Steam Punk at the Bridge view café, 21.3.2026

On Saturday, me and my friend Jean went to our usual venue, The Bridge view café, in Ashton and to my surprise and delight it was the annual Steampunk event there.

The Ashton branch is held there a few times a year, there seems to be a few groups round the country, so we are lucky to have one in our area. It gives me plenty of opportunity for my photos.

They had their own band as well. 

Not sure that Steampunk is about?.

  Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that imagines a world where steam power remained the dominant technology in the Victorian-aesthetics powered by steam machinery. It blends 19th-cenury industrial  technology with futuristic invention, often featuring gears, brass and clockwork.

On the day, here are the people that attended, some entered into the spirit of it more than others.

Looks like he's got a steam mobile!.

Can't miss this one can you.

This one was pretty.

This was her partner.

Think it's a chance for old men to dress up.

Ladies seem to like the era for the dresses.

There was even a stall to buy some of the gear, if you were just starting up.

Not sure about this one

Think someone just sat their granny down here!.

Another pretty one.

Think the guy in the shorts was an ordinary customer that was surprised by it all.

The weather was even kind to them so they could dine out El-fresco.

Back inside.

 They were saying on morning telly that instead of sitting alone at home you should join a group for mental health and stimulation, not sure this is everyone's cup of tea though.  

 Colonials. 

Scottish branch?. 

Can't have too many trinkets 

So a good time was had by all!.

Perhaps not all!.

I fitted right in with my hat on!!.

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Back home I've finished a couple of nice 1,000 jigsaws!.

Very colourful

Get a nice full size poster with most Chinese puzzles too 


Nice if your a doggy person.

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Down the Vale. 18.3.2026.

 I went down the vale on Monday, but wish I hadn't as it was very muddy after all the rain we've had.

Still managed to get a few photos as it was sunny, managed to get these big terrapins sunbathing on the far side of the upper mill pond.

On the river was this pair of Mandarins 

The male is the more colourful one.

The new box is looking nice full of daffodils.

I went down again today and the paths had dried out quite a bit and I had some shoes on with a bit more thread!.

There were three Heron's dotted around the park .

The resident swans are sticking close together at the moment, Ivan making sure no foreigners pinch his lady!. 

He's the one in the front will the larger nose.

A nice little Gadwall on the lower mill pond.

 Nice splash of colour on the lower mill pond!.

A young gull sharing my apple today.

A new development in the children's picnic area, aways something new in the park with the marvellous set of volunteers there.

Two smaller terrapins out in the sun today on the lower mill pond, it must be getting warmer, in fact I didn't have a jumper on today in March!, we must be getting some of that Global Warming we hear so much about.

Squirrel with a peanut.

Back home the flock of Sparrows are eating  me out of house and home!.

Yesterday, I was up a bit earlier and to my surprise there was a Siskin on my Feeder!, think it was a female has it has a flecked crown and no bib.

My friend David Seely has put a picture of one on the Vale website so I know Siskins are in the area!.

  A first for me.

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11.3.2026, Reddish Vale.

 Well here I am again, some of you might have thought I was dead, but was only cold and wet the last few weeks, so not been down the Vale much lately.

Managed to get there last Wednesday for an hour before my lunch at Morrisons.

Plenty of Tufted ducks about ,

Female

Male.

Only one juvenile swan left  on the lower mill pond, but will soon be chased off by the parents when they start nest building!.

Lonely moorhen.

Young gull.

Not many people about so this Nuthatch was glad of the seed.

As was this Great Tit.

Quite a few gadwalls about on the lower mill pond.

I was surprised to see this couple of large terrapins out in the sunshine, it was nice and sunny, but not that warm.

The usual hungry Squirrels, but they always seem to be hungry.

Out and about with friends, got the waitress to take this one at the Bridge View Café.

Punch with two Judy's, show your nails girls!.

Brian the owner in the background.

On the way home from Morrison's most days, I past this tree that's enveloped this set of railing, see it a lot but the other day the traffic lights were in my favour and I was stopped right opposite so able to take a picture.

 At home I've been doing a lot of jigsaws whilst the weather was bad and decided to have a go at this one bought by my family for my birthday.

Thought the pieces just fit into the lid, then realised there are three sizes and I got the largest, so t was still very hard as most of it is different shades of brown, still I like a challenge!.

And I'd already bought another one!.

Finished as you can see it was never going to fit in the lid.

Glued it on to some card, then painted the card edges, drilled a whole in the top and hung it on the wall in my man cave!.

Another Jigsaw birthday present was this nice scenic one, which I've framed and is now hung in my living room.

Another nice one framed and up in the back bedroom.

A bought one for a Christmas present was this nice one of my previous Whippet "Molly" done by Snapfish! 

This is one of my favourite ones  

Just had to frame this one!.

"What matters most is how you see yourself", which is very true!. 

Whilst my friend, Chis has made an opening in our fence to allow his dog to come in my garden, I tided up my side with a framework and painted it. There is a rope system to close the opening if needed!.

As a matter of interest to those of you out there that do jigsaws, Amazon do a pack of two picture frames for £29.99 that fit a 1,000 piece jigsaw perfectly! and you don't need to glue it.

So sorry again I've been a bit off the last few weeks, but the weather seems to be brightening up now so will be able to get out a bit more.