Glamping in the rain

[Maza]

Sigh. We're off for our first, very eagerly awaited glamping experience tomorrow in the Forest of Dean. The rain is forecast for pretty much each day we are there. We had been planning to do lots of outdoor activities but fortunately haven't booked any of them. We'll play it by ear when we get there and hope everything isn't booked up. I love the forest in the rain - but not every day - and DH and DD don't like rain at all.

Oh well, I had better pack extra board games and books. We'll finish the last Harry Potter while we are there and DD was thrilled that Harry, Ron and Hermione were camping in the Forest of Dean a few chapters ago!

Do you have any exciting plans for the weekend?

[loocyloo]

Sigh. We're off for our first, very eagerly awaited glamping experience tomorrow in the Forest of Dean. The rain is forecast for pretty much each day we are there. We had been planning to do lots of outdoor activities but fortunately haven't booked any of them. We'll play it by ear when we get there and hope everything isn't booked up. I love the forest in the rain - but not every day - and DH and DD don't like rain at all.

Oh well, I had better pack extra board games and books. We'll finish the last Harry Potter while we are there and DD was thrilled that Harry, Ron and Hermione were camping in the Forest of Dean a few chapters ago!

Do you have any exciting plans for the weekend?

DH and I are off to 'under the stars' - a music and arts festival - in the campervan for the weekend. DS and DD are away on a school trip.

Hope you enjoy glamping and it isn't too wet Maza. Have fun xx

[Maza]

DH and I are off to 'under the stars' - a music and arts festival - in the campervan for the weekend. DS and DD are away on a school trip.

Hope you enjoy glamping and it isn't too wet Maza. Have fun xx

Oh that sounds amazing loocyloo! How lucky are you that both your kids get to go away together, leaving you with a kid free weekend! Enjoy. x

[loocyloo]

Oh that sounds amazing loocyloo! How lucky are you that both your kids get to go away together, leaving you with a kid free weekend! Enjoy. x

Thank you.

First time and probably last time it will ever happen! ;0)

[FloraDora]

Oh what a shame that this weather front is here now.
We are hoping to do an annual end of term BBQ on Saturday. Celebration time too as DH and I are finally properly retiring and two good friends...the weather forecast told us last Sat that it would be dry 21c so good enough. We ordered 30 beef burgers, 40 sausages, and a great load of chicken thighs from our butcher.....our utility also looks like a pub.
Since yesterday rain is now being forecast...but changes every two hours as DH is glued to it.
Today he popped to the butchers and ordered a huge rolled pork shoulder as a 'just in case'. We'll cook it indoors and serve In the brioche baps with stuffing and onions if it rains. Then live on burgers and sausage for the rest of the summer!
It may be ok...the weather today has moved past quickly...so it could be better than forecast Maza.
On a positive note we have led an end of term BBQ for 40+ years and there haven't been many rain called off play...so fingers crossed...for us all.
Happy outdoor happiness glamping Maza.
Enjoy the child free festival Loocyloo, I noticed a while ago that Show of Hands is playing, should be good- we first saw these in December 1993 when they started a Ralph McTell concert I think....at least in the camper van you can be dry and listen to the raindrops dripping on the roof if the rain comes 'up north'.
Only one more day....

[Maza]

Oh what a shame that this weather front is here now.
We are hoping to do an annual end of term BBQ on Saturday. Celebration time too as DH and I are finally properly retiring and two good friends...the weather forecast told us last Sat that it would be dry 21c so good enough. We ordered 30 beef burgers, 40 sausages, and a great load of chicken thighs from our butcher.....our utility also looks like a pub.
Since yesterday rain is now being forecast...but changes every two hours as DH is glued to it.
Today he popped to the butchers and ordered a huge rolled pork shoulder as a 'just in case'. We'll cook it indoors and serve In the brioche baps with stuffing and onions if it rains. Then live on burgers and sausage for the rest of the summer!
It may be ok...the weather today has moved past quickly...so it could be better than forecast Maza.
On a positive note we have led an end of term BBQ for 40+ years and there haven't been many rain called off play...so fingers crossed...for us all.
Happy outdoor happiness glamping Maza.
Enjoy the child free festival Loocyloo, I noticed a while ago that Show of Hands is playing, should be good- we first saw these in December 1993 when they started a Ralph McTell concert I think....at least in the camper van you can be dry and listen to the raindrops dripping on the roof if the rain comes 'up north'.
Only one more day....

Wow, only one more day!! What lovely activities do you have planned for your little ones? I hope you have a wonderful day whatever you do.

[loocyloo]

Wow, only one more day!! What lovely activities do you have planned for your little ones? I hope you have a wonderful day whatever you do.

Awww. Flora, have a lovely day and how fast time flies.

