Bank holiday Monday was spent in london for a change

You don't look old enough to have a grandaughter! You were lucky with the weather - what Wallace and Gromit would call " a grand day out"! I never go to London so it was nice to see the photos.

very nice too.......you were lucky there were any trains running on bank holiday or did you give greater Anglia a miss and drive up to a tube station(Good idea if you can get parked these days...all permit holder parking).
Are those beds and the house/schalet in St James Park? I'm not very knowledgable of London even though I've lived within an hour's train ride all my life!

Thanks stera, Unfortunetly i can assure you I am old enough, I will be 49 next January and my husband will be 53 in june! Lol
We were lucky with the weather too, it was nice but not baking hot and it wasn't packed as well which was great. I can't stand being in london when it's crammed full of people or on a sweating hot day!
It definetly made a nice change for a bank holiday and Grace my granduahter really liked it too ?

Hi Paul. We drove to Epping tube station and went from there on the tube with our oaster cards! The tube fair with that is £3 (off peak times) all day, on and off as many tubes as you like. Plus it's only £2 to park all day atvepping station on a bank holiday and it wasn't packed at all as we got there around 10.30 am. Of a week day you have no chance of parking there at all! It gets full at 6.30am and costs an absolute fortune! But weekends and bank holidays it's the best place to go from, ( as long as you get there fairly early), only half hour drive from chelmsford, cheap underground fare and cheap parking. Can't beat it really!

And yes all the beds ect were taken in st James park. Was really lovely. I also wished I had taken some food for the birds and squirrels that were there as they were so so tame, mind you, it does say you are not meant to feed them so probly best I suppose!

Looks like you had a lovely day out and handy that so close and cheap. Have been to London a few times with my daughter, normally her treat or down to Brighton, over the last few years and nice once in a while, but cities are not really my thing. Too many people lol. Sorry I'm a country girl :-). Sorry I also thought you were much younger which is a complementlol.

Super photo's! Swiss cottage looked adorable and perhaps I could make room for the Pelicans, not sure they would be happy with my little pond though. Do you think the pigeon could read the sign? Or perhaps it just thought if it sat there people would be sorry for it!

Thanks Jen ?
I'm a country girl really too. I lived in London for 6 years and although a great place I prefer Essex. Good to be close enough for occasional visits to London too.
You mention you have visited Brighton, I've never been but would like to. Is it a nice place to go to for a weekend break?

Thanks honeysuckle ?
I thought the pidgeon was definetly trying to make people feed it with its little sad face?, I know I would have feed him ( if I had of had some food on me ) lol
I love birds and they were so friendly there, even the squirrels came right up to you begging for food bless them!

Looks like you have a lovely day :o)) some great photos of the park flowers very colourful. Educational for your grand daughter too.

Thanks thrupennybit ?
Grace did have a really lovely time and She made me laugh too, when we went into the duck island cottage she started play acting. She said. "Nanny and Grandad this is my cottage, would you like me to show you round the garden? "
And we said "yes of course Grace" then we had to play act with her the whole way round it! Much to the amusement of the other people there! Lol. ?

Lol how lovely though Grace playing make believe I hope this inspires her though out life to have a love for flowers and a cottage in the country side if there is any left by tge time our goverments have finished with building on greenbelts.

I agree thrupennybit ......
Why do they have to do it so much! It's such a shame!

And I hope grace is inspired too. She helps me in the garden now and seems to love it. She loves running her fingers through all the herbs and then smelling them. She even makes freash mint sauce when I cook lamb.
( actually she always wants to make mint sauce even when I'm not cooking lamb!) lol
She keeps checking the strawberries too, but a good wee while is needed for those just yet!

Thanks for agreeing.

Thats great Grace helps you in the garden and enjoys the herb plants and loves making mince sauce I drink it lol the vinegar cuts fat so if you have stainless steel with greece on it give it a wipe with a cloth with vinegar its is also acts like a disinfectant. I think Grace smelling the aromas of the plants and playing with them will be instilled in her through out her life. My live gardening started when I was 3 my grand dads garden with the boarder he had of funny faces I called them Pansy s.

Thrupennybit

They are all good tips to know, thank you. Do you just add mint leaves to hot water and then drink it?
That's amazing you still remember gardening with your grandad at 3. I bet you must have great memories of him then? ?

I chop the mint with sissors a bit of sugar then hot water then vinegar.

Yes he had an enormous garden large lawn then a rose arch going through the rose arch down steps into a circular sunken garden in the centre of the circle a dry stone wall in a circle and round the sides with lots of flowers a bench on the out side of the flower circle.

Going down the main path on the out side of the sunken garden he then grew other flowers in large beds then next down was where he grew veg of all kinds then a greenhouse where he grew new varieties of flowers and Lillys for companies I recall the scent of the Star Gazier Lilly then a massive apple tree a large wooden shed where he potted his plants then rows upon rows of friuts and berries Logan berries Raspberries Goosberries. Red currant Black current White currants Rhubarb Cooking apples and eating apples.

Oh my goodness how wonderful...., he and his garden sound amazing.....it's so so lovely you can recal it in so much detail.... he must have been a huge influence in your life and also had a huge impact on you. I think that's absolutely heartwarming!!! ???
And rhubarb is a favourite of mine, I tried growing it last year though and had no luck, it died on me.
Also would you say drinking/eating freash herbs has served your health well thrupenny....just wondering as I'm a great believer in them ?

Yes as I still recall the garden as if it was yesterday 63 years on I could even draw it now how it all looked .

