Ebenezer Terrace

Service interuption

2009-03-04T18:05:00.000Z

Normal service might be resumed at some point. Sorry.

At least you can tell when I'm busy though can't you?

Beach babies

2009-03-03T10:38:00.006Z

Long story, but on Saturday, Olive and Luke went to the beach with our favourite friends Simon and Louise and their lot. They had an amazing time as you can see from these great pics. We are incredibly lucky to live so near the seaside. Think if I had my way we'd live nearer.

The Angel Gabriel

2008-12-11T19:25:00.002Z

So today it was Olivia's turn for the old nativity play thing (here she is with Eva, who did a grand job as a narrator) when she starred in 'Are We Nearly There Yet' as The Angel Gabriel. And she was brilliant. I know I'm supposed to say that, but really, she was great. Not only did she take centrestage for the best song, but she delivered her lines beautifully. We were so proud. We knew she was nervous about it, but she fronted it out and pulled off. I think she actually quite enjoyed being the centre of attention for her five minutes.

My theory about shepherds - that it's pretty handy shepherds turned up at the birth of the Baby Cheeses, because it means teachers can cast loads of kids as shepherds and sheep - was tested to destruction today. I counted 13 shepherds, 13! I wonder what the shepherd to sheep ratio was in that part of the world around 2,000 years ago. There must have been a lot of sheep to look after.

Oh, the Olivia story. She's recently become interested in 'swear words'. Peggy's dad uses them, and so does mummy when she's in the car, apparently. Not daddy though. Nope. When she started rehearsing the play, she came home one day and in a shocked sort of whisper she said, 'Daddy, they say a swear word in the school play'. Do they? What is it? 'I can't say, it's a swear word,' she replied. It's okay to tell me. 'Well,' she whispered, 'they say Jesus Christ.' Class.

Jesus Christ! Superstar

2008-12-09T20:44:00.003Z

It's Xmas play time once again and this year we've got two. First up was Lukey today who was a narrator in Hosanna Rock. Sounds like a rock opera, but sadly isn't Jesus Christ Superstar cast with five-year-olds. Luke, however, was a superstar being pretty much alone in saying his lines clearly enough for everyone to hear. We were so proud.

The whole thing was as ace as usual, it's quite a feat to get that many small people to play ball in such spectacular fashion. I have nothing but admiration for teachers, they must feel such a sense of achievement.

special mention goes to the a nose-picking wise man who would have pretty much killed the baby Jesus had he offered his gift with such gusto 2,000 years ago. Excellent stuff.

I often think that the story of the nativity must be very confusing when you're five. The shepherds seem really important somehow - I guess they are great news for teachers because you can cast around 10 five-year-olds as shepherds and another 10 as sheep. The born in a barn bit is a similar gift, affording the opportunity to cast 10 more children as assorted farm animals that aren't sheep. I think a couple today were dressed as hamsters.

And talking of Jesus, I've got a great Olivia story, but I'll save that for Thursday, after we've seen her as the Angel Gabriel in Are We Nearly There Yet. It's an acting part. She's very nervous, but is playing it too cool for school. Should be interesting.

When it snowed

2008-12-04T20:18:00.003Z

Completely forgot I had pics of the huge amount of snow that we were treated to the other weekend. It was proper snow, like I remember it from my childhood. Tons of it, really fluffy and very, very cold.

Here's a couple of snaps of my little snowmen people girl boy thingy. Caryn was too chicken to come out with us. So we took her car and, as Luke helpfully explained upon our return, "Daddy crashed your car". It was more of a too fast round that corner and car not moving according to steering wheel anymore until we met the curb at 10mph.

This is a great shot. Looks like I'm trying to be arty, but really wasn't. My hands were about to get frostbite and I just wanted to get the camera back in my pocket. We went to a park near the school - big field, with some suitable sledging slopes and had the entire place to ourselves. In the olden days, it would have been full of kids and parents and noise. Where was everyone? Too busy playing skiing games on the PS3 probably.

November... so far, so good

2008-11-17T16:24:00.005Z

Sorry, we are useless. We're back again though. Big month November, starting with a birthday for this absolute beauty. You can almost see what she's going to look like as an adult in this picture. She had a lovely day, got all dressed up along with two of her pals and headed out to Pizza Express for a grown-up meal on a table of their own, with us keeping a beady eye from a safe distance (the next table, four feet or so).

Also, for the first time, she really loved all her presents, which was so lovely. Usually, it's rip open the gifts and toss them aside. This year she loved everything and was genuinely grateful. We got her, among other things, a couple of CDs - Girls Aloud and Sugababes. Her response to Girls Aloud is astonishing. Never underestimate the power of good pop music eh?

So while the girls were getting read for the pizza night out I took Luke to Carrow Road for the first time - like my dad took me and my brother, like his dad took him. I go to the football with my dad, it's a great thing to do, my brother is always quite envious that I get to spend this sort of quality time with the old man. So we had three generations with their heads in their hands after Norwich snatched a draw from the jaws of victory. It was a beautiful moment. City are rubbish, but what can you do once it's in your blood? Ask Luke when he's my age. Sorry son.

And finally, eight litres (that's two gallons isn't it?) of Ebenezer Terrace Cider is now resting in the shed. It tasted like cider when I was bottling it, I popped a couple of extra spoons of sugar in so we get a secondary fermentation when the weather gets warmer in the spring. Guess we'll crack them at the first braai of the summer... long wait eh Louise?

Ebenezer Terrace Brewing Company

2008-10-19T19:47:00.002+01:00

Properly christened the apple press this weekend... finally, and the cider making is kind of underway. Took me a while to get a gallon (4.5 litres) of juice and I used about half a wheelbarrow full of apples, with the other half waiting for a spare half-day this week.

Hopefully, I will soon have three gallons of apple juice turning - like magic - into cider. Then again it has only taken me a year to get this far. Fret not Louise, I still have your books. You can have them back soon!

Run, run as fast you can...

2008-10-15T20:37:00.001+01:00

Luke is settling into school very nicely. His favourite thing seems to be when they make food. Last week they made jam sandwiches and he can home almost bursting with excitement and insisting he made jam sandwiches all round... he was pretty good to be fair and they tasted like jam sandwiches.

He doesn't eat them himself as he claims not to like jam. He's a bit odd like that. He claims not to like a lot of things that he would actually like if he tried them.

This week they made gingerbread men. He doesn't like raisins though.

New wheels

2008-10-15T20:13:00.003+01:00

Hello, it's us. Sorry, we dropped out for a while there. We're back again now though.

The most exciting news (although it's only me getting excited) is I've finally got a new car - that's new to me rather than brand-new. It's odd, but recently I've been getting quite interested in cars, think it's the 40-something thing - mid-life crisis looming no doubt, sports cars calling, etc. There is another explanation, which I may elaborate on later.

So, I sold the run-around (Fiat Cinquencento) and the family car (Mitsubishi Carisma - yes, spelt like that) far too easily (ie too cheap) about three, or even four, weeks ago and have been relying on trains and my pushbike to get around. It's not been terrible, but I'm glad I've got a car again - and to my amazement my meager budget actually stretched to big black BMW.

I've never been a BMW fan. As anyone who has driven on a motorway will know, the outside lane is owned by Germans for the exclusive use of their cars only. Tends to make other drivers quite grumpy. Ask the wife. Now I can join in. Ha. I've always quite liked the look of the BMW Touring. I spotted one in Norwich, cheap, and a straw poll revealed it's the only Bimmer you can own with self-respect in tact. What really happened was I mentioned to my (former mechanic) brother that I quite fancied a BM and he didn't say no straight away. That's all the encouragement I needed to be honest.

I have to say I absolutely love it. Kids like it too because it's an estate and they can sit in the boot drinking coffee and eating biscuits when we go to the beach.

Love this pic too. Everyone looking natural, no one gurning.

A little something for the weekend

2008-09-12T10:22:00.001+01:00

I'm not a big one for online flotsam and jetsam, but this is inspired. There's a version of 'Imagine' constructed from George W speeches that is even better. I'll try and find if anyone's interested. Anyone?

An afternoon out for the boys

2008-09-10T21:07:00.005+01:00

With Caryn at university full-time and Lukey at school part-time, there's some entertaining to be done. Yesterday it was easy. 'Oliver Cromwell' - a huge, spitting, hissing, noisy steam train, one of the last engines to be in service before steam bit the dust in 1968 - paid a visit to the station it was based at after an absence of 40 years.

As some of you will know, my dad quite likes his steam trains. I've never really got it (think that was belligerence than anything else), but I seem to be catching on now. And so every time a steam engine comes this way (and it seems to be quite often), he tells us about it and me and Luke inevitably have to go and see.

It's hard to believe these behemoths were so commonplace. They are truly impressive machines. Looking at the driver and fireman on the footplate, completely covered in soot and dirt, you can understand why train driver was the coolest job in the world. That must have felt like a proper day at the office.

Quick catch up... in pictures

2008-09-09T08:48:00.006+01:00

Was clearing out the pictures on my phone and realised I've taken quite a few that I've yet to use here. Me and Olive spent the last day of the summer holidays on a dad and daughter day and night out in London. She was born in London and whenever we do visit, she just seems to fit in there. Nothing fazed her, she just took it all in her stride, like we do it every day. But I guess she's like that anyway. I get the feeling that the pull of the big smoke will be strong in our beautiful daughter in the years to come.

Anyway. Above is her being Harry Potter at King's Cross. Her friends are all very impressed.

See. She's a natural. St Paul's Cathedral? Pah. She was much more interested in the story of the wobbly bridge that's not wobbly anymore and the falcons who live in the Tate Modern chimney.

And the second we arrived back from London we whisked ourselves off camping. These are the frankly breath-taking salt marshes at Stiffkey. And will you just look at our daughter. Hair all over the place. Very grunge, very cute.

