This is part of the Italienate Gardens at Trentham, near Stone. It has been a country estate since the 11th century, and although the fine country house that once stood here has been largely demolished over the years, the gardens, originally designed by Capability Brown, have been lovingly restored as a country park. Well worth a visit…
Sunday evening motorway traffic. Some going home I guess after a weekend trip away, and more still heading back to the cities ready for work early tomorrow. 
Way back in 1975 I worked at Universal Abrasives in Stafford for a few weeks as a process engineer. I hated it, and pretty soon found another job, where I was to stay for almost 35 years before I retired! The factory and machinery have long since gone and the warehouses now only used for logistics, but the office block with this imposing facade still remains, albeit empty…
This spot, Meols, on the Wirral Peninsula, is the closest sea to us. It’s about 75 miles away, or an hour and a quarter by car. I’d seen photos of the boats stranded there at low tide, but hadn’t realized that what looks like a sandy beach is actually rather nasty black sludge, definitely not for walking on! So the only photo I could take was from the concrete slipway, but at least the sunset was good…
A view from the bridge over the canal nearby, this reminds me very much of a Constable painting, archetypally England on a Summer’s day. 
‘Merry Mole’ wine? – you have to be kidding! No this is straight up – the waiter’s recommendation at dinner tonight at the hotel we are staying at with friends in Cheshire. And actually, although I’ve never had wine before from Moldova, it wasn’t bad at all. Long live moles!
Well, it was #1 Court at Wimbledon! We were lucky enough to win the opportunity to buy tickets for the Championship this year, and had a fabulous day at the true home of tennis. Even the weather was kind to us…!
As well as getting shopping (see yesterday’s post) the other priority when getting back from holiday is mowing the lawns. Fortunately the ride-on makes fairly short work of it – just a shame it can’t do weeding too…
After our great two week holiday in Ireland, it was back to normal today – unpacking the car, putting stuff away, and the inevitable shopping. Not my favourite supermarket, but at least it’s nearby and will do is for a few days…
It was time today to say farewell (slán) to Ireland, and drive home. This was our last proper look at the Causeway Coast as we headed off early to catch the ferry across the Irish Sea. We’ve had a brilliant couple of weeks in Ireland, and will be back for sure! Next adventure will be Ibiza in about 3 weeks – that’s going to be a different experience..
One Day At A Time... 