Very busy weekend

After a busy half term the pace didn't slow this weekend, in fact it was full steam ahead!

Friday evening found us in our new local foodie pub with some friends and their boys.  It was a good evening out - didn't get back home till quite late (8pm ish)

Saturday was a horrible day in Ingleton so we decided to escape and used our Dales Rail Pass for a cheap ticket to Carlisle (normally £24 return, now only £8 return).  It takes 1hr 45mins to get to Carlisle but it just flew.  Tom really enjoyed himself - he even happily did some school work on the way.  When we got there Tom and Matt hung around the station doing some train spotting (nerds!) whilst I went in search for the re-located cake shop.  I found it - it was huge.  I spent a happy half hour looking round and picking up all the bits and pieces I need in the near future.  Called the boys - they weren't quite ready, so I some more shopping before meeting them for lunch at a rather good cafe: The Old Engine House.  We found this cafe last time we were in Carlisle - it is a great place.  Really good and imaginative food, service with a smile and very reasonable prices.  The only problem is that the cafe is too small so we had to wait, but it was worth it.  We also brought down the average age by about 20 years - seems like all the oldies in Carlisle have found it and haven't told anyone else about it!

So being a proper trainspotter - Matt took plenty of videos.  Here's one:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciwkBn3jPug

We left with very happy bellies and then walked down to Bitts Park for Tom to have a run around and a play.  Oh I have to mention that the weather was great.  We were all wrapped up warm, expecting rain, gloom and misery, but when we exited from the Blea Moor tunnel we were welcomed by bright sunshine and it stayed like that for the rest of the day.

We then headed into the city centre for a spot of 'big town shopping' before heading back to the station for more train spotting and then our train back to Settle.  We decided to try out a new pub in Settle on the way back for dinner and found another gem (there are so many good pubs out here!).  And then on to home and bed.

Sunday dawned a beautiful day - clear blue skies and not a breath of wind.

The View from Fleetwood

Michelin Woman and Tom

It was the last day of the Blackpool Illuminations so we decided to go.  We packed the car up with Christmas goodies for Kitridding Farm which we dropped off on the way and then headed down the motorway to Blackpool, stopping at Booths in Garstang for lunch (guaranteed a good lunch there, pretty much guaranteed a bad lunch in Blackpool!)

Searching for the perfect stone

Throwing stones in the sun

Found a free parking space almost on the prom at Blackpool and then purchased some rover tickets for the tram and decided to go all the way North to Fleetwood - just because we could, not because we had heard anything about it.  We travelled through some pretty drab neighbourhoods and were sort of dreading arriving in a miserable yard, but we were greeted by a lovely beach (sandy with some stones that could be thrown into the sea = boy happy), with magnificent views - we could see the Lake District mountains, the dock yard in Barrow, the power station in Heysham and even Ingleborough (although at the time we had our bearings wrong and couldn't quite work out what anything was!)

Like Father, like son

We must have spent the best part of an hour there (and would have spent longer if it wasn't for the fact it was beginning to get dark).  We got the tram back to Blackpool and the Pleasure Beach.  Tom almost fell asleep, so we headed to get tea and a bun somewhere.  We found a tacky family bar on the South Pier and had a drink.  We then explored the fun fair - we had promised Tom a ride.    We then went to the very good 'Tom's Donut Hut' for a bag of doughnuts during which time the illuminations were switched on.  

The Big One

Suitably restored we walked north back up the prom taking in the lights - they weren't as exciting as further north, so we decided to get a tram back up to Gynn Square where the interesting lights start and then walked up taking them in.  We got to Bispham much quicker than last year and managed to get a seat straight away at the big fish and chip restaurant there.  So haddock, chips, mushy peas and a slice of bread and butter for Matt and me and scampi and chips for Tom.  All very Blackpool.

The Sun

Tom and a Spaceman

We then got the tram back to Gynn Square and headed back home.  It was almost 9pm before we got home - a very late night for a school night - ooops!  Oh well, it was our last chance so we had to take it.