Goodbye Grandad, Grandma and Uncle

 Tuesday 30^th May

 

It was a sad morning. This was the last day of our holiday. The hotel had been lovely but it was soon time to hand in our key. We all went downstairs for our last buffet English Breakfast, which was lovely. Afterwards everyone returned to their rooms … apart from dad. He ran off into London to find a model shop he wanted to visit and, see if there were any places at the sky garden.

 

I was amazed how quick dad was. It didn’t seem five minutes before dad phoned to say that there were places at the Sky Garden for those who had not booked a ticket. As all of my family were in reception at this point, we put our bags in storage, and off we went.

 

This was my first time up the sky garden. We were on the 34^th floor, apparently, and the view across London was superb. I looked down to try to find our hotel and I wish I hadn’t. The whole of London’s skyline could be seen in front of us and I did really enjoy it. Once we had seen all that there was to see, we headed inside where I sat with uncle whilst the rest of my family ventured off, upstairs and into the Sky Garden itself. I just looked around. I hadn’t seen my mum or dad part with any money therefore, if this was free, it was amazing value for money. The view is stunning. Also, when dad did eventually come back to uncle and I, he was holding a glass of fresh cold water. Once everyone had seen all they wanted to, we left the Sky Garden really pleased with ourselves.

 

We had walked past the Tower of London and we were heading in the direction of London Bridge. Dad had gone off first to see how big the queue was; he reported that it wasn’t that long however, grandma, grandad and uncle declined and decided that they would prefer just looking at the bridge and castle from the waterside. My dad returned. We actually didn’t do much else. We did a little bit of souvenir shopping in the Tower of London gift shop before heading to a ‘Paul’s’ café. Whilst having a drink and a cake, it was decided that my Japanese family had loved their holiday. Their time in the UK had been so good that they were sad to leave however, they had decided that the moment had come. Once out of the café, we headed back to the hotel to pick up our luggage and onto the underground. Destination; Heathrow.

 

Once at Heathrow, everything happened very quickly. We found that my families flight was allowing passengers to check-in. And so, we did. Grandma wanted to do some souvenir shopping once in duty-free (in fact later, my mum found out that my mum did so much shopping, she almost missed her flight!) therefore we said our goodbyes and off they went. Just like that.

 

Mum and Dad were very thirsty; it was such a hot day. Sadly, the only place open was a Costa. Reluctantly we went as I prefer independent cafes. Having said that, they did have a lovely looking Mango drink. We all took a sip and were immediately hooked. This was a problem. Mum and Dad didn’t want to go to Costa and, here we were, with a drink built for the summer. We will have to come again.

 

As a treat, Dad suggested that we took the new Elizabeth line underground train back to London. We had to walk a little further to the station but I was excited. The train itself was bigger and more comfortable than your traditional tube train. At first the view was pretty dire and I wondered what the old queen would have thought. Once under the city of London things improved drastically. Stations that seemed to be from another planet presented themselves to us and it was amazing.

 

Once off the train we were close to Covent Garden. Much to my dad’s disappointment, my mum had given my grandma their Ben’s Cookies. We were therefore on a mission to get a load more before returning to Derby. On the way to Covent Garden, we went down some lovely streets with some very interesting shops. Once we had got our cookies, we were off to St Pancras.

 

Once at St Pancras we had time to buy dinner – sushi - from M&S before boarding our train. Once on the train I decided to play ‘Jingle Bells’ on my electronic toy many, many times over. Given that it was May, I am pretty sure everyone loved it!

 

Once back in Derby my UK Grandma picked us up, and off we went home. Whilst riding in the car I thought about my holiday. It had been amazing! I had loved everything about it. It must have cost a lot therefore, I think our next holiday will be a little while away. Having said that, I had heard that it might be a place called Cornwall or Scotland. Something to do with wanting to go out of school time and me going to school next September or something. School … me! I was only born 3 years ago … I am not sure I am ready for such a big step.

 

Toodle Pip!

Hop on and Hop off

 Monday 29^th May

 

We got up an okay time and headed down to the restaurant for breakfast. The breakfast was a buffet and pretty amazing. Only issue was, is that it was half term therefore, extremely busy. I had enough to eat and my mum and the rest of my family all had English Breakfasts.

 

We left the hotel and walked to the nearest ‘hop on, hop off’ bus stop’. We paid for our tickets and got onboard. The cycling competition end yesterday – thankfully – therefore, all roads were open. We saw all of London’s main attractions apart from the front of Buckingham palace … which I thought was odd. My dad said that the commentary was really interesting however, I hate having ear phones in my ears.

 

There were two bus routes for the London tour. We did half of the main route before transferring to the smaller ‘loop’ route which went around Knightsbridge. Once that was over, we all decided to go for a small walk-through Hyde Park. I really liked this as I got to jump around a lot. Once done we got back on the bus and finished our tour. Now, this doesn’t sound a lot however, we had started at 10am and it was almost 2pm now.

