Brighton

We try and get to Brighton at least once a year for 2 reasons. Firstly because it is such a fantastic place to visit but moreover because our very good friends Will and Claire live right in the centre in the Lanes.

Cas enjoys Brighton for 2 main reasons, Ice Cream and throwing stones on the beach.

Will and Claire live above shops in the Lanes. This is the pub opposite where they live. The benefits of living in the centre is that on your door step is amazing shops and restaurants like Terreaterre and Choccywoccydodah - the downside is that, certainly in the summer, Brighton is very busy and it is noisy outside - especially with asmatic seagulls on your window ledge!

It was great to catch up with Will and Claire and meet their lovely and contented new baby Nancy. We enjoyed lots of walks along the sea front. Including stops at the Brighton Aquarium (great Victorian example of a tourist attraction!) and the Brighton Smokehouse, where we scoffed fantastic fresh smoked mackeral sandwiches - Cas loves Mackeral to eat and loves shouting and staring at the fish in the tanks at the aquarium!

Summer Sundae

We had a great time at the Leicester Summer Sundae festival. Not only is it just a good festival with indoor as well as outdoor stages (somewhere to shelter from the rain and indoor toilets) but it has lots of nice food stalls and a kids area. Cas was reasonably well behaved! He enjoyed dancing to some of the bands, however he REFUSED to wear his ear defenders so I didn't want to get to close to the stages. The photo above is about the only time he kept them on - for 1 minute!

Chris's band Spotlight Kid opened the indoor stage (which is the second stage). It was a fantastic show - video of one of the tracks below. However Cas was scared of the loud noise and the flashing lights - so we had to sit outside in the under fives indoor area. We still could listen through the doors though!

Cas enjoyed the Punch and Judy show, because he enjoys anti jewish domestic violence!! It was the only thing I have seen him sit down for for more than 2 mins ever!

Chris met some of his friends from work, one of which is Chris Parker who was Spencer in Eastenders! Here he is in an i phone speeded up film!

I hope that the festival at Jimmy's Farm which we are going to in September is as good!

Spotlight Kid - Can't let go

Playing with Grandad

Anyone who grew up on the Wirral will have spent time at weekend pestering their parents to take them on the arcades at New Brighton - the beach has been cleaned up with the cleaning of the Mersey and is no longer a toxic dump - although the views over the Mersey to industrial Liverpool are not great!




Cas and my dad played on the arcades for a bit - along with several pensioners playing on the penny falls - they must have been gutted when they banned smoking from arcades! It was so loud and noisy in their will all the fair ground rides buzzing and beeping etc. Bit much for first thing on a Sunday!

We also went for a run on the beach and saw a big jellyfish. Dad had to chase Cas around the beach and steer him away from said Jellyfish - if there is one tiny bit on a whole beach that Cas should avoid - you know he will run straight for it. Dad said it is like hearding sheep with Cas. Cas loves to run and be chased - so he is laughing his head off on this picture!

Sand Munching

These pics are from a couple of months ago - but I haven't had my good camera for a while as I left it at mums . .but anyway - these were taken when Cas and Kitty went to Meols for a run on the beach one Saturday. Cas munched on sand - which is just so manky - why are kids so grotty? Kitty was less than impressed - although Cas did impress by scoffing a whole 99 ice cream in about 3 minutes!

Nottingham Contemporary

Cas and Katty and I went to the Diane Arbus exhibition at the Nottingham Contemporary. This is the blurb:

Diane Arbus is one of the most important photographers of the twentieth century, an influential figure whose compellingly honest style of photography paved the way for the work of contemporary photographers and artists.

ARTIST ROOMS comprises of 69 black-and-white photographs from across Arbus’s career, both her earliest work in 35mm and her characteristic square-format images, and ranging from her best-known portraits to rarely-seen images.

I have to say the images are of some 'interesting' looking people. However she is clearly hugely influential as there are load of lectures going on around the exhibition - including a lecture with Germaine Greer - who was one of Arbus's subjects around the time the Female Enuch was published.

Not sure what I think about the images of people from 1970's Learning Disability institutions. It was Arbus's ambition to photograph 'everybody' - including people not included in society. I am not sure if it is abit voyeuristic though..... hmmmm food for futher thought!

We went to the 'Largest Photo Booth in the World' whilst we were there. I am not sure that this is a factually correct statement - Norris Mcwerter should be called - but anyway the picture is above and is current displayed on the Nottingham Contemporary website and will form part of the exhibition. I wonder if people in 100 years will see it and think how fantastic we are?!?!

Mary Arden's Farm

After Cas's party at Granny and Pete's we went to Mary Arden's Farm. This is the home of Shakespeare's grandparents and childhood home of Shakespeare's mother, Mary Arden.

It is a small working Elizabethan farm. There is also an orchard and wild flower meadow. There are beautiful Long Horn cattle and other rare breeds including Cotswold sheep and Gloucester Old Spot pigs.

Whilst we were there there was a birds of prey display. We looked at a big owl and a rather grim looking Vulcher.

Cas's Party - The final instalment

The final instalment of Cas's birthday celebrations was a lovely BBQ and party at Granny and Pete's. Nanny and Granddad Dagnall also came along and we all had a great time and consumed a lot of wine! Not Cas of course - just the adults.

Cas's Party - Another One!

Cas has had another party for his 2nd birthday. This was a pancake and ice cream party. We all had a good time and the weather held out which meant that we could all play out in the yard on the slide. We played pass the parcel and Kitty won the prize. Cas got lots of lovely pressies off his friends. He especially loves his Roary car..

For the adults I did a spicy pork stew which went down very well. Lots of people said that I was showing them up by cooking such a lovely meal and hosting a cool party. Of course! Why else have a party!