France 2015

No Surprise this year in that we decided to go camping in France again.  The last couple of years we have camped in progressively larger sites and last year there were over 60 pitches and around 20 camping/cottage-type things to rent.  It felt a bit too big and as the kids like the freedom to roam we searched for a smaller one this year.

We found it in the form of Aux Memes located inland about an hour from Toulouse in one direction and an hour from the Pyrenees in the other.

To get across we booked the tunnel and set off super early (3:00am) on Saturday 25th July to catch our train.  Despite the journey only taking 3.5 hours, we still missed our 8:06am train as the police had stopped all traffic into the port due to 'migrants' trying to storm the tunnel in Calais along with them finding a body on top of a train arriving into Folkestone.  Not the best start but we were quite lucky and managed to arrive in Calais with only just over an hours delay.

The rest of the day wasn't much better as we managed to choose the slowest lane at every toll and got stuck behind every Sunday driver on the road!  Thankfully when we arrived at our hotel near Poitier 14 hours after leaving home, the pool was open, the sun shining and the room
perfect for a one-night stop.

Sunday was polar opposite as the traffic behaved and we made it to the campsite by about 2:00pm.  Handily, the two families of holiday friends we were meeting up with had arrived the previous day and whisked the kids straight off to the pool so we could unpack and pitch the tent.  The pool was lovely when we were done and a welcome barbecue finished the day off nicely.

We stayed at the campsite for 13 nights and I can't believe how quickly they flew by.  Despite being small there was plenty to do at the campsite and nearby.  We went in the pool at least once a day and the kids made a gang of friends to explore with.  The photo shows Toby with his friends Alex and Dylan.

On days when it wasn't too hazy, we could see the mountains from our pitch and we spent a couple of days exploring them.  On the first visit, Steve rode up Col d'Aspin - one of the Tour de France climbs (Steve rode it from Arreau).  The views were pretty amazing at the top and it was an impressive achievement for Steve as he did the 12km climb (and it was ALL uphill) in just over an hour (the photo with the falling down fence is taken from the top).


On the second trip he had hoped to ride another climb - Col du Tourmalet but it was over 30° at the start of the climb so it was a little too hot to contemplate.  Instead we drove up much of the climb and stopped at one of the ski villages (La Mongie) and rode the Pic du Midi cable car that took us to one of the highest points in the mountains.  I can safely say the views couldn't be beaten.  Toby was very taken by the cable car and the girls (Beth's friend Alannah, from home, had popped to the campsite for a few days to visit on their travels) were pretty taken with it all despite the altitude making them sleepy!!  We had hoped to eat in the restaurant or cafe at the top but we left it a bit late and they had run out of child-friendly options.  Instead we snacked while looking at the views and took the opportunity to take lots of photos.


On the way down the mountain we stopped at a lake and the kids couldn't wait long enough to get their cossies on so jumped straight in in their clothes!  The pictures make it look quite dark and cloudy by the lake but it was 32° and very pleasant watching them (though we hung on till we got back to the campsite to take a dip).

Although we spent a lot of time around the campsite, we did have quite a few days out.  The first was to the town of Auch (pronounced Osh) on market day.  We were pleasantly surprised that the market wasn't all tat and there were lots of good stalls with breads, pastries, fruit, veg, honey and even beer.  After mooching round for a bit, we decided to try and make ourselves a little more cultured with a trip to the cathedral.  It didn't look much from the front but inside it was pretty impressive and might have taken an hour or two to explore if not for the slightly less willing members of our party!  They were more interested in a trip to the local hypermarche to see what toys were available with their holiday money.


On one of the days when the weather was 'changeable' one of the dads took on the task of setting and leading a bike route for us.  We went from the campsite and looped around the area, past fields of sunflowers and hay bails.  Unfortunately the weather didn't hold out and we got rather wet and muddy (thanks to a slight detour) though thankfully it wasn't cold.  No one seemed to mind too much especially as we found ourselves at the end of the 10-mile ride in the local village bar with beer, hot chocolate and ice creams!

Apart from the little trips out to get food and look at local markets, the only other day out was to a local water park.  The title is probably a bit grand for what it was but it suited us.  There was a pool with a few slides, a lazy river and a waterfall along with a cafe, play
area and massive sandpits where you could play football or volleyball.  Toby has never been a great one for going swimming and generally prefers to stay on the edge and join in from there.  However, he had no hesitation in 'diving' straight in and spent a couple of hours up and down the slides.


With all the problems at Calais, we were quite relieved not to be going back the same way.  Instead, we left the campsite on Saturday 8th August and drove down through the Pyrenees into Spain and caught the ferry from Santander to Portsmouth.  Santander has some lovely parts and the port is right in the centre so we had time to explore a little before sailing.

