nagdenlife

Swimming.....in the creek

2011-07-13T12:20:00.003+01:00

Getting a boat seems to have brought out the water babies in the children. No sooner was it launched than they all decided that they wanted to go swimming - the tides were not in their favour so they had to wait until late on Sunday evening. Far too cold for me by then but they were all very game and in they went!

We have a boat!!!!

2011-07-10T15:34:00.001+01:00

Wonderful weekend in Aldeburgh

2011-07-08T16:06:00.002+01:00

Great times, frolics on the beach, wonderful sunny days with my dear friend Sasha with Oliver and Pippa

Dorset weekend

2011-05-11T19:13:00.000+01:00

Just back from a weekend in a most wonderful cottage in Dorset, well away from madding and other crowds. To get there from the road you had this wonderful walk, the cottage gradually revealing itself.

In fact we arrived in the pitch dark and had been well advised to bring torches. I love the mystery of that kind of arrival, the house gradually coming to life as light switches are found and rooms opened up -and then the delight in the morning of opening curtains and looking at the view, locating ourselves in the landscape.

We spent the days out on the coast, south and west of Bridport and had a lovely morning perusing the Saturday market in the town before heading out along the coastal path. I had done a bit of reading up and discovered a wonderful sounding organic farm with camping and a cafe just a short way inland which was our lunch stop on Saturday. Wonderful signs along the footpaths guide you there, through sheep fields and ramshackle farmyards.
The food was fabulous - I had spinach and wild garlic soup, G had a smoked mackerel pate with just the right amount of horseradish - all clearly made in their kitchen. We will definitely be going back - perhaps for the annual Somerville/Wilcox camping trip.

Bodies in Urban Spaces

2011-04-17T21:58:00.012+01:00

Really enchanting day in Margate today for the opening weekend of Turner Contemporary. The grand opening was yesterday, they had 8000 through the doors and I am glad we held back.

We first had a look in the gallery which was buzzing but not too crowded. The Conrad Shawcross piece was the all round favourite. Then a wander down the harbour arm to see Acrojou perform a snippet of Wake their work in progress.After that we ambled down onto the fabled sands and Georgia and Stan explored the perimeter of the rather lovely sea bathing pool - perhaps another day we might swim.

There were a number of satellite events across the town, all part of a programme called "You are here". Our particular favourite was a piece called "Bodies in Urban Space" devised by Austrian choreographer Willi Dorner which saw a group of performers in bright coloured clothing appear in the Old Town, running through in small groups before inserting, wedging and moulding themselves into tight and unusual spaces between and around buildings. They led us through the back streets of the Old Town on a mystery tour. Here are just a few of my pictures

Finished up our day trip in the time honoured fashion; chips and a pint on the beach lapping up the last few rays.

Druridge bay panorama

2011-04-03T18:52:00.000+01:00

Day out by the sea

2011-04-03T16:52:00.007+01:00

Taxi driver dropped us off at Cresswell. Stunning. We walked down onto the vast beach and then out along a small concrete causeway to the rock pools. Pootled, in silence, no wind, not a sound. After a while and having paid no attention to the tide we decided to head back, in very timely fashion! The tide was up almost to the top of the pathway...would have been an embarrassing news story.We set off along the sand with no plan. Walked and talked and collected sea glass and pebbles. A really wonderful way to clear our heads for the week ahead. After an hour or so we ambled back, the sun now on our faces and the occasional spit and spot of rain; the more impressive stuff was (luckily) over the sea.Cresswell has only one shop - Cresswell Ices - so we settled down to a hearty lunch of ice cream and tea
They also have an intriguing looking castle/tower - nothing like as impressive as Bamburgh up thew coast, but our own challenge. It was set back in a field full of sheep and behind a high-ish wall. Curious and unstoppable we set off and were soon climbing the wall and hopping down the other sde (Kids, don't do this xx)There was a path disappearing off through the surrounding wood so we set off imagining it might loop back to the village. Instead we suddenly found ourselves in the middle of a vast caravan park, looking decidedly out of place.

Saturday - the mid point of Clore

2011-04-02T15:28:00.006+01:00

Today is a mix of time off and some programmed stuff, a good idea for me because I think I'd have been a bit lost if there had been nothing "to do" today. However now that I am back from the day's jaunt I intend to do nothing except read the papers. I have just noticed that I can see the sea from my room, it's the first really clear day and there's a purply blue ribbon way beyond the trees - tomorrow's plan is to to go to Druridge or Cresswell (or both...) and get a closer view

Started with a dynamic yoga class which I had skipped yesterday evening but today it did me a world of good. Then we headed out to Woodhorn a museum celebrating the coal mining industry and set in one of the most complete sets of coal/industrial buildings in the region, We were met by the director who will be one of our speakers next week. The site is a great mix of restored and reinstated buildings as well as a stunning new visitor centre with galleries, permanent collections and home of the region's archives

They opened up one of the Winding Houses for us and started the machinery, absolutely fascinating and I wished the kids had been there too. The Director had bought along his 5 yr old son, so I cheered myself up by talking to him!

Clore course

2011-03-28T21:29:00.003+01:00

Day one of my amazing two weeks away. A few pics so the sprogs can see where Mummy has gone - pretty amazing! Tomorrow the hard work really starts so an early night for me and then a run in the morning... I have decided to tackle the Race for Life 10k run this year (heaven knows why) so got to start sometime

The Hotel

View from my room

Ah.......bed!

2011-02-24T19:09:00.002Z

Lovely day (at last!) after weeks of rain and grey and cold, the sun shone as the weather man said it would and so we went to Folkestone with a thrifty packed lunch (or "packed up lunch" as Raff used to call them). Kids had a ball in the wonderful free adventure playground and then we skipped down to the beach where I lay on the shingle getting lungs full of ozone and a faceful of 'bennys' whilst they did their thing
Happiness

Georgia's hair is the same colour as the beach - or should I say colours?

Walking meditation

2011-02-19T18:38:00.009Z

Late afternoon walk with the dog, just her and me in the vast empty landscape. Flat light, still air, the day on the cusp of darkness. We walk alone save for a barn owl out hunting, describing for us the dykes and ditches that cross-hatch this marshy ground where the shrews and voles hide trembling. The ground is sodden after the long night's rain which has left the tangled brambles, willow and reeds glinting with drops, catching the last of the light. We tramp steadily my companion and I, the "schweep schweep schweep" of my denim clad legs and "thwok thwok" of wellington boots against them almost the only sound, a walking meditation.
Looping back towards home past my favourite thicket of sloes, the blackbirds' tuneful evensong turns to alarm calls, settling only when we are well past. Now the darkness is really upon us and a solo heron heads for home, the "six o'clock heron" as he is fondly known, spot on time today. Suddenly Mouse catches the scent of something and sets off at high speed, her nose inches from the ground, tail up. Off into the long grass then switching back and hurtling into the field, returning to me, then over the path and onto the marsh. Back and forth fixed on her task, pure instinct and a delight to watch, but whatever left such a trail is long gone and she falls in by my side settling again into our steady rhythm, my protector in the gloaming.

2011-02-11T21:42:00.004Z

There was only one photographer at my birthday party, and love him as I do, Mr Berry is no Testino....so the pics are NOT flattering. This one I like because I was cutting my cake and the assembled lovelies threatened me with the bumps. Let's just say they decided against...

Jambo

2010-10-25T10:19:00.003+01:00

My beautiful cat died this morning. He was 13 and we have had him since the day we returned from our honeymoon.

He has been declining recently but in the last two days it was clear that it was the end. He didn't eat, barely drank and by last night could move only one or two steps. I sat with him this morning - he was lying outstretched on the carpet exactly where we had left him last night. As I stroked him and felt his breathing become shallower he responded to my touch, almost purring but with hardly any voice and moving imperceptibly towards my hand. All around me the normal morning chaos of half term - Stan on a computer and Raff creating Lego brilliance. G is the most outwardly affected, but Raff in his wonderful sensitive way wanted to be the person to tell Stan, and now he is writing a poem to honour him.

I am lucky that I have never before watched the life go out of a sentient creature and I was unsure how it would be. I did not call the children to witness it and I am glad, because after he had stopped breathing his hind legs stretched out, twitched and relaxed as did his front paws and there were other movements which were just the last electric pulses passing through muscles which would have confused them.

Jambo was memorable for his panther-ness; extraordinary size and deep black glossy coat, and his voice and I keep thinking I can hear him yowling in his half Siamese way. In fact it was one long yowl that brought me to him this morning. I will miss him in the silence, even though as my friend and I agreed this afternoon there were days when his constant 'conversation' was wearing and we would squirt water at him. He would react by grumbling, squeezing his bulk out through his cat flap and sauntering all the way down the garden, muttering curses as he went. Most of all I will miss the way he would wake me by patting me with the utmost care on the nose or eyelids, claws completely retracted, entreating me to rub his head before settling down, often next to me on the pillow and purring like an engine next to my ear.

A Year in the Life of Faversham

2010-10-03T16:34:00.004+01:00

This year I managed to get about 12 pictures into the final exhibition and rather excitingly I won the public vote for which I get a prize (don't know what!?) on Tuesday. And I even sold a print on the back of it, so all round quite chuffed.
The picture appeared here first

Kittens

2010-09-26T11:30:00.004+01:00

Rather late blog about our hols

2010-08-31T18:31:00.017+01:00

We left Kent in a blaze of sunshine, I managed a lovely evening swim at Seasalter the night before we went and vowed to do much more of that when we came back. Unfortunately when we got home 2 and half weeks later (at the beginning of August dear readers) autumn had arrived. So I think I have been in a slump since then and couldn't face writing. But the in between bit, the 2 and half weeks in Noirmoutier was a lovely holiday with as much nothingness as we all needed and a lot of sun, sea, oysters, wine and reading.

We went to Noirmoutier again as we seem to have found a formula that works for all of us - tent practically on the beach, campsite with no frills except for their wonderful canvas tents, with fridges! Our days were slow to start, we always seemed to be washing up breakfast as the grand dames were prepping their lunch. This time Michael and I treated ourselves to bikes for a week which meant I could ride into town for the morning bread.

