This and That

A Walk around Solihull Town Centre


Recently I went into Solihull in the hope of taking some better photos of the interior of the medieval St Alphege's church in the town centre.


The churchyard was looking very autumnal.

Solihull War Memorial

I really should have checked the website before I went as, although it is open in the day it closes at 3.00 p.m., and by the time I arrived it was 3.15 p.m. so I had to contend myself with a quick look round the churchyard.

These are the grooves made it is believed by people sharpening arrows in medieval times before archery practice.

The George and Mason's Arms

Part of Mell Square is sealed off for what I assume is building work but you can see still the statue entitled "Family Outing by John Ravera installed in 1985.

Somewhere I have a leaflet on a geology trail by Warwickshire Geological Conservation Society that you can undertake in Solihull Town Centre and I remember parts of it whenever I visit the town. The War Memorial above is made of Jurassic Portland Limestone from Dorset. St Alphege's is built of red Carboniferous sandstone and the steeple was rebuilt in the 18th century using Arden Sandstone.


This is an erratic in the churchyard. Erratics are materials moved from one location to another often by a glacier.

A wall made of Jurassic limestone at the post office contains brachiopod fossils.

In Touchwood Shopping Centre the floor is paved with Jurassic limestones containing ammonites. I got some very strange looks when I was taking these photos!

Garden Wildlife

No photos but I was thrilled to see a fox in the garden a week or so ago - the first garden sighting for many years and we have also had visits from a Jay - another irregular visitor to the garden.



Trip to Herefordshire


Last week we made a trip to Herefordshire. For many years I have wanted to move to a more rural location but it is difficult at present because D and E are still living at home and need to be able to get to work and rural properties in Warwickshire, compared with many counties, seem to be extortionate. For the last year or so I've been considering the idea of of buying a static caravan in a rural location which would mean we have a country place to visit regularly for short breaks and holidays but we would still be able to move house at some stage in the future.

Herefordshire seemed an ideal location as it is not too far from home and I have many memories of visiting the county when I was a child as my paternal grandparents came from there and we often visited family and had days out in the area. In recent years we have made several day trips and had a short break in the area and there is so much there to see and do from a cathedral to churches, market towns, castles and NT properties, nature reserves and walks in the countryside. I was very keen on one particularly small family run "holiday park" in a rural area which is only around 90 minutes from home (on a good run!). It is very conservation minded and has a pool with bird hide and wildflower meadow and the birdlife there looks superb with such goodies as barn owls, kingfishers and nuthatches. Not to mention the red kite we saw nearby. Tents and touring caravans are not allowed and the site is therefore for owners only.

The park does have a few static caravans for sale - one secondhand and two new ones so we visited to see what the site was like in real life and view the caravans.


It had been raining very heavily over the previous weekend and the River Severn near Worcester had somewhat burst its banks.

Driving towards Bromyard

The site was as lovely as I had expected with views over the countryside and it is very quiet and peaceful. We viewed all 3 caravans and have decided to go ahead and buy the one in the photo below. It is presently located in the walled garden but we are having it moved to a corner plot further down the hill which is a little more secluded. The caravans come ready furnished with kitchens and bathrooms kitted out, curtains, carpets, settees, coffee table, beds, wardrobes etc so you only have to provide bed linen, quilts, pillows and cookery equipment etc. It is perhaps a trifle extravagant and possibly an impetuous decision but hopefully we have made the right one and it will mean we have somewhere in the countryside we can "escape" to whenever we wish. The caravan has two bedrooms but there is a pull out bed on the settee in the lounge area so it will be possible to go as a family as well.

View from the park

and views from where the caravan will be located.

We stopped off at Bromyard briefly on the way home and these are the 17th century almshouses.

The site is closed for 3 months over the winter period (next year they are considering closing for just two months) so we will not be taking possession until next March. Hopefully, I will be showing you more of Herefordshire next year.


All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera