There are many occasions when I wish I could put a smile on the faces of my children but I rarely succeed. Teenagers seem to turn drama and disapproval into an art form and even when they are no longer teenagers old habits die hard, so it is very unusual to see all three of them smiling at once.
Tonight was an exception, all three of them were helpless with laughter. I guess on balance I would rather have them laughing at me than sitting there looking miserable. The cause of the hilarity King Richard III, or to be more accurate it was a joke about him that led to the laughter. It was confirmed today that a body found buried beneath a car park in Leicester was Richard III the last Plantagenet king, and the last king of England to die in battle. Having warned me that it was in slightly bad taste my daughter shared a joke from Twitter 'What was Richard III doing in the car park - dogging'
My other daughter was crying with laughter at my reaction and she made this comment on Facebook
That awkward moment when your stepdad has to explain what dogging is to your mother.. 'You are joking arent you...? What are they, double jointed?!'
Oh well, it was nice to see them happy, and it led to a nice family evening, with everyone chatting and laughing. They helped me to choose a ringtone for my new phone, it is 'Me and Mrs Jones' - it was the obvious choice really!
We had decided to get up early and drive to the North Norfolk Railway on Wednesday, but even the prospect of trains didn't encourage Robbie to get a wriggle on. We set of quite a lot later than we planned, but as it was Cromer Carnival I hoped that people would be heading to Cromer rather than Weybourne. As it turned out everyone seemed to have shunned Cromer in favour of the railway and we couldn't park at Weybourne. We drove to Holt instead and we found a fairly convenient parking space, it had the added bonus of giving Robbie the chance to take countless photos of Holt Flyer, the old Routemaster bust that runs between the station and the town centre.
Holt station is nowhere near as nice as Weybourne, and the toilets are disappointing but Robbie likes Holt because it has fairground rides and a little museum, which gives Robbie the chance to take lots of photos. We made lots of trips between Holt, Weybourne and Sherringham and there was the inevitable and very long visit to the railway bookshop at Weybourne. I don't know where we are going to put all his new books and magazines when we get home!
We had taken a picnic lunch with is and we ate it in the sunshine at a picnic table at Holt Station. The forecast was for strong wind and torrential rain, but it did not materialise, there was a brief shower which only lasted two or three minutes in the early afternoon, then it was calm and sunny again until we were back at the bungalow and we had a sudden heavy shower which lasted for less than five minutes. We have been very lucky with the weather it has been dry and sunny every day and I don't think I have worn a jacket or cardigan for the whole fortnight.
I am lucky that I see foxes fairly frequently in the area where I live. We are in the town but there are allotments and parks close by and there have been foxes around here for as long as I can remember. I had never seen a fox near my work place until yesterday. It was daylight but as I pulled out of the car park and drove towards the road a young fox crossed in front of me. It had come from the the Starbucks drive-throu (without observing the one way signs) and when it had crossed in front of me it cut through some undergrowth. It then skirted behind a couple of my colleagues who were chatting near their cars without them even noticing it! I lost sight of it after that but it really cheered me up to see it. I know that they kill indiscriminately if they get into a hen house or the like, but I can't help thinking that they add something to our lives too.
Yesterday passed me by in a blur of agony. Clearly I insulted my flu bug by referring to it as 'just a cold' on the blog on Thursday, and it decided to show me exactly who was boss. By Thursday evening everything ached and my thermostat had gone mad, and by Friday morning I was ready to curl up and die. It is now Saturday evening, I am still feeling fragile and breathing is a bit of a challenge, but at least I can face the bright lights of the computer again. So rather than dwell on my aches and pains I will write about something completely different instead.
Last week Robbie took me to Birmingham for the evening. This may not sound very exciting but it is a big event for me because it involves passing through that God forsaken place known as New Street Station – I really hate it and I avoid it at all costs. Our journey started at Northampton Station, it is a while since I have been there and it will be a while before I go there again, the parking charge is a rip off! I hoped it would be a more pleasant experience than when it was in the hands of Silverlink. The best thing about the station was the hot chocolate from the coffee shop. The station staff seemed a little more cheerful and they has swapped the severe 'border guard' look of the Silverlink uniform for the 'slept in look' of what must be the most boring uniform ever. The station itself looks more unloved and shabby than ever, I'm not sure anyone could love a building that looks and feels like a farm shed, but I feel sad that this is the first impression that travellers get of my home town. Oh well, it could be worse, Coventry station takes 'grim' to a whole new level.
The journey to Birmingham was good, we travelled on a 350, it was surprisingly comfortable and it was a pleasant journey. I can't complain, but however perverse it sounds I miss the good old 321's and I miss the Silverlink livery that always reminded me of a Cadburys Dairy Milk wrapper. So there you are you have proof that Robbie is not the only weird one in our family when it comes to trains. All good things come to an end and all too soon I found myself in New Street Station. It didn't seem to have changed, there were the usual announcements about platform alterations and breathless and confused passengers with a demented look in their eyes sprinting from platform to platform in search of their trains. I know they have to announce platform changes, delays and assorted misery, but why do thy choose someone with such a grating voice that it sounds like nails being dragged over a blackboard?
We made our escape from the gloom of the station to the grim reality of the street. I never feel safe in Birmingham and I struggled to keep pace with Robbie, nothing would slow him down because he was heading in the direction of food. He took me to The Big Wok because he was sure I would like it – I didn't really, but to be fair I was probably coming down with the flu by then. Robbie made up for my lack of enthusiasm, in the interests of good taste I will not detail all that he ate but I can't resist mentioning the beef curry. I watched him polish it off incredibly fast, it looked as if he was melting like an ice cube in the sun, but he said he enjoyed it. I am sure that man would eat absolutely anything!
