Half term to house move

10th/11th November: this was a kids' weekend and we were in the last throes of indecision about houses. One came up on Almoner's Ave near Amy's school and we went to have a look. As with many of the houses in that area, it was an uninspiring 50's building recently "vacated" by an elderly resident. As such it needed much doing to it, but we were briefly tempted by the enormous garden. It would have been a wonderful play area for the children, but a lot of work. In the interests of balance, we took the kids to see Hurst Park Ave as well, and they were positive about that as well, although for different reasons. We stuck with HPA on the grounds that now is absolutely not the time to be taking on restoration projects.

Next day we visited Honor Oak to see new baby Abigail. Went to the park and did some tree climbing...

Free weekend the 17th/18th November, so we went to London to see a photography exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery and the Churchill Museum, plus a fantastic curry at Veeraswamy on Regent St.

On the 20th Jim had a Roman day at school? Still not sure why...

Next kids weekend was the 24th/25th, and we visited Boxford.

This was the calm before the storm, really, as we were about to move house...

 

Half term

With Gabrielle in Antigua, we had Jim from the Tuesday before half term. As I wasn't driving yet, James very kindly agreed to ferry him (and me) to school and back each day. A pain for James to be sure, but less so for Jim, and nice to catch up with both of them.

On the Saturday we headed off to CC for a night with the folks before Bristol. As usual the kids really enjoyed themselves there. I don't know whether it's the garden or the change of scene or what but they just seem to take to it. They amused themselves for hours losing Dad's golf balls in the shrubs, despite the cold and slight drizzle. C and I were tired due to general stress and interrupted nights but the stay was good for us.

After lunch on Sunday we went off to Thornbury castle via the Roman villa at Chedworth. This was worth a look and Minnie did some kind of Halloween themed discovery trail thingummy. Jim and I liked the spring in the corner of the plot where one would make one's offerings to the local water spirit. We offered 5p each and made a wish. Jim confessed later that his was for some Toys-R-Us consumer item or other.

We then went for a walk for a loop up the hill and we're generally impressed with the children's stoicism. They are good and uncomplaining walkers these days. Also reflected on the lovely scenery and presence of hills, sadly lacking in Cambridgeshire.

Then on to the castle, which proved to be brilliant. One of the only places I've been where the room is better in reality than in the brochure. We had booked a suite (called "Portlethen") - us in the bedroom and the kids in the living room, and it was genuinely Tudor and really huge. All oak panels and tapestries, with an open fire in a huge fireplace and a complementary decanter of sherry. The bedroom had an enormous and really comfy four poster in it. He nicest hotel room I've stayed in, I think. We went for dinner early, and caused a certain amount of consternation, as I think they had to go and rustle up a chef, but it was ok as the lounge was like a posher version of the Trinity senior common room and the children amused themselves playing chess and bagatelle. Food was mediocre when it finally arrived though...

Next day was our Bristol day, and so we drove in under the Clifton bridge and went to see the ss Great Britain. The children seemed very interested - Jim especially in the underside including the "udder" - and I was greatly impressed by the quality of the restoration and the context.

Here's Jim being Brunel:

After the Great Britain and the inevitable brush with the souvenir shop, we had lunch at the caff by the water and it was nice enough to sit outside. Bizarrely, C's boss, with whom she has had so much trouble recently, wandered past - she didn't notice us but it seemed an unwelcome intrusion. She has family in Bristol apparently.

After the GB we crossed the Avon to the annoyingly-named @bristol [sic] which is a hands-science museumy thing with lots of buttons to press and experiments to do. Slightly purgatorial for adults, especially those who want to be pressing the buttons rather than supervising children pressing buttons, but good for the kids. Spent quite a long time there but missed out on the planetarium show as it was fully booked. Made mental note to go to the London one. Thence to an early dinner at a nearby Pizza Express, at which children were very well behaved, and back to the castle.

Got all the kids to bed with no trouble but Min was woken in the middle of the night by a scratching sound next to her head. She was in the bed that pulled down out of the panelling in the vast sitting room, and the other two were on rollaway beds. At first I thought she was fussing, but I listened for a while and it started again - it was really loud and sounded like an animal scratching directly at the other side of the panelling. After knocking on next door to no avail, much fussing about and a call to reception, the girls moved to the floor in our room and slept fine there. Not even the phone call and moving mattresses woke Jim up. Amazing. Next morning I told the kids it was the famous ghost dog of Old Thornbury, which they loved all the more after reception told me that there really was a ghost dog seen on the lawn occasionally, reputed to be one of Mary I's greyhounds... I prefer the theory that a bird had got trapped in the flue that ran behind the panelling.

Next morning we decided we were too tired to attempt anything more strenuous than driving home. I can't honestly remember if I have ever been to Bristol itself and, if so, when it was, but it seemed like a nice city and area. The hotel was, despite our nighttime misfortune, a lovely place to stay.

Next day, there was much ferrying around as both the girls had playdates, and C and I bought Halloween supplies. Much fun carving pumpkins, having witch hair pasta and then a successful trick or treat round.