... and then there were two

2008-09-09T08:34:00.003+01:00

Lukey started school yesterday. So both our children are now at school. Admittedly Luke's only there half days until Xmas so it's not much different to his playgroup, but he's on his way.

Although Olive secretly loves school, she does like to pretend it's boring and she has already twigged that she has to go every day until she's almost not a teenager anymore. That level of realisation must seem quite frightening when you're six. I can recall thinking that school seemed to be going on forever. Thing is, you wish it away and all of a sudden you find that you're 41 and wonder how that happened. Life? You just can't win.

Yes, yes, last published August 13...

2008-09-02T19:51:00.003+01:00

Look, I'm busy. There's only one of me and the demands on my time mean no nothing else at the moment.

What's happened since August 13? Erm. I went to a lovely wedding in France on my own for a couple of nights. As you can see from the above pic, security was pretty tight. Hur. The plan was to get away for a weekend and stock up on loads of sleep, but I ended up having hardly any. First night I was back at the hotel by midnight only to discover a music festival raging outside my window until the small hours started getting bigger again. My luck that is.

Then me and O went to London for the day last Friday, visited Tate Britain and stopped over at Uncle Christopher's. Had a good night down the boozer with my brother... then home on the Saturday morning - no sooner was I in the front door than the car was packed and we'd set off to the wonderful Stiffkey for a night of quality camping. In a tent.

Wife started at university on Monday, O when back to school today, L starts school next week... but mornings only until Janaury.

And me? Oh, you know.

The best fish and chip shop in the world?

2008-08-13T09:55:00.002+01:00

See this shed? It's on the harbour at Southwold and we think it's the best fish and chip shop in the world. It's called Mrs T's and for five of your pounds you get sublime cod and chips and 10 minutes complete silence while everyone scoffs them all up.

We were of course in Southwold for the World Crabbing Championships. Of course we were. It was an utter disaster as far as catching the little nippy creatures goes, but then with over 1,000 entrants dangling various sizes and strains of raw meat into the estuary all at once it's little wonder anyone caught a thing.

We cleared out after a fruitless time and promptly caught a bucketful of crabs just over the river in under 10 minutes. We were using chicken wings, figuring crabs eat fish all the time and might like a taste of the exotic. The winner landed a 5 1/2 ounce beast using fish bait. Sigh.

To give you an idea of how posh the event in Walberswick is, third place when to a nine-year-old called Mimi Haycraft Nee, who landed a 4 1/2 ounce crustation with some bacon.

Don't think we'll be back next year. We will be crabbing some more though.

Crab!

2008-08-05T14:07:00.006+01:00

Headed for Splash in Sheringham today for some water slide action... but bailed pretty sharpish when we saw people queuing outside. It must have been people soup in there.

So West Runton it was, never been before, but what a treat when the tide went out - rock pools galore. And crabs. Which is going to be a recurring theme this week as we're heading for the World Crabbing Championship this weekend. Oh yes.

The toothfairy cometh... again

2008-08-01T18:31:00.002+01:00

Yet another tooth bits the dust. They're falling out like there's no tomorrow. And best of all Olive has a brand-new bedroom to tuck the tooth under her pillow in tonight - well, a fantastic cabin bed off of freecycle and lick of (pink) paint. Pictures soon if anyone's interested in how to make a box room habitable.

Going to the dogs

2008-07-25T07:32:00.005+01:00

Little brother's birthday was spent at the fabulous Walthamstow Stadium. It's a proper east end institution, which is soon to be no more. The developers will be moving in soon to rip the place down and build some flats. Doesn't seem right somehow.

Looks like summer's here

2008-07-24T12:41:00.006+01:00

Day two of hot sunny weather and we headed for the river at the UEA for a little lunchtime picnic. Now, if only I could get paid to do this...

Frying tonight

2008-07-23T20:24:00.004+01:00

We had some proper SA sausage tonight. Boerworst. It's made from beef and looks like the biggest Cumberland ring you've ever seen. It kind of gets very juicy as it cooks and ours split in dramatic fashion sending steam every where... just like a train said Luke.

Bye bye Busy Bees

2008-07-15T09:39:00.003+01:00

Lukey is in his last week of Busy Bees before starting big school in September. As a registered charity, the playgroup is never one to miss a trick and they managed to sell us a CD full of pictures of our boy for £10. Worth every penny I'd say.

The whole CD is a rather interesting insight into his world without us. Here's a few of the highlights...

Luke and Daphne and Tuni - triple trouble most probably.

... and what appears to be the problem?

Lukey just checking the books at Busy Bees. He does this a lot at home, he has to check the books before we can read them. I do wonder if the playgroup set up a few cute shots like this one. Will have to ask if everyone else had this pose. Louise?

Sports Day, part two

2008-07-08T13:22:00.002+01:00

After the excitment of Luke's sports day last week it was the turn of the professionals this morning. Touch and go as it was thanks to the weather changing by the second, they actually got a decent 45 window of sunshine.

And what's more, it was actually quite competitive this year. Even though no one actually said anyone won, the children knew.

Olivia has been talking about the sack race for ages. The other day she said she won twice during practice. Her little face lit up when her team made their way to the sack race startline. Not often you see her show any kind of excitement, but the sack race seemed to do the trick. And she was very good, bounced like something very bouncy as you can see.

See, we've long held the view that Olivia needs to take part in sport, she has a ruthlessly competitive streak that needs to come out somehow. Football and tennis don't seem to cut it, wonder if we can find a sack race club somewhere...

Sports Day, part one

2008-07-01T13:18:00.002+01:00

Luke's sports day at Busy Bees was a roaring success, we thought. You could tell they'd really put in the practice as they deftly accomplished all sorts of races feturing water, hoops, hats and scarves, eggs and spoons.

And in this day and age of non-competitive sports days (and we wonder why the English are so bad at sport), it was good to see four teams racing against each other even if they did stop short of announcing winners. And the running race at the end was brilliant.

They were of course all winners. And they got a rocket lolly for their efforts, which makes it all worthwhile.

Next week, it's Olivia's very much non-competitive sports day. Sigh.

There goes the neighbourhood...

2008-06-22T18:16:00.007+01:00

Back from our hols on the Isle of Wight, or Island of White, as various members of the family would have it. Here's the accommodation, it is as great as it looks. It was down a long and winding dirt track, past a farm house, through a gate and then on down towards the sea.

There were 15 or 20 similar shacks, all tucked away in their own corners along the, some were little more than modified sheds, others were old railway carriages and some looked rather grand.

The view across the bay was quite something. We want our own shack.

Not got many pictures yet because we've gone analogue with our photography and haven't sent the films off yet. It's quite exciting. More pics soon, then.

Oh, and the tooth fairy paid us a visit while we were away. Olive now has no front teeth.

Visiting

2008-06-06T16:05:00.005+01:00

June already? May seems to have passed us by as anyone still bothering to look here will be painfully aware. So... May? Nothing happened until the last day, last Saturday, when we did the London sightseeing tour with the children.

It was a Luke's request. He wanted to see a 'henchman' (translation: those soldiers who wear bearskin hats), so we did Buck House, St James Park for lunch, wandered over the The National Gallery and then took a stroll over the river and down the South Bank to The Tate.

Above is what our babies would look like if they were little London people. Gosh eh? And below is one that will raise a smile with a few people. Olivia stood outside The Brunswick...

Had a great day, really made me miss London - don't think the wife felt the same though. I think it was the book stalls outside the NFT that did it.

Race For Life... run

2008-05-04T19:13:00.005+01:00

Caryn did The Race For Life this morning. She was a bit anxious at the thought of running 5km, because 1) she'd only been out on two practice runs and 2) we didn't know how far 5km was or how long it should take you.

Turns out she was pretty good, clocking 29 mins, 10 minutes behind the winner. She could be fairly decent at this running lark if she manages to put in the time. Next run is one in London in September, we've decided she's aiming at 25 minutes for that one on the back of perhaps three practice runs.

The Tooth Fairy Cometh... tonight

2008-04-29T19:44:00.003+01:00

Finally, after what seems like having a wobbly front tooth since Xmas, it came out today. Apparently it happened in assembly much to Olive's delight. There's something amazing about having teeth fall out at school. Don't quite know what, but just glad this one obliged. So, it's under the pillow now in the hope the tooth fairy will arrive with a shiney pound coin. Inflation eh? When I was losing teeth, admittedly a long time ago I got 5p. They were always very shiny though... and you could actually buy yourself a comic (2p) and 3p-worth of sweets for that.

I love how disheveled our wonderful daughter looks when she comes out of school. She just looks likes someone who has filled the day properly and lived to the full, even though she is only six. Must scan our favourite picture of O and put it up here sometime. It's a pic of her at school taken by her teacher. It is brilliant.

Tooth fairy fund - running total £2 (£3 tomorrow).

5... 4... 3... 2... 1...

2008-04-14T19:43:00.004+01:00

Start your engines...

Boosters to full power...

We have lift off!

We were out in the sunshine this afternoon trying out one of the new toys. We managed a decent amount of height with a good stomp. Very entertaining, thanks Uncle Chris. Think we might be looking around for something more, erm, 'industrial'...

Happy Birthday to you

2008-04-12T19:44:00.003+01:00

Here's Luke scoffing jelly and ice cream at his birthday party yesterday. Four, he is. Four. How does that happen? This year he got the works, the hired hall, the entertainer, hotdogs, jelly and ice cream. Smart new bike from his generous parents.

Lukey is so full of excitement on a normal day, we thought he might explode on his birthday. It was a great to watch him all day. None of the materialism his big sis revels in, he just soaked up his special day. He even loved opening his cards, taking time to look at each one, which is a bit weird.

