Happy New Year 2026.

Happy New year to all my readers.

Been a quiet Christmas and New Year for me, not a problem that's how I like it.

Went to my son's for Christmas dinner with all the family.

My beautiful Youngest Granddaughter and hubby, "What do you think of this name"? 

Yes she was very near to giving birth again, but it wasn't until the 30th before she arrived. 

Looks like she was a bit browned off about missing Christmas.

Slaving over a hot stove.

I got some nice Christmas pressies this year, this is a wooden jigsaw, no instructions, but checking on the internet is seems you just fit the pieces that are in the box, into the lid.

Another pressie was this jigsaw from my Scottish grand children,

They live there and can see the bridge from their house.

This view is from the North Queensferry side though. 

Finished that, it was certainly a challenge with all the bridge colours and sky.

It was my birthday on the 2nd January and got this from them too, will enjoy reading all about how the bridge was built!.

Written by a woman as you can see, but why not my grand-daughter mentioned above is a Civil engineer!.  

Me and my friends went to The Windmill for my birthday and very nice it was too.

Roast potato's were a bit hard but every thing was great apart from that.

Then we retired to the vault for our usual game of cards 

So very nice ,but quiet!.

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Christmas Eve 2025.

Well, before I forget!.

From our gang .

Not been down the Vale much this week, but last week our gang had our Christmas dinner at the Bridge View Café again this year, as last year was so good and we weren't disappointed this year, it was Fab-u-lous. Not only did we stuff ourselves but on the way out we each received a doggie bag, full of sandwiches, savouries and cakes!, that was tea time sorted!.

Looks like trying to open a present.

This was one of my presents off friend Jean.

 My late whippet, Molly!

This week at Morrison's for Lunch with mate Chris saw that Santa had arrived!.

The local  Rotary Club collecting!.

Been to Morrison's today for lunch, the Café was full, but the store wasn't too bad, I'd thought it would be fuller, cause don't forget they are closed for a day and the Café for two days!.

Managed to get a table and was joined by a chap I'd seen before so we had a chat about our army days, Ahh happy times!.

Finished this weeks jigsaw!.

Once again.

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Past week, 8.12.2025.

 The past week, not been out with the camera much has it's been raining a lot on and off, the temperature is still holding up though for the time of the year!.

Been to the Bridge view café a few times for our gangs met and though there have been a lot of Christmas parties booked and then the café is closed to the public, we have still been invited with a reserved table!.

This was the Alzheimer's Christmas party with their carers which we have got to know over the weeks as like us they are regulars there.

Our table

Turned out it was only me as my two friends were sick, but one of the parties invited me on to their table, but declined as I didn't want to upset their chats, was ready to leave anyway, was nice to be asked though!.

This was the other end of the café for another group.

Yesterday it was another group of old ladies, the café is usually shut on Tuesdays but as they had this party on we were invited too. 

Couple of nice Narra boats at the basin this week.

Finished this jigsaw this week as it's been too wet to go out except to Morrison's for lunch. 

Lots of sparrows on my bushes at the moment.

The moon been quite clear this week 

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The past week, 1.12.2025.

 The past week I've had a visit to Reddish Vale Country park and it was quite sunny, but also quite cold!.

First  capture was this nice little Grey Wagtail on the run off slope to the river.

 Then on to the lower mill pond where all the swan family was.

Little and Large.

Mum and Dad preening.

The recent bad weather has taken its toll here, it always amazes me how some of these trees stay upright so long with such a shallow root ball as this one.

Squirrels enjoying the peanuts

A  gadwall on the lower mill pond

A wigeon drifting close by. 

Crow with peanuts.

Lots of tufted ducks on the upper mill pond.

Heron on the far side of the mil pond.

This week me and the gang have been a couple of times to the Bridge View  Café in Ashton and on the visit on Thursday it was closed for two parties but being regulars we have a regular reserved table.

So we enjoyed the Christmas spirit of the parties,

This one was the Tameside green space people, volunteers keeping Tameside nice.   

This one when they turned up later was the Tameside ladies group. 
Of course as it was on Thursday my mate from next door Christopher was singing his heart out, to the enjoyment of everyone.

But when we went on Saturday it was a different story altogether, it was full of children and as you know these days they shout instead of talk so it was bedlam, but still good for trade for the café!.

One little girl managed to pull a cup of coffee off the table on to herself, so my first aid training came in useful and plunged her hand into a jug of water, luckily the coffee there isn't boiling.

As the weather hasn't been too good I've been jig sawing quite a bit this week here are some I've finished.

Like him or not, Trump gets things done.

Just think if our Christmas £10 from the government was indexed linked since it began it probably would be about £1000 now, but perhaps we should be grateful The witch of Westminster haven't cancelled that too!.

The one in one out system that Cur Starmer came up with should have been one ex-servicemen off the street and into a hotel and one illegal out on the street until deported!, still this government seems to give our tax money to everyone but the people who have put into it!.

When I was born, our mothers got nothing for the first child, now it seems it's going to everyone, that will soon empty the pot won't it.

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