Last week myself and the boys went camping in the New Forest. We had a brilliant time - weather and cycling fantastic. We even managed to fit a train ride in. I've uploaded the photos and this time I've managed to add descriptions which should help. The pictures are a bit blurred for some reason but still "capture the mood" I hope.

Brief itinerary as follows:
Tuesday - arrived at Roundhill campsite and set up camp. Horses in tent. Shooed away.
Wednesday - 10-mile round trip on the bikes to Beaulieu. Lunch at the Three Stumps (see photo). BMX-ing on Beaulieu Heath. BBQ in evening.
Thursday - Woken by the cuckoo early morning. Train ride from Brockenhurst to Lymington. Tempted to take ferry to Isle of Wight but Nathan not keen on sea crossing. Cycle trip round New Forest including railway bridges.
Friday - trip to Milford on Sea. Lunch on sea wall looking out to Hurst Castle, then home.

Oh, and there's a video of the boys doing bike tricks on Beaulieu Heath (see video section at bottom of right-hand menu).

Some photos of lovely Warwick, from the top of St Mary's church tower.

As you will know, posts on this blog are usually limited to ramblings about our recent holidays. However we have had a couple of triumphs lately which I thought I would record on the blog for posterity.

#1: Meccano
When I was a lad I never used to be able to complete this. However, when Nathan was given a set for his birthday recently, I thought I'd have another go. With the boys helping of course. And guess what...ta da...



#2: Fostering an entrepreneurial spirit in my children / The Big Society
When David Cameron talks about the Big Society, I know he means this. It was Sam's idea when he woke up last Saturday morning to sell some stuff and make some money for charity. Well, half for charity. So he collected up all the books he didn't want any more, set up a stall out the front and hey presto! with his brother he made £4.16 (which is a lot since the books were 20p each). (Not sure where the £0.16 came from). I was dead chuffed with him.


Looking out for punters


Discussing sales strategy

A bit late, but I've added some photos from half term, which included a trip with Grandma and Grandpa to the Roald Dahl museum in Great Missenden, and also our trip to the Heritage Motor Museum in Gaydon which had a sci-fi show on - hence the Star Wars figures, and Daddy amongst them, looking like a cross between Yoda and Darth Maul. Obviously a late night the night before. Can you spot Jabba the Hutt's little henchmen?



I have also uploaded pictures from Nathan's birthday party at Ryton Pools Country Park. The pictures are much better quality thanks to Grandad's fantastic camera (thank you Grandad). Nathan and his friends had a great time den-building, as did Daddy and "uncle" Neil who tried and failed not to act like competitive dads. But our den was the best - have a look.

Simon.

Merry Christmas from the Brown family. Here's a video of Sam and Nathan performing a festive number in a recent improvised concert at our house.



Apologies the sound quality isn't brilliant but you should get the gist. More videos are available under the menu on the right-hand side. There is a great one of Nathan having a strop. Also, the snow may have brought the country to a standstill but we have been able to take our sled, Rosebud, out again for some sledging fun. Have a look at the videos.

Last weekend I took Sam to Old Trafford to see Man Utd vs Blackburn. We were both dead chuffed as I had been after tickets for ages and had finally managed to get my hands on some. It was his first Man Utd game and the first time he'd been to Old Trafford, and it was my first trip there since 1983 (I think). We weren't disappointed - they thrashed Blackburn 7 - 1. A fantastic day out and a great "father and son" time together. PS If you're wondering why Sam is wearing the green and yellow scarf click here.

We have just had a very enjoyable half term break, with a few day trips thrown in. Below is an account of these trips, as written by Nathan (he had to keep a diary for his homework).

Note the emphasis on travel as opposed to destination.

Warwick Castle (Monday)
On Monday I went to Warwick Castle and had a fun time with my cousins. First, Sam, Lydia and Andy went in the Haunted Hallows while we waited outside. Then we did the walk round the three towers. It was amazing! After that, we went to the trebuchet. We also went up the mound. It was a fantastic day. Which is your favourite part of Warwick Castle?

Manchester (Tuesday and Wednesday)
First, we drove to the Trafford Centre via the M6 Toll. On the way, we got stuck in some traffic and this delayed our journey. At the centre, we met Mummy’s friend called John. Next, we walked through the Trafford Centre to the Legoland Discovery Centre. We had a fabulous time at the centre. Afterwards, we had tea at a restaurant called Nando’s with Uncle Mark. Later, we drove to the hotel where we had a swim. In the middle of the night, there was a fire alarm, and we had to walk to the reception where we waited while it was fixed. In the morning, Mummy complained! What do you think about that!



