Blog ≫ 2023 ≫ Splendid long weekend
Took the train with T2 straight after work on Friday and got down to Mum and Dad's quicker than expected. We got the slow train up to London and just had time to grab a pasty at Waterloo station when we saw there was a train heading to Havant leaving NOW, twenty minutes earlier than the one we were meant to be on. So we got to Havant before Mum and Dad who were then picking us up. I did say we'd walk from Portchester originally, but Havant is not far for them. Slight confusion at Havant station as roads around it are all closed but we got there eventually.
Saturday morning Fareham parkrun, it's so congested there that it makes for a very slow start. Then I had a bit of a twingey knee and slowed down at the end, so not my best time.
Fareham parkrun results for event #323. Your time was 00:26:21.
Congratulations on completing your 133rd parkrun and your 7th at Fareham parkrun today. You finished in 87th place and were the 72nd Male out of a field of 250 parkrunners and you came 11th in your age category VM50-54. Take a look at this week's full set of results on our website. Your PB at Fareham parkrun remains 00:21:31. Your best time this year remains 00:25:00.
Another one ticked off though. I ran there and walked back, so fully exercised before breakfast.
Next we walked up to Fort Nelson. There was a Falklands exhibition, a touring artwork with silhouettes representing the fallen.
Royal Armouries, Fort Nelson has partnered with Standing with Giants to display an installation that honours those who fought and lost their lives in the Falklands conflict. The display has 258 Olife-size figures that represent the soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen and civilians who lost their lives in the conflict.
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the conflict, two identical displays were created. This display is touring venues in the United Kingdom and the other is currently in the Falkland Islands.
Portsmouth played an important role in the conflict with a third of the ships being prepared in the city's dockyard. The conflict affected many people in the local community and had a big impact on the city.
This is the first time the installation is being displayed in the South of the country, and is a powerful reminder of how many lives were lost.
Please take a moment to think about and remember those who fought and lost their lives too soon.
Also there was a great cafe and a small assault course that T2 very much enjoyed. Plus he took lots of photos of Emu with all the artillery.
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Back for a lovely lunch of hotdogs and a quick trip to Tesco then out to meet friends. First to pick Andy up, then to Chris and Emma's to see their new extension. It's sort of their new house but it's the same house Chris lived in when I first knew him in the late 1980s. They have moved back there and doubled the size of it with an awesome extension. They have a big garden there so plenty of room to expand into, it's a very nice result. I like the bi-fold doors that open right up, wondering if we can do that on our balcony?
From there to Botley Mills, a lovely little set up. A small business park on the edge of the river Hamble. We were heading there as the brewery tap had a Led Zeppelin tribute band playing, but there's also another bar, a coffee roaster, a pizza place and a few other nice businesses. We had a whale of a time, though some confusion meant us not picking Ro up and I'm not sure if we were meant to so he was late. Then Dave was very late indeed, but luckily so late he was in his car and drove us all home. We had a good few real ales, some had pizza and apparently much nicer pizza balls, and I had a vegan burger that was very good. Prices were quite good over there too, £3.50 for the burger and £4 for a beer. I'm used to paying much higher prices at events. The band "Zed Zeppelin" were very good too.
Next day we saw Kez and Rob, a nice chat and game playing, and I went down to see the nephew's new flat he has bought in Portchester. Then a splendid lunch at Prezzo in Port Solent, paid for with Mum and Dad's Tesco clubcard points, and then back to Havant again and many trains home. Even the journey back was OK, we went via Clapham Junction, Vauxhall, Kings Cross St Pancras and Ashford. It broke it up and kept it interesting for T2. We even had a twenty minute wait, just long enough to go on the swing at Kings Cross.
Home, and I did not get my takeaway tea that I had promised myself. Clare had actually been working all day (nice bit of overtime) but then wanted to go out for a walk, so we had soup and then walked round Sandgate, and back to watch the new series of Ghosts US.
And still the weekend is not over! Bank holiday Monday day off, Clare is at pump class, the boys are gaming, and we're going into Hythe where hopefully there is some sort of food festival on and find something interesting for lunch. It's never quite as good as it should be, it will be the same market stalls probably but I live in hope.
Estimated 1228 cups of coffee from my espresso machine1 probably comes to £1.23 a cup (including actual coffee and now servicing1 so not the 'leccy).
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