Fun in the park

... or, you don't need to go far from home to enjoy yourself!

We spent much of today in Lloyd Park, Walthamstow.  The Friends of the park - or some similar body, not sure who - had organised a nature day.  The pond in the park is in the form of a moat going round an artificial island in the middle, and most of the activities were on the island.  There was grass-beating, and you could see what insects and seeds you collected; tree shaking, ditto, and, above all, pond dipping.  The Boy caught several bloodworms and Boy Too caught a water-boatman in their various nets.  This was great fun, and would have been even more fun had the amount of pollen in the air not set my hay fever off big time!  And I had taken loretidine the previous evening, too, but I was streaming from every facial orifice and just longing to go home! 

However, this was not to happen for some time; there was a nature trail, which suggested various activities like listening to see what you could hear (mostly traffic on the North Circular, it has to be said, but there was also a blackbird); identifying trees; seeing if you could jump as far as a squirrel between two trees (this was a rope laid on the ground), etc.  The Boy and his Granda particularly enjoyed trying to identify the trees, but Granda said every tree he couldn't recognise was a beech tree,

which really didn't help.  To the point where I very nearly sent a picture message to my father to ask what the wretched trees were, which I would have done were he not on a cruise!  Great-Ba, you see, "knows everything about trees" (according to The Boy, anyway).  The best thing was that the Boy can now read the instructions for himself, and didn't need anybody to explain them to him. 

After this, we repaired to the park café for a not very nice lunch, although both boys did more than justice to their sandwiches.  Then we decided to set off home as the children had made ice-cream the previous day and were longing to try it.  However, there was a small funfair in the park, and it was just opening and the boys begged to be allowed to visit.  We said they could have one ride each, and they chose - well, the Boy chose, and his brother tagged along - the "Space Train".

They were the only children on it, and the very kind man who ran the attractions let them have a ride that was far longer than normal, so they definitely got their money's worth.  I was a little anxious about letting Boy Two on the ride - he won't be three until September and isn't very good at following instructions yet - but in the event, he behaved simply beautifully. 

And so we went home, with the Boy riding his bike and Boy Too on his scooter while we were in the park and in his pushchair - where he fell asleep and missed out on the ice cream - on the road. 

A Weekend in Wales - conclusion

So Tuesday was, as scheduled, spent with family; we had a lovely time, but nothing to blog about.  We came away on Wednesday morning and drove cross-country back to London, getting a bit lost in Oxfordshire when I thought I'd seen a sign for a picnic area, but must have been mistaken.  However, we got to the motorway soon enough, and I then slept until we were very nearly home!

The motor home was emptied out and cleaned, and has been taken back to its garage in Sussex until the next time.  Meanwhile, the laundry has been done, and the blog posts updated with photographs.

Next stop, probably, Oberstdorf.

A Weekend in Wales, Monday

It is no longer the weekend, and we are no longer in Wales, but parked up outside my sister-in-law's place in Shropshire (so nearly Wales!).

We left Llangollen mid-morning, and out first port of call was the Pontcyllyst aqueduct, which was very impressive, but I bottled it and had to wait for the SW to walk there and back. 

Then we drove to Whitchurch, where we did some shopping, and then down here, stopping for lunch en route.  We are here until Wednesday morning, but I probably won't blog tomorrow unless we do something spectacular....

A Weekend in Wales: Sunday

To summarise: Pentecost with trains!

It was another glorious day. Our kind hosts had offered to take us into Llangollen for the open-air joint Pentecost service, and even brought chairs for us. The service was held in the park above the river, and was also in aid of Christian Aid Week.  The local Silver Band played the hymns, which were mostly in English but a couple in Welsh, and rather dirge-like, but everybody sang with good heart. The liturgy was jointly in English and Welsh, so you could follow what was happening even if you didn't speak Welsh, as we don't.

When it was over, we bade farewell to our hosts, and headed down to the station. We could have caught the next train, but decided we wanted to see a bit of the canal first, so walked up to Llangollen Wharf, and along to the basin where there were plenty of narrow-boats moored.

The timing was wrong for a boat trip, so we went back to the station in time to catch the next train, and enjoyed the ride to Carrog, where we had a sandwich lunch and I had an ice cream which was supposed to be honey and lavender, but really didn't taste of either.

There was a miniature steam train, too, that we had a ride on,

and a rather eclectic bookshop/railway stuff shop. I bought a couple of badges for the boys.

Then we got the train back to Berwyn, and walked back to the van for a Nice Cup of Tea, and then went out again to look at Vale Crucis Abbey, just across the road.came back to the van, and the SW went out for another walk up a steep hill (it takes all sorts!) and he has just come in, so I will get supper.

A Weekend in Wales, Saturday.

It really was the most glorious morning. The forecast had been for a cold front to come in overnight, but I don't think it did. It was fresh, but sunny and bright, and I lay in my bed and watched the sheep on the hill, and dozed until about 7:30.

The Swan Whisperer got up and went for a run, but I just enjoyed my tea. After breakfast, though, we went for a walk up to the Horseshoe Falls,

where the water feeds in to the start of the Llangollen Canal, only used for pleasure boats now, but it also provides water for Crewe, among other places.  The valley is very busy, with our road one side, then the canal, then the tow path, then the river Dee, then the railway and finally the A5, all within a kilometre or less.

We cane back to the van for the Swan Whisperer to get changed into smarts, and then set off back down the road to the hotel, only a couple of hundred yards away for the lunch that had brought us to Wales. Not very enjoyable - I didn't know anybody, the food wasn't great, and it was horribly noisy, but I enjoyed watching the steam trains across the river,

and later we walked up to the station and had a look round,

before coming back here, whereupon the SW went for yet another walk (where does he find the energy?), and I read and drank tea.  We didn't need much supper, of course, but enjoyed cheese on toast.

A weekend in Wales, Friday

This evening finds us in a nursery gardens near Llangollen, from which tomorrow we can walk down to the hotel where there is a formal lunch with the Swan Whisperer's former colleagues, though quite why here I don't know.

So we set off about noon, and it was the usual slow going out of London. We stopped at Oxford services for lunch, and then it was fast until Birmingham, and then crawled past it, Telford, Shrewsbury, Uttoxeter and really until the turn-off for Llangollen. And people wonder why we prefer motoring abroad.

This is a Caravan Club certified location, very pleasant.  The owner is a Lay Reader and has offered to take us to the open-air service on Sunday morning, which should be lovely.  Meanwhile, the forecast is for it to be cold tomorrow, so we have bought plenty of warm clothes.  Enough, I hope, to do us this time! 

April Holiday, final day

We woke up this morning at the Aire du Baie de la Somme, and the Swan Whisperer went out for a run.  We had hoped to have a proper breakfast in the restaurant, but it was not open, only the café, so we got a coffee and something to eat while taking advantage of the free WiFi. 

Then we drove up to Calais, bought diesel, shopped, and came home on the Shuttle.  The drive to London was swift and smooth, and then it was a matter of unpacking and putting away and so on before I had to go to a meeting.

So we are home for a week, and then off to Welsh Wales.....  Meanwhile, I'm going to add photos to the other posts in this holiday.