Are we there yet ? Those words mean one thing to me . Sion knows he is off to meet his best friend Woolly. This meeting has been on the agenda for quite a few weeks . Yes I knew that - I had been checking t and had read that we were going to meet up. That would be me , my best friend Woolly Mammoth and his carer Jo And there was me thinking I was keeping it secret . The best kept secret blown wide apart due to Sion peeking at and working out what was happening . Of course Sion knowing what was afoot meant that for weeks he kept asking me if we were there yet , what he was going to wear and where we were going . I had already spoken to Jo and I knew that she and Woolly plus Alfie Dog had already been to the British Ironwork centre near to Oswestry. Oswestry was a good choice - handy for both of us . It was a day I was looking forward to - plenty to see and plenty to keep a sheep and a mammoth
For the last few days Sion had been busy . He had been discussing his clothes for the day. He wanted to wear his Mam oShanter that Nanty Carys had made him plus his matching scarf . I caught him looking at weather forecast and he had to change his mind . It was going to be too hot to wear anything and he would have to go just in his wool coat . Sion had woken up early and was quietly very noisily singing to himself and muttering in between to himself . Boxes , Boxes everywhere . 36 of them and all on top of each other . One of them has my Mam OShanter in it . Which one ? It was very clear that Sion couldnt find what he was looking for despite trying to rip the tops of each one of them. He was not very happy as he wanted to show off his Mam o Shanter to Woolly and let Nanty Carys know how much he liked it . It was not to be
as he failed to find it and by 9oclock he had to give up. Of course he did not give up gracefully. He resorted back to the age old questions of when are we setting out and what time will we get there ? Another hour before we can set off I told him knowing that that was not what he wanted to hear . . I checked the directions to the Ironworks and put the in the Sat Nag. Is it time to go yet ? I will keep asking and asking and asking . Sion must have asked what time we were setting off every five minutes and each time I had to keep telling him he had to wait . But waiting is not his style . He had not seen Woolly for months and it was showing .
In the end we set off at 10.15. A neighbour stopped me to ask where we were going . I could hear shouting in the car at me to stop that talking and get driving . Yes thats right . I need to get off I am meeting my best friend and you are
stopping me . Get going I have not seen my best friend since ..........................last September when we met up at the acqueduct . The only way to shut me up is to get yourself in the car and start driving . That was right . We had lunch and walked to the acqueduct , before that we met up at Derby Sion and before that in France .
I arrived at the car park of the ironworks at just before 11 and could see Jo standing there with Alfie Dog . oh no Alfie dog ............... I had to gently tell Sion not to be jealous . He was very excited to see his best friend and walk around all the sculptures in the sculpture park . Perhaps that would keep him busy for the next couple of hours . I hoped so. He like us had been missing travelling and this was as far as I was going to be able to take him in the short term .
The ironworks was nothing like he had seen before . It was very unusual and somewhere I had never even considered visiting until I read Jo s
blog a while back . The drive in was quite odd as the driveway was lined with all manner of animals that would be found on an African game reserve . I could see ironwork everywhere . . Majestic giraffes were standing alongside lions , sheep, pot bellied pigs and elephants all made out of metal . Life size animals were placed around areas for walking.
