The One Where George Climbs a Wall

It seems a good while ago now but back in June George came up to Bay View with his Grandad and me for the weekend. 

When at Bay View one of the things we all like to do is walk down to Archer’s Cafe for breakfast (I know I must’ve said this a time or two in previous posts but it’s so true - we love going down to Archer’s for breakfast.  There I’ve said it again!) and to do this was definitely on George’s wishlist.  Archer’s Cafe is up there in the distance at the tip of that wooded headland, not too far.

The walk takes about 30 minutes or so and takes in plenty of pretty scenery.

   Look at this handsome boy, twelve years old now and very nearly as tall as I am!

A beautiful day meant breakfast was taken al fresco.  Always the best way in my book.

This is the view in front of the cafe, it looks over to the glorious landscape of The Lake District in the distance.

Sunday we drove round to Arnside where George saw this wall...

.. and immediately decided to climb it!

Just like that.

No hesitation and hey presto, there he was at the top!

Once he’d started this caper he couldn’t stop and promptly scaled the wall again.  About this time I told him to quit while he was winning.  There was no way I wanted to take him home to his mother with a leg in plaster! 

As day turned into evening we all strolled down to the campsite bar/restaurant where George played a game or two of pool with Grandad.  I have never, ever been any good at this kind of game so I sat and watched and sipped a drink while the boys played.  And in this fashion the we happily whiled the night away.

The weekend had been a fun one and was over before we knew it but not before I snapped this smashing pic of my biggest Little Treasure.  #timepleasestoppassingbysoquickly

Until next time,

Bay View Again and a Birthday Boy

And the birthday boy is Charlie.   

Charlie turned six a couple of weeks ago. 

Caroline, his mum, took the above two pics with her iPhone5 the weekend before last when we were together at Bay View.  I really like them.

Unusually it was just Caroline, Charlie and me for the Bank Holiday weekend.  The men were otherwise occupied.  The weather forecast was not too good for Saturday and Sunday but Monday was going to be sunny.  Sunday morning in view of the forecast rain Caroline decided that she would take Charlie swimming over at Silverdale.  While they were in the pool I got myself a coffee, took my iPad out of my bag and seated myself where I was able to watch their antics in the pool.  A happy arrangement for each of us.

The predicted rain held of for most of the day which meant we were able to spend a lot of time outdoors. 

After Silverdale a pleasant short drive over to Arnside seemed like a good idea.

And it was.  

We found a vacant park bench where Charlie enjoyed a chippy lunch.  Actually we all three enjoyed Charlie’s chippy lunch!  There’s nothing quite like eating a bag of chips outdoors and by the sea even better.  They were delicious too! 

For entertainment we had gulls flitting around just a few feet in front of us.

Onto Sunday.  A new place for us is Half Moon Bay.  Caroline had been told about it by a friend who grew up in this area.  It’s a sweet and sour kind of place.  The sweet is the uncrowded beach, the view, the sea, the coastal walks, the cafe, et cetera.  And the sour?  Well, that’s the power plant that’s visible at the bottom end of the bay.  The trick therefore is just not to look that way and choose instead to look out to sea and over to the hills of beautiful Cumbria.  Simple!

The cafe at Half Moon Bay.  It was very busy so we presume the food is good.  The coffee was definitely up to scratch.

And the view in front of it wasn’t too shabby!

Plenty of room to play around on the sand.  Lots of rock pools.

 

And a few more pics of the birthday boy.  Looking cool in his shades.

Looking cheeky and relaxed in his shades.

And dancing around in his shades! :-) 

Following a long afternoon on the beach we called at a local MacDonald’s just outside Half Moon Bay and that’s where Charlie got his face painted.  For free I might add!  He was one happy little chappy.

One more picture before I go.  I snapped this pic from the car with my iPhone on the way up the motorway.  I have never seen such a beautiful, ornate gypsy caravan.  It was immaculate.  There was another one in front of this one too.  Perhaps they were going to a rally somewhere. 

Seeing these gypsy caravans sent my mind flying back through the years remembering how my Aunty Edie, my mother’s sister and my lovely cousin Sylvia’s mother, would always say how she fancied a holiday in one of these horse drawn caravans.  Rambling through the countryside in one seemed to appeal to her a lot.  Happy memories of my favourite aunt.

All in all it was a lovely relaxing weekend.

Arnside, Kirkby Lonsdale (again) and a Birthday Boy.

Time was at a premium last week and I didn’t get chance to post the second half of the Spring Bank Holiday weekend happenings.  However, for posterity and without further ado, here it is.

Sunday morning of the Spring Bank Holiday weekend. 

William and I started it off with a leisurely walk along the coast path…

…to Archer’s Cafe for breakfast.

William used to be an angler in his younger days and usually stops to chat to any fishermen he comes across on our travels.

It seems to be always windy down on the salt marshes, hence our jackets, but despite that it really was a lovely morning.

Later on in the day we had a ride through beautiful countryside to Arnside.

New to us, Arnside sits on the banks of the Kent Estuary.  Above is the 156 year old Kent Estuary viaduct.  I’d love to take a train ride over that.  Scenic railway would be a fitting description don’t you think?

We strolled up and down the footpath alongside the estuary in the afternoon sun.

There are some rather grand houses in Arnside and I spotted this entrance to one of them.  Never mind the house I’d just like the front door!

We drove home via Kirkby Lonsdale and after eating in The Bakery - the food every bit as delicious as last time - we made straight for that view.

Ruskin’s View.  All greened up now and basking in glorious sunshine.  And what a view!

Imagine this view everyday as you open the gate to your garden.  How super duper would that be?

Walking back through the church grounds and graveyard now.

I could live in this house.  It wouldn’t bother me one little bit that the graveyard was literally on my doorstep.

And without a doubt I could also live in this cute little cottage.

We had a lovely long weekend and now know for sure that we are going to love our holiday-home-on-wheels’ new destination.

Earlier in the week, Charlie, my youngest grandson, had his 5th birthday and celebrated with a party in a local craft studio.   Will somebody now please slow down the clock.  Time is passing too quickly!

Charlie wanted a police cake.  With parents both in the police force it was no surprise.  The cake, made by a friend of Caroline was so very cute and Charlie loved it.