School's out for crepeys

[lalsy]

Ooops, sorry, I didn't mean to finish the thread.

Fab, fab time with our friends today - lunch in the sunshine, afternoon on the beach, then her 16yo son made a big curry, and we put the world to rights over a few glasses of . I didn't want to leave.

Home tomorrow...

CV, her DS sounds fab!

Nice restful weekend. Our bit of London had a 'village' festival on Saturday, with lots of food stalls, bands, bouncy castle, etc. Ended up at the microbrewery, where lots of chums turned up and DS roamed free with a random selection of boys, and climbed a tree in a rubbish-strewn part of the car park. Ah, the romance of urban living.

Then yesterday to Victoria Park, where there's a marvellous paddling pool and splashy bit, and giant slides. DP was being very silent yesterday. If I hadn't spoken, we wouldn't have communicated at all. I feel this creates a bad atmosphere, but he seems oblivious.

Off to the Olympic pool for swimming today, then the Olympic park for playing. Plus maybe some Westfield action.

I'd thought that I'd find it really hard filling the days of the summer hols, but I'm in fact finding it hard to fit everything in! I've got all sorts of outing ideas, but what with visiting Sheffield twins friend, my sister, mildly neurotic friend (her of the 40th birthday party), going on holiday, then visiting my parents, plus getting DS into childcare for a couple of days and doing some work, I'm not sure I'm going to fit much else in!

Re books, I just finished reading The Book Thief and had a good blubber at the end, but as always with me, not at the actually sad bit, but at a single paragraph in the epilogue that is the really lovely uplifting bit. Wonderful, wonderful book, best I've read for ages. I've also been recommending Rules of Civility to everyone since I read it a couple of years ago, loved that as well.

BTM your holiday pics look amazing - what a fab place to go. V envious of Auriga in Paris too, one day I will get there... We are off festival-ward in Thursday, trying to make sure we have what we need for camping, as well as non-perishable provisions so we don't have to always eat at the £££ food vans. We are getting quite good at packing for every eventuality, although it does require a stuffed to the gills Volvo and a roofbox.

CV - the agency we use is Lavish Locations, Google them and they have info on the site abo it listing your house. You do have to be prepared for disruption and we have a lot of people coming on recce trips to the house without ever booking, so tolerance and flexibility is key.

That sounds great Herbs. I do miss London on those kinds of weekends... I spent the whole weekend washing, not surprisingly, after a weeks camping.

All three children are doing courses this week, so I've just dragged dd1 up to London to do a weeks life drawing class! Ds has gone east into the woods for a week , dd2 gone to singing camp!! We will all meet again at the weekend. Thank god I've got next week off, when I have nothing planned (except AS results!)...

I am still not properly into work, after my plans to start the day with a 6.50 Ladyjog were somewhat scuppered by neighbour's loud party till midnight.

In reading news, I have just downloaded this fascinating number but suspect its charms may be limited to, er, me.

What is it with camping? Everyone seems to love it, but it just doesn't appeal. Domestic servitude but outside, with cold water, and nowhere comfy to sit. And other people's children being loud.

Herbs :). That's dp's view - a holiday without solid walls is not a holiday in his view..... So I will never get dragged to a field in the middle of nowhere...

And Mr Inferior's view too. He says he 'did camping' on geography field trips as a sixth-former.

You're not alone Herbs - I'd much rather stay at home than be "holidaying" in a tent - but am full of respect for those that not only do this but actually enjoy it! On the other hand I do rather fancy a camper van... and I YEARN for a beach hut...

Did the camper van thing QQ - would only do it again if it had its own loo :)

My sister has a new camper van. Adores it.

A camper van is more appealing, though still lacking basic sanitation.

Or a Winebago, complete with laundry room, fireplace and Queen-sized bed.

Oh, I have been lusting after winnebagos for years! Campings good if you have great weather and are with friends in a lovely location with lots of nice food and drink Would try a camper van if if was just DH and I, but I think I would kill someone (possibly myself) if we were all stuck in one en famille!

We may be in a family room at the next place. This is NOT good

It is very cheap to camp

Six of us, within walking distance of the beach, was a little over £400.... Doubt we could have got a 3 bedroom cottage in Cornwall for that.

Also hangovers are lighter when you camp! And you get to nose on some interesting characters

But the loo situation is a problem, agreed...

Loos and showers are way better en France. Well, everything camping-wise is better there!

Like many of the Crepeys, I am canvas intolerant and can think of few things I would like less than a week sous la tente. I really wish I did like it, though, as many of my friends wax lyrical about its joys and it is bargainous. It is the loos, showers and insects which put me off. I could happily spend time in the winnie though.

Beachy, well done on the courses. We are swimming this week. DD2 had an attack of the I can'ts just before we went in, so I had to take her through to the poolside and got an impromptu automatic shower en route! Not a good look. The life drawing sounds fun. Is DD1 very talented.

MI, commiserations on the lack of ladyjog. I was meant to go this morning (week 1, run 1) but the lure of the duvet was too strong. Tomorrow, defintely.

Herbs, your weekend sounds lovely. Does your DS have bags of energy? Mine is a similar age (5, just finished reception) and never stops. I am exhausted just keeping up with him.

Am having a tidy and sort. Throwing lots of things away. I sometimes wonder why I am always overdrawn, but a little T and S reveals the extent of my spendthrift tendencies. We have 200 millions cookery books, some of them doubles, and some of them from which I have never made anything. Loads of mugs. Lots of general kitchenalia. Must. Stop. Shopping.

That Freudianly typed Wine-bago is basically a large house on wheels, innit.

DD1 has gone swimming with her friends. Has lost her goggles. I appear to have given her money to buy a new pair. Oh well, the swimming is free for under-16s round here. Have bribed her sister with a cake trip later. All heart, me.

Free, MI? Your borough must be different to ours - its 60p for the DC!

Stop moaning - it's £3.80 here!!!

And that winebago :) is nicer than my house.....

A house on wheels - exactly!

BTM - that is a large list of 'if's, which is the problem. If the weather ish rather is bad, the people irritating and the good grim, camping must be purest hell.

Sorry - on phone, in sun, with fat fingers. But I'm sure you get my gist!

And yes MC. My DS is also five, and needs extensive running about each day. By lunchtime he'd watched Frozen, played Hayday and Too Trumps, and was driving me barmy with silliness. Hence park and, shortly, swimming. Free for him, too!

Later our choir is singing in a WW1 remembrance event. I may well cry.

Free with a local library card round here.

Wish we got free cake.