From Southport towards Blackpool.. The snow topped hills in the background...

Found the Airbnb easily enough, free parking.. was clean and tidy, and small, but enough for one night only.. 

Blackpool Tower, tried to get better photographs, but it was windy and freezing!

Spent a while just in the shopping centre, then a drink in one Wetherspoon, and dinner in the next Wetherspoon long the prom!

These two photographs are Fleetwood..

I nearly got another tattoo here! Luckily, she was busy! 

Above Lytham St Annes.

Stopped here for a little look around the stores and to find a pier that was open! None at Blackpool were, and this one you couldn't get out the back bit on...

Maybe they're all closed out of season... 

Now I have two Blogs ready to post, thumbs getting tired, and battery going down... On the phone too!

Wish I could share the news of finding the family homes... I guess I can write something, somewhere on the Ancestry site... 

I suppose it's not having my mom to share the news with that leaves the empty space I have.. Don't think my son's are bothered, much, or even at all..

M.

Don't let yesterday take up too much of today

Will Rogers

So! Formby, do you remember, back in December 2014, I had a placement in Ormskirk and I realized that it was close to Formby, where my great grandparents had lived in their latter years, and died.. 

Looking back they had from time to time lived around there and in that area.. 

I didn't know what the house looked like, just the name, so had walked from top to bottom, a couple of times every week for three weeks, while I tried to find the house, by name... or connect with one of the places! Yes, yes, looking no doubt like someone who had bad intentions! It was cold then too, hood up and probably looking highly suspicious!

When I got home though, I found in my mom's things, some photographs taken there! 

So this time, armed with said photographs! It was a different story!

We found six houses down the street, styled exactly like my great grandparents home, because of certain features I have lessoned it down to three! 

Why? I don't know! To connect, somehow with my ancestors, my past.. 

One of the houses was being worked on, builders stopped and having a snack break in their van.. watching me, watching the house..

So I spoke with them, said what I was doing and why... So funny... I think they thought I was in the market to buy!

Now this house above, is in Southport, our next 'port' of call, because when I was looking at my ancestry stuff having coffee at the end of the street before the Miss Marple house spotting above! 

I found an address for my great grandmothers sisters home!

And that's where we went next! 

Look at that house! Humongous!! And of course as we approached and started wandering around the white van there drove up! Caught in the act! I told that man what I was doing and why... He said help myself! 

The house is several flats, and the structure looks so bad... So sad... Just looked awful .. but still, was good to find a house belonging to the family...

Southport, I just love this town, always feel very at home up in this area, and I guess, with all the history we have up here... It's no wonder...

The beautiful Lord Street Grand shopping centre..

Stunning old building 

Last time I was here though, there was an amazing labyrinth of antique shops somewhat down on the ground floor level.. Seems to have gone now..

M.

No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.

Robin Williams - 1951-2014 - Comedian-Actor

Nothing worse than playing catch-up! Especially when so much to catch up on!! 

Beautiful drawing above on one of those drawing pads; me in the middle, son and two babes on one side, son and daughter in-law and babe on the left... 

Sadly with those pads, it's a click and gone! 

Above, inside Nottingham railway station café, coffee and gloves... My mom's... Thermal... My mom still keeping me warm...

On my journey to Beautiful Bewdley..

Passing through Birmingham and the cathedral there, a nice walk from New Street station to Snow Hill.. Snow being the word! No snow and then day of travel, there it is! Of course!

Arrived a week ago! Already! 

Went to football on Monday evening, in Wolverhampton.. now that was cold .. but my hand warmers kept me warm, while I nibbled through a packet of Skittles! Not had those for many a year!

Tuesday morning began a journey up towards Blackpool, and on the M5 down came the snow! 

Heavy, mixed with hail, then sunshine! 

Beautiful rainbow for a while, but the roads were dangerous, at one point a driver on the outside lane realized the traffic ahead had stopped, he was going too fast and drove in front of us and the next car and drove onto the hard shoulder and slowed down there away from parked cars...

Luckily there was space to do so, or he would have taken us out! And not in a good way! 

If you can zoom in on the photo above on the left.. yes it's blurry as I was rushing to take the photograph.. but that car on the hard shoulder... It's facing the wrong way!! 

Lucky man must have just spun and ended up safely there... Nothing wrong with the car, but he looked stunned... As one would! 

So many cars all over the roads, smashed, or parked wrong!! Well, being parked of course on the M5 would be wrong, whatever! 

Anyways, the bad weather cleared, and actually made it through in one piece! So far!

Next stop! Formby!

I'll write now and post tomorrow!

M.

We all live under the same sky, but we don't all have the same horizon.

Konrad Adenauer - 1876-1967 - Former Chancellor of Germany

Ooops! Fail already! I didn't post my post! So will get this one posted and move on!

Above the Nottingham wheel coming down!

Stunningly beautiful day today, clear crystal blue skies above ..

This strange substance on the ground.. looked so pretty, appear to be ice crystals to match the sky! 

I walked then where the sun had touched and that wasn't so slippery!! Lols!

It does look pretty though all the frosting everywhere..

On the tram headed for town, lots of people back to work, so hoping it won't be so crowded! I really do not like crowds!! 

M.

The key to abundance is meeting limited circumstances with unlimited thoughts.

Marianne Williamson - Author-Speaker