Christmas cheer

snowman holding a box

snowman holding a box

Well Christmas is finely here and never mind the goose I’m already getting fat.
What a great time of year this is. That’s if you can avoid the hype and take it for what it is. And that is a time for greeting and meeting and making merry. Catch up with family, friends and the odd stranger.

I met two polish guys yesterday, they came to buy my old car. They were hooded and spoke broken English like they just stepped out of a modern day thriller. It took one look at my Christmas decorations and hopefully a smile in my face to bring the conversation away from cars and clutches, brake pipes and bushes to the merry Christmases we had when we were young. They told me of twelve course dinners that they had to endure and fish not turkey as the main on their special day of days.
So meet and greet and be kind while remembering that a smile and a little sharing can change a novel book villain to really nice guys. Merry Christmas to all and I will blog again soon.

Day four Butlins

9:16am Woke from the crypt about an hour ago. Within five mins I found myself trying to ma bubble solution for a bubble gun. Not going so well, might visit the shop after all.
This is the final full day of our little break so it’s going to be action packed and full on for the kids, and me. Apparently they are planing to take me on all The rides today. That includes the ones I don’t want to go on. A fathers work is never done. Is that the saying, well to me it is. (I love it really)

This is a picture I wanted to put on yesterday’s post. Its of my family, I thought you should meet them in all there glory at brighton beach.

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12:31 Been swimming and very hungry now. We managed to do all the slides today, kids loved it. The wife broke her fear of slides and I didn’t get stuck in the boat. Quick shower and change then back out to play.

15:52pm Fair grounds, they just don’t agree with me. All that spinning and dropping. Up and down up and down, then round and round finishing with that sudden stop. Except the head is still moving up and down round and round. I feel funny just writing about it. I think that eating a potato with cheese and beans did not help. I did manage to keep it down and the kids had great fun in my misery. If the happy I’m happy.
Once my stomach has calmed down we headed for the bumper car, good fun. The some bright spark suggested we here a four Seater go cart. The kind you peddle round for half an hour. Both the kids in front enjoying the ride. Me and my wife in back me steering and both us peddling. Needless to say I did not think I would be doing a workout today.
We have decided to head back tonight. It’s the royal wedding tomorrow and we have to drive near London and I think there maybe problems on the roads as they have closed many for the wedding. Kids are having a big spend on the arcades, then a meal to fuel the journey home.
00:53am We have arrived home fifteen minutes ago. A smooth four hour drive, the children slept all the way. I listened to Stephen King the dark tower book 5 and a podcast called writing excusers.
I intend to keep up with the posts. Wether it will be daily we will have to see. The subject mater will be more writing orientated, my is far to boring otherwise.

Day three at Butlins

7:37am Wrestling, that’s all I can say. If dreams mean anything see what you make of this, I was wearing a wrestling mask like the one my son wore in my last post. Running round the streets and slums of Rio, beneath that great wonder, Jesus Christ the saviour. I was being chased by a gang who wanted to do me harm. The reason for this escapes me. There maybe a short story in this some were who knows I’m never short of ideas.

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On a more related topic, the plan today is to have a day trip to Brighton beach. I checked on the satnav and it’s about a forty min drive. We should just get there before the kids start asking the dreaded “are we there yet” over and over. If you are wondering the Seagulls were quiet or I slept heavy, ether way all smiles here.

16:47pm set off to Brighton about 10:30am and arrived 11:42am. Took a little longer than I thought it would be. Finding a parking space became desperate about half way down the sea front. We pulled into the next car park in fear of not finding one. This was a mistake for the charges were £4 first hour £8 for one to two hours and £16 two to four hours. If there wasn’t a car behind me I would have reversed before going thought the barrier.
All had a great time walking down the front, then finishing off with a. Bowl of Chinese vegetable noodles. Weather had been slow to start but very warm by 1 o’clock.
I had my picture taken with Kate Middleton (see below)

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Got back to the resort, headed to the pub for my ritual afternoon pint of guinness. A young child managed to cut his face open on a play frame next to where we were siting. A little bit of a commotion then all was good again.
Back to apartment for a chill then shower and change.

23:30pm Centre stage tonight and watched Street-life a dance/singing group. They are very good, we highly enjoyed the show.
My youngest son wanted a Bubble gun. Thats a plastic gun that shoots bubbles. He had the best of times, until the bubbles ran out then he hands it to me. Nothing said just that look to say fix it. He turned and went back to whatever he was doing. I’m left with a bubble gun with no bubbles. To avoid disappointing him I will take a trip to the shop first thing.
Once again a good night had by all. This is turning into one of the best breaks we have had as a family. If it wasn’t for the sad news we had it would have been perfect.

