Jenny, 16, going on 17
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It’s my eldest niece’s 17th birthday on 26th November and it really, honestly feels like a couple of years since she looked like the photo below rather than like this.
Anyway… talking like that just makes me sound old, something I’m happy to keep on pretending to fight. Lily really was fascinated by the fact that Jenny was going on seventeen and was really keen for us to send this video to her… Happy Birthday Jenny from us all and welcome to adulthood. It’s fun – enjoy it!.
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- Jenny with Elvis
Grand day out at Blackpool Zoo
Today was a Baker day at Lily’s school so we took full advantage of the quietness by going off to Blackpool Zoo. Unlike Mr and Mrs Ramsbottom, who went there with young Albert, their son, we returned en masse, and a very happy family after a really great day out.
Factor one was the weather – a real ’steal’ – not expecting it at all but it was clear and sunny almost all afternoon there. The Zoo itself was a great size; I’ve found London and Chester Zoos to be a bit sprawling, but we managed to see as much a variety of animals in a smaller space without the animals feeling cramped. Okay, there were no hippos or rhinos, but the relative space they take up is not really needed. They’re pretty dull when all’s said and done.
Highlights for me were
- the sea lions, who were in the process of being trained. They seemed to be really getting into it in the same way Labradors do.
- The Pelicans and their ever-stretchy beak rubber at tea time (“Eeeh – it’s like feeding time at the zoo round here”).
The lowlight for the day was driving on to catch Blackpool Illuminations as the sun went down. The lights had been switched off the evening before for the year (!!). Will have to get to the illuminations next year though.
See the photos here on Flick or here as a slideshow.
Half term break in Suffolk… the first real chill of winter
With the national trophy cyclocross coming up in Ipswich, I wasn’t relishing the thought of another long day out and night away from the family. Enjoyable though the sporty bonding trips are, I find it an uneasy comprimise to spend time away enjoying myself and leaving Katie with two young people to look after.
The Ipswich race was luckily on the first Sunday of the half term break, so we booked four nights away to coincide, meaning a great chance for a rest plus an ‘easy’ journey to the cyclocross.
As things turned out, it was absolutely perfect. Better than perfect really, if that’s possible. When you bookk things online you can never be sure what it’s really going to be like, but Low Farm near to Brampton in Suffolk was a bull’s eye in terms of holiday accommodation. There was a fully fledges soft play area called Moo Play Barn and an indoor pool, alledgedly heated (well – it was pretty cold outside too), and a collection of farm animals specifically penned up for children to interract with them. (The Alpacas and their fluttering eyelashes were my personal fave.) A perfect place to be really if the weather turned bad. Except, strangely, it never did. Let’s face it, this was late October. But on three of the four days, we enjoyed pretty much uninterrupted sunshine. I find this type of cold, almost frosty sunny weather the very best time to be on a UK beach. I know they’re ace in hot weather, but there’s something about the quality of the air and the light that is so untainted.
The three days were spent well. Day trips to Great Yarmouth (ace model village), Southwold (Pretty, Posh and very very English) and Aldeburgh (quaint, full of corduroy and blazer wearing bafoons for some reason on the day we were there, but somehow real-feeling, and fisherman-like gritty).
A very chilled out time.
Enjoy the photos of the whole trip – browse them here or click here for a slideshow.
Lily’s 6th birthday
Lily is six today, and amidst the busy week of going back to school, she woke up this morning four times before it was time to get up. Her wish for a Calamity Jane outfit -cobbled together by buying a cowboy outfit and a confederate cap (from the US on eBay!) – came true.
Photos being blogged live from the phone throughout the day here.
A short video to be added soon.
On the farm… summer 2008
Lovely trip to Fiona(sis-in-law) and Graeme’s – at the Bank Holiday weekend.
Highlights include:
- The weather – hardly a drop of rain all weekend – a real August rarity this year
- A lovely cycle ride from their place over to the Wensleydale agricultural show at Leyburn – riding on ‘new’ roads and seeing new places is always a pleasure
- Some of the usual rumpus fun on the huge trampoline – with full stomachs.
- Celebrating Jenny’s ridiculously good GCSE results
- Lily having a ride on Lucy’s horse, Hamish