Oswestry, a town in the Marches.

Let's start with something astronomical, Jupiter and Venus in close proximity last night.

Not bad when you consider it was taken with a Canon Power Shot SX210, not exactly a huge camera, perhaps a more powerful flash?
This morning we set off for Oswestry, once again having to run the gauntlet of the feathered assassins on the towpath. Emboldened by the fact that Jill did not have her poles with her they had another go at us, I ended up beating them off with my hat, damn things.
A pleasant border town, Oswestry.
I'm not a sculpture aficianado but I rather liked this one in the town, it's entitled "The Border Farmer"

 Much preferable to stones with holes in or piles of scrap metal in the name of art. Yes, I'm a fully payed up Philistine.
In the centre of town is the old town cross, actually it's a Victorian drinking fountain,

you can't have public drinking fountains now, health and safety they say.
 There's a fine mix of building periods and styles around the town,

The Llywn Mansion is one of the older buildings, it now houses a Toni & Guy hairdressers on the ground floor. Even older is the original school,

founded in 1407, now the tourist information centre. Oldest of all though must be the castle,

built, probably in the 11th C. to protect the local English against the maraudering Welsh and at other times, when the said marauders had captured it, it was used to protect the local Welsh against the maraudering English, that was how it went in the Welsh Marches. In the middle ages the town, church and castle were burnt down by one lot or the other with monotonous regularity until Cromwell took umbrage because the Royalists had been using it and knocked the castle flat, saying "That'll larn 'em." (I made that bit up, he didn't really say that).

View from the top of the castle motte, market in the foreground and Sainsburys middle centre.
At the bottom of the motte is the town hall, my favourite building in the town,

the architect certainly let loose on that one, I wonder what he was smoking when he designed that. Across from the town hall is The Red Lion.

It seems that originally the town stocks, pillory and whipping post were in front of the pub, well we all like a bit of entertainment while we're supping our ale and they didn't have Sky Sport in those days.
The church, dedicated to St. Oswald, is a bit of a mish-mash as everyone seems to have knocked it about over the years but it does have a most imposing tower, the lower part of which is Norman.

Inside though they didn't seem to be able to quite line it up when they did one of the rebuilds.

Odd layout, just didn't quite line up.

Lords prayer, ten commandments and the creed and a right fearsome pair keeping an eye on them, you wouldn't want to sin with them watching.

This lady sounds like a bundle of laughs, if you can't make her name out it's Grizzel Lloyd.
I took many more piccies but just can't fit them all in, I'm afraid I just get too self indulgent so I will restrain myself tonight.

Watch this space..........