True Love Lives

“On lollipops and crisps”

“On lollipops and crisps”

The “Grand Old Lady” and the oldest iron bridge in the world (Author’s Collection).

According to the lyrics of the Radiohead song “True Love Waits”, you’ll find true love waiting for you in “haunted attics” and true love lives “on lollipops and crisps” and considering you’re here ostensibly for a travel article full of pictures you may be wondering why this Radiohead obsessed Englishman has commenced his article in this way and quite frankly, you can simply join the back of the questioning queue. Very little is straight forward in this upside down world of ours and certainly not here and if you’re looking for an apology, well you’re more than welcome to join the apology queue too.

I’ll play some Radiohead for you whilst you’re on hold.

I guess the answer is because whenever I travel I pick an album to listen to and today’s choice was “A Moon Shaped Pool” by Radiohead (heartily recommended) and, after nearly two decades of kicking this particular song around in live performances they finally added it to the last album they released in a long ago 2016 and it’s been a firm favourite of mine since I first heard it in the mid to late 1990’s.

But true love lives in the strangest of places and not just when hiding in an attic with only sweets and crisps for sustenance. Take “Bratch Locks” for example, a hidden away gem on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal with a beautiful “Staircase” lock that isn’t a staircase and hasn’t been one for many decades yet sure looks like one to my untrained eye. Rather than a staircase it is in fact three separate locks and all were in fine working order this afternoon, manned by volunteers and several boats travelled up and down its locks in the short time I was there. Add in the lock-keeper’s cottage and the beautiful Georgian style “Toll House” and it’s hard not to fall in love with the place. Today was my first return here since I first set eyes on “Bratch Locks” during last summer’s heatwave and another of that summer’s “happy accidents” as I traversed many of central England’s interlocking canals.

With some good news to impart, I decided to once again visit my spiritual home of Ironbridge as when you’re within the sound of the bells of St Luke’s Church you can’t help but fall in love with the place even if, like me, you’re already head over heels in love with this picturesque toytown on the banks of the River Severn. So I told my great friend Jeremy, owner of the town’s “Old Fashioned Sweet Shop” that I had triumphed over both adversity and a full legal team in my on-going legal dispute (the glorious details can be found in the article entitled “In Court with Queen” linked below) and I also had the good news to share of my being a published author. Yes I know it’s only self-published but I’ll take the win being offered and in any case, I have an “Author’s Badge” here to prove it! What larks! You can read all about this too if you wish as it’s linked below.

So after leaving my great friend weighed down with more bags of sweets than I should ordinarily admit to (OK, I’ll admit to “Kop Kop’s”, “Bon Bons” and several variations of sour balls. All for my son, naturally. Not for me. Perish the thought) I grabbed a bag of piping hot chips from the local chip shop (not before telling the beautiful Samantha that I was now, officially, a published author) and then had a chat with the oldest iron bridge in the world. I may have told her that I was a published author too and it may have been a trick of my failing hearing but I’m sure I heard her chuckle.

True love sure does live in the strangest of places.

Lemon Bon Bon anyone?

“I’ll drown my beliefs
To have your babies
I’ll dress like your niece
And wash your swollen feet

Just don’t leave
Don’t leave

I’m not living
I’m just killing time
Your tiny hands
Your crazy kitten smile

Just don’t leave
Don’t leave”

Reflections from beautiful “Bratch Locks”.

A sunnier image from “Bratch Locks” and the top lock, in all her glory.

View from the top/middle lock as a pleasure boater descends the “staircase” (that isn’t a staircase).

Say hello to “Little Blue” in the bottom of the three locks.

The “staircase” locks (that aren’t a staircase) at beautiful “Bratch Locks”.

View from the bridge at “Bratch Locks” as “Little Blue” departs for pastures new.

Manned by volunteers during the peek months of the year, I have a deep love for this part of English/British engineering history.

“And true love waits
In haunted attics
And true love lives
On lollipops and crisps

Just don’t leave
Don’t leave”

Welcome to toytown! The bells of St Luke’s Church signify home to me, and Ironbridge is a spiritual home like no other.

The River Severn flowing toward the equally historically famous industrial revolution town of Coalbrookdale.

The River Severn flowing away from Ironbridge toward Jackfield and another world famous town of Coalport, famed for its china.

The “Grand Old Lady” of Ironbridge, gleaming in the sun as always.

What do you fancy?!

“And true love lives, on lollipops and crisps”.

Thanks for reading. A silly edition even for me! The articles referred to above are linked here plus another from my vast array of rambling musings contained within my library here:

In Court with Queen
“But it’s been no bed of roses. No pleasure cruise”.medium.com

48 hours in the life of a published author
Published author! How do you like them apples?medium.com

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 (2023)
“It really is good to have friends”.medium.com