R.I.P. Katerina.

Life certainly knows how to throw them. This week had kind of turned into a dairy blog. I’m not sure if this will continue or not. You see placing two or three notes to blog about later, seems to prevent me from writing other things. Time will tell as it always will.

Please comment or email me .

Butlins day two

5:15am Seagulls, are these great and beautiful creatures, gliding above our heads. Great White and grey birds of the sea. NO they are noisy little scavengers. We sat eating a lovely meal last night when one decided to land on the table next to us, it gave us a weary look and proceeded to take great big chips and nock it’s head back taking them one by one. We found this fun to watch untill it’s friends decided to join him. I say friends but they were far from friends, fighting began, the biggest won.
Then this morning they give me a wake up call at 5:15am. Needless to say not my most favourite bird.

08:03am woke up after getting back to sleep after the cacophony of seagull music. Kid have just woke, the sun is shining and we are going to have a fun time with wave machines and water slides. After breakfast of course.

12:01pm been to the pool had the waves and took my oldest son his first fast water slide. He was scared, at the grand old age of ten their are many first’s to be had. His was the space bowl, a fast flume that drops you into a big bowl Which you spin round until you slow enough to fall from the bottom into 2.6 meters of water. I went first, apparently creating a laugh for many onlookers as I splashed down. (I’m not a small man) My son did me proud, landed and swam out with no problem. He then told me he is not doing that again until he is older.

14:56pm fish and chips. A must when at a British beach. The only problem is that I’m at a British beach until Friday. That at least for lots of fish and chips in one week. I managed to work of the food today by watching the kids in some water walkers. Very good fun, must have laughed for the whole ten min’s. Pint of Guinness (a bit early even for me but heck, I’m on holiday)

19:20 I’m starting to feel like a alcoholic because I’m about to say I’m siting in a pub having a drink of Guinness. But at three o’clock I was having a drink. So to you it may seem that I have been drinking all this time. I will give you my word that I had one this afternoon and one now. We took the kids back for a siesta. Generally we have three choices of venue in the evening. Reds(not so young), Centre Stage(can have adult themes) and main stage(young children).
My youngest has gone to main stage to watch Barney. Older one is addicted to two pence machine. We are in-between them both having a drink. I love holidays they seem to get better as the years go on.

23:21pm We had some bad news regards a family member at 8:30pm. Wife is up set. Kids being kids(unaware of bad news) had a great time watching wrestling in Reds. There was two fights plus a tag match. My eldest is a confirmed wrestling fan now. They had photos with the wrestlers and the big pointy foam fingers also brought them a wrestling mask each. A good night had by them. Not due back until Friday, only with the bad news comes possibility of early end to the break. I think its a case of wait to see what tomorrow brings.
Below my eldest in his mask.

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Break at Butlins bognor

12:30pm Just arrived at Butlins bognor, for the first time I have been able to book in and head for a cold drink with a stake sandwich. How’s that for chill.

16:45pm finally got the bags to the apartment, kids changed out of the wet clothes after playing in the sea. I’m about to have a shower.
I do find it strange how the first day is always hot and it’s always the day you have the most to do. Like finding the room and unpacking the clothes. Enough moaning. The Forecast for the week is good, we are going to have sunshine most the week with the temperature dropping slightly toward the end. Off to have some food soon.

18:30 finished a surprisingly good meal. There own make of pie and mash. I Highly recommend this, the pie is big and full of meat and mushroom with small shallots. Very tasty indeed.

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20:11 two pence pieces, you tell me how can you spend fifteen pounds with two pence pieces? I have never really been one for the slot machines or penny drop machines. On the other hand my children seem to love them. At a cost to me. My wife says its because we are not good parents and we just don’t think about the consciences Before handing out pound after pound. I think its just fun, for now.

20:40pm The boys had some tattoos see for your self below. Cool to be young.

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20:45pm Candy floss memory’s

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22:01pm just left Reds where there was a tribute act on called Pink, good singer and sounded a lot like Pink. Looked like her two. Both kids are in bed, I’m going to try and finish stephen kings After the Sunset before turning the lights.

Tomorrow I for see swim swim swim.