Gloucester docks

M and I went down to Stroud's markets, quite late because M didn't get up till.an appropriate hour for a teenager..We found a few things to entertain us, then took the double decker bus to Gloucester. 

I made a mistake in getting us to de-bus early, to avoid the town centre traffic, but this meant taking a very long walk round to the docks. We were exhausted by the time we got there! We had a reviving drink in the cafe of the National Waterways Museum, where we.learned that there are no tourist boat trips until April! We wandered around the docks (built because the Gloucester and Sharpness canal was once an important cargo route) and looked at the masted ships in Tommy Nielsen's yard for repairs. I think this one is the Kathleen-May, and she's been in the yard for at least six months, as I saw her there in August, last time I toured the docks with my sister TML.  Must need a lot doing to her.

M and I then wandered up to the town centre, where we looked at s couple of shops, including the lovely Tailor of Gloucester 's house museum. Then they chucked us out because it was closing time! Next stop the Cathedral, which also closed at 4pm. They gave us the option of staying for Evensong, by M declined. She'd had a similar experience at St Paul's a few days earlier, she said . We went to catch a bus back to Stroud, but decided to go to Costa's first for a bottled drink as we had time to spare. Imagine our surprise when we discovered that the whole forecourt of Gloucester Railway Station was being dug up! Maybe February is not the best time to visit the city. We negotiated the barriers and got some water, and made our way back to the bus station, I mean Transport Hub (!) 

Got back to Stroud and were just contemplating yet another bus journey, when 
M remembered that she had left her gloves on the previous bus! It was still hanging around, so I directed to the traffic lights and she ran like the wind and caught it just before it drove off! Some kind soul  had spotted the gloves on the seat upstairs and brought them down. Even so, I was amazed at her speed. Oh, to be 13 again! We took the final bus, which is always something of a magical mystery slalom ride.around two of the five Stroud Valleys. 

The rugby was just finishing when we got back. Scotland beat Wales. Steve had just had had some food, and later I made omelettes for us all and vegetables for all. M wanted to source something to watch on Netflix, and we found the excellent series A Tale Dark.and Grimm. I found myself falling asleep more than once, because I still wake up at silly times. We called it a day after several episodes, but I did say that we could watch the rest tomorrow if M.got up.a little earlier. All in all, we had a good day together, albeit with far too much walking! M's mother K is on a residential course nearby, and she seems content there, and has been given a fabulous room, on account of her being still on crutches after an accident she sustained while visiting us last July.