A Grand Day Out

Evening

When I first met S we created a mental list of places we'd like to visit and things we'd like to do - we have ticked a fair few off but one place we had never managed to visit together is Cambridge. Work or life had got in the way as well as numerous festivals, a wedding and lots of family stuff too.

Finally at the beginning of the week we went - its only an hours drive from where we live and the park & ride goes straight into the city centre and costs only £3 each - much easier and cheaper than city centre parking.

Kings College - it wasn't too busy when we walked past first thing - easy to take photos without 100's of tourists getting in the way.

The Corpus Clock is a very popular attraction - getting a photo without anyone walking past or getting run over by a bicycle is tricky - I survived!!

No trip to Cambridge would be complete without watching the punts on the Cam. We didn't go on this time - August is a month with several trips away and we were watching the pennies.

Now long term readers of this blog will know I have a thing for vintage style bicycles - my own one finally left its barn storage this week and will hopefully be road worthy again soon once we've had time to give it a thorough service and a few essentials like brakes are replaced!!

Cambridge of course is full of such bicycles - ridden by undergraduates and very clever looking people - all in a rush to get from A to B.

This purple one I would happily own myself - one of my favourite colours. Perhaps my own bike might get a respray!

As well as gorgeous bicycles there are of course 100's of lovely houses. 

and the ultimate picture for me - gorgeous house with a bicycle outside!!

After all of our walking - in total we walked 10 miles that day - it was time for a pit stop - drinks and a snack in Bills before making our way home.

Time for one last photo - me & him outside Kings College;

We are both lucky - we work in the same school as support staff so we have time off over the summer. I get the full 6 weeks whilst S uses a mixture of holiday and owed hours, meaning this year he is off all summer apart from 4 days!

We have plenty of other adventures planned - off to Dorset to stay in a shepherds hut near Corfe Castle, our first wedding anniversary back at Folkeast and a trip to Norfolk in our bell tent. There's lots we'd like to do to our cottage as well - walls to paint, pictures to hang and a garden to spend time in!!

Time now to say goodbye till the next time - there's a garden to water and gin that needs drinking!!

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

You don't remember me - do you?

Good afternoon

Long time no see - entirely my fault, life got busy and I stopped blogging. Also my old desktop PC died and its taken a while to save to get a new shiny laptop and learn how to work it - even now I am unsure if this blogging lark will even work and if it does whether I can get back into the swing of it.

Lets see if I have learnt how to save photos and also if I can get them on here!

The easiest way to catch up is a photo mosaic from each month I have been missing.

So November - a smallest giant treat an afternoon of archery, Remembrance Parade, my other half took up Molly dancing my initial role to make a Molly style raggy for a Christmas display, a birthday cake for S and a treat night out - a Bellowhead gig.

December - so much stuff I got roped into Molly dancing, big son came home from Uni for a month, little son played his last brass engagement, we went to the panto (twice - 2 different ones) and we celebrated Christmas in style.

January - more dancing both Molly and Border, little son turned 17 and he gained a title!

Feb - we visited big son at Uni for his 19th birthday, there was Valentines day and Shrove Tuesday to celebrate.

March - more dancing, my birthday, mothers day, little nephews birthday, the eclipse and we bought a little caravan (more on that another time).

April - we danced for St George, celebrated Easter, had a very sunny day out at Southwold and spring began to appear in the garden.

May - more dancing and little stumble!, visiting big son again, decorating my dining room, garden sorting time and my first ever trip crabbing.

Ok so that's the past 7 months in brief - I will be back with proper posts soon and I want to catch up with bloggy friends and their lives.

Sorry its been so long

xxx Vintage Vicki xxx

Suffolk Sunshine

Good morning

Another sunny morning here in Suffolk - weather seems to have got it right at the moment - sunny days and rainy nights :) We've been spending lots of time outside - we've rather mastered the art of cooking over fire and Big Son seems to have assumed the role of chief flipper of burgers and bbq food.

