WIDE WEDNESDAY

It was a lovely, sunny morning, so Mr. HCB and I decided to go for a walk and ended up at Coate Water, the nearby water park - in fact, the world and his wife were there too, so we didn’t stay for too long;  just long enough for me to take a few photographs and then we walked back home but it was good to be out together today - see my extra.  You can tell it was chilly because Mr. HCB wore a woolly hat instead of his normal hat!

Coate Water was created in the early 1820's as a headwater tank by the Wiltshire and Berkshire Canal Company and fed by a stream known as the Dorcan.  The light was beautiful on the lake today and in this shot, you can see the iconic Art Deco style diving platform.  This was completed in 1935 and was in use until In 1958, when due to a public health and safety concern, swimming at Coate Water was forbidden and because of this, the diving platform has been out of use since.  Both Mr. HCB and I can remember playing in the Children’s Paddling Pool many years ago, but this has also been closed and filled in.

Although it was very cold and icy in parts, we walked at quite a pace and my thermals kept me very warm, but we were glad to get home to have a hot cup of coffee.  The café was open at Coate Water, but as we had to walk for another 20 minutes or so before we got home, we decided not to risk having a coffee there.

Mr. HCB is now working on his jigsaw puzzle - he says it’s very difficult and challenging, but it keeps him out of mischief and I’m going to carry on with my knitting - and might even watch a film later.  

I guess we will know later what is happening in the UK and whether we will all be going into Tier 4 - watching the News last night, it would seem the right thing to do to put everyone into this Tier, and certainly before New Year’s Eve, when revellers might be tempted to meet up with friends.  Our hospitals are on the point of being overwhelmed and we all need to be sensible, although some still don’t get it!

"In every walk with nature 
     one receives far more 
          than he seeks."
John Muir