I treasured that trip - a moment of solitude to start the day and to go at my own speed. I passed this pretty house in the old town each morning and would like to have a go at painting it one of these days.

And we had a lovely trip to a favourite beach Le Danse Rouge - where all the super-posh houses and yachts are. The boys and I all got our sketch books out and georgia added to our haul of seaglass.

One great trip across to the other side of the island on our bikes took us to the dunes at L'Epine. The Atlantic coast is very different from where we stay, wilder but beautiful and the beaches are deserted.

Stan Canute We had two trips over here and if we go again I would like to stay on this side of the island for a day or two. The sea seemed warmer which it can't really have been but I swam out a good couple of hundred metres and it's far deeper that side. One of the other things I always manage on these holidays is a daily swim- up to a kilometre each time - it's always hard to get in but I manage it and then never really want to get out! The first year we went I gave everyone a fright by swimming out and then vanishing in amongst the boats at anchor, but now I can be gone for ages and ages - and it's so peaceful.

This year we decided to take longer coming back. Previously we have packed up our tent - the cleaning and tidying taking the sheen off the relaxation, then all piled into car and belted back, arriving home the next day aand then going straight back to work .... a good way to induce the post-holiday blues! This time we drove east along the Loire valley over 2 days, stopping at various wineries, tasting and buying. The valley is stunning, with the wide fertile plains edged by high limestone cliffs in to which are set houses, castles and the caves where the wine is stored.
After Tours we headed north to Amiens where we stayed in the centre of the city a short walk from the cathedral in a very typical French hotel, narrow stairs leading up to assorted rooms - pretty basic but so much more characterful than the cheapo Hotel F1 we normally afford on the outskirts. The main reason for going to Amiens was my long held desire to visit the Hortillonnages unique ' floating' smallholdings and allotments that stretch - over 300 hectares -but only 25 are cultivated.

They were rescued in the 1970's from a proposed bypass and are now looked after by the Friends of the Hortillonages. They are not really floating , but are cut through with narrow canals called "rieux" and channels, so the only way to get from one to the other is by boat. The Friends association run trips around the gardens in the traditional boats called 'barque a cornet' which are like punts with small electric motors.

The banks and edges of the gardens are extremely fragile and so all boat traffic must be slow and not leave a wake.

We also visited Jules Verne's house which is a stunning art deco piece and of course Raff loved all of the pictures and imagery.

Race for Life

2010-07-20T07:37:00.005+01:00

Georgia and I ran the Race for Life with our friends Amanda, Polly and Celeste last Sunday in Margate. With very little training the ladies managed a respectable time of 33 mins - now the Faversham 10K seems a disctinct possibility...and this from someone who hated running at school.
The back signs which the runners all wear always provoke my tears - one family were all clearly running for a very young boy- his sister, mother, grandmother aunts and cousins. It's hard to run when you're weeping. This year at the end there was a fence onto which you could pin the signs; a place to pause as you leave the site and give thanks for those poeple we know who have made it through and remember fondly those who didn't.

Flat Holm - an awfully big adventure

2010-07-04T21:52:00.016+01:00

Just back from an extraodinary day courtesy of the wonderful other half of my family. My ma in-law Penny has spent the past three years undertaking a practice based MA. The subject of her study has evolved over the course and in the end her major project has been a study of an island in the Bristol channel called Flat Holm. Penny's grandfather Ralph Alfred Erskine Somerville, was a highly decorated gunner in the Royal Artillery and lived on the island, one of very few people who did. Even more unusually as there were few married soldiers stationed there, Penny's father was born on the island.

This weekend we celebrated the culmination of the work that Penny has produced, an exhibition comprising drawings, etchings, screenprint, photos, writing and enamel work, plus an evocative book which you can buy here. Yesterday evening was the private view, which was held in a unique arts centre on the waterfront of Cardiff Bay. The arts centre occupies an historic Norwegian Seamans' chapel which was relocated when the Bay development and regeneration was under way. It's an extraordinary sight, this tiny clap-board structure in amongst the marble and glass clad architectural monstrosities that accompany this sort of development.

After a late night - dinner for 16 takes a while.... we had to get up super early this morning to get to the dock for our boat ride - no ordinary ride this, a high speed rib ably captained by our skipper Ryan.

Never have so many small members of our family screamed (with joy and a little fear) for such a consistent amount of time!

The boats are often hired out purely for the "bay blast" experience and so there were several nautical hand-brake turns and swerves. On the way out we were well dressed in waterproofs provided, and they weren't really needed as it was relatively calm - but on the way back, and just wearing our civvies, Ryan had a little fun at our expense and enjoyment - those of us on the left of the boat caught some spray as we headed back, but a cheeky swerve into someone else's wake meant that no-one remained dry....through every layer of clothing! Oh, and my sunnies could have done with wipers.

We were welcomed onto the island by some of the most lovely people I have ever met - the wardens of the island who live and work there as volunteers. Their openness and kindness and made us feel welcome from the minute they helped us off the boats, tried to gather us together (herding cats comes to mind)
and continued as 2 of the guys took 5 of the 6 smalls off for an hour long treasure hunt across the island, leaving us free to explore without worrying about cliff edges and abandoned gun emplacements.

All we did have to worry about - and this involved wearing building-site hard hats or waving a stout stick above your head- were the dive bombing gulls. There's a huge colony and they are currently hatching their young so really protective.

The island has a working lighthouse,

a no longer working but amazingly sculptural fog horn, series of gun emplacements, magazine stores, farmhouse and the barracks, where we had this wonderful team snap of the whole family.
I'm not sure in the end who was more excited about the family gathering, us or the wardens who work on capturing the stories and heritage of the island as well as the ecology. I think it is safe to say that the children will remember today for the rest of their lives, talking about their memories, the fossils, rabbits, seagull chicks and hard hats! It will shape their shared heritage and I'm sure they and we will be back again.

Sunny Sunday

2010-04-25T17:21:00.002+01:00

What a glorious day again - thought it was all going to go badly when I woke to rain on the skylight, but it has burnt away leaving a lovely warm day. Even better was a call from the lovely Carolyn in Luddenham telling us the asparagus was ready. They used to grow it commercially and have now retired, but the asparagus hasn't and so they invite us and others to help ourselves for free. Yipee! So G and I whizzed over after late breakfast and gathered armfuls of the lovely stuff.
This afternoon has been very "pottery", am still wiped out by a vile cough which leaves me gasping, so taking it super easy. Even so I finally tackled all the weeds in the drive which have been strangling the lavender we planted last summer and as I did so was rewarded by the first of our regular swallows and the sound of a cuckoo. What with all of that and the lane turning green and lush I am feeling very springy - now please will this cough go away?

2010-04-24T21:17:00.009+01:00

Sunny day, picnic packed, salmon en croute with dill crème fraiche for us and bangers in buns for the sprogs. We met up with Stan's best friend Isaac and our great friends Lesley and Jamie at Groombridge Place for Stan's 6th birthday treat. I had only ever been once with my cousin Honey when we were unfortunate enough to be rained on so badly that we had to admit defeat and head back to Honey's house to apply our clothes to the tumble drier! Today was clearly not going to pose that kind of a problem. Groombridge Place is a kid and adult paradise with everything from beautiful, formal gardens,peacocks, a vineyard, the"Enchanted Forest" filled with boardwalks, fox runs, labyrinths, forts, mazes Tree fern valleys, incredible swings on the longest ropes ever and all sort of other magical treats. There's a short canal with a small boat to carry you back to the start if your legs are too weary - or simply for the fun of it.
We started with our lunch on the grass, next to the water and with views over the fields to the Spa Valley railway line allowing frequent glimpses of the small steam tdain than runs back and forth- and when you couldn't see it you heard the whistles and toots. Fortified we set off up through the vineyard which is the steepest climb so good to get it done before small legs are weary.Then to the boardwalk and rope runs - there are two levels, and the kids pelted up the "tricky" one involving tunnels, balance beams and wobbly bridges, which I was coerced into, despite not conforming to footwear rules which stated "stout" (not slippy old Birkee's) and despite becoming less enamoured with crawling through tunnels as I get older..
One of the things the forest is well known for - and Stan's most anticipated part - was the fabulous swings. The boys had been before and were really looking forward to it. There was a small melt down as Georgia (taking seriously her role of grown-up big sister) read the sign to the birthday boy, which stated that no-one under 10 could go on and relaying this info to him before we could moderate....so he shed several tears before we explained that some rules were made to be broken...including the one that said only one person at a time, I had a blast up there with Stan on my knee. Because of the incredible length of the ropes they swing not only to great height but at a majestic pace...want one!

Stan checking the map - which might have been more useful later when he and Isaac got "lost" -(or you could say, took an unplanned route?) causing a small amount of concern and making several adults run up more hills than they might have liked.

After such a full and at times adrenalin filled afternoon, we settled down for tea, birthday cake (or rather birthday-mountain-of-brownies) and rays. Happy Birthday lovely boy xx
Huff, puff

Lesley
Quieter time playing Horrible Histories Top trumps - Stan checked thoroughly, but apparently there really is no card for Hitler..
Jamie

Finally the gardens closed and we went home, but not without first checking the standard of the local pub.. and can report that it has fine beer, great vibe and a lovely sunny grassy lawn where we sat and supped and the kids ran amok - how they had any energy left beats me!

Spring Sunday

2010-04-11T19:11:00.004+01:00

Lovely week of sunshine capped off by walk and lunch with the Berry Bunch.
Kids had a ball (as ever) in the collapsed hay bales whilst we lay soaking up sun in the lea of the sea wall

Light evenings

2010-04-10T19:29:00.004+01:00

The great thing about longer days and light evenings is being able to go out for a walk after supper and lovely light for pictures
When we got back, Michael had finished laying a rather lovely smart brick path in between the raised beds, so the boys "helped" him with the grouting

Quick trip

2010-04-09T19:46:00.002+01:00

Decided we needed a little treat for Easter and booked ourselves into the lovely Beckford Arms - as recommended by Nick.
Having looked at their excellent website which had many interesting places on their doorstep, we managed to fit a load of fun into two days with something for everyone.

