Green thought in green shade

All this hot weather (we are into the seventh day of a heat-wave, with temperatures as high as in Bombay), doesn't always serve Nature well.
Wildlife enthusiasts are urging us to put bowls of water for hedgehogs etc.

The sunshine also promotes vegetable growth. 
This pond/still-brook near Eccleshall has now so much algae growth in it it looks as solid as a green pavement.  Whatever fish were in there have either moved on, or are slowly asphyxiating - as this algae steals all the oxygen in the water.

Victoria's post box

There are very few Victorian post-boxes (or 'wall-boxes', as the type you see in the photo is correctly called) left in Staffordshire.

This one is still intact and in use in Eccleshall.

Unexpected 400 year old sight

This amazing, and largely unremarked, house near Eccleshall dates back to the sixteenth century - though it was extensively restored in the late nineteenth century.   It now houses luxury apartments.

Strangely enough, coming across this manor house just reminded me of one of the joys of just strolling about on country footpaths: the unexpected sight.   
I had never heard of this place, Johnson Hall - but, suddenly, there it was!

Walking by the pool

Walking is a great joy in this mild weather, which continues.  Of course, most people are pretty gloomy about this good weather saying that it is a trick by Nature to lull us into a false sense of security - and they forecast blizzards yet to come.  Hmm.

The footpath-walk around Copmere Pool (near Eccleshall) is a pleasant one; and the end of the walk - at The Star Inn, which is a lovely pub - is just as good.

The widow's walk in Eccleshall

Imagine the sad putative widow - looking out to sea from this lofty perch, trying to see if her loved one will return, against the odds, safely from his ocean voyage.
At least, that's the romantic story of why these railed structures at the tops of houses are called 'widows' walks'.

However, in Eccleshall - where you'll find this example - you're about as far from the sea as you can be in England!
In fact, these structures are just rather elaborate architectural flourishes, with a rather down-to-earth secondary function - of allowing access to the chimney...

Ah well, it's still a lovely idea.

'Man creche'

This made me laugh right out loud in the middle of the street. Nicely tongue-in-cheek, the managers of The Royal Oak in Eccleshall suggest you drop your man off at their place, and they’ll take care of him while you attend to other, proper, important business.

Sounds like a good plan.

Welcome back to red cross

Joules is a famous name in brewing in this part of the world, but its distinctive red cross symbol did disappear for a while when the original owners felt the cold wind of recession in the second half of the last century.
But the Joules name was recently revived - and its distinctive-tasting ale was back. The company now has a number of pubs under its name, including The Royal Oak in Eccleshall.

Joules has a rather interesting boast... that it sells "not a single pint" outside its north Midlands heartland. I guess it likes to stick to its localness.

Link: Royal Oak - a Joules Pub