The party was great too. We hired Dave Doughnut again, we've had him for so many birthdays we get discount. He was as entertaining as usual. The children laughed from start to finish, which is a joy to watch.

The chats we seem have afterwards are always as odd you'd expect from someone claiming to be called Dave Doughnut, he specialises in tales from the darkside of children's entertainment. This year, out of nowhere, I heard about a boy who filled his pants halfway through helping with a trick. I did wonder if maybe it was pure fear.

One milkshake, as big as my head please

2008-04-10T22:16:00.003+01:00

Unbelievable as it is, Lukey is four on Saturday. Four. Starts school in September. How does it happen? We will see you at the party on Saturday.

looking at how lovely our children have turned out, I think it's time for another one, number three, Caryn is 100 per cent sure it isn't...

Lost cat

2008-04-02T19:11:00.002+01:00

Sage went missing on Monday, he went out early evening and we've not seen him since. One or both of the cats do the staying out all night thing quite often, but they're always waiting at the back door for their breakfast when we get up.

Onion has vanished for a night and morning, wandering home at lunchtime on a couple of occasions, but Sage likes his food too much to wander too far.

We've put posters up, featuring the above pic by Olivia, and we're really hoping he'll come home soon, so he can continue to annoy us in only the way Sage can.

Big mud

2008-03-24T19:51:00.005Z

Every Easter there's a duck race in town. We've not managed to make it in the four years we've lived here so I was quite looking forward to it this year. I think the idea is you sponsor a rubber duck, they chuck them in the Tiffey and first one to the Becketswell Bridge wins. We arrived, hung around for a bit and discovered it the race was cancelled. The river was looking a bit wild though.

Anyway, the second part of our outing involved the grand unveiling of a new sculpture over looking the Abbey. We squelched through the huge amount of mud and pond-like puddles with the usual warnings about not messing about, watching your step etc. You can see what's coming, really.

We saw the unveiling, the work is a living willow construction by local artist Kate Munro. There's an observation tower that I've mentioned before on the other side of town pretending to be art, but this is different. It is actually real art. A swift google and her work is rather wonderful. This is no exception.

It's very simple and frames the Abbey in the distance, echoing the windows in willow. The real beauty is that it's alive and will grow and change over the years. Not sure if her fee involves maintenance though.

Anyway, just as we were leaving, our friends Simon and Louise arrive. Turns out the artist is pals with Louise. Of course. They went to school together. I take my eyes off Luke for about five seconds when Louise introduces to me to Kate, "I like the arch," I say, "thank you," she says, as I glance back in Luke's direction to see him walking towards me covered, absolutely covered, in mud and crying his eyes out.

So that was us. Off home, washing machine on. Culture on the back burner.

Fish and Chips

2008-03-23T20:09:00.006Z

Good Friday and we headed out to the coast. The plan was to visit a windmill... which we did, this one, scared the bejesus out of me. How many floors do windmills have? Five. And how windy was it exactly? Veeeeeeeery. Shame it wasn't working, but it'd have probably taken off if it was. Still, we got a sticker for making it to the top.

On the way though, we stopped off at Wells-next-the-sea for fish and chips. We ate in for a change. The fish was amazing, the surroundings less so. I find it odd how a place can look like a fast food joint - the illuminated price list above the counter, the horrid wipe-clean plastic tables and metal chairs - and yet they serve the most sublime food. What ever happened to big wooden tables and a bit of seaside charm?

Or perhaps they need to look this garish to attract the customers these days. Which reminds me, we must visit Mrs T's in Southwold again soon. Fish and chips served from a wooden hut by the quay. Proper.

The wife is going to kill me

2008-03-12T22:08:00.004Z

When I was at NME, we did some work with a label called Wall Of Sound. Fine upstanding people who we all liked enormously. One day they turned up at the office with a pressie for me. It was a piece by a graffiti artist they were mates with sprayed on the back of fly poster. He did their record sleeves too. I never got round to taking it home.

Anyway, when I left NME it was still on my desk so I bequeathed it to our web designer. I mailed him recently to see what became of it because it's been bugging me a bit recently. Here's what he said...

"I held onto the Banksy until late 2004 at which point I decided that it really needed framing to do it justice but at the quoted £200, I couldn't quite afford it. After much debate and a desire to invest in some desperately needed equipment, I made the decision to cash in on what I perceived to be the peak in Banksy's popularity by auctioning the artwork on eBay. The auction fetched a pretty reasonable £450."

I'll pause for effect at this point.

He went on to say, "Obviously in hindsight it ranks up there as one of the dumbest things I've done, since the value today doesn't even bear thinking about."

It doesn't. To discover the ballpark value of something I gave away, click here. Bear in mind this version is on canvas, of an edition of five, signed. Mine was from the same stencil, but unsigned and on paper.

Doh.

Chicken, chips and peas

2008-03-03T20:03:00.002Z

We had one of our favourite teas tonight, cold chicken from yesterday's roast with chips, peas and all manner of bottles and jars from the fridge. Luke's favourite is beetroot, which tonight he smeared all over his face and declared he was wearing lipstick and was it too much, before deciding he was a clown and proceeding to tell us 'I'm clown' about 50 times.

He is changing is luke, he's becoming very cheeky. I guess he's discovering what being a boy is about. He not only insists on running absolutely everywhere (and falling over a lot, you should see the bruises), but he really makes us laugh, I guess this must be what it's like having a monkey in your house.

Not so happy Happisburgh

2008-02-24T19:37:00.004Z

We headed for the coast today and ended up at Happisburgh. I've been going there ever since I could drive a car (which, as I've just insured a car I know to be 22 years), but every time we head that way I can never remember quite where it is. I think my brain is now full, so to take onboard new information it has to lose information, like routes to the seaside.

It was the first Norfolk beach Olive went to according to Caryn, which is probably right as it's always been one of my favourites. I thought we took her to Wells first, but my memory is currently dumping that sort of information. Have I mentioned that?

Anyway, Happisburgh was a sorry sight today. It's very rapidly disappearing into the sea. Costal Concern Action Group have a fantastic website which is well worth 15 minutes of your day if you'd like to know more. You hope something can be done, but you fear it's all a bit King Kanute.

The huge wooden groynes - erected in the late Fifties - have completely failed. They were still intact when we moved here five years ago, as was the slipway down the beach. The lifeboat station is still at the top of the rapidly receding cliff with no way to the sea. Bizarre.

To get to the sea on our first visit with Olive, you had to climb wooden steps over the groynes. I guess they'd have been eight, maybe 10 feet tall. Today, the top of them are waist-height, the rest is buried under beach. That the whole lot is going to be gone before our daughter makes double figures is a sobering thought.

Bicycle weekend, part two

2008-02-17T21:17:00.002Z

After Luke and Daphne's high jinks in Waitrose the other week, it seems that this has become the way to travel - Luke on the bike, Olive on the back.

Bicycle weekend, part one

2008-02-17T21:06:00.003Z

We made our first trip of the year to High Lodge this weekend. The glorious sunshine made for perfect biking weather and as Olivia does swimming lessons on Saturday morning (in the pool, 8.30am, we are revising our thinking on that one after Easter) and Caryn tends to work now on Sunday mornings (7am start!), I'm not getting out on the bike so much. At all actually.

We pootled round the 10km track which was very pleasant. Really must go on my own and try the red run, and when I'm not so fat and unfit, the black run which actually sounds quite scary.

Anyway, artful picture of the wife I thought.

Good post? This way please...

2008-02-07T20:34:00.001Z

We're getting terribly lazy.

Click here...

thank you.

The bucket has landed

2008-02-03T20:48:00.000Z

We are a two-car family once again, well, a one-and-a-half car family. Despite our attempt to manage with just the one motor (it's been a year and half!), we spent the very last of our uh-oh fund (which really does mean uh-oh now) on this little bucket off of eBay.

Can't say I'd recommend buying a car, unseen, off eBay. Can't say I'd recommend buying a secondhand car full stop. But on the whole, I'm quite pleased with it.

It's got a 1.1 litre engine, which you can't help feel is a little excessive, but that's the point. Hacked around in it today and it drives like a go-kart. All I need now is my mechanic to give it the once over and not suck air in through his cheeks and tut at me for buying a heap.

Ask Caryn about it when you see her, she's been telling everyone it's a Fiat Concheekie... I wondered why the butcher was asking about it yesterday.

Holiday booked!

2008-01-30T11:01:00.000Z

Holiday booked then. We're going to the Isle of Wight to stay here for four nights in the summer. Won't tell you when in case you're a robber and manage to work out where we live and steal our cats while we're away. Then again... let us know if you are planning on stealing the cats and I'll bring them round.

The Shack is quite find, and it's quite literally a stone's throw from the sea, it doesn't have electricity (there's some solar power for lights for a couple of hours, and a wind-up radio is provided!), but has running water. I've not told Caryn about the chemical toilet yet...

We used to go to the Isle of Wight on hols. Wonder what it's like now? Just booked the ferry. Can't wait. To go on holiday that is, not tell the wife about the chemical toilet.

The people who own The Shack also own a bunch of amazing Airstream caravans. Have a look here.

Two wheels good, three wheels good too

2008-01-27T19:39:00.000Z

It's all about the landmarks isn't it. You wait for them them to sit up, then crawl and finally walk and then, once that's licked, it's on to mastering four wheels, then three and then two. Then motorbikes, cars, and so on...

Olive is very much on two wheels and already pestering heavily for a bigger, better bike. Luke hasn't shown too much interest until today. It's always too much bother, and what with him being a boy, why pedal when when you can travel under someone else's steam?

But today he was off. Pulled the trike out of the shed on his own, didn't want any help, and up and down on the road outside like he does it every day.

Amazing things children. Tomorrow, if we suggest he rides his bike he'll moan like mad and point blank refuse. Sigh.

