Today in Towneley Park

Well, Christmas is well and truly over and today was the last day of the holidays before the boys go back to school in the morning and normal service is resumed.

I had been angling for a day en masse in Towneley Park before the holidays ended and as luck would have it today was that day and the sun shone!  Mr. Frost had been at large and evidence of his handiwork was everywhere.  That’s ice not water the ducks and geese are sitting on up there.

The boys loved it and came perilously close to taking a dip when they leaned over the edge of the pond..

.. to reach for a piece of ice!!???

Bonkers.

Our first port of call was the Stables Cafe (above) where some of us had a full breakfast, some had a bacon butty and others just a very welcome hot drink.

Caroline, or should I say Harley, leading the boys on a short walk while the breakfast order was being prepared.

William and Gary both raved about how good the Full English breakfast was and everybody else enjoyed what they had ordered too.  With that in mind I’m thinking it won’t be too long before we go back again.

It was far too cold to remain seated outside the cafe once the food had been consumed so the next stop was the play area.

Caroline joined in the fun.  Time is a funny thing.  In my mind’s eye I could see my two little girls in the distance playing in a similar park.  I wonder if Time Travelling will ever be a possibility.  I’d go back to visit those days when my girls were little in a heartbeat.

Today though, it’s little boys that fill my heart… and who could ask for anything more?  Not me!

Happy New Year!  Let’s hope it’s a good one.

Caroline’s Birthday

Well, five days after the event here are the photos from last Monday when my girls, their boys, me and our men all went to Towneley Park for a picnic.

There was a special reason for this.  It was Caroline’s birthday last Sunday but unfortunately she was working.  However she and Trev were both off on the Monday which was a Bank Holiday which meant the boys were off school too, and by way of a little celebration she suggested a family picnic in the park.   I’m thinking this is a sweet pic I took of her and Trev.

I pointed the camera at George and Charlie while they were eating.  Charlie immediately ducked his head.  I boxed clever though and waited for him to look up again and caught this cheeky little face!  Little monkey!

Of course, a game of football was part of the fun.

There was lots of stuff going on in the park.   There was a fun fair too with rides.  The boys had a better day than they expected because of that.  I don’t care for fairgrounds so I enjoyed watching a dog agility show while everybody else enjoyed the funfair.

I had to include this picture.  William had joined in kicking the ball around for a bit.  Only a bit though.  Football’s no good for somebody with a bad back is it William?  Trev played too but for some reason I didn’t manage to catch him in action.

Here’s George, my first born’s first born, looking very smart in a rather nice Tommy Hilfiger polo shirt I brought back from our USA trip.   I found it on sale for just a few dollars in the Tanger Outlet Mall, Branson, Missouri.  I love me a bargain! 

Wasn’t he a good boy , standing still while I took a photo!  Wish I could remember what I’d said or indeed what he’d said to make him laugh.  Bless!

It isn’t that often that we are all together on an outing so I thought I’d try for a family portrait.  I quite like this one.

This one might’ve been alright too if the birthday girl hadn’t purposely hidden her dad’s face and Charlie hadn’t been pulling his tongue out.  He also may, or may not, be making the sign for loser!  Kids!!  :-)

 

William, the dog whisperer.

And another one of the birthday girl striking a pose with her man.  Bless her little cotton socks!

Easter Sunday in the Park

Well, we have just said goodbye to the third coldest March on record and I for one was not sorry to see it go.  Yesterday we were all wrapped up against the elements and ready for a family outing to Towneley Park. 

The first stop was a pit stop at the Stables Cafe.  The chilly temperatures didn’t deter us from eating al fresco.  Although I have to say I came away from there with a rather cold derriere that didn’t really recover until I got home and stood up against a hot radiator!

Nicholas tucking into a sausage sandwich.  The scar on his nose is a fresh one.  He and George both had their bikes with them and Nicholas took a nasty tumble off his.  Before the day was over Charlie suffered a similar fate involving his scooter.  Unfortunately, just par for the course I suppose.

Eating over and done with, it was play time.

Towneley Park has one of the best play areas around.

Gary will attest to that.

Uncle Gary throwing Charlie around.  Boys love that don’t they?

Gary had a whale of a time!

I caught this cute pic of Charlie before he came off his scooter.  He loves that hat and his sword - it’s just visible popping up in front of his left arm.

Even granddad got into the swing of things. 

Nicholas and Charlie in the sand pit. 

Caroline, Victoria and Charlie walking the dogs around the perimeter of the play area.

Snow can still be seen in the background of these photos – especially up toward the house.  It didn’t spoil anybody’s fun though.  The park was busy with lots of people about enjoying the fresh air just like we were.

I wonder what kind of weather April will bring?  I’m hoping it’s not going to be full of those showers its always linked with!

 

I didn’t think …

…I had anything to report but when I started to look back over the last few weeks of my photos I decided I’d got plenty to make a post out of.  I didn’t know whether to start with the newest or the oldest happenings but have gone with the newest first.

Sunday last was a lovely winter’s day.  William and I wanted to go somewhere but somewhere not too far away.  I suggested Towneley Park.  We could look at all the Christmas decorations and plants etc. in the garden centre and then have a walk through the park for that all important exercise and breath of fresh air. 

I was disappointed with the Christmas decorations in the garden centre.  They seemed to have been thrown together rather than artistically displayed which is what I like to see. 

Anyway, no matter, we still had that brisk walk in the very fresh air and a light lunch in the cafe.  Usually we would’ve sat outside the cafe but it was very cold and those chairs are made of metal.  A bit too cold for our derrieres.  I noticed the hardy folks who were seated outside had come prepared and had brought small sheepskin mats to sit on.

Saturday night we drove over the icy tops of Blackstone Edge into the small  village of Mytholmroyd to see their Lighted Lantern Parade.  It was a happy, vibrant parade led by a New Orleans type band.  The leader with his umbrella trimmed with lots of lights.  All the lanterns had been made by the locals in schools and other workshop locations throughout the borough.  It was good and I’m glad we made the effort to go and see it on a freezing cold night.

George slept over on the Friday night and I taught him how to play Rummikub.  He soon cottoned on and loved the game.  So much so that he wanted to play again as soon as he rose from slumber the morning after.

That is, as soon as we had made and eaten our pancakes .

Like I’ve said before these little boys only ever want pancakes for breakfast at my house.

It wasn’t too long before Victoria came to collect him.  Nicholas came with her and he and George both made themselves useful by mopping the kitchen floor for me.  Apparently it’s necessary to strip off nearly all one’s clothes in order to mop a kitchen floor.  I didn’t know that, did you?

Another walk around Watergrove Res with my girls and our dogs on a nippy November blue sky day.  Looking down the hill to the road where we started the route.

..and looking up.  We live in a hilly part of the country but that doesn’t matter so much when it’s blue skies all the way!

I have even made time for a bit of scrapbooking recently.  This page remembers a crisp autumn afternoon in Towneley Park with Victoria and the boys.  The top left photo shows five year old Nicholas skipping.  Not all little boys can skip can they?   You should see this little boy.  He can skip!

Recently I found a wool shop that was a little off the beaten track.  How would you like this scenery for a backdrop when you looked out of your office window?  I know it would please me no end and for a lucky few in Mytholmroyd, (that’s where the wool shop is), this is what they’ve got.  Looking at it now the scene is very autumnal.  Not anymore it ain’t.  I drove over this route Friday morning and these hills had snow on them.

Kathleen.