London (Friday)
We woke up at 6.30 in the morning. We didn’t expect to leave at a late time. We drove to Uxbridge Chimes car park, and then we walked through the Chimes to Uxbridge station. We then caught a tube on the Piccadilly line to South Kensington. It took a while to get to the Science museum from South Kensington station. Afterwards, we took a tube to Westminster on the Circle line and walked along the South Bank where we saw the London Eye and had lunch. We saw a hilarious music box with lamps in it! Sam typed in “Rock It” but it didn’t play the song we expected! We then went on HMS Belfast while Mummy went shopping. We then caught a tube from London Bridge to Moorgate on the Northern Line. From Moorgate, we walked to the Museum of London. From the museum, we walked to Barbican station and caught a tube to Kings Cross St Pancras on the Metropolitan Line, and then we went to Piccadilly Circus on the Piccadilly line. It was a bit of a squeeze! We walked from Piccadilly Circus station to Hamley’s toy shop. Next, we went on a bike ride to Covent Garden, which was probably my favourite part of the day. We watched a show while Mummy searched for a restaurant. Eventually, we found a Pizza Hut restaurant where we had tea. Finally, we went all the way back on the Piccadilly line from Covent Garden to Rayners Lane, and then caught the Metropolitan Line to Uxbridge. I was fed up because the Chimes was closed and I needed the toilet! At last, we found our way back in. It was very late when we got home. Can you guess what time it was?

Nathan has learned to ride his bike!





There are a couple of videos you can watch of this momentous event (on the right, scroll down to the videos section).

In other news, our kitchen is now finished - bar a lick of paint and a cupboard door. New photos in the "new house" photos section on the right.

Just managed to upload the photos from Cornwall. Seems like ages ago now, but as I recall some of the highlights were...going to see the cousins in Fowey, taking the ferry to Padstow and eating the best pasty in the world ever (sorry that's mine), the Polzeath bee centre (mine again)...best of all perhaps was pancakes for breakfast at Polzeath beach on Sam's birthday, served by the wonderful Mr Surfy (basically a bloke in a van, but a very nice bloke). Weather not brilliant but we made the best of it. In fact the only "lowlight" was taking a walk around the coastal path which we all agreed we would never do again, unless we somehow develop a head for heights.

So that's basically it for the summer. Roll on half term...

In the middle of the summer holidays at the moment but we're at the start of a busy week (we're just about to move house). Nevertheless I've managed to find time to put the photos of our camping trip to Snowdonia on flickr. It was just me and the boys this time, leaving Katie to manage the decorating at home! We had a fantastic time. The campsite was called Gwern Gôf Isaf right in the heart of the Snowdonia National Park, and it was easily the most spectacular campsite I've ever stayed at. It was also the most primitive campsite I've ever stayed at - I expected Ray Mears to turn up at any moment. The people running the site were very Welsh, very rural and very friendly - they operated an honesty box sort of policy which meant you paid for however many nights you thought you might be there. How refreshing. Anyway me and the boys climbed Snowdon (see picture - that's the boys at the top) - well, we climbed down it anyway, after having gone up the mountain railway. We went for walks, saw buzzards, rabbits, weasels, army aircraft (not in that order), and other adventures besides...as usual click on the link on the right to have a look at the pictures.

I haven't updated the blog for a while (I know it's supposed to be a regular thing, but...) Anyway here is a brief entry.

It was my birthday today. I celebrated it by going to Warwick Castle with Nathan (Kate is away with Sam on a string weekend). The trip was great fun not least because we watched a bird of prey show go horribly wrong - an errant eagle snatched a jackdaw out of a tree and tore it to bits, much to the consternation of the bird handler who had to abandon the show and chase after the eagle, along with about 50 other irate jackdaws.

Pictures of this event, together with others I've put together from this year, are now on the blog (links on the right hand side under '2010'). There is also a link to pictures of our new house. I have removed the 'Pet-cam' link as we no longer have any pets, sadly. I've updated the blog to include recent videos, links to those are underneath all the links to the photos.

Enjoy!

Simon

Rosebud...

My school was closed today because of the snow, so I wanted to get a sled for the boys. Everywhere was sold out. So me and Grandad made one. And then Katie and I took the boys sledging in Warwick.





Needless to say I was very pleased with our work.

My goodness, this is turning into a proper blog with regular updates and everything. Don't get used to it!

P.S. Please watch Citizen Kane if you don't get the Rosebud reference.

The boys started at their new school this week. Here they are in their new uniforms.

Just back from a lovely trip to the Yorkshire Dales where we spent New Year. We had a fantastic time, mainly thanks to the wonderful Steve and Sally at Poppy Cottages in Carleton (the best B&B we've ever been to!) who pointed us in the right direction in terms of what to see and do, where to eat etc. Our stay included a visit to Skipton Castle, a journey on a steam train down the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway (of Railway Children fame), where we stopped at the Railway Museum at Ingrow. Obviously a hit with the boys. We also went round Haworth, home of the Bronte family, where I visited the Bronte museum while Kate and the boys went round the shops. Museums not their cup(s) of tea. We then trekked across the moors to the Bronte falls (2 miles in the snow - not Nathan's favourite bit of the trip) and sat on the Bronte chair (see picture, above). Fortunately no-one selling Bronte T-shirts. Found a geocache. We didn't quite manage Top Withens (Wuthering Heights) but it's always good to leave something for next time. We spent the evening of New Years Eve in the cosy lounge at Poppy Cottage, sitting in front of the log burner with a glass of wine, chatting to the other guests. On New Years Day we went to Grassington, and we even managed to squeeze in a few shops for Mummy. We returned home feeling refreshed! Click on the link on the right to have a look at the photos - not brilliant quality unfortunately as they were taken with my mobile phone and not our digital camera which we'd left at home. Never mind, they still give you a flavour I think.

