Home from Hesfes

We got home from Hesfes last night and I think it’s fair to say that we’re all pretty tired still. I seem to have a bit of a cold too, so I’m not at my best.

Hesfes was much easier going than last year, mainly because the weather was so much better. We had an electric hook up and so we could make tea easily (always important!) and use our sandwich toaster. I don’t think I’ll want another toasted sandwich for months, mind you. We were quite experimental and found that banana and Nutella was good, and that you could make toast by just pressing a slice of bread onto the hot surface for a while. Our new tent proved itself in a couple of hefty showers and stayed far cooler than most of the tents made of modern fabrics. The best thing was seeing a tent there, of the same make, that looked like it had done decades and was still going strong. It is a Vango force ten and is the sort that youth groups like Woodies tend to own.

This was out little encampment. The pop up tent was great for holding all our stuff and the orange tent was fine for the four of us at night. I wouldn't want to rely on one of those pop up tents for actually sleeping in as they really have a feel of play tents!

Breakfast in the sun one morning. Leo demanded that most of his food came in a form that he could run about with!

Here we are packed up and ready to go home. Journeys were fine, except for a silly argument with an ill-informed gate attendant at Farringdon. Next year we plan to brave the tube and avoid the 4o min walk across centra London with all the luggage. That bit really isn't much fun. I kept nearly tripping posh men in suits with our trailer! We were very grateful to friends who carried some bits and pieces for us.

The kids had a fantastic week. Pearlie had her new Dahon bike to buzz about on and spent a lot of time chatting with friends and going to the pool. Leo was engaged in almost constant water fights and lots of games involving chasing, maps, treasure and general rampaging. Both the kids went to the music workshops for three of the afternoons and played in the end of week show.

Leo in the end of week show. he shared a big keyboard with another player.

Pearlie playing at the end of week show. She is concentraing very hard here.

The kids’ band, Duck Rock, played in the children’s cabaret too. They performed their new song – their first original composition – and it went down very well indeed.

Duck Rock playing in the children's cabaret. We seem destined never to get a decent shot of P behind the drum kit!

Because the kids were busy and happy at the workshops, we were able to go to some of the conference sessions. I particularly enjoyed listening to Alan Thomas talk about his new book, which we bought. I also managed to read a four hundred page thriller in two days. This wouldn’t have been my top choice of reading matter but it was the best I could get in the camp site shop! We did sitting by camp fires chatting and singing and enjoyed a fabulous communal meal in the Sussex field on the last night. We entered the family quiz and managed to win. On the last night, Andy told us we’d won tickets for next year’s Hesfes, which was rather cool. I suspect that there will be rather more entrants next year, now people now what the prize is!

Hesfes is great and I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to go. But it is also an exhausting way to spend a week. I think that’s because it is so full-on. The days start early, because there are so many little kids, and end late. There is little space to be had and that gets me a bit ragged by the end of the week. I did manage a couple of hours chilling on the beach, while Leo looked for crabs and I read my book.

The kids have come back very bubbly, though. Pearlie rushed off to a bead shop this morning to get things to make rainbow jewellery and Leo is working on a big picture map. We’re very excited about tonight’s Doctor Who too. I am also in a fever of excitement as I returned home to find that the story I have in a competition, that had made it onto the long list, is now on the short list. The short list is eleven stories and from that there will be three winners. The winners get cash but, more exciting for me, is the prospect of getting published in the magazine. Please keep your fingers crossed for me!

Just love the buzz

On Friday night we went to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It was good, silly fun. I was pleased to see Marion back and the kids thought it suitably scary.

On Saturday afternoon we went to see the fabulous TomTom Club performing in a huge purple cow – the Udderbelly, which is here for the Brighton Festival. The TomTom Club was fantastic – very high energy and exciting. We only paid for tickets to one festival event this year but I’m glad we chose this one as I think it will stay with us all.

After the show we went to see some of the free acts performing as part of the International Buskers day. Leo and I saw a Canadian man catch a cabbage on a special spiky helmet. We all watched a nice clown type of guy who did his act in character rather well. We checked out the Giant squid Farm that had sprung up near the library and Dani watched a strong woman.

