Window Cleaner's Holiday England And Italy 2019 To 2020

December 23, 2019 To January 23, 2020.

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Brighton

We arrive at Heathrow on the 23rd of December and stay a couple of nights with daughter, Hazel.

Christmas Eve 2019. I am way too over dressed for the mild conditions.

All that remains of Quadrophenia.

London

South Coast Chalk Cliff Walk

Public transport and walking prove to be the best way of getting around on this occasion.

Leaving Brighton

The boys and I hire a car, a Skoda Octavia and head off up north.

Cheshire

My old mate Roy Lincoln in Cheshire. Roy was my very first window cleaning partner in 1981/'82. I haven't seen him since those times, in fact we have completely lost touch. I find an old address on the internet and cold call knock on the door. It is great to see him again. We worked at a place in Northwich called Corwood and Co.  

The old workplace, Corwoods.

The original building still stands with some more recent additions.

Liverpool New Year's Eve

Liverpool New Year's Eve

A homeless person sleeps out with his dog. New Year's Eve Liverpool.

Workington Cumbria New Year's Day

The old house my family lived in 1970, revisited 50 years later

Poorhouse Stream, close to our house.

I spent a lot of time here as a kid 50  years ago and it is still quite recognisable today

My old school yard St Patrick's Workington. The buildings have been demolished but the old sycamore tree remains.

The Old Bus Station Workington. Many an hour spent here.

Blackpool New Year's Day

Manchester 02/01/2020

Italy
Crossing The Alps. View from the plane.

First stop

After some very rough weather.The Falco D'Oro Hotel.

Napoli
Perhaps my favourite town in Italy. The traffic is crazy and the streets are litter strewn but it is a charming place with real character.

for sale in a shop in Naples.

Our hotel La Controra, Napoli. Highly recommended.

Rome

Security is tight the week USA assassinates an Iranian member of government.

Matera
WE stay three nights here at a serviced apartment called La Casa Grande. The size of the accommodation is a delight. we each have a room to ourselves with one room vacant. On the cold evenings the heating is geneereous. This counts for a lot by now.

Our rental car for Italy, a very nice Renault wagon.

Old caves on the far hillside. We tried to get across but the country is too steep and wild.

An Italian example of car parking.

Brindisi

Back down south again for one night awaiting an early morning flight back to Stansted Airport, London.

Halifax

Room at The Wool Merchant Hotel, Halifax, my home town.

The night time view from my window.

I meet a window cleaner on the streets of Halifax the next day and we have a bit of a chat. Outside taps are not the norm in England and this operator has to take his water with him.

This is Moorside school. Fifty years ago my teacher at St Malachys, Mr Quinn, would walk us the short distance between the two schools for swimming lessons at the school's tiny indoor pool. Today it is fenced off and appears to be awaiting demolition. I am glad to have seen it again before it disappears.

Wainhouse Tower, Halifax.

WAinhouse Tower, Halifax.

We visit Sylvia Plath's graveside.

The Piece Hall lit up at night.

A heavy overnight frost is as close as we get to snow the entire time we are away.

Nursery Lane Ovenden Halifax.

My Gran's old house, rear view. How many hours did we spend around here?

A walk through new streets

To an old shop my auntie ran and lived behind in the '60s.

This is the greatly changed bottom end of Nursery Lane, my Gran's old street.

Here is the same view from 1973. This is how I remember this streetscape.

This old photo, lifted from the Old Photos Of Halifax Facebook page shows the same scene some many years earlier. This is why I packed thermals but we were not to need them.

Front view of my Gran's old house. 73 Nursery Lane Ovenden, Halifax.

Then round the corner to my Dad's parents' house, 7 Watkinson Avenue Holmfield Halifax.

This is the site of my first school, St Patyick's Huddersfield, demolished in 1970 to make way for roadworks and leaving little or no trace

 The old church is still standing, giving a geographical  reference point.

our old friends The O'Haras. They have long since moved on.

Huddersfield Crematorium. I spent many years here as a kid playing in the ornamental pond.

I finally meet long time Facebook friend, Andy. This is the best of about 20 photos.

I get to meet Lisa Kekaula from The Bellrays. They are playing a gig in Halifax while we are here.

The old iron bridge, North Bridge Halifax.

I love the old industrial landscape.

Brighton Again.
Hastings

Smile please Hazel   .   .   .    .   .  

The notorious alley, Brighton. My work in England is done.