City gals go mad in Kent

[Squiffy]

Well, having had a fab time on the friday meet-up in Champor-Champor, I promised I would drop you all an invite for a meet-up down on't farm, so here it is. If any of you delightful London ladies would like to feel the wind in your hair then set the 15th March in your diary. I have 3 spare double rooms available on a first come basis - all king beds, so doubling up can be done for those who aren't shy. The other alternatives are the hotel in the village which is very civilised and about 10 mins walk away, or blow-up mattresses in the downstairs reception rooms for the really late confirmers. Then there is the shed and the tent and the last train back to London. If any kids come I have a spare set of bunk beds and a couple of readybeds.

In terms of a schedule I am fairly happy to go with the flow. If people want to come for the evening only without kids then disappear back in the morning that works, or alternative is to come over in the afternoon and if child-free you can grab a massage in the local therapy centre. Anyone who wants to make a weekend of it can bring the kids and maybe spend the day on Whitstable beach or - even better - at a place called Farming World which is in my village and has soft play areas and lots of cute little bunnies and lambs and piglets (which all get slaughtered at the end of the season and sold to the likes of me for munching).

Um, that's about it. We're 65 mins from London (Victoria Station), and it takes about an hour to drive from the city if it isn't rush hour.

If anyone wants to come let me know

How are you going to leave me with three kids if three kids don't fit in the back?[confused emoticon]

I figured eleusis wouldn't mind subject to practicalities (eleusis hopefully you are not sticking pins in a makeshift mannequin of moi!).

feminine wiles it is then (how could you possibly have been 2 stone lighter? you must have been practically invisible )

I'm happy to drive anyone who fits in my car. So I don't mind. But, I drive an Astra. Technically, there are three seats in the back. But, I think it's three reasonable skinny peaople without car seats.

tbh, i think my DH is probably more scared of the prospect of meeting mumsnetters than paying for another cottage!

legalalien, very kind. but DD does ask me who the lady in the nice white dress is (me in my wedding gown, 7 years ago). Ingrate.

Oh oh... we can work with this. Tell you DH that since you can't get to Kent we have all decided to come to you... So he can look forward to meeting us all in his own home. And of course don't forget to tell him we are bring our kids.

My DH would sooner die than attend a mumsnet meet up. So I can relate to your problem.

Oooh! Hadn't seen this!

Those links are RIGHT on my DOORSTEP!!!

Shiny - Hello I desperately need you here - trying to arrange something for Canterbury in the very near future but I am feeling very norman no mates

hi can i butt in and ask what the plan is- i'm a kent girl and would love to come along for the ride? or part way depending on the plan lol

Morning! I can drove someone down if anyone needs a lift? I will be coming from central london (kennington). I am bring my 8mth old DD, but other than her i can fit 2 more children in the back and a mummy up front with me. DH is having a well earned break at home without "his girls"

dylsmum - this is a dinner party in my house, but I have had to split it into two events because I can't possibly do dinner for all the people who have added to the thread. So what I have done is suggest that the local kent people (ie the ones that don't need to stay over the night) do their own meet up separately. So that's why I linked Shiny to that separate thread (which I now see you are also on! Excellent) - I will hop over to the other thread now and we can chat there.

Squiffy lovely to see you last night! i rolled home very merrily, breathing fumes all over the night nanny. i am sure she thinks i am an unfit mother. She actually called alexandra "naughty"
hilarious!
She is coming back tonight so i am off out again to make the most of not having to get up in the middle of the night to deal with a "naughty, moany" baby

Can we do a BBQ when we come to yours??
x

ah i s ee
god you di make folk cross

So now let's discuss this Therapy Centre. Have you been, Squiffy? Got any recommendations?

Eleusis, hi. Busy so haven't been posting as regularly as usual. that have apparantly upset people on this thread by I guess implying they are not welcome, but hopefully will be able to do alternative dinner party or whatever at later date for Kent ladies...

Anyway, I used to practically live in the therapy place. It's run by a woman called Jane who is one of the most fab people I have ever met - am sure she is a white witch or something. She has 10 children (yes, 10) and is the most amazing therapist I have ever met - she used reflex to turn my DS when he was breech (and I don't even believe in reflex!!!!). Just a taster of what kind of woman she is - one of her son's was born blind. Instead of wallowing in misery she sat down with her DH, discussed what was needed to give her DS the very best chance in life and then ended up moving moutains to get her son into the French school in Kensington so that he would be able to use language to make up for what he lost with sight (her family have no french links) Result is her son now works as a translater for the French Govt (when he isn't doing guided tours for sighted people around Dover Castle).

One of her other sons also works with her as atherapist - he's almost as good as her - and the final therapist in the trio is Ursula who is also one of these salt of the earth people and a trained paramedic.

So anyway, waffle over. What you want to go for is probably a hot/cold stone massage. Failing that the reflex is fab (marvelously relaxing) but everything is pretty good so go with what you fancy. What I propose is that we finalise numbers and what people fancy and then I will co-ordinate bookings with Jane for everyone.

Can I summarise where I think we are in terms of who is coming and staying over?

Eleusis + DD(5) + DS(2) - driving from west
BertieBoo + DD(8mth) - driving from central
Jura (I think?) +DS(2) - driving from west
Legalalien - taking a lift
Page62 (I think?) +DD(4) - taking a lift

And possibly....Kewcumber & Quint, tbc.

So in numbers that is at least 6 mums, possibly 8, and at least 7 children including mine (DS4 and DD1), all around the same age range. Which makes life much easier for all of us as they can run round the garden or soft play centre or farming world with each other on the Sunday whilst we nurse out hangovers...

The house is OK to accomodate everyone (though without children, Legalalien ,I think you might draw the short straw and have to have the Z-bed in the study). For everyone else it will be a double bedroom for each mum + offspring. Please bring monitors with you if you use them.

Anyway, must get on with soem work...

hmm, bring DS vs Z-bed. Think I can cope with Z-bed. Will also bring noise-reducing headset, to maximise chances of sleep uninterrupted by child or snoring.....

re sunday - any firm views for an outing? There's a good chance DH/DS might be up for catching up somewhere late morning - then he can drive me home! How far is Howletts from you?

Howletts IS close by (and is utterly fab), there is also this place is in my village which has indoor & outdoor softplay as well as tractor rides and lots of animals.... Another good alternative is Leeds castle which has a maze and plenty of outdoor play for toddlers. Or there is swimming, or walk on Whitstable beach, etc. None of them need to be booked in advance so we can maybe think about preferences and discuss on the Saturday....

Is the orchard party still on 29th March?

Yep.

DD wants to know if everyone can come in a fairy costume? I said "fat chance" but I'll suggest it for children only.

Are there boy fairies?

i'm happy to wear a fairy outfit instead of a swimsuit if it helps!

Not sure DS would fancy a pink dress. But think it a fab idea for the kids to have their own fancy dress 'party' on the Saturday (and my DS has never turned down an opportunity to don his scoooooby-dooooby-doo outfit). So sausage rolls & fairy cakes it is (and I will limit the sugar so that we can at least get them all to bed afterwards)...

Legalalien I will by the way be very upset if you now turn up as anything other than the sugarplum fairy.

We can bring your DS a Ratatouille chef costume.

hmm. not something I have done since a law firm children's party in 1994. not sure that eleusis would be happy with the passenger seat imbibation of alcohol that would be necessary to repeat the performance.

It's okay, we can put the costume in the boot, and get you drunk enough to put it on after we get there.

Oka, now serious question... am I really required to wear a bathing suit? Good God, I don't even own one. Do you thinkI could go to a charity shop and find a victorian one to cover my arse?