Bartimaeus

Kirsty had had her baby on first August and a parcel posted. We had acheived two lots of washing so we were ready for new visitors. We still had a couple of days to wait though. To fill time while waiting for the lock to open and Bryn to arrive, Shane had planned a cycle trip. There was a a recreation park not too far to cycle but too far to walk.

We got the tandem out on Sunday. It always makes me feel young on the tandem, having had so many cycling holidays. One of our first was in Wales right up the coast. Today we were also going to Wales, but not for long. We were through it in no time. It wasn’t quite as scenic as the Welsh coast and castles, that I recall.

We had passed through some pretty sights, that were less common, on footpaths alongside fields or bridleways through trees. We met a couple of horse riders too. We had to walk rather than cycle on occasion.

Some paths were overgrown. While Shane was re checking the map and rerouting I got time to study a surprise wooden statue. 

We arrived at lunch time which was perfect. The place was busy but after we had ordered we found the queue was quite a bit longer so all had gone well. It was a cooler day and a light rain had begun, so we found a bench under a tree to have lunch and as a bonus found the little pond before us had 4 moorchicks and 2 juveniles, keeping their parents busy. The chicks are mainly visible when moving so finding them all was tricky.

I went over to the area with craft shops for a quick browse. I wasn’t needing anything from the dog’s bakery. But I was intrigued by Ali’s Bazaar. It certainly had a strange mix  of things. As well as hats, toy parachutes, pictures and table mats, there was a section with beeswax candles and other wax products, then I saw honey. I remembered ours was almost done and Bryn doesn’t like jam so might be a useful addition to the larder. As I picked up a jar, the man who had been busy in a back room,  started to tell me that he was moving some hives so there would be more local Rotherham honey in the future, in stead of Yorkshire. He was making frames for his hives and was wanting to tell me all about bee keeping and I learned a whole lot more about bees. No-one else was there. He has a heap of allergies and his doctors was advising him to find another hobby but he carries on and carries an Epipen. He told me beeswax was good for eczema too. I decided not to buy the wax as it was described as a polish, not an ointment. I got my honey, and  when I emerged, found that Shane hadn’t heard me say I was going to look in the shop and was wondering where I was for such a long time. I enjoyed the beekeeper’s enthusiasm and it was all about the hobby and bees and not about trying to sell me all his products. He seems to be Glenn not Ali but that may be doesn’t go with bazaar too well.

We made our way back past some remnants of the old canal that was blocked by the tunnel collapse. It was good to have a circular route avoiding going back through nettles and brambles on foot. We did still do a little walking but in open fields. Back on the road we came back through Harthill and I wondered if a stop for refreshment was in order at The Beehive. Shane suggested the Hewett Arms, which sold an unusual ginger beer (actual beer on a pump) called fiery fox. 

There were quite a few tricky chicanes for Shane in the next section. He did an excellent job, without any help from me.  In the end we were too tempted by the ice cream shop to divert to the pub. Shane was ready for it after the tricky management of the tandem. I chose honey and ginger, sweeter than beer but still with a kick.