Lord Mayor's Celebration - spoiler alert - lots of photos

Well I'm only only managing to get to write something about this today, been a bit hectic!

Yesterday morning, we took Faye to the Long Stratton Leisure Centre so that she could join her friend Franka for some roller skating to celebrate Franka's birthday.  

We came back from the roller skating, had lunch, then at Kevin's insistence we all had a bit of a lie down and the kids (and Kevin) managed to have a sleep. I can't sleep during the day at all, but had a rest, as I was somewhat knackered from running around the basket ball court with Faye on her roller skates!.     At about 3pm we got ready and left for Norwich Park & Ride (we went to the Park & Ride at Thickthorn because it is open until 11.30pm at night).  The bus into Norwich came about fifteen minutes later - it was already hot and sunny!  It cost £4.20 for all of us return on the bus into Norwich, which isn't bad  at all. The trip is just on 15 minutes.   

We arrived at Norwich Bus station and then wandered around, until Kevin decided that the best place for us to sit would be on a grassy and treed slope across from the main traffic circle, at the start of the procession route as you enter Norwich town.  

We got settled and waited for the arrival of the floats.  The Lord Mayor's Piped Band lead the procesion with the bag pipes, followed by the Town Crier and Snapdragon /Whifflers ... then the floats (all 67 of them), started coming through at about 5pm.  I think our favourite was the Star Wars one ... but they were all brilliant. 

SnapDragon and Whifflers

SNAP the Norwich Dragon

SNAP has a long and illustrious history, being originally a character from the Guild of St. George, who survived the Reformation, the Commonwealth and other changes in English History 

Snap, the representation of a dragon which for many years was carried about the city of Norwich on Guild day in grand procession with flags and banners, bands of music, and whifflers with swords to clear the way, all in fancy costume. Snap was of great length, a man was in the middle of the beast to carry it, and caused its head to turn and jaws to open an amazing width, that half-pence might be tossed into it and caught in a bag. The procession was stopped in the year 1824, when Snap was laid up in St. Andrew’s Hall. It has since been removed to the Castle Museum.

Chewy

 

Princess Leia

Miss Diss

Norwich's answer to Axel Rose?

These Go Go Gorillas are all over Norwich - painted in different skins.   

The Castle lit up, waiting for the firewords to start

3 .... 2 .... 1 

I can't upload the video I took of the fireworks display at the moment - I will try and get this posted tomorrow.  It was one of the best fireworks displays we've ever seen!

Please sir, can we take a picture of you and Ewan ... no problem.

On the bus coming back to the Park & Ride - notice how clean it is.  This was at about 11pm

Our car was one of a few left in the Park & Ride ... off home now.

So much to do

so little time ... gee, our calendar is getting ridiculous.  We have an activity of some sort or another for most of the days in July and going into the first week of August.  It's a bit hectic!  I need an assistant.
Today after dropping Faye off at school, Ewan and I went up the road to Pulham Market and bought an item for the "Tombola" stand for his school's Family Fun Day/Evening. 

Decorative perfumed hanging candle for the Tombola

This evening, I decided to just make sausage buns and trifle for "Tea" iinstead of cook real food. Faye was impressed because I wasn't cooking vegetables.

We eventually strolled down to the school at about 7pm. It was packed.  There was a military vehicle on display from the Norfolk Tank Museum (yes, more on that later in a forthcoming post ... :) - they have tank experiences for Over 18's ... hold me back)


The kids were all impressed that there was a fire engine on display. They were allowed to clamber about inside and typically, Faye pressed one of the walkie talkies in the back seat and set the alarm off, quite funny. Ewan seemed quite impressed with all the equipment on the truck, he couldn't take his eyes off the ladders, hoses and jaws of life.

The usual suspects - i.e. Jumping castles (50p a bounce about) were put up on the field near the fire truck.  All sorts of creative country games - like hook the duck, coconut shie, football goal kick - were set up.

