Bidston, 4th July 2010

We had an interesting mixed bag of places to see today. We took the 437 West Kirkby bus from Sir Thomas Street at 10.20, arriving at Upton Road/Grasmere Avenue at 10.45. It was warm and overcast, with a gusty wind and a forecast of heavy rain. Bidston Court Gardens has terraced lawns, a striking copper beech hedge and a wonderful view towards North Wales from the top terrace.  Then we climbed the steep wooded Thermopylae Pass up to Bidston Windmill and came down a different way to Tam O’Shanter Urban farm where we had our lunch.  Our plan for the afternoon was a concert in Vale Park, so after lunch we cut through Flaybrick Cemetery and down Tollemache Road to Birkenhead North Station, where we saw our only notable wildlife of the day – a Pied Wagtail on waste ground and a Kestrel hovering on the far side of the rails. We arrived at New Brighton at 1.45 and we were unfolding our deckchairs at 2.15. There were a few threatening spots of rain just as we arrived , but it cleared up and we settled down to hear the Norman Roy Band give us their Glen Miller Sound in honour of American Independence Day.