17 August 2010

Four Go To Foxton Locks

Hallo!  (Isn't that just so Enid Blyton?!)

Hope you all had a super weekend.

Saturday was an absolute washout here so we only ventured out to collect a curry in the evening!

The sun came out on Sunday so we hotfooted it down to the Foxton Locks Festival for a meander.


Foxton, which isn't far from Market Harborough, is on the Leicester line of the Grand Union Canal and home to ten tiered canal locks.


There were stalls as far as the eye could see but, other than buying a little salt dough necklace for blondie daughter, I kept my purse in my pocket.  I enjoyed the browse but, rather unusually for me, just wasn't in the mood for buying.


This was my eye candy.  Don't you just love the vibrant colours?


This seafaring chap looked very nonplussed as people streamed past ...


I couldn't resist snapping this feisty alpaca.  "What are you staring at?"


Now, I should like to tell you that we all had a wonderful time.  The children ran ahead, flushed and excited, eager to explore.  Onlookers smiled at them, vicariously enjoying their pleasure.  Bertie spaniel pottered happily alongside us, pausing only to sniff and wag his tail his tail in greeting to the different animals we encountered.  We had a delicious picnic of fresh bread and cheese, fruit picked from the garden, my homemade cake and lashings of ginger beer.  The blondies chattered gaily as we ate and the sun shone.  We returned home in silence, each of us tired, glowing healthily from the sun, and enjoying our own memories of what had been a truly lovely day.

What actually happened was ...

It was heaving and there were wasps everywhere.  Blondie daughter kept moaning and hanging back because her suddenly-too-small Crocs were rubbing, blondie son pestered to have a go on the inflatable horizontal bungee thing and a goat tried to head butt Bertie!  We hadn't taken any food and so queued for twenty minutes to buy an over-priced minging roast pork and stuffing cob - uugghh, it was foul.  I got stung by a nettle and handsome hubby was in a grumpy mood owing to work pressures.  We returned home in silence after I swore I'd never go out anywhere with any of them ever again!!!

Tee hee, happy days!

Hx

12 comments:

  1. Ha ha - I love that - tell me more tomorrow xxx

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  2. How refreshing to hear this! Fantastic (sorry you had an awful time though,of course!) & really does reassure me that all our times like this are perfectly normal...thank you x

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  3. I'm laughing! That's so like us! The above is how I always hope it will be, the below is how it always is. We went to the Eden Project in Cornwall and I knew from how the kids were at the breakfast table that morning it was probably going to be a mistake...and it was. They were all vile! We shot round, due to constant bickering and fighting and the raised voice levels of me screaming in the car on the way back for them to sit still in their seats, be quiet or we'll pull over, dump them on the verge and bloody well leave them there! Love' em dearly but they can really push the buttons some days! Glad to know it's not just me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  4. Didn't it sound like a lovely day out, in theory?
    Next time send 'three' out and have a nice day to yourself!
    Looking at all the narrow boats and their artwork was one of the best things about our recent holiday on one. Made me want one desperately!
    x

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  5. You are so funny! Its not all rosey when taking the kids on away-days, may as well let them loose in a huge field to run rampant and wear them out! I lived on an old working boat for two years (pre-kids) and loved it, i used to make the rope fenders and your pics made me miss it! Hope the rest of the school hols are nice and harmonious (yeah right)
    love and hugs
    Deb x

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  6. funny how there is a gap between reality and the photos isn't it !? Really enjoyed reading about your day out
    Louise x

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  7. hehe - glad I'm not the only one who has grumpy kids on days out ;)

    Love all the colours in the bargeware - least that was cheerful :)

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  8. I knew that sounded far too Enid Blyton to be real... as I read it I thought "ruddy hell I am useless!" thanks for fessing up! ;D

    I love canal boat holidays and I am pretty sure we did that canal along with most of the others when we went on family holidays... my brother fell in the lock at one of them... it was my other brothers fault... luckily he wasn't hurt and didn't loose the lock key he was carrying... the lock keeper was not impressed and told him off for "swimming in the lock"

    x Alex

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  9. Am delighted with the two sides to the story. Made me smile, mine have just come back from crazy golf. I skipped out as last time I went with them I ended up in hospital, by ambulance with oxygen, crazy golf indeed

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  10. Hi Heather! That was very funny!...I have to tell you how I much I LOVE the dress you were wearing at your brother's wedding. It's gorgeous, and you looked beautiful in it! ;) Paulette

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  11. I love your 2 sides stories! I love Foxton lock, not been there in years but I love all things canal so it was great when I used to visit. Not sure if it was there or somewhere nearby but I sponsored a brick... so there is a brick with my name on it and one with my son's name - it was a great idea to raise money for restoration and upkeep

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Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. Anyone ever told you that you're a peach? xx

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