There's a Park and Stride place, according to the internet, but it isn't well signposted (sheets of hand-written A4 paper stuck to railings, basically). We do find it eventually, thanks to Vicky's local knowledge, but doing so does nothing to improve our mood.

2:00pm (approx): Having found and parked up in the Park and Stride we set off for the town centre along the canal.

There are boats, ducks and ducklings to look at so we're feeling a bit better now.

Guess the reason why we've come to Stratford today. Hordes of other people have had the same idea. So we stick to the quieter of the closed town centre streets.

One of Malvern's finest.

Vicky with some British heavy metal: not all of which is as old as it looks.

If you're sad enough to buy a Volvo estate, the least you can do is ensure it's as good as this one.

Oh deep joy: there's a cowin' market as well.

Time for a cuppa tea but all the tea rooms are rammed with scrotes who like driving along at 40mph everywhere they go (of course they are all one and the same - of course they are) so we settle for the cafe in the Theatre. 

It's not the nicest (or cheapest) cuppa tea we've ever had but at least we could get a table.

Stratford's main street: too full of scrotes for us to investigate - we'll give it a miss, thanks.

At last, tucked away on another side street, a car worthy of Vicky's admiration.

Shakespeare's birthplace (supposedly).

It's about 3:30 now and we are on our way back to the Park and Stride.

The drive back home is a lot better. We are able to amble along at the speed limit for most of the way.

By 4:30 we are safely back in the sanctuary of our home. We have a nice rest and some dinner and, by about 8:00pm the 'day out' is all but forgotten. 

We should have settled  for one of our little walks along the river.

Ah well, can't win 'em all.

Vicky has got the week off, so let's hope it goes a bit better than today.

29th Anniversary, Sunday 3rd May, 2015.

We've had a steady day so far, what with the showery rain and what-not. 

It actually snowed on this day 29 years ago, so we shouldn't complain.

So we have some breakfast (fruit and yoghurt for Vicky, muesli with extra fruit and nuts for David), suffer rear tyre problems with Sam, have some lunch (David's signature turkey bacon, mushroom 'n' egg sammidge - no egg for Vicky), and then watch Jorge's triumph at Jerez.

By which time the weather is much improved.

It's now just before 3 and we've driven to Suckley for a Holloways afternoon tea.

Vicky has a scone with jam washed down with darjeeling tea……..

…..whilst the gannet doesn't. 

He chooses the treacle tart and cream washed down with decaffeinated tea option.

We drive back to Worcester via an alternative route which is even more scenic and hilly than the way we usually drive. It also takes twice as long. The lanes are very narrow and there's nowhere safe/sensible to stop and take photos, which is a shame, but there you go.

After an evening meal (grilled turkey steaks, grilled veggos, wholegrain basmati rice, with a tomato, onion and balsamic vinegar salad, and fresh oranges for dessert) we go down to the river to walk all those carbs off. 

Just after we took this photo a Greater Spotted Woodpecker flew into those trees on the left and started banging away at the trunk. But you'll have to take our word for it as it was too high up in the branches to get a photo by the time we worked out where it was. That's the trouble with spring: too many leaves. It eventually flew back over to the 'quieter' side of the river.

Yay! Yet another selfie - you can never have too many selfies on a blog.

Rain clouds and the beginning of a rainbow over the city tell us it's time to head back home before the weather turns once more.

As we take a stroll home along the river a family of mute swans stroll up the river.

All-in-all, a pretty good day then.

Prescott Speed Hill Climb, Saturday, 25th April, 2015.

That won't come out pt I….

….told ya.

Yer slow shutter speed is too slow!

11:30-ish and we're in The Paddock.

This is Scott Moran (tightening his nuts) and Alex Summers who now share this 3,500cc Gould GR61X - NME, now Roger Moran has retired from hill climbing.

Blossom and cars: our glorious spring continues.

It never ceases to amaze that Vicky, even when surrounded by cars and 'bikes, can spot a Golden Labrador (look closely) in the back of a van from 50 paces.

Making friends with Zeus.

We could be here for some time.

It's approaching midday now and we need to get to the Bugatti Club House for a snack.

A pastry and tea for Vicky and a cheese and bacon pasty and tea for David. 

£7 the lot. Bargain.

We shall come here again.

It's approaching the lunch break and the 'bikes are on the hill.

Martyn Robbins (from Worcester - note sparks from left boot) looks quick on his 637cc KTM.

That won't come out pt II…...

….not too bad. Yer getting better.

This is Marc and Simon Foster on their FII Honda 600.

How to have legal fun in a production saloon.

12:30-gone now and we are at Pardon Hairpin.

Hmmm, Vicky has got distracted yet again. 

This time by a bluebell wood.

Oh, very Pogle's Wood.

Meanwhile, behind Vicky's back, cars continue to hurtle up the hill.

Now what's Vicky taking a photo of……?

…..aha! It's a view of the hill.

Very 'edge of The Cotswolds'.

It's 1:15 and the last car before lunch approaches The Esses.

Time to nip back to the car for our turkey-mayo sammidges washed down with a carton of orange juice.

Don't ask how we got our Lancer up here, but we did.

On previous visits we've always managed to park quite easily on the flat land below but this time the club has devoted half of that land to competitors motorhomes and what not.

Our advice, if you are thinking of coming to Prescott, is to get here nice and early.

Vicky's view from the top of the hill looking north-west-ish.

Things start up again at 2:00pm and we spend about an hour watching the action from Orchard Corner which brave drivers (and riders) take flat out, evidently.

This is Richard Brown in his 1137cc Turbo OMS CF07 - Honda.

At 3:10pm it's time to go 'cos we've gotta get back up the M5 to Droitwich to do the 'big shop'.

It's 4:00pm and we are safe and sound in 'the big shop' and enjoying a well-deserved cuppa tea.

Only our second since we left home at 10:15 this morning.

We're not as young as we were!