A Few Days at Gnosall

Friday 16^th June

We are off on the bus today to Newport and Telford.  The bus stop is up on the bridge so not far to walk from the canal.

Newport

We got up to the bus stop and soon the bus came along.  We got a day saver ticket which you can use to visit many towns and villages in the area so good value, it was £6.20 each.

It is about a 20 minute bus ride to Newport and we got off there.

Church at Newport

It is a nice town with plenty of shops and a nice church, although unfortunately it wasn’t open.  We did one cache while we were there, it was opposite the church and in a busy street but we managed to do it without being muggled (people who don’t cache are called Muggles!).

Where we had lunch

We then got back on the bus and went to Telford.  We went there once before and was very disappointed as it had no outside space the shopping centre is the town centre, very strange, but apparently they have now made some outside space with a lake and restaurants and bar and joined it to the Town Park which was already there but not easily accessible from the shopping centre.

Lake at Telford

The bus takes you right into the shopping centre so we mooched around there and made our way to the outside space and yes there it was, it has transformed the place, there are several restaurants there and children’s play area, a lovely lake and walks around it.

Lovely outside space at Telford

We had lunch in the Four Corners Buffet restaurant, they do Mexican, Indian, Chinese and Italian food and really good it was to, all really fresh and hot and plenty of choice.

After lunch we had a walk around the lake and sat at one of the tables in the lovely sunshine for a while.  We then headed back into the shopping centre and got the bus back stopping off at the Aldi on the way to get some shopping.  It was a really good day out.

Saturday 17^th June

We are going to the village carnival today so that should be fun.

Floats Procession

Town Crier

Stan Robinson's Lorries

Lovely old car

The procession through the streets started at 1.30pm so we went up the street and stood with lots of other people for it to pass by.  There were a few floats and the lorries are lent by a local lorry firm Stan Robinson to the carnival each year, he also had one of his new trucks and one of his old lorries in the procession, what a difference between then.

There was also vintage cars and tractors, the blood bikes, the town crier, the carnival princess in a horse drawn carriage, walking entries pushing decorated wheelbarrows and a marching band.

Vintage Cars

Marching Band

We then followed everyone up to the field and the procession went around the village and then into the main arena where they were judged. There was also a 10K run and they finished at the field, we declined to enter this time!

Walking Entries

On the Field

They had lots of stalls around the field and we had a go on a few of them. There was a tombola bottle stall and it was well known for having lots of alcohol on the stall as it is the only stall at a fete I have never had to queue to have a go and there was a queue all afternoon!

There was a tea and cake tent, strawberries and cream, an ice-cream van and lots of other things.  We watched a dog demonstration in the ring and also a dance class doing bollywood.

Bubble Football

Oops I am the wrong way up!

It was really hot on the field so we sat in the shade for a bit and then we watched Bubble football.  It was great fun and the boys doing it seemed to be having a great time. You have to kick the ball and knock over your opponents if you can at the same time.  There was a lot of knocking each other over going on, not too much kicking the ball and sometimes they went upside down and then couldn’t get up the right way, it was very funny to watch and a good time was had by all.

There was a grand draw and we waited for it to be called, but was unlucky.  Never mind we did win on the game Play your cards right, we won a toy guitar!

When it was all over, we wandered back to the boat after a great day out and just chilled out here tonight.

We are moving onto Norbury Junction in the morning.