 

We got off the bus at Covent Garden. My grandparents wanted to get a load of souvenirs and what better place than Covent Garden. Mum and dad bought their traditional Ben’s cookies. Though Covent Garden provided us with hot dogs for lunch and on-street entertainment, there were not as many souvenirs for sale as both grandma and grandad would have liked. We therefore walked to Leicester square where uncle and I sat down on the grass while grandma, grandad and mum went off shopping. Dad went to McDonald’s for a drink.

 

Once done people were tired, we therefore got on the last ‘hop-on, hop-off’ bus for the day, and headed back to our hotel. Once there we booked a table for dinner and went to our rooms to relax for a little while.

 

Dinner was just as delicious as yesterday. It was a little sad as this was our last meal together; tomorrow grandad, grandma and uncle would be flying back to Japan and we would be coming back to Derby. Everyone agreed that the holiday had been amazing. The weather could not have been better and my Japanese family wondered if it ever rained in the UK.

 

Once food was eaten, we all went to bed for our final night of the holiday. I was a little sad therefore, I decided not to annoy mum and dad too much.

 

Toodle Pip!

Transport

 Sunday 28^th May

 

This was the day my dad was worried about. Listening to him speak he had built a lot of time into ‘the plan’ however, things had to happen at certain times. First of all, my mum and I were getting in a taxi at 8am and heading to the train station. We would be taking a train to a place called Luton. My dad would then be driving my grandma, grandad and uncle to Luton too. I couldn’t understand why we couldn’t go together however, I had heard it had something to do with my car seat.

 

The first – and only thankfully – thing to go wrong was the taxi. Dad phoned up to see if it was still booked and on its way however, once on the phone he heard that they didn’t have a car seat for me! In fact, the person on the phone said that ‘we would have to provide one and take it with us!’. Now I am not an adult, but even I thought this was silly.

 

There was no choice dad had to take mum and I and we had to go quickly. You see, unbeknown to me, though mum and I had loads of time to get our train to Luton, dad had to get the car rental back to Luton at 10am. I was going to miss this car. It was a lot higher off the ground than our normal car meaning that I could see a lot more. In a flash mum was ready and we were all in the car. As dad drove off to the train station I double-checked that all my toys were packed.

 

Once at the station the rush for us ended. Dad left to go home and take my Japanese family to Luton. Mum and I had a look around the station before boarding our train. Sadly, mum boarded the wrong coach however, someone on board helped us find our seat. A part from that, the train journey was quite uneventful.

 

Once I stepped off the train in Luton, I had wondered why on Earth we had come here. Both mum and dad didn’t like Luton either however, apparently the train tickets to London were cheap from here. Mum and I left the train station and went to a local McDonalds where we met grandad, grandma, uncle and a mountain of luggage. They weren’t impressed with Luton either. Apparently, dad had left a little while ago to take the car back.

 

It took dad quite while to get to McDonalds. He explained that, even though the car rental place was not that far, getting back by public transport was a nightmare. We were not late for our train; dad had made it back with enough time for him to sit down for ten minutes or so before we headed to the train station.

 

The train was full … really full. Apparently, my poor uncle didn’t enjoy it at all however, he did get to sit on his suitcase. I say apparently as I had fallen asleep. Fortunately, the journey was only 20 minutes before we arrived in St Pancras. Due to a cycling event today, London’s Road network was practically shut. We therefore had to take the underground which wasn’t too bad and, thankfully, our hotel was very close to Monument underground station.

 

My mum and dad had booked a Premier Inn; our first and only hotel. Though we couldn’t go to our room straight away, they did have a lovely ice cold ‘water and lime’ drink for free. We sat in the foyer and waited 30 minutes or so before we were allowed into our rooms.

 

Our room was lovely and I had my own proper bed! I was looking forward to the next two nights. Just then, my dad said goodbye and left without us. Apparently, he was going to meet an old work friend for the first time. My grandad and uncle were tired and wanted to stay in the hotel therefore, I feared that it’ll be a boring evening. Luckily grandma wanted to go out and have a look around. Mum, grandma and I went to the riverfront however, not before booking a table in the hotel’s restaurant for 8pm.

 

We had a lovely walk around. We saw the Tower of London, London bridge and many other bits and bobs. We got back to the hotel just in time for dinner. We had a lovely oval table and we sat down to enjoy our meal. Dad returned just in time for dessert, which mum and him shared. He said that he had had a great time with his mate.

 

So tomorrow we are planning on spending most of the day on a tour bus … I love buses! 

Toodle Pip!

Family Meal

 Saturday 27^th May!

 

We were up early for once. Though the meal wasn’t until 1pm, mum wanted to show her parents where she worked and, our new house. We therefore left home around 9am and headed to Etwall. When we arrived, uncle was already asleep however, a sharp elbow from grandad woke him up. After this we drove to our new house. Dad let us all out of the car and then went to park it.

 

I hadn’t seen the house before and it looked good. The garden seemed the right size for a huge trampoline. Once we had finished looking around the outside of the house, we all proceeded to the park where we met dad. I love this park! There are three slides I love to play on; the only issue is, choosing which slide to go on first is always difficult.

 

The weather was really hot and I hate wearing hats. We therefore didn’t spend as long as I would have liked in the park however, I did enjoy myself. Back in the car we headed to the Coopers arms where we were going to meet my UK grandparents, great grandparents, uncles and aunts, and great uncles and aunts.

 

We arrived at the Coopers arms a little early. As the weather was amazing, we sat outside and awaiting the whole family. My Japanese grandma had got presents for one-and-all ready. It was funny watching a British member of my family try to introduce themselves to a Japanese member of my family. A lot of slow talking and acting did not help.

 

With so many people, we had been given our own room. Today my grandparents would experience a carvery and, I don’t think they were prepared for the sheer amount of food you got … especially my grandad. Still, they seemed to enjoy their meat, Yorkshire pudding, potatoes and vegetables. Everyone went quiet while consuming.

 

Everyone felt fat once they had finished eating … a part from me as I hadn’t eaten a lot. Once again, we headed outside onto the parkland where we met uncle Edward and dad, who had arrived late and decided to eat outside. The grass, along with the pond gave the family an excellent background for photos. I was very interested in the pond therefore I ran over to it quite a few times … but always stopped in my tracks by a family member.

 

Uncle Chris opened his house to all to come back for a drink and a chat. It sounded fun, but my Japanese family were very tired and, we did have to get up early tomorrow. My dad therefore declined and we headed home.

 

In the evening not much was done and certainly no food was eaten. Tomorrow would be a strange day. Mum and I would travel by train whereas dad would take the family by car to a place called Luton. We would then give the car back – I quite like the car – and travel by train to London, our final destination.

 

Toodle Pip!

Proper Golf and Sleepy Tours

 Friday 26^th May

 

Grandad was up early and, in the garden, practicing something called a ‘golf swing’. Mum didn’t look overly happy; she hadn’t played golf for years and now, she had to play a game with her dad and uncle Chris.

 

Speaking of uncle Chris, he came and picked up mum and grandad at around 8:30. This left dad and I waiting for grandma and uncle to get up. This took a lot longer than I thought and we eventually decided to leave the house around 11am.

 

We hadn’t even got out of the drive before my uncle asked for ‘coffee’ and a bank. We therefore drove to our local shops and went into an express Tesco to get a Costa coffee and cash. Finally, we were all set for a tour of Derby which both my uncle and grandma had asked for.

 

My uncle lasted until the university before he fell asleep. My grandma lasted a little longer. My dad managed to drive into town, past our doctors, along the inner ring road and past the train station before grandma too left asleep. I felt a little left out therefore I too fell asleep leaving dad driving around Derby on his own tour.

 

I, grandma and uncle woke up once in the driveway. We relaxed at home awaiting uncle Chris, grandad and mum to get home. Mum was very happy as her golf wasn’t as bad as she thought. Grandad said that he had enjoyed his British golfing experience. I think it was one of his most favourite activities so far.

 

So tomorrow my Japanese relatives will be meeting the whole Spencer / Otter family for a meal. Tomorrow shouldn’t be busy however, it’ll still be tiring, I think.

 

Toodle Pip!

Bakewell Tart

 Thursday 25^th May!

 

Dad and I stared into the car and we couldn’t believe it. Even though mum and dad had posted two huge boxes home, the car was still full! I actually didn’t care; sure, it meant that I lost the leg room beneath my feet but, I am only little and I don’t really need it. Mum and dad made sure that the water was off, the door was locked and we left the flat.

 

We didn’t go far. We stopped in a place called Stanley to try and pick up some Lake District beer for uncle Chris however, the brewery didn’t open for another 4 hours. We therefore had to leave empty handed which, considering how full the car was, wasn’t a bad thing.

 

The drive was pretty quiet for a working day. We made it to the north of Manchester without any issues. All onboard wanted KFC for lunch therefore we stopped in Stockport. Apparently, I had been here before too however, I couldn’t remember. We then took the A6 into the Peak District.

 

The Peak District was our third National Park on this holiday and I always forget just how stunning it is. Our Sat Nav seemed to be enjoying the weather within the Peak District. Our scheduled destination was Bakewell but that didn’t stop the Sat Nav choosing one of the most beautiful routes I had taken in the peak district. We drove past a place called Wardlow and had a great view over Monsal Dale. Dad and mum both agreed that we should visit this part of the national park more often.

