Gosh i am feeling virtuous after all these days out AND all this blogging. Going to blog this one quickly though as i want to do something more important afterwards – plus, with September looming, i have an unaccountable urge to orgo-plan. Haven’t felt the need to do that for ages, but think it is probably because now the business is off my hands, i’ve got time to do so

So, today we trooped off to Audley End, once i’d got myself out of bed for the second time, having had an overwhelming urge for more sleep after breakfast. We drove there a slightly long way round but had a trip through several Essex villages which i’d never been to but which immediately awoke odd senses of familiarity in me, presumably because they were similar to places i used to go through as a very little girl when i lived there. It was quite an odd feeling, almost a type of deja vu and a bit uncanny. Was quite glad when our circular route (it wasn’t me driving for a change!) took us back to more familiar Herts/Cambs land. Did like it though – sure when i was little it was always late summer and sunny.

Audley End itself is clearly beautiful with loads to see and discover, but today it was in full English Heritage EVENT mode, which i have to say i think they do very well. So we stuck mostly to that side of it and resolved to go back there very soon and do all the rest.

Audley End was Station 43 during the war and trained the Polish division of the SOE (Special Operations Executive). The entire day was themed around what went on there and at similar places around the country. Thought it very funny that the SOE was also known as “Stately ‘Omes of England” due to their tendency to commandeer large country houses as training centres

The day started for us with a fashion show (again!) of the types of clothing worn by German Soldiers, important info for agents, who needed to be able to recognise them.

Amelie was enthralled

Fran and Maddy had a go at some agent training.

Maddy got very into it.

This chap deserved a medal for chasing every single child around the course for about 5 hours in boiling hot sun Bravo sir!

He took it very seriously…

… unlike Fran who couldn’t stop laughing. And her war roar was rubbish!

There was an SOE operation mock up battle which was excellent but i didn’t take photos as Josie spent most of it like this

and required my arms and hands as back up

Now here is something i didn’t know. The Germans had a clever camouflage poncho, like the one this man is wearing

which could button up in several ways depending on what you were doing but if put together with the ponchos of 3 other soldiers, could be made into a tent. Clever.

The Americans had a similar thing (and Eastern Germany, Finland and Russia continued to use similar to the German one into the 70′s) but the American version was just 2 pieces (not sure if also a poncho) and you buttoned it with a friends to become a small tent, not unlike one of these, though i think perhaps smaller (?)

The Americans were known to complain they were far too small, so small that you couldn’t even let a ‘sleeping dog lie’ in one and so they became known as ‘pup tents’ – and still are. Fancy!

We had a good tootle about, looked at some stuff and talked about some things, such as why kit like this

is no longer in use and watched and listen to some other talks.

One highlight was the in character talk given by this lady, explaining how recruiting into the SOE F Division happened and what the training was like.

We liked, Fran was very interested and i was fairly sure i recognised quite a bit of it as coming from an excellent book that is one of my complete favourites, Light of the Moon. (I really wish Elizabeth Buchan would go back to writing historical literature – all three were wonderful and her chick lit doesn’t come close imho).

We took a break and went off to the organic kitchen gardens, as Josie was not really enjoying the pyrotechnics and shooting.

The tiny bits of the house looked lovely, even the toilet courtyard…

and we’ll definitely go back to do the “below stairs” exhibition.

Had an ice-cream and Josie and Amelie played ‘baby doom’

and then we watched 4 parachutes land spectacularly and then headed home.

Fab day

I love Rockingham Castle and the only reason we don’t go more is that, it being a private home, it is neither part of EH or the NT. Sure i saw a yearly membership thing a while back, i ought to investigate, because they do a lot of “event days” and they do seem to be excellent. In fact, one of the nicest things about today was that the residents were out on the lawn playing tennis and pointed us in the direction of a couple of trail clues – it is easy to want to support someone opening their home when they are friendly and approachable about it

We started the day with a treasure hunt around the gardens.

Then after a quick lunch we sat down to enjoy the Saxon and Vikings.

This started with a “fashion show” which explained dress and class during the late 900′s

The most scary Viking of the day slightly blew his cover by playing with the baby!

Maddy was an excellent heckler.

Through the day, following a mock (not all that mock!) battle, there were a series of acted scenarios which told the story of King Edward and the succession of Ethelred the Unready (properly translated as Il Advised).

Later the girls had a go at writing with a quill.

We chatted to one lady about carving spoons (witches live in Elder, ask before you cut wood and if she answers, run even if she says yes!) and listened to the surgeon for a while, watched some archery and chatted to a lady for quite a while about her weaving disc.

Ethelred was crowned and Fran surprised me again with an alternative story about it gleaned from reading i hardly knew she had done.

Maddy and Amelie meanwhile fell over themselves to tell us what they knew about the Celts, Angles, Saxons, Vikings and Normans, again from having taken the time to watch Horrible Histories and use the BBC website. I love self motivated kids.

We fitted in a quick trip round the castle and i was REALLY impressed that the 3 girls i took before had remembered everything in the 4 particular pics in the Long Gallery they had been shown on a previous guided tour. We found all the ghosties and footless animals and Fran told Maddy all about why boys used to be dressed like girls. Lots of stuff popped up through that.

