Catch-up - Trips (Ireland)

Since the beginning of the year, the kids and I have popped over to Northern Ireland twice to see Great Grandma Ruth.  The first was back in April during the Easter holidays when the weather wasn't all that warm.  Despite that, we managed to get to the beach a couple of times.

One outing was just a wander round the shore, skimming stones and splashing round the edges.  It was rather stormy and I think we got a little damp, but we still managed to eat ice creams and enjoy all that lovely N. Ireland has to offer.  Our last day of that trip, we were very lucky with weather and the kids got to paddle, unfortunately I wasn't particularly well prepared for this and didn't have a towel or swimming costumes, etc. (for which I was berated) and they had to make do with wellies, coats and nice warm clothing!

On one of the yuckier days we took a trip to Mount Stewart, a National Trust property.  As a child we went there quite a bit and it's known for its garden.  I can't remember ever going into the house but on the day we went, the weather really did encourage us to explore inside.  It has recently been refurbished and they have tried to return most of it to original.  The chapel is beautiful and there's a pretty impressive George Stubbs painting on the staircase.  Outside, the gardens are fantastic and even though it wasn't really the season to meander round, we had a quick charge round anyway.

The second trip over was at the end of the summer holidays, at the beginning of September.  Thankfully we did get to paddle in the sea (though still a bit chilly for my liking) and pottered round the shore a few times.  There is a crazy golf course on the shore and we gave that a go.  Toby, of course, is an expert (having played once before) and Beth and I didn't do too badly.  We had all the holes to ourselves, as schools had already gone back over there when we visited, so we managed to re-do our favourite holes at the end with no one complaining.

We had hoped to do a few more trips out while there but the weather didn't comply for our last day or so and the kids were rather wiped out with it being the end of the holidays.  I may try for a sneaky trip on my own soon as I missed my runs around the coast and it would be nice to chat to grandma without two kids running around!

Catch-up - Birthday, Birthday, Birthday!

Hmm, seems I'm rather behind with my blog posts so I'm going to do a few catch-up ones from earlier in the year.

The first birthday of the year was (sister) Jane's at the beginning of February, and it was a 'big' one!  We all headed down to Salisbury to celebrate with her.  The weekend was really fun as lots of family and friends congregated.  A meal for family on Saturday afternoon saw us meeting up with family that I hadn't seen for about 20 years and who Steve had never met.  It was very relaxed and we got chance to chat, catch up and, of course, eat cake!

In the evening, the kids safely tucked up in bed and under the watchful eye of a babysitter, we headed out for part 2 at a local music venue where Jane often participates in Open Mic Night.  She had organised three bands, food and plenty of liquid refreshment for us all and it was fab.

The weekend wrapped up with brunch on Sunday morning for anyone able to pull themselves out of bed.  It was a most enjoyable weekend and sets the bar rather high for any of us who may have a big birthday coming up in the next year or two!

Next up, in March it was Toby's turn (well, in theory it was Steve's first but as it wasn't a big'un it went under the radar somewhat!).  This year we didn't know if we were going to have to put his birthday on hold as he ended up in hospital with his asthma.  Earlier in the ear he seemed to have a few 'episodes' but we think it was because he had grown out of the dosage of his medication.  He's now been upgraded and hasn't had any problems since March.

For his party, Toby wanted three of his best friends to come round and have a video game afternoon.  Steve borrowed the projector from work and they had a massive screen to play on and had a blast.  Thankfully the cake request was 'bought' so I didn't have to stretch my skills and produce some hideous Pokemon (or other cartoon-type monstrosity) and just picked one up the day before.

Beth's request for a party (mid April) again was quite an easy one - a few friends round for an Alice in Wonderland inspired do.  She had sewing lessons in the spring and made an 'Alice' dress and I begged and borrowed tea sets to finish it off.  The cake wasn't quite one I could just buy off the shelf but fortunately a food technology teacher in the village offered to sort that out - I think she did a pretty amazing job (even the cup is edible!).  I rather enjoyed it too, perhaps I should do this for my birthday - wonder how many 'drink me' concoctions I could make up?!

Christmas 2015

On to the next catch up post, this time Christmas 2015.  There were the usual festivities around Christmas including the school Christingle at the local church - an event that in theory should be very enjoyable. However, due to the large number of people jammed in, the cold and the length of time it goes on for, it can be a bit of an ordeal.  At least this year we could just about see Beth and again she got to play the flute so we got to hear her too.  In some ways I'm glad we didn't spot Toby - with bare flames I'm always on edge that he could be at the front and centre of any 'incident'!


Christmas was a family affair again both sets of grandparents and Auntie Jane coming for Christmas lunch on Christmas Eve.  Everything was very relaxed with good company and good food.

Both kids were very happy with their haul; Toby got his much awaited laptop and Beth got a sewing machine.  The rest of us didn't do too badly either.  As per growing tradition, we walked to the pub in the next village for a bit of Christmas cheer with a few friends joining us.

One of the kids presents was a trip to the climbing wall with Auntie Jane.  They enjoyed it so much last year that Jane thought it would be a good (non-plastic) present to give them this year.  Steve and I took the opportunity to have a day around our old stomping ground in Sheffield.  It was very pleasant and the kids had a great day too.

Apart from a couple of walks from the house (usually incorporating a coffee shop or pub), we spent probably rather too much time sat in front of the fire watching back-to-back Bond films - isn't that what Christmas is all about??

Autumn Half Term 2015

I'm only just realising how long it is since I posted so I thought I'd better try and do a bit of catching up!  This first post is from the half term holiday in October.

We had planned, as normal, to go over to Holme in Norfolk with our friends.  Unfortunately I had to work the first Saturday of the holiday so our friends kindly offered to take Beth and Toby over on the Friday and I go and join them on the Saturday.

