A Hall with Friends

July 16, 2019 in Days out with James

So a bit of a belated post today. At the start of May we went on an adventure to East Riddlesden Hall, a National Trust property near Keighley. We had chosen what looked to be a lovely day to go and the weather certainly held up as we drove across. We arrived a little before our friends so we did a little bit of exploring and James hit the play park. Even Lyns was having a play before anyone else arrived. It was not long before Dominique and Gav arrived and chaos ensued in the play park. Even little Elliot was zooming down the slide.

A Family Weekend

July 15, 2019 in Days out with James

All the stars had aligned for this weekend and Lyns had managed to get the full weekend off, what a rare treat. I had taken it upon myself to arrange a few surprises, not letting Lyns and James know until the last minute.

A Tiny Adventure

July 15, 2019 in Other

Highlight was the moment I step onto a clear bit of ground and put my foot about six inches away from an adder. Luckily the snake shoot off, not without leaving me some what shocked. Once it had disappeared I launched myself to the nearest bit of clear ground and stood there adrenaline pumping. I realised that I was surrounded my a sea of tall grass to wade through to get out. Definitely a man up and get on with it moment!

Stillingfleet Wildlife Day

June 23, 2019 in Days out with James

With the weather being as lovely as it has been, today was certainly a day for spending out in the sunshine. One quick google later to see what was going on near us and we headed out to the RHS gardens in Stillingfleet for their wildlife day. Here they had loads of stalls on, teaching about bumblebees, spiders, bats and so on. There was even one on composting.

A Wee Trip into Town

June 18, 2019 in Life

For a last day treat, we all headed into York for breakfast at Brew and Brownie, followed by a walk around town. James was in nursery so it was an adults treat. The breakfast was a great start to the day, everyone had pancakes, except me who had a sausage and bacon sandwich. If you have not been before, be warned, it is pricey, but very nice.

All the Fun of the Fair

June 18, 2019 in Days out with James

We loaded up and got there for about 10:30 and headed into the park. James was super excited to see all the rides, especially as there are loads that he could do to. Lauren and Thomas had stopped to pick up breakfast so whilst we waited for them, we headed onto the first ride.

Waterfalls and Hills

June 16, 2019 in Days out with James

This weekend has seen Lyns’ not so little sister Lauren and her boyfriend Thomas come to visit us for a few days. We decided to head over to the Yorkshire Dales for the day to make the most of, what looked like it could be, good weather. We were worried driving over as the rain came down but, as it turned out, there was no rain for us!

A Day on the Farm

June 04, 2019 in Days out with James

We got there relatively early but yet the car park was already full. That had to be a good sign. We entered the Farm and there is loads to do. Of course though, the play park and a sand pit took priority and James made a beeline for them. No problem, meant I could sit down and relax in the sun whilst he played. Now.... how to stop myself falling asleep?

Nursery Funday and a Party

May 21, 2019 in Days out with James

James started off with the animals. He even stroked the cow which was lovely to see. After that, we went to see the reptiles and the spider. James was full of tales from when we went to the conservation centre at Askham Bryan. Much to Lyns’ delight, James enlightened her with all sorts of stories that put her mind at rest whilst staring into the eyes of a python.

Back to the Priory

May 16, 2019 in Days out with James

We all headed out to get there just after opening time, but we arrived a little while before the others. Turns out Gav’s in built sat nav was not quite as effective as the electronic version! Not that it mattered at all as it meant Lyns got to partake in one of her favourite past times, drinking tea.

An Easter Mini Break

May 05, 2019 in Holiday

I had taken a week off work to use up some holiday from last year before I lost it so, as Lyns also had a few days off in her shift pattern, we decided to head up to Durham for a mini break. We had always wanted to visit the city, and as neither of us had ever been, we decided to go. It also meant that we could use our tickets to visit Beamish again.

Fifty Years and Still Going Strong

April 24, 2019 in Days out with James

By the Saturday, the glorious weather from the week before had blown away and we were met with a wall of fog blowing in from the sea. I started the day with a ten mile run, running along the cliff top path to the next bay, Runswick Bay. It was a bitterly cold run but worth while as it was very scenic. Once I had got back and showered we headed off to Whitby.

Find the Treasure

April 12, 2019 in Days out with James

After we had had a cup of coffee and our lunch, we explored the play area. It was massive with so many different things for the little man to play on. He was in his element. It culminated in a zip line which he loved, all apart though from dragging it back to the start, this was Daddy’s job.

