Day 45 Part 2 - Wednesfield

(continued)
I met up with Doreen, my sister-in-law, at the new private art gallery which she's started with friends. My brother-in-law Richard, and nieces Hannah and Olivia joined us.

I lunched at the public art gallery, then pottered through the Mander Centre, down Broad Street and along the Wednesfield Road. This is where I saw the most striking changes - new offices, 'leisure' facilities and Student accomodation.

The Heath Town Estate, scene of much strife in my formative 1980s, was quiet and looked peaceable.

Our former home in Milton Road is little changed, except that the owners have glued some fake stonework to the rendering.

Then a short walk to Cadman Crescent, where I lived until I was twenty-two. Again, so familiar and little changed.

Finally along the Prestwood Road and to my brother Adam's home in Wednesfield.

We went for a drink with Dave at The Vine, decorated in 1930s style, where the Black Country BFG is well-kept.

We declined the offer of the 'cockles man', the very same visiting salesman who used to call in to the local pubs with his large tray of seafood thirty years before. To his non-amusement we would usually drown out his call of "Cockles! Mussels!" with our chorus of "Alive, alive-o!"

Dave, Adam and I finished the evening with a curry at the Rangamatti.

My walking verse was Romans 8.4, "[God in Jesus] condemned sin in the flesh, so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."