Summer Holidays - Week 1

The Staycation Express

So it is officially the summer holidays and lockdown has more or less eased now. Just a couple of things left to re-open (swimming pools, spas etc). Social distancing has more or less ended - people just don't touch each other anymore. Life goes on, the only major change to life is that we will have to wear masks in shops from Friday onwards.

We had our first house guest on Monday, Jude came to stay. I spent most of the morning cleaning and disinfecting - the problem with not having any house guests for ages is that we don't tidy / clean as much as we probably should. If no-one is coming in, there is no pressure to be tidy. None of us are naturally tidy. Whilst I was tidying, the boys headed up to Ribblehead to see a new tourist train which is using a 37 - Tom's favourite.

Fine horns

The view from Storrs

Jude arrived at 2.30, we headed up to Ribblehead for a walk to get some fresh air and to train spot (of course). The evening was then spent on the cricket field for junior cricket practise which went really well - loads of children turned up (few are going on holiday this year). Everyone was as friendly as usual - no booze this time!)

Tuesday we did a quick circuit of the Cheese Press stones with Jude, had bacon butties outside at home in the sunshine. Jude then headed home. Tom went down to the pump track but came home immediately too many people and too many teenagers, so Tom and I went for a Cold Cotes cycle ride instead. In the evening the boys went back up to Ribblehead to watch the train again?!

Wednesday we spent the day with Anne and Lauren. We made a packed lunch and then headed over, we then got in one car (as I said social distancing is more or less over now - I will share cars etc with people I trust but only people I trust) and headed over to Clapham. We then walked to Wash Dubs above Austwick where we had our picnic and the kids played in the river (both of them fell in!) it then started to rain so we walked back. Was a lovely day - Lauren and Tom aren't best friends but they happily spent time with each other.

Thursday - it rained all day. I got Tom to make tea: Spaghetti Bolognaise. It took him an age to chop up all the veg but he did it 100% himself and it was tasty. Anything not made by myself is a dream!

Friday we headed to Goat Gap for lunch again - become a 'thing' now - it is much easier to have a big lunch and small tea on a Friday with a cricket match at 6.30 - especially as they all take place in the Lakes so take a while to get to (taking into consideration the heavier than normal traffic on a Friday).

Tom on the attack

Tom, Luca and Ethan then met up on the cricket field for some nets practise in the afternoon, before we headed to Netherfield for their first cricket match of the year. Netherfield are the team to beat because they are the Kendal team - so have a much bigger population to draw on. Basically they have a full team of children who are 11, whilst the Ingleton team has 1 x 12 year old, 2 x 11 year olds and the rest are 9 years and below - so never a fair contest. However, saying that they only lost by 20 runs, so they could be proud. Tom was captain for the match and did a pretty good job of organising them all when fielding. He did good with bowling and batting. In fact the whole team did really well considering there has been barely any practice at all. Oh and today face masks became mandatory in shops etc.

Saturday we had a slow morning - it was yet another grey day. We had a take out lunch from Bernies (trying to support different local business) and then we headed to Helwith Bridge where we did a short walk around the quarry and finished off on the riverside terrace for a pint - very nice too, made even better as the tourist train trundled past us.

Herdy at Helwith Bridge

Sunday, another rainy day, so we had another slow morning (we are getting good at these) and then headed to Keelham for Sunday lunch. Very nice it was too. We also went shopping and couldn't quite believe how empty Keelham was - normally it is packed with people, but it was pretty much empty, meaning it was a pleasant experience. Wearing masks in shops feels better too - don't feel so exposed as before and pretty much everyone was adhering which was good to see. The rain cleared up on our return to Ingleton and as we were all feeling stuffed (we all had 2 courses) we went for a quick once around Storrs Common to try to get digesting...

Week 17

This was the last week of school.  We have been winding down for weeks now there has been no pressure to do any work, but this week Mrs Clements didn't set much at all - she just set 3 competitions: 1: draw a summer themed picture (not a chance), 2: write a summer themed poem (not really Tom's thing), 3: bake a summer themed cake (no contest - it will have to be that!) 

It stated that the entry had to be 100% the child's own work, the norm in these competitions is that the mums do it and enter it as their kid's effort.  I have never done that so Tom has always entered his own work, then we get to see the other entrants and see that there are 'professional' looking entries which have obviously never been near a child's hand!  It's impossible to stop, it is always going to be the case, but at least Tom can be proud of his efforts.  However, he was making and decorating a cake with fondant which meant that I had very itchy hands.  I directed but didn't do anything.  I showed him how to do things, then destroyed whatever it was so there wasn't any of my work for him to use.  I then took photos of every stage so it could be seen that Tom did it all.  He used past cakes of mine as inspiration but it was 100% his own work.  It took him 4 hours to decorate it and he stayed focus throughout.  He didn't win, but the cake that won was entered by a pupil who has a history of entering perfectly crafted items throughout their school career (and as a result has won pretty much everything).  Tom was proud of himself and rightly so - he was a winner in our eyes. 

Tom with Mrs. Clements and Mrs. Denby

Monday afternoon we went round to see Luca, he had some second hand school uniform for us.  They played cricket for the afternoon together at Burton astro turf.

