Canoeing the Severn

I haven't updated this for a while as my computer had to be sent back to apple to be prepared. So this is from a while back (And apologises for the formatting - blogspot has changed and is being a pain.)

A few weeks after leaving London dad and I went to Bridgnorth and spent the day canoeing down to Arley. It was one of these 31 degree days so nice to be chilling on the river but the few bits I did leave exposed did burn despite lots of sunscreen.

We paddled/drifted for a few hours - more drifting than paddling to be honest - before we stopped for lunch, which was further away than we expected. Dad was more than ready for a break.

Eventually we found the waving man who indicated a good place to spot. Normally there is a pub to stop at for lunch but this was pre-pub reopening so we had a packed lunch. But so we didn't feel like we were missing out we took some G&Ts. Mom had packed the lunch and had popped them in the freezer. And they were still frozen. 

Luckily they dethawed pretty feel in the sun after 10 mins.

 The only issue we had was we had booked a taxi from Arley at 3 thinking that was plenty of time. But we did more drifting than paddling. So when we got a call from the taxi driver, we were still quite a way the end point so had to paddle rather more vigorously than we had been so far. I hurt for a few days after that.

Back home

Lockdown has made this year so far very long and very boring. I haven't done a lot at all except stare at my 4 walls of my apartment. Thankfully lockdown eased just in time and I could leave London. At the beginning of lockdown I got a new job which I start mid-July in Edinburgh. So I have packed up and left London. I was hoping to go on holiday but I am instead spending a few weeks chilling at home. 

One of the first thing s I had to do when I got back was to help my sister put her dreadlocks back in. I think I did a pretty good job considering this is not exactly my area of expertise. 

Mainly I have been enjoying the weather, sitting outside (amazing after being pretty much stuck inside for 3+ months) and taking walks. We went to feed the ducks down Buckpool and found some babies. 

Hopefully I can start updating this a little more often as I am hoping to have some more interesting things to do than stare at a wall!

Visit to Preston

The first weekend in January I went up to Preston before heading back to London. We spent the Saturday in Lytham St. Annes at the pier and amusements before meeting Tricia for a coffee. We popped into the lifeboat station and got to see the boat.

Joseph with the list of call outs.

Speed boat kid.

Lytham life boat.

He's going to be a racer.

ready ... 

...Go! kids version of Crystal maze.

We did really well in the arcade and got lots of tickets to add to their growing collection.
Back at Katherines Joseph got stuck into his Christmas present and they both made some wonderful creations.

Sammy the stegasaurous.

Rex the T-Rex. 

Pleased. 

And a sea monster.

On the Sunday before heading home we went out for lunch.

Chestnuts and mulled wine

We did manage to have some fun over Christmas and New Year (I know I am really behind in updating this). By New Years Eve mom and dad were feeling a bit better so we enjoyed our meal and a sparkling wine comparison.

I love roasted chestnuts but last year and this year we shouldn't find any so decided to make them ourselves. You can just roast them int he oven but where is the fun in that? Dad had an old washing machine drum which has been converted to a fire barrel and he made a grill out of car engine oil dip sticks. (It worked fine until the plastic ends melted off onto the grass.)

Grill

 We had a little trouble get it to light. Who knew Christmas paper was not flammable? So dad decided to help it along. With I believe it was a bottle of break fluid something. Anyway very flammable.

Considering 

Having fun

A little too much

 It was all going well until he squirted it in for a little too long and the fire travelled up the stream to the mouth of the bottle. This happened 3 times. Luckily each time we managed to put it out before it got into the bottle of highly flammable liquid and create us a Molotov cocktail. Though we did set the lawn on fire each time while putting it out. Mom didn't care. It just burnt the mss anyway.
We got a good fire going.

And mom made some great mulled wine while dad and I were causing chaos in the back garden.

Chestnuts on.

Note the burnt plastic the floor.

Enjoying our efforts.

Kinver edge

A few pics from a walk over Kinver edge