A lovely

2008-01-21T09:53:00.001Z

Just thought Olivia looked especially lovely yesterday.

The Grand Tour: Cromer

2008-01-05T19:43:00.000Z

Got out to Cromer today to see my old college pals, Whilhelm and Ruth, and their three boys... and Hector, the dog, much to Olive's delight. Whil was saying it's 20 years since we started college. 20 years. It's probably because of the 40 thing, but we all seem a bit sensitive to time at the moment.

Anyway, always enjoy a trip out Cromer, and even though we've not seen each other for, oh, 18 months, it doesn't seem to matter. We pulled up outside their house to be greeted by Whil like we'd seen him last week. I love friends like that - I have to, it's the only sort I've got.

Had a nice stroll at Overstrand, not been there for a while. Hector loves the sea, as we all do, and Olive loves dogs (at least she started loving them when we got her the flippin' cats) so she had great fun playing with him digging up and burying stones.

I guess this would be her perfect picture... if he was her dog. Note the stone between his front feet and the 'I am ready for you to throw this stone so I can bury it in a big hole' look on his face.

Smile please

2008-01-04T20:22:00.000Z

Grandma and Pops were babysitting yesterday and they took the opportunity to get some photos of all their grandchildren together. This is one of the less formal pictures, it really made me smile.

Night Night Mummy

2008-01-03T20:51:00.000Z

She's still away, wonder if she looks at the blog?

Swingers

2008-01-03T20:47:00.000Z

I liked this picture of the two of them. That's all.

Goggles

2007-12-31T20:51:00.001Z

Went swimming this morning. I used to take Olive to her swimming lessons, but work kind of got in the way so I've not seen her swim since September, and flipping heck is she good. Like a fish. A slightly sinking one, admittedly, but she can actually swim now. It's amazing. Luke loved trying his sister's goggles on. Made me laugh.

Bubble machine

2007-12-31T20:46:00.000Z

Good old Grandma and Pops got the children a joint present this year. We managed to leave it hidden under the tree until Saturday morning. No mean feat let me tell you. It's a cracker. You get a bubble machine and two magic wands that make increasingly urgent pinging sounds as you work your way to popping 20 bubbles and winning the game.

Grandma did issue strict instructions that it was an 'outside' toy.

The rug and floor in the frontroom are now lovely and clean.

Kess/Cuzland

2007-12-31T20:35:00.001Z

Cuz, my oldest friend (I have some who are older, but none I have known as long), was in residence at his Kessingland home this week so we hacked into darkest Suffolk to spend a very pleasant morning with him and his family.

Kessingland is the oddest place (Olive calls it Cuzland and cracks up laughing at her joke), a proper baron, rundown seaside town. We've been visiting since they bought the place for an absolute snip almost seven years ago and always have a nice time. Don't think we've ever been in the summer! The house itself is wonderful, Victorian, three beds and a box room, open fire, big old enamel bath, and so on. All very homely and spitting distance from the sea.

Anyway, they're letting it out this year. Very reasonable rates if you fancy it. Let me know...

Back before we know it

2007-12-27T20:39:00.000Z

Caryn left today for a visit to Cape Town, her first since she was just, just, just pregnant with Olive in early 2001. It has been one of the saddest days I can remember. The children seemed fairly resilient, which is more than can be said for me and Caryn. Very sad. We hope she has a great time, but we can't wait to get her back safely.

She's safely in the air now and will touch down at Doha International early tomorrow morning, before picking up a flight to Cape Town, arriving early evening. It's certainly what you'd call the scenic route, taking in a 2,000 mile detour via Saudi Arabia thanks to the shonkiest travel agent in the world... who actually came recommended. The mind boggles.

Stupid posh twits

2007-12-26T20:24:00.000Z

Headed into town this morning to feed the ducks when it occurred that the hunt would passing through seeing as it was Boxing Day. I remember going to see the hunt when we lived in Grantham, no idea how old I was, less than nine though. The spectacle has always remained with me. I especially like how the hounds just run amok. Surely you need a lead for those, sir.

So, we got offered mulled wine and xmas cake while we waited, the kids got super bored, but eventually we got to see hounds running amok and listen to posh Tory twits using the event as a soapbox to whine about how hard it is being a farmer these days. Don't know about you, but our stables are a real strain on the old budget. If only we could kill foxes in such a spectacularly overblown manner again everything would be dandy.

Anyway, as a spectacle it is still brilliant and the hunt is as visceral as ever, despite the fact they won't be catching any foxes, nope, not them. Absolutely no fox killing today.

Happy Xmas

2007-12-25T22:10:00.000Z

Hope it was nice for you. Hic. Burp.

The Brunswick Arms... R.I.P.

2007-12-17T19:58:00.001Z

This is a pub. Was a pub. Not any old pub. This is the pub where I met Caryn. And without The Brunswick Arms, 25 Stamford Street, London SE1, there would be no Olivia and Luke.

We heard the sad news today that it has finally closed. The whole building used to be the headquarters for Sainsbury's, but they moved to Holborn years ago and sold the building off. Since then The Brunswick has hung in there, but seems that that's that. It's actually quite emotional. Didn't think it would be.

(**NOTE** I stand corrected. Seems Sainsbury's have moved to Holborn on a temporary basis while the Stamford Street site is re-developed in a £270m makeover. Lord Foster's firm is behind the new building, it's quite large. And, Stamford Street will finally get a Sainsbury's store. We could never figure why it didn't when the HQ was there. Anyway...)

In the area surrounding King's Reach Tower there are loads of pubs, loads, where you drank kind of depended on where you worked. The Stamford was the traditional music press haunt I guess, so when Melody Maker had a shift change in the late Nineties, we also needed our own pub.

The only pub around that you could actually get a seat in was The Brunswick. It was a tired, grubby place, it was dark and dingy. So we made it our own. It was Mark (nee Roland) who christened it The Caravan Park. I had my leaving do in there, in fact, I had two leaving dos in there. One Maker and one NME. And I went to hundred other leaving dos in there too.

The bar staff were cracking - Old ladies you wouldn't mess with. They were motherly, matronly, and they were led by Elaine, SE1's own Bet Lynch. Bless them all. Then in early 2000, they started hiring younger staff. Didn't quite seem right, but hey. There was Claire the student nurse, Kim, the traveller from Oz, and, in July 2000, a girl who knocked an entire pub for six.

I don't know if it was coincidence, but the arrival of Caryn saw our pub quite quickly became the pub of choice. Friday nights were absolute chaos, with the place packed to the rafters. It was one of these nights that I first spoke to my future wife. I bought her a drink at the end of the night. Might as well I thought, what I have I got to lose? And anyway, why would a girl like that look twice at a scruffy oik like me?

Ha!

And she short changed me. Anyway, it is an ex-pub, it has ceased to be. So, here's to Elaine and Hartley (he who talked like a seal and held Freemason meetings in the cellar bar), who were proper landlords. Weird, but proper all the same. Here's to everyone who shared a pint in the great place and to all the daft conversations and mad schemes hatched ('What about Ben, he's probably the new Editor of NME.'). I enjoyed every last second. Thanks for being such fantastic company.

But most of all, here's to my beautiful wife and our two wonderful children, none of who would be a part of my life without The Brunswick Arms, 25 Stamford Street, London SE1.

It's Christmas Tree Sunday

2007-12-16T21:10:00.000Z

The day that Christmas officially comes to our house is the day we get the tree... which was today. Nice isn't it? Smells lovely too. And Lousie, in case she doens't mention it, Caryn found her wedding ring this morning, in a pile of clothes in the bedroom. It made her quite happy.

True likeness and all that

2007-12-10T19:02:00.000Z

Olivia has been hard at work recently. Here is a special portrait of Caryn.

Dickensian Evening, then.

2007-12-06T20:03:00.000Z

Every year, on this very night, parents head into town with their offspring in order to spend money on plastic things that light up. They do of course come fitted with Eastern Bloc AA batteries that last exactly as long as it takes to walk home...

Sorry, getting ahead of myself.

It was Dickensian Evening tonight, the night when the Xmas lights get switched on by Father Christmas. Yup. The whole town turns out and there's a small fair affair, and food stalls and so on and so forth. It's not quite as cute as it sounds, is it Louise?

There's an annual fuss about festive decor in Wymondham (or lack of) and this year's effort will be no exception. The word they'll be looking for is pfut.

We actually had a not bad time. Got there early, got out early and in between we won two bears and a couple of lollies on the Wymondham Lions stall, Santa's horse-drawn carriage pulled up alongside us, children had a ride on the teacups - you can see from the picture that one loved it, and one, well... you know.

Nice view, I'll take it

2007-12-03T20:24:00.001Z

You know how there was a view from the roof of my old job (last day Friday)? Well, I thought I shoud have one of the potential new job (first day, today). I biked up this road to work this morning. It felt quite good.

Riding home wasn't so clever. Pitch, pitch, black. Reminded me of Dylan Thomas' 'Under Milk Wood'? Starless and Bible black. It was darker than that.

Still.

And... I studied 'Under Milk Wood' for A Level English. It's set in the fictional Welsh village of Llareggub - and do you know, only now, 20-odd years on has the penny dropped. It's 'bugger all' spelt backwards. Duh. You couldn't get the teachers in those days.

Luke art...

2007-12-03T20:20:00.000Z

Lukey headed out to a birthday party on Sunday. It's really nice that he's getting invite of his own and doesn't have to crash his sister's invites.

Anyway, he made a card for his pal and here he is modelling it. There's hope for him yet. It was a fantastic piece of work, with a little round blob for a mouth, which he is demonstrating in the pic.

Olivia art...

2007-12-03T20:13:00.000Z

It's a been a while since Olivia has returned from school with a load of drawings. Seems Year 1 is very different to reception - much more reading and writing, a lot less drawing and painting.