Tuesday we had the Year 6 leavers picnic.  Normally the school do this all singing all dancing leavers assembly which is constructed to make everyone in attendance cry, that couldn't happen this year, so the school organised a picnic instead, inviting all parents but no siblings.  It was lovely, a relaxed atmosphere, everyone got on, the children played (it was the first time the whole class had been together since March) and the rain stayed away.  It was supposed to be for 45 mins, but think we were there for 1.5hrs (it was always going to overrun).  At the end, Mrs Clements did a lovely speech about the class and she presented them with a handmade brass keyring with their names and IPS on it (she used to be a blacksmith) and a booklet of memories - all tailor made for each child.  We gave Mrs Clements and Mrs Denby (her TA) some presents too.  We then got a lovely thank you email.  It was a nice way to end their time at the school, it was nice to leave with smiles and finally I felt some closure - that he had actually left school.  Found myself ordering all bits of QES uniform I haven't been able to get hold of.

The Year 6 boys

Wednesday we finally heard from QES with a form name and tutor for next year.  To be honest, I haven't been too impressed with the communications from QES.  They close this Friday and we don't know yet what day they are due back, if they are wearing uniform, how on earth they find where they are going to on day one when they haven't had an induction so don't know where their classroom is - etc etc.  Settle got all that info last week.  Also, every year the children have been able to say who they want to be in class with but that was taken from them as well, once again Settle managed to do this but QES didn't!  I was a bit on edge about it all, and then when the forms came through there was no indication as to who everyone is with, so the mum grapevine had to get going to find out who was with who.  Took a day, but Tom is in with Matthew from IPS.  He wanted to be with Caitlin but as usual the assumption is that boys want to be in with boys and girls with girls!  Out of the boys, Tom said Matthew was best.
There will be 20 something other children as well in his form, so he doesn't have to stick with him.  I've been asking around re other children who don't go to IPS, most aren't in Tom's class (there are 8 forms in total - so not surprising), however, I did find out that the other Gingerbug owner, Clare's youngest son, Isaac, is in Tom's form.  He lives in Ingleton but goes to Leck School - I didn't know of his existence until about 2 months ago.  We are going to get them together during the holidays so that they both know another friendly face when they arrive.  Anyway, his form tutor is Mrs Armitstead, she teaches French and Spanish, apparently form tutors do more than just take the register these days, they actually take an active interest in each child and are their first point of contact to resolve any problems.  The children will get taught in these forms (mixed ability) for the first year and then streaming will start to occur (normally they get taught in streams for English and Maths in the first year - but because there haven't been any SATS or even any formal teaching since March they can't do this this year)

Thursday - the leavers hoodies finally arrived!  Lots of excitement, we went up to school to collect them and gave Mrs Clements hers - she was overjoyed by it - never seen her so animated!  We finally got joining information from QES, they are starting on a later date than advertised (thought that might be the case).  Still not sure about buses etc, but they are going to place staff at selected entrances so they can direct children in to where they need to go (normally the children spend 2 days at school in the summer term so they get to meet others in their form, their form tutor, find their way around and know where their classroom is).  On the first day it is just going to be Year 7 at school, the second day Year 7 & Year 12 and then after that the full school.  Each year is its own bubble and given an area of the school that they can be in.  Teachers will come to them rather than they go to teachers.  Not sure what happens re science, art, home economics, design and technology etc as they all need specialised rooms.

Hoodie models

Thursday evening was spent at Meadow Falls, we always said to the Holmans that when they were allowed to open again, we would book a pod with them.  This was the first decent day to do so.  We booked the nicest pod and took our bbq and some lovely Cornvale produce with us for tea along with some potato salad and regular salad I made earlier, oh and some beer and wine.  We had a lovely evening, sat by the fire pit, chatting and watching the kids entertain us.  Didn't get to bed until very late and we slept well.  In true Holman fashion, they wouldn't let us pay them, so we had to go home the next day, look up on the website how much the pod cost, then send Tom in with an envelope of cash so we could pay them!  We like camping there, not far to get to / come home, really lovely site, very clean and the owners are a good laugh.  

Tom and Luca rehydrating

Friday I spent most of the day at home whilst lots of excited children arrived to collect their hoodies.  We went out for lunch at Goat Gap which was very lovely once again (had to queue in the rain but it was worth it) Luckily the rain cleared in time for cricket so we had another lovely gathering with some prosecco and cider (turns out that Tom likes Bulmers cider!) whilst the boys were trained.  

Then at 7.30 I headed over to Janine's for a gathering around a fire for her birthday.  It rained so we sat outside under umbrellas being stoically northern.  So, two parties in one night - was feeling very normal!

Saturday - Tom was supposed to be playing cricket but it rained so it got washed off.  Looking at the radar, the Lake District was better off, so we headed over to Windermere and Gummers How for a walk.  Spent a pleasant half an hour watching kestrels diving for food on the hills. We then returned to a sunny Ingleton.

Sunday, Matt was playing cricket for Ingleton in Ingleton so we stayed put.  It was a lovely sunny day, and the village got completely rammed, when I say rammed, I mean rammed - I couldn't even let Tom cross the road by himself it was so dangerous.  People who have lived here all their lives said that they had never seen the place so busy.  Not sure what they were all doing - can't imagine it was much fun to go round the waterfalls or up Ingleborough though.  I quickly nipped out in the morning to get some mushrooms from the co-op (Matt playing cricket means mushroom pasta for me and Tom for tea) before the village got busy.  We then spent most of the afternoon watching the cricket (they won with no bother - so we had a happy Daddy!)

