Around The Village

Sorry for the lapse in updates, just don't seem to have much news. Today I saw the midwife and everything is still fine, no baby just yet.

I thought I'd post a few pictures from around the village where we're living. Unfortunately I don't have the energy to skip around taking photos at the mo so they have been borrowed from the various websites (thanks to those photographers and apologies for illegal usages!).

As you will be able to see, the village is not at a loss for pubs. I believe there are five within two-miles of each other and with a population of around 4,000 (1,000 of those under drinking age) it makes for a good night out! Not much use to me at the moment . . . Having said that, we did go out to eat at one of them (the Old Farmhouse Inn) yesterday and it was very nice. It had good old fashioned pub grub, (steak pies, fish & chips and scampi - over here it's breaded rather than in butter) and I totally over indulged. Beth seemed to enjoy her meal though she was rather more interested in the two open fires and scared the crap out of us a couple of times by running full speed at them only plonking down at the last minute in front of them, pronouncing them to be 'hot, hot.'

I suppose many of the buildings could be described as quaint though there are loads of new housing estates around the village - at the rate they're going they'll have to build a couple of new pubs soon to accommodate everyone. ;) There is a children's playground about 10 minutes walk from the house and the best thing is a bike path/bridleway that runs behind the village. We can get on to it just across the road from the house. If you walk one way you go through a couple of gates (very exciting to a 2-year-old), a tunnel and past a field with some horses. The other way takes you by a yard full of hens, alongside a hill perfect for running up and down, past the park and eventually to a nature reserve. So far we've made use of the path most days, it's fantastic though I wish people didn't let their dogs be quite so free with their toilet habits - Beth is very good at recognising it but does on occasion like to poke it with sticks (very ladylike!).

The village does have a general store that doubles as the post office but it doesn't really have enough stuff to do proper shopping. Thankfully the nearest supermarket is only a couple of minutes drive down the road so it's not a problem. We're still looking at daycare for Beth as it would be nice for her to get used to being around other children (and away from me) for a day or so a week. We have been going to playgroups a couple of times a week so she does get chance to play at those. They are quite good fun as I also get to meet people and they always stop halfway through and serve cups of tea (with saucers!) and biscuits to us and juice and biscuits to the kids - very civilised. Most of them are held at churches and are run by grandmothers (or great grandmothers) but the one we go to in the village is held at the village hall.