The only down side of the day was that I was battling a migraine, which had been exacerbated by weird lighting, loud noise and heat during the TomTom Club and then the bright sunshine outside. We had to pop up to the shopping centre to get a birthday pressie for someone and after that I found I could barely talk and needed to sleep.

After a restorative nap, I settled down with the others to watch Eurovision. It was the usual bizarre affair. I liked Iceland – pretty boy Euro pop. Dani liked a woman singing a peace song – from Georgia, I think. Leo liked the pirates from Latvia and Pearlie the surreal duo from Bosnia. But none of ours won. That accolade went to a man from Russia who was in located in a rather hazardous position between an ice-skater and fiddle player.

While the early stages of the voting were happening, we turned the sound down and played our latest game – Taboo. This is a game that Dani and I bought a couple of years before P was born and loved at the time. The kids are suddenly old enough to play it and they are really enjoying it. The kids do very well and it is great for fits of giggles. There are a few cards that they just don't know but we just skip those.

Sadly, I woke this morning with the migraine enjoying a come back! I was really struggling to function but managed to get in to work. A combination of lots of painkillers, mint chewing gum and very slow walking in the fresh air helped it abate. Work was ok as I took things pretty slowly and tried not to react to the Time of the Year Panic which is in the air!

While I was at work, Dani and the kids enjoyed some more local art houses. They saw papier-mâché people by Eve Turner-Lee, paper planes by Hannah,some lovely little birds made of clay by someone whose name they didn’t record and photographs by Lauren Chavin and Andy Deighton. Pearlie was very taken with some cardboard lampshades by Tabitha Bargh.

When they got home, they dug all the soil out of one of the lab sinks in our garden so that we can make a little pond. Cousin S has recently done this and P, in particular, is keen for us to have a go.

When I got home we ate a rather strange tea of bits and bobs and played more Taboo. Then we watched the singing Nancies on BBC 1 and Have I Got News for You on i-player.

Oh, yeah, and the new circuit breaker did its thing last night when they kettle died. Thank goodness, we have just purchased a little travel kettle for camping so the tea flows on...

I was thinking yesterday that life in Brighton is so very tasty – well-seasoned with exciting events and lively people all year round. There’s always something to look forward to and chat about. It is easy to spend money but there’s also lots that doesn’t cost – or cost much. The place is littered with artists and I just love the buzz.

Busy in the sunshine

Here’s some bits and bobs from the last few days.

Thursday included Kids’ Club for both the kids where they did detective things: identifying whose fingerprints were on a particular item and who had taken a bite from an apple. They are planning to make a little detective film next week, I believe.

Dani had rather less fun at a meeting. We then got carried away talking in the park and nearly missed Woodcraft for P and a Woodies parent meeting for Dani. I was off work on leave again and so got to join in with all the panic!

Friday was the big drop-in session that happens a couple of times a month. I took along some Japanese braiding to share with people. Some people loved it and some endured it and I think it was worth doing!

After that, Leo and I popped to the doc to get a prescription for anti-histamine that seems to be working well for him. Saw a new, young doctor who spoke to Leo in a lovely, straightforward, non-patronising way. She also impressed me with her willingness to prescribe just what I asked for!

Then there was a quick park visit to put up our new tent, which seems to work well. In the evening there was a Hedline meeting at our house. That was enough for one day!

On Saturday morning, Pearlie was lucky enough to be taken to see Michael Rosen by a friend and her family. She said he was SO funny and she came back very jolly. Then we went to the swimming pool, where we had organised a private booking to be shared between local home edders. Those who came seemed to enjoy it a lot and I hope we can do it again.

After swimming, the kids were really enjoying playing in the park with cousin S and friends A and C. Sadly, the fun came to an abrupt end when A got hit on the head by a heavy metal catch. It is a ‘safety feature’ to stop little ones reaching the pond but it managed to make a rather horrible, bloody wound on A’s head. We went home and A and C came to sit in our cool basement for a while. A was quite calm and ok by then, thanks, in large part, to her very calm mum. I am rather hopeless when ours get hurt and tend to let my fear affect them.

