There was some sunshine when we awoke but the grey scudding clouds suggested that it might rain and a member of the group confirmed this was indeed the forecast. Despite this after breakfast we walked with Dave and Val to Kidderminster alongside the canal and visited the street market that operates every Saturday between 0900 - 1600.
It was not a very large market but we were tempted by large hand finished Black Country Pork Pies being sold for just £2 each. We wandered around the rest of the market and deciding it was time for a sit down we found a Cafe Nero with wifi and had a drink and snack in partial sun.
We then made our way back to the canal and as we passed just beyond the fringes of the town so the sky darkened and there was a heavy shower that included hailstones! We carried on, got slightly damp but continued to chat all the way back to the campsite at which point the rain also stopped.
We had some lunch and whilst Lesley rested I chatted to some of the group about the possibility of future meetings. To my surprise we ended up not only with a couple to organise a reunion in 2015 but also other couples for 2016 and 2017!
We had booked the Reunion Dinner at The Lock Public House just a few minutes walk from the campsite. We had preordered our meals to avoid any long waits and the plates of food began to appear within a short time of our sitting down. There was a reasonable range available and all looked appetising and everyne tucked in to their burgers, pies, salads and grills all freshly cooked and presented nicely.
We chatted throughout the meal about arrangements for our proposed journey on the Severn Valley Railway on Sunday and also about possible dates for our next reunion in 2015.
We enjoyed desserts and a bit of banter with the staff then returned to the campsite for a reasonably early night in order to leave the site by 1000 on Sunday morning to drive to Bridgenorth.
Sunday was overcast and throughout the day we had showers and intermittent sunshine. We travelled in 3 vehicles to Bridgenorth and caught the 1100 train to Kidderminster. Some members of the group got off at Bewdley but many carried onto the terminus, enjoyed a look around the small railway museum and then took the train back to Highley to visit the engine and coach shed. The SVR certainly has a large collection of engines and rolling stock, many of which are regularly in steam and they even have a mail coach from the infamous mail train robbery!
We continued our train journey to Bridgenorth and then sought refreshment. Many cafés were closed by 1600 but we found a pub with a river view able to meet our needs so we rested and chatted with Penny and Gordon who had driven us to the station in the morning.
We took the steepest and oldest inland fernicular railway from Lower to Upper Bridgenorth, explored the Main Street and noted the many 16th century buildings then made our way back to the station to collect the cat and return to the campsite.
It had been a busy and tiring day, we rested, cooked some dinner then met up again as a group for our final evening together including a quiz organised by Jill and enjoyed by all. These are a fine bunch of folk, met by chance on the Swiss Tour in 2011 and fun to be with and interesting to chat to. Most are older than Lesley and I so are very experienced at being retired and we have enjoyed their company over this long weekend and look forward to meeting up again in a year's time.
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