We were down and helping Audrey put out the breakfast things when Alison and Alan walked in. Audrey had just commented on them still being in bed but in fact they were just finishing an 11km run. No wonder they are so fit. Alan in fact qualified for the GB masters triathlon team but cannot go because of his son's wedding.

We emailed a couple of birthday wishes and loaded a blog before leaving Shrewsbury . We are looking forward to being back in October as there is so much we can do within 1 hour of the town. It seems odd to call it a town with 400,000 people but it did not seem as big as that when we walked round the centre.

We were heading for Cardiff eventually, but actually went East rather than South first to visit one of the Ironbridge museums. We had free entry with our Heritage Passes and that gave us a 1 year passport so we can visit the other museums when we return, although the Heritage pass will have expired. The museums are on a variety of sites in the area and all link to the heritage of the region. The world’s first iron Bridge was built here and this is the reason for the name of one of the towns and also the museums.

After discussion with Alan and Alison, we went to Blists Hill Victorian Village.

After a 180 degree video display of iron smelting we went through to the village . This is an open air museum that recreates life as it would have been in the area in Victorian days. 19 century buildings have been reconstructed on the site and people in period costume enact roles. There was a village policeman on a bike going around the town. The bank at the town entrance issues 'old money’ which you can buy and use to purchase items in the village. The haberdashery for example sold patchwork squares and handkerchiefs priced in modern money and Victorian money. The shop assistants were all in period costume and generally spoke in an old fashioned manner although some were better than others at staying in role.



Some of the shops were just displays, some were manned today but do not always have people in them and some run permanently. We visited a bakery where you could buy bread, a sweetshop that measured out sweets on an old weighing machine, a blacksmiths where you could buy pokers and a pie shop .

Because it is the holidays, they had a Victorian Fun fair in operation although there were not many children on the rides. They also had a site where children could do candle dipping and make bricks. There were a lot of family groups there, many having picnic lunches although food was also available for sale.

We went into the schoolhouse to be pupils at a Victorian style lesson. We had to stand (boys with their hands behind, girls with theirs in front) and greet the Headmaster with chants (‘Good afternoon Mr Allsop’) and recited the 4 times table. We could only speak when given permission and had to stand to do so. He also told us children that we were working class, God had placed us in that place and it would be a sin to try to improve our position.

The room was so full we sat at the side but the ‘children’ in the desks all had to draw a bridge on their slates, and then clean it properly and fold up their rag erasers and place them properly on the right hand side . Left-handers were severely scolded and warned that their left hand would be caned. They also had their fingernails and hands inspected for cleanliness. We were reminded to respect our ‘elders and betters’ – the doctor, the minister and headmaster because they looked after our moral, physical and spiritual well-being. We also had to state what good deeds we had done the previous day. It was very well done. He also told us that there would be 2 free Shakespeare productions in the village in the afternoon and we should improve our minds by attending, which we would have done but they were not on until 3pm.

If we had had more time we would have done the foundry tour. This still produces wrought iron. However we had been keen to see the inclined plane in operation and it was closed so we plan to return in October and may have the time then. We also decided not to visit the other museums today as we will do at least some of them then. There are 10 museums in the Ironbridge group including one at the iron bridge, a Coalport china museum, tile museum and a tar tunnel .

We then headed south on the A roads. It was about a 3 hour drive and took us through a number of towns, although we only stopped once, for a late lunch. We had some reservations about the place as we walked in but it was getting on so we ordered. The meal took a long time to arrive, although they were not busy, and we had to put up with 2 ill-mannered children at the next door table. They didn’t do anything to us but they were rude to their mother and to the waitress. Their mother and grandmother told them to behave but there was no follow through. The food was not very nice and we left a fair bit. The young barperson was pleasant but not very efficient. We have had so many good pub meals that we have become complacent.

We arrived at the hotel at the airport and had an easy checkin. John went to turn on the TV in case the cricket was on and we couldn’t get it to work. There were instructions for the air con but not the TV. We also wanted to ask about internet so he spoke to the receptionist.

In the end three people and a new TV later it was decided the fault was in the connection so they gave us another room. By then John was not feeling well and I have suspicions about our lunch. I worked on the computer while he tried to sleep. I explored and found we could have a light meal in the hotel, so he had soup when he woke and this did make him feel better.