Vintage Fun at The Ageas Bowl, Southampton

On Saturday I somehow managed to convince everyone that we wanted, as a family, to visit  Yellow Vintage Fair that was happening at The Ageas Bowl in Southampton. How I achieved this I will never know, possibly because the flyer mentioned 'lots to do for the kiddies', and my children are always on the look out for another opportunity to wreck themselves on a bouncy castle.

 Anyhow, if I had gone on my own I probably would have seen more, more closely, but spent a lot more too, so I can't decide if I am glad they all tagged along or not! Of course, we left with one thing... for the children. How do they do that!?!

My fave latest finds were some fun tables using board game emphemera from Another Man's Treasure from Romsey. They also had some great lamps. 

A luscious display of fabric, glasses and jewellery from Many Happy Returns (find them in Wickham Market) but alas I am on a fabric buying moratorium.

The children were enchanted by the singing of The Cadettes ('oh Mummy, they're singing the Tomato Tornado song!') which made a long wait for coffee most enjoyable, and there were also lots of girls dressed up, which I like to see! Sadly, I was not allowed to go and get my hair in a Victory Roll at the Vintage Hair stall. Vintage Hair Lounge is so cool (@vintagehair on Twitter).

True to the flyer there was a whole kids area, next to the bar, so I guess it was a Dads creche too. Plenty of ice cream and bouncing tired them out, giving me a few more precious minutes with the bakelite and frocks.

I hope that the Yellow Vintage Fair will be on again soon. Although next time I might not take the kids...........

Hundred Acre Woods

What could be better than a playground in the woods? A playground with teepees, huts, treehouses and a massive sandpit? Where a kiosk sells warming coffee for accompanying adults? Best. Day. Ever

Easter Fall Out

And so after the long weekend where everyone, despite just having recovered from noxious tummy bugs, loaded up on chocolate. Children are great, aren't they, as bounce-backable as a rubber ball. Basically, almost nothing could hold them back from enjoying Easter!

It's been absolutely freeeezing here, but what a joy to get out, see some flowers, frogs mating ('mummy - look that big frog is giving the little one a piggy back') and spring lambs.

Top days out at Hinton Ampner where the National Trust were doing their now traditional Easter Egg Trail. Thankfully this year, not only was there a quiz for the older children, but the trail allowed younger ones to just stamp the boxes. A relief - I can't count the number of quizzes and trails I have been forced to almost entirely do myself because whoever set the quiz didn't quite manage to appreciate the academic level 3 year olds work on. No, they can't spell 'medieval' and neither can they say what type of stone this is built from. Can we just have our chocolate egg now please?

Another interesting place we discovered this holiday was Butser Ancient Farm. A recreation of an Iron Age farming compound, complete with frozen-to-death volunteers huddled around a smoky fire dressed in woollen capes, and some rare breed sheeplings.  Brilliant. Such a great place to show your kids the (very) past. Oldest daughter looks around one roundhouse, at the cooking fire, at the wooden benches and manky furs and promptly says 'I'm so glad I live Now'. They also celebrate some of the pagan rituals there like Imbolc and Samhain, which I imagine is pretty fun if you're into that kind of thing, although I don't know how 'historic' those are. There is also a reconstructed Roman Villa which has a working hypocaust heating system in one area. Nothing says 'ahh finally, civilisation' like finding a heated room on a -2 degree day! If you want to know more about the place, the link above takes you to their website, or you can go to the Wikipedia entry highlighted in the photo caption. It really is a fascinating place, and the staff and volunteers there are obviously really into it too.

Via Wikipedia

Now husband is back at work, the sun is shining and I have all 3 kids for the rest of the holiday on my own. Deep breath! And continue...........

Hampshire Dwellers Take Note

I shall not, sadly, be attending this event but it should be a good one. As the first in what we hope will be a long series of fun craft events I hope there will be lots of support! Please do go if you live anywhere in the area, that means you Portsmouth, Fareham, Southampton, and Petersfield dwellers!!

Is It Still The Jubillee?

Look! I even have Jubillunting Oil Cloth, from Dunelm Mill. 

Happy Anniversary Ma'am and all that but as this is now the 5th day of national celebration around here I am a little fatigued. Plus I have run out of red, blue and white outfits. Did her Majesty stop to consider my laundry? I doubt  it.

It began on Friday with the School picnic/balloon release (Apparently, we must refer to this event as The Jubilloon Day) continued onto Saturday with a traditional Fete (complete with Patriotic Llamas and Union Jack becoated dogs - I kid you not). 

Sunday came, as did a Thanksgiving Service where my daughter was delighted to bellow out the National Anthem, which she has been constantly doing since she memoraised the words on Friday. Onto a Jubillar-be-que at the Village Hall (more bunting and cupcakes, less llamas). Monday - some respite although the children were barrelling around waving their Union Jack flags and wearing cardboard crowns, and now! Another Jubillar-be-que at a friends house later this afternoon and as it is raining my husband is watching the TV.But not the sports, oh no. It's STILL the Jubillee. No. More. Royal. Family. Argggg.

Green Fair 2011

Spent a lovely fun-filled afternoon at the South Downs Green Fair. The idea I suppose was to have a look around and get some new ideas about green living, meet some people, eat food. Of course, we did manage some of that but 80% of my time was spent:

1) In the craft tent helping DD make a butterfly costume including elaborate tissue-paper wings
2) Returning to the tent to mend the tissue paper wings after they broke in the wind
3) Carrying the (unwieldy, fragile) tissue-paper wings after DD got sick of wearing them
4) Waiting in the queue for face painting shouting 'don't push in' 'don't push in' (at own child!)
5) Toiling around the fair as part of the 'Children's Flower Parade' with a now hot tired and fed-up butterfly

Amongst all this I didn't get any further in my quest to find out about solar panels and neither did I get to visit my friends yurt, which was one of my main objectives for the day. Sigh. Mustn't grumble. She was so hungry when we got home she ate pesto without complaining. Result.

Vintage at Goodwood

was so awesome. They even had den building, a sand pit and a roller disco, so the smalls were well entertained. Got lots of inspiration, saw loads of great outfits (!) and had a giggle at the Chap Olympics. Wonderful stuff.

Oxford Museums Trip

On the home front this week we have been on a mammoth trip to Oxford to 'do museums'. Mainly for DDSnr to see dinosaurs, but we did all get to have a quick look around the Pitt-Rivers (what a treasure trove) and the Ashmolean, which is lovely after it's overhaul. Also had an unexpected visit to Wadham College porters lodge to shelter from the torrential rain. Due to the rain the museums (which are free) were very very busy! But it was a great day and when I get the opportunity I would like to return to the Ashmolean and have a good poke around without crying babies.... I can say at least it has a good cafe, but beyond that I saw little as we spent all our time there in the Education Suite watching DDsnr do a picture!