It worked pretty well.  The kids went to the beach on the first day and had a great play in the dunes.  Not wanting to miss out, I asked if we could go again on the Sunday.  Although the weather wasn't as good as last year, it still wasn't too bad and at least it wasn't raining.  We took a picnic and the kids spent ages in the dunes making dens and even ventured in for a paddle - safe to say that I didn't join them!

On one of the days we went to the car boot sale in Hunstanton.  Each kid got £1 to spend on whatever they wanted (!).  We came away with clothes and a ceramic bird . . .  There's a good playground in the grounds of the school where the sale is so the kids migrated there once they'd spent up.  After that we went down to the seafront and had a hunt for fossils at the bottom of the cliff.  We didn't stay doing that for too long as it looked like there had been a rock fall during the night and we weren't sure if more was going to come down.  We also had a play on the sea walls and, despite my dislike of them, had a go on the penny slots. 



In the previous two years visiting we hadn't managed to fit in a visit to the RSPB reserve just down the road.  Titchwell March is pretty well known for bird watching as it has both fresh water and salt water marsh areas.  It joins directly on to the beach where there is the remains of both a WWII coastal defence building and a tank.  You can also just about see the remains of a forest.  The kids had a great time jumping on all the shells (they did make a very nice noise!) and clambering over the defences.

On the way home we decided to break the journey with a stop at Castle Rising Castle.  It has a very impressive moat and we caught it just at the right time for a lovely sunset.

It was a really lovely break and the only thing missing was the company of Jill, Tara's mum, who would normally be with us.  Unfortunately she lost her battle with cancer in June but Tara did come along as normal and keep alive her mum's sense of fun!  Here's a photo of Jill, with Bonnie the dog, that I took last year.

Late Summer Bits & Bobs

Summer's almost over - it's actually rather nice today despite a rather heavy fog this morning but I suspect that won't last too long.  It's already dark by 7pm and I've had to dig out my reflective vest for the early morning runs.

We've managed to stuff quite a lot in since coming back from holiday, a few trips to National Trust properties and a couple of 'events'.

We picked a fantastic day to go and explore the new playground at Belton House in Grantham (top left photo).  The kids are just old enough that we can actually go inside some of these properties without fear that we'll be ejected for our rambunctious behaviour!!  I wasn't really sure if they would enjoy it - lots of rooms with four-poster beds, bizarre pictures and big staircases, but they loved it.  Beth particularly liked the 16-foot tall bed and I suspect was a little disappointed when I pointed out that the ceiling in her bedroom would not withstand such an item of furniture.


Toby enjoyed it too but I think he prefers to be outside.  A day or two later we had equally good weather for our trip to Clumber Park near Worksop (top right photo).  We go there quite often especially Beth and I as we like the Saturday morning Parkrun event.  My favourite part is the walled garden as there are so many ideas you can nick for your own garden and lots of fruits and veg to inspire you get growing.


Steve took a day off work and we met up with grandma and grandpa in the Peak District.  We met at Longshaw Estate and walked from the car park, through the estate to a pub and back a different way.  The views were amazing and we managed most of the day dodging the rain.  The second photos on each side are from Longshaw.

A week or so after getting back from France, Beth and I flew over to Belfast to visit Great Grandma Ruth.  Toby absolutely loved visiting earlier in the year and Beth didn't want to miss out on her trip!

We were very lucky with the weather and Beth managed to get a paddle in the sea and did pretty well with skimming stones.  We spent time in GG's garden and I even got to have a run along the shore one morning.

It was a pretty relaxing couple of days though I don't think I'll try taking both the kids together (and in November I'm sneaking over by myself for a night or two).

August Bank Holiday was nice weather so we walked to the next village to the annual 'Working Weekend'.  There were a lot of tractors, shire horses, ploughing matches and various competitions of a farming nature.

We wandered round looking at the different machinery and the kids got to mess around on some of the tractors.  I thought Beth looked quite at home in the driving seat.  I'm rather hopeful that the kids will keep friends with the many kids that live on farms so they can 'help' with grass cutting and other tasks!

On the final day of the holidays we took a trip to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park with some friends.  Poor Toby was again the only boy though contrary to the photo, he did have a good time!

The animals all seemed to be on their best behaviour and were awake and visible.  My favourite were the giraffes.  I think the kids rather liked the polar bears and the lemurs.  Again we were lucky with the weather and it was beautiful until we were walking out the exit and it lashed it down.

To round the summer off, last weekend, we took Toby to his first concert.  Since Beth went to her first in June, Toby has been desperate to go to one.  His request was for either ACDC or Madness.  Thankfully, they were both touring this year and when he hadn't forgotten by the middle of September, we managed to get tickets for Madness at Durham County Cricket Club.

I'm very glad it was outdoors - I suspect they'd be totally put off with a sticky, smelly indoor venue.  

It was a fantastic atmosphere with a eclectic mix of people - all ages and looks but more pairs of Dr Martins than I've ever seen in one place along with every type of hat and braces (suspenders)!  There were certainly some interesting sights and the kids rather enjoyed people watching.

The actual concert was great as they played all the classics and the kids could sing along to much of it.  I think we'll be looking to see what summer concerts are on next year as it was a lovely family night out.


Just a few odds and ends to finish off . . .  

My new job is going well though is rather hectic.  It's an interesting building with a lot to look at just walking into my office.  Hopefully, in time, I'll have a bit of a clue about the history and workings of all the clocks and regulators but at the moment they're just pretty to look at!

Our sunflowers have continued to grow and are now rather tall (tallest one just measured at 9'2")!  A couple that were ahead of the rest are now almost ready to be stripped and the seeds roasted, yum!

And last of all, a picture of curly Beth after coming back from the hairdressers.

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?!?