Half Term Trip South-February 2011-Part 1-Humber Bridge,Barton and Grimsby

I'm heading down to North and North East Lincolnshire for a visit.
It's half term and my grandkids are off school.I'll get to see how quickly they're growing up.

My drive down was uneventful,with the weather clearing enough on the A66 to get the above pictures close to Barnard Castle.

A game of golf,visiting friends and dinner with the family got me settled in.
Me, Callum and Erin are heading for Barton on Humber.

This link contains lots of technical information.
The Humber Bridge
Callum and Erin have crossed the bridge often enough,but never walked on it.I remember it being built.At the time it was the longest single span suspension bridge in the world.

It's a misty cold day,but that doesn't stop us having fun.

We get as far as the South tower before the biting wind makes us turn back.
Now we'll have a look at the Far Ings nature reserve.

A dozen bird snapshots from the car gets me only the one decent picture.

Here's a couple of would be country bumpkins.

Fun and games in the bird hide.

Next we're heading to the Water's Edge Country Park.
Water's Edge
Earth Centre Network

This is open all the year round and deserves all the accolades it gets.

Great for kids.

Posers ! but so photogenic.

The centre's curved glass frontage looks out onto ponds with numerous varieties of birds at all times of the year.Inside it contains hands on displays about wildlife and issues such as climate change.Most schools in the surrounding area visit regularly.

I guess that's a tufted duck above.

Who's the silliest goat then ?
A further wander round and another run over the assault course saw us heading back home.That was a very enjoyable outing.

After a night out wining and dining with family and friends I'm now heading for

Grimsby 

Me,Jack,Charlotte and Mummy are going to visit the Fishing Heritage Centre.
Fishing Heritage Centre
I visited this place many years ago and wasn't too impressed.Now I'll thoroughly recommend a visit.It's excellent. We won't be going on the boat though.It's pouring down outside.

Most of the building has been turned into a museum of 50's life for the trawlermen of  Grimsby.

I wonder who the car belonged to.Perhaps it was used to drive around a 50's pin up girl ?

Many of the exhibits are so lifelike.
Top left of the above collage ? I could swear I saw movement.

I can't see that the trawlermen  would have kept their mirrors this shiny.
Jack and Charlotte are having a great time.Mummy nearly had a fit when she saw four of them.

Here's a pair of would be trawler crew.Situations vacant for Stokers and Net repairers.

Even as a fifties laddie from Fife I can relate to most of the above pictures.

As you make your way through the different rooms of the centre,it seems that each of them has the smell that was most likely at the time.Especially down here in the boiler room.

Looking at the pub in the top right,there's still a few I've visited recently that haven't changed much.

This visit was a very enjoyable experience.Jack and Charlotte certainly enjoyed themselves.
We're going to The Deep in Hull tomorrow.That'll be a separate post.

Jump forward a day and my visit to Grimsby ends with a walk in Peoples Park where a kick about and helicopter flying were followed by hot chocolate in the cafe...

...the play park and a look at the geese and ducks.

Next posting coming soon will be 'THE DEEP',it will be colourful.