Boys and their toys!
At the end it turned out to be a nice trip. But at the beginning…
The plan was to have a relaxing day out in – a lovely little town Bridgnorth on the river Severn, to have a ride in a cable car and to buy some souvenirs. In my mind I saw pretty post card cottages with charming front gardens full of summer blooms, and the first street we turned into from a car park met our expectations entirely.
Мальчишки и игрушки!
В конце концов получилась хорошая поездка. Но вначале…
План был такой: спокойно провести день в симпатичном городке Bridgnorth, что на реке Северн, прокатиться на фуникулёре и купить сувениры. Воображение рисовало открыточные виды с очаровательными домиками, чудесными цветущими полисадниками, и первая же улочка, на которую мы свернули с парковки, не обманула наши ожидания.
But then we crossed the road, turned round the corner and found ourselves surrounded by heaps of rusting metal, huge wheels, old train carriages and steam engines. Some chaps in overalls were messing about with those things. Boys and their toys! Our boys could not possibly miss this place with so much “exciting stuff”!
Но потом мы перешли дорогу, завернули за угол и оказались среди гор ржавого металла, громадных колёс, старых вагонов и паровозов. Какие-то мужики в комбинезонах возились с этими штуками. Мальчишки и игрушки! Наши никак не могли пройти мимо такого «великолепия»!
After having admired that heap of … stuff – back to civilization, and a step into the past – the Bridgnorth railway station is as it looked in 1940-s: a ticket office, a waiting room, a timetable, old suitecases on a platform and a train with a shiny steam engine! A proper one, and just about to leave – perfect timing!
Налюбовавшись вдоволь на эту кучу … добра, – назад в цивилизацию и шаг в прошлое – городской железнодорожный вокзальчик выглядит как в сороковые годы: билетная касса, комната ожидания, расписание, старые чемоданы на платформе и поезд с блестящим паровозом! Настоящий и вот-вот поедет – время было точно расчитано!
Here came the crew: a red neckerchief, a black cap, a coffee in a hand, broad smile on his face. Nice man, he even let us take a few snaps inside the cabin. One finishing touch before the departure – he climbed along the side of the engine and polished a window with a white (!) fluffy towel – marvellous! Then a whistle, a hissing cloud of steam and off they went (16 miles/ 26 km to Kidderminster). Unbelievable!
Вот пришла паровозная бригада: красный шейный платок, чёрная кепка, кофе в руке, широкая улыбка на лице. Классный дядька, даже разрешил нам поснимать в кабине («только быстро!»). Последний штрих перед отправлением – он забрался на бок паровоза и протёр окно белым (!) махровым полотенцем – замечательно! Последовал свисток, шипящее облако пара и поехали (16 миль / 26 км до Kidderminster). Невероятно!
We crossed the suspension bridge and headed along a lovely promenade towards the Cliff Railway. £1.60 paid, and in a zip we were taken up by a blue beetle like cable car to the higher part of the town some 100 meters above the river, with the ruins of an ancient castle (built in 1101) and a gorgeous garden next to it.
А мы перешли подвесной мост и направились вдоль симпатичного променада к фуникулёру. Заплатили 1.60 фунта, и похожий на голубого жука трамвайчик в момент поднял нас на гору высотой метров сто, где над рекой располагается великолепный парк и развалины древнего замка (1101 год).
Then down the hill on foot, a bit of pub lunch (homemade pie and a pint), and then we did what the board outside on of the pubs said – we dropped our men and went shopping (the board says: “Husband’s crèche. Is he getting under your feet? Why not leave him here while you shop!?)
Затем пешком вниз с горы, перекусили в пабе домашним пирогом и пивом, а потом, следуя надписи на щите возле одного из пабов, оставили своих мужчин в покое и пошли за покупками
(надпись на щите гласит: «Ясли для мужа. Он путается у тебя под ногами? Оставь его здесь и ходи себе по магазинам!»)
Our aim was within one hour to raid the high street numerous charity and antiques shops. I prefer this kind of shops to souvenir kiosks with their plastic stuff, not even made in England. In charity shops you can, for example, buy genuine pieces of fine English bone china for a fraction of a price of £1 – £5! And that was exactly want we did, happily contributing to charities and giving second life to old things. Oh, and we bought some toys! Because boys love their toys, don’t they?
Нашей целью было за час обежать многочисленные благотворительные и антикварные магазинчики на главной улице Bridgnorth. Я предпочитаю магазинчики такого типа сувенирным киоскам с пластмассовыми безделушками, которые и сделаны-то не в Англии. А в благотворительных магазинах можно, например, за символическую цену от одного до пяти фунтов купить настоящий старый английский костяной фарфор! Именно это мы и сделали, с удовлетворением внося свой вклад в благотворительность и давая вторую жизнь старым вещам. Ну, и игрушки мы тоже купили. Потому что мальчишки любят игрушки, не так ли?
Watch my friend’s video clip here :
Very cool!
This is from what grows “steampunk” roots))
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Fabulous, fabulous description and very accurate of what we did that day! Good memories!
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Awesome places and great photography! Your charity-bought antiques are lovely, and the prices are not to be believed, compared to U.S. The blue plate is Wedgwood, isn’t it?
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Spot on! It is lovely Wedgwood and it’s the most “expensive”- £5.00 🙂
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Unbelievable!
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Dear Sasha, I have nominated you for the Sunshine Blogger Award. I love your blog, and I sincerely hope you accept the nomination. You can see the rules in my post Sunshine Blogger Award https://koolkosherkitchen.wordpress.com/2016/07/17/sunshine-blogger-award/
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Oh, thank you very much! What a surprise! I am really pleased and happy. Will work on it later this week. At the mo I am busy looking after my grandson, who is 18 months old and a handful!
I’ve looked at your questions and answers and I think you and I have a lots in common.
Oh, smashing photo by the way! 🙂
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You more than deserve it! Enjoy your grandson and take lots of pictures. I’ll tell my husband that you liked the photo, thank you. BTW, if you don’t mind divulging the info, in which city in Ukraine were you born? I am a curious cat, after all!
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Житомир
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Why did I have a feeling that you would say that? My great-grandfather ZT”L (may his righteous memory be blessed) was the Zhitomir Rabbi. I went to college there (музучилище) and had the honor of living with him and my great-aunt, his daughter, until he passed away in 1968. I was named after my great-grandmother the Rebbetzin Dvoira, whom the villagers at the market still remembered as “Dobeh die Grobeh.” What an incredible coincidence!
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This is so unbelievable! My gran used to live on Lenin street. The house was just next to the stadium entrance and within a walking distance from the market. My earliest childhood memories are all there. In 1970-s the house where she shared a room with her younger daughter (my aunty) and two granddaughters was knocked down and they were given a one bedroom flat on Shelushkova str. Last time I was there 10 years ago when both of them were still alive.
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Unbelievable indeed! I transferred to заочное in 1968 after my great-grandfather’s passing. Last time I was there was in 1995, and I only went to the cemetery. I do get news regularly, though, from American and Israeli rabbinic students who go there as camp counselors or to help the current rabbi during holidays. I remember Lenin street, but can’t recall Shelushkova. I vividly remember buying жменьку земляники at the market early in the morning on the way to college. That was the best breakfast in the world!
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