Bracknell having the real name of Bracknell Forest there are forests everywhere in and around the town.  Just to the rear of were we stayed there was a lovely local park, full of trees and allsorts of wildlfe and vegetation.  During our gentle stroll round the park I took some photographs of the various trees etc.

A rather lovely place to spend an hour on a Saturday afternoon

We came to the shed in the morning which is all in bits in the garage and the first thing that we looked for, obviously, were the plans.  The first (major!) problem was encountered here.  No plans.  The shed came in 3 packs.  A base pack (pack A) which is needed for all sheds and then extensions (pack B x 2).  Therefore, rather annoyed at the lack of instructions I was on the phone to B&Q.  After having left it ringing for fifteen minutes (and not I am not joking here!) I finally got through to Steve.  He said that he has the plans there but couldn’t get them to me.  He had no email (which I also couldn’t believe!!).  Therefore my wife on her way for the weekly shop picked them up.

Meanwhile we were using the instructions that we had from pack B to work out what everything was.  The week before we have started to lay the base for the shed and done around the outside as it were.  It was clear however that the shed had 3 strips of wood down the centre and therefore we would need something in the ground in order to level it out.  Therefore we had some bricks left over and we decided to berry these in the ground with some chippings and dry mix cement, to level it up.  Once these were in the bases went down, rather well actualluy, and then we fastened the bases to each other.

The shed then went up rather smoothly with the bits and bobs accounting for themselves really.  Then came the final rather large problem.  No door hinges.  At this point it became obvious that we were a bag missing, which would have had the plans in as well as the screws for pack A.  Still we had managed to make do with the using my own screws.  Tomorrow I will be off to B&Q to ‘claim’ my hinges and perhaps a few packs of screws from them.

I have to say that I am not happy with B&Q.  Delivering a shed without any door hinges or even instrucitons is like selling it with no roof on, or selling a brush without a handle.  It I had paid someone to come round and fit the shed I would no be well out of pocket.  We will see what tomorrow brings when I head to B&Q.

Ewan is green and yellow in colour.  We think that his dad must be Niles as he is a very similar colour to Ewan.  Joshua is a white and blue colour, which is unlike any other bird in the aviary, which is slightly strange.  At this stage we cannot tel whether they are boys or girls.  We will have to just wait and see.  What is for certain is that they are very small and very cute!

Again another attraction at really good value for money at just £5 per adult we really enjoyed the different exhibitions that are on offer.  There are lots of plans to look at and it really does give you an excellent sense of what it was like to fly these magnificant machines over the years.  There is even an game were you can test your skills at being an airplane gunner, with some (computerised) target practice.  I managed to achieve the status of Second Class Gunner, which I thought was rather good.

So that is that, our short break in and around the historical city of York over with.  It has been a great 3 days and a city that is well worth a visit if you are ever in the area.  I thought I would end these York posts with a gallery of all the photographs that I took over the 3 days.

We managed to arrived at around 1000 and there was already a queue at the Viking centre, which was expected however it was quickly moving and we were in the centre before we knew it.  Now some of these things are very expensive however we were thoroughly impressed as this was only £8.50 for an adult.  The tour starts with a time journey through time in the time capsule, which takes you back to the year 866AD when the Vikings claimed York.  This ‘Time Capsule’ wobbles and moves so you feel like you are moving (perhaps not through time but still it feels like your moving).  Then there is a monorail trip through the city of Jorvik (York) in the year 866AD.  This is really good and there is commentary in whatever language you want (within reason).  This part is very well done with 6 people to each coach around the mono-rail.  Then after that the centre is yours to wander around and see all the exhibitions which range from the life of the vikings and what they ate and drink to what they found when the dig took places in the 80s in York, excavating the remains of the Vikings in York.  Well worth a viist.

We then wandered to the other side of the city and found Cliffords tower.  The  picture is me at the top of the tower, which you can see top right of the photo.  When you get to the top you can see all of York and you appreciate what a good vantage point that must have been for the residents of the castle, waiting for their invaders to come over the lands nearby.

Opposite Cliffords Tower is the castle Museum which gives you a glimpse of life through the years in York.  There are some really interesting displays of houses and life through the 20th century and you find yourself thing “I remember those from” and “such and body used to have them in their front room”.  Very amusing and it makes you appreciate just how far technology and quality of life has come in the last 60 years or so.  Also seeing behind the desk in the old school made a change from the day job.

After this is was rest and relaxation back at the hotel before heading out for a meal at Pizza Hit in York.  Again very nice and a nice end to a lovely day.  Tomorrow it will be the air museum and then off home.

We decided to take the more scenic route to the city taking the A59 route through Skipton and Harrogate. Well we though that we would be going through Harrogate but as we approached the road was closed and we ended up going through Ilkley and Otley were we hit traffic. It seems everywhere we go we get hit with traffic.