We had a day out en-masse last week, - me, S, Little Son, Big Son and his girlfriend. We headed over to Thorpeness first and hired boats on the Meare;

 Just a gorgeous day - sunny and breezy and despite the empty looking Meare in this photo it was in fact rather busy.

 We were in 2 boats - we left Big Son and his girlfriend in one and we headed off in another. They took a while to get the rowing mastered but eventually they were getting around rather well.

 There were many swans about and racing across the Meare to be fed. They are surprisingly tricky to photograph - turning their heads at the last moment - eventually I managed a picture!!

After a lunch of chips and ice-cream on the beach at Aldeburgh, we dropped the teenagers back home and S & I headed up the coast to Southwold. As big kids we spent time playing on the arcades and continuing our Air Hockey battles - I always seem to loose whatever dirty tricks I try!!

 Still one of my favourite views - Southwold seafront taken from the end of the Pier.

Lastly for today - a mosaic for July - very hard to limit it to just 6 pictures - its been a lovely and busy month;

Both boys proms, more dancing and plenty of festival fun.

August is shaping up to be busy too - we've a holiday with some Daleks, more festivals, a carnival and of course 2 lots of results days!

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

A fab night out :)

Good morning

I could be wandering around the house with a hoover but instead its time to have 5 minutes in front of the computer and blog! I have been good though - laundry all done, kitchen tidy and bank account checked and balance reconciled - one thing I have got really good at over the past 18 months - checking my balance and managing my spending accordingly.

Anyhow I left off last time saying I was off to a gig with friends. Ok so some of you know via Facebook and Instagram there is someone special again in my life and it was this person I was off out with. 

We were off to see some friends play a gig in Bury in aid of the local hospice - in fact out of the 10 musicians involved that night - 8 are friends of ours.

I didn't take any pics during the evening but this one was taken last year when I was in the same theatre having danced in public for the first time!

 Afterwards we headed back to our hotel - a rather lucky find. Cheaper than the chain budget hotels and much much nicer. A gorgeous country house in the middle of nowhere;

The breakfast was amazing - I took this pic to taunt Big Son!!

Sadly these days I can't clear a plateful like this - I tried blooming hard though!!

We headed home late morning but via John Lewis - time to treat myself to something I've wanted for ages - a DAB radio that I can take around the house and garden so I have music to work to - big dilemma time - what colour! I opted for a deep reddy/pink colour;

 Right back to work time - I have a mountain of paperwork that needs copying and I keep putting this task off!

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

52 weeks of Vicki - week 5 - A hot date with Harry

Good evening

Almost the end of a very busy weekend - the lack of lie-ins is hitting me hard. No time for them this weekend - 2 early mornings for 2 very different reasons. Today the christening of my littlest nephew - pics from that another time. 

Yesterday was a very special day - a belated 16th birthday treat for Little Son - a trip to The Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour. Something he's wanted to do for ages and ages - he's been a Potter fan since he was bought the story tapes to try help him travel better when he was just 3 years old. He feel in love immediately and by the time the first film came out in late 2001, he knew the story almost word for word. Hence at the end of the film, a little voice belonging to a cute blonde boy in wizard robes and armed with a wand was commenting loudly about what bits had been missed out - he gained lots of looks from people who thought perhaps he was some sort of early reading child genius!! We didn't spoil it for them !!

Here's just a few pics from a brilliant day out - if you haven't been I would recommend it - it is really good fun - the boys loved it and so do I.

The last part of the Tour takes you to this amazing model of Hogwarts Castle - the detail is stunning.

There are loads of room sets from the films - this is the Gryffindor common room - I could have happily snuggled up in front of the fire on one of those squashy chairs and sofas.

Ollivanders Wand Shop in Diagon Alley - again amazing detail. You just wanted to be able to go inside and choose your first wand.

All Potter fans will know there is one thing that the students love when they have time to go into Hogsmeade on their time out of school - Butterbeer - very expensive - 4 drinks in special beakers/tankards cost over £20 - luckily the boys Dad was paying!!

