Local air show

We really enjoyed our day together at a local seaside air show.

Such fun!

It rained a little but stayed dry enough.  Sadly the fly-by by the Battle of Britain vintage aircraft had to be cancelled due to bad weather at the airfield they were setting off from.

The Red Arrows were as amazing as ever!

Day out at a local historical mill

We had a day out at Helmshore Mills today. Brilliant place, free for kids and only £4 for adults. 

They're about to have their funding cut by the council and possibly close. So sad, it's part of our local heritage!

Those were the days...hahaha

Popping seeds

For Prayer and Rainy Day Photo Safari

Please pray for the residents of Hebden Bridge a town about 9 miles away from us, they've been hit for the second time in recent weeks by awful floods: Flash Floods

We've had a goodly amount of rain, here's pics from a recent walk:

The lake has filled up nicely.

Lake overflow is overflowing :)

The stile is a waterfall

Almost to the roof of the bridge

River almost to its limit.

River bursting its banks.

The lane is a river

Which is river and which is path?

Shall we swim to the gate?

A bit soggy.

Being blown about like kites...

Here are a couple of videos from yesterday. When we got home from school yesterday we wanted to go and find out just how windy it really was, our house was quite sheltered.We certainly enjoyed the gales as we felt the dying effects of Hurricane Katia - obviously no longer a hurricane but more a bit of a gale! The girls fell over a few times though!! LOL.

Wind across the lake:



The girls striding forth, can you see that they both have 'staffs'. Chatterbox announced that she was Moses! :):



I really enjoyed our time out. As we walked I thanked God that we live in such a beautiful place. The fresh air was wonderful, the hills were (as ever) magnificent), the gales were entertaining, and I love spending time with my girls. Just lovely.

Bike Ride

Along the canal, by the locks and barges...

Happy days!

Working Children in 19th Century Lancashire by M. Winstanley

Mining children

I've just written a review of this book on Good Reads and thought I would copy it here since I'd mentioned the book in a previous post.

This was a very interesting book. The plight (and it was a plight) of working children in Nineteenth-Century Lancashire was a dark one. To read of children who worked from 6.30am until 10pm;

Mill work was dangerous, legislation did try to improve the lot of children, but many mill owners for many years ignored legislation. Children often worked barefoot as it allowed a better grip of the oily floors

to read of children of eight and younger left at home to care for their siblings (of which there were many) and the siblings of family members and neighbours whilst mother went to work;

to read of children who worked for hours sat in the dark of a mine waiting alone for a cart to come along so that they could open the door (see 'trapper' picture below from the 1840s);


to read of children who worked 60 hours a week on top of their school hours...is rather disturbing to read. Yet for many, this was the only way to survive, the only way for a family to have enough to eat and a roof over their heads.

The poorhouse or workhouse loomed heavily over the heads of the working classes.

As the author points out, often we idealise the past, "There was, it seems, an uncomplicated golden age not so long ago when children were children, families were united and happy, and moral standards were universally adhered to...[O]ur modern concept of 'childhood' is, to all intents and purposes, a recent construction and not one which would have been recognised by previous generations."