If You Go Down To The Woods Today ...

...well, last week actually. I had a busy week last week, so only just getting this post up now. I took Lily and Arthur to Woodland Bugs: an outdoor playgroup in the woods. It took place at  Three Corner Copse in Hove, the existence of which I had been completely unaware of until now. The group, which is run by a qualified teacher, consisted of a small group of mum's and their young children. It was great to see the kids having proper old-fashioned outdoor fun.

First off we all built a den from branches and sticks found in the wood, then there was a bug treasure hunt plus a story and singing session followed by various woodland craft activities. 

Lily soon got to work using foraged pieces of wood, bark and leaves to make her 'bug hotel'. The coloured decorative features are those foam packaging pieces that stick with water. She proudly bought the hotel home with her and it now sits in our courtyard and is home to Honey, Bernie, Tigger and Violet the family of woodlice that she has decided to adopt this last week. 

The Boy Who Wanted To Ride On A Pig

Last week Arthur and I spent the morning at Blackberry Farm. It was an organised trip with his pre-school; the first he'd ever been on. I asked him prior to arriving at the farm what he'd like to do when we got there: as well as animals the farm has a brilliant outdoor play area. His answer was that he firstly wanted to eat his packed lunch (it was only 10am) and secondly that he would like to ride on a pig.

He graciously excepted that he couldn't, on this occasion, ride on a pig and happily settled on riding a rather sweet pony. In fact he worked his way round all the animals; feeding goats, holding guinea pigs and mice and befriending the farmyard cats. Then he focused his energy on making the most of the play area with its huge slides, trampolines and adventure playground.

You see that brightly-coloured dome-like structure? Well that was called 'the giant pillow' ... and the best thing about it? Grown-ups were allowed to bounce on it too!

And The Snow Fell (But Not Down Our Street)

The weathermen had been warning us that snow was coming our way and it has been bitterly cold enough to expect it. Today was to be the day the country would wake up to snow. So when I woke this morning and drew back the curtains ready to be greeted by a thick white blanket that would cover our street, I was momentarily disappointed. Nothing. 

Well, not to worry; snow has a habit of hanging around and causing nothing but problems anyway. So we decided to head out in the car to do a bit of retail research for our forthcoming building / decorating project. 

Just a few blocks down the road we began to see cars carrying thick snow on their bonnets. Must be snow nearby somewhere then. By the time we had driven just four minutes from our home we saw it. Snow covering the ground. A further four minutes on and the parks and gardens were all white. How on earth had the snow missed our street? We abandoned our trip and drove home to change into suitable snow garments and headed back out to Stanmer Park in Brighton, barely a 15 minute drive from home. There the kids threw snowballs and made a snowman. We had a bit of 'winter' and then drove home to the street with no snow for bread and soup.

Robots

We're lucky enough to have Hove Museum & Art Gallery just a few minutes walk from our house. Every time I visit, I say I must go more often. The other week Arthur and I had the most lovely morning there. The museum hadn't long been open for the day when we arrived so it was quite empty. Empty museums are great when you're with a toddler. 

Our first stop was the tearoom for toasted teacakes with butter. You can't not. Then we wandered around the galleries. The current exhibition that we saw was just perfect. It was all about robots. If I'm honest, I can take or leave a robot: not really my thing. But this exhibition was just lovely. I saw it through a little boys eyes and now I think robots are fantastic! A vast range of robots and space toys from the collection of Sussex artist and illustrator Chris MacEwan make up this exhibition. There is a definite retro feel about many of the designs and on mass they just look something really special. Arthur really enjoyed it, and the morning didn't cost me a penny (other than the teacakes). The exhibition is on until February, so if you find yourself in this neck of the woods with time on your hands it's worth taking a look at, even if you think robots aren't your thing.

An Autumn Weekend

It looks like autumn is well and truly here. Only the weekend before the one just gone we were sitting on a sunny beach; just over a week on and it's coats, scarves and a craving for porridge in the mornings. I love autumn; crisp days, the scent of bonfires in the air, a new wave of seasonal foods from soups and stews to proper puddings with custard, winter clothes (so much more forgiving to wear), log fires, Sunday roasts and the excitement that Christmas is not so far away.

This weekend we firmly marked autumn's arrival by 'putting the central heating on'. It's a big thing in our house, flicking that switch. House rules state that the central heating can be turned on no earlier than October 1st and must be off by April 1st. Modern climate change has yet to be taken into account with this rule. This is David's rule, of course not mine. Growing up, my dad had a similar one; must be some kind of 'man' thing about not wanting to 'give in too early' to the heating.

The first thing David said to me in my slumber on Friday wasn't 'good morning my love, did you sleep soundly / can I get you a cuppa?', no it was 'the central heating has come on!' His voice had an element of panic to it. If the house gets cold enough, below a certain temperature, the central heating will automatically click on. Good old central heating. I stuck my leg out from under the duvet and touched the radiator with my toes; it was only tepid, but on all the same which made me smile. I love central heating you see. I was in for further delight when I took my morning shower. The towel on the radiator was warm and toasty. Simple stuff but it made me happy. So without too much reluctance it was officially turned on at the weekend. Toasty days are ahead.
 

