Friday Skywatch

Friday, 11 January 2008

My Life: Liverpool,City of Culture.2008

Coastguard Rescue

It was my husband's 65th birthday a couple of years ago and when I asked him what he would like to do,he said he fancied a week in Weymouth,Dorset. So we booked a week in a B and B. We were out for a walk one day near the harbour and we saw the SS Shieldhall. On enquiry,we were told that they were doing cruises up the coast and one would be on George's actual birthday. Well, that was too good an opportunity to miss so we booked on it. It was a fantastic trip with glorious scenery all along the coastline but what made it extra special was something we didn't know about till it actually happened. The Coastguard Rescue had arranged to do a simulated air sea rescue.Apparently,they particularly like to do these on ships such as the Shieldhall as they are difficult to land on so it is good practise for them.Of course, there was great excitement on board as the helicopter hovered overhead and the guy was lowered down with the stretcher,which was then loaded up with a dummy figure and winched back up into the helicopter.Now, I did tell George that I had thought of asking them to put him on thr stretcher and winch him up into the copter but somehow he didn't seem to go a bundle on that idea! I wonder why??

Friday, 4 January 2008

The Dee Marshes

Just down the road from where I live is the river Dee part of which has become silted up,forming the marshes.It is quite an important bird watching area and very popular with local walkers,particularly doggy walkers. There are marvellous views looking across to North Wales,which we can also see from the back of our bungalow, lucky so-and-so's that we are!