The ferry takes a total of about 25 hours and we weren't sure if it would ruin the holiday or make it more relaxed.  It was actually quite enjoyable.  We boarded around 8:00pm and dropped our bags off in the cabin before heading for some food.  We weren't overly enthusiastic about the thought of ferry fodder but were surprised with one of the nicest meals we've had out in a long time.  We all slept pretty well though got confused with the time difference as the ship works on British time from the moment it leaves Spain so we were an hour early for everything!

We were lucky to get cinema tickets to see Minions in the morning so spent an enjoyable hour or so relaxing watching that.  After lunch the kids had their faces painted and balloon shapes made for them (though they lost interest when the disco started).  There was a small outdoor swimming pool onboard that was pretty well used but the kids didn't push us to go in and we didn't mention it either - I was too keen on how the waves smashed against the sides when the ferry was rolling!  It was all well setup and not too laborious though I'm not sure if we'll do it again.

Now we're home again it's time to start hunting for a location for next year; any ideas?!?

Early Summer Bits & Bobs

This really is going to be bits and bobs as I've been meaning to post for ages so things have just queued up ready to go on!

I'll start with the recent as I can remember that slightly better . . .

Last night Beth, along with her friend Alannah, went to their first concert.  It was outside at Sherwood Pines and there were four bands on through the evening.  


It was a perfect introduction for them as there was plenty of room for cartwheels and we could take a picnic and drinks to help pass the evening in relaxed civilisation!  She was very happy as we also bumped into another friend while there.

The bands playing were Hometown, Union J, The Tide and The Vamps.  I'm afraid I was not knowledgeable about any of the bands beforehand (and not much better after) but they were all fairly inoffensive boy bands and I suspect many of the parents there could be forgiven for thinking they had watched the same group all night as the dress code and sound was pretty generic!

The atmosphere was great and very family-friendly and easy going so I think Beth might get a shock when she goes to another gig inside (with sticky floors and no chance of doing cartwheels!).

I'm not sure if she's ventured into the world of selfies before but I think these can be classed as some of her early attempts. :)



On Friday it was school sports day and for once the weather was fine.  Usually each child gets to do three races and it's very long winded and rather hard work for everyone.  This year I think they decided that it was just as easy to let every child do every race - generally there's only a maximum of about 10 girls and 10 boys in each year as the school has only just over 100 students.  

Toby had a rather uneventful afternoon as he seemed to potter through all his races and I don't think he even took his jacket off.  He was happy enough to chat with friends and to get a well done sticker for his effort.  Beth was rather more interested and managed a first, two seconds and a third.  She was most annoyed for tripping during the 100m and I think a bit embarrassed as she spent about 20m trying not to fall over with all the spectators willing her to regain her balance - quite amusing to listen to!

Sticking with sport, on June 7 Beth ran her first race for her club, Retford Athletics.  It was at a school/leisure centre about half an hour away in Bingham. She had to choose three events to do along with the relay.  She did the 80m, the 600m and the howler javelin.  

I think she surprised herself as she wasn't looking forward to the 600m as she says she doesn't like longer races.  However, she came 6th out of 19 in that and 13th out of 43 in the 80m.  I have no idea how she did in the javelin or relay but she enjoyed the experience and can't wait for the next one on July 12.  In the photo, Beth is fourth, just at the back of the front group.

The other photo is of Beth with her coach, Helen, who she has trained with since starting.  Unfortunately when Beth turned nine she had to move to the next group.  She still gets to see her and is happy with her next group as she has made some new friends but I don't think she gets quite the attention with her new coach!

Going back a bit now to April when we had the honour of being invited to the 95th birthday party for Great Gran Ess.  It was at Wynyard Hall near to Steve's parents.  It was a suitably grand location for the event and all the great grand kids had a great time running around the grounds (probably a little too close to the lake for our liking!).

The day was lovely as we got to catch up with lots of the family and had a very delicious meal while doing so.

To finish off, here's a picture of Toby being Mary Poppins!!!

Happy 9th Birthday Beth

It's a bit scary to think that Beth will be into double figures next year - where did that go?!  However, for the time being we are celebrating her turning nine, Happy Birthday Beth!

After Toby's big party I thought she may canvas for a big shindig too but thankfully she just wanted to do something with her bff Alannah.  She decided that Alton Towers was what she wanted and that seemed like a perfect plan until we looked at the price . . .  £200 ($310) for the five of us for a single day.  It seemed a little excessive, especially since when we went to Disneyland Paris last Christmas, neither of them like the roller coasters.  We could easily spend the day with them refusing to go on anything!

Steve suggested that we try and persuade her that Lightwater Valley would be just as much fun.  I'm happy to say that she was fine with that, especially as it is closer to home.