Week 16

Got a bit behind again - been busy with things and also suffering from emotional roller coaster that is you only child leaving Primary school.

So week 16 - saw Tom deciding to do a poster about an animal in the rainforest and maths.  He chose a Hornbill for the poster.  Now Tom is the first to admit that he isn't a great artist, so drawing a hornbill wasn't going to be an option.  We could have printed one out, but I wanted Tom to be able to do something artistic, so we found a good vector image of a hornbill and used it to trace and colour in.  Get this - Tom has never done tracing before?!  I used to trace everything as a kid, I LOVED Asterix and used to trace him and his friends all the time.  So I spent one morning showing him how to trace (apparently school doesn't allow them to do it because they think children should develop their freehand skills - I think tracing is a very necessary skill - I wouldn't be able to do half of my cakes if I didn't trace logos / images etc etc).  He was pleased with the outcome and within an hour we had a lovely looking Hornbill ready to be placed in the centre of his poster.  He then spent a long time researching hornbills on the internet and found some interesting facts.  We then filled the poster with vector images of rainforest images.  

Maths was area and perimeter which Tom aced.  I didn't need to help him at all.

On Tuesday, Tom was supposed to have a Year 6 leavers picnic, but it rained all day so it was postponed to next week.

The rest of the week was 'normal'.  We did a Storrs walk on the Tuesday evening.  Wednesday we spent the afternoon at Anne's with Nicky and Florrie so the kids could do their virtual sports day.  Was a really lovely afternoon.  Weather was ok, kids got on really well and we adults sat down whilst the kids played.  We ended up inside Anne's kitchen as it was so windy.  Felt very normal, sat around kitchen table gossiping whilst kids played outside. The most normal we have been in 16 weeks.  Came home very relaxed and chilled. 

Blue tit

Thursday saw us up at Ribblehead meeting up with the Raddas again for an evening walk.  We went through a nature reserve which we had been in before, but had got a little lost in.  Was dense vegetation which normally would set me and Tom off, but we were both ok - is hayfever on the way out?  I hope so.  Anyway we had a lovely evening, Rebecca (as usual) was a bit of a motormouth again which always makes us giggle and we saw a deer which is always a bonus.

Windermere steamer

Friday saw Tom have his first cricket training of the season.  They are doing 1:1 30 minute sessions.  We had a lovely time - as we know all the cricket crowd quite well, there are 6 benches overlooking the field so we each had a bench each and we chatted - lots to catch up on.  The training was all very clinical - sanitise hands here, coach wearing gloves, only the trainer can hold the ball, 10 mins between kids to sanitise everything etc etc.  The kids not being trained were further over on the field playing cricket together not following the strict rules!  Should you stop the kids playing?  The coaches were fine with it - they would prefer the kids play as much cricket as possible, just that they are bound by strict rules as they are official coaches.  It does sort of make a mockery of the whole thing though!

Packhorse bridge

Saturday we fled Ingleton which was over-run with tourists and headed to the far side of Windermere.  We decided to do a short walk around Far Sawrey walk, which is on the mini peninsula from which the car ferry departs.  It was a short walk because we were all worried about hayfever, but once again both Tom and I were fine.  It was only a 3 mile walk but it took us about 3 hours as we had lots of stops en route.  It was a lovely walk, taking in woodland, lake edge (loads of wild campers) and then we came across a National Trust property which not only was free but had an open courtyard with a cafe.  A CAFE, we couldn't resist, we were lucky, they were about to close.  Matt went in and ordered some drinks and cakes and boy they tasted amazing.

Tom and Florrie

Anything not cooked by me tastes amazing at the moment.  We then looked around the property, Claife Viewing Station which is the remains of what was a lovely building where the well-off used to go for dances and balls.  Just a couple of walls and stained glass windows remain now.   We looked around then headed back to the car.  Now, we had parked the car, next door to a pub.  On returning, we had a look at the garden, there were some empty tables...it seemed rude not to support it.  The boys secured a table, I went in and got the drinks.  No-one asked for contact details?  But the server was wearing a visor and everyone was observing social distancing, so it felt fine.  We then decided to head to the car ferry to go back.  We timed it perfectly and only had to wait about a minute.  All the staff were wearing face masks and pretty much all foot passengers were wearing them too - those who had forgotten / been caught out put their heads into their jumpers in an effort to comply.  As we were in a car we didn't need to (I have a bag of disposable masks in the car in case we get caught out somewhere - don't fit Tom though!).  Got home exhausted, what a lot of new experiences for a day!

