#blistshill

Day 22 - Sept 29 2015

Now offically half way through our vacation time, we were on another journey by train, this time on our way to Telford to spend time with some family.

We were picked up by our Aunt Chris at the Telford train station, and she brought us home for lunch and a chance to settle in, and spend some time catching up with Chris and our cousin Bob who we haven’t seen since their last visit to Vancouver a few years back.

Then we were out for an afternoon adventure around Blists Hill, a Victorian heritage town where Bob works.

The year is 1900 in this village, and it is a totally brilliant place to explore.

On the window outside the Chemists shop (like our modern day pharmacies, only old-timey)  I saw a sign saying they would pay for your teeth. When I inquired about why they might want to buy teeth we found out that it was common to have all your teeth pulled out while they were healthy and turned into dentures, as this was cheaper than dealing with your teeth as they rotted with age. Men would often spend the money to maintain their own teeth, but girls would often have their teeth pulled and turned into dentures as a wedding present, or for their 18th birthday in preparation for their eventual marriage. One was really lucky if you could also afford the opium to numb your pain during the procedure! Can you imagine?!

Enjoyed the horse-drawn carriage tour of the village.

Then on foot we continued checking all the spaces out.

They have an old carnival area with fun rides and games to play. As a workplace with old fashioned outfits, it was cute how Bob’s co-workers all gave him playful grief for not only wearing civvies, but also showing off his legs in shorts. lol.

The swing ride was surprisingly super fast!

Sasha was the only winner at the ring toss game, but she was kind and shared her victory popcorn treat with all of us. :)

More exploration walking time. Every historical town has a small school building to check out.

I loved this little stone cottage that was so cozy.

Also loved how so many of the brick buildings look like surprised faces.

There is a peaceful walk along the canal that brings one to this view, so nice.

The candle stick maker gave an entertaining overview of how candles were made, and had some stories to share on hazards of life by candlelight.

I love the old print shops and this one was great. The man who was working in the shop tried to tempt her to work for him, earning 1900 wages of course. That means sleeping in a space below the shop floor, being paid a dollar a week, and only seeing your family on Sundays for church & dinner time. Imagine our surprise when she thought that was a bad deal lol.

mmmmm...pie.

Of course we had to check out the candy parlour before we were ready to leave. :)

A short drive away from Blists Hill village is the very first iron bridge ever built. This amazing architectural creation was designed in 1776 and unfortunately not completed before the architect who designed it passed away. Led to many engineering breakthroughs since then, and totally beautiful too!

Sasha dancing at the center point.

The view on either side of the bridge - beautiful.

The picturesque little town up the hillside.

Well, it all looks charming til you notice the nuclear power stacks in the distance.

We finished the day with dinner at the Red Fox, a favourite restaurant for our family to get together.

We were happy to meet our cousin Paul and his wife Sue who joined us for dinner. Since Paul has not had the chance to visit Vancouver yet, this was our first chance to get to know him, and we loved him and Sue right away. :)

She was completely smitten with her new uncle by the end of the night and totally reluctant to leave his side when it was time to go.