Coracles, Bill & Ben, bagpipes and araucaria araucana and more besides.

Mmmfglorslopbubble, that was about the limit of my vocal ability after the tooth wright had finished today. Splendid was the way I dribbled my cuppa down my shirt this afternoon. To be honest I exaggerate immoderately, he did a fine job, one minor filling and a damn good descale. Just got to pick up the new false choppers on Wednesday. If you're ever in Market Drayton and in need of dental work go and see Mr. Sommerfield at Poynton House Dental Surgery, he'll sort you out no probs!

Well M.D. has thrown up a few surprises today,

 seems to be a coracle, the chap in it lives just opposite the moorings,

with these two in his garden. He then transformed into the town crier, complete with frogged red coat and tricorn hat but by then I had put the camera down and didn't get any photties! We then set off for town and in the distance we could hear what sounded like bagpipes,

which it turned out to be, the Royal Irish Regiment were parading through the town with band playing, bayonets fixed

and flags flying.

Proud men of a proud regiment, recently returned from Afghanistan, well done and thank you lads.

Having had dentists, coracles, town criers and the military we then sighted these strange objects,

they are the seed cones of the Chilean Pine (Araucaria araucana) a.k.a. the Monkey Puzzle Tree, seen many of the trees but never seen the cones before.

To round the day off,

just one of the ex working boats heading for Ellesmere Port for the Easter rally.

This is for the aaahhh!! factor.

All in all it's been a day of many parts.