Finally there was our trip to Scotland to see our friends Martin and Heather and their boys Noah and Toby. This was very exciting (for Nathan) as it involved several train journeys! Martin and Heather live in a converted mill which has a fully functioning mill wheel, which the boys enjoyed. Highlight of the weekend was the visit to Glenfiddich distillery and an Aberdeen Angus sirloin steak for Sunday lunch - yum.

No more holidays now till Christmas - boo hoo :-(

Next up was Cornwall, with visits to Fowey, Polruan, Looe, and beyond! Highlight of the holiday was Sam's birthday which we spend bodyboarding at Polzeath beach. We stayed at a lovely little campsite near Fowey. Most special of all however was our trip to see our great-granny! Pictures of all of these things can be found by clicking on the "Cornwall" link under 2009.

We've had a fantastic summer holiday this year, with several trips to different places...so I'm doing a different post for each holiday, each with my favourite photo from that trip. Following our camping in the Peak District, it was off to Paris for Katie and I to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary. As you will see from the photos we managed to pack in all the sights: Eiffel Tower (at its best at night time, but we didn't climb it), Notre Dame, Musee D'Orsay (Van Gogh, Monet etc.), Montmartre & Sacre Coeur, Centre Pompidou (with abstract art - see the hands painting), and the Louvre (just me - see juvenile touristy photos of me with Mona Lisa). And even a bit of trainspotting (for Nathan's benefit). Not to mention the obligatory brasseries. The highlight of the trip however was the evening in Le Baiser Sale, a jazz club, watching the amazing François Constantin and his band. Overall a great mini-break which we really enjoyed. Meanwhile, the kids were enjoying the start of their holiday in Cornwall with their cousins...

Yes...it's another exciting picture of our tent!

Hurrah! The summer holidays are here! Went camping with the boys last week in the Peak District (Mum stayed at home decorating!) and have just uploaded the photos of our trip. We had a great time (I think we're quite good at holidays!) and as usual I'll try and recount what we did before it falls out of my head completely. I've put in some hyperlinks which you can click on to see pictures of where we stayed. We got to our campsite on the Wednesday. The campsite was in a place called Hurdlow. Hurdlow itself consisted of, well, a phone box, the pub, and a field (the campsite). Beautiful place though, straight out of Last of the Summer Wine. Or Peak Practice. And we had it all to ourselves! Just next to the field was an old railway line now converted into a cycle track, the Tissington Trail. When we got there we pitched our tent and then went to explore a bit of the trail. On the Thursday we went to a place called Parsley Hay (part of the trail and just up the "line" from our campsite) where we hired a bike & trailer bike (for me and Nathan - I'd brought Sam's bike with us) and cycled 20 miles - yes, 20 miles - to Tissington and back. Fantastic effort by the boys. Lunch and ice creams at Tissington, returning to Parsley Hay in the afternoon, halted only by tired legs and a bit of rain at Hartington! Back to the campsite for tea but not before a visit to Arbor Low. That evening Nathan taught us the game of Wizards, Giants and Pixies (like scissor paper stone basically). On Friday it was off to Hathersage where we did a four-mile round trip past North Lees Hall (Thornfield in Jane Eyre), Stanedge Edge (where Robin Hood was supposed to have hidden), and St Michael's church and the grave of Little John. Again, brilliant effort by the boys. It was then on to Castleton and Peveril Castle where we enjoyed looking round the keep and in particular the medieval toilets! We drove home exhausted and were nearly at the campsite when Nathan discovered his two teddy bears, Soffy and Small, were missing! So we zoomed back to Castleton and to the visitor's centre where two sad bears were waiting to be collected! A very eventful day. We arrived back at the campsite to discover the hoardes had arrived. Nice to have some company though. The next day we went to Bakewell and enjoyed lunch by the river before heading home. Fantastic break, just what the doctor ordered (again!)

Our new tent! Being put to good use in the Wye Valley (Christchurch) last week. We got a shed load of new camping gear (investment for the summer holiday), new roof box for the car, stuck the bikes on the back and off we went. Fantastic half-term break with great weather. Best bit of the holiday was cycling round the Forest of Dean - Nathan loved his trailer bike. Can't wait for the summer holidays (as long as the weather is good...!!!)

A not-so-brief report on our holiday in America...





