Missed it.

We went into Audlem today first thing as we needed a few bits and pieces and for the walk. It was supposed to be wet in the afternoon so we were hoping to miss it by going in the morning. It is a small but perfectly formed village. Everywhere you look there are Union Flags hanging which is always a nice sight. We went to get some meats from the nice butchers called Oxtail and Trotter and everything looked 'good enough to eat'! A quick call to the Co-op and then a poke about the Charity shop.

Audlem Square (Triangle). The Lamp standard in the island is to the memory of Richard Bellyse who was a surgeon in the village for forty years until his death in 1877. The parish church of St James dating from 1278 sits on an ancient hill which is thought to be the site of an ancient Celtic burial mound. In front of the church is the Buttermarket. Built of sandstone with two rows of pillars was built in the first part of the 1700's.

The cafe The Old Priest House looked like a cross between a throw back to the 1930's and the shop at Royston Vassey! Needles to say we didn't find time to visit this time.

Right to left; Butter Market, white building is the old Crown Hotel and then the Lord Combermere Pub with the Bellyse Monument in front.

The first Viscount Combermere took his name from the nearby Abbey. The first viscount was a Stanley Cotton who rose to be a General under Wellington and fought in 17 battles. After he was raised as a peer he was also made Governor General of Barbados and Commander in Chief Ireland and India. 

We popped into the little local Charity shop that seemed to be manned by over 80's and they were very friendly with it. Helen found a good selection of crotchet hooks and a potato masher like the one we have but at 50p it was worth getting so we can have one on the boat and one at home. We walked back with still no rain but the wind had got up and was gusting quite a bit. This was to give me a lot of fun later in the afternoon as I watched several boats trying to get on to the service point to load diesel. The wind was blowing off the jetty but there was one bloke that had three attempts and gave up. Another got close but then gave up until one of the blokes from the shop came and did it for them. meanwhile there were boats trying to leave and everybody getting in each others way. It was great fun. I checked that out trip to Birmingham and back up the Macclesfield Canal can be fitted in okay before 23rd September and that was another day gone. It chucked it down when we were snug in the boat so we missed it. It has now become quite a pleasant evening.