Salisbury Cathedral - hoped to climb the tower, but you need to book (and we hadn't, but the kids had fun exploring and Michael was v excited to have seen the Magna Carta. I was rather disappointed by the interior which was so full of clutter, memorials and shrines - the basic structure is so beautiful and needs no such adornments. Stan enjoyed the colouring set which came with his lunch!

Pythouse Kitchen garden - a truly wonderful place - restored kitchen garden with a deli and cafe, displaying work by locally based artists, serving really tasty food, much made using their own produce and that from local suppliers. I think I have found the ideal model to combine all of my interests and am now on the look out for a similar site.

Old Wardour Castle - a wonderful, romantic ruined castle

The finished off with a visit to Shaftesbury, just over the border into Dorset where we had possibly the most surreal pizza ever - in a restored chapel, complete with rather awful trompe d'oeil, a fountain filled with plastic flowers and a summer-holiday, Shirely Valentine worthy waiter - and the pizza would have made Domino's look tasty. Ah well, it can't be gourmet all the time....

The real highlight of the trip, was the arrival by pure chance of Nick, Geo and the boys at the pub as we settled down in the garden for our first pint. They were on the way to Cornwall to go camping and were having a last blast of luxury before their (rather glam) destination on a Feather-down Farm site. So we had a wonderful dinner together and the kids had a ball in the large garden.

Easter

2010-04-06T20:55:00.001+01:00

Very quiet one this year, just us, but we got together with friends on Easter Saturday for a walk in Newnham, quick pint in Eastling, topped off by a stupendous lunch at Liz And Olly's
Managed to make a simnel cake and hot cross buns and the kids had a pretty good egg hunt in the garden, but all all it was subdued - best bit - sunshine, wall to wall. Spring is definitely springing

Snow

2010-01-09T16:04:00.009Z

It has now been snowing on and off for a week, we're mostly having a ball - last two days we have been utterly snowed in - may lose it's amusement factor when we run out of milk!

This picture was published last week and shows quite an astonishing image of the UK (pic credit NEODAAS/University of Dundee)

Along with the snow we had spring tides so the house was forever filled with wonderful reflected light from all sides.
Been tobogganing, digging caves in snow drifts, and generally doing stuff I can barely remember doing in this country in my lifetime - Stan less keen on anything that might make him cold, living up to his nickname of Mowgli, but Mouse likes it!

New Year's Day

2010-01-09T15:56:00.006Z

We had our usual New Year's Day open House with the added excitement(?) this year that it was Michael's last day as a 30 something yr old. The usual starter of sublime Bloody Mary's - here is the full kit lined up and ready as taken by G.

Lots and lots of curries and tasty items - quail's eggs and cumin salt.

By 1.30 no-one was here and at 1.31 EVERYONE was!! It was the first sunny day for weeks and although utterly freezing most people had walked and once again the hall was piled high with boots, shoes, hats and scarves. Total blast, thanks to all who came for making it so!

Christmas Day

2010-01-09T10:16:00.005Z

Doesn't need many words, children woke, stockings opened, smoked salmon and champagne for breakfast (bien sur!), pretty table, turkey and all the trimmings, more fizz, wine, port, presents - too many, family, love, laughter and togetherness - topped off with Poire William yum yum yum. Pictures tell the story

Christmas Eve

2010-01-09T10:02:00.005Z

3
2
1
Let the madness commence!

When planning to have Christmas in our house I kind of thought/hoped we would all fit in, crossed my fingers and prayed - the children are all so much bigger than 4 years ago when we last did it - in fact there is a new Whelan since then! So whilst we managed it, I am not sure that we might not need a bigger house or perhaps to knock through between living and dining room if we do it again.

Everyone arrived on Christmas Eve - we had spent ages tidying, stowing, sorting and generally emptying the house to try and make space and in an instant it was full to the brim with noise, people and jollity! We had a fish feast, 3 doz oysters, expertly opened by Michael - I may have to invest in a chain mail glove for him as he does it so often and so well! Followed by lovely whole sea bass and much, much wine.

Katy and Kev had brought some sky lanterns - the last time I had seen these was in great numbers in a huge field at the Big Chill and they are utterly magical. So simple and bewitching and everyone loves them.
We launched several and each time held our breath as we waited to see if they would clear the vast poplar at the bottom of the garden, before floating off towards Faversham climbing ever higher.

Beautiful, thanks guys.

Long time

2010-01-08T19:32:00.006Z

Life got rather hectic towards the end of last year, it seemed as though time was speeding and speeding up until we all collapsed in a total heap on Christmas Eve. So there has been no time to blog and there are lots of pictures and stories to tell. This then will not be entirely the correct order but hopefully brings it up to date.

First off Nativity plays and Christmas shows. There was a memorable afternoon when all three children did something, one after the other but in multiple locations which made the logistics a little challenging. As we rushed out of Georgia's carol service to get to Faversham in time for Raff's play to start the headteacher made a pointed comment about "people who will send their kids to different schools" - humorously-ish meant, but slightly barbed as he has always been annoyed that the boys stayed on at E/rd when it became a Primary school instead of moving them to join G. But as the amazing Christmas extravaganza by E/rd showed once again, it is quite simply the most magical, creative and unique school I have ever come across and I wouldn't have them anywhere else!

So, that memorable afternoon started with Stan's play called " A Christmas Recipe" - the Christmas story well hidden in amongst songs and dances all making up the "ingredients" for Christmas. Stan was a present!

Then we raced home for supper before G's very trad carol service with some really beautiful singing - she is particularly thrilled to now be singing the descant in 'O come all ye....' like her Granny always does. There was to be a candle lit lantern thing outside afterwards but we had to jump in the motor and whizz down to Faversham for the first ever E/rd Junior school Christmas show. Being Ethelbert road, no small measures - a performance by 8 yr olds of A Christmas Carol. Stunning of course, and Charlie Francis - the biggest boy at school in every way, played a fantastic Scrooge.
Raff was amazed and delighted to be chosen as one of the narrators and overcame not only his utter fear of the spotlight and having croup and nearly no voice (perhaps he should have been Tiny Tim) he spoke his lines clearly and with a real look of triumph as he came off the stage.
Well done you lot!

Spooky

2009-10-30T18:06:00.004Z

Kids going mad for Halloween - we have carved pumpkins, made them into pies, created spiders and dangled them to 'scare' Daddy when he gets home. Stan has also drawn a picture which contains a representation of all scary things "in the WORLD" - witches, bats, vampires, Darth Maul, spiders, and Daddy first thing in the morning ...
Can you see the spectre?

November is coming

2009-10-30T10:05:00.005Z

The weather is turning and the garden descending into sludge. Chickens have almost stopped laying, the starlings are gathering in larger and larger flocks and I feel the pull of hibernation. We have had some extraordinarily warm days and good sunshine, but the clocks went back last week and suddenly we are plunged into darkness before the afternoon has really got going - the days foreshortened. Work as ever makes huge demands on my energy and there is little left for all of the other things that need attention. The work life scales are way off balance.
Thinking back to last year at the same time I remember feeling very bleak and thinking at the time that it was unusual, but perhaps it is just the natural cycle of things.
All that said I have managed some good forays out to suck up the fading rays and took these pictures last weekend which affirm the staggering scale and beauty of where we live.

London

2009-10-18T20:14:00.003+01:00

Had a lovely time yesterday recovering from staggeringly late night on Friday. We were in London to celebrate Geo's 40th at the ever wonderful Drapers and had wangled a night sans kids and an absurdly cheap hotel in the Essex road. We got to bed at half three and because we were practically sleeping in the middle of the road, the traffic noise woke me at 6.30. eek! Anyway, eventually dragged ourselves out at 10 (needed to move the car or I think I would happily have slept all day!). We wanted to take some Turkish treats back to the friends who had hoovered up the sprogs at short notice so headed back to our old corner shop, the fabulous Turkish Food Centre on Ridley Road - a shop that has everything in it to make me a very happy foodie. Having picked out some of the plumpest, ripest and cheapest figs, we grabbed amongst other things, wonderful lamb and two boxes of super fresh baklava and a loaf of warm fresh turkish bread.
By that point our bodies were crying out for coffee and sugary stuff, we dithered around trying to remember where the good places were, when we remembered Broadway Market.

Auto pilot took over and all the short cuts and back streets came back to me. It has changed so much - obviously more chi-chi and busy, but happily less so than Columbia Road became. Michael had said that the perfect hangover cure would be the great Portuguese custard tarts, but I wasn't hopeful as that was from the Portobello years, but having walked the full length of the market admiring everything from piles of cakes,
rustic bread, spanking fresh fish, Ghanaian curries and more, his desire was rewarded and a small stack was spied! Grabbing a coffee from exactly the kind of cafe I would love to run one day - part deli, part caff, part community hub - we went and sat on a bench on the towpath
and admired/mocked the exertions of many many joggers. We surprised ourselves by re-imagining ourselves as Hackney dwellers - but that may have been the residual blood alcohol...
More poignant were the memories of endless walks along that towpath with Louise when G and Flora were newborns. We walked to and from Victoria Park often and once made it all the way to Limehouse Basin. With g's birthday last week and Flora's on Tuesday, the first she will have without her mother, there was much to ponder and be thankful for.

new online mag

2009-10-17T18:20:00.002+01:00

Rather love this new online mag For the Love of Life all about food, producers, restaurants and recipes, yum yum!

G's birthday

2009-10-11T12:00:00.006+01:00

Started the day at quite a sensible time, almost 7. As ever presents opened in our bed - which is becoming harder as they all get so much bigger. G was thrilled with the mini video camera we bought for her - I am concerned though that we may become unwitting stars of You Tube or You've Been framed.

The week has been full of reminders of her growing up - we have started the hard task of choosing which secondary school she will go to next year. Essentially it is a choice between 3 excellent schools as we are confident that she will pass the dread 11+ (results out in a week) So the choice is really between single sex or co-ed and then between local or Canterbury. All options have different but equally compelling benefits which makes it all harder.

