It's Always Sunny in Congleton...No, Honestly!

 

Just another day in sunny Cheshire...feet up!

Truth be known, it has been the wettest Spring ever recorded in England.  The weather forecast has been very coy... always shows a sun/cloud/rain drops...can't go wrong!  And, as it turns out, Summer is going to simply mirror spring along with the temperatures.  It seems like we may have had two or three summer type days temperature wise  (80 degrees), otherwise you can plan on high 60's-70 degrees.  Linda wore sandals one day!!!  But even having said all that, we are mighty happy to not have the hot dry weather that New England and most of the US has been experiencing this Summer.  Eddie remembers the many times people back in the States teased about how rainy it is in England and this year it has proven to be the case.

Having said all that, the lushness of the green we see whenever we travel through the local countryside has to be seen to be believed.  England sure does have a green and pleasant land as in the song 'Jerusalem' famously celebrates.  You would have heard lots of ohhh's and awe's from Linda as we drove down country lanes and saw all the little lambs.

Enough of the Brian Lapis impressions...the more attentive of you might have wondered what we have been up to since our last Blog back in March!  We have truly settled into a good routine of English life interspersed with little excursions here and there.  The recession being what it is and fuel prices triple what you might pay back in Massachusetts keeps us reasonably close to home.  Nothing wrong with that!  The area we live in is spectacular in its bounty of tourist attractions, events and historic sights. 

Two local beauties side by side.

A favorite sojourn of ours is a trip to Mow Cop.  Mow Cop is a little village 10 minutes from Congleton...straight up!  The drive up to Mow Cop Castle has to be experienced to be believed.  The steepness as you climb up is really rather spectacular in that the road actually disappears from your vision.  Mow Cop is on the boarder between Staffordshire and Cheshire and the Castle was built as a summerhouse in 1754. You can experience a 360 degree view of both the Cheshire Plain to the west along with the Pennine Moorlands to the east and the Peak District of Derbyshire.  We had a very peaceful time there just admiring the beautiful views and enjoying a quiet Spring day.

Linda celebrated her birthday in May and was taken to a lovely country pub called the Knot Inn just outside of Macclesfield.  Eddie treated her to a shopping spree at the Cheshire Garden Center...think Atkins Country Market - plus...where she treated herself to a beautiful hand painted coffee mug and a new purse! 

Another memorable event that happened in Congleton was the Olympic Torch arriving in town.  Fortunately Eddie had the day off and we were able to witness this once in a life time moment.  The Torch was due to pass through Congleton early that day and the crowds were happy to stand in the rain waiting for the great moment to happen.  A lovely young woman who is part GB Olympic team carried the Torch past where we were standing.  A lot has been said about the gross commercialization of the Olympics but being a part of moments like this made you realize what affect such a great event can have on a town and you as an individual. 

All the Congleton Bears were there to witness the Olympic event as well!

The month of June was a time for reflection, both on a national and local scale. England really was the place to be as the nation celebrated the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The flotilla that made its way along the River Thames was spoilt by the heavy rain. However, the Church service that took place at Westminster Abbey was very moving. The concert that was held outside Buckingham Palace got mixed reviews. Lacklustre performances speckled with the odd mime was disappointing. However, it wasn't all doom and gloom as the old favourites, namely Messrs  Jones, John and McCartney stood out. Not surprising when you consider they've all been knighted!

Here in Congleton we went to Congleton Park to participate in the local celebration. The "do" at the park was a family orientated event with lots of music and good food with rides for the kids . . . a good time was had by all. After going to the Park, we went up to a pub we've been to on several occasions for a bite to eat and to sample one of the local jazz bands.

 

Let us tell you about the Cheshire Show.  Imagine the Big E, the Cummington Fair and the Paradise City Arts Festival all rolled into one and twice as big!  It was the first time for both of us to go to this magnificent event.  There was everything from arts and crafts, local food, show animals being judged to jumping show horses.  This two-day event was wonderful to go to and a bit overwhelming at the same time.  We were, as the locals say, well and truly done and dusted by mid afternoon.  Fortunately for this show, rain held off, but others were not as lucky and had been sadly cancelled due to the muck and muddy conditions.

 

 At the  end of June Eddie's old primary school, Buglawton, held its 100th Anniversary with an open house.  We were excited to go and to take Eddie's mum as well as she taught there for many years.  Plus, Eddie's grandmother on his mother's side was one of the first pupils to attend this school.  It really was a lovely afternoon wallowing in nostalgia, as Eddie had not been inside the building for nearly 30 years.  It was truly a fun experience for Linda as well to meet many of the children, their teachers, as well as some of the teachers she had heard about from both Eddie and his mom. 

Eddie's mum is the lady in the light blue sweater. She is enjoying reminiscing with one of her old colleagues, Miss Taylor seated to her left.

A little piece of Massachusetts was seen in Mossley on the 4th of July...in the form of Sam Adams beer.  We has a bit of an inside picnic with Eddie's mom...lots of good all American food, ie burgers, dogs, potato salad and oh yes beer! We started the day listening to American radio broadcast from Chicago, shaking our heads to the complaint of how hot it was there in the windy city.  It's been lovely to keep in touch with everything to do with the Pioneer Valley via WHMP on-line.  Of course we continue to read bits and pieces of the Gazette as well. 

England is full of history as you know.  We were able to sample this up close and personal as we paid a visit to Quarry Bank Mill in the village of Styal.  Styal is close to Manchester Airport.  This mill is now part of the National Trust, an organization that maintains historic landmarks throughout the country.  Quarry Bank was once a thriving cotton mill during the 18th and 19th centuries.  It was  interesting to learn what life was like for the boys and girls who worked very long hours at the mill which also meant they lived away from their parents.  Although they were reasonably well taken care of for the time which included an education and health care, it was still sad to think they spent 12 hours a day 6 days a week working in the factory with a couple of hours of education in the evening.  Only Sunday was a complete day of rest for them. It was fascinating to see how the equipment and processes advanced over the years.  We could only imagine the noise and uncomfortable conditions they worked in with no heat and no ac!

If we still have your attention....we had a lovely time yesterday at the Congleton Carnival.  This is an event that encompasses a parade through the town and festivities in the local park.  It used to be a weekend-long event with lots of floats from local companies.  It has been going on for at least 50 years in its current form but much longer in reality.  Although there were not as many floats in this year's parade as there once were, it still is very impressive and great to see so many people participating and watching.  Eddie's family have all taken part in the parade stretching back as far as 1926 when his dad played Little Boy Blue sat upon a horse.  His mom rode on the Congleton Player's float back in the early 60's.  Bridget took part back in the early 80's and Eddie has been in it three times: once helping Buglawton School and twice with the Congleton Player's amateur theater group.

We ended the day by attending a preseason friendly game between Congleton Town  and their near neighbors Crewe Alexandra.  Crewe recently was promoted to the third tier of English Professional Football.  Although the difference in skill level was apparent, Congleton Town worked very hard and really did a good defensive job but Crewe had all the offence.  The game ended 2-0 in favor of Crewe.  And as you can imagine it began to rain in the second half but thankfully ended before the game did.

Some days it seems like we have not done much, but when you look back at all this, well we have done a good bit and had fun doing it all.  Hope you've enjoyed this latest edition of Linda and Eddie's Excellent Adventures.  Until the next time Good Night and Good Luck....Serenity Now!