It was another lovely sunny autumn morning when I got up today and just what we needed to make the most of an opportunity go to a couple of places I had passed by in the car for years but never stopped to have a look around.
With Emily and Catherine off to a wedding in Leeds and staying the night at their mum's everyone had to get up early. Even little Lucy had to be woken up for the first time that I can remember. I'm not sure she is keen on being woken up, she just grabbed her covers and disappeared under them, just like Emily does on a school day. Eventually with a tickle, a smiling and laughing Lucy appeared again and got out of bed. She was really good and was soon dressed and ready for the day.
The first thing to do was get Emily from her friends house where she had been having a sleep over. Emily had a great time nd could hardly contain her excitement and talked all the way from Oakham to Langham. There was no way you could get a word in. Once we were home the rush was on to get everyone breakfast that they wanted and to get on the road to drop Emily and Catherine off at McDonalds just off the A1.
As always there seemed to be last minute packing to be done but soon we where heading up the A1. It normally takes an hour to get there to day we had fifty minutes to get there after I couldn't find my coat which turned up in the car. All the same we didn't lose any time and Emily and Catherine's Mum was having still eating and having a coffee when we arrived a few minutes late.
After arranging the time to pick them up we left them and head off down the A57 westward to Lincoln. For all the times I have driven up and down the A1 over the years I really never thought to go and visit what I know is a very historic city. Knowing that Lucy just loves churches I thought she would love to see the Cathedral with me, especially now she is at the question asking stage, and then there was bound to be a ice cream shop for a treat.
It is a lovely drive into the city and the Cathedral on top of the hill and the fact there is a windmill in the middle of a city makes an impressive sight. With Lucy hungry the first thing we did was head off to find some food. Just around the conner from where we parked we found a bakers. With the food too hot to eat we head off to look around the Cathedral with the food in my pocket cooling to have a look around.
I was most disappointed that when we got in the Cathedral we found they charged to go in. I know it must cost a lot to run but at the end it is meant to be the house of God. How can you charge to go into a place of worship. Christian or not the idea is silly. I have been to Peterborough Cathedral when I have shopping with Lucy and they don't charge they just have a donation box and a charge for taking pictures. I can't see why Lincoln can't do the same thing so people can put in what they can afford, that way they wouldn't be excluding people. Even Durham which according to their website cost more to run a week is free. All the same it is an impressive building and although we didn't go round the Cathedral, like so many put off by the idea of a charge, we did sit outside and eat or lunch in the sun.
Next we went to look at the castle and go around the shops in the Cathedral sector of the Lincoln. Outside the castle are two restored old cannons and Lucy was asking all kinds of questions about them just before she decided they would be good to climb on for a bit. It's odd that the castle which looks a lot more interesting than the Cathedral to me is actually cheaper to visit. Eventually we ended in a tearoom to have a drink. Lucy had a strawberry flavored water called happy hippo and was soon asking me for some pennies so we could play tea shop and had me selling her water to her. It is a lovely place to visit and now sitting at home looking at the pictures I can see why so many people go there, even the market had some wonderful and unusual stalls.
The only odd thing that happened was when we were looking for somewhere for a drink. Lucy cried when I said we couldn't go to a pub she had seen. I don't know why. I know her mummy use to prime Mary when she was small to say she didn't like pubs as they smell because her daddy always took her to them for lunch. It was the main reason while I never went to the pub with the girls for an afternoon drink when we were together, although I would have loved to done that now and again. It's that which makes it so odd.
Before we left I brought Lucy a homemade strawberry ice cream. She must have enjoyed it because by the time we got to the car she had it all over her face and was licking her lips to get to the last bit. Soon we were off again this time, first driving down to the waterfront in the city to have a look around before heading east down the A46 to our next destination, Newark. I'm sure we will visit Lincoln again one day now we have discovered it's beauty.
