Kyre

A few random snaps of our few days with Joanna and Tony over New Year. Mainly a story of eating and drinking, and chasing the various animals around in onesies

Barmouth on the Beach

A few photos taken on the beach on the way from Porthmadog down to Joanna's house, this is Barmouth. The light was quite punchy and the kids were in high spirits. I often like my photos when they are just records of them doing their stuff unaware of me. They were marching, Greg leading and Miranda keen to impress him.

Criccieth

This is a location I think I will return to. The beach at Criccieth looks out towards Snowdonia, and what a view. In reality I thoink you'd need to keep your boat at Pwllhelli but the sailing options around here give superb views back to land. Suspect you could beach launch here but worth bookmarking for future reference....

Caernarfon Castle

A trip to Wales would not be complete without a visit to a castle or two. This is Caernarfon Castle which I have to say was impressive, the walls stretch out into the town and we had fun trying to find somewhere decent to eat (before giving up!)

Harlech Castle which we passed also looked superb, and Criccieth Castle too both of which sit impressively on a big rocky outcrop.

Bala

A visual record more than anything of the sailing potential of Lake Bala which nestles in the North Wales mountainous landscape. You can sail here it would appear subject to purchase of a ticket, the slipway runs from the car park.

My Mum and Dad had ambitions of buying a house overlooking here when they retired, what a place too!

Snowdonia

A few days to explore the mountains of Snowdonia before we head south to Joanna's for New Year. Behind us is Glyder Fawr and Tryfan and to the left the foothills of Snowdon. One day I will get back on top to take some proper photos.

Porthmadog

A slightly grainy pic as it was almost dark by the time we had walked around the headland from Porrthmadog to Borth y Gest and looked out over the hills towards Snowdonia.

Rather a windy trip over from Holmes Chapel across North Wales to say the least, but we did manage to stop at Penmaenmawr where we ate a picnic of bread and cheese behind the windbreak.

Christmas

Lewi has been hankering after a classic boat for some time, and he's managed to persuade us that he can restore an old boat for his Duke of Edinburgh Award 'learn a new skill' aspect.

Father Christmas came a little early when he realised that a suitable boat was for sale near Juliet and Nich's (...who we just happened to be visiting for Christmas)

So now we have another boat -  a Scorpion!

Just wait your turn

Enter stage right, Miranda with buckets of food for the goats. Ginger you can see poking her head over the top of the door. Domino in his pen waiting for a tasty morsel from Mrs Bountiful... The piggies Maggie and Mikey have no need to worry, they never get left out.

All in all, another happy session down at Barry's mini farm which Miranda is very partial to.

You take the slide

reminds me of an old helter skelter we once went down...

Roman Posting

 These taken during our recent posting to Isca in modern day Gwent. Now called Caerleon it was once one of only three major Roman garrisons in Great Britain.

We were fortunate enough to have an enactment day, and naturally we entered into the spirit of things!

Greg was a Mermerillo, I was a Centurion I think...

Homeward Bound

I have a nice video of this shot as we sailed back into Lymington on Spook; the dark sea sloshing by and the sound of the wind make a great background to the spectral sideshow. However it only works full screen and not in thumbnail form!

Messing around afloat

I found this photo of the boys larking around at Calshot and thought I should make use of it. Greg and Lewi playing the fool with Jake and Kyle after a day's racing. It was getting damn cold as I recall but their endless enthusiasm for things afloat or sink worthy kept them going til the bitter end...

Spook

Been for a nice winter's sail today with Andrew Watts on Spook! Lewis especially enjoys this boat as it's a real sailors boat packed with clever ideas, thought through by someone who loved the craft of sailing. She is fast through the water and very responsive.

We managed to get her doing a few things she'd not done before for Andrew, such as poling out the Genoa downwind reaching about ten knots on the run down to Cowes. We stopped for lunch at the Folly and witnessed a great sunset in the way back.

It's just come to my attention that the great Junior Murvin, who's classic "Police and Thieves" was accompanied by Lee Scratch Perry, has died aged just 67. I have played that record a lot, an awful lot...

