This is getting to be a habit as the months whizz by in 2016. Proper post with thoughts, feelings and broad sweeping generalisations soon my beauties π
Category Archives: Family
February 2016 in Photos
Big photo post this one, so brace yourself.
The biggie being our Cotswolds half-term break. Me and Rach long have a tradition of going away in February, to beat the winter blues, and this year was a return to the Cotswolds. We stayed in a cottage in Shipston near Stratford upon Avon, and the absence of going to the more fairytale parts of the Cotswolds (Burton on the Water, Stow on the Wolds, Broadway etc) made it a different experience for me. The children are now mature enough to appreciate the historical places we go which is really good π
We drove up after the last day of school on Friday, which turned out to be another 7 hour trek, and arrived late in the dark. Saturday was a pottering day round Shipston, which is a lovely little town which I could easily see an older Newt relocating.
Sunday was London. We got a Family Ticket (about Β£60) which not only let us get via a hour long rail journey, but also gave us unlimited bus and tube travel.Β Morning we did Buckingham Palace and Parliament Square, as well as a large chunk of Whitehall (Admiralty Arch etc) simply because it was on the way from the tube station we jumped off at. With aching feet we whizzed over to the British Museum and had lunch at family favourite Pizza Express. Then around the museum, which was excellent as ever but was way too busy for our liking. Then a quick tea at The Spaghetti Company ( big thanks to the manager who squeezed us in before the Valentines Day rush) and home on the train again.
Monday was another rest day at the cottage, with a bit of pottering around Shipton, and boy did we need it after London.
Tuesday was Warwick Castle. Still my favourite castle, despite the Disneyfycastion its undergoing.
Wednesday, a quick trip to Stratford upon Avon as a retail experience, ending up in the Bella Italia, where me and Rach first went on our way down to our Honeymoon all those years ago, watching H stuff his face.Β The others got toys and books, but I got a new lightweight waterproof (which is like having your own tent) which pleased my middle-aged self no end. It got immediate testing because it was chucking it down. Still no where near as bad as home, which we delighted telling the shocked locals.
Thursday was a nice stroll about Charlecote Park. It was still slightly damp and cold, but the day was clear and typical of the nice weather that we enjoyed while we were away.Β In the evening I quickly packed everything and dumped it in the car. A far cry from our two-week long camping holiday in the summer.
After a very quick rounding up of the last bits of stuff, well done Team Newport, we said goodbye to the Cottage and had a lovely morning in historical Stratford Upon Avon. So we did Shakespear’s Birthplace and the adjoining museum, before wandering down to the Merchant’s house (whose name escapes me) and doing lunch at a British Pub (cheese sandwiches and Pedigree for the win!). Then it was the long drive home.
After that February was pretty much done, but there were signs that Spring was coming on time which perked up my mood no end.
Fun and Games Christmas 2015
Best Christmas ever…
Brother George arrives fresh from his Arctic expedition π
Let the gaming commence, Mousetrap! π
The Star Wars team cautiously make their way across the lounge, lookin for the Death Star plans I got as a present, while Henry plays his new Skylanders game.
Talking of the Death Star plans π
Winning at Christmas shopping
The Force is strong with this one!
So me and Henry finally got to see Star Wars VII The Force Awakens at our local Odeon.Β Truly it was Star Wars day for Henry since as well as the film he watched five episodes of the Clone Wars, as well as the introductory film, and wore his Storm-trooper outfit all day. To say he was a little excited would be an understatement.
Henry quote of the day, as the film suddenly came to an end “OH! I’m going to have to wait two years for the next one!” π
The film was absolutely amazing. I loved it and so did Henry π
So result π
Guess who’s over excited about going to see Star Wars…
Nearly there
Well I’ve officially destressed from the day job. Took four days, which is right given the level of nonsense going on at the moment (short version currently being restructured with a good 30% redundancies).
Now getting the family Christmas sorted, as well as chilling out to a bunch of Chinese Hong Kong Action movies after hours (aka Kung Fu Christmas). Oh and me and a very excited Henry are off to see the new Star Wars film this afternoon π
So 44
Had a lovely birthday yesterday.
Took the day off to look after the kids, who are on half-term, and they were lovely all day. Mum came round this morning and I talked the hind legs off a donkey since I was in very high spirits π
Kids presented home made cards, Evie made a cake and we all played Disney Infinity 3.0 (a console game which comes with figures, and this version is Star Wars!) . Rach was asleep most of the day, due to her being between night shifts (boo), but when she got up there was glow sticksΒ and a quick live action version of Tom and Jerry (both courtesy of Evie and Henry).
Rounded off the day by watching the second episode of Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle, and after a quick nod off the rather excellent first episode of Fargo Season 2. followed by a quick spot of blogging while listening to the Best of Chet Baker (Cool π )
Sow by Ted Roocroft
Following on from my last post about my Granddad Ted, Jason Watson who owns one of his pieces was kind enough to send me some images and allow me to post them here.
Please note the copyright of these images belongs to Jason Watson.
My Granddad Ted
Every now and again I do a Google Search for my Granddad on my mother’s side, Ted Roocroft. I have very fond memories of my visits to his and Grandma Edna’s small holding in Cheshire as a boy, just south of Knutsford. Unfortunately he fell out with my mother and I stopped seeing him when I was about 8. As well as being my Granddad his chief claim to fame was that he was a Sculptor and a lecturer at Manchester Art School (now part of Manchester Met).
I’ve been aware of this film for some time, Manchester Met has it in their public archive.Β It’s by a film student and makes big about the fact that he’s an ex-pig farmer turned sculptor. Warning the quality is a bit iffy (since it was done a good 36 years ago) and there’s a bit of a meandering intro so my Grandad doesn’t start talking about his art until a good minute in.
What this film doesn’t tell you is about his career in the military Police at the end of WW2 in the British Zone in Berlin, the most of which he told my dad on a visit to the pub once, leaving him visibly shaken afterwards and would only repeat his quote “It’s amazing what someone would do for a cigarette”.
Or the fact that by this time this film was made he was a Senior Lecturer, a member of the Manchester Academy of Fine Arts (apparently the only sculptor at the time).Β He also makes big of the fact that he keeps most of his work, unless someone wants to buy it, in the film but neglects to mention that he also made casts of his work that his agent used to sell abroad. So between that and the day job (which was only four days – he had Friday off) he was comfortably off.Β He was crafty like that and liked to spin a yarn.
His tale of how him and Grandma came over from Ireland in a cowboy wagon and how he defeated a Giant and his pet sabre-tooth tiger to take possession of his small holding which he told me when I was knee-high is probably responsible for firing my imagination up and all the Roleplaying nonsense I’m into now.Β In fact the whole short film is a typical Ted Roocroft yarn π
It does mention his love of animals. I was quietly surprised to hear of his obsession with pigs (the pig farm was long gone by the time I knew him). He would regularly take me out to Chester Zoo, the Reptile house was always a highlight (and I’m glad even with the modernization I can still see the old tanks) and one of my more vivid memories of his work was of an elephant carved from a 6 foot oak trunk!Β He also took me to the Salford Museum and Art Gallery and the Victorian Street there has a magical place in my young memories.
Ted’s influence on my early life,Β through only a few short visits (at most we went twice a year for a couple of days), was huge. He’s definitely the strongest male role model from my immediate family, and while I’m aware of his flaws, he was a bit sexist ( there’s a very telling quote in the film which as a modern man made me wince) and could be quite over bearing, which is why my mum fell out with him, I miss him greatly.
(Although I do wonder what he would make about me being a vegetarian π )