Waitrose car park besmirched, Saturday, 29th November, 2015.

It's that time of year again and the invaders are popping up everywhere.

Victorian Christmas Market, Gloucester Docks, Sunday, 22nd November, 2015.

Off out are we? 

Well, I shall expect several fishy biscuits before you go.

That's it, keep 'em coming.

It's 12:23 and we've arrived.

Very Christmassy.

Aiyeeee! There's millions of shoppers.

Modern local chef on mobile 'phone wanders through Dickensian Players gripping drama oblivious.

Caught red-handed eating summat unhealthy (Gloucester Old Spot Sausage and Onion Roll). Nice.

Helter Skelter jaunty angle jobbie.

Dogs waiting patiently for a tasty morsel.

They did get something eventually.

Our second cuppa tea to keep us going for the journey home.

You can't have a Christmas Fairground without some Gallopers.

Emma the Labradoodle makes friends with the Dickensian Players.

It's 3:30-ish and we're taking the long way back to the car park to avoid the crowds.

What time do you call this? 4:15?

Where's me scran?

Mmmmmm, Ocean Fish. Tasty.

They should go out more often.

Aliens land in Worcester shock! Sunday, 16th November, 2015.

Out for a post-lunch constitutional today and we stumble across The Worcester Royals taking on Warwick Wolves on The Moors in a new-fangled sport called American Football or summat.

The Royals are in white and they scored a 'touch down' at the end of this 'play'. Although the fella didn't actually touch the ball down so it's clearly all bollox.

The Warwick Wolves praying to The Gods Of American Football that they can make a comeback.

They did. They won 27-19 (boo!) - I looked it up.

That's enough of all that. Time to get back to our quiet constitutional.

It's 1 o'clock and time for lunch, dum-de-dum-de-dum, Barbourne Works, 23rd October, 2015.

They've not left me on my own as much today.

They've just come back home from a walk around the racecourse, evidently, and now it's time for some lunch. At this juncture, it's always important to position oneself where they can't miss you - like right under their feet.

Yep, that should do it.

Sandwell Crem & Avoncroft Museum, Thursday, 22nd October, 2015.

It's midday and, having driven up the M5, we are at Sandwell Crematorium to remember Vicky's Mum who passed away 14 years ago.

It's now just gone 1 o'clock and we've driven back down the M5 to Avoncroft Museum.

It's got an Edwardian cafe so we've had some lunch and are now going to explore all the olde buildings (and telephone kiosks!) restored and cared for here.

Vicky has never been here before. I came here circa 1980 and presumed it had only just opened then as there was only a few buildings in a field at that time.

Transpires it actually opened in 1962. 

I guess removing buildings from their original locations around the Midlands and re-building them here stone by stone, brick by brick, and plank by plank must take time.

Look at the bow on that, Dave.

Yer can't beat a bit of blacksmithery.

There's fire and heat an' all sorts.

The merchant's house (circa 1450).

Merchant's house interior.

Sisters doin' it for themselves.

Homes for WWI Heroes.

Occupied until 1980.

The living room of the above.

Kids raised in the pre- 'Andrex generations' look away now.

There are lots of apples in Worcestershire.

The Toll House.

Incarcerated in the gaol house.

It's so much bigger inside, Vic.

It's 3:15 now and we've still got time to go to Webbs Garden Centre for a cuppa tea and a pastry before having a quick mooch around the place. Then a drive home to feed Emlyn bang on 5 o'clock (he's a man of routine is our Emlyn).

Brockhampton via Suckley, Wednesday, 21st October, 2015.

Here we are at Holloways in time for lunch at 12:30-ish.

We originally planned to go out much earlier to Brockhampton and then have lunch here afterwards but this morning was…..ahem……a bit drizzly, so we've changed things around.

We're nothing if not flexible, oh yes.

I'm having Chilli Beef Cottage Pie……………

…………and Vicky is having Beef Salad with Balsamic Vinegar.

Vicky loves her Balsamics.

Having had lunch we stop to take in some of the scenery to the east of Suckley.

Dunno what these are exactly but they're lovely.

This constitutes a 'major thoroughfare' around these here parts.

On the opposite side of the road is a field full of (Hereford?) cows……………

………….and a father of the house.

Impressive.

Heading west along the A44 to Brockhampton.

We've arrived and parked up.

Should we wear our wellies? Nah!

Howard and David, ready for a woodland walk.

Vicky's Dad passed away in 1994 and in the spring of '95 we made a donation to The National Trust to plant some trees here in his memory at a time when the Trust was developing this woodland walk. 

We have visited a few times in between and, as the years have gone by, it has become harder and harder to be sure which trees are 'his'.

They've grown so much - as has all the undergrowth.

But this is definitely the spot!

Making our way down to the fishing lake.

Look closely and you'll see Brockhampton Hall at the top of the hill yonder.

It's so quiet here. You can here the sploshes and plops of the fish as they rise to the surface to nab insects and the like every now and then.

Vicky's top bears testament to an encounter with a very friendly labrador cross.

She won't be let in Waitrose later this afternoon looking like that.

Vicky (with top cleaned a bit) and the view to the east over Brinksty Common.

As above but without Vicky.

It's now 2:45pm and we've found a 16th Century Inn that says it serves 'Afternoon Tea'. 

However, it closed at 2:30.

Only in Britain, eh.

Oh well, still thirsty, it's off to Droitwich for some provisions and then home via the vets where we pick up some meds for Emlyn. 

It's all go!