We Love Todmorden !!!!!!!

It’s a bit of a hippy town.  The people are lovely and friendly. The pubs are great and the beer is better. Really enjoying Thwaites  ales at the moment. Light and lemony and hoppy. Mmmmm.

A good music scene here as well, except we can never seem to stay up to hear it.  However last night I went to sleep listening to the sounds of a  70’s Disco.   Whey hey, my era. Smokey robinson and the miracles “ going to a go-go” !!!!  except, I wasn’t .

I think it’s a heavy metal tribute band tonight at “The Polished Knob”. May pass, unless there is an Alice Cooper – a –like. !

They have a thing going on here called Incredible Edible.  Around the town,  large containers have been set up with fruit trees, bushes, herbs etc. Along the towpath are all edibles and aromatics.  Don’t pick at the bottom !!!!

There is a bit of wasteground that has been set up temporarily with veg, herbs and fruit bushes, and even has a bee hive in it.. !!!   Temporarily, is until the Calderdale Council decided to put yet another bloody supermarket on it.   Had a walk t’other end of town, and in front of some houses, ground had been set up with leafy veggies etc.  I understand that you may help yourself, but remember to plant something as a thank you.  I absolutely love it.

Visited a few hairdressers in the hope of a haircut, but all fully booked. Then I found one called “ Fredas”.  Aha, methinks. “Fredas” will be too old fashioned for all the youngsters, so there is bound to be a free appointment. “fredas” granddaughter Amy runs it now.  Anyway, she said “I have 10 mins before my next lady( elderly), I can do yer a dry cut for £7.50”   DONE. She was a lovely lass, and very chatty.

Visited a clothing repair shop, as I had ripped my jacket getting off Trundle( nearly went in for an early bath, too ), said I was on a narrowboat and that we were off tomorrow.  “  Leave it with me,love. Come back at 4. I will ‘ave it done by then. “ charge £8.  What service.

Also, due to some sort of bike race passing through, the town is festooned with lovely whicker and reed sculptures of ………………………bikes.

Oooh I forgot to mention that yesterday, just before we arrived, we had stopped at a lock for lunch.

What a lunch………………………..GRANDMA POLLARDS CHIP ‘OLE> !!!  Fish, chips, scallops, scraps all done in beef dripping, plus mushy peas.   Ooooooo  It were grand. !

 The summit

 Ma Pollards chip 'ole

 Terrific Todmorden

The story of the "Highland Fighting Dog", told in a wolverhampton accent. !!!

John was walking Toby one evening, and came across a group of 15 year olds with a staffy.  They started following John and Toby, and shouting " eh mate, cum on and lets get the dogs to 'ave a fight" John ignored them , and kept walking but started yanking on Toby's lead to try and get him to look mean. ! apparently, he just looked up at John as if to say " have you lost your marbles ????". so these idiots kept on and on  and on, eventually John arrived at a nicer area, and turned around and said "   now then lads, listen up and listen carefully, see this 'ere dog ?"   " Yeah", " well , he is a Highland Fighting Dog, and see this ruff ?"  " yeah, so what ?"  " well, that ruff is his armour, when another dog grabs him, all the hair comes off and sticks in the other dogs throat and chokes him" 

" Oh, ok mate, no problem " and they quickly cleared off dragging their poor staffy with them. !!!