Got back a week ago from a fantasmagorical holiday in America and I'm finally in the right frame of mind (i.e. not jet lagged and feeling like I'm still in another country) to write about our holiday. The first thing I want to say is, I love America. It rules. Now I know that's a huge generalisation, given that we only saw a tiny part of the country for a short space of time, but tough. This is my (sorry our) blog and that's what I (we) think (I speak for the family of course). Now as usual, I'm using the blog to link to holiday photos, but because this one was a bit special I thought I'd make a bit more effort and actually write down what we did each day (this probably doesn't vary much from what a million other families do when they are in Florida, but please indulge me).
If you click on the link for each day, that will take you to that day's photos (a slideshow). Be warned, there are rather a lot of them. Sorry. NOTE: The brown bear which keeps popping up is Nathan's class mascot.
So here goes.
Day 1 - Arrival and Hollywood Studios
We arrived in Atlanta after a 9-hour flight from Heathrow, good flight, I remember I watched Casino Royale, and that's about it. Met Nana and Grandad who had already been in Atlanta for two days. Connecting flight from Atlanta to Orlando was eventful with funny cabin crew, thunder and lightning outside and a glimpse of the fireworks at Magic Kingdom as we came into land. After an eternal wait for our hire car at the airport we walked outside the airport to collect it, immediately felt the tropical heat. Collected the car (a Dodge something or other, beautiful animal, there's a photo of it somewhere) and drove to the apartment. Struggled to find keys but got there eventually. Into our apartment, very nice and spacious, and straight to bed.
The next day we were up and out to the supermarket (Publix) to get provisions before heading off to Hollywood Studios. Parked, took shuttle bus to the park (these were at most of the parks, always one of the highlights of Nathan's day) and in. First thing we went to was Indiana Jones - a stunt show. Then watched the High School Musical show, very entertaining, and then it was off to a two-hour wait in line for the new Toy Story ride (we learnt very early to get to the parks first thing, and use fastpasses). It was worth the wait - amazing - even better than Buzz Lightyear! Then lunch, and then we split - Nana and Simon to the Tower of Terror (vertical drop in a dark lift - brilliant) and everyone else...watched some puppets or something. (Playhouse Disney). Then we all walked down the Streets of New York, some photos and then back to the apartment for dinner with some friends from the UK who were also on holiday out there.
Day 2 - Magic Kingdom
Up and out early to Magic Kingdom - I had decided on a plan of action the night before and from then on, every day assumed the role of Commander in Chief of Theme Park Operations (which basically meant bossing everyone about and telling them where to go). It happened to be the busiest time of year for the parks because of 'Spring Break' so to have any chance of doing the decent rides we had to get there early. First stop was TomorrowLand and Buzz Lightyear (good but not as good as the one in Paris), then Stitch's Great Escape (which freaked out Nathan). Then it was on to FantasyLand where we did It's a Small World, and Peter Pan. Then to AdventureLand for the Haunted Mansion, Thunder Mountain (fastpass), Splash Mountain (this was brilliant) and Pirates of the Caribbean. Lunch, then the Jungle Cruise, Monsters Inc and then the parade ("Celebrate a Dream Come True"). Then it was back to the apartment for a swim in the pool, and the day was rounded off with dinner in the poolside bar. A great start to the holiday.
Day 3 - Animal Kingdom
None of us had done this park before (there's no equivalent in Paris / LA) so its attractions were new to us. It didn't disappoint! The first thing we did was "It's tough to be a bug", a 3D show based on the It's a Bug's Life. This was a brilliant interactive show where you got spat at by bugs and smoked out and all sorts of other stuff. The adults loved it, the kids both cried because they were scared, but hey, who said this holiday was about kids. From that point on Nathan and Sam both refused to go into any rides where you had to wear special glasses. Which was a shame, because there were quite a few of those (we still went on them anyway). Being freaked out it was no surprise then that the kids didn't want to go on Dinosaur, the next ride in the itinerary I had planned. Never mind, I went on it with the fearless Nana while the boys, Katie and Lionel went on Triceratops spin. We then all went to "Asia" where we did the River Rapids ride, on which I got thoroughly soaked and had to buy a new T-shirt. After that we needed something quieter, and so to the Maharajah jungle where we saw everything from bats to gorillas. Following this Sam and I went on the brilliant Everest, a rollercoaster which takes you to the top of the mountain until the track is "broken" and you plunge backwards into the darkness. Enthralling. Sam loved it (fortunately). After lunch we went on the jungle train and the Kilimanjaro safari where the animals paraded before us on cue! Then it was time for another go on Everest, then back to the afternoon parade and then back to the apartment for another swim.
In the evening we ventured out to Kissimee and an Italian restaurant where we needed a big appetite to tackle the generous helpings of pasta and pizza. After that, we did a spot of shopping (caps, T-shirts) and then it was back to the apartment and bed!
Day 4 - Typhoon Lagoon
The next day started with breakfast at Dennys. Dennys is great - it's open 24 hours a day and you can eat whatever you want from the menu, whenever you want. I won't bother listing what everyone ate but suffice it to say there was lots of fried stuff and pancakes.
We thought after three straight days at the parks we'd have a day off and relax at a water park. This was rather optimistic. To describe Typhoon Lagoon as crowded would be an understatement. After half an hour search for spare deckchairs we were beginning to lose hope but patience paid off and we eventually managed to set up camp in an area with shade for the men and sunshine for the girls (see pictures). The main feature of the water park was a huge pool which generated massive waves which people "surfed" or jumped etc. Nathan lasted about 5 minutes in this before being knocked over by a massive wave - luckily Grandad was on hand to pull him out (Daddy was with Sam in the deeper bit - they lasted a bit longer!) The boys went on rubber tubes and played in the little splash areas. High up in the sky a man in a plane was writing the words "Jesus loves you" with his jetstream. In the afternoon we headed back to the apartment and pool which provided welcome respite from the crowds.
Day 5 - Epcot
