Silver Swan

In the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle, ,this is an automaton with quite a history which covers 246 years.  It now operates once a day at 2 p.m., lasting only about 30 seconds but it's a wonderful device.

What wasn't wonderful was the rather meandering introduction to the show, but oh well!  The whole museum is well worth a visit but we'll need to return to see the whole collection, giving it reasonable attention.

The Extra is of a building front in Barnard Castle which had some fascinating devices decorating it.  The blue plaque reads, "A 16th century house, later an inn.  The accession of James 2 was celebrated here by local magistrates and there is a tradition that Oliver Cromwell was entertained here in 1648."

We have been impressed with this town; it is a friendly place, with a good variety of people and shops.  Even the Post Office is seemingly the original building.