On Friday, we decided to do a walk that we've been meaning to try for several years, namely leaving the car at Telford town centre and walking all the way down to Coalport. We finally had the presence of mind to get ready the day before, parked the car near Randlay pool in the town park, and set off on our journey south. Tom walked wonderfully well, mostly thanks to us kicking his football ahead of him and getting him to chase it, which he did with great glee. It also helps that Telford to Ironbridge is downhill nearly all the way. It would have been a different story going the other way. Still, I reckon he walked about 2 miles out of a total of about 5. The path dropped us just near the Museum of China in Coalport, where we sat on the canal bank and ate our picnic in the company of several sleepy ducks. It was all very pleasant. We then got the free bus back to Madeley, which Tom seemed to enjoy immensely - he sat on the front seat, never tried to take his seat belt off and generally looked very pleased with himself. We then got another bus back to the town centre, on which he also behaved very well, and I think he was asleep before we'd even left the car park. That was fair enough though, as he'd expended a terrific amount of energy in the morning.
Today was also the first road test of my new Teva trekking sandals, which proved themselves to be amazingly comfortable, especially given that I had around 30 lbs on my back for a good portion of the walk.
Saturday involved a bit of a road trip, as Nik had to deliver a wedding cake to Sutton Coldfield for 11 o'clock, but fortunately, all she had to do was deliver it and we were then free for the rest of the day. Shugborough Hall was more or less on the way back, so we stopped there for lunch (another picnic), after which Tom again kicked his football for a considerable distance across the grounds, pausing only to get grumpy when another little boy dared to pick his football up. The sulk didn't last very long, however, and we were all restored by a sit in the meadow, where Nik and I each ate an ice cream and Tom ate some daisies and dandelions. Each to his own I suppose. Shugborough is a pretty huge estate, but they have a free mini-train service to ferry people about, so we all enjoyed a ride on that back to the car. Tom was a bit late to bed that night due to the slightly unusual timing of the day, but we were in bed by 9.30, so knackered were we (we've also been working quite hard in the garden recently). It's hard work trying to keep up with an energetic (lunatic) toddler.
We got up late on Sunday as we all needed a bit of a lie in, but after breakfast, Tom and I did some more gardening in an attempt to tie him out enough for him to go back down for a morning nap. It worked, and he was out like a light from 11.00 until 12.45, when Auntie Jude arrived. After a quick lunch at home, we headed back down to Coalbrookdale for another attempt at a walk we did a few months ago when Tom grizzled and screamed the whole way round. No such problems this time though, and we had a really lovely walk through a secluded area called Loamhole Dingle which follows a stream through some very dense woodland. Some of it was quite steep uphill, but Tom did the whole walk by himself and even managed to find the energy to hoof his football around a meadow halfway 
round. We were all very impressed with the stamina and good nature he showed - he's a real joy to be around when he's in that sort of mood. What's more, we got home and had slow-cooked ribs for dinner, and Nik managed to get quite a bit of pork down him, albeit hidden in rice. Still, definitely a good result.Jude then toddled back up to Chirk, and we had another (much-needed) quiet evening at home.
Today we managed to tick off another activity that we've been meaning to do for years - the Telford Steam Railway. The actual train ride isn't very long, probably less than a mile, but it was hard not to be impressed by the enthusiasm and dedication of the volunteers that run it. They have plans to extend the line all the way down to Ironbridge, and I really hope they manage it. I think that may be some way off though. Being Easter weekend, Tom was given a free bag of mini eggs and we were allowed a free hot cross bun each at the cafe. Nik and Tom also had a ride on a miniature railway - a beautiful replica of one of the the sadly now-defunct Wrexham and Shropshire Trains. We were all captivated by an enormous model railway there as well - something that both of Tom's grandfathers should probably visit when they're next up here.We were hoping to have another lunch at the Green Wood Centre, but it was closed, so we ended up at the Fat Frog pub instead, where I had a very nice pizza and Nik had a very average panini. We just about managed to keep Tom awake in the car on the way home, and even now fast asleep in his cot, presumably dreaming of steam trains.
New words of the weekend: Bike and...train (of course!)
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