 

We arrived in Bakewell mid-afternoon. Uncle was quite tired therefore he stayed in the car whereas the rest of us had a quick look around the town. Dad and mum bought the traditional Bakewell pies for all to try at a later date. Bakewell was very pretty and yet, not too busy. Finally, we visited Chatsworth’s farm shop before heading back to Derby.

 

We eventually arrived back in Derby around 6pm. I couldn’t believe our house! It was so tidy! I had never seen it so tidy before. I knew something had to be done therefore I got on with emptying all of my toy boxes within our lounge and making sure that Lego was strategically placed for the adults to step on.

So, we had made it to Derby. All – including me – were pretty tired. We therefore had an early night. Dad, Grandma, Uncle and I didn’t have a busy day planned tomorrow however, mum and grandad were going to play golf.

 

Toodle Pip!

Ferries

 Wednesday 24 May!

 

Once again the weather was lovely and yet, my family got ready at a glacial pace. Today we were going to take the ferry down Lake Windermere. Now, apparently, I have been on the ferry before however, I was around 2 years old and I couldn’t remember. On that trip we had to sit below deck so I wouldn’t jump into the lake therefore, the view wasn’t great. Also, last time, we only went as far as Barrow-on-Windermere; this time, we were going to go around the whole Lake.

 

Once again, we drove into Ambleside instead of walking. We arrived at the ferry port quite early. We therefore had time to look around a couple of shops. My grandad found some chocolate Kendell mint cake, which he loved.

 

The ferry we boarded looked brand new. What was cool was that the upper-deck had walls however, these were made of glass. I could therefore look out into the sea as we travelled. It was a beautiful day, and hot. Fortunately, the breeze coming off the lake provided an ambient temperature which I was very grateful of.

 

We got off at Barrow-on-Windermere. We didn’t have long before our next ferry therefore my grandparents and my mum walked around some local shops whereas my dad, my uncle and I walked slowly towards a single tourist shop before returning to the boat.

 

The next ferry wasn’t as nice as the first one we boarded. It was a little older and yet, my dad said that it had ‘character’ … whatever that meant. The trip down this part of the lake was lovely. There were less buildings than along the northern part of the lake. Just above the waters edge, the occasional house seemed placed in-between wooded hills. Again, the weather was amazing and the whole family agreed that, so far this holiday, we had been very lucky indeed.

 

Once we had completed a circle of the southern end of Lake Windermere, we returned to Barrow-on-Windermere. We decided to not board the ferry we were scheduled for and, instead, we would board a later vessel. With the additional time we headed right and onto Barrow’s big parkland near the lake. Mum and Dad went and bought some dinner which we all enjoyed.

 

Once consumed we boarded the ferry back to Ambleside and the car. The older members of my family were pretty tired therefore, back to the flat we went. Mum, Dad and I decided to go into Ambleside once more to do a bit of shopping. This included dad getting a new board game. One thing that was puzzling me was, when was dad going to the cinema? We were leaving the Lake District tomorrow and surely; he was running out of time.

 

So this ends our final day within the Lake District. I know that I have been here a lot in my short life however, I am always sad to leave.

 

Hopefully it won’t be long before we return.

 

Toodle Pip!

Crazy Golf

 Tuesday 23^rd May!

 

I awoke to a sight I never thought I would have seen! I still feel that I was too young to witness such a horror. Once I had walked into the kitchen, my grandma was frying something for breakfast. It turned out to be the remains of last night’s pork pie. I turned to look at Dad. Why on earth would you fry a pork pie? What happens to the pastry? I had so many questions and then, I realised that it wasn’t worth finding the answers out. Both Dad and I retired to the lounge a bit shell shocked.

 

Once our weird breakfast was over, we all got in the car. I must have overheard incorrectly yesterday because my dad drove towards Windermere and not Keswick. As it turned out, my Japanese grandparents wanted to climb a mountain … by car. My Dad chose to drive up Kirkstone pass to Ullswater. Using my excellent 3-year old navigation skills, we could still go to Keswick from there.

 

Originally, I though Kirkstone pass was an excellent choice by a bit of a gamble. Early in the morning the clouds seemed low, preventing excellent views. By the time we had reached the carpark at the top of the pass, those clouds had disappeared and view was superb. I sat on a wall reading my book and looking out at the view. Sadly, when we were ready to leave, a coach just got in front of us. It wasn’t too bad as we got to stop in places and have a good look around however, it was a little slow.

 

We did indeed end up in Keswick after this. Once parked we headed to the park. My dad was very excited. My Japanese grandad was a big golf fan; he played normal golf in Japan which my dad said was the ‘wrong type of golf’. Dad therefore bought four tickets for mum, grandad, uncle and himself to play crazy golf. I watched from my pushchair with grandma. My grandma, for some reason, kept feeding me bananas. I didn’t mind however, by banana number three I really wanted something else.

