Today

I caught the 1-27 train out of Burnley to Hebden Bridge. Today was the start of the Arts festival, so I thought I may catch one or two of the street performances. I was lucky in that there was a folk singer performing when I got there, near St Georges Square, so I sat down to eat my lunch and enjoy the music. Afterwards I thought I would go up the riverside path to Midgehole and then up to Pecket Well. Walking along Hangingroyd Lane I kept having to dodge a big blue dragonfly which was zipping about quite madly. They are beautiful creatures but rather stupid, am sure they must have bad eyesight cos they blunder straight into people.

Once I got onto the riverside walk there was still no respite from the heat and humidity, after only a short while I found I had a stitch in my side. Walking up the long flight of steps onto Midgehole Road was almost the death of me, could hear my heart pounding. Took it rather slower the rest of the way to Midgehole, saw lots of foxgloves in bloom alongside nettles and buttercups. Eventually I flopped onto a bench across from the Blue Pig ( Midgehole working mens club) and drank about half a litre of water. Decided that there was no way I was going to venture up to Pecket Well as it is a very steep incline all the way up, so I had a look from the outside at a des res that is up for sale. On the estate agents photos the garden looks huge, the reality is its quite tiny, still a lovely setting to live but you would definately need wheels. A pub but no shop within miles.Doubt if there is even a bus.

I decided to walk back by the main road, stroked a beautiful black cat with a short stump of a tail, could be a manx cross breed I think, she had the sweetest meow. Then a border collie dog came up to me to be stroked. It belonged to a Thai lady and we chatted for a while. I told her Ive a friend in Burnley married to a Thai lady, it only turned out that she was actually waiting for the same lady to visit her!!!! A few minutes later Richards car past me then he picked me up on his way back and dropped me off in the town centre. Talk about synchronicity!!!! I talk to a stranger and she knows the same folk as me.

Once back in the town I sat and watched a percushion band, they were good, think everyone was jigging around to them, then a 3some folk group. Met an American lady who was wearing a thick winter cardigan, she said folk back home had told her England is always freezing cold, so she had only brought winter clothes. I said to take her jacket off but she replied she didnt want to get skin cancer!!!! More likely she will die of heat exhaustion instead.  On the way back to the train station I thought I would snag a few cherries of somebodies tree, well I would have done but they arent even ripe yet, another tree that is 2 weeks behind last year. Something to look forward to in a couple of weeks, ripe cherries.

Got home about 5pm, house empty and cats needing to be fed.