On Sunday, I had to go back to work. Pearl and cousin S had an exciting trip to see Caroline Lawrence who told them all about how she writes. Meanwhile, Leo was playing in the paddling pool with cousin D. That must have been fun because he’s still asleep at 10am this morning!

We’re Ba-ack!

Well, that was a strange experience – nearly a month with no internet at home. Apologies to all those to whom we owe emails and so on. I lapsed back into a pre-internet state and actually got quite calm about it. I have read more books and watched some old videos. Dani was looking decidedly twitchy by the middle of last week (she says it was actually by the second day!) and I think she is very relieved to be back online. The kids were pretty ok with it, though they missed i-player.

A catch-up is impossible. Here’s a few things, in no particular order.

Pearlie had her eleventh birthday last week. We went to Bath for an overnight stay and bought her a new bicycle there. It is a rather fabby Dahon and should last her forever, or until she reaches 6 foot 4!

Bath was lovely. We stayed in a Travelodge room for £26 and crammed in lots of fun. We went on a little boat trip up the river, in the beautiful, early evening sun. We also visited the Bath Fashion Museum and went to Pizza Express for a birthday meal.

We all enjoyed a sunny, family gathering in the park in honour of P’s birthday.

I have been enjoying a continuing dalliance with the writing of Ali Smith. I was mesmerised by Hotel World and have read two of her books of short stories too.

Leo has been prompted to learn a joined up writing style by Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide. We bought a little workbooky thing, which goes through each join in turn, and he’s doing some every day. He is pleased with it and has abandoned his previous writing style (mixture of upper and lower case letters) and is using it all the time.

Pearlie has been enjoying all her birthday presents. She got lots of Jessops vouchers and has had a lovely splurge of processing. Some of her pictures are gorgeous. She got a plant for her room and some lights for her new bike, and is planning to buy an i-pod. She got clothes, too, and has been looking very sophisticated.

Leo is back to reading the end of the Amber Spyglass but has also started The Hobbit.

Dani has made lots of progress with her big, celtic knot blanket.

Pearlie went away for a weekend camp with her Woodcraft group. She had a great time, including playing games in the dark! Leo got to choose dinners while she was away and we ate lots of veggie lasagne and fruit crumbles.

We’ve bought tickets for an exciting Festival show, which we’re all looking forward to. Dani and I have also treated ourselves to tickets to see kd Lang in August. It’ s Pride weekend so everyone should be on a high. If you want an example of how spine tingling kd can be, when singing live, then check this out on YouTube.
Anyway, better get some sleep as electrician is coming tomorrow to fit the new fuse box.

He’s behind you!

Both the kids, and a lot of their friends, put on a lovely panto performance for an appreciative audience this morning.

The plot was quite complex, and the play featured Leo as both pig and innkeeper, Pearlie as a highwaywoman, and an assortment of other engaging characters such as talking horses, a fortune teller, a strong man, a duke and duchess, gypsies and ballgoers.

It was pretty much as chaotic as I was expecting (quite a lot) but was remarkable for the fact that everyone was clearly having a good time. I thought all the kids worked together really well, supported each other, and managed to tell their story clearly and with panache.

My photos are rubbish, but here are just a couple to show the kids’ costumes.


I am particularly proud of Leo’s ears and tail. Here they are by themselves, for any knitters reading!

Other recent events have included:

• my birthday yesterday. I got lots of lovely presents and Allie made the most delicious lemon drizzle cake. Thanks and yum!
• watching cousin S. playing violin at a gigantic carol concert involving children from all the local primary schools
• painting and decorating
  
• artistic endeavour – Leo is churning out comics and graphic novels, and P. made a beautiful slot-together Christmas tree to go in her bedroom window
• a lovely library trip, where we all made serendipitous discoveries on the shelves at every turn

Tintin a go-go!

We thought the Tintin show was fantastic. I was wondering how they would adapt a comic strip to the stage – and it was brilliantly done.

