1 June 2009

Nick, Emily and I went to Flamingoland, near Pickering, where we met up with Pam, Kate and Gran. Pam had promised her animal-loving Mum a trip to see the tigers, and we thought that Emily would enjoy the animals and the child-friendly rides.

After seeing some giraffes, zebras, ostriches and rhinos it was Emily's lunchtime, so Nick and I took her off to one of the cafes to eat her ready meal, which the staff kindly heated up. Maybe it was the distraction of the nearby softplay area or the blaring music, but she got very upset and refused to eat. As I had PMT I was very frustrated and also got worked up to the point where I felt I might cry. There followed an hour of soul-searching and reasoning. All toddlers have difficult patches but it doesn't help to know that when it is you going through it.

Eventually I gave up trying to feed her and calmed down a bit, and we carried on. We took the cow-patterned 'People-Moover' monorail for the short distance to Muddy Duck Farm, where we checked out the livestock. Kate and Nick split off to try a few rides in the theme park, and I took Emily on a tame helicopter ride. Afterwards we took a little train around the zoo, then a small wild west-style Ferris wheel. Nick and Kate emerged dripping from the log flume and then it was my turn to try a white knuckle ride. I plumped for Velocity, a rollercoaster that seemed tame as it didn't go upside down or particularly high. My mistake was in not taking into account the name, speed being its main point of interest. Kate and I sat astride a pair of pseudo-motorbikes, leaning into the body with our feet firmly wedged in a streamline position. Though I had watched previous groups go off, I was totally unprepared for the force of 24 metres per second (0-60mph in a second or two). There followed a minute of gut-wrenching swoops and curves at mega-speed, during which I feared I might actually black out, before we were safely deposited at the end, with my stomach several metres behind me and my knees quivering. I was pleased I had given it a shot though. Kate, being a bit of a thrill-seeker, went on yet again afterwards with Nick.

In the evening, Nick's friends Sarah and Richard and Rachel and Chris came over from York to see us. We had wondered if one of them would have a surprise for us and, yes, Sarah was 23 weeks pregnant with No. 2. We set off for a meal in Ruswarp, but having decided where to sit and what we wanted to drink, we discovered that the kitchen was closed for renovation. We carried on to what seemed to be the only pub in Sleights, to find that the barman was on his own for the night and struggling to cope. Eventually we got a passably good meal; in the meantime we had a good chat and Nick, Sarah and Rachel mulled over some of the more colourful parts of their student days. I even learned something new about my husband, though I wish I hadn't!