LEAMINGTON SPA, NUNEATON AND HINCKLEY

It's bonfire night tomorrow, if it wasn't so far I'd take advantage of my few days of freedom and head down to Lewes bonfire parade etc, if you've never been there it isn't quite as bad as it was once , the bonfire boys and girls wear striped tops, this was to maker them all look alike when the militia was sent in to quell the rioting associated with the raucous celebration and although the parade no longer boasts army bands the spectacle is still remarkable and the good folks remember the protestant maters who died for their faith, that's why it got a politically incorrect slant in modern times before it was just boisterous drunkenness etc. There are actually two parades but you wouldn't be able to spot the second as it joins on the other and marks the different societies and the rebels who wouldn't stop burning the effigy of the pope. Fireworks used to be liberally thrown around and cauldrons of burning tar are still used for effective crowd control to clear the route of the parade(s). Over the years all manner of tableau's got dragged in such as the red indians and as it falls near armistice day they halt at the war memorial for a shot service. We didn't even tell Marion when we went as she still had the horrors over it's many dangers, I'm sure the lost eyes and burns are greatly reduced now.

Mandy was on the way to the ferry this morning over to Ireland, I got up with her and followed out but down the M6 etc and to Leamington Spa where it was still damp but suitably cloudy and although the buses thinned out a bit the university traffic picked up at the same time, after getting an hour of film I had breakfast/lunch at Marks & Spencers which was hard to locate as they have two and the cafe is harder still to locate in the store, must be a sort of reverse selling pitch? Then I went to Nuneaton but it was too sunny to get much film plus people just pulled up sand parked on the no loading in front of the bus exit and blocked my shots then I got befriended by a busker cum wino. I finally gave up and stupidly headed on to Hinckley which has a new bus station, unlike most built recently it has heaps of space strung out in a big semi circle and just one element missing, hardly any buses! I'll pop the whole lots together, in the footsteps of Midland Red etc.. Photos from this morning.