Last year we filled our entire hall wall with a raft of amazing art. Just before Olive went back to school in September, Caryn decided she'd take all the pictures down because we'd be getting a load of new ones... the wall is still pretty bare.

She draws like a loon when she's at home, but it's nice to get stuff back from school. Imagine how pleased we were when we were tossed these morsels last week. She's getting very good at drawing dogs...

Great at jumping, bad at landing - Evel Knievel 1938-2007

2007-12-01T19:38:00.000Z

Woke up to the sad news that Evel Knievel, a true legend, died yesterday aged 69. His family and friends seem genuinely surprised that he lasted as long as he did.

"It's been coming for years, but you just don't expect it," said long-time friend and promoter Billy Rundel. "Superman just doesn't die, right?"

At the risk of sounding all Hunter S, I was lucky enough to meet the great man in a bar at Ceasar's Palace, Las Vegas, the scene in 1969 of his notorious leap over the fountains outside. The 150 foot jump was good, the landing - as became his trademark - was spectacularly bad, leaving him in a coma for a month.

I was there with a band called 3 Colours Red, lovely people. We were sitting having a drink and there he was, sat at the bar in a black and white checked leather jacket, bourbon in one glass, purple medicine to stop his new liver giving up on him in another.

He could have told us clear off and leave him alone, but he seemed happy-ish to chat and signed about a dozen autographs.

Naturally, we asked him why he did what he did. "To stop the world dying from boredom," he drawled. It is as good a reason as any.

The world is a lesser place without him.

Checking out

2007-11-30T16:43:00.000Z

Quite enjoyed my stay, the view was good at least. And I've sort of half worked out how to post from my nice new phone which makes things easier... or not.

Dancing to architecture

2007-11-28T09:47:00.000Z

My contract in London is nearly up and I think the only thing I'll miss is meeting up with my little brother for drinks after work. Last Friday, we met up at the all-new St Pancras for no other reason than my train leaves from Kings Cross and it'd give us a bit more time.

But blimey, what a place. I used to travel in and out of the very down at heel St Pan quite often in my student days, boy has it changed. The rails aren't even in the same place. It's some feat of engineering.

If you ignore the Champagne bar full of posh twits freezing their twigs off, the place is quite breathtaking. Anyone arriving into London on the Eurostar can't fail to be wowed upon their arrival. Shame that they then have to step out into Kings Cross...

It's a stunning piece of work and when you think about it, this must have been the feeling the Victorian travellers had when they clambered off trains into these grand constructions.

There's even a resident hawk to keep the pigeons out.

Happy Birthday Olivia Rose

2007-11-08T10:42:00.001Z

Here she is just after her first birthday. Cute. Found a load of old pictures this morning which have filled me with even more love for our little girl. More soon!

Happy Birthday to us...

2007-11-07T19:59:00.000Z

Our blog is one today. Hadn't occurred until Landcroft House celebrated theirs the other week- and I just copied them. So, I've sort of been posting here for a whole year... hm. On and off, on and off. I think if you add up the number of posts... hang on.

114 posts. Now, by my reckoning that's some distance short of being able to celebrate a first birthday. Technically, I'd need at least five posts a week for that, 26o posts. Still, at least I'm trying, right? I do seem to stockpile pictures thinking they'll make it onto the blog, but never do. Must work out how to get pictures straight off the phone onto the blog, then I might be back in business.

We're celebrating a proper birthday tomorrow. Our little girl will be six. I don't know how that is possible, I can remember her being born like it was last week. Anyway, here's a couple of pics of her last day of being five. Luke just makes me laugh looking at him sometimes.

Little horrors

2007-10-31T19:52:00.000Z

Yes, yes, 28 days straight without a single post. If you are reading this, thank you. Checking for signs of a new post for an entire month takes dedication. Thanks again, you must come round for dinner sometime.

So, Halloween already. Not my favourite of occasions, far too, what's the word? Annoying. But the children love it... this is them heading for the annual playgroup party. His costume was a massive hit. We thought everyone would go as Harry Potter. But nope, he was the only one. So, if you need a surefire hit for the countless fancy dress parties, we can throughly recommend it.

Testing times...

2007-10-03T10:59:00.000+01:00

We're currently in the process of calling Olivia's bluff. She's been complaining that she can't hear properly for ages so we made an appointment the other week for a hearing test. It was all quite interesting, mostly to observe just how awkward she can be.

The test involved her wearing headphones and saying 'yes' when she could hear various noises played through them. On a number of occasions I could clearly hear the noises and she just sat there pretending she couldn't.

The woman who preformed the test was clearly used to the random whims of five-year-olds, declared the test inconclusive and referred us.

While we're at it, we thought, we'll make an appointment at the opticians. Lots of fun was had trying on glasses, but the fun soon evaporated when Olivia was confronted by the most straight-talking adult she's ever met. And he was having none of her nonsense.

Contrary were his words, come back in six months and let's see if she's any more co-operative. It was quite a shock for her. Next time we might see a different result.

Still, got a good picture of them both in daft glasses.

Art slouch

2007-09-26T12:35:00.000+01:00

So, last weekend then.

You do kind of reach a point where the children just can't be in the house any longer. Or perhaps that's just our children. Anyway, we were up at 7am on Sunday and by 10.30am cabin fever had arrived.

So we were out of the house like a shot.

If you nip under the railway bridge by the station and follow the higgle piggle of 19th century weavers cottages, you'll find The Lizard, a whacking great meadow. It's owned by a trust for the benefit of the people of the town. Basically, it's a big bit of land that no-one can build a housing estate on. Which is fine by me.

So, as I've mentioned before, the town is celebrating the Abbey being 900 years old and art is very much on the agenda. As such, a plan was hatched to built three towers on The Lizard, the first of which opened in May. So we went to have a look...

I'm no art slouch - I have qualifications and everything, although I am very much lapsed - but this is a conceptutual piece, right? A wooden observation tower from which you can't see anything. Profound stuff. Actually, it's quite nice, it was built be Jony Easterby, whose work you can find here...

Anyway, the local freesheet had a great story last week about this boy, who along with his friends who had built a massive tree house in mum's back garden. It was a bolthole, a sleepover type place. Can't find the picture online, might have to dig it out of the bin, but here's the story.

They say it's cost them £30, with most of the materials being scavenged from various places.

Made me wonder how much the tower cost. I had a poke around and it's surprisingly difficult to find out... I did find the brief which has it at £200 a day x 31 days + £800 to 'facilitate community liaison' for 30 hours, ish, (ie, talk to school children, meet the mayor, etc) and £3,000 for fabrication, delivery and installation. Blimey eh?

That seems like a lot of cash doesn't it? Nice as it is, I'm not sure it's worth that sort of spend. I wonder if they got a quote from a local chippy? Personally, I'd like to have seen the tree house boys commissioned to build some in The Lizard.

This is astonishing

2007-09-24T11:17:00.000+01:00

I love listening to the radio, it's on most of the time burbling away in the background. This morning on Five Live, Victoria Derbyshire has been getting over excited about a 999 tape of a home birth.

It's just been on and, flipping heck, she wasn't kidding. It's amazing.

If you do one thing today, make eight minutes to listen to it. You'll find it here.

There's a fabulous moment, with his wife howling like she's, well, having a baby, and the guy says to here, 'Wait there...'

Brilliant.

Anyone for tennis? Anyone?

2007-09-23T20:04:00.000+01:00

The wife was in London this weekend visiting her sister so I was on duty, which is never anything less than an enlightening experience. Sorry about the unrelated picture. It's nice though isn't it? That's us up an expensive wooden tower in the middle of field...

Anyway, Olivia had her first tennis class (I hesitate to call it a lesson because I'm not entirely sure how much one man can teach 21 five-year-olds in an hour) and I have no idea if she liked it or not. As the wife points out, we'll only know next week by her reaction when we tell her it's tennis.

She's good like that - show no emotion, give nothing at all away. Don't know why. Lukey will literally jiggle up and down on the spot if he's excited by something. With Olivia it's so hard to tell. What chance do we stand, really.

I did learn that she is calling herself Olive, which should have been her real name had we not met with some parental resistance - not sure whose parents as both deny it now, but resistance there was otherwise we'd have done it.

So anyway, me and Luke were sat upstairs in this sports hall and we could hear the coach bellowing 'Olive' now and again. There could only be one person he was talking to. Quite why she's suddenly chosen to do this is anyone's guess.

She is a remarkable little girl, our daughter - very lovely, utterly infuriating, inspiring and a total pain in the bum, all in equal measures. What's she going to be like at 15?

Football after school

2007-09-19T19:59:00.000+01:00

In a strange moment, Olive asked if she could play football after school. It's strange because she doesn't strike us as the sporty type. She's the one in the yellow top, staring intently at the ball. Not sure if she'll stick at it, but she seemed to really enjoy it and actually scored a goal too.

It was a real poacher's goal, the way she tucked it away with a split second to think as it bobbled in front of her was Michael Owen in his prime. Well, you know.

There's loads of girls playing which is impressive, but it seems to make it much easier for the boys. Olive's pal William just spent the whole time ball-hogging and scoring goal after goal. His celebrations were impressive for a five-year-old.

... And because we don't think Olive seems all that sporty we've booked her in for tennis starting on Saturday morning. Parents eh?

Summer's gone

2007-09-18T14:03:00.000+01:00

On Sunday we headed to the coast in the hope of blowing away some cobwebs. Turns out it was August at the seaside - baking hot, glorious blue sky and us with a flask of coffee.

Funny old business weather. We've got a digital barometer in the kitchen - it's got a little man on it and he dresses for the appropriate weather. This morning he had his hat and scarf on. Day before yesterday the children were stripped off paddling in the sea, today it was scarfs on for the walk to school.

