The following day.

After seeing Ruth's wedding off to a good start, we had a run up to Hexham. (As you all know by now, Hexham is one of our favourite little jaunts.) It's just as well that our Benjamin is at Glastonbury, as we can use his car as we wish, (Talking about Glastonbury, who among you watched the Stones there on the telly last night? Weren't they fab, for a bunch of old geezers?)

Never mind, back to Hexham, or the journey there to be more precise. What do you think of this wedding party?

Judging by how stiff the people looked, I would imagine that they were Church of England, but the nearest church is the Methodist at Riding Mill! How about the audience, looking on from the other side of the road:

Is it the mother-in-law?

Of course, I'm only pulling your leg, but you knew that straight away, didn't you? (Colloquialism: 'pulling your leg' = having a joke with you.)

Actually, the first dressed-up mannequins that we saw were outside the Jiggery Pokery shop and tearoom. They had a lady dressed in Victorian gear, and just a few yards further on there was a seated couple across the road dressed for about the same period, but less formerly. Obviously I didn't get pictures of them, as they just flashed past without really making an impact. But, we did see a few more farther on.

Here's a building/gardening type, or a handy-man, at least:

He was actually adjacent to the main road as we travelled through Stocksfield, just up the road to the left we also saw this chap. (He looked a bit like I did in my distant youth, but my belly was perfectly flat then!)  

We saw several more as we went, but they were in positions where we couldn't stop because of the road layout and the surrounding traffic. The best one, by far in my opinion, was of a police constable. He was positioned near to a pedestrian crossing, and holding a speed camera (actually a hair dryer!). We didn't notice until on the way back that he was wearing a Jeremy Clarkson face mask!!!!

I eventually realised that I had seen this display before, couldn't tell you how long ago, but it definitely rang a bell (Colloquialism: 'rang a bell' = prompted my memory.) They were scarecrows, to be entered into a Scarecrow Show, which along with a 'Garden Walk' were free to visitors today, Sunday, or so a road sign somewhere said.

Apart from just enjoying Hexham in general, there was supposed to be a Buskers Festival on there yesterday. We've often come across buskers in Hexham, and some have been really good, like Robin the melodeon player whom I mentioned a while ago. We managed to get parked near to the Abbey again, this is my favourite place to park as it's near to most of the things we like to visit. As Freda went to find the parking ticket machine, I was serenaded by two old birds singing and playing "Big Yellow Taxi". One of them played a banjolele, while the other strummed away on a washboard, they weren't half bad for a couple of old bags! (Strangely enough, Freda found "Sounds of the Sixties" on one of the TV channels while she was channel-hopping later on last night, and who cmae on there? That's right; Joni Mitchell, and yes she was singing her hit song from 1970, "Big Yellow Taxi". Strange but true!!!!

Sadly, we didn't come across any more buskers performing, although we did see a few here and there with instrument cases, and one woman with a very large gong in a large frame. She struck it shortly after we had passed the alley where she was, with another lady unpacking a double bass, and it was VERY loud!

I'm almost embarrassed to tell you that the only money we spent was in "Poundland"! But you've always known that we're cheapskates, haven't you?

I'd better sign off now, as we're expecting the tribe for a late lunch. Byeeee.