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Playing catch up and not winning I know, I know the updates are a bit thin on the ground. It's just that with days having only 24 hours in them and some of the hours earmarked for things that get in the way of living life, like work and commuting and sleeping I've fallen behind a bit. I am slowly catching up with tinkering with pictures and uploading them. So while Fimb put her piccies of our visit to Huxley's birds of Prey Centre and garden up on flickr ages ago it took me a while to follow, but better late than never, my set is up too.  A few quick notes:
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22.6.08 18:34 |
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And very bonnie it was too Yeah, the pictures of the week-end in Edinburgh are up. Maybe I am catching up after all (shush don't mention the tree walking pictures I have promised to make presentable and send to a couple of relatives back in April, I keep hoping they will forget I even took them or decide to give up and ask my brother for his copy of the folder).  It was a week-end of firsts, first time in St Pancras since it was revamped, first time on the Caledonian Sleeper (I love the idea of going to sleep in one location and waking up at another, and the journey comes with breakfast goodies in a box, and a tiny wash kit complete with just enough drinking water to wash your teeth in a tiny container with a mini straw... my inner six year old was chuffed), first time in Scotland and first time eating square sausage. There was the Epic Quest for somewhere to have breakfast and wait for our already in situ companions to emerge from their slumber. Hard to believe but finding somewhere that serves breakfast at 8am proved rather more difficult than we expected. On the other hand if we had been after a pint of some malt the 1/4 Gill was open when we walked past and its bar appeared well propped by the local pillars impressive at an hour of a Saturday when most would be trying to sleep of the excesses of the night before. Our quest took us all the way to The Metropole on Newington Road, great porridge, very Goldilocks and strong tea (and giggle points for the loo with the huge safe door). There was the Big Lying weatherman, who had predicted overcast skies and occasional showers... lies, lies, lies. After a day of sightseeing and lounging in parks I was left with a skin a lovely tinge of red which might explain the insistence of the local fierce looking seagulls. I guess I reminded them too much of freshly cooked lobsters and red snappers. There was a companion with local knowledge who ensured that finding somewhere for lunch, dinner and beverages was less of a quest than breakfast was. Despite having had my fair share of drinks I couldn't be persuaded to try deep fried pizzas when we made our way back to the hotel. I guess I'll be more adventurous next time. |
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23.6.08 20:06 |
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Blowing the cobwebs Step 1: take a train to London Bridge at the week-end for a yummy fried breakfast in My Tea Shop because an army marches on its stomach and The Boy is still at an age where the idea of having chips on your breakfast plate is just on the right side of decadent. Step 2: meet a bunch of random people off teh internets and take a train to Gravesend . Walk through the old covered market which was the first chartered market in the country, watch The Boy admire the New Tavern Fort guns after the visit to the leper house (pdf format). Step 3:decide we are a bit peckish and head to The Three Daws for beer and beef sandwiches while admiring the cast iron pier . Step 4: take the ferry across to Tilbury. Step 5: start walking along the Thames downstream, there's plenty along the way to entertain little boys and gown ups alike. There's Tilbury fort (though I'll admit the aerial views of it are more spectacular than the ones on the ground) and Coalhouse fort , the views of the working river (with passing ships and discharging apparatus), there's wildlife and horses (including warnings about adders and what appeared to be shelters for them). A section of the walk is alongside a walled power plant and at regular intervals, ladders allow a peek inside while old fashioned paint pot grafitti-ists provided plenty of reading material if walking alongside a concrete wall isn't your thing.  Step 5: Wave at the derelict Bata factory and the Bata Estate when heading towards East Tilbury Station and catch a train back into Fenchurch Street. Step 6: take home a tired and ravenous but very happy little boy. |
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26.6.08 21:45 |
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