Sunday, we met up with the Wilkinsons for a walk around Thorns, taking in the packhorse bridge etc.  It was a lovely sunny day and once again we were glad to get out of Ingleton - as it was packed again.  Ribblehead was packed too, but the Raddas were happy for us to use their driveway so we did and we didn't meet anyone else on our walk - oh it is so good to know these little gems that are off the beaten track.  We had a lovely time looking around and no mad woman this time, which meant that we could take our time.  The Wilkinsons hadn't been there before and I think really enjoyed it.  They then came back to our house and we had the whole awkward situation with the house - I had cleaned and disinfected it incase they wanted to come in, but didn't want to make them come in, so gave them the option, but then of course they didn't want to offend / put us out so in the end they went round the back to the garden and we sat outside eating Tom's brownie (which he made in the morning) and drinking cold drinks whilst enjoying the sun.  It was a good afternoon with new friends thanks to Tom and Florrie's lockdown blossoming friendship.

Week 15

A miserable, grey and rainy week.  What do we do this week?  Tom has left school, but the term isn't over yet.  Mrs Clements sent her home schooling email out but put added a caveat for Tom's bubble, saying they didn't need to do any of it but please send an email at the end of the week saying what they had been up to.  This week's topic was countries of the world and an activity was to make a poster of a country they would like to live in.  Tom wanted to do this - choosing Malaysia.  Great, but working on a poster I found extremely frustrating: Tom is very slap dash, doesn't care how it looks, just wants to do it - that is his whole approach to art activities.  Whilst, I on the other hand would like to plan it out so it looks nice and is logical - so we clash.  I tried so hard to keep my cool but it is very very hard!  

The problem is that every time I get 

The Doe in good flow

frustrated with him, I probably erase a bit of his confidence, so I shouldn't - but it is so hard because he just doesn't seem to have a clue!

Oh hum.  Tom spent most of this week with blocked sinuses brought on by his

hayfever, so we had lovely lie-ins, breakfast and then Tom would run himself a hot bath to steam his sinuses out.  That then left about an hour before lunch where we worked on the poster. 

Afternoons were spent playing board games (Wonders of the world, Articulate, Monopoly etc) and of course pool / snooker.  Then a film until tea time.  Matt did try to take Tom out for a bike ride, but after ¾ mile Tom said he couldn't breathe properly so they came home.  Thinking he has got slightly asthmatic like I did - so will get his inhaler out for next time we attempt it.

A stroll along the Prom

Not the most interesting of weeks but Tom needs to recover and with the constant rain outside, there really hasn't been much else to do.

Before Covid, we would have been insanely bored this week, but we have slowed down so much and learnt to amuse ourselves at home that it really hasn't been that bad.  

Saturday - we headed to Morecambe for a walk along the prom - it was supposed to be better there.  It wasn't!  We got absolutely soaked walking to the Stone Jetty and back, but it was needed - Tom and I had hardly been out of the house all week.  We then went to Atkinsons for fish and chips and at them in the car (again) at Hest Bank in the hope of seeing some trains.

Blea Moor on a blea day

Sunday - we woke to no rain - NO RAIN!  However, it was very windy, and by the time we had breakfast it was raining again.  Oh hum, Tom had his daily bath, we had lunch and then we headed out to Ribblehead for a walk (haven't been there since February) we did the usual circuit and then walked up to the aqueduct.  On the way back we got caught in a heavy shower of rain - so we arrived back home drenched and very wind swept - oh almost forgot to say, today we had to wear our bobble hats it was so cold and windy.  Yep.  Bobble hats.  In July! Three hot showers later we were feeling human again, but really should July have this weather?  Take me back to April!

Oh - pubs, restaurants, B&Bs, hotels, campsites and other leisure venues opened up on Saturday.  We have stayed away.  Figure the morons will be out first, also venues will be testing their procedures etc.  Will give it a couple of weeks and then head out.

And it was the 72nd birthday of the NHS today so at 5pm we had a last clap for the emergency services.  They were all out again with sirens and lights flashing.  I took a video:

Week 14

Cold water

Tom's last week at Ingleton Primary School.   We had a sad boy on our hands.  It all seems so wrong, instead of celebrating their time at school - it just sort of fizzled out.  They didn't get to do any of the fun things that Year 6 normally do in their last half term of school and therefore haven't been given the chance to grow and get that Year 6 swagger that normally happens.  They, of course, have taken it in their stride, whilst us parents feel we have been robbed of a significant life event.  So sad, but that is how it is.

Anyhow, before he could leave school, we had to work our way through home schooling for Monday-Wednesday.  Maths this week was algebra - once Tom got his head around a+a=2a rather than b (because b is the second letter of the alphabet) and that you can split c into 4: c/4  he breezed it. English task was to write a tourist leaflet of Ingleton - this was supposed to be done at school but I knew he wouldn't finish it - so he did most of it at home. 

Family paddle

We went river swimming in Ingleton on Tuesday and Burton on Wednesday.  Burton made me a little uneasy - too many people and huge high up jumps.  There were loads of teenagers in the river, and to be fair they kept their distance from us but still made me nervous.  Think we will stick to Ingleton.  The river in Ingleton was freezing, but Tom went all the way in.  I barely got my toes wet!  He certainly doesn't take after me!

Thursday was roasting.  Tom was full of hayfever, but went to school regardless.  He spent most of the day outside, so came home exhausted.  Friday, his last day, he had sports day and a massive water fight, Mrs Clements got wetter than anyone else!  We went up to school to collect him as it was the last time ever.  I held it together but then saw another mum who went, so then of course I went.  I just about held it together.  We then got home and found a lovely letter from Mrs Clements, that was it: Matt was sobbing, I was sobbing and Tom...well he just laughed at us!  Plenty of FB posts went round - the parents were feeling it bad!  