First ride at Epcot was the brilliant Test Track where you are put in a prototype car which is put through a series of tests (heat, cold, braking!) before going round a racetrack at high speeds. This was Nathan's favourite ride of the holiday. Then it was on to Spaceship Earth (the ride inside the huge golfball for anyone who knows Epcot), a journey through technological progress narrated by Dame Judy Dench. At the end of this our faces were superimposed onto cartoon bodies on the screens in front of us in a world which looked like the Jetsons. My description doesn't do this ride justice so have a look at the pictures Lionel and Jeanette took of themselves! Then we did "Ellen's Energy Adventure", stopped for a coffee break, and went on to World Showcase where we visited Mexico (boat ride), Norway (Viking ride!), China (panorama film), Morocco (which did remind us a lot of Marrakech with a souk and orange trees - have a look at the pictures!) and Canada (funny panorama film). It was at this point where I made the biggest mistake of the holiday and went with my mother-in-law to Mission Space - the ride which simulates a trip on a space shuttle into, well, space. Suffice it to say after the ride we felt unwell for the rest of the day, and it still makes me feel unwell thinking about it! After this ride we visited the brilliant Seas of Nemo and friends with an amazing animated talking turtle (Crush), who interacted with the people in the actual audience - I don't know how they do it. After that we called it a day and went back to the apartment - I slept while everyone else swam! In the evening we went to Denny's and I remember eating a delicious burger.
Day 6 - Universal Studios
Another day, another theme park - change of theme to Universal Studios, where we started off with the brilliant new Simpsons ride, followed by E.T. I then went off and did the "Mummy" (scary rollercoaster) while everyone else did a kiddies ride. Following this we did a photoshoot with the characters from Madagascar (just before us a man proposed to his girlfriend in front of them. She said yes). We then did Men In Black and Jaws, both excellent rides, before doing Disaster, a ride where the audience get to be extras in a disaster movie (called Mutha Nature). This was extra special though because Nana got to play one of the lead roles (see photos!). I then went on the outstanding Terminator ride before doing the 3-D Shrek with the in-laws while Kate took the boys on Jimmy Neutron. Universal Studios was every bit as good as the Disney parks, although perhaps catering for older kids. After this we went to the Florida Mall and dinner was at the California Pizza Kitchen, where I had a superb Waldorf salad. A perfect end to a great day.
Day 7 - Day off! (and Hollywood Studios)
We were in need of a day by the pool, and so had one. In the late afternoon we went to Hollywood Studios to see the Fantasmic spectular which we had been told we should not miss and proved to be unmissable (although we did get a bit wet!) Difficult to describe this - the photos illustrate it better than I can. Before this we went on the Great Movie Ride and the Backlot Tour, both good rides. At the end of the evening myself, Nana and Grandad went to the Muppet 3D show (the boys refusing to do this at the mere sight of 3D glasses), then it was back to the apartment and bed!
Day 8 - Universal Studios - Islands of Adventure
This was our last full day together which we spent at the more adventurous Universal Studios Park, Islands of Adventure. Together we enjoyed the new Spiderman ride, Ripsaw Falls (the highlight of the day and for me the best ride of the holiday - simply the best log floom I've ever been on), Jurassic Park, Pteranadon Flyers and (Simon only - Duelling Dragons - fast rollercoaster!), eyeing the new Harry Potter ride which opens in 2010. Before lunch we went on Dr Seuss and afterwards I enjoyed a delicious marshmallow chocolatey thingy on a stick from the sweetshop outside. After this the boys (and the girls) went on the carousels and then it was time to go home but not before everyone graciously let me go on the Hulk rollercoaster - simply the best I've ever been on. Then it was back home for another swim, followed by a visit to the local restaurant, Chilli's, for a great final meal together. But not before I'd played hide and seek with the boys outside, of course.
Day 9 - Epcot and Magic Kingdom
Today we said goodbye to Nana and Grandad. Went to another shopping mall in the morning but alas, no bargains to be had. Took Nana and Grandad to the airport in the afternoon, and then returned to Epcot for one final ride "Soarin" (Simon) and Living with the Land (Mummy, Nathan, Sam) and then took the monorail to the Magic Kingdom for another go on Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain. Then it was time for the evening parade and fireworks, which (and I know I keep saying this) were honestly the best we'd ever seen. Must cost Disney a fortune. My photos don't do it justice.
Day 10 - Goodbye Florida, Hello Atlanta
Today we said goodbye to the apartment and my beloved Dodge. Flew back to Atlanta where we were greeted by our friend Ashley who we were going to be staying with together with her husband Tim and their little boy Crosby. Drove back to their place, chatting the whole way - lots to catch up on. Atlanta looked great in the sunshine. Went to a park in the afternoon, visited Tim's church, 12stone (an amazing place, never seen anything like it), and then went to a baseball game in the evening - Atlanta Braves vs Florida Marlins. This was a brilliant experience, fantastic atmosphere, great company, great food (hot dog, nachos, funnel cake). Absolutely loved it. Check out the photos and video. Then it was back home to bed!
Day 11 - Goodbye Atlanta (Take 1)
Today we spent a relaxing day with our friends, with a trip to a Wal-Mart (we had to see it!) in the morning, followed by a visit to the nearby playground and showhome in the afternoon (just out of interest you understand, not because we'd fallen in love with America and wanted to move there ;-) Reluctantly we packed our bags in the evening and said farewell to our friends after a delicious BBQ. We said goodbye to Ashley at the airport for what turned out to be the first but not final time. We arrived at the gate only to find our flight had been overbooked (common practice on this airline apparently) and we did not have seats on the plane, along with one other family. Cue two upset families with very upset children. We were eventually pacified by the airline's offer of a free night at a hotel and breakfast, and very generous compensation! We would however have to fly to Heathrow via Frankfurt the next day. Nevertheless, we would have one more day in lovely Atlanta.
Day 12 - Goodbye Atlanta (Take 2)
After a bad night's sleep (the airport was opposite our hotel and the rowdy guests kept us up most of the night - for future reference avoid the Ramada Hotel in Atlanta) we contacted Ashley, got the Marta (the airport train) into Atlanta and met her and Crosby at the Coke museum (Coke's HQ is in Atlanta). Bonus! This was great fun, especially tasting all the weird and wonderful drinks the company makes around the world. After a snack break in the park outside, it was time to say goodbye again. On the walk back to the train we saw a high-speed car chase complete with cops (goodies) and white car (baddies). What a way to end the holiday! Caught the train back to the airport, and this time, got on our flight. This turned out to be the best flight we'd ever had (yet another superlative). We each had our own TV's and we could choose what we wanted to watch!!! I watched the Simpsons, Yes Man and The Wrestler. The boys watched Madagascar 2. Kate watched...something girly. All good. The flight went in no time.
At the other end we manoeuvred our way through Frankfurt airport (this airport is no fun) and managed to get to our connecting flight on time. Arrive back in Heathrow midday. Had to stop for a sleep half way along the M40. I've only just got over the jet lag.

