Norfolk Visit

So to bring the summer holidays to an end we took a day visit up to Norfolk yesterday to visit Auntie Chris, Uncle Steve and Layla. Holly was so excited to go and see Layla - so much so that we even got her to tidy her bedroom be threatening not to go! We were planning on camping overnight in their garden but given the recent wind and rain we aborted this and simply made a day visit.

Holly and Layla pretty much played together all day and disappeared up in to Layla's bedroom for long periods of time. When they reappeared Layla had dressed Holly up to look like a "Mini-Layla" and added make-up, hair glitter/curls, nail varnish and so on. They looked more like sisters than cousins and Holly looked like she had just jumped about 5 years in age!!!!

Is that Holly or Mini-Layla????

One about to become a teenager in a month or so, one that thinks she is a teenager already!

Nuclear Races Experience for Hashtag United

On Saturday Brandon had a bit of a team bonding event with his Hashtag football team for a 1.5 hour Nuclear Race experience over at the secret nuclear bunker in Brentwood. Unfortunately I was not allowed to follow them around to get any good pictures so I only have a few that were taken by the staff.

The boys all had a fab time and got absolutely caked in mud and soaked through to the skin. They got to ride the death slide, the zip wire and so much more. Kind of wish I had of gone along with them now. Luckily most of the mud is washed off in dirty pond water at the end of the event and they looked surprisingly clean compared with mid way through when they were caked head to toe in mud.

This is all good prep as Brandon and Josh have the actual Nuclear Race coming up in October which was postponed from March due to Covid-19.

Hashtag United U12's bonding at Nuclear Races.

Action shot of Brandon - he said this obstacle was quite hard.

Not sure what he is doing here. Traversing a cage wall or something.

This looks fun knocking each other off of floating platforms.

Brandon said he made it 4 pillows on the pillow run lake.

The aftermath, dripping wet and exhausted as they return to camp.

Lakeside Upside Down House

To keep the kids entertained in the summer holidays I used a GroupOn voucher yesterday to get cheap tickets to visit the upside down house in Lakeside. Despite the boys lack of enthusiasm for photo's, I made it clear to them that the whole purpose of these houses is to try and be imaginative by creating mind bending photos, so they WILL have lots of pictures taken. Walking through the house really does mess with your head especially given the floors are not horizontal either. After a while you can actually start to feel a little nauseous. Anyway I am not going to write much about this, it is all about the pictures.

 

Dorset Day 5 - Beaulieu Motor Museum

Day 5 and unfortunately our last day on holiday. We were all a bit sad to see the back of our glamping tent and we did try to see if we could book another couple of nights, but no luck. So to finish our holiday in Dorset we decided to stop off in Beaulieu Motor Museum on the way home in order to break up the journey. Josh and Brandon had been here once when they were very small but remember nothing about it, Holly has never been.

The museum part doesn't seem to have changed much other than the frstrating Covid-19 restrictions which now mean you have to where a mask inside and follow a one-way system around the Museum. This is a little annoying as often it is good to just sort of flutter between cars and areas rather than follow a certain route.

The Top Gear section had been updated and now includes some of the more recent vehicles/creations from the Matt Le-Blanc, Freddie Flintoff era which was good to see. Brandon took a liking to the Harry Potter car as he is currently fascinated by the films at the moment. Then we all enjoyed a monorail ride around the grounds and through a museum.

Towards the end of the day we started to walk around the gardens and look in Beaulieu House etc, but the kids had done too much walking and were keen to leave and head back home (I think they were more excited about the Star Bucks I had promised them on the way home).

Brandon with his Harry Potter car.

One of my favourite Bond movie cars.

The boys seemed to think Mr Beans Mini looked bigger in the flesh!!!!

One of the many Top Gear creations on display. This must have been rebuilt as they blew this one up on the episode which it aired.

Holly with the Top Gear Leaderboard.

Again Holly with a Top Gear Porsche.

One of the newer Top Gear cars which are now at Beaulieu.

One of Matt Le Blancs cars.

Me, Holly and THE STIG!

Top Gear World at Beaulieu.

The monorail was still working but slowing than normal as they sprayed the bars after each loop and only one station was working.

The monorail is quite impressive as it goes right around the grounds and even through the Museum.

View looking down on sme of the cars from the monorail.

Me and the kiddies on the Top Gear Limo.

Brandon was very interested in the racing car section and has taken a real interest in F1 lately.

Lovely old fire engine on display.

Holly with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I seem to remember getting a picture of the boys with this car years ago.

Once again Holly the only person interested in having pictures taken.

Got to love a GT40.

I loved the land speed record section. These cars are huge!

I always remember the Bluebird as a kid. Amazing how far the land speed record cars have moved on since then.

An unusual bottle shaped van.

Yeh, finally I caught Brandon and Josh in a picture - but Holly was tasked by one of the guides to find the orange car.

A bit of chill time as the kids play in the park area.

Holly filling up a car.

And then there were 3. I'll have to dig out the old picture of this when there was just Josh and B.

More park time play whilst we chill and have a coffee.

Lisa would have loved the Mad Haters Tea Party garden.

Amazing shaped hedges.

That's what I call a garden.

A love lock tree.

A little holiday joke from the circus, what do you call a moose with no name - anonymoose.

The beautiful Beaulieu house which Josh thinks looks haunted and sparked a conversation about ghosts.

Holly enjoyed viewing some of the displays inside the house, but wanted to get out quick as they really don't enjoy wearing masks.

A view of the gardens and lake from the house.

And finally - yes Holly did find the Orange car as tasked by the guide at the entrance to the museum.