Goodbye Granny Heather

We are all very sad to have to post that my stepmother, Hannah's Granny Heather passed away on Tuesday.

Rest in peace Heather, God Bless you xxx

Fireworks At Gunwharf Quays

Last night we went to the annual fireworks display at Gunwharf Quays for Guy Fawkes Night (November 5).

It was really good as usual, and we managed to get a really good viewing spot right on the water!

Spinnaker Tower

Halloween

This year for Halloween we went to Queen Elizabeth Country Park for their Enchanted Woodland activity. There were fairytale crafts in the woodland room to begin with (Hannah made a Rapunzel puppet) , then a tractor and trailor ride up through the woods to the enchanted trail where the children followed a trail of pumpkins and toadstools to the Enchanted Tree. They were each given a ribbon to tie to the tree and make a wish on, before heading back to the woodland centre in the trailor for storytelling.

Hannah in the woods with Pumpkin the bear.

On the trailor with Daddy (and Pumpkin!)

On the trail

Making a wish!

After all that we went to Port Solent Marina to meet our friends and do the Port Solent Trick Or Treat Trail!

The children were given a list of clues to follow leading them around the restaurants where they had to perform a trick to receive a treat! It was really fun!!

Finally, (when it was too dark to take any more pictures) we went to my mum's house with Hannah's friends Lucy and Jack.My mum lives in a cul de sac which really makes a big deal of Halloween, all the houses and gardens are decorated and the children from all around the area have a really fun time trick or treating there.  Hannah, Lucy and Jack crept though spooky tunnels, broke through cobwebs, dodged gooey gloopy plasma trees and collected loads of treats!

We finished off with hot dogs at my mums house! 

Hannah said it was her best Halloween yet!!

Sunday Baking

Today Dean has had to work, so Hannah decided to bake him a welcome home cake this afternoon!

She did it all herself (under supervision) and did a really good job.

Mixing

Adding chocolate chips

Ready to bake

Waiting.......almost patiently!

It's ready!!

Time to decorate

She really wanted a heart on it!

Looks yummy!

Welcome home Daddy!!

It tastes great too !!

Milestones Museum - Basingstoke

On Thursday Dean had the day off, so we made the most of it and went to Milestones Museum. We took my mum with us and had a really nice day.

Hannah had never been before and was a little worried about the wax people, but she soon got used to them and had a lot of fun looking around.

Unfortunately I forgot my camera, so the pictures are bad (dark warehouses and Blackberries do not make for good pictures!) Still, I tried and I think you can get the general impression from what I got.

Dean bought Hannah some pre decimal Pennies to use in the arcade area.

Window shopping in the Co-op!!

Very different groceries in the Co-op of yesteryear.

'leaning on the lamp post at the corner of the street......'

We all bought a pennies worth of sweets from these ladies in accordance with the ration card we received when we arrived! 

All aboard!



Dean may have found a new career :-)

A rare picture of me on the blog!

Greengrocer

Some of us dressed up!

One of us looked adorable!

Riding the tram!

A Trip To Cowdray House

Yesterday we visited Cowdray House in Midhurst, West Sussex. The house. which is a ruin now, was one of England's most important early Tudor houses. The house was partially destroyed by fire in 1793 but before that it was visited by Queen Elizabeth I and King Henry VIII.

Approaching Cowdray House

A Grand Entrance

Hannah and I climbed to the top of the tower to wave to Dean down on the ground!

View of the rooms from the tower.

In the kitchen.

Exploring with daddy.

Dean explains the ruins to Hannah.

In the beer cellar!

If there is a puddle, Hannah is in it!

The majestic house and some of the artifacts found there.

If anyone would like to know more there is a website - http://www.cowdray.co.uk/historic-cowdray/ .