Busy weekend

We had a mega busy weekend this weekend.  

Saturday was a bit of a miserable day, however it is November which means cheap tickets on the trains so we did Settle to Carlisle.  Always a good day out.  The boys both get their train fix, we all enjoy the beautiful journey, I get to visit a cake shop and we have now found a number of great restaurants to enjoy lunch in.  Followed by a quick circuit of the shops to buy things we can't get at home (Carlisle is the biggest city in the country after all!), the day goes pretty quickly.

This time we went to Hell Below and Co. for lunch - they specialise in pizzas and flat breads which were very good, but more importantly the restaurant itself was very very cool.  We went upstairs, where there were 2 lines of cinema seats (there was a pull down cinema screen on the wall opposite -as they show films 2 days a week) and the rest of the seating was on stalls.  It's hard to describe, but it was very cool.  Tom was in his element, first sitting on the seats, and then doing 'a show' for us and then Matt had to do a show and then me.  Needless to say we were the only ones on the floor, but it was very entertaining - Tom was in proper show off mode!  At one stage he was lying on the floor as a star fish, not sure why?  Anyway we all had a good time.

Star Fish Tom?

Hell Below & Co

In the evening we went along to the Ingleton fireworks.  Now I hadn't planned to take Tom as he hasn't liked them in the past - being too loud and making him cry.  However, he has been learning about Guy Fawkes at school and requested a trip to the fireworks.  Against our better judgement we agreed.  So, we told him to sleep in the car between Settle and home so he would be fresh enough for fireworks in the evening - they were due to start at 8pm.  This he did and he had a good hour's nap.  We then got him prepared for the evening, got out his headphones, wrapped ourselves up and headed to viaduct to watch them.  One went off before the start, Tom saw it, heard it and started to cry.  When I say cry I mean really cry.  He wasn't wearing his headphones at this stage, we explained that if he wore them it would make the sound better.  It was no use he wouldn't listen to reason AT ALL!!!!!  We turned round and started to head home, he started to calm down.  We explained again that there will be loud bangs and bright lights, he said he wanted to go home, but then we suggested he put in ear plugs as well - he accepted this, so Matt ran home and got some ear plugs.  We put them on, as well as the earphones and headed to the viaduct.  As we got there the fireworks started, it took about 10 seconds for him to start crying again - this time it was hysterical crying!  TAKE ME HOME, TAKE ME HOME.  I left Matt to watch them and picked him up to take him home.  He didn't want to be picked up, but he refused to walk, all the time screaming TAKE ME HOME - he was completely without reason!  I eventually put him down as we were crossing the car park home, I looked behind a couple of times to see if I could at least see some of the fireworks DON'T LOOK AT THE FIREWORKS MUMMY, TAKE ME HOME.  He was in a very bad way and pretty lights in the sky were not going to appease him at all!  The fireworks had finished by the time we got home.  He went straight to bed and straight to sleep - it is exhausting after all screaming and being hysterical.  Next year I will use my instinct and not trust his!

Sunday dawned brighter.  Caroline contacted us to say that she was taking the boys down the yard for play on their bikes and would we like to join them.  Tom was very keen, so they spent a good hour and a half racing up and down the yard, on ramps etc etc.

We then decided to head back to Wyresdale Park (where we went with Vera in the Summer)  Caroline and boys came too as Rob had work to do.  We had an afternoon of good outdoor fun, we built a den, played hide and seek, climbed trees and swang on a huge tree swing.  Good boys own stuff.

Boy in a tree

Mad friends with mad grins!

After that we headed to Blackpool - it was the last day of the illuminations.  We parked at Bispham and got the tram down to the North Pier.  The plan was to have a play on the pier (there is a double decker carousel on it), maybe a drink (and a dance - remember our 'dancing' two years ago Jude?) by which time the illuminations would be on.  However, nothing on the pier was open - I guess we were too out of season.  Instead we introduced Tom to 2p amusements and took a good 10 minutes to loose £1.  We then purchased some freshly made doughnuts and headed back up towards Bispham.

I guess Tom's legs are getting longer or he is walking faster as it seemed to take no time at all to get to the end.  It was helped by the fact that the illuminated Steam Train Tram was out tonight - which is quite a sight to see.  Tom was a lot more interested in the lights this year too, meaning he got more out from the experience.  Also, of course we had promised him a fish and chip supper if he walked nicely.  In Bispham is 'The Bispham Kitchen' a huge fish and chip restaurant which is used to processing huge numbers of customers. We got there, it was full but it didn't take too long to find a table and get our order.  Fish and chips with bread and butter for me and the boy and scampi and chips for Matt.  What else can / should you eat in Blackpool?!  

We all ate up well and then headed home.  We didn't get home until 9pm, but Tom had been asleep for the best part of the journey home, so not too bad... 

Steam Train!

Mermaid Lights