To the best of my recollection, this is what we did. I have a memory like a goldfish so I've probably missed some stuff out, but I suppose the photos are the most important things. Hope you've enjoyed them.

Finally, a list of other things which were great about America, in no particular order:
The weather
The ingredient in the water that makes people genuinely friendly
Dennys
It's clean! (relatively)
Big cars. Big everything.
Automatic transmission on the big cars
Driving on the I-4
Rest rooms whenever you need them
Sensor-activated hand towel machines. Nathan loved these
Atlanta airport
The jazz pianist in Atlanta airport which made the seating area outside Burger King feel like Ronny Scotts
The comedy cabin staff on the flight from Atlanta to Orlando
Delta airlines 767, later models - your own TV with whatever you want to watch! Coolio! (sorry I'm sure this is old hat for many people)
Dennys for breakfast
Fox 35 - myfoxorlando.com, the best breakfast news channel ever
Baseball games
Tim, Ashley and Crosby
Those ice creams we had outside the Coke museum with whole pecan nuts embedded in the chocolate
Lucky Charms
Dennys (sorry did I already say that?)
Everything else

All in all a brilliant holiday. We were truly blessed.

This is our "wordle", a "word cloud" based on all the words in our blog to date. The cloud gives greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the blog. I've shamelessly copied this idea from my friend Stephen's blog.

Hello all,
Recently added a new set of photos from our stay in the Lake District over New Year. This was to the same cottage we've been going to for the last few years (see June 3rd 2003 post for details of our first trip). Adventures included walks with Grandma and Grandpa to the Rutter Falls, a ride on the Carlisle to Settle Line from Appleby to Kirkby Stephen, a trip to a castle, a spot of geocaching and of course relaxing by the fire in the evening. Just what the doctor ordered.

Photos are a bit "arty" and not many of the family but that was because I was more interested in capturing pictures of the amazing frost they had up there. Shame on me. Not sure if it paid off because the pictures were taken on my mobile phone, but have a look anyway (the link's on the right).

Just managed to put up some pictures of our holiday in Cornwall which seems ages ago now but brings back great memories - it coincided with the one week of decent weather we had this summer.

I realise this is yet another post which basically says "hello, look at some more holiday photos". Rather boring I know, so why not have a look at my brother's blog - it's a bit more interesting...

We had a "boys weekend away" in South Wales a few weeks ago and I've finally managed to put the photos up. We visited Caldicot castle, Caerleon Roman fort and then went to Abergavenny where we spent a night at a youth hostel. A real adventure! Click on the link to have a look!

So we've now branched out into video.

Click on the link on the right-hand side that says "videos" to be transported to a world of entertainment. Hopefully.

You can also subscribe to our blog by clicking on the link above that one. Subscribing basically means you don't have to keep checking the blog for new posts, you're notified about them automatically - you need a 'news reader' for this. In case you were wondering.

