Week before Christmas, 19.12.2024.

 No bird pictures this time folks as I've been bad with norovirus, ( vomiting Bug) so it was  stay in and not pass it on, the vomiting soon stopped but it was the debilitating effect for the week after, but I'm all clear and back to normal now, if you can ever call me normal!.

Me and the gang were booked into the Bridge View Café for a Christmas dinner on the Thursday the 12th but I was in no state to go and Claire and Brian at the café kindly put it back to today the 19th, so I turned up to a nice welcome and my two mates were already there at the table, which was laid out with lights and crackers, so I added my battery lights to make it more festive, (I'd arrived with them wrapped round my hat!.

Jean had brought Christmas hats for us all!.

(note my lights on the table.)

The other Peter.

Jean with Café tree.

We had one of the best café meals I've ever had, with plenty of dishes of everything, even parsips!. everything was cooked to perfection with plenty of top-ups of drinks.

We had booked for 2 courses and it was a good job otherwise anything else would have been wasted!.

We were entertained by our good friend Chris and were lucky that his mate David turned up too, so we had a few duets too, both very good singers and been singing together for quite a long time. 

We spent the time after dinner with more drink top-ups whilst we opened our presents to each other, and we all did very well to each other and had a whip round and a box of chocs for the staff who had looked after us so well.

One of my favourite presents was one off Jean who had had me a 1000 piece jigsaw made and it was one of my own photographs!, by the same people (Snapfish) who had made my calendars. All the others of my presents were very nice too.

That will be a challenge hey!.

 As we got up to leave ( They were going to close) the staff came up and gave us a parcel each.

When I got home to open mine this was what was in it!, assorted sandwiches, pie and sausage roll. In the other box was an assortment of cakes mince pies and cream!. 

So that was my tea sorted, will have to have the cakes later, too full now.

So a very good day even if I was biased with not seeing anyone for the past week,. I can only say if you haven't visited the Bridge View Café before make it one of your New Year resolutions to visit, the food is exceptional!.

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Joke time!.

 When I went to the doctors and said "I think I've got arthritis" he checked me out and said "No, it's the onset of Riga Mortis!.

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The first week in December, 7.12.2024.

 Thursday, me and the gang went to the bridge view café and it was the party for the Dementia Singers, and they were all in good voice joining in with Chris the Thursday singer.

 We were on a table just on the right there, so it was just like being at the party, in fact we got a mince pie and after eight mint each as well.

Friday it was off down to the vale and as it was late I only went near to the gate into the butterfly field and sat on the wall after putting out some seed, it wasn't long before I got a lot of birds round and even saw a Wren but only got a brief glimpse of it., so can't cross that of my bucket list yet!

Plenty of robins about, for Christmas cards. 

The squirrels filling up on seeds and apples.

Have the dogs on the loose gone yet?.

Blue Tits.

Nuthatches. 

Bottoms up.

A young female chaffinch

Saturday at the Bridge View café it was busy but no parties on the day, jean had her minute speaker on with Christmas music so it was quite festive, I had a Turkey Club sandwich with an ice cream to follow, very nice. 

To finish off the week I got another CD from Amazon, had this one in the past and wanted another copy as i think he's a great singer and does a couple of duets on it with his wife Faith Hill.

 Think I'll have to check out the charity shops in future, A lot cheaper there!.

Today Sunday had a classic breakfast at Sainsbury's and looking up at the drinks menu couldn't believe the choice of coffee's, surprised they didn't have Cockroach flavour after watching the jungle programme last night!.   

So all in all a good first week  
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End of November, 23-27.11.2024.

 Last week was a good week for me and my gang, I went to Reddish Vale Wednesday and got a few shots in, with the camera of course!.

Crow with apple, think it's saying "Where's the peanuts"

Crow with peanut.

Tufted Duck, you can just see the tuft on the back of it's head.

Couple of Gadwall's for size against a Canadian goose.

 

The ever present Cormorants.

Female Blackbird.

Male blackbird.

Ever hungry squirrel.

Shy Chaffinches

Signage of Vale history.

Duck house on Sunnyside pond looking a bit weathered now, not seen any ducks in it yet, perhaps in the spring!.

Dinner was at Morrison's as usual, this is a small breakfast!, my local cats had a good dinner with those two sausages!.

Thursday it was off to the Bridge View Café with the gang and when we arrived it was full with two parties but we had a reserved table so we were ok.

This was a party of Tameside green space volunteers that keep your green spaces round Tameside clean and tidy.  

There was also the usual Thursday table for the dementia group that like to singer along with Chris the semi-resident singer on Thursdays.

 

One of the lovely young ladies with a festive teapot doing the rounds, in fact all the staff are very nice, think that's why the place is so popular, that and the excellent food of course.

Even the crew of the Community Spirit 2 the narrow boat that gives rides up and down the canal  were dressed up as Santa's helpers,

Finished this large jigsaw this week too!.

Forgot to tell you I've bought a jukebox for a Christmas present for myself, well no one else is going to do are they!.

Plays CD's, any other tunes ie on my phone, Ipad or Fire 10, also FM radio though won't be using that with the latest modern music.

So after giving away all my CD's years ago, it's back to the charity shops again to get some back!.

CD prices at my local charity shop 10p each!!.

Though I have bought a few from Amazon  this past week, and some more on the way. That James Last one you will never see in a charity shop as most people would keep it once heard it!.

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