Great day all round.

What a beautiful day it has been. We slept in as we have finally changed to our mid season weight duvet. That is a big event in our5 house as it means that Helen finally feels that the good weather is here. It is the equivalent of a may pole dance or something! But what a beautiful day it has been. We went for a walk into Leamington and through Jephson Gardens. The young Mum's and older grand parents were out and it was great sipping great coffee in the sun.

This is the Royal Coat of Arms over the Royal Pump Rooms that are the opposite side of the road to the Gardens.

Helen can't resist a mirror'd arch but this was the best we could come up.

 In the same garden area was this xylophone and the noise it made was very oriental and soothing. I reckon that I would be able to make something like this easily at home. It was so therapeutic and the tones was so much better than wind chimes

The Davis Clock Tower was just by the arch and musical instrument, and the coffee shop and the chimes were so English. In fact the weather brought the best out of the quintessentially English scene of a Victorian park. The chimes striking the hour and the babble of mums and kids were almost soporific in the sun. The tower was given by the wife of William Davis JP who had been 15 years a Councillor, 28 years an Alderman, 3 times a Mayor and 27 years the Chair of the Highways Committee and was given in 1925. A true memorial to service to the community.

This trunk of a Copper Beech tree that was planted 1846 and felled in 2013 has been carved with that information plus other monuments in the park. The elephant is for the circus that came to town and the elephants were brought down to the River Leam in the Gardens where they were washed. The ramp used is still there. The lower monument is in the garden and commemorates the Free Czech Army that were stationed here in WWII. Men from here were parachuted into the Czechoslovakia and two of them managed to kill Reinhard Heydrich the Nazi 'ruler' of the state at the time.

We went for a further wander round the shops and managed to fine a couple more presents and As Helen and I have a wedding to attend later in the year so Helen was keen to have a look round the dress shops to get some ideas. Though not buying anything she happens to have narrowed down what is and isn't required.

Just by the Royal Pump House is this free spa water tap. We tried it and found it warm and sulphury and salty and whether it will be efficacious or not I wouldn't like to say.

After getting a bit of stuff from Iceland we got back to the boat for lunch then decided to move out into the country. It wasn't far and everybody was pottering along at a very slow speed. Just about all the Armco was taken when we got to Radford Semele but there is a length that needs pins that was entirely vacant so picked our spot. I managed to drop a pin into the water but soon had it out with the magnet. Once secured I carried on fishing with the magnet and managed to get it snagged on the bottom in the middle of the canal. I walked the boat back a little way and managed to free it with a direct pull up.

We sat out in the sun and plenty of people passed on foot and bike. One guy stopped and we recognised him as Dean from the hotel boat 'Takara'. He and his mate Chris are from Hull and we have bumped into them a couple of times last year. It is nice to chat and catch up with them. After a bit of a duff winter on the family front things are perking up a little for them. Watch out for them and say hi if you pass them. Macy has found a good spot in the good weather sitting on the roof below the solar panels. It is good to see her out and about when not in the towns. We have had good news from No.1 daughter as she has had two interviews today and was offered both jobs doing great things for her confidence and bank balance. We are well chuffed and relieved! The bells of Radford church have just rung so it must be tea time.