Last ever school run

I had to have a couple of gin and tonics and Matt a couple of beers to recover.  Then we decided to give Tom a new West Brom football shirt we bought a while ago as a well done for having such a great attitude towards home schooling and  as an end of school gift.

We had tea, game of crib and then went out for a walk to see two of Tom's classmates who had birthdays today but weren't in his bubble.  We got back, and Tom started to get quite ill.  Silly us, it had been thundering, and that means that pollen comes down from higher in the atmosphere - he was suffering from pollen overload he was a snotty mess - could barely breathe through it all.  And of course he had spent most of the school day outside too.  He then started to cough.  Panic stations...is it Covid or is it the asthmatic cough that landed him in hospital this time 6 years ago?  It was 8pm, the best thing we could do was get him asleep.  We took his temperature - he was fine, so we put him to bed.  Took him ages to get to sleep.  Once he did, Matt and I were listening out for coughing - no coughing.  2am, no coughing, later on, no coughing.  He woke up: no coughing.  His temperature was fine.  Both of us were convinced it was a hayfever snotty cough.  Phew!  Was ready to call for medical advice first thing. I also had nightmares of having to call school to tell them that Tom had Covid symptoms.   I spoke to a friend who has a son with bad hayfever too and he had a cough last night too and was fine this morning - we put each other's minds at rest.  It wasn't a dry cough anyway - a horrible congested cough, but wow - it was a bit of a fright!  Talk about a day of emotions!

Saturday was a rainy, thundery day so we decided to stay in.  Tom had a long bath in the morning, we then watched Whale Rider, which we all enjoyed (highly recommended if you like New Zealand  / Māori culture).  I then popped out to re-stock Gingerbugs and Tom had a lengthy video call with Florrie (when I say lengthy I mean it - over 3 hours!  Only came to an end because Florrie was hungry!).

What a week, and school isn't completely over yet - we have done a collection for the teachers - but couldn't hand anything over because the other bubble haven't finished yet.  So we will have to go again to say goodbye again - plus the kids haven't got their leavers hoodies yet either so plenty more time to blub!

Oh - Tom has set up a camera trap in the garden to record all the new birds that have been visiting us.  Matt put together a compilation of the best bits so far.  Take a look here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peM0uLhcWMw.  

A friend has sent us a list of the birds in the clips which turned up some surprising ones we didn't realise, never heard of a Dunnock before!  (Carrion crow (with clubfoot), Starlings, Song Thrush, House Sparrow, Robin, Female Blackbird, Dunnock (Hedge Sparrow) with young, Young Blackbird, Great Tit with young, Jackdaws, Lesser-spotted catfinch, House Sparrow, Robin, Long-tailed Field Mouse, Carrion Crow, Wren, Magpies, Jackdaws, Wren, Goldfinch, House sparrow, Carrion crow, Blue Tit, Dunnock)

Great Yorkies

Sunday - another rainy day, we spent the day doing lego - trying to finish all the models, we are so close!  Matt went out to do the waterfalls walk in the pouring rain - he came home saturated - but got some good footage.  Lo and behold - we had an actual Sunday roast.  Tom made the yorkshire puddings - and did such a good job that is will now forever be on Yorkshire pudding duty - silly boy!

Week 13

Spirit of the Lakes thudding through Hest Bank

So, another busy week for me: I had a cake go out on Tuesday and many Champion Dad gingerbread medals to make.  Tom had a good week: he was on fractions with Maths - which he breezed through and his main English task was to rewrite a picture book story that Mrs Clements read to them on video.  He was very inspired and did a great job. In fact I will put copy and paste it below - think you should be impressed - I certainly was.  I think the standard of literacy work Tom has to do is way above anything I had to do at Primary school.

Fish and chips in the car

On Friday we drove to Hest  Bank to see some 37s go past (Tom's favourite engines).  I'm not a train spotter but needed a change of scenery and we decided to go for some fish and chips on the prom afterwards.  We couldn't find any - oh no!  However, the 37s had headed to Morecambe Station, so we headed there, they went on the platform to look, I stayed in the car and looked online for fish and chips - found one where you could order on line with a 15 min wait (Atkinsons for future reference).  Perfect, we did so, drove over and I was impressed to find face masks and a very efficient system.  (Way more professional than the chippy in Ingleton).  We drove back to the prom, found a bench, and it started to rain, so we had fish and chips in the car - how much more British can you get?!  Was very good fish and chips though - we would happily go back.

Lovely clean Nansen

Saturday - a lovely day.  We washed the Polar Bear (he was beginning to smell and look a little grey).  Then Tom and I headed over to Meadow Falls for a socially distanced birthday party for Annabel (running round the empty campsite) whilst Matt went for a bike ride. The kids had a great time in the campsite - 4 of them playing hide and seek, lots of energy used up.  We then went for a walk up to Edith's wood, OMG what a mistake the meadow fields killed me, Tom and Liz.  We all felt pants, walked straight back and then back home.  We spent the rest of the day inside recovering.