 

I could hear a lot of laughing from my uncle and grandad. They couldn’t quite understand crazy golf but found it funny. Grandad won! After this we had lunch from a café before we all split up; Grandad and uncle played ‘pitch n put’, my dad went off for a walk and to take some photos whereas mum, grandma and I went shopping in Keswick. It was another beautiful day and I enjoyed being pushed around. I love Keswick as there seems to be something for all.

 

We met dad in the shopping area just as grandad called to say that they had finished playing golf. We all went back to the car and left Keswick. We didn’t get far. Dad wanted to stop, at a pub on the main road between Ambleside and Keswick, called ‘The Kings Head’ for pub food. My Japanese family had not experienced UK pub food so far and this was a stunning place to stop. I shared some of my mum’s meal and it was lovely.

 

As I was so full, I had a short sleep on the way back to the flat. Once back Dad ordered tickets for all of us to go on the Windemere ferry. I was looking forward to this as I really enjoyed the ferry last time.

 

Toodle Pip!

Ambleside

 Monday 22^nd May

 

I awoke to a glorious day in the Lake District. I looked out of the bedroom window and quickly decided that the weather was probably the best I had seen it at the Lakes. We however, didn’t make the most of it. In the morning I walked around the flat eating breakfast and losing the occasional bit to the floor. Everyone was asleep. A little disappointed I sat and read a book.

 

Overhearing conversations, apparently yesterday was a very tiring day and most people wanted a relaxing day. I couldn’t understand it; all we had done is sit in a car! Still there was nothing I could do. I read books and watched TV until we were all ready to go out.

 

Normally we walk into Ambleside however, we decided to take the car this time. We parked in Ambleside’s main carpark, visited Apple Pie for bath buns, and then dad went off for a haircut and we looked around the shops. Well, when I say shops, we only looked in two before dad was done. He met us at a pub where we were having a drink. Even though we hadn’t been in Ambleside long, the old people wanted to return home. We walked slowly to the car park. Before going home, we went to two more places; both of which I had visited before therefore, I gave grandma and grandad tips. Firstly, dad drove to Ambleside’s Garden Centre where grandad, grandma and mum had a look around. Secondly, we headed to Windermere. In Booths we bought a little more food including more sausages. Once back at the flat the old people went to sleep. Mum, Dad and I walked into Ambleside once more.

 

Dad was very lucky. His favourite game shop was just about to close. He met the owner on the stairs and managed to get in to buy yet another game. I wasn’t sure what he was going to do with all these games; but he seemed happy enough with a game called ‘forbidden island’. Mum bought me a plastic ball but, it’s not really my thing; I like my books.

 

After this we walked back to the flat where we relaxed watching TV and eating dinner. My dad introduced my Japanese family to the humble Pork Pie. They seemed to like it and had saved some for breakfast.

 

I am looking forward to tomorrow. I heard the word Keswick however, I am not too sure.

 

Toodle Pip!

A cow on the M5!

 Sunday 21^st May

 

We were all up early and packing. I kept quiet as I was sad to leave, put I made sure that all my books and toys were packed in the car within arm-reach. Mum and Dad had hoped that the car would have been a lot lighter considering that we had been eating food which grandma had brough with her. Sadly, that was not the case therefore, the whole car faced an eight hour drive in little comfort. Uncle wanted to see a British motorway services. This made my dad go a little white as most motorway stops are, let’s face it, architecturally not Britain’s fines hour. Dad did however strike gold when he remembered Glouchester’s services, which were not a million miles away. When we pulled into the services we were greeted by, what can only be described as, a giant Hobbit hole. The services were built into the hillside and were stunning. Dad even managed to pull off the quite impossible feat of making them think that these services were standard in the UK. Both my dad and I just hoped that another stop at a motorway service would not be required.

 

We were now heading north along the M6. All was going well until all traffic stopped due to a cow being in the road. This made my grandparents laugh. So far, we had been travelling in the countryside and they were starting to wonder if all UK civilians were farmers. Once the cow had decided that his grassy filed was much more comfortable than tarmac we were on our way again. Just before Birmingham we left the M6 and proceeded north; running close to the Welsh border. Our destination was Hoylake; a small town to the west of Liverpool across the Mersey. This town was holding some sort of Golf bat tournament thing later this year. It mattered not to me however, golf was Koz’s dad’s ultimate passion therefore, I had never seen him so awake. Before getting there, we stopped at a biker’s café called The Raven. Here we sat down at quite a dodgy table and ordered five English breakfasts from some hairy looking biker chefs. Credit where it’s due though; this was my Japanese grandparents first English Breakfast and it was delicious. Dad was happy too as it was cheap.

 

We made it finally to Hoylake. Koz’s dad jumped out the car followed by his wife, Koz and uncle. Dad and I sat in the car as we new that they could only go into the golf shop … and I hate shopping. Later my mum told me that they had met a very nice gentleman who told them all about the club and, my grandad had spent a fortune. After the shop dad and I met the rest of the family and the obligatory photo was taken. We got photos of the stands which were all setup for this golf bat tournament.