Last time you did that Dad you fell over (...backwards!)

Seems only five minutes ago when we had Popsie balancing on Dominos back, a little blimp barely capable of sitting upright. Things have changed and now she's in charge - of Domino at least!

This is walking (backwards!) through the woods at the back of our house in the autumn leaves

This is what it looked like back in 2006 just after I started writing this blog

The Chase is On

An interesting day on the Gregory front... First of all we had a postcard from Noadswood School sent by his Maths teacher, congratulating him on his performance in a Maths Test - what a pleasant surprise!

Then later in the day he came home from school having taken part in the New Forest School Cross Country Championship at Gang Warily. Greg finished in a highly commendable tenth place, so he's now going to start training regularly to see if he can improve this.

Lewis was also chosen to take part in this event and he finished in sixteenth place.

Well done boys

Trojan Horse

Picture from the final game in the New Forest training season with the RFU, that Lewis has enjoyed enormously. He's been playing with school friend Harry in the New Forest Squad and they have competed against various different teams, last night it was Trojans Under 16's

He's playing at an alltogether higher level now, and the competition is tough but Lewi loves the game and the team spirit, and I've been really impressed by the level of professionalism the RFU Coaches show on the pitch.

Lewis was up early this morning as he was training with Fawley RFC, so he was gone having made us tea in bed and his own porridge by the time Miranda and I set off for a bike ride in the forest. Lovely colours all around, just the tonic.

Miranda managed to find a fab den in Dibden Enclosure whilst I was taking photos of the trees, so we were both happy!

Picked Lewi up en route to the sailing with Gregory and raced at Calshot til dark. The boys had great fun helping Gill to get the spinnaker rigging on her Mirror sorted, and as the sun went down they flew up and down the beach in her boat - much to her delight.

Miranda looks a little mad here, and poor old teddie looks like he's fallen asleep on the job. We nearly managed to get Lewis in the shot, but his head was stuck in the clouds...

Bit of a Tea Party

Hey Mippy!

She's so grown up on occasion that you forget she's just a child, until you see her playing with her toys! Just had time to get a quick photo in the half light, and then it was bath time.

Miranda has had a nasty bump on her head at school this week, and now she is sporting a big repair job and grazed forehead. They used steri-strips and superglue to put her back together again at the a+e in Lymington, and we are now on first name terms with the staff there after Greg's visit - must be getting something of a reputation there I think.

Superb colour in the forest this week, the perfect time of year. Damn cold though atm.

Photographs and Memories

A photo from a recent family history session; my dad recounting his memories of his father whilst holding a photo of him and his sister Mary with their Dad. He's also holding an old letter that sits in his collection of memorabilia, I think it relates tales of his mother who was something of an awkward person.

This would have been not long before leaving his home in Swansea and being taken in by Grampy and Maud in Cadoxton I think.

Autumn shades in the forest

I couldnt be bothered to ride my bike yesterday, the rain was beating down and I stayed in bed with Miranda reading a book. Today was another story, superb sunny weather with clear blue skies so a few pictures ov the vibe.

Managed to get the rest of the clan out for a walk this afternoon as I suspect this may have been the best day of the year so far for outdoors...

Check out this move Greg!

Miranda makes a move on Gregory, but he's a tough cookie to beat!

Sfanding tall

Miranda appeared this morning wearing the poppy that she'd made for herself - I commented on how nice it was to see young people wearing the badge of reminder, and she told me that she'd been planning making lots and taking them to school to raise money! You just dont want to dampen her enthusiasm....

Greg as it turns out has been on a sponsored run to raise money for Leprosy sufferers this week.

Mipp looks a bit different to the previous photo, she lost another front tooth testerday, so she's a bit gappy at the front again!

Windblown Miranda

There was a time when it seemes that I could only take decent photos of Gregory, he just had to look at the camera and we would gel, and nothing it seems last forever. He can be obliging when he wants but it's not the same story nowadays.

Miranda is a different story, you never knows whether the chemistry is going to work, or you're going to be walking away cursing.