They managed to drink theirs without getting a Butterbeer moustache - I didn't ;)

The boys also went flying on broomsticks - I bought a picture of each of them doing that - and after a trip to the gift shop my purse felt rather light!! Luckily special birthdays don't happen to often - oh wait - its Big Sons 18th next week! Not sure what we're doing for that - am waiting for him to tell me!!!

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

52 weeks of Vicki - week 4

Good morning

How did it get to be Sunday again? I had planned to write a mid-week post but it just never happened. Another busy week, working, having work done on the house, family stuff and birthdays.

So instead of 2 posts this week - I've condensed everything into on 52 weeks of Vicki post - or I'll never get caught up!!

Starting with the last thing first!! I went roller skating yesterday - for the first time in at least 6 years possibly more. I use to skate loads when I much younger and even when the boys were very small, I'd take myself off to the local leisure centre at the weekends for a couple of hours of skating fun. Sadly they stopped offering that service and I sold my skates after I tore my achilles a few years ago, thinking I'd never be able to skate again. Well it seems I was wrong - after a very wobbly start the muscles remembered what they should be doing and I was happily whizzing round - avoiding small children who had even less sense of direction than me!! I do ache a bit today but nothing to bad.

This week I've had a plumber here replacing a radiator in the front room - I meant I had to clear some stuff away - including a few christmas pressies that remained on the coffee table. This gorgeous box was painted by one of my sisters;

I also had a tidy in the dining room - there was a pile of recent CS buys I've been meaning to photograph before putting into the right places;

 I love Lucie Atwell's  illustrations - my Mum has a few of her childhood annuals and when I was a small child, I was occasionally allowed to read them - very carefully.

Another Ladybird book for my collection - that elusive copy of Cinderella is still hiding out there waiting for me I am sure!

Lastly for this post - another CS buy - cake/pastry forks - so cute and in their very 50's style box.

Another busy week beckons - music at the pub later, more work, a very special belated birthday treat for little son and most excitingly, my little nephew is being christened next weekend.

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

New Year - New Challenges

Good morning

Happy New Year

I was thinking the other day about the forthcoming year and what I am hoping it will bring to me and the boys here at No6. We are hoping this year is calmer than 2013. There are some big things happening this year - GCSE and A level exams for the boys in early summer and then the wait till August for the results. If all goes to plan then Little Son will be heading off to 6th form and Big Son off to University! 

We talked about remembering all the good stuff rather than the bad bits. With than in mind I pinched an idea off the internet and am aiming to do this for the whole of 2014. 

Take one tin and a pile of post-it notes. Each day write one good thing that's happened on a note and put it in the tin. At the end of the year or beginning of next, I can then tip all the notes out and remind myself of stuff that's happened.

 So far so good - 4 days in and there are 4 notes in there!!

One good thing - a day out with the boys. We spent the day with a friend who works in a leisure centre - it meant the boys were actually out of their bedrooms and away from their screens! We played badminton - yes even me! and had a go on a climbing wall. Little Son took to this - he's always been a climber even when he was small and you'd see him climbing onto things he shouldn't!

Another challenge for me this year - this blogging lark - it was a big hit and miss last year - I started several things but lost interest/got sidetracked and never saw them through. This year I am aiming to blog at least once a week - along the lines of the 52 weeks of happy posts - 52 weeks of Vicki ;)

Here the first photo - my Christmas hyacinth has finally flowered - guess our house a bit on the cool side - others who were given them at the same time had theirs flowering on Christmas Day!!

Right I'd best go and get sorted - one last lazy morning here before school and work start again tomorrow. I thing those boys of mine were planning on doing their homework today - that's if they can even remember what they are supposed to be doing!!

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

A fab day out

Good morning

Excuse my absence again from blogland but real life is all rather busy at the moment. I am working more as my boss is off work ill and then with the house, family and a rather fab newly discovered social life, blogging is rather losing out!!

