Bird dodging.

We had a little lay-in this morning. Our plan was to wash the other side of the boat and then move down to Woking Town Centre mooring. I think the local wildlife must have read my blog of yesterday as they had had a really good go at covering the roof of the boat with their ordure last night. It had only been there over night but with the sun this morning it was like concrete by the time I went out there to wash the boat. It involved much scrapping and rubbing to get it anywhere like. Heaven knows what they had been eating, it was like goose poo but couldn't have been them up in a tree. Must have been very greedy wood pigeons I reckon, or tree duck? Helen got stuck into a few jobs inside whilst I washed the boat. Once that was done I walked the boat back and filled up with water.

After a cup of tea we moved the short distance to the moorings close to the Peacock Shopping Centre and next to the 20 million 2013 built main offices of the World Wildlife Fund, the Living Planet Centre. We will go and have a look before we leave. Helen then went back into Debenham's to try on some jackets that we had seen with her wedding frock whilst I stayed aboard and did a couple of jobs. She came back empty handed though so the search is still on.

Woking has three pre-historic burial mounds in the area and was in the Domesday Book as Wochinges. The Mother of Henry VII and grandmother of  Henry VIII had a palace built in Woking in 1466. In 1490 a Treaty with Spain was signed in the Palace that married Catherine of Aragon to Prince Arthur. In 1690 the Palace passed to King James 1 and it fell into disrepair. The remains are open three times a year. As we crossed the busy road to the Peacock Shopping centre we passed this mushroom water feature this is called The Orchid by William Pye and has 120 streams of drops coming from the top.

I can't find anything out about this group of what at first glance look like polar bears, but may be moles. They are found outside the Woking Civic Offices. On the other side is the Ambassador with two theatres and 6 cinema screens that we may take advantage of later in the week.

The Peacock Centre was opened in 1992 and they had to knock down an old library, hall and swimming pool to fit it in. A new Library was part of the scheme along with the theatre complex.

There are plenty of street sculptures around the shopping centre and this one could be easily missed as it is tucked away. It shows Ade Adepitan MBE who became well known following the 2012 Paralympics when he played wheel chair basketball. This is called the 'Winning Shot' and is by Christine Charlesworth. It was unveiled at the public opening of the Jubilee Square project in 2012. 

This, the Town Gate was also opened in 1992 and depicts brick kilns, the canal and railway, the coat of Arms, pine trees and spaceships from the 'War of the Worlds' by H.G. Wells. (More of that tomorrow).

This sculpture by Sara Holmes is titled 'Surrye Hills' and shows wicker cyclists on metal bikes and hills. During the 2012 Olympics she created wicker images that were placed along the route of the cycle race that passed close to Woking. This recreates that time and was opened in December 2014

The more traditional monument of the War Memorial was moved here from Victoria, or Sparrow Park nearby and makes a good centre piece for the square. It only has the people from the area who were lost in WWI. There are over 500 names on it. There was no room for the WWII fallen.

We went and did a big shop at the nearby Sainsbury's so we are fully stocked up for a while now. Mind you I think we will be making a call at the Asda nearby too. There is lots to do in the next two days we are here.