We are having / have just had a house swap holiday in Hampshire (depends on when I get this finished as to whether it is still going on or has just finished). We've swapped with Chris and Emma and their two boys, they're having fun in the Costa Del Seabrook and we're at their house in Cowplain, on the outskirts of Portsmouth.
Drive down was fine, dawdled through the M25 roadworks and had a long stop at Cobham services, which we like to do for the boys. We met at Chris and Emma's house, as they wanted a later start than us and didn't fancy trying to coordinate meeting half way. We met Mum and Dad and Kez and Nan at their house too, nice surprise to see Nan out and about. They brought over some essentials we needed for number two son, we did not have enough room in the car for all the things we'd need for the week. The house is nice, feels more spacious than ours because they have an extension and so there's more on the ground floor, but overall I think it's a similar size.
Monday we thought about a Thomas The Tank Engine event at Eastleigh but decided to wait for a better one in July in Tenterden. So instead we headed down to Southsea common, see if anything bank holiday related was happening. It was not, but we had a lovely lunch in the Slug And Lettuce and then spent time and money in the fair at Clarence Pier. Thing one particularly loved the waltzer, which Clare thought was too fast and would have made me spew. I doubt it very much (but I only went on the softest balloon ride ferris wheel thing).
Tuesday was Beaulieu in pretty bad rain. Lots to see inside though, so long as you like cars. We went on the monorail and had a great picnic in a big tent. There are two exhibitions on as well as all the regular vintage cars, one James Bond and one Top Gear. Very entertaining, would be more so if you didn't hate Top Gear as much as I do. We all managed to have a great time despite the weather and some bad news (of which more much later). Tea on the way home in a Harvester, then far too late to bed for the boys.
Wednesday Mum and Dad were back to work so just the four of us went to Gunwharf for the day. I thought about going up the Spinaker Tower with the boys while Clare shopped, but decided we could have plenty enough fun on the ground. Weather was not as bad as expected today. Lunch in Wagamama and some fun wandering around taking photos.
Would have been a much better week if we did not have the big black cloud of serious illness of a close family member looming over everything.
Paul Clarke's weblog - I live in Hythe in the deep South. Wed + father to 2, I am a full stack web engineer, + I do js / Node, some ruby, other languages etc. I like pubbing, parkrun, eating, home automation and other diy stuff, history, tree stuff, TV, squirrels, pirates, lego, and TIME TRAVEL.