Down the Vale, 7.11.2025.

 On Friday it was quite mild so it was off down Reddish Vale before meeting my mate for lunch at Morrison's.

No sign of any Kingfishers, though they must be there because another friend of mine Emily photograph's them quite regularly.

I was lucky in the fact I went down to the bend in the river and managed to capture this beautiful Little egret! that was hunting on the side of the river 

Crows soon come out when there are peanuts to be had.

 Plenty of Gadwall's on the top mill pond.

There were also a lot of Wigeons too.

These were right on the far side of the top mill pond, so not a very good picture but you get the idea don't you.

Plenty of tufted duck about.

Male and female.

Resident Swan family.

Then it was off to Morrison's for lunch, good value for money there and its a new menu, so can't be bad, still free refills on hot drinks too!.

Saturday it was off to the Bridge View Café to meet friends and enjoy the good food and have our game of Gin Rummy!.

We are having our Christmas Dinner there again, (not on Christmas day)  it was so good last year, where as the past year gone again?.

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Halloween weekend, I.11.2025.

 Yesterday, (Friday) went down to Reddish Vale Park, not been there for a while, too wet and turned quite cool lately.

Met a friend David the ex-butcher who I'd not seen for a while, so that was nice.

Down by the bend in the river.

Some new benches and plant boxes have been added since my last visit.

Plenty of Gadwalls of the top mill pond.

Couple of pair of Wigeons too

Plenty of squirrels about round the park, come out of nowhere if you have monkey nuts.

Always manage to capture a Heron.

My favourite bench, always nice and clean with a nice floral display 

The swan family are all looking well and healthy.

Parents and 5 youngsters.

Battery run out. so the last two taken with my phone, what a plonker!.

Phone pictures are very good, only trouble is not much zoom.

Autumn colours looking nice now. 

Back on the home front, still got the large family of sparrows.

And whilst I'm on about large families had another Great Grand Daughter born this week!.

 9lbs.12 ozs she's a big one!, mind you most of my family are 6 footers!.

Birdie jigsaw finished this week.

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Saturday, 18.10.2025.

 Saturday, my two friends went off to Fleetwood, so it was up to me to show the Dog Walkers Gang were still in attendance. at the Bridge View café.

The Bridge the café is named after.

I nearly gave it a miss but when I got there was so glad I'd made the effort as the Steam Punk crowd we had seen there in the past were there again to celebrate Halloween!. 

There were plenty of photographers there with their big cameras, but I only had my Nikon A1000 which I always carry with me, but I think it does a very nice job!.

Inside the café, it was packed out!, but they had saved a place for me with a friend, being a regular customer!.

That a motley crowd you might think but they are very nice to speak to and were quite glad to have their photos taken.

They even had their own band and singers

When me and the gang were there this Thursday, we booked for our Christmas Dinner, you have to be early there!, we had it there last year and the food was fantastic and kept coming and coming and in the end we all bought home doggie bags (for us, none of us have dogs any more) plenty of drinks too.

Here is the menu's, looks dear but have you checked out pub menu's?.

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On the way to the Café I'd stopped at Clarkes Shoe shop and bought another pair of shoes that they had advertised at 50% off so got these at £42!, they were still at the full price on the shoes in the shop, but I showed her the advert on my phone and she checked on the price thing round her neck and confirmed it, you have to be as quick as them don't you. 

My friend said at the last count she had 60 pairs of shoes, I'm still only at 5 pairs at the moment.

The staff at the Clarkes shop at Crown Point North shopping mall are very nice too!.

Got a letter in the post when I got home to tell me my Winter Fuel Payment will be sent to my bank in November.

So, beware the Scammers getting in touch with you asking for your bank details to sent you your money!, if you are due it, it will be sent your bank automatically!.  

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