Those of you who know me won`t be surprised to hear that I don`t do any of the 'normal' Christmas stuff.
Nor does Glambabe (my girlfriend Lorraine) or her daughter Megan.
We spend Christmas Eve together and have a buffet spread then watch a DVD.
Christmas Day morning we spend together doing the 'prezzy' stuff but we don`t bother with any traditional Christmas Dinner or the usual over eating and excessive drinking...in fact we normally have and thoroughly enjoy beans on toast!
And that`s usually with me being alone at my house and Glamabe and Megan at their house.......but we get together in the evening to visit my parents where we have another nice buffet style spread for tea.
This year we broke our norm by being together at dinner time and by having toasted bagels!
Still topped with beans and grated cheese of course.......
Anyway,fully fortified and back at home I had an afternoon to do whatever I felt like doing.
And all the side and minor roads were still covered in compacted ice and snow.
So that made for a no brainer......a Ural afternoon it was going to be!!
I was feeling like seeing the sea for some unknown reason,and the Wirral where I live being a fairly small peninsula meant that the sea was never more than five miles or so away....so I thought I`d go for a short bimble along as many white covered small roads as possible.
I also remembered that last week all the roads in and around the nearby Port Sunlight village were a complete sheet of ice,so that was going to be my first destination!
Port Sunlight is a model village built in the 1800s by Lord Leverhulme for the workers in his Sunlight Soap factory.
It consists of beautiful black/white timbered and ornate brickbuilt houses on a grid or block system built around a central avenue which leads the eye from an archway along an ornate garden to a War Memorial serving as a roundabout then along more gardens to a fountain in front of the impressive Lady Lever Art Gallery which the Lord built as a wedding gift for his wife.
The houses are now privately owned but subject to Preservation Orders and restrictions on what modifications or improvements can be done....the spirit and original appearance of the building must be kept.
So then...I removed the cover and brushed the snow from my beloved 650 Ural 'Skaya' and off I went.
As I approached the War Memorial roundabout I went to turn right to take a photo and Skaya`s rear wheel overtook the front!
I confess to cacking myself a little as she spun until I realised that around here there was snow on top of smooth ice due to no gritting taking place,unlike at home where the ice was rough and the grit gave a bit more traction.
Once I realised this I kept Skaya on opposite lock and opened the throttle...making my own version of the Olympic symbol in the white stuff!
After a few spins and a fair few funny looks from the folk out walking off their Christmas Dinners it was time for a photo.
You can see what the roads were like in this pic below.
Next I went to the small archway which gives a view along an ornate garden towards the Lady Lever.
The pillar in the background is the War Memorial roundabout shown above.
Another one very similar but I kinda like it.
This next one is from the far side looking back towards the pics above.
It should be a fountain,but not today.
And just behind the one above is this...the Lady Lever Art Gallery.
Impressive enough on the outside...and a very interesting full day on the inside due to a large and quality art collection plus antiques and curios.
Skaya`s carried some impressive loads in her time but she wasn`t quite up to carrying these guys!
A quick look to the left of the statues is this scene...sometimes hard to believe they`re just private homes owned by day to day people.
Not a bad school either.
A short slip sliding and opposite locking ride around the block and with us talking earlier about avenues,and avenues being tree lined,how about this little one ?
Not far from this we come to Christ Church.
I`m not in any way religious (well,apart from constantly cleaning my teeth and my bikes) but it is a very nice looking building and surrounding grounds.
The whole village is actually a collection of beautiful and impressive buildings.
Even the brick built ones are a joy....look at the lines and patterns in this row of brick buildings for instance.
Lord Leverhulme even had a sunken garden style park constructed,full of exotic and semi tropical plants and a nice little bridge in the middle of it.
Huh ?? Palms in the snow ??
The local pub,right in the heart of the village..."The Bridge Inn"... looked a nice place to sip a few beers in front of a roaring log fire,but no alcohol for me as I`m out riding.
Saying that,all this opposite locking,wheelspinning and stop/start photo taking is thirsty work.....and a cuppa and a piece of cake would have been nice in the tea room.
Not surprisingly it was closed today,so there`s no need or cause for any theatricals.
However,here`s an ideal place for theatricals.
The Gladstone Theatre...home to a local troupe of actors and venue to a fair few good shows.
Yet another nice building...check its date...and it`s for sale if you`re tempted!
Well,I`d almost forgotten my desire to "see the sea" so it`s time to at the very least go and view the River Mersey.
Here it is looking cold and forboding with a distant Liverpool on the other side through the mist.
Five minutes later and I`m at Woodside Ferry Terminal.
And what`s this strange object there?
Hopefully this plaque is legible enough to tell you......
And talking of strange.
What on Earth is this doing here??
Not a model...not a replica...a REAL WW2 German U Boat !!!
Recently rehomed here from its previous location at the sadly defunct Historical Warships site, near Wallasey a few miles away.
Now laser cut into sections and turned into a public display exhibition.
Maybe I`ll post a visit to it sometime for you to have a look at it.
Right then,one last look across the cold and misty River Mersey at Liverpool and its famous Liver Building and it`s time to get home and sorted ready to visit my parents.
I`d better not be late or I may end up in here with all the other naughty boys!!
So that`s the end of my short Christmas Day ride.
An hour and a half out while no more than five miles from home!
I hope you`ve enjoyed!
Nor does Glambabe (my girlfriend Lorraine) or her daughter Megan.
We spend Christmas Eve together and have a buffet spread then watch a DVD.
Christmas Day morning we spend together doing the 'prezzy' stuff but we don`t bother with any traditional Christmas Dinner or the usual over eating and excessive drinking...in fact we normally have and thoroughly enjoy beans on toast!
And that`s usually with me being alone at my house and Glamabe and Megan at their house.......but we get together in the evening to visit my parents where we have another nice buffet style spread for tea.
This year we broke our norm by being together at dinner time and by having toasted bagels!
Still topped with beans and grated cheese of course.......
Anyway,fully fortified and back at home I had an afternoon to do whatever I felt like doing.
And all the side and minor roads were still covered in compacted ice and snow.
So that made for a no brainer......a Ural afternoon it was going to be!!
I was feeling like seeing the sea for some unknown reason,and the Wirral where I live being a fairly small peninsula meant that the sea was never more than five miles or so away....so I thought I`d go for a short bimble along as many white covered small roads as possible.
I also remembered that last week all the roads in and around the nearby Port Sunlight village were a complete sheet of ice,so that was going to be my first destination!
Port Sunlight is a model village built in the 1800s by Lord Leverhulme for the workers in his Sunlight Soap factory.
It consists of beautiful black/white timbered and ornate brickbuilt houses on a grid or block system built around a central avenue which leads the eye from an archway along an ornate garden to a War Memorial serving as a roundabout then along more gardens to a fountain in front of the impressive Lady Lever Art Gallery which the Lord built as a wedding gift for his wife.
The houses are now privately owned but subject to Preservation Orders and restrictions on what modifications or improvements can be done....the spirit and original appearance of the building must be kept.
So then...I removed the cover and brushed the snow from my beloved 650 Ural 'Skaya' and off I went.
As I approached the War Memorial roundabout I went to turn right to take a photo and Skaya`s rear wheel overtook the front!
I confess to cacking myself a little as she spun until I realised that around here there was snow on top of smooth ice due to no gritting taking place,unlike at home where the ice was rough and the grit gave a bit more traction.
Once I realised this I kept Skaya on opposite lock and opened the throttle...making my own version of the Olympic symbol in the white stuff!
After a few spins and a fair few funny looks from the folk out walking off their Christmas Dinners it was time for a photo.
You can see what the roads were like in this pic below.
Next I went to the small archway which gives a view along an ornate garden towards the Lady Lever.
The pillar in the background is the War Memorial roundabout shown above.
Another one very similar but I kinda like it.
This next one is from the far side looking back towards the pics above.
It should be a fountain,but not today.
And just behind the one above is this...the Lady Lever Art Gallery.
Impressive enough on the outside...and a very interesting full day on the inside due to a large and quality art collection plus antiques and curios.
Skaya`s carried some impressive loads in her time but she wasn`t quite up to carrying these guys!
A quick look to the left of the statues is this scene...sometimes hard to believe they`re just private homes owned by day to day people.
Not a bad school either.
A short slip sliding and opposite locking ride around the block and with us talking earlier about avenues,and avenues being tree lined,how about this little one ?
Not far from this we come to Christ Church.
I`m not in any way religious (well,apart from constantly cleaning my teeth and my bikes) but it is a very nice looking building and surrounding grounds.
The whole village is actually a collection of beautiful and impressive buildings.
Even the brick built ones are a joy....look at the lines and patterns in this row of brick buildings for instance.
Lord Leverhulme even had a sunken garden style park constructed,full of exotic and semi tropical plants and a nice little bridge in the middle of it.
Huh ?? Palms in the snow ??
The local pub,right in the heart of the village..."The Bridge Inn"... looked a nice place to sip a few beers in front of a roaring log fire,but no alcohol for me as I`m out riding.
Saying that,all this opposite locking,wheelspinning and stop/start photo taking is thirsty work.....and a cuppa and a piece of cake would have been nice in the tea room.
Not surprisingly it was closed today,so there`s no need or cause for any theatricals.
However,here`s an ideal place for theatricals.
The Gladstone Theatre...home to a local troupe of actors and venue to a fair few good shows.
Yet another nice building...check its date...and it`s for sale if you`re tempted!
Well,I`d almost forgotten my desire to "see the sea" so it`s time to at the very least go and view the River Mersey.
Here it is looking cold and forboding with a distant Liverpool on the other side through the mist.
Five minutes later and I`m at Woodside Ferry Terminal.
And what`s this strange object there?
Hopefully this plaque is legible enough to tell you......
And talking of strange.
What on Earth is this doing here??
Not a model...not a replica...a REAL WW2 German U Boat !!!
Recently rehomed here from its previous location at the sadly defunct Historical Warships site, near Wallasey a few miles away.
Now laser cut into sections and turned into a public display exhibition.
Maybe I`ll post a visit to it sometime for you to have a look at it.
Right then,one last look across the cold and misty River Mersey at Liverpool and its famous Liver Building and it`s time to get home and sorted ready to visit my parents.
I`d better not be late or I may end up in here with all the other naughty boys!!
So that`s the end of my short Christmas Day ride.
An hour and a half out while no more than five miles from home!
I hope you`ve enjoyed!
. I'll wait for some better weather before I visit Port Sunlight village