Anyway back to birthday jollity. G requested pancakes for breakfast so I made a mountain and we enjoyed enough maple syrup to equal the debt of a third world country!
Her treat was a trip to a new-ish pizza place in Fav with loads of friends and then to the cinema, back home for hastily decorated cake and a friend to sleep over.
We rounded the day off with a huge bonfire in the garden, the wind was finally going the right way so as not to incur the wrath of our neighbour so loads of old pallets and offcuts have now been cleared away. I trimmed back our eucalyptus hedge and chucked that on too to Stan's delight - the leaves caught fire dramatically crackling and flaring up then floating away "like flaming butterflies" he said poetically.

Skegness

2009-10-04T09:30:00.005+01:00

Just back from a 2 day conference all about the regeneration on coastal resorts. It took place at Butlins in Skegness and was part of an arts festival called SEAS.
The final part of the agenda was a drive up the coast to Mablethorpe to visit a series of modern beach huts which were designed by artists and architects in an open competition. The one I really wanted to see was Jabba the Hut, as I thought the boys would have been tickled - their StarWars mania is undiminished Unfortunately Jabba nestles in some sand dunes half a mile away from the prom and we didn't have time, but we did see a couple of others. I have never been to Lincolnshire before and was struck the incredible beauty of the coast, miles and miles of sand and dunes stretching all the way to Grimsby with very little to interrupt the view. I would like to go back, but can't see M being persuaded.
Found this picture of Jabba on the Guardian's site

Not sure I will rush back to Butlins though- the accommodation was fine, comfortable and clean - but the food was appalling - never have so many hydrogenated fats, msg and flavour enhancers been eaten in such a short space of time. Also the scale and noise of the place really got to me after 24 hours.

Moare Music

2009-09-14T20:47:00.004+01:00

What a fab weekend, went to Moare Music - it's their second year and we very much hope that it carries on - judging by the numbers this year they won't have any problem. Having said that about numbers, what is so lovely is how small it really is and how un-greedy they are, loads of space. The food as ever was sublime - we sat downwind of the barbecue and frankly didn't need to eat just inhaled it all!

Saturday was sunny and warm and the music very jazzy/funky - the kids pelted round and round the garden endlessly, lots of friends were there and Stan as ever made loads of new ones. Stan even took up flying

with some help
In between the sets plenty of opportunity to catch up with essential reading, for Rommy the Guardian's political pages
whilst for the 'big' boys an ancient copy of Jackie magazine, and mostly the problem pages
Sunday was chillier and somewhat more subdued (some of us might even have had a bit of a hangover....M?) but there was no stopping a significant number of older, somewhat portly men of a certain age from hurling themselves around when Suggs came on! In amongst them and having a total blast you might have spotted a certain 5 year old on his mother's shoulders bouncing and leaping around - my knees will never be the same!
The perfect antidote to the end of summer!

Bank Holiday barbecue at Seasalter

2009-09-02T22:19:00.006+01:00

Space and de-junking

2009-08-30T20:49:00.003+01:00

At the end of a child-free week which has been heavenly.
Whilst I obviously love the little darlings, we managed to revisit the world of spontaneity and selfishness this week. Out to supper with friends, quick trip to the cinema, last minute bar-b with Whitstable mates etc etc. Getting up in the morning and going to work without assembling packed lunches and various necessary items for holiday club's chosen theme of the day was one of the real highlights!
The week of lovliness started last Sunday, leaving children in a field in Sussex (with loving relatives..!) and scooting back home and then out to dinner to celebrate 12th wedding anniv. Dinner at sweet but expensive place in Whitstable, fininshed off with coffee and star gazing on the beach.
Yesterday we undertook to empty the entire workshop on to the driveway and made three piles; tip, freecycle, back in. We were amazingly ruthless and have created an entirely usable space again, instead of a barely navigable room filled with junk. This evening I posted loads on freecycle and nearly all had gone within half an hour, bonkers! As a reward for all our hard work we went for a quick pint at the Three Mariners and booked our tickets for Moare Music, can't wait, it's going to be fab - nice way to say farewell to summer
So week over, today I drove down to Stonehenge to meet Penny and the kids - they have clearly had an utterly amazing time and Penny is certainly going to relish the quiet of her particular corner of Devon! A small amount of re-entry difficulties on our part, but the kids have experienced no such difficulty, re-creating chaos , mayhem and noise as if they had never been away!

various holiday pics

2009-08-27T18:44:00.005+01:00

Summer holidays Part 1

2009-08-26T17:46:00.001+01:00

Once again totally fabulous holiday, fully re-charged, well fed and shoulders no longer up by my ears. We went to Noirmouiter again, this time went via Amiens which was lovely, would like to take more time to explore as it is famous for the Hortillonnages, 'floating' gardens, which despite all best laid plans we did not manage to visit - needed to hit the road. We did have a good walk around the medieval streets, lots of narrow streets and waterways - not canals, smaller.

Then up to the Cathedral which was surrounded by some beautiful meadow planting. After breakfast, croissants from bakery taken to cafe (Michael says it still always feels wrong to be taking food to a cafe, but it's the way it is).
Then back into the car and off, we mostly hit the Peage but having experienced Rouen's dreadful traffic before, this time we went around the back through some wonderful countryside - almost alpine architecture and then by chance came to the river crossing, expecting a regular bridge, but finding this wonderful small ferry.
The kids loved it, although I think Stan had only just woken up so was a bit bewildered.
We arrived pretty late at the campsite, having done a screech around the Intermarche, but with no tent to put up we just got on with eating drinking and a bit of unpacking - never had a tent with clothes hangers before!
We quickly settled into a brilliant, chilled pattern. Wake about half 8, kids would go and buy bread and come back for hot choc, bread and delicious french butter and jam. Then beach, beach beach and more beach! Lunch when our stomachs rumbled - usually 2, then more beach, occasional trip to town for supplies, supper 8 or 9 - lots of Pallourdes, mussells and oysters.

Breakfast spot

Kids had their bikes this time, which was a revelation - Stan spent much of his time on his, disappearing off for long stretches, making friends and having a ball. Raff was more cautious, on a bit of small orbit with us at the centre but chilled nonetheless.

We soon met up with some lovely people with kids similar ages, one family in a tent near us had a daughter G's age, so they had a 'sleepover' in the pup tent. Another family had 3 boys, one of whom Raff really got on with - major Star Wars bonding, assisted greatly by R's encyclopedic knowledge (and his encyclopedia!). All of them were delighted with the stash of Lego in our tent. We spent a couple of wonderful nights, talking and drinking til very late, children gradually falling asleep, but one in particular stands out when they were all awake and crowded round the lamp in the tent discussing, Star Wars, Lego, stories, life? who knows, but it was a very sweet scene - need to get pics from Michael

After G's friend had gone she was not so keen on being in the little tent and insisted in being in with us, but the boys were more than happy to swap. Really glad we had taken it, as otherwise the sleeping arrangements were somewhat cosy - Michael said he spent the first night being alternately head butted and cuddled by Raff though the canvas separating their sleeping bit from ours!

That's all I have time for now, but will try and put some more pics up and onto Flickr - but it's not letting me in at the mo

Mum and Brian

2009-08-19T11:02:00.003+01:00

They have now arrived safely in Sri Lanka and Mum has started posting on her old blog annesdiaries.blogspot.com. Already found a new house, does she ever do anything slowly??

Goodbye

2009-07-26T20:14:00.003+01:00

Just back from a really super lunch at the Mariners to say goodbye to Mum and Brian, it feels very real now although Mum says it's unreal. Perhaps it's real for us as we are off on Friday and their date is not entirely fixed. Also, despite depositing bagfuls of stuff each week on us, they still have so much packing and sorting to do!

I was remembering as we drove back how I took mum to the airport last time she was off to Sri Lanka. Georgia was just a few months old and oblivious to the tears mostly held back, as we drank coffee and ate plastic airport croissants on a chilly morning. Now the tears are held back to protect her, but the sadness no less keenly felt. Of course you want go and we want you to go and have another amazing adventure, we've just got rather used to your proximity. The saving starts now for a trip there ourselves

Stan's daft face!

Tim Dowling back on form..

2009-07-25T12:58:00.002+01:00

...and seemingly describing my book group! Fantastic
"Tonight is ladies' night… and men are not welcome"

AMAZING!

2009-07-17T19:23:00.006+01:00

Just been eyeballed by a baby Kestrell
Michael looked out and saw something on the roof of the treehouse, we thought it might be an owl. Crept down the garden and got within a couple of metres, it seems to be very young and fluffy and was sheltering in the lea of the trunk - the wind has been relentless this week. Think it was sleeping, which is how we got so close, then I stepped on a twig - very Ealing comedy - and it swivelled it's head round and gave me good look over but didn't fly away. We stood looking at each other for a long while, the markings on it's feathers are exquisite. It's as close as we'll get to being on safari but it felt as magical as coming across a leopard and just sitting watching, both as intrigued as each other.

Party

2009-07-14T20:02:00.003+01:00

Mum and Brian will soon be off on their next adventure and so hosted a fabulous party at the Drapers to say farewell. the sun shone, the Prosecco flowed and we were on the train, hooray! It was a lovely gathering of old friends and family and the children looked gorgeous, behaved brilliantly and we all had such a lovely time. Great food topped it all off - I can still taste the blackcurrant sorbet!

A few pics from Mum including an updated line up of the full set of her gorgeous grandchildren - what will they do without all of your spoilly treats? - and for that matter, what will we do without the Saturday morning croissants and catch up x

Raff party

2009-06-09T13:21:00.001+01:00

Thought I had bloged re raff's party this year, but can't find it - here is a link to dan and sarah's blog which has great pics
http://danandsarahfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/raffs-8th-birthday.html

Littlestone

2009-06-05T22:49:00.009+01:00

Sitting here now with jeans on and 2 cardies and indeed socks for the first time in weeks, it seems somewhat unlikely that we recently had a stunningly hot weekend, one day of which was spent with Ed and Sarah in Littlestone. When we first arrived I established an outpost in the middle of the lawn, lying flat out in the sun and soaking up the rays like a lizard, paper in one hand and coffee in the other; a rare and guiltly enjoyed moment of idleness.