Air ambulance leaving the car park

Sunday wasn't a very nice day weather wise, neither me nor Tom wanted to go outside, so we stayed in.  Morning excitement was an Air Ambulance flying just above the house as a cyclist came off his bike just outside - was in a bad way.  The afternoon was spent watching Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince and not much else.  We felt much better by the end of the day, ready for another week - Tom's last week at IPS.

As promised, Tom's story (100% his own work - no input from me at all):

The Promise

I was alone in the city. It was the worst place you can imagine to live in and tower blocks scarred the sky. I lived with hardly anything. My parents were mean to me, I had hardly known what money was. My bed was a crumpled mattress with a thin sheet, that was the type that was used for a cot, and 1 tiny pillow, that I had since I was a baby. I was living in the tallest tower block in the city and lived next to lift shaft so I heard the clatter of the lift as it shuddered to the stop opposite my room. It needed fixing, it had screeching brakes, and sometimes woke me up I the middle of the night. All the people in the city were mean and cruel like the city itself. Nothing was to be seen. I have never known what happiness is and probably won’t. Nothing was out there. Nothing was right. Nobody would make a change. Whenever I went out I got elbowed and shoved and came back with nothing but myself. Something needed to be done. And fast.

One night when I was being pushed and shoved, I escaped down an alley next to my tower and saw an old lady. She was trudging along and was carrying and bag, that seemed to be bulging. I thought of food and money. I sneaked up behind her and grabbed a hold of the bag, but the little old lady hung on with unsurprised force. She said “As long as you plant them I’ll let go,” what did she mean?

“Alright, I promise” I grunted. She relased her grip immediately and I dashed off back up the alley to my block. 

When got to my room I ripped open the bag and saw nothing but………. Acorns. I forgot about money and food and held them tight. I made a promise to myself about them. It was not to let go out of my sight. That night I slept on them and woke early ready for the exciting day ahead. I got up went down the lift to the ground floor. Jumping out of the lift, I rushed outside to the stinking air. I rushed around the city, like a cheetah spotting an antelope and chasing after it. 

I went down to the railway tracks, tram lines and roads. And planted. Just planted. I pushed everything out of the way. The bag never seemed to empty it was as full as it was when I stole it from that little old lady. The leather it was made from looked old and frail. That night I went to bed late. It was around midnight when I finally pulled the old sheet up over me and went to sleep dreaming about what would happen. 

The next day, I got up and looked out the grimy window and saw no change about the city I rushed down the stairs two at a time. Frantically, I rushed out to the city and……. Nothing. I was ashamed at myself. The old lady had tricked me. I said to myself,” calm down, wait till tomorrow.” And wait till tomorrow I did. I stayed at the window all day and watched and waited. It was about 5 pm when I started to get sleepy and I slumped on the floor, because I had stood up all day.  I went to my bed a fell asleep and didn’t wake up till the morning.

In the morning, I woke up to sunlight. Sunlight? There was never sunlight in the city. My grimy window wasn’t grimy anymore. Looking out, there was green shoots raising out of the ground. TREES! I couldn’t belive that my whole plan worked. Thank goodness for the old lady. Rushing down the stairs, I saw people smiling and laughing with each other. The people were touching the leaves. It was like looking at one huge banana shaped smile. I pushed my way through the crowd, on my way to another sorry looking city. I left behind the green and the beautiful and moved into the hard and ugly. I left behind the happiness and joyful. I enjoyed the green. 

I pushed on through the next city and planted. Just planted. The people there were as mean and as ugly as my city before the trees. People were staring at me in disgust, and were muttering under their breath. It looked like I wasn’t welcome there. It didn’t matter because I only stayed for a couple of hours, and then moved on.

One night when I was in a city a young thief fought me for my sack of acorns. I said the same words the old lady had said to me, knowing what the answer was going to be. The answer was of course yes, I let my grip loosen on the bag and I knew that my planting was to go on.  

I looked at the thief. It was basically me but a lot younger when the plants weren’t in my city. He was a sad looking boy, with dark grey hair and walnut coloured eyes. He sprinted off into the dark night.

Week 12

St. Patrick's Chapel, Heysham

It has been quite a miserable week weather wise.  It has been at best grey and dull and at worse, rain, rain, rain and cold - so much so that the bobble hats came out again.  We couldn't go for our daily exercise one day and other days all we managed was a quick walk round the village between showers.

Things are slowly becoming 'normal' again - meaning that things that seemed strange (staying 2 meters away from people) now seem normal as well as the fact we are allowed to meet up with friends now and drive to go to visit places.  Next week the shops will open again - so things really will seem normal again.  We are hoping that this will mean that the morons visiting Ingleton at weekends to trespass and litter will instead go to shopping malls and leave us alone to the nicer type of tourist we like and welcome.

Splashing

This week home schooling was fractions in maths which Tom enjoys and Black poetry to appraise - in response to the Black Lives Matter protests.  The poem was very thought provoking - you can see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cHIWtl8PNk&feature=youtu.be.  At first Tom didn't 'get' it.  But after a potted history of slavery and racism by me (I hope I did an OK job - difficult to know where to pitch it to an 11 year old!) we watched it again.  He was in tears.  I was in tears.  He got it.  Apparently a number of his classmates had the same reaction.  Certainly something to think about.