Alannah came for a sleepover the night before and was part of the present opening in the morning.  I think Beth's favourite present was a princess dressing up costume (and there I was thinking we had got past that stage!) but she was pretty happy with everything.

After getting everything open, chocolates eaten and costumes tried on, we headed out.

We were very lucky that the weather was good on her birthday and the theme park was pretty quiet (though not quiet enough for the kids who thought it was shocking to have to wait longer than a couple of minutes to get on a ride).

The first thing we went on was the Skyrider (flying chairs), Toby and Steve didn't partake but I went on.  I have to say that I think I've lost my love of roller coasters and all related rides since having kids.  My mind has turned a little analytical - "if the chain attached to my chair broke now, where would I land . . . ", the kids had no such thoughts and went on the Skyrider at least another three times during the day.

It was a really good day - a nice mixture of rides, wildlife (falconry centre) and just playing around.  I think next time we'll take our own picnic as the food was a little dire and cost rather a lot but other than that a fab time was had.

When we got home, we still had Beth's cake.  She chose her own this year - a pinata cake and one of the Brownie leaders with a birthday the same day as Beth gave her a special flower candle for on the top.  It was a mixture of tacky and fabulous at the same time and probably matched the cake pretty well!

Toby and My Trip to Bangor (NI)

In the week after Easter, Beth went off to the East Coast for a Brownie sleepover.  She and around 15 other Brownies spent three nights near Mablethorpe at a Girl Guide owned house, Seagull House.

From the sounds of things they had a fantastic time, visiting the seal sanctuary and spending time on the beach.  She came back more tired than we've ever seen her so that must mean they had fun (and I don't envy the Brownie leaders!).

Since Steve was at work and Toby and I had no plans, I thought it would be a good time to go over to Northern Ireland and visit my Grandma Ruth for a couple of days.  

We flew from East Midlands to Belfast City airport, Toby taking time to boot the pilot out of the cockpit and try the headphones for size!

We were extremely lucky that the weather was beautiful - by NI standards it would have been good for mid summer let alone April!  On the first day we walked from the house, down Stricklands Glen to the shore, then along the shore to the centre of Bangor.  We spent quite a while perfecting our stone throwing skills and stopped for an ice cream at Pickie Funpark before walking back up the Main Street home.

I had been a bit worried that Toby would be bored - active as Grandma Ruth is (at 91) and willing though she is to play games, etc. there is still an awful lot of sitting and tea drinking going on!  I needn't have worried, she has a fantastic network of friends who leapt to our aid.  Her neighbour, 14-year-old Stevie was amazing and came by every day to play football with Toby, wearing him out nicely before bed.  Peter, the 5-year-old son of her friend Carolyn also came by to play football and generally chase around the place.  

Another day we got a taxi to Crawfordsburn Country Park and took a very slow walk along the beaches and bays back to the house.  

Again the weather was fantastic and I felt like a very bad mummy for not having thought to take a towel for paddling/swimming.  Personally I still didn't fancy it as the water was still somewhat chilly, but I suspect Toby would have been straight in there.  Despite my failings in this department we still had fun skimming stones, watching the ships in Belfast Lough and drawing pictures in the sand.

On our wander back to Bangor we bumped into our local vicar, Julia, who was also over in NI for a few days break!  Makes you realise what a small world it is.

Despite the three days flying by, we had a brilliant time and Toby managed to show his best side, charming everyone he met.  I suspect I'll be back over there later in the year as Beth won't want to miss out on any of the fun!

(Belated) Happy 7th Birthday Toby

I've been a little remiss about keeping the blog up-to-date but I'm trying to get a few done now before it runs away from me!

Friday 20th March was Toby's 7th birthday and he managed to have a weekend of celebrations.  

On Friday he had a fuss made of him before school with lots of presents including a green book bag that he had set his heart on.  At his request we had a McDonald's tea where we bumped into one of his friends - an impromptu mini-party!  He wasn't too impressed that in the evening we had to go to Beth's athletic club's annual presentation evening - see more about that at the end of the post*.

On Saturday all the grandparents came at one point or another to see him, bring the all important presents and out for another meal.  Sunday was the grand finale with a animal-inspired party with all his school year group.

There was great excitement as he hasn't had a big party since he was four and he had Oreo and Friends coming. 

They brought a selection of animals ranging from a cute rabbit to the rather breathtaking 'Banana' (see if you can guess which one he is?!?).  

A few parents stopped for glasses of wine and to check that their children weren't gobbled up . . . some even were brave enough to hold a snake!

Unfortunately I was in charge of the hotdogs and food so couldn't possibly be available to hold anything!