On Sunday we went with the kids for walk in Hove Park. It looked really stunning in all its autumn glory. I've attached some of the pictures I took to this post. Don't you think the trees look beautiful? All in all our first proper autumn weekend.

The Weekend

With David currently working some crazy hours in the run up to this week's London Design Festival and Tent London, our weekend was a chance to normalize for 48 hours, steeping away from the busy weekday routine.

Saturday morning started with a cake order for a birthday party that was happening that afternoon for  the mother of a friend; the results of which you can see below. Then, in the afternoon, we took Lily to a birthday party. It wasn't your average party with a kids entertainer and pass-the-parcel. No, this was a horse riding party. Along with a dozen of her new school friends we went to Three Grey's Riding School. Lily had never ridden a horse before, but despite being a little nervous at the initial prospect she enjoyed every minute of it. After a half-hour lesson they went on a half-hour ride on the South Downs. What an experience; it's certainly a party to remember. Somehow, I don't think my homemade party hats and bags are gonna cut it next year.

Most of Sunday was spent down the allotment. The sky threaten rain all day, but it stayed dry. There was certainly a nip in the air too. There is, as ever, a lot of work to be done on the plot. Summer crops are fading and spent sunflowers are skew-whiff from the recent wind. I cleared some ground and planted out a couple of rows of kale and some spinach. I left feeling that Autumn was lurking just around the corner.

A Good Day Out

We first visited the Eden Project while holidaying in Cornwall three years ago and we were very impressed. So last week we considered it just plain foolish not to revisit as it was so near to where we were based. Second time around, I expected a certain amount of 'been there, seen that'. But no, it was anything but. I was even more impressed as a returning visitor. Maybe the place has developed somewhat or maybe it's having two kids in tow this time, but it was just the best day out.

Usually I find that purpose built 'tourist attractions' fail to grab me. The Eden Project is so incredibly thought out. It works. For me the gardens (especially the allotment) are so inspiring; I certainly bought a few ideas home with me. I learnt a lot to which isn't a bad thing. The design of the place is well considered for children. There is so much fun laid on for them through which they learn. When navigating around the gardens, children can opt to leave the path and take the willow tunnels - so much more fun! The Biomes are spectacular structures that allow you to explore the Rainforest and the Mediterranean. A hit with Lily armed with her own guide book.

This summer we were there for the 'Festival of Play'. Lily and Arthur had a go at the Circus Skills workshop. Lily is an impressive sight with a hoola-hoop, but Arthur's plate spinning still needs some practice. Then there was the den building project where families were invited to use the poles, frames, fabrics and blankets provided to make a 'proper' den. There were some pretty impressive structures going up with competitive dad's taking the lead. Ours was built in the chaotic panic one enters when the kids are tired and you're trying to reignite their interest. Needless to say we have no photographic evidence as we were too ashamed to capture the result.

The food was another point worth noting. It was really good. We ate in the Eden Bakery. It's a canteen style set up where you help yourself to what takes your fancy. We had mid-morning coffee and pastries and went back for lunch. The choice was generous and healthy; pizza and salad, big bowls of salad, savoury tarts and thick vegetable soups all with tasty bread baked on the premises. We're glad we didn't pack a picnic that day. 

A Tune for Tuesday No.9 / A Day Out at Vintage 2011

At the weekend I had a very rare day out. On my own. No kids. I took myself off to Vintage 2011 at the Southbank Centre. As any regular readers of this blog might know I love a bit of nostalgia, so this was right up my street so to speak.

The 'festival' as it is labeled, celebrated all things vintage; music, fashion, film, art, design and cultural lineages, from the 1920s to the 1980s. The 21 acre Southbank site was transformed into a Vintage wonderland. On entry you freely roamed the vast building's six levels to take in the era that took your fancy; from the 1940's Torch Club with its tea dances to the Studio 54 disco out on the vast balcony. I've illustrated this post with some of the snaps I took whilst there.

I got there quite early and wasn't meeting up with anyone until later in the evening and after a couple of hours of wandering from era to era, I felt the need to rest my weary feet. I headed up to the sixth floor to the Classic Album Living Room. Throughout the day various classic albums from each decade were played. They were played using the best state-of-the-art British audio equipment. Comfy armchairs were provided, the bar was near by and the huge windows framed a fantastic view of the Thames, Big Ben and all. The idea of this communal listening experience was to listen to the album from beginning to end. Phones were turned to silent and talking forbidden. In the modern world of downloading music the art of album listening is dying. I went along to the album that was chosen to represent the 70's for that day. It was Led Zeppelin: IV. 

It was so enjoyable. It felt right and respectful to sit and listen to an album in that way and was rather nice to sit silently in a room listening along with like-minded people. It's a favourite album of mine; the songs take me back to listening to it as a child with my dad. I knew it was special back then and love it as much if not more now. So, with this all still fresh in me, I am taking my favourite song from that album as my Tune for Tuesday this week. Enjoy.