 

Back in the car and grandad was well happy. My dad on the other hand, wasn’t. It had become apparent that, due to the time, we really had to take the tunnel under the Mersey and into Liverpool. My dad did not want to drive in a big city, especially with the tank-sized car he had. Mum acted as navigator and fortunately, downtown Liverpool was avoided. We therefore got back on the M6 and completed the spectacular journey to Ambleside.

 

My grandparents were in awe of the Lake district. The views were amazing and the weather perfect. Once unpacked mum, dad, grandad and I went for a long walk around the small town of Ambleside before heading back to the flat. Mum picked up a cinema brochure for dad; which he looked very happy about as he chose which film he would go and see. Finally, we picked up a Chinese takeaway which we then rushed to get back to the flat still hot.

 

So today had been a long day but a great one. We were now in the Lake District and I was so excited I was bobbing up and down in my buggy! Can’t wait for tomorrow.

 

Toodle Pip!

Short stay in Oxford

Saturday 20^th May

 

I actually had quite a good night’s sleep within the child’s bed. It wasn’t as good quality as the sleep I had within my mum and dad’s bed … but it wasn’t bad. Yesterday was quite a long day therefore, we had a slower start to the day today. The plan was to head off to Oxford however, my Dad wanted to stop off somewhere secret first. We all got into the car and headed off deep into the Cotswolds.

 

The weather was stunning. Apparently yesterday, while we were at Windsor Castle, it had rained quite heavily in the Cotswolds however we hadn’t witnessed any rain at all. Once again, we were in the car slowly making our way through beautiful Cotswold’s villages. My mum wanted to stop at a couple however resisted; if we did this then, we wouldn’t get to Oxford and, my Japanese uncle really did suffer from lots of stops.

 

It looked as though my dad was taking us to a field. The only weird thing about this field was that there were tonnes of cars and a huge queue next to cattle shed. Music was playing and I was totally confused. Due to the number of cars, the carpark was full. We therefore had to park quite far away from the cattle shed and walk back. Once back a big sign saying ‘Diddly Squat Farm’ presented itself, along with a huge queue leading to a tiny farm shop. We had come all this way for a farm shop! I wasn’t best pleased however, I of course had no say in the matter. The food must be amazing due to the queue … or so I thought.

 

Glady the queue didn’t take very long. We by-passed the ‘Cow juice’ dispenser and into the store where my grandma bought beer, my mum purchased crips and my dad tea towels. This was all very strange; we hardly purchased any food at all … it was as if this place was famous for things other than food!

 

Once back in the car my dad was very happy and said that he had an amazing time … I couldn’t say the same. I therefore decided to have a little snooze and hope Oxford wasn’t that far away.

 

Due to road works, it took us a long time to park within one of Oxfords many park and rides. Once in the city we walked down the main shopping streets and into a beautiful park. All around us the buildings were gorgeous; a very old university feel with well-cut sports fields flanked by 13^th Century buildings. I was very excited. Sadly, mum and dad went back into the city to find food and didn’t take me with them. Once back their arms were full of amazing tacos … so I forgave them. Once all were fed and watered only my uncle was asleep on the grass. Dad mentioned about a ‘hop on hop off’ bus tour which he seemed very keen to go on. I too, as I love buses. Sadly, the elderly part of our group wanted to return to the lodge which, I was amazed at as we had only been in Oxford 3 hours or so.

 

With a heavy heart my dad agreed to head back to the park and ride bus stop however, the elderly people wanted to visit a KFC prior which, due the queue, took almost as long as the hop on hop off bus itself. I didn’t enjoy my park and ride bus as much as I normally like bus rides. Oxford felt like a missed opportunity somehow. Still when back at the lodge I will try and persuade my parents to take me to the children’s park therefore, not so much of a wasted day.

 

We got back to the lodge quite early. The elderly people went to sleep whereas mum, dad and I did indeed go to the park. I understood that this was my last afternoon in the Cotswolds. Tomorrow we were heading to the lake district … which I do love however, I will be sad to leave here. I am very much hoping mum and dad do decide to come back … and come back soon.

 

Toodle Pip!

Windsor Castle

 Friday 19^th May

 

Though mum and dad’s bed was comfortable, I didn’t have a great nights sleep. Neither did mum or dad actually. I new what they were thinking; the bed wasn’t big enough for three. I would agree, but I wasn’t leaving. Luckily, I was able to sleep in the car … so too could mum however, dad was driving therefore I hoped he was okay.

 

I awoke to discover that we had arrived in a place called ‘Windsor’. This place had something to do with the royal family of the UK … however, looking at it, I couldn’t really believe it. We parked in a part of town which almost certainly could have done with some ‘touching up’. My dad left the car in a very dodgy carpark and had to pay £18 for the privilege. We then started to climb towards a castle. My Japanese family had wanted to visit a British castle. I hadn’t been to a castle before therefore I didn’t know what to expect either. First of all was a never-ending climb up, past shops on my right and a giant stone wall on my left. I was lucky; I was in my push chair. Some of the oldies looked tired already.