[mama2three]

Hope youre making the most of your day Flora Im sure its bittersweet. And hope there is at least a little sunshine for each of you this weekend. We are having a quiet one , dh returning from china tonight and im sure he'll be exhausted. The next three weekends will be far busier , both ds1 and ds2 moving out and my fiftieth bd party too.

[loocyloo]

Hi Maza,

hope you had a great weekend glamping.

Floradora, I hopeyour BBQ went well.

we had a brilliant time at the festival - Floradora, Show of Hands were brilliant, as were ( in no particular order! ) Kitty Macfarlane, Sam Kelly and the Lost Boys, Newton Faulkner, The Destroyers, Sheelanagig, 'Bar Steward sons of Val Doonican', Damien O'Kane and of course, the incomparable Kate Rusby, whose Festival it was. Just amazing. ( And lots more bands I enjoyed listening too )

xx

[FloraDora]

Hi Maza,

hope you had a great weekend glamping.

Floradora, I hopeyour BBQ went well.

we had a brilliant time at the festival - Floradora, Show of Hands were brilliant, as were ( in no particular order! ) Kitty Macfarlane, Sam Kelly and the Lost Boys, Newton Faulkner, The Destroyers, Sheelanagig, 'Bar Steward sons of Val Doonican', Damien O'Kane and of course, the incomparable Kate Rusby, whose Festival it was. Just amazing. ( And lots more bands I enjoyed listening too )

xx

So pleased you had a great time, I always find listening to live music so therapeutic - all the better I imagine as you were able to solely concentrate on music with no children to look after.
It rained hard and straight down all through the BBQ. Luckily only after chicken, burgers and sausages were cooked, though the pulled pork was eaten too....we all ate more I think because it was wet and not warm. A friend brought a mini marquee which did a good job of keeping us dry...but not the same as a warm sunny evening- no one would go inside though!
But it really doesn't matter what the weather is like when you are with good friends.
The teenagers went inside and played music via the Alexa echo dot......and switched the heating on ( accidentally) and added more ridiculous funny things to my shopping list too- which I only discovered when I got to the supermarket today. ( It transfers to an app on my phone). So I put them in the top of my shopping basket, sent a photo with a caption about the ridiculous things my DH added to the shopping list this week. Panic replies were returned and confessions of their prank. It made me smile in my supermarket trip...which is a rarity!

Hope you were still able to enjoy glamping Maza.
It's glorious today but I sort of resent it and want to shout out" WHY WASN'T IT LIKE THIS ON SATURDAY!!"

[loocyloo]

sorry it rained, but sounds like you had fun anyway.

and LOL ... so what was on your shopping list ??? !!!

[Maza]

Well we had one of our BEST holidays ever! We got back today and I'm really pining over it. DH is on the computer now looking at booking for next year already.

Heavy, heavy rain, but in between it was wonderful weather. We had floor to ceiling windows in our cabin and so it was really cosy watching the rain. A couple of times it rained on us when we were on forest walks - but the forest was so dense we didn't even get wet! The sound of the rain on the leaves above us was awesome.

I can definitely recommend 'Forest Holidays' holidays. We had the most basic cabin and it was stunning. We got a good deal because it was a late booking and 'just' out of season. We did Park Run there and DH and DD did Go Ape. We went to Puzzle Wood - oh my, how magical that was! Had some beautiful walks with breath taking views around Symonds Yat. We did some general walks in various parts of the forest, including a twilight one with a ranger who was brought along various antlers, wild boar skin, snake skin, showed the kids how to dig for coal, gave us bat detectors to use and because he was really impressed with the three children on the walk he lent them a night vision scope each to keep in our cabins for the night so that we could look for deer around our cabin. He also brought along his barn owl and let everyone take turns carrying in around the forest.

Anyone who lives in the Forest of Dean area is so lucky!

Floradora, I did think of you when we had pulled pork on baps for lunch one day (it wasn't a very nice one - too sweet). Has the reality of no more childminding sunk in yet?

[FloraDora]

Extra shopping list items: a vase with plastic flowers ( they know I love real flowers and hate plastic ones ) a minion cushion ( we had discussed earlier in the evening that I was relieved I didn't have young children now as the gary yellow and blue of minions just does not suit my decor) , basics toilet paper ( I am so fussy over nice toilet paper), a very colourful shirt for DH ( he only ever wears plain ), 6 pineapples, a love island DVD ( not a fan) ....
A few other bits too....it took me about half an hour to put in my trolley and then return!
Your weekend sounds fantastic Maza......if only I had grandchildren to take.
Retiring...again - won't really sink in I think until September as I am used to the summer school break. I am finding it difficult though to pack things away. I hover from putting it into the nearly new sale in Sept, keeping it for grand children and me, giving it away to a friend's village school nursery ( she had all my craft items, half filled paint, glitter etc...on Saturday) ...I have taken photos of cots and high chair to put on Shpock/ gum tree but we are out and about over the next few days so I don't want to be in for collectors... if only I knew a local new start childminder, I would happily help with start up resources. The sand tray was baggsed by a friend for grand child visits and when I rang to organise delivery we couldn't find a time before end of August that suited us both!
M job today is to finish writing a blurb for the estate agent about our home. I have found this so difficult, what do I think are the best features? He wants a little bit of history...it just makes me well up when I write about our lovely life here....then I question the move!
We are off to Cumbria next week for a house area look so I hope this will ressurect the enthusiasm again.
Are you still thinking of moving Maza?
I hope the holidays have got off to a good start with everyone.

