Jurassic Coast

At a loose end without the kids this weekend we decided to become tourists in our own patch. So we took a boat trip from Poole, past Studland, Old Harrys Rocks, Swanage and the Ballard Fault and over to Dancing Ledge.

This part of the coast was once attached to America... America! Madness eh?

We didn't see any puffins or dolphins unfortunately but did see plenty of rock climbers, lovely boats (many many Sunseekers) hikers and shags (the birds).

Plus I learned a lot about our coastline that I never knew before. So nice one.

What is a browser anyhoo?

8% of people questioned got this wrong, which is a little surprising. But then I am a geekoid.
Interesting responses though.



Found at the ever inspirational SwissMiss

River Cottage Strawberry Fayre

We tore ourselves away from the folkie on the Sunday to go to the River Cottage Strawberry Fayre. The girls were going to come but being the age they are, they wanted to hang out with their friends. Allie was staying with us and offered to have them for the few hours we were away so we were child-free and off to Devon!

We stopped off at the River Cottage Canteen in Axeminster to pop in a Little Veg Patch in their restaurant garden first. It looks ace. It's one of the little new ones 60cm x 120cm (perfect for balconies) and I think this is the prototype we've given them! eeek!

Anyway that didn't take long setting up. I had to take the million obligatory photo's 'just in case'. RCHQ is only 10 mins from there so we were supping strawberry cocktails before we knew it!

It was a lovely hot sunny day and I wish that Kerys and Amber had come with us. Although they're probably too old... I was watching the little tots dressed as strawberries for the strawberry parade and wished the kids were 4 again! Either that or we had a little tot ourselves. Maybe one day, eh?

It was lovely geting there and having Cat, Pete, Steve and Mark all saying "Hi! How's it going?". G talked to Hugh, too. He was impressed with the Little Veg Patch and G was dead chuffed that he knew all about it.

It was cool seeing River Cottage being filmed too. It'll be on the TV this Wed on Channel 4 at erm.. 8pm I think.

Before long we drove the 1 or so hour back to the folk festival to relieve Allie from her duty looking after the kiddiewinks. Amber had got into a spotof bother having walked home with Amanda's kids who had run across the road or something and been taken to the police station who played football with them and gave them pencil cases!

I can imagine it now:
"Where's your mum?"
"In Devon"
"oh..."

BAD MOTHER!

Even more of a bad mother Monday morning when there was nothing for lunchboxes and had to goto the corner shop for emergency crisps and yoghurt....

Folk Festival 2009

Well you know that summer is truly here when the craziness that is the Wimborne Folk Festival comes around.

Friday was a weird day for me.
Being told I'm being laid off work is not a great thing to hear before having a houseful of friends wanting a happy jolly time, eh?

Anyhoo, I had a strop and a tear or two and G was awesome as usual and then KNOCK KNOCK! they started arriving so I pulled myself together, poured myself something winey and chilled and forgot all about it. Monday I'll worry.

The whole weekend was lovely lovely lovely.
We caught up with Barni and lovely Kate and Rich, it had been 2 years since we last saw them. 2 years! How did that happen??

G was incredible BBQ man again. Love him.

The folkie was VERY boozy... We didn't have the kids friday night and saturday daytime so we hung out and listened to the bands and drank quite a bit of sticky beer. Saturday night we had a houseful of kids and G lit the BBQ again for yet another friendy-feed-fest.

Shame we didn't catch up with Mum and Dad who were down for the Sunday - Dad even managed to play an irish set at the Pudding and Pie - missed it! Doh! But then we were at River Cottage... (see above)

I wasn't much good for anything Monday.. but luckily(!) I've been laid off so I worked Tues and Wed on Amanda's site which is coming along lovely. I'll pop the link on here when it's gone live.

Come back home to momma!

My beloved camera got sick and had to go to Dr Sony to get fixed.
Awesome service - back within 5 days. Thank you Sony!

When it returned, there were some alien pictures on it.
Obviously the guy who fixed it forgot to delete the tester shots.

Tee hee! I can see your workshop! I can see your workshop!

Sunrise Festival = hello summer!

Sunrise was postponed last year due to terrible terrible weather, coupled with the fact the site was on flood plains. Doh! So we got reimbursed with a ticket for 2009 - bit of a gamble as the organisers had lost so much money.

But the gamble paid off... what an AMAZING weekend. The summer actually started the day we got there. 28 degrees on Saturday. Oh it was so so lovely.

We got there Thursday night all packed up with the kids and stuff in the camper. We convoyed down with Meriel in her lovely cosy camper and Allie and Andrea in the car avec tent etcetera and set up camp close (but not too close) to the un-smelly compost loos and festival entrance. Handy for when the kids wandered off on their own to do kids stuff (buy hats and sunglasses as it goes, that and bouncy castle politics).

The whole festi was ace - lovely food, lovely booze, lovely company... we didn't want to leave. But when's the next one? The Summer has just begun!

Garden mission on!

The other weekend (Bank holiwobble) saw us at home without the girls. We relished this long weekend and not just for all the time off. It was our first and last weekend in a long time where we had NOTHING planned... LOVELY.

We bought loads of plants and little mini plug plants and seeds for the little veg patch. Oh man how we dug and planted and watered. Loved it.

We planted (in no order of preference):
Calabrese
Cabbage
Sweetcorn
Radishes
Loads of salads
Rocket
Sugar snap peas
'Normal' peas (YUK - hate them)
Runner beans
French beans
Butternut squash
Courgette

Phew.

Then on Sunday we went to the Shapwick Village Fete which was ACE. It was so blinkin' English. There was bunting, Pimms, dog shows you get the idea... We stayed for 2 pimms (they'd mixed it pretty strong!) then went off down the lane a bit to the Anchor pub and sat outside drinking with John the Fish. Such a laugh. I won the toss so G was driving. Happy days.

Bank holiday Monday Allie, Andrea, Anke and Justin came over for a BBQ. Very last minute, very ad hoc, but very cool, laid back and funny. We all drank too much... and we scorched the garden from sitting around the chimmina.