We enjoyed our evening out at the theatre, but afterwards we had to head back to the glories of New Street Station. The 'welcoming committee' defending the ticket barriers looked distinctly unapproachable and uninterested. Their uniform also had that 'slept in look' - obviously London Midland are a bit lacking in the imagination and style department! We had a while to wait for our train but I was happy enough on the platform watching the train dispatcher (he was rather nice) and having a good look at the 323 that was waiting to depart. The London Midland livery was hideous, the world should not have to endure that much green, but as soon as the engine started I cold tell that under all that war paint it was still the loveable, quirky 323. I love the way it sounds like a slot machine when it pulls away, you can hear it best from inside the train, but even from the platform there was no mistaking the sound.
Finally our Pendolino arrived and we were safely settled on board. For the first time that evening I felt safe, I'm not sure what it is about Virgin, but I love travelling on their trains. Unfortunately we had to abandon the Pendolino at Rugby in favour of a smelly old coach. Virgin failed to announce that passengers for Northampton needed to leave the train at Rugby, but at least they had a couple of friendly looking 'care bears' on the platform to point us in the right direction. Rugby Station looks like a bomb site, hopefully it will all come good in the end, but it is hard to imagine it happening in my lifetime! The coach journey was cramped, uncomfortable and scary, the driver threw it around as if his sole intention was to scare us to death. We arrived at Northampton safe but shell shocked, and I can honestly say I have never been so glad to see my car and to feel in control once more.
Double Trouble Tuesday 21st August 2007
It was cold last night but by morning it was warmer and calmer, not pleasant but tolerable. It was one of those damp grey days that refuse to brighten up, but it was good enough to go to Cromer. As usual we sat in the car for ages waiting for Robbie, his lateness really frustrates me, I can't imagine why it takes him so much longer than anyone else to get ready.
It was nice to have a look at Cromer again. Robbie wanted to look in Jarrolds, they sell books, very nice jigsaws, stationary and art and craft materials, in fact it is just the sort of shop that could tempt me to spend a fortune. I restrained myself and just bought a couple of Christmas presents after that we wandered through the side streets towards the restaurant that we like and we treated ourselves to a welcome lunch. Usually we would have wandered down to the sea front to have a look at the pier and enjoy the view, but we gave it a miss yesterday, fearing that we would probably blow away if we ventured down to the front. Anyway Robbie had another goal in mind - his favourite bookshop. As usual it didn't disappoint, Robbie was thrilled to find a book about Walsall's engine sheds, another about British Railway's Workshops and yet another called London Midland Then and Now. I was equally thrilled - because that lot would almost certainly guarantee me an evening of peace and quiet!! Cromer is quite a pleasant little town, but it is let down by three issues that impact significantly on visitors. The public toilets are grim, the car parks are not well designed or well signposted and road layout is dangerously chaotic and it appears to have been designed by a toddler or a lunatic!
We had a nice quiet evening, Robbie was happily reading his books and doing his second jigsaw, Sam watched something gruesome on DVD leaving me to get on with my writing and to enjoy the peace and quiet. Unfortunately the peace was short lived, as the evening went on Robbie and Sam managed to lower the town of the conversation until they were rolling around convulsed in laughter like little boys at primary school! I don't understand those two, one minute they are competing for my attention and arguing about the most ridiculous things, then all of a sudden they are allies, giggling at rather dubious jokes and encouraging each other in further wickedness. I guess it is true, little boys never really grow up!
Double Trouble Tuesday 21st August 2007
It was cold last night but by morning it was warmer and calmer, not pleasant but tolerable. It was one of those damp grey days that refuse to brighten up, but it was good enough to go to Cromer. As usual we sat in the car for ages waiting for Robbie, his lateness really frustrates me, I can't imagine why it takes him so much longer than anyone else to get ready.
It was nice to have a look at Cromer again. Robbie wanted to look in Jarrolds, they sell books, very nice jigsaws, stationary and art and craft materials, in fact it is just the sort of shop that could tempt me to spend a fortune. I restrained myself and just bought a couple of Christmas presents after that we wandered through the side streets towards the restaurant that we like and we treated ourselves to a welcome lunch. Usually we would have wandered down to the sea front to have a look at the pier and enjoy the view, but we gave it a miss yesterday, fearing that we would probably blow away if we ventured down to the front. Anyway Robbie had another goal in mind - his favourite book shop. As usual it didn't disappoint, Robbie was thrilled to find a book about Walsall's engine sheds, another about British Railway's Workshops and yet another called London Midland Then and Now. I was equally thrilled - because that lot would almost certainly guarantee me an evening of peace and quiet!! Cromer is quite a pleasant little town, but it is let down by three issues that impact significantly on visitors. The public toilets are grim, the car parks are not well designed or well signposted and road layout is dangerously chaotic and it appears to have been designed by a toddler or a lunatic!
We had a nice quiet evening, Robbie was happily reading his books and doing his second jigsaw, Sam watched something gruesome on DVD leaving me to get on with my writing and to enjoy the peace and quiet. Unfortunately the peace was short lived, as the evening went on Robbie and Sam managed to lower the town of the conversation until they were rolling around convulsed in laughter like little boys at primary school! I don't understand those two, one minute they are competing for my attention and arguing about the most ridiculous things, then all of a sudden they are allies, giggling at rather dubious jokes and encouraging each other in further wickedness. I guess it is true, little boys never really grow up!
