Halloween 2015

End of Half Term

You can take a girl from her mapping area..

Summer 1991 - I spent a month in Bleanau Ffestiniog with my frined Cath - 

living in  a lovely little B&B -

spending the days mapping the geology of these hills.

The Moelwyns and Cwmorthin -

I walked, scrambled and climbed all over the hills -

{and read quite a lot of Victorian novels}

sustained mostly by Woolworths pick and mix!

Bounce Below Take Two

Autumn sun at the caravan

Perfect for walking at Maes Dolau

A Welsh Autumn Holiday

A beautiful last week in Wales before we close the caravan for the winter.

Meet us in Wales....

.... a lovely day with Jude.

A walk along the prom and down the pier.

Ice cream at Looking Glass Parlour and coffee at Waterstones.

Then Spectre at the cinema - fabulous.

Gold!

Ben gets his Gold Chief Scout Award - major proud Mum moment!

When Ben was just 6 years old and started Beavers I didn't think that he would even  manage the weekly meetings.  

However - with Dad volunteering as a helper, and lots of support from the leaders, he progressed through Cubs and onto Scouts. 

He's done parades (too hot or in the pouring rain) and camps.

 Shows and competitions.

Chamboree.

He's moving onwards and upwards to Explorers soon - 

thanks to the wonderful Scout movement and all their amazing leaders!

Sheffield in the Rain

After much last minute stress over references, Megs finally got her UCAS forms off for the 15th October.

Today we took her over the Pennines to Sheffield - for an open day at one of the Uni's she's applied for.

Having spent a glorious August week in Oxford, and had beautiful days for York and Warwick - I was sure that a wet day in Sheffield would out her off any thought of studying there. I couldn't be more wrong - she enjoyed the lectures and rather fell in love with the heart of the city campus.

Meanwhile - Al and I had a great morning taking photos around the Town Hall and in the Winter Garden. When we'rd back from Half Term I'll add in a LOT more pictures :)

Girls out for Lunch

She did tell me she was having a quiet week this week -

but somehow ended up out in Manchester with Abby for lunch.

No Comment

Crucible Redux

Last summer we saw The Crucible at the Old Vic -

it was the start of a run of Miller experiences -

after sobbing through the Young Vic's 'A View from the Bridge' twice at NTLive -

I swore that that was enough.

But not for Megs - who agitated to catch The Crucible again at The Royal Exchange.

In the end, Al had a bit of a work crisis - so Gma came along with us -

which made for a lovely afternoon out.

It was a bit of a mixed bag - but on Arthur Millers 100th Birthday -

John Proctors downfall still drew tears.

Chariot Racing in the Forest

Ben spent the weekend at Forest Camp - pushing and pulling a roman chariot through the woodland.

As you do.

Oh - and Scout Leader Rick kindly taught him to use an axe to chop wood...

Ben and a dangerous weapon....

Once More and Again

A day trip to Stratford for Al, Megs and Myself.

After last nights late stuff - 

it wasn't the earliest of starts for us -

but we were still in Stratford by before lunch.

A quick stop in Waterstones for Megs -

then lunch at Cafe Rouge.

Then Henry V -

honestly it's very nearly my favourite play.

And this production was very special - 

the RSC's final part of the Richard II - Henry IV cycle - 

and the finale of a two year journey.

Everything was perfect - from the opening line of Oliver Ford Davies Chorus -

to Alex Hassel's Henry

I've never felt so involved, so stirred, so moved by the war.

Take out coffee afterwards - and we were home by 7 o'clock.

And that's it for Stratford 2015.

Previous Henry V's

Globe on tour -  Jude Law

FOB

Once I went to gigs.....

{ok - so I still do}

Now I pick my teenage daughter and her friends from gigs

Once I took lovely portraits with my camera

{sometimes I still do}

Now I have to beg snap chats images to illustrate my blog....

So - Megs and co had a great time at Fall Out Boy -

I spent over an first battling to get to the arena, and then battling back out of the city centre.

No quite home by midnight.

Good-bye Sarah

Sarah was my lovely car - a purple vauxhall corsa.

Before Sarah - we took the bus, we took the train, we begged lifts.

I was an expert at folding a buggy with one foot, while holding onto a baby and small child.

My dad gave me lifts to work - a lot of lifts.

And then he did the most marvelous thing and bought me a car.

When I first got her she was 3 years old and shiny.

Megs christened her Shiny Sarah and she was wonderful.

When I had 2 small children there were matching booster seats 

and we had adventures to parks and playgrounds.

When I had 2 teenagers she ferried and taxied and collected

{and we still had adventures.}

She took me to see friends - and she took friends out for coffee.

Very occasionally she had a long trip. 

Some holidays at the caravan.

And one very long drive to Essex in Olympic Year.

Along the way she collected lots of dents 

and went through a remarkable 3 replacement wing mirrors

{not ALL of the damage was my fault.}

There was a phase where she kept not starting - but a new battery fixed that.

In 2012 she developed a very intermittent fault 

where she wouldn't go into first gear from starting, 

but a little reverse always fixed that.

Then a year ago - on day she wouldn't go into gear at all.

I googled the fault. It was going to be a very expensive repair.

I called the RAC in a vain hope. 

A man came, turned the key and she worked!

But after that, every key turn I had my heart in my mouth,

would she work? 

We got through the winter. Al was going to get a works car.

Would Sarah keep going? We had a couple of very tricky morning school runs.

Then Al's works car came. I started to drive his car everyday.

And Sarah sat outside the house.
I thought that maybe Megs could learnt to drive in her - 

but the reality of the costs of keeping her going were horrible.

So with MOT, tax and insurance due....

I sold her to the scrap yard. She refused to start - she didn't want to go -

and they sent a man with low loader.

As he strapped her on Megs and I sobbed -

which is rather ridiculous -

but we loved her  - and all the memories and all that she represented.