I believe mixtures of herbs and plants can cure all illnesses knowing the right mix any health is carried in your genes you inherit from your parents and acestors my family work in hospitals hence how I know this its only what you do in life will worsen or better those genes to give you a healthier life. I ve also worked for a Sister and a nurse who teaches nurses . A little variety is best of good foods. Black currants are best they are great preventing senial dementia Blueberrys Blackberries purple Aubegene and Walnuts are goid for the brain carrots for the eyes Broccli for the lungs Ringo Star only eats Brocolli I could go on .

My daughter Laura lived in Brighton for about 4 yrs after she finished uni and as I used to live just outside Tunbridge Wells it wasn't far to go and see her. There are some really nice parts of Brighton and lots to do. Parking is really expensive and a lot of the roads are permit holders only. Driving around the centre is a pain as it all is 20 mile an hour. If staying for weekend, I would either get the train or make sure there is parking at the hotel. In summer on hot days it gets really busy. The beach is pebbles but everyone still crowds there. "The Lanes" are really nice to walk through with some interesting and unusual shops. If you like your chocolate then a must visit is Choccywoccydoodar shop and cafe. Brighton Marina is nice, there are a few shops and lots of places to eat overlooking the Marina and all the boats. Then of course there is the Royal Pavilion and the Pier and that is just a few things. When we moved up here nearly 2 years ago, we asked Laura if she wanted to join our company and move as well which she did so now I have her only a mile down the road and see her everyday :-).

Lovely blog lovely photos and your granddaughter looks adorable ?

Ahhh Kidsgran thankyou very much ?
I see you have 5 grandchildren..... I expect they must keep you very busy! Lol.

Jen, thanks so so much for the information that's a great help! I would like to go by train but I suspect gary will want to drive there. So will take your advice and source a hotel with parking! It's somewhere we have often talked about going to but not been. I think we will definetly go for a weekend now though, maybe September time.
It's really good you have your daughter just up the road to you, it's important to stay close if possible, and things like that make happiness! ? My son is in Australia and I miss him terribly. ? I'm off to see him in Sydney on Wednesday though, can't wait to give him a hug, but am a really bad flyer so I'm dreading the flight! ???

Thrupennybit
You are very knowledgable. Thank you very much!!! ?
I could talk to you for hours on the subject I really could!
( I would probly drive you made though asking all manor of questions! Lol)

lol you sound like my 44 and 30 year old daughters Maggie asking questions but that's how we all learn.

I probly am like them phrupennybit. Lol. ?

You might sound like them but your not like them they will ask a question particularly my eldest daughter and when I reply its not right I am a horrid mum lol the 2nd child is always the worse and she is the second child I have a son older.

It must be hard for you both having your son live in oz but how exciting that you are going so soon to see him. Know it's a long flight but knowing you will see your son at the end of it will make it all worth it. I would hate it if Laura moved so far away yet I did just that to my parents. I moved to China 20 years ago with my ex and 2 girls. It was supposed to be for 5 years but after 2 1/2, the girls and I came back as my ex is now married to a much younger Chinese, but then he has now left her and their son here in England and moved to Thailand and living with a 24 year old! He is 55. Lucky escape I think lol.

Lovely blog and photo's Maggie, I was there the weekend before you, it was a beautiful day, went with my daughter to the Colliseum to see Alfie Boe and Kathryn Jenkins in Carousel, we went early, made a day of it to do some sightseeing as well, you have to don't you, did you by chance make it to Trafalgar Square whilst you were there???

Lincslass, that's a real coincidence! ? Sounds like you were even luckier with the weather than me as well. Our weather was nice luckily enough but not beautiful. And lucky you! Carousel ah! Bet it was great! Lovely, and double lovely you went with your daughter too ?. How did you get there? By rail? We went by tube train. Wasn't packed either which was good. Don't like all the crowds!!!

Jen. You definetly did have a lucky escape there!!! He doesn't sound like a very nice guy! And China, goodness gracious, I bet it was hard for your parents not seeing you and also very hard for you and the girls too. How did you manage out there away from all your family as well? I don't think I could have done it! You were very brave!
If my son Danny wasn't living in oz I don't think I would be going!! Plus it's his birthday on 13th may, so I really want to see him for that too. The flight is way too long for my liking! But will do it somehow though!!!!

Thrupennybit. I know what you mean there! Lol. What we have to put up with ah!!!! It must be one of the great joys of being a mum. ..... but what ever happened to the saying "mum knows best". Think you need to put up a sign saying it just to remind! Lol.

I was lucky as a kid, my fathers job took us all over the world, normally changing countries every 1 to 2 years so wasn't worried about China and had a great time out there, well till the last bit :-). When I was 10, my parents put me in boarding school and I then went out to wherever they were in holidays so I suppose, that helped my parents cope with me being in China. Funny thing is my ex, a year before we went, got transfered to the Chelmsford office and I used to live in Latchingdon

Blimey Jen, latchingdon is not far at all! Neibours! Lol.
You were well travelled weren't you! That must have definetly helped all round. How did you find boarding school? Do you think they are a good thing or a bad thing for children.? I have no experience of them at all so don't really know. But I don't think I could have been parted from my boys. Mind you if you have to do these things because of work ect then maybe there is no alternative. Plus I would guess they make for a very independent child and build confidence. I myself went to catholic schools and was taught by quite a lot of nuns. ( they were nice nuns though). Lol.

Lets just say I am the same and would have never sent my girls! They are a lot different now then when I was there in the 70s but still wouldn't have.

I know what you mean Jen!