Sunday 11/9 Leeds

The view from our mooring this morning

We walked through, for the moment, quiet Granary Wharf, passing our original mooring spot

Over the River Lock Footbridge

To catch a water taxi from the bottom of the lock down to Clarence Dock and the Royal Armouries Museum.

The view up the centre of the staircase at the Royal Armouries

We spent most of the day at the Royal Armouries. A fascinating collection. I thought I would be bored. I lasted 3.5 hrs, Lawrence and hour longer. But I had plenty to entertain me as there was an urban obstacle course teams marathon being run around Clarence Dock, so from my vantage point outside the armouries museum I got so see a a few of the obstacles - some of the teams weren't very fit or athletic and while I laughed, I sympathised.

Did you know that NASA before making the astronauts suits came to look at one of Henry V111 suits of armour for ideas. The particular suit was made for Hal when he was a strapping 29yo, and not yet wide of girth. It covered Hal from head to toe and left no openings, yet he could move freely in it and it was this aspect that NASA was interested in. I was so interested I forgot to take a pic, but here is one out of the guide book (which we felt obliged to buy because entry to the Royal Armouries is free).

The Staffordshire hoard was also on display as part of a travelling exhibition, so we were lucky to have timed it well. The objects in the Staffordshire hoard date from the 7thC to early 8thC and are believed to have been buried in the 8thC. They were found by a metal detectorist in a farmers field in 2009. The hoard comprises over 3,500 gold and silver objects nearly all the decorative parts of martial equipment that seem to have been removed by force. Fascinating.

Duncan and Tom McD could easily spend a couple of days at the Royal Armouries, for not only do they deal with weapons of war, there is a hall dedicated to hunting and sporting actives. I had no idea that people have been shooting at clay targets for a few hundred years with all manner of guns

After Lawrence had had enough, we queued for the water taxi and had a pleasant ride back up the River to Granary Wharf and a very late lunch at a tapas bar - yum. Then it was time to find a supermarket to replenish the stores.

Whoops got to go, Chas is champing at the bit to get underway, and I don't know when I will get internet again.