The Bell Inn

At the end of our street was a pub, the Bell Inn. I loved the Bell Inn. 

On the Friday night it was pretty heaving, where a dedicated karaoke entertainer with elaborate equipment arrived and the locals sang songs. I watched, somewhat longingly, from the window.

Three small rooms comprised the Bell Inn, two main spaces - one a 'Sports Bar' with TV showing football and an adjacent 'Lounge Bar' with piano (inaccessible as it was covered in brochures) and Real Ale. There was a small, tucked away room at the back.

This was the small cosy back room.

Sports Bar, where I drank a pint of Bass ale.

The door to the lounge from the car park.

Outside the lounge bar was this 'smoking lounge'. Across the street - a busy road - was the outdoor lounge, with boules and other games, and very comfortable tables and chairs. I stuck with the main pub area.

One of the finest pubs.

Small Northern Village, 3

The house in which we stayed in the small Derbyshire mill village featured this little chappie. We didn't find out who it was.

In the morning I took the children to a picturesque playground, where this path led to an impromptu campsite, with carvan and tent.

On our final day we went for a long country walk into the nearby hills overlooking the village. We set off through back lanes, where this resident wished to remind us which country we were in. I hadn't forgotten.

This rock formation recalled the faces on Tomi Ungerer's Fog Island.

As it seems always to be, spring was in full bloom.

The view from the playground.

On our way up the hill.

We lunched at the top of a rock formation at the top of a hill.

Rock fences overgrown with moss.

Derbyshire 1, Australia nil.

On board a grounded train carriage presenting the meaning of various public walk signs.

The final leg of the journey took us along a canal, with little ducklings.

Reward of Devonshire tea.

Back to our residence. In Industrial days, I'd be back up to the top floor to work on my weaving.

Small Northern Village, 2

Just outside our door, more cats.

A specialty of one of the two fish n chip shops in the village.

Initial view of the cotton mill site.

The Mill Manager's original dwelling, somewhat grander than the workers' cottages.

Power.

 Vaguely reminiscent of Pioneer World, only with substance (and less panning for planted gold).

This map reminded me of a seahorse.

Workers unite!

The below image of the mills...

... reminded me of the cover of this World of Art book (shoplifted from a bookstore in Tokyo many moons ago).

Horse trough

Tapas seems popular. Some of the dishes available inside

A party at the pub had many children losing their balloons to the heavens.

Not sure whether this was a house or a shop but the window was lovely.

No, this image is not the wrong way around, but it is actually a curious bird feeder.

More novel ways to decorate the fronts of houses.

What lies behind the red door?