 

We made it to the entrance of Windsor Castle. A big stone gate was in front of us and, actually, the castle was so well maintained it looked like it had been built yesterday. After going through a metal detector, we entered the castle grounds themself. I really liked being outside; even though there were a lot of people there was a lot of room to run around too. My running around was short-lived. All too soon we went inside and entered the state departments. I usually don’t like the inside of places; they are very boring. This castle however was very grand indeed; with lots of paintings and high ceilings. There was a lot of shiny gold around too. I enjoyed myself at the beginning of the departments however, the rooms went on and on and, I wasn’t allowed to climb over any of the furniture. I therefore started to cry and get bored. All the commotion did the trick; my mum and dad rushed through the final rooms, pushing past the crowds, just so I could be back outside. I think this annoyed my dad however I couldn’t understand why; outside was so much more fun.

 

I couldn’t understand how they had not learnt their lesson. After the state departments, we walked through the castle grounds and past a huge green field I just wanted to have a run on. Once past this glorious field we went inside again! This time into St George’s Chapel. As they hadn’t learnt from the last time, I started to cry and shout again. Again we moved through the Chapel quite quickly though, we did stop for a moment to see where Queen Elizabeth had been buried.

 

Finally, I was able to walk around outside as we were waiting for all members of my family to catch up. Once again some people were tired. We therefore left the castle three hours after entering and had a look around a couple of shops before entering a pub for a swift half, and then home.

 

I didn’t fall asleep on the way home. In my mind I thought about my behaviour today. I think due to my lack of sleep, I wasn’t on best form. I know that my dad would have liked to have spent longer looking around the castle … and he did drive all of us there! Maybe I’ll behave myself a little better for the rest of the holiday.

 

Once back at the lodge I played for a bit before going up to bed. It was a very tiring day for us all and I fell to sleep pretty quickly. My dad moved me into my child bed and, this time, I decided to stay there and let my mum and dad have a good night’s rest.

 

Toodle Pip!

Stonehenge and Bath

 Thursday 18^th May

 

We were up early today as we had two sites to visit. Even so, we left around 9am. My dad wasn’t in the best mood; the bath had leaked old bath water downstairs directly onto the dinning room table … which is where my dad had left his giant chocolate bars. Sadly, both ended up in the bin.

 

Our first destination was a place called ‘Stonehenge’. This is apparently one of the UK’s ‘must see’ attractions however, to me, it just looked like a circle of stones erected with little concern for health and safety … you couldn’t even play inside the stones! I was pushed around the circumference of Stonehenge while chatting to my family. Uncle had found a bench and decided to stay and wait there; he could still see the stones. Dad downloaded an app which provided commentary about the stone circle in Japanese. It seemed to make sense to my Japanese family but I had no idea.

 

We left around midday and towards Bath. My dad’s plan was to find a ‘park and ride’ however, he ended up parking in the city centre. Bath is stunning! It was my mum’s first visit but dad had been before. As Bath is very hilly, mum decided to take grandad, grandma and uncle on a ‘hop on hop off’ bus tour (which they didn’t hop on or off). My dad and I walked around the city on foot and saw almost as much as the bus, within a similar amount of time. Bath is not very big therefore, we managed to stop off so dad could get a magazine and some fudge to replace his chocolate.

 

Just before 2pm my dad and I waited at the ‘hop on hop off’ bus stop for my family. Once off we went into a very posh room called ‘The pump room’. Located within the Roman Baths, the Pump room had been converted to an afternoon tea room. The celling was very high with lovely chandeliers hanging down. I had seen other guests getting a tower of three plates consisting of sandwiches, scones and cakes. I was looking forward to mine however, a cheese pizza was placed in front on me. I wasn’t going to win the argument therefore, I just ate the pizza while my family tucked into delicious sandwiches, scones with cream and jam and cakes. A pianist and a group of string players provided live music as we ate. It was all very posh. My uncle, who wasn’t sure what to do, just dived into the scones first however, didn’t apply cream or jam … much to mine, and my dad’s, puzzled expression.

 

Once this was over, most of the crew were pretty tired. We headed back to the car but not before calling at a bank. My uncle had been after a bank since he landed in the UK and kept mentioning it. We therefore took him to one and he seemed happy after however, my dad was worried with the amount of cash he had on him.

 

The drive back to the lodge took and hour and most of us fell asleep. Once back, we finished off some BBQ leftovers from last night. Mum, dad and I retired to bed pretty early whereas, my grandparents stayed up to watch Japanese TV. I couldn’t understand this as they said that they were pretty tired.

 

Toodle Pip!

Cotswolds Day One!

