“It’s never too late to start again” – these are Robert Plant’s very own words, although not spoken during his brilliant gig at Liverpool Philharmonic, but a couple of days earlier, in the Royal Albert Hall. Soon after attending the concert I saw this sign outside a cafe in Nantwich and somehow I thought there was a connection. Is the Universe trying to tell me something ?

I have officially entered the ’45-50′ online surveys age bracket and, to reward myself for 4.5 decades of perseverance and ingenious survival skills, I booked 2 days holiday before Easter and enjoyed a week off work, filled with music, theatre, and, of course, some local day trips. Apart from Robert Plant & Saving Grace and their wonderful blend of blues, folk and Americana I saw “The Kite Runner” at Chester Storyhouse, a very moving play based on Khaled Hosseini’s bestselling book. We have such a nice theatre, why can’t we have more plays like this, more regularly ?

For the benefit of my readers based outside the UK, here’s a little explanation: we enjoy four days off during Easter, starting from Good Friday, until Easter Monday. So, it really is a mini holiday in its own right. The weather is always a gamble, it could be a heatwave or snow and hail. This year it has been mostly decent, at least in my neck of woods. I will check with my work colleagues tomorrow, but I’m pretty certain it rained in Manchester every single day 😉

I have bought myself a book about black & white photography, another birthday treat of sorts. It is counter-intuitive for me, because I adore colour, the stronger and brighter the better. I often happen to be out with my camera in mid-day, when the sun is harsh and unforgiving. It can however help b&w pictures enormously so I thought: why not ? It demands a different approach during post-production, so that’s another learning curve for me.

Castles look stunning in black & white so I just had to go and find one near me. Chirk Castle in north Wales is a gem on my doorstep, a complete XIIIth century castle and estate which now belongs to National Trust. I was only going to explore the immaculate gardens and woods, but I got lucky and managed to see the interiors as well. I’m definitely more into gardens, haha 🙂 I want to go back once the spring truly arrives. I was pleasantly surprised and impressed with how well both the castle and the grounds were maintained. Also, it’s kids friendly and a doggie heaven!

It was hard to escape the abundance of colours, but I still found some themes that worked well in b&w.

Another location I had on my Easter list: Another Place in Crosby, an installation by Antony Gormley in the form of 100 life-sized sculptures scattered all over Crosby beach, and into the sea. They seem to stare at the waves. British beaches are unusual: when the sea retreats, it’s barely visible, but when the tide is high, the whole beach often becomes inaccessible. I was there just as the water began to submerge the figures. I am quite pleased with the results. Can you see the snow-capped Welsh hills in the distance ? It was so cold I had to put my woolly hat on!

On Good Friday I caught a bus to Nantwich, a small, medieval East Cheshire town I had visited some 15 years ago. It has not changed much, apart from some closed shops. It reminds me of how Chester used to be, when I first came and fell in love with it. Nantwich is an hour away from Manchester Picadilly and 1.5 hour from my work, otherwise I would seriously think about moving there. Definitely my vibe: pretty, clean, affluent, polite, a complete opposite of the shockingly deprived, filthy town where my employer is based. I didn’t know there was Jazz & Blues festival taking place over the weekend; something to remember next year.

Nantwich was once a major producer of salt and a spa town, renowned for its therapeutic brine. Even its lake is so salty, no fish can survive in it.

I caught a glimpse of many picturesque villages on my way to and back from Chester. I rarely travel in that direction and it struck me how beautiful Cheshire countryside is and how it stands out when compared to neighbouring counties. I once said Cheshire (minus Warrington and Crewe) could be dragged south and placed somewhere next to Surrey or Hertfordshire and nobody would bat an eyelid. It would unfortunately mean that we would lose an easy access to several national parks, so, after all, it’s best to stay where we are 🙂

I hope you all had a good break. I am looking forward to my trip to Krakow, Poland, in mid April. Then, early May bank holiday weekend in Airbnb with a hot tub in northern Ireland. Then, a late BH in Liverpool. I’ve decided to take as many short breaks and as extended weekends as possible this year and focus on my photography more than ever before – for my mental and physical health sake.