Latitude Festival
On Thursday 17th we headed down to Wickford to stay one night with Pete's Mum and Pat before heading off to the Latitude Festival in Southwold. We were able to pick up our lovely new 'festival' buggy (big pneumatic wheels for going over rough ground) that we'd bought from Ebay for a very good price but which had to be picked up in Wickford (just round the corner from Pete's Mum's house actually so she was kind enough to go and get it for us). Leopard (or is it giraffe) print really isn't my style choice but it was in excellent nick (well especially once Janet had given it the Gillam clean once over!) This year we were taking Antony, so he came and stayed the night to.... he was very excited.
Friday we headed off to the site, meeting up with Gennie and Matt (who were coming from Cov) and Denis and Wendy (coming from Norwich) at a pub just outside the festival site. Pete's new improved Dougall proved indispensable again and made our lives a lot easier in terms of transporting everything (especially with the fact that i couldn't lift heavy loads in my delicate condition ha ha)
Overall we had an absolutely great time at the festival. The weather was kind to us and we only had a couple of rain showers. Pete ate his own body weight in pies as normal and we even got to meet up with Emma and Max who we haven't seen for about 18 months but who were at the festival too. Highlights were definitely Sigur Ros, Elbow, Tindersticks, (Julian Cope and Seasick Steve for Dad), Grinderman (basically Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Franz Ferdinand were a boring disappointment. I also got to see a funny play with Ralph Little in it in the theatre arena, and an excerpt from a story read by the black guy from the IT Crowd and The Mighty Boosh in the literary arena (would liked to have spent more time there).
We got back to Coventry late on the Monday (took us 4 hours to get out of the site and the wheel axle of Dougall broke on the way back to the car which was a shame but i am sure new improved version will be in use next year!)
On Wednesday (23rd) I was able to use part of my birthday present from Pete which was a spa day for two at the Village. I decided to take Kathryn and we had a blissful 5 hours of head, neck and back massage, leisurely lunch and swimming in the pool. Apparently the first time Kathryn had been away from the girls in the day for that long since she stopped work.
On Thursday (24th) we took a trip out to Hatton Country World and Farm. I was actually really impressed with the place. it costs £10 for each adult, but then there are masses of activities for children, most of which are free. Vincent and Juliette were probably a bit young to appreciate it all as yet but Annalise had a whale of a time. She had a pony ride and fed the cows and the pigs. We all went on a very bumpy tractor ride and Vincent had his first taste of funfair rides with the ladybirds and the tea cups.And we all got lost in the Maize Maze! Absolutely stunning weather too and we had a BBQ when we got home.
Friday afternoon, it was lovely and hot so we had the paddling pools out, and Emma, Steve and Freddie, and Nicole, Chris and Maddie came over and all the children played in the garden. We also made a plan to invade the theatre on mass with all our children that night and that is what we did from about 830pm. Vincent was asleep when we got there but woke up for a while before going back to sleep at about 1030pm, but guess who was up to the wee small hours....those crazy Beck girls!
On Saturday, we organised afternoon tea (sandwiches and scones) and as it was still lovely and hot, we still had the paddling pools out and Ardha came over ith her granddaughter Mia, who is the same age as Annalise. Well... we think both of them had met their match with each other... one minute they were best of friends, the next they were screaming at each other, it was hilarious. Juliette and Vincent just looked bemused!
On Sunday Dad, Vincent and I went to mass at 9am (Pete gets a lie-in on Sundays!), and then we headed off for a drive to Chipping Campden (a chocolate box village in Gloucester shire about 45 mins drive away). Again we had gorgeous weather and we had a lovely lunch in a very child friendly pub,
then wandered about, and then had tea and cake in my favourite tea shop there (Bantam Tea Rooms). That night Kathryn and Andrew took the opportunity of three baby sitters to have a rare night out alone. They went to a Thai restaurant and then to the Albany pub and were back much earlier than we expected, but think they had a nice enough time. Tuesday (29th) was Kathryn and Andrew's last day here. It was also very hot and see here the hilarious photos of Vincent with his hair in bunches... Pete was not amused!
Kathryn was busy packing, and we managed to squeeze in lunch at the City Arms. That night, it was unfortunate, but Pete and I were out... tickets to see Hamlet at the RSC in Stratford starring David Tennant and Patrick Stewart... we had booked the tickets in November so it wasn't like we had planned it. So Kathryn's last night was spent packing and baby sitting Vincent for us! Luckily he was as good as gold...phew.
Then it was up at 530am to see the Becks off on their travels to their new home Jakarta. Goodness the place seems quiet without them all!
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