31.07 - Day 198 - Coventry to Lichfield to Mynytho
Wednesday 31st July - Coventry - Myntho (Day 198)
After school work on Wednesday morning we tootle to the burnt out shell of the old cathedral, fire bombed in WWII, but the stone walls and empty windows were still standing. On our own there it's almost a little eerie.
After the war a new cathedral was built next door, more giant cube than flying buttress or soaring spire. Its main feature is a huge wall made up of hundreds of small stained glass windows creating a striking effect - a jigsaw of that image is bought, proving particularly tricky when tackled in Myntho later in the week.
It’s not far to our next and last cathedral in Lichfield, north of Birmingham, the kids' waning enthusiasm reversed when I pass on the message from my mum saying that their great great great great grandfather has his own stone effigy there having been the Canon of Lichfield. Like Indiana Jones in a Venetian church the kids rush to find John Hodgson Iles lying in rest rather prominently next to the north door.
In a quick search for best UK play parks as an incentive for Sienna and Seb we drive next to The Land-Plas Madoc, just outside Wrexham which conveniently on this rekindling of old British stuff and traditions involves passing - and therefore stopping at and walking along a large aqueduct at Pontcysyllte upon which canal boats and kayaks are edging along in a long open ended bathtub supported 40 metres above the ground by 18 tall stone arches.
The kids' reward at this play park is then to run wild and free where getting dirty and splinters is mandatory, OH&S is a foreign concept and parents are not allowed in. The kids seem to have fun jumping from discarded pallets and makeshift dens and water fights.
Finally we arrive in Myntho, the two hour leg again sound tracked by the Olympics where Jess Fox wins another gold in the canoe, there’s a bronze in the women’s 10m Synchronised diving (Chinese gold - they end with 8 from 8 in diving), but most excitingly Alex Yee winning the triathlon, dramatically claiming the lead at the death.
On our arrival everybody - mum, dad, Corinne, Lucy, Lily and Sophie are in the pool in the early evening sunshine and it's all go with 10 around the table for dinner.