And now the sun's out and the sky is blue, but I'm not sure I'd have it any other way. It's part of being British isn't it? Interesting weather.

I have two words... over and excited

2007-09-07T20:56:00.001+01:00

Other people might have two different words in mind after the goings-on of the last week. Very and drunk, hungover and extremely, four and tea. You know. So anyway, I've finally turned 40. Don't know how I've made it, but I have and as a few have pointed out, relatively unscathed too.

There was the party last weekend which was a success I think. Lots of children in the afternoon and early evening, me and Mr Knowles the last ones standing, or sitting down at least, at around 3am. Ish. I think I might have had a snooze in the hammock after Ben stumbled indoors, but was too drunk and can't quite remember.

Anyway, yesterday was the big day. 10 years since Diana's funeral and 10 years since I was 30. Heck eh? The wife served up a cracking present for a 40-year-old in the shape of Nintendo Wii. Top notch pressie. And you know what? 40 isn't that bad. It's like being 39, only you're 40.

I appreciate that I'm rambling now, but soak it up, it doesn't happen that often these days. To cut a long story short, I've been wanting to make some sort of homebrew for a while. We've had apple trees in the last three places we've lived so cider seems a good choice.

Thing is, I've always thought it's probably as hard to make cider as it is to make decent beer. So, after Cuz filled up a carrier bag from the trees last weekend and commented that we should make cider, I had a look online and it seems quite easy. Or at least straightforward.

So, I've invested my birthday cash in a small apple press and some other stuff required for making cider. It arrives on Tuesday. Excited. Overly.

Sand castles, then

2007-08-27T20:27:00.000+01:00

It's the third day in a row that it's been sunny and not at all like winter so we thought we'd spoil ourselves... thing is, the rest of Norfolk had the same idea.

The good thing about Wells-Next-The-Sea is that the beach is huge so there's plenty of room for everybody. It's one of those amazing North Norfolk beaches which is a huge expanse of sand and sky. And when the tide's out you can even hear the sea let alone see it.

Fortunately, there's a great estuary left behind which is spot-on for the kids - not that Luke's bothered, he'd paddle in puddles if he could. So today we built sandcastles. Olivia's was spectacular as you can see. With no help from Caryn, it's such a girl castle - dainty and intricate with the swirling moat.

Bit different from the one me and Luke made which was entirely practical, plenty of thought given to repelling invaders with its deep moat and high walls as you can see.

Boys and girls then, neatly summed up in two sandcastles.

Soggy campers

2007-08-23T09:27:00.001+01:00

When we booked a couple of nights at Clippesby, months and months ago, we figured the weekend before August Bank holiday would be a banker...

The above picture should have been better - the four of us, drenched, stood in front of our tent. The children wouldn't get out the car though.

It was a double family trip, with our pals Simon and Louise and their three. I don't think we'll be seeing Simon in a tent again, ever. Sensible man. You can read what they've got to say about it all on their rather lovely blog, which is here... they seem to have stolen the march on blogging, and say things so much better than my rushed attempts these days.

Anyway, the weather wasn't the greatest from the moment we arrived on Saturday, but when we went to bed on Sunday night we thought we'd got away with it. We'd managed to dodge the showers, and cook and eat without getting soaked. Not much of a problem. Then, at 3am on Monday morning it started to rain. Properly.

It's now Thursday and the tent is hanging over the swing in the back garden, it's still as wet as it was on Monday morning.

I think I'm saving up for a camper van. A nice Hymer like this one. Anyone lend me £5k or so? That said, it's probably not a camper we need, it's an ark.

Ebenezer Terrace's Summer Vacation

2007-08-07T15:01:00.000+01:00

Yes, yes, I know. But this really is the very first chance I've had since Olive's tooth fell out back in July. We've been stupid busy. Stupid. So what happened? I'll apologise now for the lack of pics, I've more somewhere or other. I will find them... soon.

Briefly, on the day Olive's tooth fell out, we went to Montreux on a work-related Jazz Festival jolly. Left the children with Grandma and Pops and had a very rare weekend to ourselves. Got wined and dined very nicely. Were offered a 5kg lobster on the first night, how much? £400. Splutter.

Crossed Lake Geneva on a speedboat for lunch in Evian the following day, like you do, and supper was by invitation at the home of Claude Nobs, the founder of the festival. Apparently, every band playing in Montreux gets invited up to his gaff in the mountains. It is an utterly spectacular way to spend an evening.

He wasn't home when we were there, which made enjoying his hospitality a little surreal. There's so many great story about him, including how Deep Purple came up with 'Smoke On The Water' when one of the festival's venues burnt down following a flare being fired at Frank Zappa. He's the Funky Claude mentioned in the song.

Anyway, we came back to reality for a bit before we headed out on our hols to Wales. Caryn's dad's family are from Denbeigh and she wanted to head that way and spend some time in the land of her father... We even got a phrasebook for the utterly unfathomable language too. It remains utterly unfathomable.

So anyway, we decided to do a bit of a jaunt and try out a few places for a couple of nights, rather than the same place for a week. Worked a treat.

The wonderful Greenlooms Cottage B&B (pictured, above) in Cheshire and a pleasant evening in the company of owners, Peter and Deborah, to start, followed by the seaside at Llandudno (the cable car scared the bejesus out me I'm not ashamed to admit) and then the mountains of Snowdonia to finish. All wonderful and left me feeling like working for a living is no longer a 'good thing'. A sure sign of a good holiday.

Snowdonia was just gob-smacking. We stayed in a place called Llanberis which sits at the foot on Snowdon - it's a proper climbing hang-out, a little rough round the edges, but with the amazing Pete's Eats at its epicentre. We ate there a lot in two days, even breakfast once when the girl running our hotel didn't manage to get up in time to feed us on our first morning! A generous discount was negotiated.

Llanberis is also home to the Snowdon Mountain Railway which is as spectacular as things get. Opened in 1896, it's a railway up a mountain for no other reason than the Victorians could build a railway up a mountain. It is as awe-inspiring as it sounds. Sadly, they're building a cafe at the summit (!), so the train stops about a mile and some 300m short of the top until next year. I think we might be back.

There really is something quite magical about the area. It's hard to put into words, but I'm working on it!

And that is kind of us. Caryn and the kids seem to be enjoying the summer hols - there's been lots of late nights and lazy mornings which make a wonderful change from the usual chaos. And I'm working like a double dog which is better than not working at all, I guess.

I will, as I always do, promise to at least try and post on a regular basis. Please, no taking bets on how long it'll last. Or if you do, I'll have a fiver on under two days.

Sigh.

The tooth fairy arrives tonight

2007-07-13T08:35:00.000+01:00

After what seems like an eternity, but is only in fact a week, Olivia lost her first tooth this morning. It's been wobbly for quite a while, but last weekend we noticed that it was hanging by a thread... and it continued to hang on all week despite much twisting, wobbling and complaining that she wanted my dad to get it out rather than me.

Anyway, in the usual morning chaos she proudly wandered into the the kitchen with the tooth in her hand looking very pleased with herself. She's cool is our little girl.

When our cats die, can we have a dog?

2007-07-08T19:41:00.001+01:00

Apologies for the long post. Must, must find time to post less, more often.

Olivia seems to have been the focus of our weekend. She will always be our special little girl, but she can be enormously trying as she begins to grow up. I often wonder how she got to be so big. I can so clearly remember her as a baby that it sometimes seems like the beautiful five-year-old who lives with us can't be the same person.

Anyway, we don't seem to have stopped since about 5.30pm on Friday when we headed out to her school fete. It seemed like there was a three-line whip with the reception teachers who were all face painting (£1). This is Olivia with her teacher.

Anyway, from the fete we had go to straight to Luke's end of term party, the less said about that the better really, needless to say, it was some genius organisation to have it one the same day as the school fete.

The following day we headed to the church fete which was rather lovely. A proper old skool event with white elephant, coconut shy, Punch & Judy and so on. They had stocks and sponges too in which Caryn was subjected to a sustained, and I thought, quite vicious, attack from the little people.

It was held in the grounds of The Vicarage. Nice gaff. It's funny living somewhere like this - you can slowly but surely feel the church closing in on you. One day, we'll just find ourselves sat in church on Sunday and not really know why or how. That said, they were obviously responsible for the fantastic weather.

Today? Today I failed to fit a cat flap, but did get the grass cut and managed 10 minutes in the hammock. Didn't bother buying a paper.

Bin flyin'

2007-07-01T20:10:00.000+01:00

So, anyway. It's either I've got too little to do, or too much to do. You can tell when it's too much by the lack of activity on here. There's certainly no shortage of activity in real life...

Just to catch up, last Wednesday night we were invited to a do at a nearby airfield (this one). The plan was to take a short flight in a Cessna if the weather held. Didn't look good for most of the day, but as we'd booked the babysitter we thought what the heck and headed out there anyway.

At about 8pm we took to the air - me in the co-pilot's chair, the wife and my mum in the back. What a hoot. We skirted Norwich on our right and headed for our house... like you do.

I don't know, but there's something about flying over your own house (we stuck a big white arrow on the roof so we could find it) that seems like a really good thing to do - like it's one of the items that should be on your life checklist. Flown over my own house. Check. It was a strange feeling as we circled round knowing that our babies were fast asleep 1,000 feet below.

Apparently, and of course I asked, for a private pilot's license you need a minimum of 45 hours flying time with lessons at around £80 an hour. Once you've passed you need a plane most of which are co-owned with a secondhand Cessna going for around £40k... then there's the fuel and the maintenance... and well, you need to quite rich to fly.

Maybe one day.

In the meantime here's some music

2007-06-26T23:07:00.000+01:00

Sorry, really badly dropped out. Been stupidly, stupidly busy since the wedding the other week. Working in London two days a week and I am three working days from launch of our new football site.