Anyway we arrived at the hotel at around 1530, and after a quick refresh we drove into York, Now York is a popular tourist attraction with lots of things to see and do. You would have thought (well we would have thought to) that there would be later night parking. We wanted to go into the centre and park and then perhaps have a look round, do a little shopping and then go for something to eat. Therefore we knew that we needed to be able to park until around 1930. However ever car park that we found closed at 1830 or 1900 which was not good. We eventually settled at parking on a retail park and took a risk with the 3 hour limit. The risk paid off.

So finally we are in York and we headed for the York Dungeons. We really enjoyed it. You walk through the dungeons and at regular intervals there are actors that are acting out what would have happened. You go round in small groups of around 7 - 8 people and the actors really do feel that they there just for you. They are very good and really make the scenario feel good. It is not just what you see and hear and the sounds and surprises it is also the smell that somehow they have managed to recreate. All in all a good experience and worth the £25 for 2 adults.

We then had some tea and found a Franky and Benny’s near the car. Me, I had a nice thick steak with fries, onion rings, tomatoes and mushrooms, while Helen opted for a rather nice looking Lasagne.

So tomorrow I think it is going to be looking around the centre at the site and sounds and visiting the Jorvik Viking centre and the air museum. We may even squeeze in a visit to the National Railway Museum too. Only time with tell.

I wondred at first whether he had figured a way over the overhang section of the fence.  But then again it was cleary just to much for them to scale.  Therefore I just couldn’t figure out how he was getting out.  The only other way I thought was literally a running jump.

Why am I so bothered you might ask?  Well the real reason is the plants.  If the rabbits do get into the garden there is no really problem of the escaping and getting into trouble as they are sealed in with 7ft high walls.  What does worry me if they get into the garden for long periods of time is that fact that they will just eat all of the plants that I have spent all year planting and getting right.

So the only way that I could think of was to video the rabbits for a period of time and then see if I could catch on camera George’s escape route.  Below is the video that I managed to shoot.

As you can see he was getting out, off camera and therefore it was nothing to do with the fence at all.  In fact on investigation of the left hand side of the hutch (far left on camera) there was a very small gap between the hutch and the all, with no over hang on there.  That was how he must have been getting out.  The gap was tiny and that would explain why only George could ever get out, because Jeremy is bigger than George.

I like the video, as watching the two rabbits makes them look so human.  Once George is out he almost goes up to Jeremy as if to say “you not coming out for bit to?”.  Jeremy would then reply with “how do you get out George?” and then proceed to get on his hind legs trying to scale the fence only to resort in a failed attempt.  They really do have such great personallities these rabbits.

So I suppose the only thing that remains is how will he find a way out next?  Maybe he will learn to high jump and then I will be stuck for ideas to keep them in!

We have a south facing garden which is brilliant as it gets to sun all day long, but today it was relentless as the sun was high and very hot.  We started the day finishing off from yesterday with a quick trip to B&Q in order to buy an outside light and some wire.  We then finished connecting the electrics in the aviary as well as at the top of the garden on the new patio.  Hooray it all worked wonders.  So now the birds have a light in the aviary and one outside in the fly bit.

After cleaning all the aviary we then reconstructed it on the newly laid concrete slab that should make sweeping the floor much easier.  It went back together surprisingly easy and once the gate was changed to fit the new position of the aviary pets corner was finished.  Just a latch for the gate and some wood to go on top of the fence to prevent the rabbits from escaping.

Then at the end of the day, after a little pitch and put with the lob wedge from the golf bag (and 15 attempts to chip into the rabbit run without succeeding) we started to dig the footings (trenches) for the new shed to sit on when that arrives shortly.

After that it is a big tip run tomorrow to clear out all the rubbish and then on with the garage clean out ready for a conversion in the near future.

About a week ago now Daphne (our female breeding budgie) hatched another two young.  They are both coming along nicely and seem to be developing well.  They have even coped with the moving of the aviary (see below).  Another couple of weeks and they should really start to look like littlle budgies.  At the same time however Goldie is not doing to well.  She had a lot of mess around her bottom this morning and when Helen cleaned her up it is clear that she is bunged up with something.  A trip to the vet means that she is on Antibiotics.  Hopefully she will pull through in a day or two.

Yesterday and today was the big aviary move ready for concreting underneath the aviary.  We first had to dismantle the shed and avairy then it could be moved onto the patio that was constructed a few months ago.  There is was part reassembled so that the birds could go back in there for the next week or so while the concreting and electrics are done.

We have been waiting all day today for the order to arrive from Berrys (the local builders merchant) and as I write this the materials are still not here!  Therefore today has been tidying up this and that.

Finally the rabbits.  They too have not escaped the moving of the aviary, as moving it meant their pen was now open.  Therefore they have been relaxing in the sun all afternoon in the old rabbit run.  I think they have quite enjoyed siting in the shade next to each other, eating grass and apples.  They certainly looked relaxed.