 Wednesday 17^th May 2023

 

This place I found myself in was pretty nice. The child’s bed, which I was supposed to sleep in, had quite low sides. I therefore found it pretty easy to climb out of. This was important as mum and dad’s bed looked a lot more comfortable. I therefore made myself at home there and took over as much space as possible.

 

Today was a lazy day; or so my dad said. I overheard my mum and dad say that my Japanese relatives were on a plane for over 12 hours yesterday therefore, they might want to relax today and recover their strength. I didn’t need to recover my strength; I therefore decided to run around and jump all over the lodge. Though my grandad had already been up and had a morning walk, grandma and uncle were still asleep. Mum and Dad therefore took me to the local park where I got to play on the swings and slide.

 

It seemed as though everyone was fully refreshed by around 10am. We therefore headed into the Cotswolds to a place called Bourton-on-the-water. Apparently, it was famous; or so my dad said. The drive there was stunning. The car dad had hired was pretty cool. It was a lot higher than our usual car therefore, I could see the beautiful lightly-stoned villages which made up the Cotswolds. The weather was perfect with blue skies and fluffy white clouds.

 

We arrived at Bourton-on-the-water and found a great big carpark a few 100 yards from the village’s centre. We would have beaten a huge tour group of old people to the village centre, if it wasn’t for the fact that all the adults needed the toilet. I waited patiently in my buggy. Finally, we headed to the centre of the village along with a billion other people.

 

The village was stunning. A little river, with many footbridges, controlled the centre. On each side of the river were shops. We had a look around, stopping for ice cream and lunch in a café. We went into a few shops so my relatives could purchase souvenirs. Before leaving, we visited Bourton’s model village. I wasn’t allowed to take my push chair into the village therefore, I got to walk around feeling a bit like a giant. My dad said it reminded him of the film ‘Hot Fuzz’ … whatever that is.

 

Once done my old Japanese relatives were pretty tired. We therefore went back to the car and back to the lodge. However, before we did so, we stopped off at in Cirencester for a quick walk and Tesco. I was not looking forward to food shopping however, on this occasion, it was highly entertaining. My Japanese relatives kept putting things in the trolley, and my parents had to keep taking them out! Stating that there were better deals further into the store. My favourite was when my grandma put some sausages into the basket, not knowing that they were vegan sausages.

 

Uncle paid the bill and then my dad filled the car up with diesel. Seems as though all was good therefore, we headed back to the lodge where the old folks had a snooze and my dad tucked into two of the largest chocolate bars I had ever seen! I didn’t mind as he gave me a bit of chocolate too.

 

In the evening we had a BBQ. At Tesco, a lot of meat and sausages were purchased. I think the UK sausage was the first item of food my Japanese relatives loved. They would be asking for more sausages as the trip continued. After the BBQ most people – including my mum, dad and I – went to bed. My parents seem to have a short memory; they put me in my child’s bed however, I just climbed out and slept in their very comfortable bed.

Toodle Pip!

Something new

 Tuesday 16th May 2023

 

I knew something wasn’t right. My dad hadn’t started working on time. Instead, him and mum were packing just a few bags. Inspecting the amount of luggage we had, it looked as though we were going on holiday… but with less stuff than normal. I hope they don’t forget my toys.

 

We drove towards Derby city centre, but we had left the luggage at home. Still confused, dad pulled into a place called ‘enterprise’. He then drove home in the biggest car I have ever seen… while mum drove home in our car.

 

This new car was massive. Mum and dad loaded our stuff into the Vauxhall combo life plus my car seat. Once in I had loads of space. I didn’t know why we needed a bigger car, but I decided not to ponder on it and fall asleep.

 

I awoke to see a large plane outside in the middle of a roundabout. We had arrived at Heathrow and dad looked nervous. No wonder; such a huge car and trying to park it was a mission.

 

I was excited about going on a plane however, we ended up in a place called arrivals. Mum said that we were waiting for someone special. We waited for ages. In fact, it turned out the people we were waiting for were sat down and waiting for us…. For an hour! 

 

Three people came towards me. They looked familiar… but I couldn’t quite remember… oh it’s grandad and grandma from Japan … plus uncle. Also a mountain of luggage! Apparently it was mostly grandmas and her luggage was bigger than her. I looked at mum and dad and they both looked horrified. Well, I thought, I am not carrying any!

 

We all just managed to fit in the car. There was stuff everywhere, the back window was blocked, there was a pinging sound as a belt was loose and my music was on. Dad looked a little annoyed. I therefore decided to cry, shout and make sick sounds for the next two hours… which I think he appreciated.

 

Eventually we arrived at the Cotswolds. It took forever to unpack and mum and dad looked tired. We therefore went out and bought pizza and had a quick dinner before going to bed.

 

It’s very interesting. Lots of people and my grandparents from Japan… this could be a good holiday.

 

Toodle pip