I've just created a new album for 2008. I've uploaded pictures from mine and Sam's recent trip to Wroxeter Roman city. He's studying the Romans this term.

Something tells me the trips are going to be closer to home this year...

Recently came across some amusing videos of Nathan we took a while back (probably about two years ago now). I was obviously messing around with Windows Movie Maker at the time.

It's basically an excuse to try posting video to the blog, which is something I haven't done before.

Have a look.

Just wanted to let you know about the great Christmas and New Years we've just had. The highlight of our Christmas was the three uncles coming to stay, who brought with them a staggering collection of fine cheeses, other foods and ales, along with much entertainment both for their nephews (toys) and their elder brother (PS2 / N64). On Christmas Eve we went for a walk in the country and managed to find this geocache
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?
guid=167f51f5-990c-46fd-866f-41bf2cf2d4b5
The race down the hill to see who could get there first was the highlight.
Christmas Day at the Virrs (Senior) was very enjoyable, with a fantastic Christmas dinner and, of course, charades afterwards.
New Years saw us set off for the Lake District where we spent a very relaxing few days at our favourite holiday cottage (4th time now), at Hoff near Appleby, with our friends the Riddalls. Highlights were Rheged - the village in the hill - and our New Years Eve walk where we found a tree which was big enough and hollow enough to fit most of the kids (six of them) inside it.
Now it's back to work :-(
Hope your holidays were enjoyable too.
Here's a couple of my favourite pics from the last year.

Here's our new school boy.

Pleased to announce I've finally managed to upload photos from our fairly eventful summer - the first lot are holiday pictures from our trip to Ty Nadan camp in Brittany. Click on the link on the right to have a look. It seems like ages ago now but we had a fantastic time - canoeing, cycling, quad biking (well, me and Sam), the usual stuff...There are also quite a few pictures taken by Nathan - see if you can guess which ones they are...suffice it to say there are plenty of random ones of the inside of the caravan. I think no holiday album is complete without at least four pictures of a mattress.

As you will see, our holiday also included a trip to the Normandy beaches, which was a real experience - however I'm sure you can skip those photos if you want...highlights included Pointe du Hoc, the Omaha Beach museum and the battery at Longues-sur-Mer.

I've also included some pictures from our trip to Lee Abbey. Maybe I'll get round to labelling all these at some point. But enjoy.

Had a couple of hours (well, days) to spare so have added new photos of our recent trip to Marrakech (without the children!).

Highlights of the trip were the weather (!), spending time with our brother and sister-in-law and nephews, trip to a Berber village in the Atlas mountains, and bartering in the souks. Not to mention the first hotel I've stayed at with a bar in the pool. Very nice. Only downside was that our luggage got sent to Paris on the way back. We now have it back though.

Also you will see there are family photos which include pictures from the grande famille weekend in Devon. And finally, pictures of mine and Sam's weekend away camping in the Forest of Dean.

Below is a picture from that weekend of me and Sam. I think I look a bit like Ben Fogle - don't know whether that's a good or bad thing...

We've recently been messing around with some free music software, Music Maker, which lets you create your own music samples and voice recordings, and puts these together to make a track. Below is a little mp3 player where you can listen to Sam's first effort. He's gone for the hip hop sound, as you'll see.

"Check it out", as the kids say.

New album added, from our trip to Disneyland Paris at Easter. Unfortunately no pictures of the Eurostar train, which was Nathan's favourite ride. On the parc, Buzz Lightyear was the favourite, where we had to shoot Emperor Zorg targets, Quasar-style. Thunder Mountain Railway was also a hit. Highlight for Dad was the Aerosmith Rock-n-Rollercoaster. Highlight for the whole family was the "Animagique" show at the Walt Disney Studios, a musical with Mickey / Daffy shown in UV lighting.

Stayed at the Hotel Santa Fe, a western-themed hotel just outside the resort. 5 minute trip by bus to the parc. Managed to beat the queues on the Saturday, but by the Monday (when the French school holidays started), it was packed, with some queues having 80 minute waiting times. Only down side apart from that was the French narration during the rides, but hardly surprising really!

Best moment of the holiday was when we "landed" at the end of the Star Tours ride, Nathan turned round and said "Are we home now?"

Over a year since our last post, have just been on holiday and realised how quickly the kids are growing up, and want to document this somehow (and share it) - so I thought why not update the blog. So there are some new photo albums for you to look at on the right.

I realise that this might all seem a bit geeky, but hopefully in years to come I'll look back nostalgically (if that's a word) and be glad I made the effort.

I also realise that no post is complete without a picture of our chickens, however the ones you see below are both now dead, and I haven't got any pictures of our new ones. I may take a new photo and publish it if I get sufficient interest.

(Finally) introducing our new chicken, Malcolm Eggs, seen here on the left - no need for a naming competition this time round (thanks Stephen).

Some sad news - whilst out roaming in the garden last week, Mrs Tickle was caught and killed by a fox. We had a day of mourning the next day, and then ordered her replacement - it's what she would have wanted. In any case we gave her a great send off on the dinner table on Sunday.

(Just joking).

The picture says it all.

