3 June 2009

The weather had turned decidedly cooler but it was still bright and clear. We said our goodbyes to Kate, who was setting off back to Adlington, then went into Whitby. Fi and Dan went their own way for the day, and Dad and Tim were doing a 10 mile walk via Robin Hoods Bay. That left me, Nick and Emily, Sarah and Tom, Mum and Pam.

We settled on taking a half hour boat trip first, as we were offered a good deal and we thought we should go in case the weather changed (a good plan, as it turned out). For now, the sky was azure, with some interesting cloud formations above us.

Our vessel was the old lifeboat, Mary Ann Hepworth, manned by a sailor in a thin T-shirt; we were huddled in several layers as a vigorous north wind chilled us. He thought it may be too rough out on the open sea, and as we inched slowly out between the jaws of the two long piers he declared that we had better turn back and cruise up-river instead. As he carried out the turning manoeuvre we were tossed around in the swell like a toy boat, and we were perfectly happy with his decision.

The Esk Valley was very pretty, and we travelled up as far as a picturesque red brick viaduct that towered over us.

An added bonus was the river's proximity to the railway line, because we were fortunate to catch some glimpses of a steam train as it left Whitby.

After our ride we led the others to our old haunt, Sanders Yard, for a slap-up lunch. Emily and Tom were kept entertained by a chest of toys at the restaurant, and we were early enough to bag some squishy chairs in the lounge area. Back out in the chill wind we walked up the 199 steps to the abbey.

Emily had dropped off in the carrier, and as it was spitting with rain we took refuge in the gift shop, to the detriment of our funds. On the way back into town we called in at Fortunes smokery to get some of their famous kippers

then joined the few other hardy souls braving the biting wind on the exposed jetty. It was quite exhilarating to see the huge rollers pound the pier.

Graham arrived in the evening, still a bit sooty after a day cleaning steam trains at Bury. It was a baptism of fire for him, as Tom and Fern galloped around in a state of high excitement. He must have wondered what he was letting himself in for.

2 June 2009

We woke at the civilised hour of 7am to another fabulous day.

Eventually we all gathered ourselves together and drove in several cars over to Staithes. The village is so inaccessible that all visitors have to park on the clifftop and walk ten minutes down a 1 in 4 hill to the harbourside.

It was a fantastic spot for a family day out, and improved further by a very decent cafe with great coffee and good food. There is a small sandy beach with almost becalmed water, backed by picturesque houses (including one of Captain Cook's first dwellings). We all had a great couple of hours playing on the sand before it was time to head for home. I was sorry we hadn't made it down there years ago as it seemed so idyllic.

Nick was determined to take Emily in for another dip, but as before she yelled when the cold water surprised her. She did calm down quickly afterwards though, and was soon sat on an upturned boat gnawing a stone.

After hanging out at the farm a while we took a stroll down to Falling Foss. The children had a wonderful time sploshing in the shallow stream

before we moved on into the garden of Midge Hall for tea and cake. Emily was very lively, really liking the tyre swing.

I saw a robin and some wagtails, and I realised that I mustn't take them for granted as there don't seem to be any in Japan.

In the evening we finally put the games room to some use and had a brief snooker tournament. There was still some light in the sky as we retired at eleven. In Japan it doesn't stay light much beyond 8pm, as it is further south and they don't have daylight saving.

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!

31 May 2009

Tom woke first, at 6.30, and Emily soon pricked up her ears and got up, on hearing him squealing. The children played continuously for three hours as we all gradually ate, washed and prepared for the beach. In bright sun but a cold wind, we parked at West Cliff and walked down to the patch of sand left dry following the recent high tide.

We pitched Fi's play tent near the crumbling clay cliffs and the children were soon exploring.

After a while Nick found the allure of the surf irresistible and went in, though even he admitted it was too cold as he emerged bright pink.