Newark is another place I have passed so many times and never stopped at and what a surprise it was really pretty. Although we didn't go in to the town center we did go down to the river and there was this impressive ruined castle by the edge of the water. I never knew it was there and as I love castles it was quite a find. We didn't go around it, it will be something I will do another day when we have more time, maybe with Emily and Catherine who will appreciate the history more than little Lucy would at the moment.
The riverside is really pretty and there were all kinds of boats on the river ranging from dinghies to cannel boats. There is even a floating public house if you fancy a drink. It didn't look too busy today but it wasn't the weather to be sitting on the deck with a cold beer. By the time we got to Newark the sun had gone in and the wind was rather cold, but not to cold to need a coat if you kept moving about.
On the opposite bank of the river from castle we found a playground, aptly named the riverside playground. It was just the place we needed for Lucy to let off some steam. What was nice was that although there was a charge for parking it was clear that the council had put some thought in making it cheap to visit to the playground by keeping the one hour charge down to a minimum.
Soon Lucy was off and even if it didn't have a single person roundabout it was still an instant hit with Lucy. For one thing it had sand and lots of it. A lot of the things to do were themed around the river and boats and Lucy loved the small boat. She was soon pretending that she was on Peppa Pig's Grandpa's Boat. She even found a friend to play with and all I could hear was "Ring the Bell Peppa" followed by bell sounds from the two girls. What I was impressed with how she climbed the ladder to the slide, it was a real ladder. The first time I had stand behind her and after that she off like she had been climbing ladders all her life. It is amazing how quickly they learn at her age.
One thing of note that they could do with in the parks of Rutland and Melton was the swings. There were two swings of just the right height for children aged two to three. Low enough to the ground so they could still just reach the ground with their toes to get themselves swinging. It was what I was looking for to get her confidence back and it didn't take long for her to run to the swing and do it all by herself. No encouragement was needed on my part.
She had so much fun there that she didn't want to leave. If it wasn't for her friend going home I don't think she would have ever left without tears. Before we headed home I took her down to the river to look at the boats and see the water. She was really good holding my hand. There isn't any rails at the side of the river and there is a long drop before you hit the water. Lovely it may be, but somewhere you have to be careful.
There was still quite a long drive home and I was aware that Lucy might be finding the drive boring. We drove back down the A46 until we hit the Melton Nottingham road (A606) and turned homeward. Along A606 is a small village called Upper Broughton which has a small but pretty little village green with a play area. We stopped there for ten minutes to let her play while enjoying the views of the valley below the village. Ever since I started working at Nottingham I have thought it would be a lovely place to live. Not to far from work but not to far from Oakham. It is about 30 minutes from both. A dream maybe given the house prices in the village but a nice one all the same, but who knows dreams can come true, if we didn't think that the world would be a depressing place. Hope mine do one day.
We got home about five and we got a wonderful welcome from George, who was dancing on his back legs and wagging his tail. He just loves the girls and is so good with them. I know he adores Lucy and the feeling is mutual. She orders him around and he does what he is told. She even feeds him now and makes him sit and wait before telling him to eat. Lucy set about playing and watching a few episodes of Peppa Pig in the family room while I got dinner ready. As I was cooking with cheese every so often a cheese monster would appear on her toy car and ask for a bit to munch on to keep her going. Lucy loves cheese just like her other sisters.
With dinner out of the away Lucy settled down to some colouring before bedtime. It was a nice way for her to unwind after a busy day and lots of walking. All the time we were out she never wanted carrying, just a cuddle now and again. She is getting so good at walking everywhere we go including up the steep hill's in Lincoln.
Soon it was time for bed for Lucy and it was off to the bathroom to run her bath. She seemed worn out, bless her, and really didn't want a bath, but once she was in she didn't want to come out. She was having a grand time playing with the bubbles and the water, but she did come out after having her hair washed and was soon tucked up in bed for stories, kisses and cuddles before she went off into the land of nod. She looked sweet when I checked on her cuddling her bottle of juice before I went to bed.
We all had a lovely time and we will have to do it again when the weather is fair. I know I enjoyed going to some of the places I have passed by so many times and we got the mix right for Lucy.
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