well do you think it's here?

The summer?

The Imperial War Museum North

We had a funny sort of weekend.

It was a grey and drizzly day on Saturday but also a bit muggy.

We decided to go over to visit The Imperial War Museum North.

After looking around the gallery we walked around all the new buildings springing up at the old Salford Docks.

The BBC are moving a lot of their studios up here from London.

The Lowry

We also popped in to the Lowry Art Gallery

and we had a coffee and some cake at Costa

Then on Sunday I went to the Arley Hall Garden Festival with my mum.

It was a beautiful sunny day.

The gardens were looking their best.

But it was a very sunny day and this isn't good when trying to take photographs of gardens!

The hall itself is wonderful and was open to the public on the day.

I have to show you some seriously cute photos now..............

Not the best photo of me....but the Barn Owl was lovely, he is called Ghost and lives at the Rochdale hedgehog and wildlife rescue centre.

It was a 'workshop' for teachers and TA's called meet an owl and a hedgehog

This was one of triplet hedgehogs who had been orphaned and they were only 6 weeks old.

Bit blurred!

These are only 4 weeks old......so cute!!!!!!!!
FACT: If things carry on the way they have in the past 10 years....there will be NO British Hedgehogs in the wild in 25 years time!
and that would be such a shame.

Shropshire

Shall we go back to Shropshire?

While we were on holiday there we stopped off one evening at a village called Tong.

the golden chapel

It has the most magnificent church.

The Collegiate Church of St Bartholomew's.

The present church is probably the third building on the site. In 1409 Lady Isabel de Pembrugge obtained Royal Licence from Henry IV to found Tong College and build the present church.

Cannon ball marks

Tong Castle was fought over twice during the Civil War. Richard Symons writes in his diary:
Satterday May 17, 1645. His Majestie marched by Tong, Salop, a faire church, the windows much broken. A fayre old castle neare this church called Tong Castle.

The Stanley Monument

There are some fascinating monuments inside.

and outside the main south door is a grave marked 'The reputed grave of Little Nell'. Tong was known to Charles Dickens but in the closing chapter of The Old Curiosity Shop although he describes Tong Church, Little Nell was buried inside the church not outside.
The grave is entirely fictitious and is due to a one time verger who found that showing people Little Nell's grave was a lucrative business!

Acton Burnell Castle

We also went to visit Acton Burnell Castle.

And Sunnycroft, a National Trust property near Telford.

Sunnycroft

It is a beautiful county.

Priory Church, Leominster

I am off to Arley Hall Garden Festival with my mum tomorrow so better get down to some course work tonight.
Have a good weekend!

365 Project and a raffle!

 Are you ready for another set of random photos from my 365 Project?

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Please pop over to buy raffle tickets for the Saving Rare Breeds Raffle (I did a prize last year, eventually!) win lots of lovely goodies including a chance to win a pet portrait by me!
You can look at prizes and buy tickets here.
Thank you.