Day 13 and other stuff!

Day 13 in 30 days/30 things is A novel.

I try to read fiction and non-fiction alternately and when I sat down to think about a good novel I have to say non-fiction titles kept popping into my head. I know I have read some excellent novels from the classics through to chick-lit, my tastes vary widely but the one I will recommend today is by one of my favourite authors Susan Hill.

It is a ghost story called A Woman in Black. A good spooky page turner. It has no horror or blood but is like the good old fashioned ghost stories told around a roaring fire on a cold winters night.

Day 12

Yesterday was Whatever tickles your fancy and I spent the day with my mum. Every year we go to the RHS Show at Tatton but with me not being 100% still and mum's arthritis playing up we decided not to go this year.

So we drove to Daresbury, Cheshire. We stopped off at All Saints church.A Curate of the parish was the Reverend Charles Dodgson. His son was born in 1832, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, or better known as Lewis Carroll. There is a stained glass window in the church placed in there 1932 to commemorate his birth 100 years earlier. At the bottom are characters from his 'Alice' books.

Daresbury is a Conservation area and has 3 listed 'buildings', All Saints Church, The old Sessions house (1841) and the 1930's telephone kiosk!

Then we went a little way down the road to Walton Hall Park. My mum and dad often brought me and my brother here when we were children.

Walton Hall Country Estate was bought by the Greenall Family, famous in the Brewing Industry, in 1812.

The Hall was built in Elizabethan Style in the 1830's but only the East wing remains. The Family sold the land and hall in 1941 and in 1945 the council bought it as a public park. It has a small zoo, cafe, formal gardens a small golf course and parkland. The hall has recently been refurbished and is licenced to hold weddings. On the bank of the ornamental pond was a family of Moorhens. This little baby was a small ball of black fluff with the BIGGEST feet you have ever seen! We had our lunch at the Ring'o'bells in Daresbury. Then it was back through Runcorn and a visit to her allotment on the way home.

On Thursday I received a beautiful bouquet of flowers from School and lots of cards and gifts from the children. I am very lucky aren't I?