The garden backs straight onto Littlestone golf course and the boys usually go pelting across the vast open space, but this time were curtailed by 'actual golfers'... Georgia however took up a position with Patrick on top of the wall, all the better to see the action.

We had a fabulous lunch outside - Stan ate his body weight and perhaps mine too, in prawns (no granny there this time to indulge and peel them for him). After lunch we were planning a trip to ride on the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch "little train", which astonishingly we have ever done before, despite some pretty avid train fans amongst the smaller people in the family. A slight distraction came along in the form of a friend of Ed and Sarah's who was riding her horse and had promised Patrick the chance to have a go.

This naturally extended into G wanting a go (although the boys were rather reticent?). It reminded me of Georgia's very natural posture om a horse and how I have been talking forever about setting up a regular session for her and I to go riding. (note to self "pull finger out"!). She was really lucky to go for a short walk down the road and back; heath and safety thrown to the wind, - bare feet and no hard hat, but hey?

Horseman/womanship over we realised that the last chance for the train was rushing towards us and so hurled the kids in the car, Patrick still his PJ's,and made it in time for a short ride up the line to Dymchurch and back.

The sky had been darkening though all afternoon and by the time we got to Dymchurch, where we had to wait for 20 minutes for the return journey. It was by now chucking it down however the sprogs scoffed down an ice cream and loved every minute, I think I would have benefited from more clothes!

Raff was ecstatic and we all had a pretty good time - Mouse however trembled and shook for the whole journey and nearly shed her own skin when the train let off steam and whistled loudly as it departed.
Ed, I'm not sure you needed the sign, the ladies have always known which way to go - thank you for lovely da

Drapers Reviews

2009-05-31T22:21:00.007+01:00

The reviews are coming in and they're all good!

Time Out say "The daily-changing menu is firmly contemporary British, neatly matching the no-nonsense aesthetics of the pub’s refit. Devilled duck hearts on toast, ox tongue and lardy cake all make appearances, though it was the angels on horseback that tickled our fancy." and " The most memorable aspect of the Drapers wasn’t the food or drink, or even the well-proportioned building; it was the impeccable service. The team were well-mannered to a fault, and eager to ensure the equally well-mannered customers were well looked after."

View London says "The Drapers Arms is undoubtedly upmarket; however, it’s conversely unpretentious. With amazingly friendly staff and a relaxed atmosphere, it's worth checking out if you're in the area, providing a welcomed respite from the madcap antics of nearby Upper Street."

Evening Standard "It’s always been a pleasure to be in these handsome rooms. When it comes to the food, the new owners have clearly opted for St-John-goes-to-the-pub but, with Fergus Henderson’s restaurant having just been voted the best in London, who’s complaining?"

Ghost boat

2009-05-30T16:22:00.006+01:00

I have been woken for the past two mornings at 5 by Mouse barking and barking at something. I thought it might be a fox or something she could see in the garden and so this morning I opened the skylight to look out and saw the most beautiful sight. The marsh had the slightest mist, patchy and mostly just hovering above the water and emerging from it was Decima.

I pelted downstairs, grabbed my camera and ran to the bottom of the garden and captured these shots. Wish I had a telephoto lens, but they still certainly evoke the magic.

Back upstairs once again, I popped my head out of the roof and caught her as she sailed into the early sunlight. Mouse I forgive you, this time.

Garden

2009-05-14T08:55:00.002+01:00

The garden was looking amazing last weekend so I took loads of pics, most of them speak for themselves, but these are of the leeks which I left to go to seed in the veg patch because of the awesome flower spikes they produce. The plants are now taller then me and just about bursting into flower

My Dixter inspired collection of pots - am hoping they will get better and better as the summer progresses, there are Cannas and Lillies to come and I will re-plant the tin bath with Nicotiana and grasses.

Running

2009-05-09T20:51:00.002+01:00

Georgia is joining me this year in the Race for Life so today we went for our first 'training' session.....Let's say we may need to practice a little more often if we are going to manage to run further than the first corner.
We made it, in fits and starts eventually to the sea wall where we then sat amongst the Konik ponies for half an hour. They are such placid and beautiful creatures, not bothered by the dog at all and very inquisitive. Regular blog readers may remember the incident when one of them tried to eat one of Stan's wellies - today my trainers were the subject of some good but reasonably gentle chomping. Georgia had fun gathering grass and clover to feed them whilst I was mesmerised by one of the Marsh Harriers, criss crossing the rape fields, looking for lucnh but never seeming to find any. G and I decided we really are so lucky to have all of this on our doorstep. She was rather put out when a group of two or three families with loads of kids came along and joined in the horse play.

Kings Wood picnic

2009-05-07T18:59:00.005+01:00

A few weeks ago we had a fantastic day out in Kings Wood with Mum, Brian, Mark, Eleanor, Isabella and Freddy. Mum had laid on a supreme feast with everyone's favourite food - Stan was particularly thrilled by the 2 bags of prawns from Bluey in Oare - which his personal peeler (Granny) fed him one by one! Oh to be the youngest and most indulged..! What will he do and in fact what will we all do when she sets off (again) on a grand adventure? Yes, for those who didn't know the siren, Sri Lanka, has called again and she and Brian are off in August for 2-3 years. We will miss you both so very much, but at least we can plan a grand trip as compensation

Anyway, back to Kings Wood. Here are a selection of Brian's pics - I didn't take any that day, so thanks Brian

Freddy

Trying to hear Jem Finer's piece working

Long walk = shoulder ride

Georgia and Brian

Use the force!

A gaggle of cousins - or whatever the collective noun is; brood, rabble, hullabaloo?

Stan's party

2009-04-28T18:42:00.001+01:00

Well he had two, obviously.
School night normal tea with the Berry bunch followed by choc cake (champers for the grown ups, hooray for birthdays.

Then on the following Sunday a party for his school mates at Gym Club. They had a ball and whenever I took a picture M played the clown/panto "he's behind you" etc etc, so the kids look particularly happy

Stan - he always knew his life would be good

2009-04-25T19:20:00.000+01:00

stan is five!!!

2009-04-23T18:27:00.002+01:00

An early start as ever, Georgia woke Stan up at 6.30 (whose birthday was it again?). After decimating a pile of presents in our bedroom we gave him a red ribbon to follow.....which led.......to........the shed

Lucky boy! Brand new bike which rather fortuitously says "force" across the front, which makes it official Star Wars merchandise in his eyes

Because he has been so brilliant on his wooden balance bike, we haven't given him the stabilisers and last weekend I took him up the lane, gradually loosening my grip and he was brilliant, I ended up running alongside and then when I ran in front of him he realised I wasn't, as such, holding him! Hilarious. Of course he panicked, wobbled and stopped, but didn't fall!

Easter Weekend

2009-04-17T12:54:00.008+01:00

Had a pretty full Easter weekend with Katy and Kev here from Friday to Monday and Penny too from Saturday. Lots of fun, many outings and of course, significant quantities of chocolate! - not to mention occasional trips to pubs - or should that read DAILY trips to pub, Rose and Crown Perry Wood Friday, Neptune Whitstable Saturday, Anchor Faversham Sunday..

Pasties and pints at Whitstable

Playing along the shore line

Sun in the garden

The EGG Hunt and the haul

Walking to the Anchor

Serene scene

Raff does LOVE a hat

2009-04-14T14:46:00.001+01:00

Latest addition to his collection, from Brian, bowler hat which is now rarely off

Star Wars

2009-03-30T12:16:00.002+01:00

This period of our life if defined by a paleantolgist unearthing our bones would be the Jedi-assic period, framed as it is by constant viewings and then re-enactments of the many episodes of Star Wars. The boys are foverver slaying us with their light sabres, both single and double sided!
Nick and the boys were down recently and he joined in the madnesss with very little encouragement, particualry the wearing of the CloneTrooperVoiceChangerHelmet, yes, it is all one word, especialy when uttered by Stan!

Re-charged

2009-03-16T17:59:00.006Z

Had the most wonderful day, home alone for hours and hours in delicious sunshine with a huge list of jobs to do in the garden. Not surprisingly don't fancy going to work tomorrow, but I am off again on Friday so hope the weather holds. Stopped briefly for breakfast and lunch outside but otherwise was up to my arms in soil, happy as a pig in the proverbial.
In the veggie garden I have put barrow loads of muck onto the beds, moved the summer raspberries and some rhubarb and generally tidied up.

At the other end of the garden I thought I would 'just' mulch, but when it came to it I totally renovated the front 'hot' bed. Removed every single plant, dug in loads of manure and then re planted . I hope that in doing so I will have managed to rid the bed of the Spanish bluebells which I try and pull up each year, pretty unsuccessfully, also last summer the soil in that bit ended up looking Saharan even though we had lots of rain, the compost should help.

Everything out...

"Now where shall I put it all?"

Back in..

Only another 4 or more bits this big to do!
Thankfully it's yoga tonight so I may be able to walk tomorrow after all!

Muck and Sun

2009-03-15T18:20:00.004Z

These two things have defined today!

I had 3 tons of mushroom compost delivered on Friday - it is quite a big old pile you'll agree.

Have spent all day in the glorious sunshine applying it to the garden. It's a slowish process, not because it's hard work but because I go along I keep finding things that need moving, or tidying or weeding . One particular clump of bluebells precipitated the start of a whole new 'spring garden' which will look spectacular next year I hope with crocus, bluebells, daffs and forget-me-nots. I am going to over-plant them with a mix of hazels and dogwoods and then we won't see the chicken run from the house.

