Half Term

 Half term, and for once the weather behaved itself.  After quite a few miserable, cloudy, rainy weeks, it was finally sunny and hot - yay!

Piel Castle

On the ferry.

Monday we headed to Barrow with an attempt to get to Piel Island.  We have tried to go before but have been unlucky when turning up to find no ferry.  No problems this time, however, there was quite a big queue!  Being British we joined the queue, and then wondered if it was worth it (we had to get back for a cricket match you will be surprised to hear!).  As we were counting the number of people and working out how long we may have to wait a call went out for a group of 3 - we were the only group of 3 in the queue so we walked past everyone saying sorry (how very British) and got on the ferry mega early - RESULT!

Peeping Tom

 
Piel island is very small - it has a pub, a couple of holiday homes and a ruined castle.  It is basically a nature reserve now.  The pub landlord is the 'King of Piel Island' but considering there are no permanent residents - it doesn't really amount to much.  We weren't sure if the pub would be open so we took a picnic with us - just as well, the pub wasn't open.  We walked across the island (took 5 minutes) and sat on the beach eating our sarnies.  Then we had a good explore, there were lots of birds, a decent beach and the castle had lots of walls and towers which we could clamber around.  We spent a decent couple of hours there, if the pub had been open, we probably would have spent even longer there, but it was lovely, the weather was amazing and we were happy.

On Tuesday, we packed up the van and headed south to Waddesdon.  We got there in good time, only being held up in Birmingham.  So nice to travel in a big vehicle, the whole experience was much nicer than if we were in the Honda.  Before we had parked, we had been spotted and Jake and Amber were waiting for us.  Apparently Jake had been really really looking forward to seeing Tom again (Amber less so!)  Tom got whisked away into Jake's bedroom and we headed into the house to find Simon and Clare. 

Had a very pleasant afternoon/evening in the garden watching red kites swooping over head and eating pizza.

Branch family on a...

Wednesday we had tickets for Blenheim Palace.  I don't remember having visited before.  It was a very hot day, we packed a picnic and headed out.  As we had just paid for the grounds (£46 for the 3 of us) we decided to do the longest walk (much to the annoyance of J&A).  

Happy cousins together?

Was very nice - gardens by Capability Brown (of course), a lake etc etc.  We had a picnic in the shade and then to the maze for the kids to run around (as if it wasn't too hot?!) and back to the house via the train to get an ice cream.  A good day out, rounded off by a bbq in the rain - bloody typical!

Trampoline time (and a rare Amber smile!)

Thursday we didn't really have any plans.  We all had a lovely easy morning, doing pretty much nothing - I even got a reading book out.  

A Brill Windmill!

After lunch, we headed to Brill with the windmill and did a sweaty walk around some very pleasant fields.  

Back to the village, ice cream each and then back home where the kids got watered down on the trampoline. Then a full on bbq (this time it didn't rain).

He's got me!

BBQ

Was a very nice break.  Tom and Jake got on really well.  Jake in fact was a pleasure to be around, chatty, engaging, happy to be in our company.  Amber, well I think she felt left out, but she didn't make it easy, once again everything suggested to her was 'boring', or she just said no! I think she likes to be difficult.  All it means is that she doesn't have fun whilst the boys do!  Tom's best friends in Ingleton are girls, so he certainly isn't bothered that she's a girl, think it is more that she is bothered that he is a boy!

Friday we went home again.  We went up the M1 towards Leeds and then across on the A65.  The motorway was fine, but the roads were in lockjam once we were off was everlasting - all the way to Ingleton - just as well we were in the van with a fridge full of cold drinks.  Anyway it was a good break, so nice to be away from home and not cooking.  Oh and Jake has caught me up - we are officially the same height!

The weekend was spent playing cricket.  On Saturday we did another curry off with Jude and Craig and on Sunday we had the Mannings over for a huge roast pork. A great end to a great week.  Poor Tom has exams at school now and didn't really have much time to do any revision over the holidays - only a very mean parent would make their children study during this half term - the first time people could meet with family and friends in other locations in months!  Even we aren't that mean!