All in all, Toby had a fantastic weekend and I think thoroughly enjoyed his birthday.

*Beth has been going to Retford Athletics Club since she turned seven.  We didn't make the awards evening last year but were tipped off by her coach, Helen, that we might not want to miss this one.

We're very glad she did as despite a very long wait, Beth was presented with the final award of the evening, 'Under 9's Athlete of The Year 2015'.  Well done Beth!

Christmas Highlights (and a Happy New Year)

I'm leaving it rather late to post about our Christmas break but better late than never!  Thanks to Christy for the title - I nicked it from her blog as it's a good one to cover all the bits and bobs that we did. :)

We had quite a relaxed Christmas as Steve used the remainder of his holiday entitlement to take off the entire time from the Monday before Christmas until after new year.  I'm not sure how relaxing he found it as he spent the first few days finishing decorating the spare room ready for our visitors!


We started celebrations on Christmas Eve with our main Christmas lunch.  Both sets of grandparents were there along with Auntie Jane.  It was a surprisingly unstressful event though I'm not sure whether that was due to the abundance of booze in the vicinity or the lovely company (I'll go with the latter!).

Christmas Day was lovely and I'm pretty sure I can say that the kids loved all their presents though for Toby his favourite was the spy gear of a room alarm for his door and for Beth it was her Lego (seen here being put together with Auntie Jane).

Toby's alarm can just be seen behind his shoulder in this picture.  The outfit was also a present - he has always loved dressing up smartly so although Toby is usually a 'typical man' when he receives clothes (tears open the wrapping to exclaim "urgh, clothes"), he was very happy with these! 



The rest of us got a good stash of pressies, I had a couple of favourites; from Steve a Garmin watch for keeping track of my runs and from mum a beautiful rainbow blanket (knitted by hand, right up to Christmas, without my knowledge) and already bagsied by each family member every time we sit down for a bit of tv!

We had a repeat of last year and walked over to the pub in the next village after opening our presents.  We were the first through the door, but not for long.  A few friends joined us for a celebratory Christmas pint and I think word got out that your first round was on the house as it became bunged!  Despite not being able to move, it was a lovely atmosphere and a very pleasant place to spend a while chatting and generally enjoying the day.


On the evening of Boxing Day it started to snow so the next day we ventured out with the sledge and had some fun!  I think it's probably the first year with snow that Toby has been big enough to enjoy it and be moving enough not to get cold really quickly.

He wasn't quite as adventurous as Beth on the sledge (as you can see from the sitting vs. lying down) but despite the serious face I think he was laughing inside!

Things quietened down after Boxing Day but Auntie Jane stayed for a few more days and we had a mixture of lounging in front of the fire overindulging and trips out.  One of the trips we did was to Climbing Works over in Sheffield.  This is a climbing place dedicated to bouldering (climbing without ropes) and they have a separate building specially designed for children.

Beth has been climbing with Jane before for her birthday but this was Toby's first time and I think I can safely say he enjoyed it (though scarily he is rather competitive).  In the picture you can see Toby on the right, Beth on the left and Jane in the middle.  Steve and I had a go but did nothing that warranted a photo taken!

For New Year's Eve we debated options - the kids are just about getting to the age that they can last out till midnight (though the fallout from lack of sleep the next day is off-putting!).  When one of our friends invited us to celebrate with them we jumped at the chance as they're great company, the kids had friends to play with and it was just round the corner so easy to stumble back to after the gong.

Beth ended up staying over - you can probably tell by the pj's in the photo - much to Toby's annoyance as he's desperate for his first friend sleepover.  Unfortunately most of his friends are rather 'tied to the apron strings' (not so in Toby's case) and not at all ready for this step.  We did have a lovely evening and managed to stretch the celebrations well into the New Year.  The only downside is that the bar is now set for future New Year's Eve celebrations . . .

In the few days after New Year before we all went back to school and work we managed to fit in a couple of other outings.  We manned up to the challenge of ice skating.  Beth has been asking to go for months but the thought of it was a bit much!  However, it wasn't anywhere near as bad as feared and I can report that everyone enjoyed themselves - Beth especially and Toby only after he accepted the fact that he couldn't skate like a pro on his first go!  Beth now would like to have lessons; a good idea if it wasn't a 35 minute drive to the nearest ice rink!

Finally we went on our annual trip to the pantomime in Retford.  This year it was Jack and the Beanstalk.  The kids had a great time and hugely enjoyed it though Steve and I were a little weary as the jokes were identical to last year despite it being a different story.  I think we might try a different theatre next year - don't suppose the jokes will be any better but perhaps slightly different!

Anyway, Happy New Year to you all, I hope you have a wonderful 2015 - I'll leave you with a photo of the kids taken just before Christmas.