Friday, September 19, 2008
19th Sept. Friday in Bangor.
Friday evening in Bangor.
We left home at quarter past seven for what proved to be a very easy journey. We arrived in Orme Road just six and a quarter hours after leaving Crawley and that included a stop for some lunch - and a couple of loo stops.
The approach to Birmingham always gives us a subject to debate - whether to use the toll road or not.
Of course we would rather not, but there were just too many dire warnings from traffic reports about the state of the M5 as it joined the M6, with people stuck for well over half an hour, that we decided to treat ourselves to swooping round to the north of Birmingham in a completely hassle free zone.
We stopped for lunch at the OK Diner on the A55. It is based on an American type of 1950s diner, with posters relating to 1950s rock and roll and with such music playing gently in the background.
We had breakfast wraps, crammed full with scrambled egg, bacon and mushrooms and also treated ourselves to a plate of chips and some onion rings in beer batter.
Tasty and good value and a welcome relaxing break.
We arrived at Ashley's in plenty of time to drive to Ecky's school to pick her up - except that she didn't go to school today. She has snuffles and coughed all week and yesterday felt pretty wretched and it was probably sensible to have 2 days away from school.
We unloaded the car - full completely with boxes of things bought in the summer at the car boot sales.
Ecky was eager to get the Polly Pocket cruise ship out and soon it was on the floor, opened and ready for play.
I had a couple of the little dolls to dress and create characters for.
We invented a name for one of them after Ecky garbled the question "Who would you be?". My doll became Juby!
Later Ecky wanted to show me a computer game she is keen on called Escape from Paradise. At first I thought I would never understand - simple games for me! But once I got going I could move my characters around this island where they had been washed up. I was looking after each one's welfare and instructing them to build various items. Once the game has been completed you can decide for the characters if they stay on the Paradise Island or use their powers to escape back to the real world.
Food was simple this evening.
I was tired and didn't really fancy shopping.
So we had a huge Chinese take away which will last us 2 days at least.
Liz is not here at the moment. She is spending one night - or maybe 2 with a friend.
After food we had fun looking at a few You Tube bits - the scenes on the rooftops in Mary Poppins is a great favourite. Somebody has, for your enjoyment, got this backwards and it was very funny.
I took Ecky to bed, rather later than normal. I read the first chapter of a Jacqueline Wilson book that had been bought in the summer. It makes me realise that our Ecky is growing up fast. These books I would have said are aimed at children at least 4 years older than she is. They have very perceptive insights into family life - at least this first chapter did.
Right - same old ending whether at home or 300 miles from home - time for a cuppa and then get to bed.
We will be up early. A car boot sale has started on the outskirts of Bangor and we will be off to see if it has attracted many stalls thus far. At least the weather will be good enough.
Goodnight.
There will be a few photos of this trip on the blog once we get home.
We left home at quarter past seven for what proved to be a very easy journey. We arrived in Orme Road just six and a quarter hours after leaving Crawley and that included a stop for some lunch - and a couple of loo stops.
The approach to Birmingham always gives us a subject to debate - whether to use the toll road or not.
Of course we would rather not, but there were just too many dire warnings from traffic reports about the state of the M5 as it joined the M6, with people stuck for well over half an hour, that we decided to treat ourselves to swooping round to the north of Birmingham in a completely hassle free zone.
We stopped for lunch at the OK Diner on the A55. It is based on an American type of 1950s diner, with posters relating to 1950s rock and roll and with such music playing gently in the background.
We had breakfast wraps, crammed full with scrambled egg, bacon and mushrooms and also treated ourselves to a plate of chips and some onion rings in beer batter.
Tasty and good value and a welcome relaxing break.
We arrived at Ashley's in plenty of time to drive to Ecky's school to pick her up - except that she didn't go to school today. She has snuffles and coughed all week and yesterday felt pretty wretched and it was probably sensible to have 2 days away from school.
We unloaded the car - full completely with boxes of things bought in the summer at the car boot sales.
Ecky was eager to get the Polly Pocket cruise ship out and soon it was on the floor, opened and ready for play.
I had a couple of the little dolls to dress and create characters for.
We invented a name for one of them after Ecky garbled the question "Who would you be?". My doll became Juby!
Later Ecky wanted to show me a computer game she is keen on called Escape from Paradise. At first I thought I would never understand - simple games for me! But once I got going I could move my characters around this island where they had been washed up. I was looking after each one's welfare and instructing them to build various items. Once the game has been completed you can decide for the characters if they stay on the Paradise Island or use their powers to escape back to the real world.
Food was simple this evening.
I was tired and didn't really fancy shopping.
So we had a huge Chinese take away which will last us 2 days at least.
Liz is not here at the moment. She is spending one night - or maybe 2 with a friend.
After food we had fun looking at a few You Tube bits - the scenes on the rooftops in Mary Poppins is a great favourite. Somebody has, for your enjoyment, got this backwards and it was very funny.
I took Ecky to bed, rather later than normal. I read the first chapter of a Jacqueline Wilson book that had been bought in the summer. It makes me realise that our Ecky is growing up fast. These books I would have said are aimed at children at least 4 years older than she is. They have very perceptive insights into family life - at least this first chapter did.
Right - same old ending whether at home or 300 miles from home - time for a cuppa and then get to bed.
We will be up early. A car boot sale has started on the outskirts of Bangor and we will be off to see if it has attracted many stalls thus far. At least the weather will be good enough.
Goodnight.
There will be a few photos of this trip on the blog once we get home.
