Choo Choo!

So back in the late summer, my parents and I took a trip on a steam train  (one of my dad's real passions in life) from Birmingham to Stratford. Whilst the home of Shakespeare is suitably antiquated if rather drowning in tourists, the main attraction was the train itself. Ok so health and safety means you can't lean out of the window any more, and during the trip itself we were rather busy eating the meals provided (breakfast on the way there, tea on the way back). Still the novelty and romance of steam powered travel is there, even if the seats are rather uncomfortable by modern standards.
Sadly over the course of the extended wait to be downloaded onto my laptop I do appear to have lost some of the photos I took on the day, but its a bit late to cry about it now!

Whilst on the subject of classic British travel methods, I recently went on a short walk with some of my water polo friends. Primarily as a form of exercise to justify finding a pleasant tea room and a suitably large slice of cake! 

Despite training weekly in a village not far from Burton, we'd never really explored the area, so the local marina was chosen as the starting point for our adventures. (We checked it had a tea room first, of course!)

Canal boats may not be my idea of a comfy home, although many will strongly disagree with me, but they do have a unique charm that spirits you to a calmer, simpler time.