Yesterday the boys & I were up rather early for a Saturday - we needed to leave the house at 7.30 as we were heading out of Suffolk to visit my little brother in Cambridge. We nearly had a problem when the train from Ipswich to Cambridge broke down in the station but another was found and we were soon on our way running just 10 minutes late. We were met by my little brother at the station and we headed into the city centre;

 I love the old college buildings.

 3 of my favourite menfolk - the boys & my brother :)

We walked around the shops, the market and of course past many of the old college buildings. We stopped for a lovely lunch and afternoon coffee too. The boys were happy to shop - their pocket money and wages were soon being spent. Big son bought the most amazing pair of Converse - I must remember to get a photo sometime - they are almost a work of art!

I wasn't planning on buying any shoes for me but when we were in the shop I spotted a pair that I fell in love with - not buying them straight away but thinking about it for a few hours and then returning and hoping they had them in my size - they did, they fitted and I love them;

Obviously not normally to be worn with flowery pj bottoms !!

Whilst the boys wandered around the market buying dvds - I spent just 5 minutes in the Cath Kidston shop - I must confess the current stuff is rather lovely but I really don't need anymore mugs, tins or teatowels! I did treat myself to a couple of little things;

A brooch and bracelet for me and a keyring to stop us from losing the back door key!!

We are already planning on going back to Cambridge next spring and hopefully finding somewhere inexpensive so we can stay the whole weekend as its rather a tiring journey to do in one day - as this photo shows;

See you soon - can't promise when as there's more work this week and next weekend is looking rather fab - can't tell you what yet but I promise there will be photos!!

xxx Vicki xxx

PS - just realised I missed this blogs 4th birthday last week!! and today is the Autumn Equinox - where is the year going!!

PPS - Spell check not working !!

We've been on a giraffe hunt!

Good evening

Well what a fab day out the boys & I have had today. We've left Suffolk and headed over the border into Essex to Colchester. We arranged to meet friends at the station - had to laugh we came out of the exit and there was no sign of them! We called and they told us they were are the exit! Took a moment or two to realise there are two exits!! Anyhow we got that sorted and were soon on our way into the town centre.

The reason for the visit - Giraffes! To celebrate the 50th birthday of Colchester Zoo - 30 large painted giraffes are dotted about the town and nearby area - and another 100 or so are there too. The large ones were painted by artists and the small ones by local schools/community groups.

My friend had spent many hours earlier this year painting hers and we wanted to see it for real.

 Just for once Big Son wasn't the tallest thing around!!

 Giraffes in all sorts of designs - smart, evening wear.

 This reminded me a bit of the Rolling Stones lips logo (excuse the teenager photo bombing in the background).

The other side without a teenager lurking!!

 A Masai inspired one.

This artist works often with glass and the tiles that made the necklaces were all individual small glass tiles - just stunning.

This one was based on the nursery rhyme - Twinkle, twinkle little star - which was written by a Colchester resident!

 Another nursery rhyme one.

 Inside a rather modern and snazzy arts centre in town.

 One of the smaller school decorated ones - loved her spotted shorts.

 A patchwork one.

 This one is called Womb with a view - if you look closely you can see part of the body is just the internal parts - including a baby giraffe in the womb!!

  The last one I snapped - it was decorated with Colchester land marks.

We stopped for lunch in the gardens of the Castle - just opposite a family of pandas!!

Oh the main reason for visiting - this fella in the food hall of M&S - he greets everyone who comes to the shop;

The whole thing is decorated with African patterns - really wonderful.

We saw many more - especially of the small ones but these weren't always easy to photograph as they are in shops and other public buildings.

At the end of the summer all the giraffes are being auctioned - sadly I won't be able to bid - Helen's already has a 4 figure reserve on it!!!

If anyone is near Colchester over the summer hols - I would recommend getting a leaflet and doing some of the trail - it really is good.

Right - time for a soak in the bath and hopefully a good nights sleep.

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx