21st February, 2015.....Out-and-about at half-term!

Half-term holiday has slipped through our fingers like quicksilver....but it was an excellent time to catch up with family and friends, and reflect on happenings in the next few months. February weather is, at best, unpredictable, but it has been quiet and a bit flat lately.

 

 

 

My 'blog' look....I'm now being recognised in 'pie shops'!! Frankie is not fully fit at the moment...he seems to have the 'bug' that many Barrow folk have succumbed to....cough, earache, sinus pain and general tiredness, so we have to fortify him with snacks from Jackie's Abbey Mill if we walk down here at all at the moment!

 

 

We've had reason to visit Ulverston, Windermere and Kendal this week, and as usual, the Steve Hillman camera (and nana!) accompanied us!!

 

 

I think it was a 'thumbs up' for afternoon tea at Gillam's (I'm sure the owner did some drumming workshops in our school back in the day!). They serve a lovely pot of 'real' tea there, and a mean scone!!

 

 

Met up with a friend and colleague here....I used to come through to this shop from Barrow, in my teens, because it sold 'ethnic' Indian print clothing, cheesecloth kurtas and 'thong' sandals!! The shop is mainly gifts and gadgets now, but I'm sure there are many fifty somethings of my era who remember how we fought over 'hippy' clothing back then! And it wasn't even the swinging sixties....it was just a backlash against the early eighties New Romantic boys we hung around with!!! 

 

 

Some lovely little quirky shops in Ulverston though!

 

 

 

We had to check out Kendal Dry Ski slope for a visit we are planning there, so Kendal was next on the agenda.....

 

 

 

 

.....and Frankie found his 'heaven', here on Earth! Lovely stained-glass window in....Booth's would you believe!

 

 

 

And a quick trip to Lakeland Plastics, just for the fun of it!!! Very modern and futuristic inside now!

 

 

 

 

We have always had superb support for our school from the local Neighbourhood Management team, with their wardens supporting us on trips, providing training for our kids and generally getting us involved with local events. Sadly, their functioning has been paired back to the bone, with only a small team remaining, and a move from their own office on Dalton Road to an office within Barrow Town Hall. However, we will be happy to continue working with them, as they have provided us with really valuable input over the years, and I know most of the local community would agree with me on this (and anyway, they are a lovely group of people who are hilarious to work with!!). Rant over!!

 

 

Here's Paul, helping with one of our trips last year!! He was great!!

 

 

 

 

There are a few early signs of spring in Abbot's Wood at the moment.......

 

 

....and a lone flowering gorse bush on the hillside! As thoughts turn to spring, the Steve Hillman Website has been updated to fit in with all the new brides he has photographed over the past twelve months....check it out.....

http://www.shphotographer.co.uk