A long hot journey to Droitwich via the rather lovely Worcester Shrub Hill station

Monday 3rd July; Hanbury Junction

Just a short post today.  While Dave was walking Meg, getting the paper, doing a bit of varnishing and so on, I was rushing round picking fruit and veg and watering my greenhouse before packing my stuff – in a rucksack and shopping trolley, true boater fashion – and catching the bus to Exeter station.  The train from Exeter to Bristol was fine, but the one from Temple Meads station to Worcester was slow and hot.  At Shrub Hill I had a while to wait so I walked around a bit to stretch my legs in the fresh air.  On the other platform was an interesting looking building.

 

My train left from that side so over the bridge I went (that shopping trolley was HEAVY) and discovered that the building was the Victorian Waiting Rooms.

Far too hot and stuffy inside to actually use them though.  Outside was an interpretation board  explaining that the building was now grade II* listed and had been fully restored in 2015.  It is believed to have been a prototype exhibition structure and has some of the first examples of majolica tiles – which are fabulous.

Aren’t they lovely?  Here is the info board if you want to read more, and I am sure there is plenty to be found on the web.  If you click on it, it should maximise and be readable.

Anyway my train eventually arrived – with air-con, what a treat – and Dave was at Droitwich Spa station with the car to meet me thank goodness!  He dropped me off at the bridge and while he took the car back to leave it at the marina I unpacked and had a long-anticipated cup of tea.  A lady turned up a while later wondering if we had seen a stray hound puppy yesterday – Dave had and was able to tell her that another boater had called the RSPCA which came to take it away and look after it.  With no collar its owner was not traceable until the microchip had been scanned. We hope she got it back OK.

It was so lovely to be back on the boat.  Dave had moved back off the 24-hour moorings.

The evening was warm and the side hatch was open till dark.  This is what I like to see.

Great stuff.