We’d bought tickets in the gallery and they upgraded us by moving us down a level to the second circle. That was good for us but a bit sad for the cast – as it meant they hadn’t sold many tickets. I don’t know why that would be. I know that Tintin had a very unfashionable phase a few years ago because of the (undeniable but typical of its time) racist portrayal of African people in Tintin in the Congo. Or maybe it was just that Tintin is a rather particular taste. Then again, it could have been that people from Brighton had seen it in London.

Anyway, it was an adaptation of Tintin in Tibet and it was pretty true to the book. It had dream sequences that included some of the beloved characters who don’t appear in that book – the Thompson Twins and Bianca Castafiore. The set was very clever, quite sparse, like the book.

The kids really enjoyed it. I love taking them to the theatre as it always feels like money well spent. I also love the Theatre Royal and am always happy to be there – no matter if the play is poor. But this one was a definite hit with all of us!

I had to go to work today. Dani and the kids popped up to town to get a birthday present for a friend who is having a birthday party tomorrow. Pearlie read the first chapter of the new Roman mystery book in Smiths and is now waiting for her cousin to finish her copy so she can borrow it! Leo went into the library to borrow more in a spooky series he is reading.

Dani has sorted out our hallway this afternoon, which is a great relief. I don’t know quite how but most of our possessions seem to end up strewn about in the narrow space we have to use to get from room to room.

I’ve got work again tomorrow and Dani and the kids will be going to the aforementioned birthday party.

I’m off to make an apple crumble. We’ve got lots of stewed apple in the freezer at the moment, thanks to the grandmothers’ Bramley tree. I spent a whole evening peeling and chopping windfalls this week.

End of week

Lots of things are coming to an end for the summer. I wish summer would start. This week we went to:

• The last Kids Club – a lovely, chaotic, sports day involving visiting children from the crèche that meets in the next door building, a wheels race for all comers, delicious soup and yummy cakes
• The last Friday group – a success for both P and L, which makes a pleasant change
• The last play in the park after Sports (well, Pearlie did, as part of a 24 hour socialise-a-thon she and her friend E. arranged for themselves in the middle of the week)
• Not the last Squeezebox or swimming club, as they are both carrying on over the summer
• Not the last capoeira, because we missed it. The kids are hoping their regular teacher will be back in September, as it’s not quite the same without him.

Tomorrow is Allie’s last day at work until September. Looking forward to some days off and days out as a family.

As we were in an end of term-ish mood, we went straight from the park to the cinema this evening, to see the Simpsons Movie. Lots of laughs.

I’ve been staying up too late for too many nights trying to get this consultation response done. It feels like having some particularly difficult and boring homework to do. Anyway, it’s done now. I just hope we’ve done enough.

Toute seule a la maison

I’ve had the bizarre experience of being alone in the house for most of the day – everyone else has been on a home ed day trip to France. I’ll let them blog about that tomorrow when they’ve recovered – they all had to get up at 5.30 this morning!

I’ve used the time to repair our ailing laptop – put in a new hard disk, reinstalled all the software, recovered all the files we backed up, etc. All seems to be working so far :-)

We had a very literary weekend. Leo and I went to see Chris Riddell on Saturday. He showed slides of pictures from his sketch books and talked about how he works. A lot of what he said reminded me of how Leo is with his drawing – very interesting.

Allie and Pearlie were in town getting haircuts and new glasses, and we all bumped into each other by chance and had lunch together. As we’d found each other we decided to swap mummies – I took Pearlie to the home ed rollerblading meet while Allie and Leo went home for a rest and a potter.

The kids went to their cousins’ house for Dr. Who and a sleepover and we had a very pleasant evening in.
On Sunday Allie had to work, and the rest of us went to two more author talks – first Jamie Rix, who read several very grizzly tales, then Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell (again!). In between the two, we popped to a nearby Greek taverna for lunch. Both kids bought books and got them signed.

Sick pruter

Our laptop is very ill. The hard disk is dying (quite gently, which is giving us time to backup all sorts of things) so we've ordered a new, bigger hard disk. We get our computers from the fabulous Ergo. They have a straightforward phone support service where you get to speak to a helpful person. They will also talk you through things on the phone. Once they searched their records for us to get details of a purchase when we needed to make an insurance claim. All round they offer a pretty amazing service when compared to the big name suppliers.

