Tuesday 4 May 2010

Day 16 Brewood to Market Drayton

Today have ended up after 36.3km's in Shropshire, I think there was a few county crossings made en route, noticing the dashed lines on the map and later in the afternoon walking along the border itself. The treat of the bull terror has now gone, mind you I had a scary moment this morning. Having just got on the canal at Brewood, I noticed a bull terror and owner walking towards me, the dog glady was good as gold, but what was more scary was the look of the owner, a real " Enid Sharples" (sorry younger viewers, you won't know who she was - off corrie) look alike, the face of dog and owner were so similar, it was only cause she was walking on two legs that I told the difference. I did have a collie (I think) come legging it off a barge to have a go. Now I'm in Shropshire the treat has changed to the "Muller" cows, you've seen the adverts I'm sure. (How the cows milk in Shropshire is used in the making of "Muller corner yoghurts"). The cows in fields which border the canal can sure stare, one even got half way across a bridge to have a good look at me. What I can't understand being here in Shropshire is, I recently went through Gloucestershire, with Gloucester, Worcestershire, with Worcester, Staffordshire, with Stafford, but were the hell is Shorp, I've searched my map, but I can't find it. Help, anyone??? am I missing something? The walk today, with the exclusion of, the towns at either end, was along the Shropshire Canal. Whilst I love walking canals, due to the ease of navigation and usually quite level, they can be a bit "samely". So this is where I start looking for thing to interest me, today's were looking for interesting boat names and making my own words up to songs. On the Shropshire Canal there are mile markers all the way which, initially are good for pacing the miles, at the end just seemed to be spaced further apart. One other memory of today happened this morning, in the bathroom. Whilst at home this weekend, I had refilled my shower gel bottle, spilling most of it down the sides. So my toothbrush had become contaminated with fragented gel. When mixed with mint toothpaste, this morning I was having all sorts of weird taste sensations, ending in blowing blue tinted, minty bubbles. Everything has been washed so no repeat occurs tomorrow. Lh shin still moaning, so still on the Ibo's and 15 min cold baths, Ouch!!!!! And, a walk along the canal, with no, repeat, no rain

6 comments:

  1. Hi Russ
    Yep, I remember "Enie Sharples". Thats when I used to watch the street!
    Hope the shin pain goes soon. Those cold baths must be awful!
    Adrian

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  2. Russ,

    Keep away from those cows, especially the scary ones! As for the shin splints, make sure you stretch your legs before walking, keep off cement and hard surfaces, and try not to land on you heel too much. If you can walk on your hands, the better!

    Rachael

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  3. woto russ. youve done well over a third of the way done already. glad all going ok. woz concerned for you end of last week you sounded so very doen. you sound happier now. i have a song i sing to pru at her tea time i think it will catch on espicially if you start singing it in the countryside it goes like this ---

    in my tum out my bum - and repeat until you get bored and locked up.
    also theres the old hagar the horrible drinking song ---

    skol skol skol skol -- again repeat till you get bored.

    i have a joke for you one of my faves

    what did hitler say to his men before they got in the tanks??

    get in the tanks men

    glad you are refreshed with clean apreril. are you using the yellow poncho that mom brought us all one christmas - i have mine in the hous - wana borrow it?

    have fun

    Sis

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  4. you are living in interesting times,enjoy.glad you have got back into the swing of things.look out for the "cheshire cat"in cheshire.according to the maps we are using there are no county boundaries,you are obviously getting to much sun put your hat on.

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  5. p.s.fourth comment was from ma & pa

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  6. The answer to your question was news to me.

    The origin of the name "Shropshire" is the Old English "Scrobbesbyrigscīr" (literally Shrewsburyshire), perhaps taking its name from Richard Scrob (or FitzScrob or Scrope), the builder of Richard's Castle near what is now the town of Ludlow. However, the Normans who ruled England after 1066 found both "Scrobbesbyrig" and "Scrobbesbyrigscir" difficult to pronounce so they softened them to "Salopesberia" and "Salopescira". Salop is the abbreviation of these.

    When a council for the county was set up in 1888, it was called "Salop County Council". The name was never popular, with local MP Jasper More raising an amendment to the 1972 Local Government Bill to rename the county "Shropshire"[1] - at the time the council itself opposed the change, although later, in 1980, would exercise its power to legally change the name of the county.

    The Times noted in a February 19, 1980 article about the name change that "there was no record of why the name Salop County Council was adopted". The decision to make the change was taken on March 1, 1980, at a special meeting of the council, with 48 votes in favour versus five against. It came into effect on April 1.[

    Cheers J.P. (lejogploder)

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