A 'first' always logged on this blog is the first lunch of the year outside and today was it. Hooray! Often it is Easter weekend when we make poor unsuspecting guests eat their roast lamb in the sun but often with a chilly wind. Today it was just us and bread and cheese and really warm sun for lunch and a very happy me

Red Nose Day

2009-03-14T08:55:00.005Z

The kids thoroughly embraced the "do something funny for money" motto for this year's Red Nose Day, all going to school looking crazy - especially in the hair department! Stan had been encouraged to go to school in pyjamas and I so wish I had taken my camera to school as the teachers had, in true Ethelbert Road styleee, made themselves look truly bonkers. The head was in a full length purple nightie, red wig, etc etc.

Raff got rather upset when we did his hair because he said he looked stupid and everyone would laught at him, in the end he realised as we drove to school and saw all sorts of craziness on the streets on Fav that that was rather the point!

Georgia's theme was crazy clothes, so tutu, wings, multi colours was the order of the day along with mad hair!

Victory for Nick

2009-03-14T08:13:00.003Z

Nick has been awarded his licence and is aiming to open in May, can't wait!

Taekwondo

2009-03-09T08:46:00.005Z

Raff has been going to Taekwondo for a few months now, which he really loves and it is really boosting his confidence, and also (we hope) helping with co-ordination which he lacks...Last Sunday there was a 'grading' where they test what he has learnt and if successful he gets a new belt.

Success!! Mr Orange now has the orange belt.

And he showed us some if his moves, very impressive Raff!

Hooray for Nick!!

2009-02-25T10:25:00.003Z

The Police have withdrawn their requirement for CCTV at the Drapers.

He even had Michael Nyman on the case. Also really good to see that it's already on the Harden's radar - though not sure Nick's going to love being referred to as a former city boy "Drapers Arms to rise again"

Heavenly Day

2009-02-21T18:36:00.006Z

Just back from a brilliant afternoon at St Margaret's Bay with the kids. Clear blue sky and the sea looked positively Mediterranean, although I wasn't tempted to test that theory with my toes.

M and I had a cheeky night away on Friday night in a rather lovely hotel nearby, Wallets Court, and after breakfast went to the beach to walk off the Clavados/Whisky enhanced foggy heads before re-engaging with the domestic madness. When we got down there it was so picturesque and the simple cafe surrounded by families enjoying the glorious sun spurred us on to belt back home, scoop up the sprogs who were being ably and sweetly looked after by Mum and Brian, and then zoom back. Amazingly they were all rather resistant to the idea which was annoying, but we persisted and persuaded the ungrateful little scamps that it was a good idea and I think they would agree it was a blast.

The groynes there have this unusual double skinned construction, some of which are hollow, which meant the kids could climb inside and disappear from view - the boys in particular played some wonderful games, loosely based on Star wars/Pirates of the Caribbean/Thunderbird/Transformers for hours, barely stopping to guzzle the sarnies we had brought, whilst I mostly soaked up the rays, ergo as happy as a sandboy! On Friday the boys and I had spent an equally lovely day frolicking on the beach in Whitstable with Phil and Paul, so Spring must be springing.

Mouse thought we were all mad as she hates pebbly beaches and so spent most of the time up on the groyne with me

Finished up with mugs of tea and hot chocolate from the very friendly lady in the cafe, you can take your mugs down onto the beach, which pretty much perfected a top day

Nick - you have started something big

2009-02-17T22:03:00.003Z

Information Commissioner's Office

The Register

Civil Liberty

2009-02-14T22:38:00.005Z

I guess Nick didn't expect to be dealing with issues around civil liberty as well as choosing amongst other things, which beer to serve in his new pub, but all credit to him for tackling it head on. Keep it up big bro x

Landlord fights police plan for CCTV at pub

Check out Jon Snow and others on the subject here too.
Jon Snow
Henry Porter, comment is free
Guardian letters

Stan THE man

2009-02-14T22:24:00.006Z

I needed to go to Canterbury today to get a suit for an upcoming work thing and asked Stan if he would come with me to tell me I if looked 'beautiful' or not... he went to get dressed and reappeared downstairs wearing jeans and an exceedingly dapper linen jacket from Clare's wedding - I suggested a T-shirt might be worth considering since it was icy outside. Suffice to say he looked SO handsome and we had a truly brilliant trip , everyone we met commented on how cool he looked - he couldn't decide if this was GREAT or hugely embarrassing. I think he came down on the side of great!

Even dudes need a big glass of milk before they hit the town....in fact that will hold him in good stead when he really starts to hit the town.

Another funny moment occurred when in the last shop we went to I praised him for having been such great company and well behaved, he replied "Well Mummy, at home you asked me to be nice and so of course I was", to the amusement of the lady serving us and a fellow shopper I replied that it wasn't always that reliable an indicator of success!

oops!

2009-02-11T22:15:00.001Z

We woke up this morning to an unusual sight of 2 small ferries stranded on the marsh. Michael had heard some strange noises in the night which he said sounded like someone was pile-driving, which would be a bit odd on an SSI (site of special scientific interest) at the best of times, let alone after midnight!

I had the day off so when I took Mouse for a blast we found the ferries and discovered that someone had been trying to pull them off the marsh, in the middle of the night from the opposite bank.....hence the funny noises.
Anyway, it seems that all they needed was another high tide because after lunch they had gone, guess next time they will take notice of the buoys which mark the navigable channel.

Waking up the garden

2009-02-08T14:28:00.002Z

Beautiful sunny day at last after all the snow and ice and fog and cold and drear! Pretty prefect Sunday in fact.
The moles have been very busy in the garden making particularly big hills and even taking over my dreams -very weird one last night with a mole as big as badger! - so I have been putting their hills to use as the base for seed compost; apparently it's really good, mixed with coir as it's really fine and free draining and also has the microbes from the garden which the seedlings will meet when they are planted out and it helps them build up resistance. Who knows, but at least the lawn looks a little more level. I also started clearing the beds of all the leaves and dead stalks from last year's perennials. All this is in preparation for the 3 tons of mushroom compost I hope to get delivered at half term to mulch with.
Also gave the chickens some attention, their house was revolting - again! and sadly the cold had got to Ginger who was under their house and somewhat rigid. Will have to go to Churchmans again as now have only 2 big ones who are laying, with the 2 bantams from the original gang, Lucy and Choc, who are very pretty but entirely useless when it comes to eggs.
After all that work we had a lovely walk to the Anchor in the sun for a couple of fine pints and jollity with the sprogs, Stan was a bit hard work on the way there but well fueled with "boys beer" and crisps plus some jelly beans he made it home again without too much trouble, Now they are all well ensconced in front of the Empire Strikes Back - Star Wars is the boys' absolute obsession at the moment -whilst a chicken roasts - not Ginger...and the papers are calling....

Wintery weather

2009-02-03T16:41:00.006Z

We have had a bit of wintery weather.... the early warning message on the news at the weekend was a hilarious "moderate risk of a significant snow event" - Oh my god the world's gone mad when even the weather men speak corporate-buzzword-bingo-lingo!

So what actually happened? It snowed on Sunday evening, a bit more yesterday but not enough to shut the schools - by the afternoon it was melting and today it was icy but there were really only pockets of snow left. Kids at school again and I worked at home to get a bit of peace and quiet to write a big boring old document - oh and this....

I did however get out for a brain-refreshing walk with the hound and took these photos of some amazing ice formations in the marsh. The last one looks like a diagram of a cell or amoeba with it's nucleus.

Animated

2009-02-01T21:02:00.001Z

The boys - both small and large have been making some sweet Lego animations recently which can be seen on their wonderful LEGO blogs - see links to the right

Fabulous birthday weekend!

2009-01-31T19:05:00.013Z

For a birthday of no great importance I was very spoiled and exceedingly well celebrated last weekend by all of my lovely friends and family. Dinner on Friday night with Polly and Simon with scrumptious food and even dancing! Saturday - pretty impressive lie in and then a complete spoilage of pressies, including the fab toy I am writing this on - swish new Netbook! Lunch in Canterbury with sprogs and Mozart in the Cathedral followed by sushi. Then Sunday a very soggy walk in Perry wood with Berry's and Smiths, after which a magnificent feast at West Street - pics to follow, but the highlight must surely have been the rousing rendition of Happy Birthday see film below. Not sure I have had it sung so loud and with so much love since I was very wee! Thank you all XXX

The 'real' sea

2009-01-11T17:54:00.006Z

Much as I love living so close to the sea, there are days when the estuarine nature of our most local beaches just doesn't hit the spot. So with the first day for ages that wasn't utterly freezing and frosty we decided to go to Folkestone based on the fact that there would be proper waves and hopefully a beachside chippy.

Yes to the former but no luck with any sort of cafe or chippy apart from a very chi-chi kiosk selling hot choc for £2 and it was still exceedingly chilly with a biting wind. So not altogether a huge success. I was hoping that the 'Creative Quarter' which is Folkestone's up and coming bit might have some interesting things to see and do - but mostly it was shut and forlorn.

The kids did have fun on the beach running away from the rollers, but we all got rather cold and when it then took us another half an hour driving down the coast to find a chippy, it rather took the shine off the day. I think we will give it another go in the summer when it might be a bit more buzzy, but for now Folkestone isn't top of my list

Snapdragon

2009-01-09T18:56:00.004Z

I have been a huge fan of Jane Lindsey from Snapdragon for ages having discovered her I know not how, probably on a wander round the web, as you do! She makes and sells some of the most beautiful objects as well as growing and selling her own cut flowers and writing an entertaining and informative blog which I have now added to the links on the right. You can see what I mean at snapdragon and in particular my favourite things are the embroidered designs - I asked very nicely and got a few lovely things for Christmas such as this gorgeous book

So now I am sharing her with you, pass it on, she's really worth it and you never know, someone might buy something beautiful for you too!

Brrrrrrrrrrrr Chilly

2009-01-05T22:43:00.006Z

Seriously cold today, last day of the school hols, the kids had an inset day and we woke to a white landscape. I was lounging in bed (waiting for my tea...........) as "poor old Michael" had to get up and go to work - He has been somewhat teased as he didn't manage to work a full week for the whole of December as he was using up so much annual leave - so he brought me tea and reported that by 8.15 Stan was up and dressed and trying to make a snow man in the slush. When that failed he threw soggy snowballs at the windows! (Stan, not Michael)

Stan had complained last night that he was being sent to bed without "a proper supper" so I teased him mercilessly today, serving him a "proper" breakfast of porridge, followed by "proper" lunch of freshly made soup, croutons, ham, bread and carrots, with a "proper" supper of special cheesy baked spuds with broccoli, fruit salad and a whopping hunk of Choc brownie. Hope now he can't snitch on us to the teachers for underfeeding!!
I have to go back to work tomorrow - should be fun getting there as lane will be an ice rink as apparently tonight is set to be coldest day this winter - actually looking forward to work as there is much to do and I like doing it!

Here's to a fab 2009, getting lots done and embracing all of the fun and challenges that life throws at us!

Christmas Tree

2008-12-29T11:39:00.003Z

We went for a bracing (for that read blinking chilly!) walk yesterday in Perry Wood. We were well fuelled with huge breakfast - bubble and squeak, yummy ham, poached eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes! Raff took his new pop gun rifle and wore his flat hat and looked every bit the country lad!

At the end of the walk we came across this tree which had been decorated with food for the the birds, beautiful!

Hot Wheels

2008-12-27T18:06:00.003Z

And here is an equally favourite present.

Stan just keeps saying "I'm SO happy, it's JUST what I wanted. I'm SO happy, it's just ............"

I quite like playing with it too - you may notice my hand rather alot!

Clone Troopers

2008-12-26T12:28:00.003Z

Two of the happiest boys in the world as they got their one true wish at Christmas "Voice Change Clone Trooper helmets" of course - not world peace! Stan was slightly disgruntled that Father Christmas hadn't managed to put one in his stocking but luckily Grandpa Chris-mas sorted it out instead.

Winter Solstice

2008-12-21T20:18:00.008Z

What a fabulous day, I feel like it's New Year's Day; I felt such a strong sense of new beginnings or of turning a new page.

Bright blue sky when we woke up, impromptu big breakfast with Polly and Simon when they came to collect their boys who had stayed over, which was lovely. Then I finally got on with some garden stuff - most importantly cleaning out the chickens - they were chicken-knee deep in pretty sordid muck, no wonder there are never any eggs, I think they are on strike.

After that I went for a "quick blast " with Mouse, which turned into the full 3 mile loop out to the sea and back along the creek. Well, the sun was beaming down and it felt rude not to celebrate it's solstice by soaking up the rays and I took loads of pictures - they will be paintings one day... From the sea wall looking back inland you can see nearly all of my favourite spots, Perry Wood, Blean, the marshes and Seasalter. I met friend who was walking from Whitstable back to Fav having been dropped there by his wife - I don't think in anger...? we should try it sometime.

The Konik ponies were looking a a little cold, Mouse was very excited to see them; it really is astonishing to walk 20 minutes from the house and be right amongst them. Close by in the field behind them was a vast flock of swans, who overwinter here, I must have counted 50, but the young are pretty well hidden so there were probably another 10 at least.

On the last leg I noticed the shadows that Mouse and I were making looked like Giacometti scupltures, so I snapped them for amusement.

And I just loved the colours of the mud - if you painted it the same purple no-one would believe that was how it looked.

Rounded off the day by gong to Dan And Annies Christmas drinks, with Dan's spectacular mince pies - they are made with a super tasty spiced meat filling, with pine nuts and apricots; I definately had my fair share! Someone there mentioned that it was 9 lessons and carols at 6.30, so we found ourselves easily persuaded - or was that the sherry and Prosecco talking? - to go along and have a good old sing! So I am thoroughly in the mood now for a jolly festive time - just a shame I have to go to work tomorrow before thoroughly embracing the season of eating and drinking to excess!

Brown paper packages....

2008-12-21T09:35:00.002Z

tied up with string..

Made a new recipe Christmas cake last night which involved a great deal of lining the tin and even wrapping it in brown paper and string. It smells pretty outrageously good, here's hoping it tastes good, if it does I 'll share the recip'

Christmas is coming

2008-12-19T22:33:00.003Z

Kids have finally finished school for the hols (hooray!) and even though I still have to go back to work on Monday, it will be a breeze! At least we won't have any more missives from school asking for "a Roman soldier's outfit, King's costume, cakes for two school fairs and money for the school panto trip, plus contributions for the Tombola and confirmed numbers for the Christmas meal", all in one day!!! I kid you not, just over a week ago we laid out the bits of paper received in one day from the two schools and that is pretty much what was being asked for THAT day!!

But the magic of Christmas is not quite buried under all those demands. We got our tree last weekend - succumbing to an absurdly expensive one as I insisted on a 'nice' one. It's not yet fully decorated which is a bit tragic but nearly all of the lights from the last few years had finally had it and it took a while to find anywhere with any left in stock. Then G was performing at a concert in London and so the boys and I only dared put a few things on the tree when she was out - we still got a full on sulk on her return for daring to do that, and since then there just hasn't been time. So I have promised a full on decorating session in the morning, which probably means I will come down and find that she has done it tomorrow before anyone else is awake!

Innocent Smoothie woolly hats

2008-11-19T20:04:00.003Z

http://innocentdrinks.typepad.com/thebigknit/2008/10/the-wooliest-ha.html

Tim Dowling - Saturday Guardian

2008-11-16T20:42:00.006Z

If I only manage to find the time at the weekend to skim the papers - of which there are always too many - I absolutely have to read the food, gardening and Tim Dowling columns. The latter nearly always has me weeping with laughter by the end of the first paragraph and Michael has to submit to me reading out random sentences whilst hooting with laughter. It may be that you have to read it for a few weeks before you get into his groove, but I recommend you search him out for a serious hit of endorphins! This week's is a classic and I am still wiping away the tears!!

'I have known my wife for many years, and the children are right to be afraid'

Fabulous Day

2008-11-09T16:15:00.007Z

It's amazing what sunshine can do. My soul is recharged and uplifted.
The list of garden jobs was getting a little out of hand and with the next few weekends looking pretty hectic it was today or bust! I have conquered most of it. Dead shrub has been dug up, plants which I tolerated but did not love have been sent to the compost heap; I wanted a bonfire really but it was all too damp and would have invited the wrath of Knibbs if smoke had gone across his garden - not worth repeating, ever!
I have been painting with plants in my imagination, moving things and putting in new favourites and underplanting with lots of bulbs. I am bound to have forgotten some of the plants which have already died back, and there may be a little jostling and pushing in the spring, but nothing too disastrous I am sure.
Last night we went to the Mt Ephraim fireworks - first time we have been to a 'proper' display for at least 6 years! It was spectacular, truly beautiful and as Michael said, almost more exciting to watch the faces of Stan and Raff as they took it all in.

Raff - rock star!

2008-11-07T18:28:00.001Z

Taken in the summer, but I love it and wanted to share!

Veg patch slipping into Autumn

2008-10-30T10:37:00.004Z

Looks a bit sad, but it is still being productive. - we had a lovely salad from it yesterday and there are still leeks, beetroot and chard to be had, plus Raff's carrots and baby corn.

I have sown green manure on two of the beds - Phacelia on one and Hungarian Rye grass on the other. Next I need to get some Broad Beans in -they were rubbish this year as I got them in too late and in the old patch which I think has become truly exhausted. I have begun thinking about what to do with that bit, but can't decide between a meadow made up just from flowering annuals, inspired by Gardens Illustrated or the Derek Jarman inspired shingle garden that I had previously planned for that end.

Larkin

2008-10-30T10:19:00.005Z

I went to a Private View recently of a project called the 'Importance of Elsewhere' - the artists had worked with an anthology of Philip Larkin poems as their juming off point. Written on acetate in beautiful script and stuck to a window in an attic room overlooking the lights and buildings that make up the remains of Chatham's industrial past, was this poem. Apparently it's about Hull but it could so easily have been the Medway which is the 'widening river's slow presence'.
Getting home and reading it here, where the land also ends suddenly, it speaks to me even more and reminds me how much I love his writing and how I should go back to reading poetry amongst all of the fiction.

Here

Swerving east, from rich industrial shadows
And traffic all night north; swerving through fields
Too thin and thistled to be called meadows,
And now and then a harsh-named halt, that shields
Workmen at dawn; swerving to solitude
Of skies and scarecrows, haystacks, hares and pheasants,
And the widening river's slow presence,
The piled gold clouds, the shining gull-marked mud,

Gathers to the surprise of a large town:
Here domes and statues, spires and cranes cluster
Beside grain-scattered streets, barge-crowded water,
And residents from raw estates, brought down
The dead straight miles by stealing flat-faced trolleys,
Push through plate-glass swing doors to their desires -
Cheap suits, red kitchen-ware, sharp shoes, iced lollies,
Electric mixers, toasters, washers, driers –

A cut-price crowd, urban yet simple, dwelling
Where only salesmen and relations come
Within a terminate and fishy-smelling
Pastoral of ships up streets, the slave museum,
Tattoo-shops, consulates, grim head-scarfed wives;
And out beyond its mortgaged half-built edges
Fast-shadowed wheat-fields, running high as hedges,
Isolate villages, where removed lives

Loneliness clarifies. Here silence stands
Like heat. Here leaves unnoticed thicken,
Hidden weeds flower, neglected waters quicken,
Luminously-peopled air ascends;
And past the poppies bluish neutral distance
Ends the land suddenly beyond a beach
Of shapes and shingle. Here is unfenced existence:
Facing the sun, untalkative, out of reach.

Philip Larkin

Here she is, 10!

2008-10-10T18:56:00.001+01:00

Planning my mid-life crisis...

2008-10-08T13:51:00.003+01:00

Don't say you haven't all been warned!
Georgia is 10 on Friday and whilst a very exciting and an amazing milestone, it is nonetheless causing me no small amount of reflection. Mostly on the subject of "where did those 10 years go and what did I do in them?". I remember so vividly turning 10 and how quickly after that 16, 18, 21 and 30. Is her life going to get up to warp speed now too?
Her birthday coincides with my first week working properly full time for the first time since before she was born - for the past 4 months it has been 4 days per week, but now I am a 5 day a week girl and that too is daunting; I have prized my Fridays, free to go for huge walks with the dog, visit friends, do things without anyone else and will feel the loss of that small breathing space keenly.
But, before it sounds as though I am disappearing down my black hole, I love my new job, it's fantastic, challenging and rewarding. I guess it's just all about adjustments and there have been so many to make recently.

