Sunshine!

At long last we've had a lovely sunny weekend on the Paradise Peninsula ..... yes, that's two whole sunny days this year! After a busy day in the garden yesterday, today we decided to head into Chester for a stroll and some lunch. On our way into town we chanced upon two giants limbering up for a little music festival in Northgate that was taking place this afternoon.

They're going to have another outing next weekend, as there's going to be a parade to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee Coronation year.

The Chester tour bus actually had people sitting out on the top deck .... that hasn't happened for a while.

We decided that it was far too nice a day to eat indoors so we headed to a well known high street store to purchase a picnic instead.

Armed with some tasty treats we made our way down to the river to watch the boats go by.

 I love this old bandstand ..... no band there today though.

 After a gentle stroll along the river bank we headed up through Grosvenor Park, which was full of families enjoying the sunshine too, and then came out through a different gate than the one we usually use. To our surprise we found some ruins which we had never seen before.

At first we thought it was something to do with the old city walls, but it was actually the ruins of St. John the Baptist's church dating from 689 A.D. It had been abandoned in the 16th Century, when it had started to collapse, and a new church was built next door.

Then we discovered that the huge tower of the 'new' church had collapsed suddenly in 1881 destroying the porch. It is said that the bang was heard all over Chester. 

What are the chances? 

What are the chances for a few more sunny days this week? Looking at the forecast - very slim- it would seem. Still, we live in hope!

Sunday Stroll

Another mad busy weekend in the P.P. household as our son returned from uni, complete with a lovely girlfriend, and our daughter snatching a precious weekend at home too. We spent Sunday afternoon in Chester, taking a stroll along the famous walls. This gives you a splendid view of Chester's delights from  above!

At weekends, the walls are used to display a variety of works of art .... all for sale.

It was so hot, that the river side was the best place to be, and all the river crafts .... pleasure cruisers, rowing boats and pedalos were full to bursting.

This Georgian house is one of my favourite properties in Chester.

But I love these half timbered buildings too.

We met the friendliest little cat ever, who was enjoying the sunshine, and actively seeking out people to stroke him!

You get a good view of the Roman remains from the walls.

As you get closer to the town centre, you can catch a glimpse of the lovely old clock high above the streets.

This must be the second most photographed clock in the country .... after Big Ben.

Normally we'd head down to the shops from here, but it was far too nice to waste time indoors, so we bought a picnic from Marks and Spencer's and sat in the grounds of the cathedral.

 I actually had to move my legs out of the sun because they felt like they were burning through my jeans ... when has that ever happened in March?

This sign amused us ... must remember this next time Mr. B. comes out shopping!!!!

Io Saturnalia

The Ancient Romans celebrated Saturnalia on December 17th to mark the winter solstice.

It was a festival of great feasting and fun, gift giving and carnival. Revellers got a bit tipsy!
Greenery was brought indoors to decorate the home.
It lasted for 8 days and finished on December 25th!  Fancy that!!!

In Chester this week we watched the Roman legion marching through town, shouting loudly to chase away the dark days of winter. Great fun!

Christmas is Coming ~ 1

Is that really snow in Chester on Sunday?

Well, it was fake snow ... blowing from the top of the Chester Tour Bus ..... but it made everyone stop and smile!

A real "Christmas is Coming" moment!

Salve from Dewa!

Today we took our Year 4s to the Dewa Roman Experience in Chester, where we went on foot patrol with a real live Roman Soldier!!!

No children were harmed during the course of this post ... honest!!!

On our way back to the museum we all marched through the streets of Chester chanting as loud as we could, to the amusement of shoppers and tourists alike.

Great fun!

We had a fantastic day! It's well worth a visit if your little ones are 'doing the Romans".

One more day till half term ... yippee!!!!

A Postcard from Chester

I live halfway between Chester and Liverpool ... but if I want to do some High Street shopping, I will always choose Chester. 

Here's a few photographs to show you why!

All the major shops are here, but they are dotted around this beautiful city, which just oozes history from every corner.... and you walk along streets which date from medieval times.

We love this little lane, which is lit with fairy lights, and houses many bridal shops.

The shops are on two levels with the wooden 'Rows' above street level.... giving you a good vantage point when street theatre is being performed.

There are flights of stairs every so often so you can change levels.

Of course every ancient town has its cathedral, and Chester is no exception. It's not very grand but it is very old .... and needs a post of its own one day!

It is one of the few cities that still has its Roman Walls intact, and on a sunny day it's lovely to park down by the river and walk to the shops along the walls. W.H. Smith's, Next and Clarke's are right underneath this famous clock, and M&S is only a few steps away.

And if you tire of shopping there are some Roman remains, an ampitheatre and two really good museums ... this Dewa Experience is a great place to bring the children when they're 'doing the Romans!'

Oh, and there's lots of great places to eat too ... which we can never resist!

You must come to visit one day!