Castle Ring and other Walks

Did not feel much like sitting down and writing anything yesterday evening so played on the Wii and watched telly. I am slowly feeling less stiff, the children are so much more flexible and energetic. I will just have to keep practicing and hopefully stay about the same and by the time they reach my age they will have regressed to my current state. Only another thirty years to wait then.


so what to write about then? Today the weather has been overcast and cold through most of the day and it started to rain about 4:00pm. My Mum had come over for lunch so we sat around talked for much of the afternoon until I took her home around 5:00pm. since then the rain has turned to snow and it is settling maybe we will get snowed in. Tomorrow is I am still on Holiday. I don't go back until Monday 4th so by then winter will be over and there will be no chance of ringing in to say sorry I am snowed in.

So Yesterday I actually did quite a bit of walking and general wandering about. In the morning went up with the family to Castle Ring on Cannock Chase. This is another place I have been coming to off and on for years. I suppose being at home with the family for extended periods of time gets us looking for things to do "as a family" going to Castle Ring was one of the things we used to do when I was young and I can still remember the way.

One of my memories is of rolling down the embankments it. this was during the summer and the ditch was dry not full of ice and water.

Castle Ring is the highest point in staffordshire (244m ) and the view towards the east are dominated by Rugeley Power Station.

It rises out of the valley and today the mist as well.

This picture does not really do it justice but I hope you get the general idea.

The girls ran around the ring and played in the area in the centre of the ring of embankment. It was good to get out into the open air again.

We got home and had food and as the light was going and I had done the washing up so I managed to get out again. Twice in one day that's good for me.

So I went up to Sandwell Valley, I missed the light really. the lake is in a bowl, well the name does somewhat suggest this I know.

The lake was still on the whole covered in ice which caught the orange light of the sunset.



As the light disappeared I did catch a great tit bobbing around in the trees. I did use the flash but I was quite impressed with the picture

OK time to go

I will carry on soon