On the Thursday we went to that London (at great expense, it being a weekday) to see Matilda at the Cambridge theatre. It was brilliant, but the kids' behaviour at Carluccio's beforehand was not quite so great. They were excited and lively, shall we say. Home from KX.

The girlz went on Friday morning and it was just us and Jim. It was actually really lovely to have some time with him. Took him to the park on Friday and to Anglesey Abbey (on my own, because C was very tired and stressed) and the latter was particularly nice. We walked together and chatted like friends and then had coffee and milkshakes in the cafe. On Sunday we went to see the excellent Hotel Transylvania at Cineworld, then I delivered him back to Exning with a heavy heart. Apparently he has been full of his adventures ever since...

 

Tough few weeks

It's a long time since my last post, and things have been a little stressful in the meantime. On September 14th I was cycling home from work minding my own business when I was blindsided by a Ford Galaxy on a roundabout. Woke up on the Tarmac with a couple of broken teeth wondering who I was. A long evening at Addenbrooke's ensued, and it transpired I had a "minor" head injury, a broken collarbone, various grazes and so forth. It would have been far worse if I had not been wearing my helmet. I had four weeks off work and am on my second tentative week back now. The first week, in particular, was not fun - I was seeing double, I felt nauseous, I was sleeping on the sofa 16 hours a day and the shoulder hurt. Things are better now, but not completely. The eyesight is still not back to normal - apparently I have damage to one of the nerves that controls eye movement, hence the problem. Still some dizziness, and the shoulder is not healing as it should. But I am getting there. C has been great, and the family have rallied round. Just to add to this mix, work are making a few engineers redundant, and I'm officially under threat, though I am hopeful I won't be on the list. We'll see.

 

Nice things have been my birthday:

Getting out for a walk on the Gogs:

The photos make it look like I've seen more of the boy than I have. G has had him most of the time, as I have not been able to drive. However, I have him from today for the next ten days while she's off in Antigua and of course it's his birthday today. He was very encited at that, and at the news from our recent 20 week scan that he is to have a little brother...

Pregnancy, getting married, the accident, threat of redundancy, moving house. It's been a big year. Let's hope that the most exciting thing that happens next year is the birth of a health new member of the family, and nothing other than that.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Cornwall

Sat: Drove down after an 8 am start from Mum and Dad's via the heaving services at Exeter and the Plymouth bridge. The southern route seemed ok - better than sitting in a big queue through the Bodmin section. Got to no.1 Bay View Terrace after 5 1/2 hours or so, which was good going. House is excellent - best one yet is the consensus. Ritual visit to Nauti but Ice in the evening.

Sun: Rainy day in the morning. Kids played Skylanders on the Playstation endlessly, and we did a big Sainsbury's shop. The sun came out so we drove up to the car park at Penrose and walked in the dappled shade to Loe Bar and back. The pool strange and Tolkeinesque as usual.

Mon: Sun out so we hit Porthleven beach for splashing in the surf. Stev provided roast chicken for lunch, which we ate on the terrace with the brolly up, so sunny was it. Rock pooling for crabs and fish with Jim in the afternoon. He swarmed up the Gartul cliff like a monkey this year - I more or less had to carry him in 2011. AP and UA came round for tea and to have a mosey round the house.

Tues: Loraine the Pendennis slash St Mawes event organiser required us to go to St Mawes for a run through of the wedding plans. We went over via the King Harry Ferry, which is something I haven't done for years. Arrived a bit late and the whole thing was a little pointless but it was good to visit the place and get our ideas straight. The weather was kinda cloudy and uninspiring so we made some contingency plans for an indoor ceremony. On the way back we visited Veryan briefly to see the round house in which Amy had stayed at the age of 6 months. Dropped the Authorities off at Truro reg office, and then went to Hayle for wetsuits. Got my first wetsuit at the age of 43!! Wrestling fields walk with recalcitrant Amy, who is alternately delightful and infuriating. M & D arrived and we saw them briefly.

Weds: Sunny morning so we headed to Rinsey car park and then walked down to Praa Sands with new wetsuits. Surf not great but caught a few waves. Wetsuit a revelation in the not getting hypothermia stakes. Not much else - chilled afternoon. Nauti but Ice again in the eve.

Thurs: Jim had a bad dream about spiders, probably due to me reading him Harry Potter too much. While awake at 4am we decided that going to the Pandora for lunch on the wedding day would be too much like hard work with the kids etc, so that was struck off and we went back to sleep. Tired day thereafter, partially due to stress and partially sleep deprivation. Had another trip to Porthleven beach, where it was impossible to surf but fun was had splashing around in the waves. M&D came over and offered to buy champagne for Sunday, which took a bit of the pressure off. Martha and the Gills came round for pizza in the evening.

