Southport Weekend

Ok - so this isn't something I did with Cas. However it is the first time I have been away from him for more than one night, so that was a milestone! Also I wanted to share some of the great photos that Tee took. So, I went to Southport with Tee and Katty to see Michelle who had travelled from Fort Wayne to host our friend Katies' baby shower! As you can see I baked a baby cake!

This is Michelle and I at Crosby beach were we went to see the Gormley's. First decent weather weekend of the year!

This is the fish installation at Southport Pier. Which incidently is very nice, as is Southport itself I think. We stayed in a lovely cottage close to the seafront.

We are like Charlies Angles . .but there are 4 of us . . We were posing in jumpsuits in House of Fraser!

Allotment!!

Exciting news!!

I have an allotment! I've been on the waiting list for years and now the wait is over! I have a lovely little (well size of a large swimming pool) plot next to the Grantham canal. It has 4 apple trees, a pond, a shed and it is in reasonable order... just some tidying and clearing to do, which should take a few weeks and then I can start planting.

I have decided to grow:
Potatoes (earlies and second earlies this year)
Parsnips
Carrots
Leeks
Purple sprouting brocolli
Red Cabbage
Savoy Cabbage
Sprouts
Sweetcorn
Courgettes
Salad
Radishes
Cucumber
Peas
Beans
Rhubarb
Raspberries
Strawberries
Gooseberries

My good friend Joe had advised me to start with plug plants this year and not worry about growing from seed until I have the plot organised and a seed bed build and some cold frames etc.

I can't wait to get going once this horrible weather has passed! It will be great fun for Cas too I hope.

Nottingham Light Night

January and February so far have been pretty dull months. The weather has been so bad, cold and wet and that alongside the usual colds and coughs etc. has meant that we haven't been doing a great deal.

But on the 18th of Feb, Nottingham had another Light Night. Here is what it is:

"For one night the city stays up so that its attractions and symbols are seen in a new light. The spectators get to see the unusual in a familiar environment and 'lose themselves' in the city, which is transformed into a stage for the night. "



There were lots of mad things going on . .for example this giant lobster and giant lit of swans dancing around the Market Square.

The Sonic Manipulater guy who we saw at summer sundae and thought was great, we found doing his thing! Cas went and stood right infront of him and entertained the crowds! The Police kept arriving to move on ner'do wells like the guy with the sax on this picture . .not quite your summer sundae festival crowd!

This is Cas on the solar powered dance floor in the Market Square - he was dancing* along to some classic disco tunes! * for dancing read running and jumping!

Polly Visits

It's been about 6 or 7 years since I last saw Polly. She went on her holidays to New Zealand and never came back! So she made a visit to the UK this Christmas and a few of her old friends went to London to meet up at the London eye. Polly was with her partner Warren and her 2 lovely children, Phoebe who is 3 and baby Lucy who is 5 months old. Phoebe is mental and Cas loved running around the restaurant for HOURS with her, whilst we all dranks beer!

Nail, Kerry and Mikey came and it was great to see them. Like old times . . except with mental kids running around . .

Whilst we were in London for the weekend, we took Cas to see some sights. Namely the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. January is the best time to visit London museums, there are no queues and they are not too busy.

Although Cas has been on the Tube before, this time, he hated it. It was too noisy and so we ending up having to catch buses, which was a real drag, as ten minute journeys by tube take over an hour on the bus.

We went to the Science Museum which has an interactive 'Garden' in the basement for children. Cas loved the water play and was there until we dragged him away kicking and screaming - literally.

The Natural History Museum is in such an amazing building. The building is as good as the exhibitions, the most famous of which is Dippy the Dinosaur and the big blue whale. Cas really enjoyed running up and down the halls and looking at the stuffed animals. Ones he really like he showed his tummy to!

'Hold me . . .' Mighty Boosh

Parties!

Cas has had a fantastic Christmas. Lots of parties with people to pester and toys to open!

Christmas Preparations

I was particularly well organised for this years festive period. I had finished all my shopping (nearly) by the beginning of December and had been planning the menu for our family Christmas day and the party I was giving on Boxing Day since November!

You can see in the picture above the stockings I made for us all to go on the fireplace for our little presents.

I took Cas to the Carols by Candlelight concert at St Giles's, The church was absolutely packed! I bet it is the busiest service they have all year! It was absolutely fantasic. Well the carols were, there were some dodgy sermons, particularly the fire and brimstone book of Genesis ones. But getting back to the singing - it was really enjoyable! We sat in the back in a heated little glass room, so that Cas could mooch about and play with toys, and I could still join in with Hark the Herald! Although some of my favourite carols were absent, for example, Ding Dong Merrily on High and a Partridge in a Pear Tree. Anyway it was still great and walking home through the graveyard, which, like the church, was covered with hundreds of tealights and dusted with snow - it was like a Richard Curtis film!

London Christmas 2010

We went to London in December to stay with some friends of ours Jackie and Jack and their lovely kiddies, Connie and Jonty. We thought we would do some Christmas shopping and take Cas to the Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park.

Last time I went to Jackie's house it was an actual building site. Now it is a fantastic restored Brixton Mansion! It was like staying in a posh hotel! Cas had a great time playing with Connie and Jonty, although he did pester them a bit. Moreover he loved pestering Toggle the dog. Poor toggle, will Cas never learn that dogs do not like to be bounced on?

We took Cas on the tube to Hamley's, London's famous toy shop, just off Oxford Circus. Beforehand we went to the Winter Wonderland, which was good. Large Christmas market and fair. We had some nice German Bratwursts and hot chocolate. But we also have a good Christmas market in Nottingham, so I am not sure that it was worth that particular trip!

It was terribly cold in London that weekend. We went to the Battersea park zoo. It is a nice city zoo, with some small monkeys and meercats etc. But it was so bitingly cold that most of the animals where hidden inside under heat lamps!

You can't see it in this picture, but literally moments before this picture was taken, a monkey sprayed pee at Chris and Cas.