England - Lichfield, Walsall

An old gruesome story told at Lichfield Market place.













While Mages went to work we drove to Lichfield to sightsee the city. It's an old quaint city, very pretty and clean.







At Lichfield Market place with stories of English philosophers.
















Jin at the entrance of Samuel Johnson museum, Lichfield.






















Lichfield information at the rear of Lichfield Cathedral.












Jin wanted to see the old Cathedral but we didn't know where to park nearest to the Cathedral. After several stops we decided to park for short stay and bought a ticket from a machine. We put the ticket at the dashboard. A kind gentleman showed us the short cut way to the Cathedral.



















At colourful Beacon Park, Lichfield.









We walked around in Lichfield and accidently found Beacon Park which Mages recommended us to go. It was indeed a beautiful park with colourful flowers in full bloom. The sun was out making the park a bright, merry ground where people sat and chat or read.













Many of them, I noticed were senior people who enjoyed it the most. They sat down on benches to read, walk around or just chat with one another.










In the Garden of Remembrance in Beacon Park, opened in 1920.







Like many other lakes that we visited, there were variety of ducks, geese and swans swimming freely in the lakes and nobody steals them. But why can't we, in Malaysia, have ducks, geese and swans in our lakes and let them multiply. I remember when I first visited the lake at Proton City, Tg. Malim, there a number of white ducks swimming happily some with little ducklings but a year later pityfully, I saw only two or three of them were swimming there. What has happened? Maybe somebody has had a duck feast in their homes or somewhere?
Anyway by the time were ready to go back, we found a summon ticket on the windscreen of our car for not displaying the parking ticket. Alamak, mana tiket tu pergi? We were sure we put it there it was nowhere to be seen. So we theorized that it flew out of the car without us realizing it when we slammed the car door shut. It was a windy day. So we had to pay 25 pounds fine. What a waste!!

In the evening, Mages took us to the Arboretum Hatherton Park to enjoy a good walk.


Arboretum Hatherton Lake in Walsall is small but very attractive. The public is allowed to fish at specific points with license. Autumn is playing its role by changing colours of trees around the lake which makes it incredibly beautiful, a favourite season for me.














A place to fish and relax.







People came prepared with bread to feed the hundreds of ducks, swans and geese there who came flocking to get the food. It was a sight that was so delightful.









Staying for a week with Mages gave us opportunity to see many more places nearby like taking a bus to Birmingham. Mages had a full activities for us especially visiting her many friends which later she held a dinner party for her close friends to meet us. Being a good cook, she cooked the dinner all by herself.There was Izzie, her French teacher, Maggie, the psychologist from South Africa, Lenny and Wife Anne who live in a traditional British cottage which we visited earlier. They were a jovial lot.
On 4 October, we left Walsall and bade farewell to Mages with a hope we would meet again when she comes back to Malaysia.






Stratford-Upon-Avon.
This is Shakespeare's old house which becomes a well-known tourist attraction.












The square where Shakespeare's house, museum etc are situated with lots of souvenir shops and restaurants in Stratford-Upon-Avon.












Driving down to Essex, we stopped on the way at Stratford-Upon-Avon, Shakespeare's birth place. I have been there some years back and didn't mind going there again.










Attractive scenery of the river on the way to Shakespeare's house.










I met a grade 2 school children on their school trip. When they saw me taking photos of them, they chorused together "tourist!!". They were quite obedient considering their age and seriously followed their teachers' instruction. I had a short conversation with one of the accompanying teachers. This trip was their class assignment and the kids were having an great time.



We left for Grays, Essex soon after. Eng was waiting anxiously for us. She was concerned about the accident we had at Snowdonia as the insurance company wanted to talk to Jin personally. That guy reported the incident and made a claim to the insurance company. Obviously he was looking for easy money. In Malaysia, we would just say, ' Forget it, not worth claiming, too small.' and that's all there is to it.