Stan leaves home!

2008-09-02T17:50:00.004+01:00

Well. it's finally happened, all my children have flown out into the world, I can no longer claim them as mine.

Of course what I mean to say is that Stan started school today. He looked great, all dressed up in his smart uniform and setting off very confidently (although he was holding my finger VERY tightly in the playgound). He was a little miffed not to be taking his new lunchbox, but they have a very slow settling in period; for the first 2 weeks they only stay until 12, then the third week they have lunch but go home soon after and then eventually stay all day. It means some canny juggling with work but hopefully will work out okay.
The after effects of his very busy morning reading stories and "playing with toys" were as expected, but on waking he did polish off a very respectable 2 helpings of supper.

School trip to the woods

2008-06-21T19:20:00.006+01:00

I went with Raff and all of the Year 2 kids to Kings Wood yesterday for a wonderful day of walking, looking at the sculptures and then making our own. It was fun, exhausting and thankfully sunny as the forecast had been for rain.
This is a piece called The RingRaff made a wonderful scorpion of which he was very proud, especially when we got to the 'show and tell' part of the day.

The end of a lovely day, thanks Raff for letting me share it with you x

raff's birthday

2008-06-20T16:19:00.000+01:00

It has been drawn to my attention that I haven't posted recently (enough) for doting grandparents! And in particular that Rafferty's birthday has gone by without comment! It's all because of this full time working m'larkey you know, it does rather take up alot of one's time!
Anyhow here are some pictures of my lovely Raff's party at the 10 pin bowling place in Whitstable, much fun was had by all (small) people.

It was the first sunny afternoon for weeks so I was a bit cross to be inside, but we went to the beach afterwards for an evening pint and that cheered me up no end. The most important things though was that Raff had an absolutely top time and rather fortuitoulsy won!! Hooray !!

And hooray for Polly geting the beers in!

Phil thought Raffy might need to cool off after all his exertions...

Not sure if Stan is urging him on or rushing to Raff's defence!

Great Dixter

2008-05-27T08:36:00.007+01:00

In amongst all this construction and earth moving I gave myself a treat, long promised, to visit the fabulous gardens by Christopher Lloyd at Great Dixter. It's only an hour away from here, but I have never found the time to go before. I went with Annie Mowll, and sans children - although we agreed afterwards that it is a magical garden that children would love exploring. Because we had to be back in Faversham by 3 we got there really early -the nursery opens an hour before the gardens, so we mooched around looking at the beautifully laid out specimens and glimpsing views to the house beyond. We had a chance to enjoy a coffee and cake in total solitude before the hoards arrived, a real treat.

One of my overwhelming experiences of the garden is that it is truly a work in progress, not a museum piece. Christopher Lloyd worked very closely with his head gardener Fergus to keep it fluid and since Christopher's death it is still always changing and moving forward. The gardens are laid out in amongst formal yew hedging and topiary but are not at all formal themselves - the only straight lines were in the kitchen gardens - even the buildings have wobbly edges - as with this amazing barn roof.

Another striking and well known feature of Christopher Lloyd's planting is the riotous mix of colours, none more so that in the huge collections of potted plants by the front door and on various terraces, I'm not sure I am brave enough.

Hooray Hooray Beds are all built!

2008-05-24T17:01:00.014+01:00

Almost there.....

Georgia and Fintan got going with the planting in her bed - lettuce, a pumpkin, carrots a mix of annuals called "butterfly mix" and red cosmos, later we added dwarf sweet peas to a wigwam in the middle. Raff has runner beans, baby sweetcorn, carrots and a strawberry plant, Stan has courgette "for daddy" and baby sweetcorn to follow.

And I got going with my planting - some of Georgia's spare lettuce - she had sown a whole packet earlier in the year which I 'lovingly' and through gritted teeth, pricked out - I think there were 90! Mum has some in London, Dot has many more and I got the last 20 or so!
I also transplanted a load of leeks which our lovely Asparagus people, Peter and Carolyn from Blackbird Cottage had given me. Plus peas which I had sown in guttering a la Sarah Raven. Calendula Officinalis, self sown seedlings from the 'old' veg patch to add some colour. Also French beans went in, dwarf and climbing, various salads, beetroot and more peas as seed for succession. It has now rained for the last 2 nights and today, so I think it should all do very well - now we need a little warmth! The picture that follows is from the doorway of my shed where I sit ad drink tea and contemplate what to do next. I intend to keep taking pics from this spot to chart the progress.
And meanwhile in a parallel universe Michael has been progressing with the treehouse project. He has come up with an amazing engineering solution to the fact that it is very windy here and the treehouse platform needs to be able to move with the wind. I can't really show it with pictures, but the joists are only attached at one end to the beams so that they can slide back and forward without shearing the bolts. Isn't he clever!! By the end of yesterday he had completed the floor and a ladder - now he's working on the anti-falling off structure!

Treehouse building needs MANY tools!

Happy children!!

Progress in the veg garden

2008-05-18T19:40:00.005+01:00

All the concrete gone and the hole filled in- Ed reckons he used 20 tonnes of topsoil - Michael said we could have had a swimming pool in the hole!

I finished work on Wednesday ready for some serious time in the garden, but of course the weather broke and so it was a very muddy session, marking out the layout for the new veg garden.
But I got it done and ordered the timber for the raised beds which will be delivered tomorrow. I also realised that we were going to need a substantial amount more topsoil, so Ed Lynch (he of heroic concrete removal) delivered a load of 'ordinary' and a load of 'enriched' on Friday afternoon. This has completely taken over the driveway so will have to be moved quickish!

After our trip to London yesterday to admire Jack, we got stuck into some major earth moving today and covered over the area of sand that had previously been a paved area and which will soon be the new home of the swing. Now we need to get going with the grass seed.

Visiting Dan and Sarah

2008-05-17T19:49:00.005+01:00

The day started well as we set out to see our great friends Dan and Sarah, Michael's godson Samuel and his new baby bro Jack. The original plan had been for them to come here, but their car was crashed into, whilst parked, last week so we decided to go and see them and take up the lunch. I thought it would be nice for the kids to go on the train - and actually given the cost of petrol, our train tickets at £39 for the lot of us probably worked out a lot cheaper.

So, lunch packed, children ready we set off - got about 500 yards from our house when we were smashed into by the Tesco's delivery van who seemed to think that belting down Sandbanks Lane on a drizzly morning was a good idea. It was one of those horrendous slow motion things, I had managed to stop but he did not and ploughed into us whilst all we could do was sit there. Needless to say he got his ear chewed off by us, especially when we suggested that he may have been going too fast for both the narrowness of the lane and the slippery road and he replied " I'm a very careful driver, you try stopping a 3 tonne truck!". I'm guessing he manages it okay at traffic lights....

So having exchanged details, photographed the scene and calmed down a bit we turned around and came home to report it to the insurers - never a great process. As we didn't get him to admit liability we now have to wait for the insurers to pursue Tescos to admit liability before we can get it fixed, luckily it seems to be drivable. Apparently the fact that we were stationary should make it fairly clear cut. Ho Hum. So an hour later we set off in car no. 2 and finally arrived at Dan and Sarah's at half one. It was great to see them, Samuel had changed so much since we last saw him at his Christening - lots of 'words', many understandable, and a great appetite. Not to be left out having already had lunch he wanted to join us for ours and tucked into the red pepper and basil bread from Oscar's and the roast chicken with tyme, lemon and garlic. I think the chocolate brownines may have been top of his list though!
Jack is the spitting image of Samuel at the same age (6 weeks) Let's hope they don't end up looking like Dan!We had a really great time there before heading back on the train - via a rather fortuitous walk to the tube which took us past Ambala - home of the best Indian sweeties in town!

Nick and Geo visit

2008-05-11T20:28:00.008+01:00

What a lovely weekend. Nick and Geo and the boys came down on friday night, a bit later than they had hoped so I didn't get to cook them a very gourmet dinner, but we had a great day on Saturday, beautiful sunny day, breakfast outside, after which Nick got a little mischevious with a watering can.....

"look what I've got...."

"mmmm, where are they all?"

After that we went for a lovely, very hot, walk at Oare followed by a superb lunch at the Three Mariners in Oare - recently taken over by new people and serving scrumptious fresh food.

I think they would pass the Gordon Ramsey test for local seasonal food - the fish comes from local fisherman Blue, about 200 yrds from the pub. They had set up a table for us on the terrace, under a great big parasol and the kids disappeared into the huge garden when we weren't eating, so we managed a pretty good adult lunch..

Did I say adult?

On Sunday we carried on with our garden plans. Michael is building a fab new tree house - less dangerously high than the last. I seemed to spend all day digging out periwinkle and other weeds, which I had to do before they delivered the earthto fill the BIG hole, and going to the tip -where I am now a regular! It was another scorching day so we got the paddling pool out - Stan didn't however spend long in it, but did spend the rest of the day naked. Because Michael was 'playing' with rusty nails and rotted wood, we made him wear wellies, quite a look I think you'll agree!

The ponds are smashed!!!!

2008-05-09T21:48:00.008+01:00

It's finally happened, the ponds, bridges and path have gone!!!

Just before work started

this evening

work in progress....

Now there's the small matter of 12 tons of soil to fill in the hole and then I can get busy building raised beds, sowing some grass seed where the path used to be and and and .... all sorts of exciting projects..

I have wanted this done since we first moved in 5 and a half years ago so I kept the workers well fed on brownies and lemon drizzle cake and it seems to have done the trick poor guy were dealing with concrete almost a foot thick in places and the hottest days this year.

Stan is 4

2008-04-22T23:08:00.002+01:00

More words to follow, but this picture says it all really!