Just so happens we were on a roll and I had my classic combination to hand 35mm f2 Nikkor lens and my sharp shooter in hand. Suspect this one will be a fave for a while yet, just the right sense of flyaway hair, cheeky smile and critical focus. When you get it right it reaffirm why you do it...

Very sparkly

A certain amount of wand waving was done in the garden this evening which was something of a test for failing eyesight in the dark, one day I shall bite the bullet and get an autofocus lens.

Walkies

On Sunday afternoon Mipp revisited one of her favourite activities, taking Domino for a walk. He's rather slow when Miranda rides him so now she leads him along which he doesn't mind too much. We timed it just right as it was almost time to put him and the other animals to bed... All good fun, but I wouldn't want to do it every day, twice a day! Kids are bad enough, but if I had to squelch around that field....

Five get Wet in the Forest

A bright and sunny start to the day so we figured a family bike ride in the autumn leaves was the order of the day. All was going well but I could see huge black storm clouds gathering. The heavens opened and closed and opened again, coinciding with our search for a vendor of lunch. We were disappointed on both fronts; no lunch and cold wet and windy all afternoon. Still we are made of tough stuff and even managed a race to the finish line. Lewis and Miranda won!

Spooky Halloween Soup

The kids are home for half term break and they have been making stuff in the kitchen and running around like mad things shouting Spooky Spoon at the top of their voices

This was our lunch; soup with goulish cheese scones

Qweesh

She berates me for not putting her attempts at making Quiche on the blog when she sees Greg's workmanship instead of her own. "Well.." I say "you'll need to write the recipe down and I will put your efforts on the blog too!"

How could you not humour a little menace like this one...?

Now that reminds me, where is the recipe Miranda - I'm waiting....

The title a reference to my grandfather, who I always think about when Quiche is mentioned. He always called it Qweesh, I think it represented an aspect of modernity and cosmopolitanism that he was happy to encounter.

Gregory's Creme Caramel

--> Tonight I’ve made an amazing pudding you’ve probably heard of it before it’s called a crème caramel well this is how to make one. It serves 6 to 8.

Ingredients:

·      3 eggs                                             

·      3egg yolks

·      1 and three quarter cups of sugar

·      450ml of milk

·      225ml of double cream

·      Half a tsp of vanilla extract  

Put the three eggs and the three egg yolks in a bowl with three quarters of a cup of sugar and beat them until it becomes thick and creamy. In a saucepan put all the milk and cream then put it on the hob until it starts to simmer. Pour the hot cream and milk gradually into the egg mixture, stirring it as you pour it. Add the vanilla extract and stir in. heat the sugar that you have left I a heavy bottomed saucepan until the it start’s melting. Continue to heat the sugar, stirring it all the time when it turns light brown colour and has a syrupy consistency it will probably take about 6-8 minutes to do this. Divide the syrup into 6-8 ramekins if you don’t have any then you could use a small dish will do swill the sugar round so it leaves some up the sides, it is best to do this quickly as the sugar dries quickly. Place the ramekins/dishes in a baking tray full of boiling water, then put a sheet of foil on top of the custard to stop them browning too much, then bake in a pre-heated oven 180c mark 4 for 45-50 minutes.

When the custard is done (you can tell when because if you put a knife in it and it comes out clean there done) cool the custards and take them out by running a thin bladed knife around the outside of the dishes. Serve them hot or cold.   

Blog post written by Gregory                

     

The Big Blow

Took Greg and Miranda for a Sunday afternoon walk, and the weather was not very promising. A heavy shower just as we were leaving did not bode well!

Nevertheless we were optimistic and the kids as ever were a bundle of fun. We played wigwams, climbed trees and shot photos of each other, and did not get wet...

Just as we got back to the car after two hours of walking, the heavens opened again and we felt very lucky to have got it just right.

Make a run for it

Lewi played with the New Forest Under 16 squad this evening against Basingstoke and Deane at the Trojans ground in Totton. I saw part of the match having managed to squeeze in a bike ride in the dark around the river Itchen. My action shots were not very interesting so here's an image of the man in action!