While I try sort myself out, have a listen to this from Kanye West's new album. A. Maze. Ing.

STOP PRESS: Universal Music clearly don't want anyone listening to the amazing music their artists are making. The previously posted link from YouTube has been removed 'due to a copyright claim by Universal Music Group'.

Oh, look what I've found... Kanye West 'Stronger'. It really is amazing.

Married then

2007-06-17T20:21:00.001+01:00

My little brother is now a married man. I wonder how many pictures get taken at weddings. I emptied out our digital camera tonight and on our own we'd taken 160 pictures!

So here's a picture no one else will have - this is Chris, parked up outside the church enjoying an ice cold beer before the madness decends. Just us two, sat in his car, taking a moment. Perfect.

The rest of the day wasn't bad either.

Our 100th post... and we've been tagged

2007-06-14T22:24:00.000+01:00

We've been terribly slack this week due to a family wedding at weekend. My little brother is getting hitched and I'm best man which means I've been having sleepless nights about the speech. Finally nailed it tonight... I think - I might share next week depending on how it goes down.

My biggest fear is not just standing up in front of 130 people, most of who I won't know from Adam, but that no one laughs at my jokes. Nothing new there really, but to have so many people not laughing at the same time is scary stuff. Reception kicks off at six, speeches aren't until 7.30pm, so I might stand a fighting chance.

And the lovely Landcroft House have tagged us which means we're it and have to reveal eight facts about ourselves before tagging five other blogs... do I even know five other blogs? Nope. If you're reading this and have a blog of your own please say hi and we'll tag you! Virtual cocktail party game here we come.

Won't be doing it now, need another sleepless night fretting over the speech.

Golf anyone?

2007-06-11T15:33:00.000+01:00

I'm quite keen on playing golf. When we first moved here we lived on the same street as an 18-hole pitch and putt course. The perfect opportunity then, my brother even bought me a left-handed pitcher and putter. Of course, when we actually lived next door to a flipping golf course I made it as far as the bar on a couple of occasions, but I never made the first tee and the golf clubs have sat unused in the shed for almost three years.

On Saturday my brother turned up having been turfed out of his house so his wife as from next weekend could have her hen do. And off we went to Silfield Pitch & Putt. It was most enjoyable especially on the occasions I hit a nice shot (about twice I think), we only lost three balls, but we found one too which was handy, and I went round in under 100 which I consider no mean feat.

I'll hopefully make it more than once every three years now I've broken my duck. Quack.

Two Fat boys and make 'em snappy

2007-06-08T10:16:00.000+01:00

At the risk of becoming a camping bore, this week we (when I say we, I just mean me) have been obsessing about the sleep deprivation problem encountered last weekend on our inaugural trip.

I asked around and it seems self-inflating mattresses (you open a valve and the mats suck the air in, like voodoo) are the way to go. There was also the suggestion that perhaps not enough wine was being drunk before bed, which is a fair point.

So, when me and Lukey were in Big Town this week we popped into Millets to try out said mats. And flipping heck, they were amazing, except for the price tag - around £70 for a decent one. A quick rummage round google and I found the amazing alpkit.com who served up a pair of their Fats direct to our door in 24 hours for £65. Great service and a lovely site. Some very tempting bits and bobs on there.

So, sleep here we come. Shame it's chucking it down or I'd have had the tent up in the garden to try them out.

England 5...

2007-06-06T20:48:00.000+01:00

We've been missing the footie - so we were pleased that last night Carrow Road played host to the England U21 side warming up for the U21 European Championships which kick-off this weekend. It's been some time since some proper football has been played on the hallowed turd, sorry, turf.

Rather pleasingly, they stuffed a tricky-looking Slovakia side who were out to frustrate. And it's not often you see a number 5 following the word England. Even the full England team could only put three past lowly Estonia tonight - a side who've played seven, lost seven and scored none.

What was really amazing was the 20,000 crowd that turned up. 20,000. But then I guess when you live somewhere like Norwich and like your football you've got to take your chances when they come your way.

Camping, in real life, two nights and everything...

2007-06-03T19:26:00.000+01:00

After a week of anxious weather-watching, we headed North Norfolk way and to Kelling Heath for our first-ever, proper, not in our back garden, camping trip on Friday and made it home this morning, bleary-eyed, smelling not to bad at all and feeling rather pleased with ourselves.

The weather was fantastic, if not a bit weird, but that's weather in Norfolk for you. The glorious sunshine on Friday gave way as sea mist rolled in. The next morning it still hung over the campsite so we decided to head out in search of the sun via the pool at nearby Sheringham which comes fully fitted with wave machine and 150 foot water chute.

Luke was surprisingly keen to go down the slide, but it was no double rides so naturally I had to try it out first and, like most dads who spotted the timer at the end, spent the rest of the morning honing my technique chasing a sub eight second run. We were there for almost three hours, I don't think I've ever spent so long in a pool in my life.

Foodwise, we did well. We're pretty good on the cooking outside front thanks to the braii masterclasses over the years, and I'm beginning to perfect cooking on disposable BBQs, but the real triumph was breakfast on Saturday - bacon and egg rolls. Even if it was a little gas stove, there's something very pleasing about the sound and smell of bacon frying in the outdoors at that time of the morning. Next step is to cook it on an open fire!

All in all, it was a roaring success, but we do have to review the sleeping arrangements. A double airbed with two people on it does not a good night's sleep make. Needless to say, we're looking at other solutions...

Breakfast is served

2007-05-30T19:35:00.001+01:00

The day we've always talked about has finally arrived. Today was the day when, all on her own, Olivia got up at a reasonable time (6.45am), headed downstairs, got her and Luke breakfast, turned the TV on and, well, just got on with it really.

Luke especially is super-hungry in the mornings what with the ritual shunning of tea the night before (unless it's chips) and the usual for him is to appear in our bed anytime from 5.50am onwards. He wriggles a bit, pretends to sleep for a bit and then starts the relentless 'I'm hungry' mantra until one of us - usually Caryn, as I pretend to have died in my sleep - gets up and feeds him.

Needless to say, this morning was quite a morning. Now, if we could teach her to feed the cats too...

Twice in three days

2007-05-29T14:55:00.001+01:00

Typically, from the moment half-term started at 3pm on Friday it seems to have been raining. It's always a tricky one entertaining when it's raining, but on Saturday morning we visited Planet Zoom for the first time.

Why we've not been there before is a mystery. We've got something along the same lines where we live, so I guess driving 10 miles seems a bit odd. Glad we did though because our two loved it. We paid for an hour and a half and the time just flashed by. In fact, they loved it so much they snubbed a swimming trip on Monday for a return visit.

Twice in three days was probably a bit much as the excitement wained after about an hour which isn't bad. Luke was super brave trying all sorts of things he wouldn't normally do, including going down the enormous swirly slide (pictured) on his own.

It's also weatherwatch week at Ebenezer Terrace. We've our first 'proper' camping trip this weekend. When we bought the tent the idea was we could just clear off when the weather was nice.

Seems it doesn't quite work like that - the good places get booked up early doors, so we've booked up a few places over the summer and will be at the mercy of the English weather. Should put us off camping sharpish... or we'll take up camping in the back garden.

A good party

2007-05-25T14:39:00.001+01:00

Firstly, an apology - especially to Louise, whose own blog we're eagerly awaiting - for not posting anything since Monday. It's tricky fitting all this children, school, nursery, wife at college, earning a living, sleeping, eating thing into a week.

Every second seems to have been filled with something or other and I've even been going to bed late to fit it all in. yes, I know.

So anyway, a couple of emails popped in last night from James whose kitchen we really like. His daughter had quite the best birthday party last weekend - it was kind of an Edwardian fairground extravaganza, with games like splat the rat and lucky dip and popping balloons.

The children all had a bag each and ran around winning prizes and filling their bags with sweets. It was really different. I think children have come to expect certain things from parties - entertainer, bouncy castle etc, so this was a real curve ball and you could see the confusion on some faces to begin with. It was excellent though.

They also had one of these put your face through the holes things. And that's what the email was... pics of our children popping their heads through the holes. Thanks James.

Earth, Wind and... crack, crunch, snap

2007-05-20T20:39:00.000+01:00

So, to cut a long story quite short, the wife decided we should throw caution to the wind on Friday and go on our inaugural camping trip. Turns out the wind wasn't very cautious by the time we arrived at a very pleasant North Norfolk campsite, so un-cautious in fact it broke our new tent as we tried to pitch it while Olivia and Luke hid in the car wisely sheltering from the weather and from some very choice language.

Saturday morning then and off I went in search a full refund. Halfords put up very little fight, which I have to admit was a little disappointing. They did offer an exchange at first which I politely turned down on the grounds we actually wanted a tent we could use for camping. Seemed to do the trick.

And so to a proper camping shop, refund in hand, to buy the above very lovely tent which we duly popped up in the garden and spent almost the entire day lounging around in today. We are now looking forward to our our first proper, proper camping trip in two weeks time and in an odd way are quite pleased our first proper trip was such an utter, total, absolute disaster...

buymeabeer.com

2007-05-17T14:04:00.000+01:00

In the line of research, I found buymeabeer.com today. Shame it's for over-priced, posh people's Corney & Barrow bars and shame they're only in London, but a good idea all the same. I do like the idea that if you're meeting someone and they're running late they can still get their round in. Not sure that buying someone a drink, even if they do it remotely, is a revolutionary idea though.

Welcome to the world little one

2007-05-16T19:48:00.000+01:00

Quite early on Sunday morning, my little sis had a baby girl, Molly Amelia. And here she is.

Went round to see her after school today for the first time and crikey, she's a little tiny lovely - all wrinkly skin that doesn't quite fit her yet, she didn't stir while we were there, just slumbered though the visit from her new auntie, uncle and cousins. Not been an uncle before, wonder if it's like being a dad but without the grumpy bits.