[Maza]

Your shopping list is hilarious! Yesterday we went to a Fulham Palace to do some Victorian crafts - silhouettes against a marble background - a pre-photographic trend apparently. They had templates of Queen Victoria, a rose, a tree, a vase etc. or the children could make their own choice of silhouette. DD and her friend both did cats, but two boys we were with did Batman and minions! It made us all chuckle - a slight deviation from the Victorian theme!

Yes, we still desperately want to move. Our plans were put on hold when DH decided to try working for himself from home - we needed to give it three years to see how that turned out. Whilst we al have a much better quality of life with him being around we are not making nearly as much money - and so our budget is now very different! On our way back from The Forest of Dean we stayed over in Cheltenham for a night to check out Bishops Cleve and Cheltenham (again). We crossed Bishops Cleve off our list - DH just wasn't feeling it. His reason might seem strange to some - there just weren't enough trees. He has always, always loved trees and desperately wants to live in a mature tree-lined street. I totally get it. It's good to actually cross areas off our list because we are a bit daunted with choice. We still like areas of Cheltenham though. We all totally love DD's current school though, and we know you can't take that for granted, even with schools that look great on paper. That's holding me back. She's in Year 4 (come September)and so we are wondering whether to wait until she leaves primary school. It's such a big decision.

[SYLVIA]

We are off to the war and peace show tomorrow. Not too excited but DP And his son enjoy it but DP won't go without me. Next weekend we are going to watch the athletics which will hopefully be more up my street. Have a good weekend everyone

[FloraDora]

Your shopping list is hilarious! Yesterday we went to a Fulham Palace to do some Victorian crafts - silhouettes against a marble background - a pre-photographic trend apparently. They had templates of Queen Victoria, a rose, a tree, a vase etc. or the children could make their own choice of silhouette. DD and her friend both did cats, but two boys we were with did Batman and minions! It made us all chuckle - a slight deviation from the Victorian theme!

Yes, we still desperately want to move. Our plans were put on hold when DH decided to try working for himself from home - we needed to give it three years to see how that turned out. Whilst we al have a much better quality of life with him being around we are not making nearly as much money - and so our budget is now very different! On our way back from The Forest of Dean we stayed over in Cheltenham for a night to check out Bishops Cleve and Cheltenham (again). We crossed Bishops Cleve off our list - DH just wasn't feeling it. His reason might seem strange to some - there just weren't enough trees. He has always, always loved trees and desperately wants to live in a mature tree-lined street. I totally get it. It's good to actually cross areas off our list because we are a bit daunted with choice. We still like areas of Cheltenham though. We all totally love DD's current school though, and we know you can't take that for granted, even with schools that look great on paper. That's holding me back. She's in Year 4 (come September)and so we are wondering whether to wait until she leaves primary school. It's such a big decision.

I understand the big decision !
Although you like the primary school I wonder that a move soon, before she goes to high school might be less stressful. That way she meets up with other children going before she gets there? Moving house and going up to secondary at the same time might be two very big steps to do together.
We did the same....we never then found the right time to move with two children 5 years apart ....and here we are doing it now!

[Maza]

I know exactly what you mean about never finding the right time, and also about her meeting friends before secondary school. I also know that it is impossible to perfectly time a move - things fall through, exchange dates drag on - that's if you're lucky enough to find a house that ticks most of the boxes in the first place. DH yesterday told DD that she can have a dog if and when we move, and now she is dead keen, although the reality of leaving her gorgeous, cosy, gentle school won't have dawned on her yet. Yes, having to time it for more than one child would be impossible!

I suppose most children move up to secondary school knowing at least 'some' people? I know most of the girls from my primary school went to the same secondary as me, even though we weren't all in the same class. Where I live now though it seems that a fair few people go to a secondary school where they don't know anyone - but maybe that's just a London thing? Oh, parental guilt is hard. Just when I thought we were settling on Cheltenham, DH throws Sutton Coldfield into the mix. I don't know anything about the area and so I had better get researching. That's if DD stops asking me to google things about dogs! We've just been to the library and got a stash of books on dogs - great timing seeing as we have just finished the Harry Potter series!

Sylvia, enjoy War and Peace!