Then we had a trip round the Wild Garden; Josie loved this and very much led the way, showing again that her piece of baby elastic has now completely snapped. She charged off and had us all runing a merry dance around it.

I’d like to know what this tree is?

This was growing by the lake but i wasn’t sue if it was Giant Hogweed or Wild Rhubarb. (There were no warning signs up, which i thought there might have been if it was the first, but not sure if the latter grows by water so readily.)

While we were in there we collected a few tree seeds to see if we can plan them and start nurturing some trees for a grove when we eventually move to a house with a bigger garden.

Then back for a final battle between Vikings and Saxons, aided by some very mercenary mercenaries (children were outraged by them swapping sides!)

It was a bit cold and rainy by this point, so the camera got a bit cloudy We REALLY liked the brave mum with the dagger up her sleeve saving her hostage son.

I don’t know about anyone else, but i always have to be on the side of the invaded country. We cheered for the Saxons (but i’d cheer for Vikings against Normans!) but although they fought bravely, in the end they lost and their women and children paid the price. Must admit to choking back a sob as the widowed wives ran on to the field to find their dead.

It was an excellent day. Loads to learn and look at and talk about, the kids impressed me with what they know that they could hang it on, the castle was lovely and the re-enacters were fab and included the audience while completely throwing themselves into it.

I’ve been wanting to go here for ages and not got round to it; it was an excellent opportunity for an Eastern Clique meet up too We ended up meeting with Em and her 3, Michelle and Chloe, Jax with Big and Small and WF H with her 2 girls. My lot had a complete ball.

The journey down was a bit slow although i enjoyed the last slow winding road to the castle and got there without hassle. Parking was nearly tricky (and i accidentally turned the wrong way into a one way street!) but we met everyone nice and easily and went in. Unfortunately the weather was alternately sunny, windy and rainy in quite dramatic quantities but it didn’t spoil the day really.

There was a crime and punishment day being run by a couple of highwaymen, which was excellent and all the kids joined in with most of it.

They won best ambush with their “Maddy as weeping maiden” set up

I was a little alarmed later when Amelie and Maddy both successfully picked my purse out of my handbag without me noticing!

We had a good showing in the horse racing

and Michelle and i competed in the mums race!

We did the audio tour, which all the kids enjoyed. The younger 3 all listened to the Horrible Histories style version and loved that and they were all enthralled by it. Nice to have them all old enough to make the most of such things. The wall walk was hagh but (as jax promised) not as scary as it looked!

I was really glad to go as i’ve recently read The Time of Singing by Elizabeth Chadwick which was about Roger Bigod who built/rebuilt the castle after his fathers conflict with Henry II mean it was torn down. It was quite emotional to stand on the very walls he had built in 1190-1215 (ish!) and think of all the things he had to cope with (standing against King John) plus everything that has happened since. Mary Tudor rallied her troops against Lady Jane Grey from Framlingham – i got a tear in my eye looking down at the grounds and imagining it all.

And you can only chuckle at those 12century crenellated ramparts with Tudor fake chimneys stuck on them to make it look less military and more domestic by the grim Howard family. Imagine what modern day planning consent would make of that!

We then had a lovely end of day with Em and WF’s at their house (thank you!!!!!) and a late journey home, missing (i believe) a bit of a sticky A14 moment.

And now i have caught up

Well, if strictly accurate, before Upwood, Max and i had a few nights away in a hotel while the girls went to my parents house. They had a complete ball (and were shattered on their return)! Mum got them playing Ave Maria on a combination of cello, flute, glock and harmonica (!) and they’d had a lovely time doing all sorts of different bits and bobs. We had a great working break and felt much better for it.

Amelie also got her arm cast changed

and is happier to be freer and back at gym, albeit with some restrictions.

In addition they have been watching lots of Horrible Histories on CBBC and also the cartoon version on dvd. Seems to be teaching them something.

(I love their closeness in this pic, just wish it had come out better)

Josie is trying to persuade me she needs specs.

But has also been doing counting and letter work and lots of computing. As Max said the other day… “how can a four year old so effortlessly learn to turn on the computer, open a browser, navigate to a site, sign in to a server that her sisters are on and then beat them all at cards?” Kids are amazing, they just need leaving to be it half the time.

They’ve played out lots with friends and in lots with friends and Fran and her mate J have written 3 chapters of a book. One is good at spelling and one is good at punctuation apparently, so they work well as a team! There has also been a good deal of Club Penguin. Amelie has been reading Charlie and Lola to anyone who sits still. Fran read a book called The Spooks Mistake and discovered the wonders of Primark.

We’re back to gym and music practise and so on. Maddy is working on spelling lists and typing tiny stories using each word. She gets incredibly stressed at the idea of making a mistake so typing rather than writing is helping her boost her confidence and she writes funny stories, very inventive. Fran has been mopping up odds and ends of EC levels and doing some Latin and some more history work on Victorians and they’ve all taken to building slightly mad paper models of things.