A Stroll Before Work

March 14, 2019 in Other

With the weather looking good I decided to take my camera and go out for a walk with it before I went into work. For anyone that says Hull is not a nice city, they are wrong as there are some very picturesque parts.

Trains and Chocolate Cake

March 10, 2019 in Days out with James

Today was the first day in a while that we were all at home as a family as Lyns was not working, however, she was also poorly so stayed at home. I had a few ideas of what to do but the weather conspired against me, so James and I headed to the Railway Museum and then on into town for a bite of lunch.

James finds the railway museum really interesting, primarily though, I think this is due to the sheer amount of buttons there are to press. He ran around more interested in the buttons than the actual trains.

We had a first today. James has been becoming more interested in the photos that I take and today saw him running up to various things, posing and then demanding that I take a photo. Afterwards he has looked at them on the camera and then given me ‘helpful’ hints to make the photos better. What a little star.

Other than the buttons, there were two parts that James really enjoyed today. The first was the bullet train. He got a row of seats to himself and proceeded to make himself comfortable. Ten minutes he sat there pretending he was on a train, he had his tickets inspected as well as enjoyed a tasty treat from the trolly. What an imagination.

The other area that he enjoyed was the model railway. He ran up and down following the various trains and when he saw a new one, his little face lit up. His only disappointment was that we could not get any more out of the cabinets and put them on the tracks.

After the Railway Museum, it was off into town for lunch. We walked past a bar called Joe’s Kitchen and James demanded to go in as he was hungry. As it turned out, it was a good choice. The food was very nice and there were a host of toys for James to play with. He kept disappearing to the shelves and swapping the toys over. We played with all sorts. The only failure was that the matching game only had about three complete pairs which took us about ten minutes of frustration to realise. Next time I’ll check before I lay them all out.

After we had finished lunch, we had a quick wander then headed back home. Before we got home, James wanted to go to the toy shop to spend his birthday money. With that spent, we headed home to see how mummy was feeling.

Fun in York

March 07, 2019 in Days out with James

This weekend saw James and I have a day to ourselves. We got up early and headed into York for a boys day out. We had lots planned but first of all we jumped off the bus and headed to the Yorkshire Museum. James was on top form and made sure we went into every room. When we missed one, he would point it out and off he would go. He loves the dinosaurs in there but most of all he loves the skeletons. He is truly fascinated by them.

After we had spent a good hour in the museum, James decided we wanted to go and play in the ruins of the abbey. He loves climbing on the ruins, even more though, he loves jumping off the top of them. If I was lucky I got a bit or warning, if not James just threw himself off, trusting I would catch him. Never have I moved so quickly as he began climbing higher and higher!

After we had walked through the Museum Gardens we grabbed a bite of lunch. We popped into Lucia’s, James choice as apparently mummy and granny take him there, and James enjoyed some fish fingers and chips. All in all a nice meal.

After lunch I asked James what he would like to do. He announced he would like to go to the big church so off to the Minster we headed.

James could not get over how high the ceilings were. He kept staring up in amazement. I promised him that when he was bigger we would climb to the top of the tower. He was really excited by this.

After the Minster, it was time to grab a little food and head home. Apart from a rogue ten minutes where he was naughty, I had to drag him round M&S, he was a star all day. Interested in everything. We got home about six hours after we headed out and settled down to a hot chocolate and some TV. Could not have asked for a nicer and more relaxing day with my little man.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park

March 02, 2019 in Days out with James

With it being half term there was no swimming so James and I were off to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park with some friends. We were up at 7am and James was raring to go. We packed a small lunch box and jumped into the car getting to the park shortly before it opened. Luckily they were letting people in early, so James and I heading in for a little look round before our friends arrived.

First we went and saw the lions as James had heard them roaring and wanted to see what was making all the noise. The lions were sat on the bank right by the path so James had a really good look, such magnificent animals. After this we went for a stroll round the baboons. Even the local wildlife had turned up to put on a show.

Aftr the lions and baboons it was off to the polar bears. There was no movement here as all the polar bears were lying out, catching some rays. What a lifestyle. After that, it was onto my personal stars of the show, the tigers. Such amazing creatures and I cannot get over their size.

By the time we had finished with the tigers we had two hangry little monsters on our hands so it was most certainly time for lunch. We had a fantastic spread and the weather was perfect for a picnic. The two children had loads of fun running round as well, burning off some energy. After that we were off to the play park. Travel fifty miles and their favourite part of the day is the play park, fancy that.

A quick trip to South America followed after the park and then onto the leopard enclosure. I have been several times now and this was the first time I had seen the leopard close up. Truly beautiful. It was roaming around the enclosure, right up to the glass. Much to the kids delight, we then managed to find another play park. It’s as if the kids can sniff them out.

