Happy Day to me!

Yesterday was was my ‘happy day’ and I sung the happy (birth)day song all day.

I had a lie in until 7 and then had a special birthday breakfast – a little bit of everything. I also opened my last happy day count down calendar present given to me my my grandparents so now have a full set of happy day toys.

Next up we went to the Haynes motor museum. There were lots of cars!

And I got to drive round the site in my very own truck.

And ride a motorbike.

 After a pit stop at the cafe we returned home for a quick nap.

At teatime we had my birthday cake – a George cake made by the big M.

  We then opened my presents.

 I loved them all – and am now playing with everything so I don’t want to go to bed.

The big d also hung my curtains which I got for my birthday. They make my bedroom look very smart!

I wish it was a happy day everyday!

Wilfred of Locksley

Another weekend, another castle! Luckily I’m rather partial to a ruin (it’s the archaeologist in my genes). Today we went to Old Wardour Castle nr Tisbury.

This is the only hexagonal castle in the UK – although a popular design on the continent. It was destroyed during the civil war. However, a number of staircases still exist and you can climb up to the fourth floor.
  
It was the castle used as the Locksley household in Hollywood blockbuster Robin Hood Prince of Thieves

There was also a grotto very similar to the one at Stourhead. I liked the grotto, but it was too cold to hang around. I think we’ll come back in the summer for a picnic.

Choo choo

I currently have a bit of an obsession with trains, which given the topic of the big D’s latest project is quite fortuitous

Consequently, on Sunday we took ourselves off on a day trip to Swanage Railway. We boarded the steam train at Corfe Castle and chugged our way slowly to the coast.

At the end of the line they uncoupled the loco and then reattached it to the other end and back we went!

 After a hugely disappointing lunch we had a wander round Corfe. Whilst I love being outside and exploring what was Enid Blyton’s inspiration for Kirren Castle in the Famous Five (the books the big M reads to me at bedtime- we’re currently on book 8 and Dick has just been kidnapped), the train was definitely the highlight of the day!

A very lucky boy

Yesterday I was an exceedingly lucky boy. For my birthday my godparents organised a private tour of Longleat Safari park whilst it was closed to the public. We consequently had the run of the place.

First of all we visited the tapirs. This is Eddie. He likes being groomed. I was too small to have a go myself.

Next up were the giraffes. Thor, the tallest, is 18 feet high! They have blue tongues and one tried to lick me. I think it was Gertrude.

We then jumped back in our landrover and went to see the lemers. There were ring tailed ones and brown ones. They were very naughty! Once we were back in the car Dougie the camel and Ethel the Ostrich tried to get in with us!

  

A cornucopia of animals s followed including the infamous monkeys, deer, flamingos, pelicans and wildebeest. But the next bit was AMAZING we were allowed into the lion houses. The first one only had 3 lions, but the second housed 33. The noise difference was immense. The lions followed me everywhere. I think they were licking their lips…

We also went to the petting zoo, where I held a snake, touched a tarantula, stroked an armedillo, fed a porcupine, trode on some meerkats and touched an anteater. I loved every minute.

In the evening we were invited to the champagne reception launch of the Festival of Lights. It started in the Great Hall where I saw the biggest Christmas tree I’ve ever seen. I still don’t know how they got it in! Then with the other 100 guests we made our way outside to watch 2 planes doing acrobatics and set off fireworks from their tails and wings. All I could say was ‘wow’! The lanterns were then switched on after a count down (which I was very good at!)

There are over 1,800 lanterns in total and they were built by a specialist team of 500 Chinese people. We saw some similar ones in Hong Kong, but these were better! There was a monkey kingdom, a 75 foot dragon, a coral reef (I tried to feed the fish my supper but they didn’t seem to want it) welcome gates, a pagoda made of 80,000 plates, a terracotta warrier homage, to name but a few.

  



A truly magical day and evening!!!!

(I will post more photos once received from my godparents)

 

Bye-bye room with a view

Strike a pose

Woke up quite late this morning as a result of having a relatively late night. We were in the pool until 8.30pm watching the Victoria Harbour light show – way past my normal bedtime (ssshhhh don’t tell anyone).

After a hearty breakfast we made our way via the MRT (tube) using our Octopus card (same as an Oyster card) to the end of the orange line. This is where you catch a cable car to take you to the Big Buddha statue near the Po Lin monastery at Ngong Ping. We were in a crystal car, which is a carriage with a glass bottom for 360 degree views – super high and scary! I loved it!!

When we arrived at the top there was a picture of Tai O fishing village (we’re probably going there later in the week). You can stand in the picture and take a photo so it looks like you are there. I think I made a great model as people kept hugging me and taking my photo – I should have charged them!

We then climbed the 258 steps up to the big Buddha which was cast from bronze and erected in 1986.

At the top I was treated to an ice cream. I think I ended up wearing most of it! Again people kept snapping my photo. I felt like quite the celebrity!

Tomorrow we’re going to explore Hong Kong island. I’m most looking forward to the star ferry.

Streets paved with gold

Recently I found myself in the Saxon hill fort town of Shaftesbury. It was all by mistake as the place we were supposed to be going was shut so we took a detour

Now unbeknownst to many Shaftesbury in Dorset is the home of Gold Hill of Hovis ad fame (it’s not in Yorkshire as many presume). We walked up and down the cobbled hill taking in the view and the chocolate box cottages. All very idyllic. The big M used to live at the top many moons ago.

Ducks galore

I’ve had an amazing few days as my cousin Layla has come to stay – a playmate on tap! We’ve bounced on the trampoline, played in the ball pit, built towers, read books, coloured in, chased each other, played catch and all manner of other activities.

Today we went on an adventure to Weymouth Sealife centre (as the big M had half price tickets). We saw Rays and sharks and starfish and piranhas and sea horses and turtles (including the snake necked turtle) and penguins and otters and seals and fish and lot and lots and lots of ducks (clearly my favourite bit)

 

Duck tastic

Today was a day filled with ducks, making it an A+++ day in my book. The big M and D have a uni friend staying (who can deffo come again as he is very good at blowing bubbles for me to pop) so we went on a jaunt to the UK’s smallest city, Wells. Around the Bishops palace is a moat chockablock full of ducks (bear in mind to me a duck is anything with wings).

Here I am finding my first ducks of the day

  Then I peered through a window in the old potato store and saw loads of proper, real ducks … This was truly a highlight. I spent a lot of time here 
And then we went to aEdit  reclaimation yard and found this ENORMOUS duck

So many ducks, so little time

 

Oh we do like to be beside the seaside 2

Oh we do like to be beside the sea! And hence when the sun shines we do what any self respecting Brit would do and don our shorts and head to the beach (along with the rest of the world and their dogs).
And what a jolly time we had. We got sand in our cous cous, sand in our shoes, sand in our drinks, sand on our blanket and everywhere else – when I had my bath tonight I found loads of sand somehow still attached to me – but nonetheless sand notwithstanding we had a great time digging holes, people watching and paddling. We had taken our swimming togs but decided it was a little bit too cold – we’re not that crazy – although a lot of people were! Maybe next time.