This week we had Z, P and S to play on Monday and then Claire and Charlie on Tuesday which were both lovely. On Wednesday we bimbled about and on Thursday i had endless appointments so Max did work with them and then they watched the first episode of The Incredible Human Journey which they loved.

I’ve heard about this for a few years and not got round to going. In general i am glad we did, though the entrance fee wasn’t on the website and was quite high, so i wish i had known and had gone for the whole day, not just the afternoon. Still it was hot, so 4 hours felt long enough really. Will probably go back next year and do more of it and try to go on Saturday and take advantage of the stalls a bit more.

It felt pertinent with the 70th anniversary of the evacuees leaving London coming up next week. It chokes me to imagine the cleft stick parents must have felt caught in; keep them and risk the bombs or send them off into the unknown. For all the children who had a good experience away, some had terrible times and i can hardly imagine how it felt to be parent or child

Anyway, the Upwood day was fun. There were plenty of things to look at, some period planes flying and lots of people in costume. I took Fran and Maddy and we met up with the beans (narrowly, touch wood, escaping their lurgy). My girls tried spam sandwiches and bread pudding from the food tent and we talked about old/new money and the books they’ve read with old style pennies in.

They spent a long time looking at various kits bags all laid out…

and we talked a reasonable amount about the different set ups we saw.

I’m always surprised by how much the know from reading, dvds and tv. They always absorb far more than i expect from casual conversations too and so there was plenty to look out and point out. The nurses table was a particular hit.

After lollies (BB felt she could smell ice-cream and ‘oooh, isn’t it hot!’) the adults flakes a bit and the girls all went off and accosted a man at a table.

They were interested enough to get taken off to try dialling each other on field telephones. While Maddy and i were doing that, we got told about the different fabrics the armies wore as uniforms and how hampered the British were by a determination to stick to good old fashioned wool.

Fran and SB took part in a dancing workshop to learn a 1940′s dance.

I should have taken more photos really a treasure trove of things to look at and see but it was really just slightly too hot and bright. Still, a good event – i love things put on by people with passion, it reminded me a lot of VSCC car meetings we’ve been to.

This was ages ago but i just realised that i didn’t blog it and as i’m trying to keep a better record of what we do, i thought i would quickly pop some pics and so on in.

This was a Brownies trip and like last year, we all went for the day. Fran went off around the park with a different set of girls who had been her contemporaries before she left and had a lovely day, swapping email addresses at the end. I was sorry not to spend the day with her, given she was also at school at the time so i didn’t feel like i was seeing a lot of her, but she had a ball.

We started the day with the safari tour; this tested my ability to be calm rather a lot (especially as just after we left the enclosures the driver of the coach accidentally opened the safety door at the back!) but it was fun and interesting and the kids loved it.

Amelie adored the tigers.

I liked the bears.

One of the wilder animals. This one is quite rare as it has two arms…

I’m not speaking to you unless you apologise first…

The zebras caused great hilarity by commencing wild bonking as we went past. Inevitably, this was the point where the coach came to a complete stop for ages. I was in hysterics at the things the Brownies were saying, including that they were “kissing with their bottoms”. How exactly does teaching your kids that instead of “having sex” make it any more polite?!?!?!?!?!?!

I can confirm that zebras are hung like a mule

We had a good cooked lunch there which was notable mostly because Josie chose to sit with Fran and some girls she didn’t know at the complete opposite end of the room to us so Max and i got a grown up lunch with other adults. Was one of those “my baby is growing up” moments.

After lunch we watched a really good talk on parrots and were wowed by the birds. Unfortunately the sun was so bright i couldn’t see to take pics well and none of them really came out. (The big thumb print on the lens also didn’t help )

We met up with Fran for the sealion show, discovered the difference between seals and sealions and Fran fell in love with the idea of performing with them for a job. Have to say, i could totally imagine her doing it too!

Much aaah-ing at this 5 day old baby.

And then home in time for tea.

I have to say the coach bit mostly left me cold (after 90 minutes of getting there i would rather have been out and walking) but otherwise it was a lovely day out. We are considering the keeper week for next year for the big 2 as i think they’d adore it.

I would like to tell you, out loud and forever, how proud i have been of you this month. For a month you have had you arm in a hot, ticklish, sweaty cast after you broke your arm while being just a little too exuberant and excited. As a child who spends most of her life upside down, dangling from things or being crazy, we know how hard this has been for you. We know it curtailed your summer fun and stopped you playing in water or charging around. We know you’ve been aware of your body getting out of condition and your muscles getting less strong. We know how excited you were that you’d just started to get noticed at gym and were really coming on – and we know that you know this has knocked your progress back.

You haven’t moaned, or complained or grumbled. You’ve done your very best to bear it and you took complete responsibility for the mistake that you made that caused it. You’ve been brave and reasonable and sunny and upbeat and you bounced back from the fright of it all with your usual sunny, insouciant self. You’ve made the best of it, done other things, taken care of it and been sensible, responsible and really, really great. You’ve kept yourself in shape and worked at the things you could work at – and we’ll let you off not finding a way to practise violin! We are so proud of you. Really, really, REALLY proud. Good for you; what spirit!

10 out of 10 for attitude. (And no spoiling it all tomorrow now!)

We love you to bits.