283 Sunday 7th September 2025 Rawtenstall

 This  was  a  trip that started out as one thing then ended up another. It was  Simon's  choice to do some more trigs. We  did  the first  at  High  Barn near Affetside. The footage wil appear here in due  course.

As soon as we finished that  one, it started raining  so  we  decided to head for  lunc  at  the  Barlow Institute  in  the  hope it would clear up while we were eating. 

It  didn't so Bull Hill, our next target was out of the question. We  decided to go to Rawtenstall Museum instead. Simon had been there as a toddler but didn't remember it.

He  was immediately taken with this exhibit of a scary figure used to keep childworkers alert in the mills although this is a contemporary artist's interpretation rather than a historical artefact

I can't recall the context of this head but it's pretty impressive

A  very odd claw machine. I wonder if it's as rigged as usual

This was the one exhibit I remembered from the previous visit. The python's head isn't real.

We both love otters....

.... and cats of any description.

After the museum we went down to Rawtenstall Station to see if there was a steam train there. the  woman in the buffet car told us one was on its way so we waited.

After  that, we went home.