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Random trip -Binchester fort

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We got a recommendation for an open day at Binchester fort in Bishop Auckland. We’ve never been, but thought the boys would like it, so went to check it out. 

Unfortunately, I had a camera memory card failure and lots some awesome pictures of the kids with axes, swords and shield and joining the Roman army and defeating barbarians! Absolutely gutted as it was awesome!

Big kid enjoyed the displays – they talked through weapons and army kit and fighting techniques. Little kid found other little kids and made grass mountains (well, you can’t please everyone!).

But they both wanted to join in and be ‘recruited’ to the Roman army and defeat the ‘barbarians’ (some very, very brave volunteers!). They had a fab time and we looked around the rest of the site before going home. 

It definitely was a fun random trip!

Clan on tour at the zoo 

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So, our last ‘family fun day’ for this year was south lakes zoo. It was a clan Road trip, taking a couple of hours get there.
The kids had fun, there wasn’t a huge amount to do for younger ones (except for looking at animals, of course!) – they have a really big play area as soon as you walk in, which means that the kids see it as you walk in and ask to go continuously until you let them! 

Obviously, there are lots of animals, a couple of cafes/ice cream/coffee stands. No picnics are allowed, and they make a big deal about not bringing food in with you, which must keep their food places in business!

Overall, it was a fun day!


The zoo is very cheap for a kids attraction, £5 for adults and kids go free, but after some googling after our trip I felt a little uneasy. The zoo has a troubled past with animal deaths, welfare issues and safety concerns. Not sure this is one we’d go back to… I’m not sure a privately owned zoo is best for the animals, perhaps we’ll save up for a bigger road trip next time and head for Edinburgh!

Finite 

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So the daily prompt today is ‘finite’

I have so many posts scheduled that I’m supposed to be letting them do their thing and not adding more…. But…

And the email pinged as I listened to the very end of ‘In May’, as sung by the divine (sorry) Neil Hannon (see here).

In May is basically letters from a dying son to his Dad set wonderfully to some very beautiful music. 

Which makes you think of how finite some things really are.

So, when the email ‘pinged’, I had to write this, because, well, synchronicity at the very least. 

I bought this music when it was released, just over a year ago. I listened to it mostly on my commute to work (which I stopped to have baba last December), so it brings back ‘early morning train journey’ memories. 

Due to the length of the album it’s included with, the first few tracks remind me of the walking to the office from the station in the pitch black and freezing cold, trying to breath through my nose, cos the air was freezing, feeling awful because of meds/morning sickness etc which was all finite (cos I sure as hell won’t be doing the pregnant but again!). I’d usually arrive in the office with bits of melody and music stuck in my head (‘are there parks for children in Los Angeles?’) and a vague sad feeling to go with my feeling ill.

In a little while, I’ll be starting the commute again, to an office somewhere, for a bit…

For now I shall sit here and feel vaguely sad.