We've gone to this a few times in the past. Normally, it's a quiet affair, the mayor of Telford says something, the MP too. Maybe a hundred people, if that. Usually it rains. It's not a big event! Though, last year they had a play bus and a bouncy castle and someone selling hot dogs.

THIS YEAR! WoW! Many hundreds! Many, many hundreds. A long, long procession of lanterns, from girl guides, schools, all sorts; the church hall was opened up. There was a male voice choir too.

It was fantastic. The lights now look like they could do with a bit more umph!

Make chocolate coated biscuits, wrapping paper, and other Xmarsey things.

What fantastic weather for being up a mountain. We're above the clouds, you could almost walk on top of them. And it changes, by the minute.

I gotta tell him to not use the zoom. But it makes such a cool noise as it zooms and seems to work on his phone. I'll try and tell him to not use it, to instead walk closer to the subject.

These were later on our walk down Ironbridge, next to the River Severn.

Down Blist Hill, where they have a Victorian village, they had a bonfire night. And some morris dancers were there.

I like morris dancers. We like morris dancers. There were spooky, in their blacked out faces, in the gas light.

Once came over and talked to us about morris dancing. About their blacked out faces. Years ago, when morris dancers danced, they danced for alms. So as to disguise their begging, they blacked out their faces. We were also given tambourines!

Nice people.
Our friend Billy had a ten foot willy,
And he showed it to the lady next door,
She though it was a snake,
So she hit it with a rake,
And now it's only five foot four

Brad had a phone, just like his sister's for his birthday—think video mania, plus zooming (digitally) with a 640 x480 res camera.
And a train set, and this weekend, a drum kit.

Here they're geeking. Esme's on the laptop too.

More of his pix coming up. Or shall I put them on his new site?

All good fun, except that we have an argument if we should go all the way up. For the first time ever I relent and we only reach Hell's Gate. Back down through Beech Avenue to the swing. Then the pool, and this is where it went wrong.

After telling them to be careful because it was slippery. Whoosh. My feet are in the air higher than my head and suddenly I'm lying in 3 inches of water, on my back. I lay there for a second, thinking, 'this isn't so bad.' Then, jumped up realising my mobile phone was in my back pocket. Soaking but undamaged. We walk back to the car. Me grumpy and cold.

This one was down in South Wales, at Nanna's. We sing Happy Birthday and Esme takes pictures on her mobile phone.