We left the others after an hour or so as we were due at Larpool where Nick's family were gathering for the afternoon, primarily to see us. We had a lovely three hours there. After eating we decamped to the garden since it was such a nice day. Emily played with the 'children' (that's pushing it, since the quads are now 16) and they were all very good with her, especially Michael.

Nick's gran loved having her family all around her. She is lucky that they all get on so well. Emily was quite cute, trying to do headstands on the lawn.

She is changing so much and seems so grown up sometimes. Being around her older cousins is doing her a power of good developmentally and eating with them will hopefully encourage her to expand her limited repertoire of food. She has decided that when she doesn't like something she blows raspberries. It is quite comical so it is hard to keep a straight face and enforce what we are trying to do.

After dinner we went for a wander down the lane to Falling Foss, a waterfall about 30 feet high in an attractive wooded valley. Pam, Kate and I played poohsticks from a footbridge over a stream. An old house next to the water, called Midge Hall, was very aptly named and we soon beat a retreat back up the hill.

30 May 2009

Our drive to the cottage near Whitby (a bit of a misnomer as it has five bedrooms and massive communal rooms) passed very smoothly. We didn't get held up on the M62, as is normal, or even on the notorious A64 near York (afterwards we realised that might be because we were travelling while the FA Cup was being played). Emily was very close to sleep when we arrived, but as soon as she saw Tom and Fern she went mental, running about and yelling. They both had doll buggies and she loved pushing her monkey around in one. I was really pleased with my choice of accommodation; the converted farm buildings were smart and modern and extremely spacious.


At seven we gave them a quick bath together, which caused even more excitement. I was amazed that Emily managed to go to sleep because Tom and Fern were haring up an down on the wooden floor of the lounge, right over our bedroom.

29 May 2009

We were blessed with lovely weather for our trip to Tatton Park. On arrival we tackled the garden. Last time I was there I was about 3 months pregnant and similar flowers were in bloom. Emily explored the gooseberries and blackcurrants then took off along the rows of apple trees with me in hot pursuit.

As it was already her lunchtime we had to keep the visit brief and go back to the restaurant. Given the buzz of activity in the large eatery and with all of us watching her, it wasn't that surprising that she barely ate any of her lunch. Perhaps she was already anticipating the luscious desserts on the table too: a mistake to put them there where they could tempt her.

Afterwards, Nick took Emily on the old-fashioned carousel in the courtyard

then we took the land-train for the five minute ride to the farm. We thought she would love it there, but she seemed quite peturbed by the large animals, saying 'no, no' if we took her too close to the cows, horses and goats. Eventually she came to enjoy the pigs, with their litters of piglets, and she liked chasing the free-ranging chickens.

After the return train ride she had fun in the large playground, and then she and I had a ride on the carousel.

After such a busy day I was afraid that she would nap in the car, and I was right. The knock-on effect was that come bedtime she was bright as a button, and kept trying to escape from the tent. I got a bit fed up with wrestling with her and had to hand over to Nick to sit with her until she gave in to sleep. Consequently, he missed dinner with Gail and Dave again. Afterwards we had a nostalgic time looking over old family photos.

28 May 2009

Despite going to bed late, Emily woke bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 5.20, and I spent more than half an hour trying in vain to persuade her to snooze between us. Nick and Pam took her out for a wet and muddy walk at Alderley Edge. After lunch, Nick and I went off on the train to Manchester on a shopping spree, while Pam and Kate looked after Emily. It was very liberating; I felt guilty afterwards that I had hardly spared her a thought. I couldn't help but dwell on the fact that if we lived in the UK we might be able to have more time together like that, with Pam or Mum's help.


When we got back Emily was very sparky, though obviously on her last legs after an early start and not much nap. Gail and Dave arrived in the evening, having travelled up to Cheshire in order to see Nick. Unfortunately he promptly had to absent himself as he was due to go out for a drink with Skid. It is hard to fit in all the family and friends you would like to see in such a short space of time.