Dads First Sushi

I went home last weekend for a long weekend (it has taken me a while to get my photos transferred from my phone to computer due to technical issues). On Friday, after a trip to the dentists and taking my car for its MOT (happily we both passed with no problems), Dad and I got the train into Birmingham city centre.

The main purpose was for Dad to try his first sushi. (Mom won't but she was at work anyway.) So after some shopping and a look around the city centre which has changed a lot since I was last there, we headed to the Arcadian area and found selected one of the Japanese restaurants I have googled.

Dad very much liked the warm sake.

Cheers!

Pretty sake.

We ordered a sushi and sashimi boat which lots of different options (and some extra grilled eel as it's my favourite).

I also forgot it would be the first time he used chopsticks! But he got the hang of them really quickly, much quicker than I did the first 5 times I used them! 

Unsure....

... nope, he likes!

We enjoyed a lot of sushi and sat finishing the sake until they basically kicked us out. We went for a walk to walk it all off. The around around the Arcadian is lovely. 

Dad had heard of a new fad that he wanted to try, cheese tea. Unfortunately all the places google maps came up with sold cheese and tea but not cheese tea. (I did google this and it is a real thing.) We walked all over the city centre looking for it before giving up and settling for a boring coffee instead. We got back a bit late - Mom was wondering where we had gone. But it was really nice spending the day with Dad. And I think he'll be having sushi again (he's already trying to figure out hick of his friends he can introduce it to).

Go Ape!

During our reunion week in Birmingham, we went to Go Ape in Cannock
Chase. Before we went climbing (as we were supposed to be climbing over lunch), we went to Beckett's Farm near Birmingham for a breakfast. The most epic breakfast I have ever seen! This is supposed to be for 2 adults and 2 children. (There another 2 plates like mine you can't seen on the photo.) We definitely didn't need any lunch. Or dinner.

Epic Breakfast.

The area is beautiful and the weather was amazing. Go Ape is a tree top assault course. I love climbing but each time I do this, I find a new fear of heights! Though by the last section we were all swinging from the trees like experts with not a fear in the world. (Though I had a small accident near the end when I slipped from a platform and have some amazing huge bruises!)

Looking down from the first platform.

Clare in the barrels.

El in the barrels

Clare, climbing between trees

Zip wire disappearing into the distance

Clare and El (who does not look impressed)

Me and Clare

El and Matt (great face!)

El and I waiting on the next platform

El, me and Clare (before the highest section!)

Finished with our certificates! So proud!

When we got the end we were exhausted but it was great fun and we were all very proud we managed it. And with only a few bruises (except for me but I expected that: once a klutz, always a klutz!). Though we did rush home for showers. (At the end of the zip wires there is a bark pit where you land. And we all landed back first. Every time. The bark gets everywhere!)

Warwick Castle

On Wednesday, Matt, El, Clare and I went to Warwick Castle.

Warwick Castle

Stockades

By the time we got our tickets, we had missed the raising of the portcullis and the Arthur thing, and had to rush over to see the firing of the trebuchet. This is basically a huge slingshot, used to fire rocks and burning tar over the walls of the castles so that the walls themselves aren't damaged. It makes it easier to defend the castle after you have taken it (likely from the people you have just taken it from!). This trebuchet was 18m high and weight 22 tonnes. There are two human hamster wheels, one on each side, where "volunteers" walk and wind up a rope around the axis between the wheels. This pulls down an arm with a counterweight (about 5 tonnes) attached to the other end. When they release the rope (after securing the arm and unwinding rope or the result is very bad!), the counter weight falls and throws the rocks etc. They didn't have anything attached (not safe I guess)but it was cool nevertheless. And they used to do the whole thing in 6 mins. Impressive.

Trebuchet

While waiting for the trebuchet to launch, Matt and I went closer to the front near the river to get some better photos. And got chased by one of the biggest swans I have seen. No way was I messing with that!

evil swan

After lunch (16yrs working on for the summer so it took forever), we went to Merlin's dragon tower, which was rubbish. The technology used was good but just not thought out.

Matt, El and Clare outside Merlin's Tower

We also wondered around the state rooms, which were very impressive.

Swords in the State rooms

Henry VIII and some of his wives

Marie Antoinette's clock

They also had the Empty Chair exhibit on display. Each of the chairs is for the empty chair left in someone's home due to the death of a solider in the recent Iraq and Afghanistan war. As of the beginning of it's stay in Warwick, there are 416 chairs.

Empty Chairs exhibit

After cooling down indoors, we went up the towers and to the ramparts. The views were lovely, though the 520 steps... not so much. Though the views from the top of the towers were worth it.

Through the Archer's window

View across Warwick from one of the towers

From the Tower, across the court yard and State rooms

By the time we got down from the ramparts (and got some very nice mini pancakes), the weapons display with some huge swords and axes was just starting. In the 11th Century, a Christian could not kill another Christian with a sharp edged weapon. So they created the "Knobbler", a stick with a metal ball on the end (like a mace). Bashing someone's head in is fine, just don't stab them. The guys doing the display demonstrated the efficiency of the Knobbler with a cabbage. It makes a really big mess!

Showing off the Knobbler!

We had to get make to Brum early for a house survey and Clare had a hankering for a good Indian (not available in London). Birmingham and the Black Country still have the best!