Plant Sale

Over by the Narrows, behind Hoole Community Centre, there is usually a table with plants for sale. Just take what you want and put the money through the letterbox. The money raised from this is spent on the upkeep of the nearby public flower beds.

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Chicks!

The first ducklings of Spring are hatching on the canal, and moorhens are nesting, tucked away from prying eyes.

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The Meadows II

The Meadows were purchased by Harry and Louise Brown, and given to the City Council for use as playing fields in 1928. The gift comprised 64.5 acres of low-lying land, which act as a flood plain. By 1980 the Meadows had become so neglected that local resident Adele Edwards formed the Meadow Users Association, which was formalised into the Friends of the Meadows in 1984. You can find out more here:
http://www.friendsofthemeadows.org.uk/

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Knitters and Stitchers

Kingsway and Newton Residents Association organises a knitters and stitchers group, every Monday 1pm - 3pm. It costs £2 per session with refreshments provided, and takes place in the Community Hub, a former shop in the Kingsway parade. I dropped in on them last Monday and there were about 8 people, knitting away furiously.

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Fresh of Hoole

Because of Mother's Day, the girls at the flower shop in Hoole were womanfully manning their counter from Thursday through to the end of Sunday this week. They do a great job, and their flowers are beautiful, and, even better, they are a dog friendly shop. Well worth a look.

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The Trials of Cato

The Trials of Cato are a three piece group who originally formed in Beirut, performing traditional (English) music. An excellent live band, they can often be found busking on the streets of Chester. Next chance to see them in a slightly more comfortable setting with be at Alexander's on the 13th April.
https://thetrialsofcato.com/

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Magnolia Stellata

Gardens are full of magnolia at the moment, but I prefer the understated beauty of the stellata variant. I am told that they have a subtle perfume, but fail to detect it.

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Greg Russell and Ciaran Algar IV

Greg and Ciaran will be playing reasonably locally on the 8th April, and you should nip out to Trelawnyd to see them. Greg has now moved over to Sheffield, to further his career, so this is an increasingly rare chance to see him close to his home town.

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Cobbles, Setts and Wheelers

Cobbles used to be used all over the place in Chester, but where they have been taken out they are sometimes replaced with setts, or even wheelers (the larger blocks in the second photo). No-one ever puts down cobbles any more. I am guessing that it must be a more difficult job to lay cobbles, because of their unevenness, but I love the patterns that they make. Why is a cobbler someone who repairs shoes, and not someone who lays cobblestones? One of life's mysteries...

Cobbles

Setts and Wheelers, with Cobbles at the back and sides

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Leonidas

Down on Bridge Street, Leonidas are gearing up for Easter with their display of very yummy Easter eggs. I like the raspberry ganache in dark chocolate best, though I haven't tried all of them (yet!)

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Chattels

Chattels is down on City Road, and sells some beautiful well-designed furniture with lovely clean lines. I especially like their lighting.
https://www.chattels-designerfurniture.co.uk/

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Winterley Kitchen - Freshly Baked Japanese Bread and Sweets

Also out at the Japanese market was the Japanese Bakery. I tried several of their wares, all of which were interesting, but the best were the Daifuku mochi with Yuzu citrus. Each fortnight they make a different range of food, always good.

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Rhubarb, Rhubarb

Rhubarb, of both the forced and normal varieties, is springing up all around us, and I have been making cakes and puddings like nobodies business. I love that moment of Spring when fresh new flavours begin to happen.

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The Yard

There is a newish restaurant in Chester, down on City Road, that I had heard good reports about. A group of us went trotting off there last week, and I can report that not only is the food is indeed very good, but also they serve some excellent beer, probably the nicest beer I have ever tasted, Battlefield by Cheshire Ales.
http://theyardrestaurants.co.uk/the-yard-chester/

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Not The Grosvenor Museum's Open Art Exhibition

I went along to Funky Aardvark to take a look at their Open Art Exhibition, and was particularly taken with the portrait of the Queen, although I am not sure that I would want it on my walls. More about the exhibition here:
http://www.funkyaardvark.co.uk/exhibitions-NTGO17.html

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Woodstock Vinyl

Woodstock Vinyl, used to be inside what was Becnicks, but have now expanded slightly. They are renting the whole premises and will have a clothing store and a recording studio sharing the space with them, plus maybe more if they can find complementary businesses.

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Yume Knitting Shop

Whilst at the North West Japanese Market I came across Yume Knitting Shop. She makes, amongst other things, these cutesy little felted animals, at a price of £5.99. Yumi will also do commissions and make any animal you want, a recent ones was of a guinea pig. You can give her a photo of your pet, and she can make a lookalike. If your pet has suitable fur (long haired dog is good, she tells me) she can even make it from its' own fur. Commissions cost more, obviously, but start from £10. Who can resist?
www.facebook.com/yumeknitting

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North West Japanese Market

Every two weeks, on a Sunday from 12 to 3, the local Japanese community hold a market at the Boshaw Centre in Dunham-on-the-Hill. They have a cafe and various stalls selling Japanese food and goods, plus, if you speak or read Japanese, there is a book swap. A really interesting place to go for Sunday lunch.

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Violets

I saw some wild violets this morning. Violets are becoming very rare round Chester, in fact, they are so rare that I'm not going to tell you where I saw them, just in case someone tries to pick them or dig them up. But they do exist, and you can keep an eye out for them in the next few days.

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Vaughan Williams

Chester Music Society choir are presenting a programme of works by Vaughan Williams, including the cantata Dona Nobis Pacem, In The Fen County, and the Garden of Proserpine. You can get tickets from the Cathedral Box Office, https://chestercathedral.com/

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Incredible Edibles

There is an initiative to grow edible plants and trees in public spaces, and two such spaces were planted in Chester a couple of years ago. These are now reaching the point where they should bear fruit this year, and there is an appeal for people to help with looking after them.
http://www.transitionchester.org.uk/incredible-edible/

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Easter Boat Gathering 2017

The National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port is once again hosting a gathering of narrow boats. You can see a full programme for the weekend here: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/museums-and-attractions/national-waterways-museum/events-at-the-national-waterways-museum/2017-04-14-easter-boat-gathering

Generally, many of the boats pause around Telford's Warehouse in Chester for the day or two before they are due to arrive at the museum, and it is worth keeping an eye out for them.

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Cathedral Free Tours

Every day except Sunday there are free tours of the Cathedral. Turn up at the west steps (in front of the large blue stained glass window at one end), and away you go for 60 informative minutes. Tours start at 11am, 1.30pm, and 3pm, except for Thursdays when they only happen at 3pm.

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Bouncers

Bouncers is on at the Forum Studio Theatre, and this time the run is for a decent length of time. Catch it while you can!

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Waitrose

Waitrose opened a full-sized store in Chester in November 2014, and I have been waiting to see whether it lived up to its' reputation of increasing property prices in the area. I was also hoping the copper cladding would develop verdigris, but so far I have been disappointed on both counts.

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Becnicks

Sadly, Becnicks Wonder Emporium in Brook Street has closed its' doors. They are going to carry on trading, though, both online, https://www.becnickswonderemporium.com, and through pop-up events, the first one of which is at Hoole Community Centre on the 5th March. Join their mailing list for more information.

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