Pendolino at Hest Bank

Afternoon mindfulness was taken up catching up with work he didn't finish at school, seems they play more than they work at school - which is fine, but all the children attending school are falling behind those who are wholly home schooling - funny how things turn around isn't it?!

Thursday and Friday, Tom went back to school and I was busy making chocolate and decorations for a cake for a week away.  In fact I had my head down the whole time he was away - Gingerbugs is opening next Monday and they don't have much stock left!  I was hoping to have some 'me' time once he went back to school - but it isn't looking likely.  By the time I get myself back on track with choccies for Gingerbugs, Tom will be back with me full-time.  Oh hum.

"Wild Boar" Fell

We did manage one bike ride and a couple of shorter walks, but nothing really of note, with things going back to normal, we are going back to normal - and not getting as much exercise as before.  We all think proper lockdown was more enjoyable than this half:half lockdown we are in now. 

Saturday dawned grey, but it quickly cheered up.  We decided to spend the afternoon in Heysham - so after an early lunch we headed over.  We've been to Heysham before to get the ferry to the Isle of Man and at the end of a bike ride along the Morecambe prom, but we haven't explored the town itself.

Cairns on Wild Boar Fell

The Flying Banana passing Ais Gill

The outskirts are what you would expect of a port - not particularly lovely to look at, industrial areas, cheap housing etc etc.  However, we discovered the centre of the town is really lovely...chocolate box lovely.   Also there was a lovely church overlooking the bay.  Some nice looking restaurants and cafes too.  We wondered around, got on to the beach, took our boots off and squelched in the mud/sand.  Tom and I had a water fight in a puddle - he ended up sat in it.  I was wearing completely the wrong clothes - it was cool when we left Ingleton, but it was very warm on the beach.  Ended up looking very 'special' with my leggings rolled up under my skirt.  We didn't take enough water with us and of course no shops were open, luckily I had thrown 3 satsumas in my bag before leaving so we ate those greedily, hoping we would find a shop to buy some drinks.  We didn't!  

Oh hum, we headed to Hest Bank where the boys went train spotting and I had a bout of hay fever, so stayed in the car.  Funnily enough the Bickerstaffs walked past, so we stopped for a chat.  The plan for tea this evening was a Chinese from the Water Lily in KL.  We phoned on the way over, placed an order and it was ready for us on arrival - perfect timing.  We all had a main dish and rice dish each and we ALL ate up every morsel - wowzers - I don't know where he puts it!

Local resident

Sunday was another beautiful, sunny day.  To get away from the crowds that were inevitable, we headed to Wild Boar Fell which was the fell we tried to climb the weekend before lockdown - we had to abandon it due to extreme winds.  Think we went up in thick coats and woolly hats.  Today we were in shorts, T-shirts, caps and lots of suncream.  There was hardly anyone about (great stuff) so we walked up.  Well Tom and I walked up - Matt raced up as he wanted to see the flying banana go past from the top (he got there in time, we didn't!).  It was a stiff climb, but we all made it and it was worth it for the view from the top.  It is another flat topped mountain so we had an explore - there were some interesting very tall cairns perched on the edge, not sure what the history of those was?

Week 11

Completed jigsaw

After a week off, Tom and I were back up for home schooling again.  This week it was fractions in maths and semi colons, spelling and a reading comprehension in English.  Tom stormed it this week - we didn't have any conflicts - phew!

Mindfulness was doing another 1,000 piece jigsaw and more work on his railway article.  I said no to baking this week as I'm putting on weight and wanted a week off sweet treats in the house.

Monday we drove up to Ribblehead and met up with the Raddas for a walk (Rebecca is an only child too - so with the new regulations, we are 6 and allowed out together as long as we keep to 2 metres apart - very easy in the Dales!).  It was a glorious evening, blue sky, sunshine, the countryside was shining in the sunlight.  We found a wonderful packhorse bridge and river, and then Jon took us to a derelict settlement called Thorns.  Think there were about 5 houses, and a collection of barns etc.  There was even a cobble road that ran through it.  I love places like this - wish I could go back in time to see it when it was alive, but was happy to wonder through and imagine how it must have once been.  I was really enjoying myself, until a mad woman with three very loud barking dogs shouted at me across a field for disturbing an owl?!  I could barely hear her because her two dogs were making such a din!!!!

16th century packhorse bridge

Apparently, she is up there for a couple of hours every day (including every day during lockdown), she lives in Ingleton.  She has put up handwritten notices all over the place telling people to respect the place, keep to the footpath and keep dogs on a lead - her dogs weren't on a lead?!  I didn't disturb an owl, I was quietly looking around the buildings - an angry woman - apparently she drives the taxi that takes children to school from Ribblehead every day - not sure I would want my child in her company - she used 'flowery' language with Tom and Rebecca present.  Anyway, although she ruined the moment for me, she quickly became an annecdote and it was such a lovely evening and so nice to spend time with friends at last.  Rebecca was hoarse by the end of the evening as she talked so much!

Social distancing - Dales style

Tuesday evening saw us in Settle visiting Pat and Bob in their garden for an hour or so - as we are 'clean' and now allowed to meet up in groups of up to 6 in gardens.  Once Tom goes back to school we become a risk again.