Olive was very taken with Molly which was lovely to see. In some ways it doesn't seem that long ago that she was a tiny little baby.

Luke, well, he knows where the box of soldiers is at Auntie Vicky's now so he wasn't much fussed.

The bit I really like how there's a new person around now - a brand-new member of the family.

So, just wanted to say welcome to the world little one, it's okay here you know. And, although it doesn't seem like it now, your parents will get the hang of it all eventually. Well, some of it at least. And some is better than none.

The oldest person in the world, ever.

2007-05-14T19:29:00.000+01:00

One of the throwbacks from my time as a newspaper sub is, for some odd reason, I like to know who the oldest person in the world is and who's next up. It's not a great title as the holder seems to die soon after receiving the honour. Still, if you're going to be recognised in your life for doing something, I can think of few things better.

Anyway, just read a great story about the oldest person in the world, ever.

In French France it is possible to buy property for a snip if you're prepared to wait for the owner to snuff it. It's called en viager and involves you making a one-off payment to some aging crock and then paying them a monthly rent until they finally shuffle off and, voila, the property is all yours. Simple. Or not.

There is of course a slight gamble...

In 1965, 47-year-old Francois Raffery, signed a viager for an apartment in the centre of Arles. The owner was a drinking, smoking 90-year-old woman. Anyway, 30 years later Raffery wasn't rubbing his hands in so much glee as he died leaving his wife to continue paying rent to the by now 120-year-old Jeanne Calment.

A herione to French oldies everywhere, Ms Calment managed another two and a bit years before dropping off which made her not the oldest person in the world, ever, but the smartest oldest person in the world, ever. Her record still stands today at 122 years, 164 days if anyone fancies a crack at it.

There's a lesson to be had in there somewhere is there not?

Out of interest for anyone still awake, the current oldest person in the world is Yone Minagawa of Fukuoka, Japan who is 114 and a bit. She's been the oldest person since the end of Janaury so we're due a change of crown pretty soon I'd say.

Our new favourite place

2007-05-13T19:15:00.000+01:00

Went round our friend's place for Sunday lunch today. Nice roast beef, etc. They live in the burbs where I went to school, which was a little unnerving when they first moved in a few years ago, kind of used to it now, although driving down the road to their house, past my old school never fails to feel a bit odd.

Anyway, they've just had a new kitchen extension built and, I never thought I'd catch myself saying things like this, but it really is rather fantastic. I am truly getting old.

We've not had the pleasure of a sitting around in a kitchen since we moved out of the School House last year so it was lovely just to leave the kids to their own devices and chew the fat round a big table again.

Simple pleasures eh?

Pedal! Pedal! Pedal!

2007-05-07T18:39:00.000+01:00

Olivia, bless, has taken her time to learn to ride a bike. We got her a proper bike for her fourth birthday, but it has only been since we moved house last August that she's really shown an interest in riding it properly.

We live on a cul-de-sac which is prime bike riding real estate. So, with her new-found interest we gave the old me pretending to hold the seat thing a go. The first time went amazingly well - she rode the bike on her own almost straight away... and that was that. Once she'd done it, we were off inside, like it's something you tick off a list never to repeat again.

A while later, we went out again and this time, she couldn't ride a bike. She was in a panic and begging me not to let go. I had little intention of letting go this time because she was would have just heaped herself in pile in seconds. We went out a few more times, but it was the same story and we both just sort of gave up.

And then the driest April on record arrived and we spent most of our time in the garden. For some reason Olive decided she'd try ride her bike on the grass. A few failed tries and she was bombing up and down over and over again.

Could she do it on the open road we wondered? Course. Now it's the stopping that's the problem.

I'm wondering where the week has gone...

2007-05-04T11:35:00.000+01:00

Last post was Sunday after a busy weekend and here we are again at another weekend, and looking equally as busy. I honestly don't know where time goes. Friday already, O'Riley.

So bank holiday weekend and it's off to Auntie Vicky's tomorrow because it's her birthday (Happy Birthday sis!), back over here for a party, possibly a beer festival for me (yah), then the big smoke calls on Sunday for an overnight stay at the brother's place with the children.

It does seem that we just pass him by when he's up this way and when I'm down that way I get to see him, but Olive and Lukey don't. So we've booked up, weeks in advance, and we're off.

I also got paid for a job this week, so promptly banked the cheque and bought another new toy. It would have been better spent admittedly on bills, but where's the fun in that I ask you? It arrived this morning - double screen DVD fun for the car (this one, cheap as chips if anyone else is interested, or we could rent it out when not in use!).

Thing is, we're wondering whether to roll it out for the London trip...

It will come in seriously handy, but not sure the nips deserve it just yet. Olive in particular has been especially defiant of late. She has to learn and it does look like she wants to do that learning the hard way, which makes us very sad.

If only she knew we had this little box of in-car TV heaven hidden under the bed... it must be tough being five.

Suits and birthdays

2007-04-29T20:01:00.000+01:00

We have had quite a weekend of it. Uncle Christopher is getting married in June so yesterday was suit fitting time for me, him and the boy. Lukey has never worn anything smart in little life (much like his dad, really), so it was a bit of shock to see him dressed like a man, only in miniature. I guess it was probably as much of a shock for him to see me dressed smart, like. He did look rather good though. And he found a hat which kept him entertained for some time.

Woke up this morning to an interesting sight. Caryn says she heard a dull thud in the night and thought it was one of the children falling out of bed. Couldn't find one on the floor so gave up and came back to bed.

We think, Watson, that it just fell over - the evidence? No rowdy noise before or after, no sign of any other damage on our street, no reports of silent wall knocking down gangs roaming the streets at night.

Next door reckon the previous owners rebuild that part of the wall which would explain its sudden falling over - arch DIY bodgers of the highest order... a tale for another time, or perhaps not.

Lastly, with my brother in town for the weekend, the whole family managed to make it out for Sunday lunch. Caryn (pictured, looking very lovely don't you think?) and my dad (he's not 65, no, no, no. Really he isn't. And he absolutely doesn't have a free bus pass. Nope.) had their birthday's last week so it was a good excuse.

For some reason, Sunday lunch seems to be the hardest meal to get right when eaten out (maybe we're just eating in the wrong places), but this was surprisingly good. Little pub just down the road - if anyone's planning on coming to Norfolk, let us know and we'll book a table. Good play bit outside for the kids too. Smashing.

All in all one of those weekends that you need another weekend to recover from. Gosh, is that the time. Bed?

Sunshine - flipping heck!

2007-04-26T12:38:00.001+01:00

So, the rare night out was a big success thanks for asking Rob. Sunshine was amazing - right from the opening sequence you know you're going to like it. It looks absolutely fantastic and we loved the deep spaceship rumble that seems to be the constant soundtrack. Don't wait for it to come to DVD, it won't be the same.

Best of all though, we turned down paying extra for the posh seats and sat in the blooming things anyway - and didn't get caught. I know how to treat my lady right don't I? £2.80 spent on pick and mix too.

Quack Quack

2007-04-25T16:53:00.000+01:00

Caryn's birthday today so we're off for a rare night out tonight at the pictures (think we're going to see Sunshine) with grandma kindly picking up the slack at Ebenezer Terrace.

She was at college all day (the wife, not grandma) so it was business as usual. Me and Luke popped out this morning to get some bread and feed the ducks with the old bread.

There's usually loads of ducks down by the river, but there was little sign today. Spring has really sprung though, we saw sheep and lambs, rats and baby rats (sure they're called something...) and we found this mum with her brood, we think there were 16 ducklings but it was quite hard to count.

Right then, off out now. Early showing as we might get dizzy if we're out when it gets dark.

900 years old is quite old

2007-04-22T20:47:00.000+01:00

This weekend saw some birthday celebrations for Wymondham Abbey which has 900 years on the clock this year. On Saturday they held a fete as only small market towns can and it looked like the whole of the town turned out.

Despite being in our third year of living here, I've never been into the Abbey, but it's quite a treat. Above is the alter screen, tester and rood which is quite breath-taking. It's a recent addition in the grand scheme of things, completed in 1934.

Quick history if anyone's interested... founded as a priory in 1107 by William D'Albini, Chief Butler to King Henry I, who insisted the resident Benedictine monks let it be used as the local parish church, but foolishly forgot to say who could use which bits. Caused a ding dong that got so bad it had to be resolved in 1249 by the Pope.

Fat lot of good that did, because 162 years later, King Henry IV stepped in and dispatched the Archbishop of Canterbury to knock some heads together. Which he did in 1411, or eleven minutes past two as we know it today.

The Grand Designs team visited in 15th century to see how Sir John Clifton, of Buckenham Castle (near Banham Zoo) would get on with his West Tower project and whether his budget would run to a hammer-beam roof in the Nave with exquisite angel carvings. It did.

It became an Abbey in 1448 and was doing okay until Henry VIII got into a spot swapping Catherine of Aragon for Anne Boley. In 1529 (I think), he set up his own religion (CofE), stuck two fingers up at the Pope, and got married again... but not before shutting down all the catholic churches.

Much of the Abbey was demolished during this period including large sections funded by the townsfolk. Wealthy local tradesman, Robert Kett, took exception to, among other things, the King's heavy-handedness and lead his famous (well, round these parts at least) rebellion against social change in 1549 only to find himself hanging by neck of Norwich Castle by four o'clock. Probably.

The next 450 years or so was pretty quite in comparison. How could they not be?

Luke, hopefully, learned a very valuable lesson today. He had a bag of sweets and was happily muching away on his own when his little pal Daphne wandered up, feigned friendship (much to the excitement of her mum who thought it was genuine show of affection), scored a sweet and cleared off. All of life's relationships in one innocent moment. I hope he was paying attention.