The Brits love their country fetes and it seems like each one tries to outdo the one before it.
Hayzel and I had a go on the Tombola (1 pound for 5 tickets) but didn't win ... the kiddies had a face paint, there was a very good Punch & Judy show for the kiddies and lots of other things to keep people amused for a couple of hours.  Very nicely laid out and supported by all the local mums and dads. 

Tomorrow at 0930, Faye has to be at the Long Stratton Leisure Centre (next to her school, just down the road) for an hour of roller skating with her friend, Franka, who's having a birthday party there. 

The Lord Mayor's Celebration is on now in Norwich and we're going try and get to that tomorrow afternoon and evening.  It received a lot of glowing reports last time and I believe it's quite a spectacular thing with street floats, buskers, street processions, musicians, artists etc. etc. I will take my Nikon and hopefully get a few shots that are in focus.

Sunday we are having a 'braai' for Kevin's birthday. 

Next week Hayzel and I are going to a Pamper evening at the High School (also just down the road, next to Ewan's school).  And from the end of July for three days, the kids are going to participate in structured children's activities held by St Mary's Church down the road at Faye's school for a couple of hours each day.  Things like crafting, drama, games ... this will be nice for them, plus give me a break!  I'll try and get some nice photos of that though whenever I can.

The South Norfolk Show (put on by the Council) is on the 27th July (I think that's the date) and it is also held just down the road opposite the Leisure Centre, tons of things are planned for that day, quite looking forward to that.  

So watch this space!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEVIN

Happy Birthday Kevin

I hope you have a great Day

Country Dancing at Manorfield Infant and Nursery School

Hi folks ... I don't know if I will be able to post the video that I took this afternoon, because my laptop is going through menopause and keeps having hot flushes, freaking out and fainting all over the place. So here goes with a few photos, to start.

I've tried as best I could to stitch the various little videos that I took this afternoon together to make one coherent video, sorry about all the out of focus panning shots.   The video is too big to load to Blogger. So here's a link to YouTube  Please let me know if you couldn't view it?

A new Grandson on the way ...

Yes, it's official ... Andrew and Leigh had the 4D scan today and I've stitched together the images to make one very short video.   How marvellous to be able to see and talk to you guys (though Skype was a bit pixilated) when you were at the doctors having the scan!  Wish I could have been there in person.   Anyway, thank you for sending the images and videos Andrew, he looks so contented and perfect!

Bits and bobs

Hayzel and I took little man to his first birthday party (for his Nursery school chum, Reece who turned 4) on Sunday, just round the corner at the Methodist church hall.  This church is so tiny, it's only about as big as your average South African house!  And they had put the jumping castle inside (because of personal liability insurance ... I was told by one of the mum's).  There were only a handful of kiddies, which was fine and manageable and they all had a great time.  It was a lovely hot day yesterday - the inside of the car was 31 degrees when Hayzel and I went to the shops later on. It was averaging at abou 24 the whole day, which was nice.   

Most of below photies are taken with the cellphone, so sorry about the quality. 

They were playing musical statues in this little video - Ewan has got killer dance moves!

Ewan and Faye received some gifts from their 'granny' Shelagh in Australia last week - Ewan was very taken with his Mike the Knight stuff and doesn't missy look grown up in her stretch jeans and ripped sleeve teeshirt! To think she's only 8 and already Skyping by herself and sending emails.  It's so scary how quickly they grow up.  But she still is a little girl  - as we discovered when we took her for a treat to the Disney shop a couple of weekends ago - and her choice was the Cinderella doll and Rapunzel wig.

Today after Ewan's finished Nursery school (at 3.15pm), we are going to meet his teacher, Miss Stanley-Jones for a three-quarter of an hour session to get him accustomed to the classroom environment that he will be in from September.  He will be in the Acorn class.  Apparently this Miss Stanley-Jones is very pretty, so I hope that's not too much of a distraction for him!   

Because it was so hot yesterday (what a laugh) ... we decided to give Ewan a hair cut and he ended up having the same type of buzz-cut that his dad has ... he looks so cute.

Andrew and Leigh are having the 4D scan today for their little peanut ... more on that later, I guess.  I got another outfit over this past weekend, cos I basically couldn't help myself, could I?