The canal at Coalbrook, Shropshire

I'm on another mystery coach trip. The mystery this time is how very un-mysterious our itinerary is. We drove North up the M5 and then at some point when I was not looking, we branched off and suddenly found ourselves in Shropshire!

Lunch was at Bridgnorth (market day). We'd been there before in April, on my first Shropshire coach trip. Found a restaurant with a view, and a street market. I fancied the charity shops, but Dave is very slow at walking these days, and gets bored easily, so we skipped those. 

Next stop Ironbridge gorge, last seen in April on the same tour. I had an ice cream. My foot was hurting, son I stopped by some steps leading to the river Severn while Dave walked three million steps to some public toilets. By the time he got back, we didn't have quite enough time (and Dave didn't have the energy) to visit the last remaining coracle/boathouse in England. We saw it from above, from the iron bridge, and Dave said, 'is that all it is?'

Down the Severn Valley we went to Coalbrook, stuck our heads into the China factory museum shop, and wandered around for a few minutes. Some folk were wandering around in vintage armed forces uniforms, because there was a reunion at a nearby pub. I got some costumed people to.pose for me, but the woman had her eyes shut, sadly. 

Just as Dave and I had decided we wouldn't be staying at the same hotel where we'd stayed in April, we drew up at it! I'm happy here, I even have the same room as last time, and it has a view.

Enjoyed chatting with Michael, the coach driver, at dinner time. We've both been to a lot of live music gigs in our time. 

The Iron bridge at Ironbridge is in extras.

I heard today that my friend and former WEA committee member G has died this morning. She had lymphoma. By coincidence, I bought a magazine that tells me that this September is blood cancer awareness nonth. I'll try to post more about this awful illness before the end of September.