By now it was starting to get a little cold so we headed out of the park to have a coffee. After one last look at the lions in our way out, we found ourselves in a coffee shop. Drinks all round and biscuits for the kids was just what the doctor ordered. After this though it was time to go home.

We had been in the park for six hours and the time had absolutely flown by. The little man was exhausted and he was asleep by the time the car had left the Wildlife Park, I think that is the sign of a good day.

Roundhay in the Sun

February 23, 2019 in Days out with James

Wow, what a stunningly beautiful day. Apart from a slightly chilly and misty start to the day, the weather has been better than would be expected later in the year, luckily James and I had plans to make the most of it. Matt and Cat were coming up to Leeds for the weekend for Matt’s birthday and we were off to have a picnic in Roundhay Park. To make the most of the day, James and I got up early and went to Tropical World in the morning as we were not meeting up until lunchtime. Tropical World is ok and James enjoyed it, however, it is not the kind of place you would want to go to on a regular basis. We went round twice in about an hour and a half and James absolutely loved the bats. Fortune had it that we arrived as the bats were being fed and it was amazing to see the all gobbling down their breakfast.

Habitual coffee (me) and milk (James) break in the cafe

After Tropical World we had about half an hour or so to kill so we headed to the Secret Garden for a wander round. This is a lovely self contained garden with several different areas. Very relaxing and James and I had a good look round. James even sat quietly on the bench and took it all in. A very peaceful interlude.

Ok ok - not all so peaceful as James aired his vocal talents

Imitation lock gate that had James puzzled.

“Why is there no water making the wheel turn daddy?”

The moment before the little man tried to reach the centre of the pool, resulting in me throwing myself across to prevent a splash

At this point Matt called so James and I headed off to find everyone. Unfortunately James was getting a little hangry by this point and it took us quite a while to walk the hundred metres of so back out of the garden towards the park. This resulted in everyone else having to walk more or less all the way to us. We settled down to lunch which Matt and Cat had brought and it was a fab spread, I even got a goody bag to go home with! After lunch, it was time to play.

Rik had brought his circus skills set with him which everyone loved playing with

Cheerleader keeping score on the sidelines

He shoots, he almost scores! Unlike Cat, who nailed two out of two.

After the football had been concluded, the most epic game of hide a seek started. There was round after round of it. The kids were all expert hiders, partly as they are so small. However, James was so excited he could not keep hidden and kept running out to see where the person seeking was.

Count to twenty (missing out most of the numbers between ten and twenty)

After three hours of solid running around, it was time to head off. I had one very tired little boy who lasted only one song of Frozen in the car before he was fast asleep. It had been such a lovely day, the weather was fantastic and it was good to catch up with everyone!

Yet Another Milestone

February 11, 2019 in Days out with James

After countless times being asked how many sleeps until his birthday, James has turned four. To celebrate, we had a small gathering and a few friends over on the weekend. Our friends Lydia and Nige had come over on the Saturday eve so it was lovely for James to have someone to open his presents with.

The boys were in good form all morning and all the parents even managed to fit a run in before we headed out for a walk in the woods, which is what James had decided he would like to do.

James loving the book that turned into a fire engine!

After we had all showered after our runs and had some breakfast we headed out to Moorlands. We go here a lot as James really loves it. Here we met up with some more of James’ friends and they ran around and had a wail of a time.

We headed to the area with the tree house in it as it has a bit more of an open area for the kids to run around in and let off some steam. At one point, Gav decided that he could take on the children in a stick fight. Lord of the Flies ensued and Gav was left pummelled and bleeding on the floor, ok slight exaggeration, however he was not far off it.

After letting off steam we headed back to have some lunch and cake. James had chosen an Iron Man cake as he is his favourite super hero.

The little man had a fantastic day and was truest spoilt rotten. Thank you everyone for coming and also thank you for all those who got him a present, he was truly overwhelmed.

Party of Heroes

February 10, 2019 in Days out with James

Today saw us off to Ralph’s Superhero themed birthday party, with special guests in the form of Batman, Superwoman and Belle. There must have been 100 children there! Ok ok so maybe like 20 but it certainly seemed like 100. Luckily Wonder Woman has super powers otherwise she would not have kept up. Apparently Heather chose Batman and Wonder Woman, however, we all know that Dan must have had some say in it!

We arrived about an hour late, but there was still lots of fun to have, with dancing and games to be had. James took until almost the end to warm up and join in but he got there eventually.