Fri: Wet day. Bloody weather. Went to the family pool at Pendennis, which had a wave machine and so was declared Fun but which was a slightly stressful event for parents. Then went to Pendennis, where I haven't been since a boy. Everyone thought that was pretty good too, especially as we somehow managed to avaiod paying without meaning to. Made up for it by spending a vast amount in the gift shop, including on some Cornish flag cufflinks which I will wear on Sunday. Had a run in with a strange nasty man in Ponsharden Sainsbury's but the less said about that the better. The Edwardses came for tea, without too much mishap. Jim seems to have decided that Natalie is ok.

Sat: Grotsome weather again, so we bravely set out (at a stressed Caroline's insistence) to Praa Sands for a muddy but happily only intermittently rainy walk towards Prussia Cove with Nat and family. Chidlren did really well fortified with pasties and flapjack, but we didn't quite make it all the eay. Ian arrived after missing his train like an idiot. Had dinner with him, which was nice. Earlier in the day I had gone over to Gartul, probably looking a bit stressed, to explain that we were going to do lunch tomorrow. Of course the Bells immediately went in to organisation mode and volunteered to produce all sorts of food for the day. Made me feel much better.

Sun: Our Big Day. The day started clear and beautiful, so we went for a post-breakfast splash at Porthleven beach. Wedding day started with a swim in the North Atlantic! Lunch at ours was great and relaxed, and the entertainment laid on by the RNLI and RN good and distracting for the children. The drive over to St Mawes was no problem and in fact we were there somewhat early. This was much appreciated by children, who thoroughly explored the castle while we waited around. Ours looked perfect and behaved very well indeed - they really rose to the occasion I thought. The ceremony, held in the lower bastion and therefore open air, was slightly windswept but very moving for us. It was sort of a surprise, after all the rushed organisation. I suppose we had forgotten about the real purpose of it all. Feels good to be married. Put the choldren to bed then had swift pint in the Ship with Ian, Ali, JJ, Simon and JoJo. Those present: the five of us, M & D, Ali, JJ, Bee and Lara, Uncle A and Auntie Prue, VV, Rick and Martha, Simon, JoJo and Natalie, C's Mum and John, Ian, Burl and Svi Solomons and four of their assorted children.

Mon: Bloody awful weather. Glasses back to Sainsbury's, Ian back to Redruth station. Happy Feet in the 1 Bay View Terrace cinema.

Tues: Sun out, so met up with the Edwardses at Mousehole briefly and then parked on Raginnis hill for the short but fairly challenging walk to Lamorna via Kemyel Crease. It was lovely but muddy. A lot of up and down, and the children did very well again, especially Min, who actually was the one who complained the least. My GPS said it was 1.85 miles and 500 ft of ascent in each direction. Not bad. Paid for it in Nauti but Ice later...

Weds: Not so good weather again, so we headed off to Geevor to see the tin mine, which we had tried to visit on a Saturday a year or two ago and found it closed. The sun came out just as we headed underground of course. The mine was fascinating, despite the underground bit being not as interesting as Wendron. The rest of it was very well done. Back in deteriorating weather to Porthleven, where we had tea at Gartul to celebrate Uncle A's 78th birthday. He seems as hearty as ever. Long may that last.

Thurs: Weather looked okish so we decided along with VV that we would go to Perranuthnoe, as the wind was in the north and it was convenient for us all (Simon JoJo and Nat came too). I don't believe I have ever been there before, although Rick picked me up from the village after my walk there from Gartul in March 2009 when it was all happening. The beach is lovely - flat, with nice safe water and surf, a good cafe, and parking near the beach if you get there early enough, which we did at 11am under overcast but clearing skies. It's non-existent at high tide but we got there at low water and there was a vast expanse of sandcastle-friendly beach and some good streams for damming. The sun came out and the Crawford/Bells went in the water. Amy and I did some surfing, with Min and Jim splashing about in the waves. After lunch though, Jim, who is now much more confident in the water, picked up one of the boards and caught a few of the small waves. He's a natural and was immediately hooked. He stayed in the water going back and forth until I ordered him out because he was turning blue. Even more surprising was that Minnie, not wanting to be left out, followed suit. So: the day Jim and Minnie learned to surf. Did a bit of souvenir shopping in Porthleven after warmup baths and had the inevitable Nauti but Ice. Warm slash sunny enough to eat on the terrace yay!

Fri: last day boo! Again with the nice weather, so we went to Rinsey, which was disappointingly devoid of sand. More rock on view than I can remember - at least 4 or 5 ft less sand than last year. Still, there was a small swell running and it was really good surfing. Kids didn't quite have the stamina they had yesterday, and the image of Jim sitting at the top of the beach wrapped in two towels and a sleeping bag is an enduring one. One he way home I scaped the car avoiding a minivan. This annoyed me greatly. Then packing in the afternoon a last visit to Gartul, and fish and chips for everyone but me. I had a deeply unpleasant Chinese from the Moonflower.

Got away at 8.30 the next day and had a good journey via Birmingham. Short queue at Bodmin, but ok. 7 1/2 hours with only a 15 minute stop - the kids did amazingly well.

Jim took this one: