Friday 1 May 2015

Cross stitching

When I was in the Shroppie Fly the other day, I was imagining the 19C boaters and their families enjoying an ale at the bar and get togethers for celebrations. How wrong was I, the Shroppie Fly used to be an old warehouse and was only converted to a pub in 1970 long after the real working boats were gone. 

A 100 yards from the converted warehouse is another canalside tavern the Bridge Inn this was built in 1830, so that's the one with the history in it's fabric, I thought I would try it out before we left the area. I wasn't impressed, not welcoming at all, the Pedigree was cloudy and pulled by a sour faced bar person, a huge TV over the fireplace was on and loudly showing a Japanese ninja assault course program, the interior has been bashed about and extended to such an extent I don't think any of the old boaters would recognise it. I didn't stay, I went back to the 1970's pub because even though it hasn't any 19C history it's very friendly and the beers good.



If you have ever wondered what Sue is up to while I paint or walk to the pub, here it is, Sue can spend hours at a time looking through a magnifying glass to get the stitches in the right place.  

Iron Bridge


Mile marker at Aston lock, the halfway point on the T&M


Bygone era.

To remind us of that other home.

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