In a few words we have been:

Theatrical ! - We went to see a fabulous story telling event 'Them with Tails' which included a joint story - with character and plot suggested by the audience.

Doing capoeira - the kids made it to their class and both had a good time.

Experimenting - Dani and Leo diverted a stream of water using static electricity on a balloon.

Doing French - My mum came round today and she and Pearlie looked at the latest edition of the magazine they have been using.

Playing - lots!

Diary writing. Pearlie and Leo go off to do this together - we know nothing more.

At Woodcraft (Pearlie) where they are designing a banner to take to camp.

Getting wet. Often.

Wicked Weekend

Saturday

My new swimming costume arrived – ordered in the early hours of Friday, so pretty impressive service from this shop! I really like it – it holds everything together admirably. I was looking at photos from Australia the other day – early 1994 – where I am posing about in a bikini. I just got comfortable with my body before pregnancy reduced my tummy to a soggy tea bag and middle age spread added a stone to my hips. Ah well, I’m happy to be a bit cuddly – mums should be!

I had to go to work but Dani and the kids went into town to watch the Children’s Parade – the opening event of the Brighton Festival. There was no home ed contingent this year but they enjoyed watching for a while. They saw three cousins – and lots of great costumes.

They joined in a capoeira roda in the street near the library. Both the kids played in the roda – very brave in a busy street.

After the roda they went to a book shop to get a birthday present for a friend. P had a birthday book token or two to spend. She was thrilled to find the new Roman Mystery book – “The Slave Girl from Jerusalem” – she’s read 100 pages or so already. She also got another “Lady Grace” book too. Leo bought a Grizzly Tales book – “Nasty Little Beasts” – which he is enjoying.

Doctor Who in the evening, of course. I made roast potatoes and stuff for the occasion and we all thought it was a fantastic episode.

Sunday

We had an adventure on Sunday – heading off to a friend’s birthday party in the country. It was O’s 8th birthday. He and his mum, J, used to live in Brighton but have moved out to a village in East Sussex. We got a bus to the nearest town and then worked out a cross-country route to the village. There is a bus to the village – but not on a Sunday! It was a great walk, through woods (caught the end of the bluebells), across train tracks (nerve-wracking) and up lanes – to find the little row of cottages where O and J live. It was about a 50 minute walk.

J and her partner had constructed the most wonderful dragon hunt through the woods. Each child found their own party bag as we went along, and we collected magic tokens and numbers to help in the dragon hunt. The dragon (of the egg box variety) was lurking on the river bank. O had to pierce its black heart (the evil one) but leave its red heart beating and then we carried it back to the house in a net. This whole hunt probably took about an hour and half – lots of running about, climbing, falling over etc!

It was great to see O and J again, and chat with other friends.

After some lovely food we set off back to the town, in search of the last bus home. P managed a spectacular tumble down a bank on the way – a backwards head over heals – but was uninjured. We finally got home at about 9pm and all fell into bed. We’d spent 3 and a half to four hours walking (in the kids case climbing and running too!) and were all whacked.

Monday

I managed to wake up last this morning – at 10.40am. I’d slept about 12 hours! Pearlie was first awake – she always needs less sleep than the rest of us. We packed up sandwiches again and set off across town to the circus – Cirque Surreal.

It was a thrilling show – as circus should be. Pearlie liked people dangling on high ropes, Leo liked a fabulous football juggler and Dani and I enjoyed a Flamenco stylie man who whacked poi-pois on the stage. There were also two blokes who did terrifying things in and on some big spinning cage things. I can't describe it but I certainly do recommend the show.

We walked home via the takeaway and got chips and vegeburgers for tea. Flopped in front of the TV we all watched Victoria Wood in Ghana, Jamaica and NewFoundland – all very interesting. Both the kids did some practice of their instruments and I helped P tidy her room a bit. I can feel an urge to do something biggish in the house. We urgently need more book shelving, a clothes sort out and a kitchen re-jig.

Dani is working on a new knitting project based on Penrose tiles. This means she is spending lots of time doing calculations on paper and is currently tessellating like mad with our cardboard tiles!