Eggtastic! Just look at this whopper - it's about the size of a goose egg (the one on the left is a normal sized egg, for comparison). We're not sure which one of the chickens laid it, but it can't have come out without a fight.

We now have a cat.



We have inherited her from my sister and brother-in-law, who are moving abroad. Her name is Ducati, after the motorbike - because they both purr, according to my brother-in-law.

I have set up a Cat-Cam (see right) so that my sister will still be able to see her beloved cat.

Finally got round to adding pictures of our holiday in Coniston, which a couple of people have asked for. (I honestly don't do this for myself. Honest). Highlights were: the walk round Tarn Hows, mountain biking at Grisedale Forest Park, losing control of the car over an icy Hardknott Pass, the Eskdale to Ravenglass railway, the boat trip over Coniston Lake, the walk from Torver, dinner at the Brittania Inn at Elterwater and the Sun at Coniston. Not all in one day though. And of course the Cars of the Stars at Keswick (where we couldn't take photos).

Click on the link on the right.

And the winner of our chicken naming competition is...my nephew Ethan, for his contribution "Tickle and Feather". Very appropriate, given that chicken number one appreciates human contact while chicken number two has distinguishing blond feathers round her neck.

Of course it was a close decision, and all entries were of the highest quality, but we thought this one had the edge.

How egg-citing...our first egg arrived today.



I opened the eglu this morning to let the chickens out and there it was sitting in the corner. Here it is in all its glory, sitting in its custom-made egg box.

Find out what all the fuss is about here.

They have arrived.



They don't have any names as yet...if you're feeling imaginative you can enter our naming competition! You can either put your suggestion in the comments box or email us with it.

Prizes for the winning entry.

Merry Christmas everyone.

I've just added some photos of my trip to Azerbaijan. To put these into context, they are photos of some (cold!) mud geysers we visited outside Baku, some caves with stone-age drawings, and a "fire temple", along with panoramic photos of Baku.

Click on the link on the right to see these.

Happy viewing!

As usual it's taken me months to get round to it, but the latest batch of photos from our trip to Rome in October have now been added to the site. Click on the Rome link on the right.

Merry Christmas!

Hello everyone, Simon here, just thought I'd update the blog which has been left alone for a while.

We are all doing well, life has become a bit more "normal" since Nathan's first few weeks (see previous post), with Sam now performing the early morning entertainment. Nathan is a chubby smiley fella while Sam is always making us laugh - only today he was singing along to Holly Valance in the car. They grow up so fast...Katie is busy as ever looking after the boys, teaching piano and violin and when she's not doing that she's gardening - she puts me to shame.

I was having a look at the photo album and realised it was heavily children-biased, so I've added a few photos of Katie and I, just to remind you what we look like (well, when we're at weddings). Just click on the Family 2003 link. Oh, and there's one of me dressed as a 70's tennis player with Zinedine Zidane in Great Yarmouth. Now there's a combination I'd never have dreamed of.

Simon.

PS Actually I was on a stag do, and that's my friend Matt. ZZ would never make such a mess of a hot dog.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF...

So, by way of contrast, and to offer Jon a glimpse of what life is like with two small kids, here goes...
2-3am: Get up. Feed Nathan. Put him down. Pick him back up again. Feed him again. Put him down again. Wait for him to cry. Pick him back up again. (ad lib to fade).
4am: Go back to bed. Lie awake, waiting for Nathan to cry again. Consider legitimate ways of getting Nathan to sleep.
5am: As 2-3am, except Katie gets up this time. Consider ways of getting Nathan to sleep.
7am: Sam wakes up. Punctually. Sam's decision is final and no negotiation with parents will be entered into. Bangs on door designed to wake anyone from the deepest slumber. Simon gets up. Feels like he's just had a hard night clubbing. Except without the clubbing.
8am: Breakfast - ours, conventionally, is eaten, whilst Sam generously feeds the carpet. Nathan sleeps blissfully.
9am: Go to work. Well alright, 9.30am.
9am-5pm: Simon works. Well alright, "works". Katie really does some work. Sam goes to playgroup / childminder / park. Nathan sleeps and feeds.
6pm: Simon gets home. Plays football / hide-and-seek / dancing with Sam. Sam has tea. Carpet well-fed.
6-7pm: Simon baths Sam. Katie baths Nathan. Boys put to bed.
7pm: As 2-3am.
8pm: As 2-3am, with the 5am considerations.
9pm: Katie cooks tea, whilst Simon collapses pathetically in front of TV. Eat tea. Fall asleep. Go to bed.
10-11pm: As 2-3am.

Next episode: What happens at weekends.

And you thought Stephen's film reviews were a treat...

Yes, inspired by my friend Stephen's blog which enthralls us with tales of his adventures in Australia, I decided to set up a rival blog to enthrall you with the adventures of the Brown family in, erm, south Birmingham.

However, as I'm still thinking about what to write, you'll have to wait a bit...anyway, in the meantime, have a look at our photo album, and feel free to offer any feedback in the comments boxes.

Welcome to the Brown family web log (or "blog")! You can view our photo album here. This of course includes pictures of the new arrival!