Thursday was an exciting day...he went back to school.  Ingleton Primary School opened its doors to Year 6 only.  They have split Year 6 into 2 bubbles of 10: one bubble goes in Monday and Tuesday, the school then gets a deep clean on the Wednesday and then the other goes in Thursday and Friday.  They don't wear school uniform, they are only allowed to take themselves and a coat in with them.  Everyone has to have a school packed lunch.  Each child has a desk allocated to them and on that is a tray with all their equipment including a laptop (didn't even know the school had laptops?!), a pack of tissues, a zipper bag to put dirty tissues in, books, pens, pencils and a beaker for water.

A schoolboy again!

They aren't allowed to walk around the classroom at all, otherwise the two meter rule goes out of the window.  There are footprints all over the place to keep the kids 2 metres away from each other.  They have put in extra washing facilities, and have special parts of the school grounds which only they are allowed to play in.  Tom was very excited to return - he was literally bouncing off the walls on Wednesday with the prospect.  Funny isn't it - he can't meet up with 10 of his friends and how ever many adults in the 'outside world' but it is fine in a small classroom?!  The poor boy hasn't had any childish interaction for 11 weeks and is in need of it.   

The school sent through a video, detailing all the routines so the kids knew what to expect.  Only one adult is allowed to accompany their children at a time, we aren't allowed in the school grounds at all.  Basically they want as few adults as possible anywhere near them.  Tom is going to take himself to and fro school from now on - we don't need to be there.  Of the 10 in his bubble - 7 turned up.  His bubble is all but one of the boys and 5 girls.  Only 2 of the girls turned up - they were both all smiles. The boys were nonchalant.  They were all very compliant, standing on their footprints and filed into school quietly and calmly.  Year 6 are a good bunch, so I don't think there will be any problems with them.  Mrs Colledge and Mrs Clements were obviously very excited to see the kids again.

Storrs Common

I spent the day catching up with Lily Pad Bakery.  I wrote out a cake order for later this month and then started thinking about chocolate as Gingerbugs will be opening its doors again on the 16th June as long as there aren't too many morons in the village (if there are, they will close as it isn't safe for them to have them in their shop - from both health and financial points of view!).  So it was a day of lists, spreadsheets and getting the rusty gears of my creative brain oiled again ready for use.  It filled the day though and before I knew it, Tom was back home (he finishes at 3pm now).  He had a great day - came home caked in mud so went up and had a shower straight away.  They only had one lesson: maths, and the rest of the time was spent outside catching up with each other.  Mrs Clements said that she did have lots of activities planned, but she couldn't bring herself to do them and just let them have a catch up.  He was very energised, and was happily bouncing about the place for the rest of the day.

Yamaha MT-09 - brilliant hooligan bike

Friday - Tom went happily back to school and I spent the day making chocolate.  It was a strange day, as Matt took the bike out to get its service, meaning that I was home alone for the first time in 12 weeks.  It was weird!  

I put my head down and got on making some chocolate, took a while to get going and in the routine of it, but got a fair amount done.  Matt came back just in time for lunch, Tom got back at 3 and it was the weekend.  Hurray.  We got an email from the school today which was disappointing.  They have decided to have all years return to school, as they can only have a maximum of 10 per classroom (their classrooms are too small for 15 - to think they had 36 in their class last year!!!!) this means that Year 6 are only back for 4 weeks - 8 sessions in total.  We, along with everyone else had assumed that when they went back they would go back until the end of the school term as nothing in the communications had suggested otherwise.  I understand that they need to be fair to all children, and Year 6 is getting an extra week to everyone else, but it was disappointing.  I'm hoping they aren't expecting us to homeschool them after they've left - that would be a step too far I think!

HIGH tide at Arnside

Kestrel diving

Saturday we had a slow morning, had lunch at home (when are we ever going to eat out again) and then headed over to Arnside in search for a walk without morons.  We headed to the village centre and easily found a parking space (good sign) we then thought we would walk around the coast and then up the Knott.  Oh no, bad idea...we started the beach walk to find no beach - just water!  It was high tide and by high tide, I mean HIGH tide.  We had to dance in and out of the waves, hummm, probably not a great idea, so we decided to turn off the coast walk and head up the Knott first.

This we did, enjoyed the views and then headed down to find the path that hugged the coast back to Arnside.  We hadn't done that before.  It was incredibly narrow, but luckily we didn't meet anyone else.  Was a nice mixture of woodland, bushes, sea, cliffs and sand.  We got back to Arnside and headed home - takeaway pizza was on the menu for tea.

On Sunday we had another easy morning and after lunch headed to Hutton Roof to walk around the Crags.  This is a walk we've been meaning to do for years (not far from Lupton) but for one reason or another kept forgetting about.  It was a good walk: it had everything: limestone pavement, woodland, dozens of paths to get lost in, open farmland, good views etc etc.  At one point it felt like we were in mangrove swamps, with lots of knarled tree roots, humidity, moss etc.  How we didn't get lost is beyond me (lucky Matt has his tech!).  Anyway a good walk, certainly worth doing again and taking in Farleton Knott if we had all day.

Lenticular clouds above Ingleton

And that was it - another week ticked off the list.