Dec 26
So, it’s that time of year again.
Where parents frantically try to get what their kids want without going overboard
Where husbands and wives think frantically what their spouses would like this year
Where inlaws buy socks
Where children make handcrafted trinkets with love for their parents
Where vouchers are the ultimate safe haven when you just can’t work out that perfect gift
Actually, the ultimate safe haven are pamper packs of bath salts and smellies.
But not this year..
I, well, Jay and I, decided that it had been too long since we had used the studio lights and taken some proper shots of the kids goofing around, so whilst they went off to the shops, I set up the Bowens in the lounge, fired up the camera and waited for their return with props and ideas.
And so it was time to take the kids back home so they had time to unwind before school started. This is the bit that’s hard – that still having fun but knowing that its almost time to go bit. Still – have fun we did and Ruth cooked us all a lovely late lunch/early tea as we played in the last of the English summer warmth.
We had a few hours, so I took some nice photos in the lovely light she has in her house.
We had almost come to the end of the holidays and there were so many fun things still to be done. I decided to go see what one of the locals parks had to offer as I’d heard it had been done up since I was last there. And done up it had been – lots of new play equipment, remodelling and the two decade old mini golf had finally been redone.
100 years ago, England was criss crossed with railway lines. Small towns and villages were all connected with quaint single track upon which steam trains chuffed their merry way about, ferrying passengers in their wooden well appointed carriages. Sadly, the second world war meant that the upkeep of a lot of the track and rolling stock fell far behind, and budget cuts meant that a lot of the smaller branch lines were uneconomic to operate.
Its been way too long since I used the 50 mil and I’ve kinda forgotten how to get the most out of it. Its sharp, somewhat slow to focus and has a wonderful depth of field – perfect for making stuff look out of focus. Its the best lens for portraits – set it to f4 and it’s tack sharp – provided you have a steady hand and are good at focussing on the eyes.
Anyway – its focal length is good for general stuff – particularly taking snippets of what’s around you. Jay is very good with the 50 – way better than I.
Groombridge Place (http://www.groombridge.co.uk) is only 30 mins drive from my parents house. I’ve been there before about 4 years ago with Ella, not that she remembers really, just snippets here and there. It’s a pretty cool place – an old moated English country house and beautiful gardens that also has an adventure playground and an ‘enchanted forest’ walk for children. Good enough to keep the kids happy for a few hours anyway.
I gave my kids a massive hug when I got in on Friday – it had been 6 months since I saw them in person – Henry was dancing around in circles he was so excited. Its always so fantastic to see them.
The next day, after a good nights sleep, we went for a walk to the park at the top of the hill – it was a beautiful day too – warm, hot even, sunny, perfect. The kids had loads of fun playing, swinging, sliding, running and making friends.
Mar 10
We had some other nice days, went out for lunch – actually, there’s a story there all by itself
Never go to Pizza Express in Sevenoaks – they were terrible, forgot our order, lied to cover it up and told us it was ‘just in the oven’ but 1/2 hour later it still hadn’t arrived, stuffed up with the deserts and eventually, after nearly 2 hours (yeah, I know, I was ready to blow) we just walked out. So, Pizza Express – you were terrible, beyond awful and I have no hesitation in not recommending that anyone go there ever, under any circumstances.
And I’m going to tag this post and tweet it too. Customer service is sometimes about recovering from a stuff-up – and they just made it worse.
Anyways, before I get on my high horse too much, back to the week..
Lunch, days out, fun, etc.
Then we decided to go to Hastings Aquarium with my sister.
Having a 7 seater hire car has some benefits – we could fit them all in one car and go together. So, after much palaver getting car seats in, we trotted off in gloomy but clearing conditions.
We arrived in Hastings and it was shrouded in the thick sea fog – couldn’t see the tops of the townhouses it was that thick. There was no way to make out the horizon between ocean and sky. The aquarium was a bit of a disappointment if truth be told, it was small and didn’t have that much in there, but still, the kids had a good time. We had lunch (fish and chips, of course) and then went for a walk on the beach
Good times 
Had a nice day the next day, but then I had to take them back home, which was sad as it had been such a lovely week. I hate to leave them, its horrible. But, time will fly and I’ll be back in the summer.
Mar 5
So, as you know, I went to England to see my beautiful kids. England, land of the village pub, the Darling Buds of May, long summer evenings, rambling footpaths and history going back millenia.
Well, it wasn’t like that. The sun didn’t shine. It rained all the time. It was freezing. The cloudbase was 3 feet above the ground – so much so it didn’t really get light a couple of days. But hey, it was February and it wasn’t entirely unexpected.
More to the point, it wasn’t why I was there.
My kids
I had a lovely time with them – they’re so utterly amazing. But then I’m a little biassed. Their little faces when I knocked on their front door is the best thing ever. Every time. It’s like the biggest light ever comes on. Probably like seeing kids faces at Christmas, but times one hundred.
They’re so cool.
Here’s a few pics from the first few days..
A little fun with the 10-20 wide angle
Now some more normal shots.
Next post – the cousins. Well, a couple of them anyway, there’s a tribe of them we didn’t get to see this time.
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