King's Lynn v Needham Market

The re-born Linnets have a new top fan! We went along to the friendly at home against Needham Market, and saw the Linnets come from behind to win 3-2. Roll on the season proper.



See where Sam is sitting in the top photo? Readers of the Lynn News could spot the boy in their photo on the inside cover, taken from the other side of the ptich. Sam was chuffed, being in the paper is a big thing when you're seven.

At half time we retired to the Blue & Gold Club where Sam had a pint of lager and Dad had a Capri-Sun, while we talked tactics with the aid of Sam's Match Attax cards.

And The Answer Is.....

What's going on here then?

Lights Out

It was obviously an exciting day for a seven-year-old. A kuk sool won class, a trip to the pictures to see Shrek Forever After (in 3D!), then home to play with Lego and watch a dodgy war film on the telly....

No wonder Sam fell asleep in the middle of the afternoon. Must be a nightmare at his age.

School Report - And The Consequences!

Sam's school report was handed to me recently......it was GOOOOOOD! I was happy to see that Sam is performing above the national average, overall, in the bits that they measure. The irrelevant bits like religion and the like, they don't tell you how your child rates.


So, in light of the good report, I asked Sam what kind of treat he would like as a reward.....the answer was Pizza Hut!

We've been there before. We won a free meal from KLFM, and had a great time. I find Pizza Hut to be probably the most child-friendly eaterie on the market. They provide activity books and crayons for the youngsters while they wait for their pizza. They offer free refills on the drinks. They let the nippers make their own ice creams at the potentially disastrous "whippy" station, with a great variety of toppings.

This may sound like an advert for Pizza Hut but it's not. It's just my opinion, and an honest one at that. This is DEFINITELY NOT one of the many parenting blogs that are little more than advertising mouthpieces for major companies. And Sam deserved his special meal there, which he adored - and he finished off the second half of his pizza as his Saturday morning breakfast!

Well done Sam on a good year at school. I am very proud of the work you've done.

Mother Nature Is A Star

We love some things that many other people may not be bothered about.


We love a good haystack, be it huge and impressive, small and pitifully built, weird location, whatever.


We love pillboxes, and scan fields constantly as we drive along, hoping to spot a forgotten piece of Second World War history. I think this will become more important and interesting in the future....

And of course we love a rainbow! There was a lovely double rainbow visible from 2-Sox Towers a while ago, and I hope Sam saw it (he's with his mum tonight).

Mother Nature can paint a stunning picture.

Kuk Sool Won Demonstration - North Wootton Primary School

Sam took part in his first ever martial arts demonstration on Saturday - on one of the hottest days of the year. The King's Lynn kuk sool won club performed at North Wootton Primary School as part of their summer fund-raising fete.

Sam did very well, in fact the whole school showed excellent form throughout, and the spectators enjoyed the performance a great deal.

I have a lot more exciting, thrils and spills photos, but they don't include Sam, so I feel uneasy to publish them here. I will, however, be giving them to Elaine at the school, and she may post some of them on the King's Lynn kuk sool won website. Have a look!

Veg Patch Update - 8 July

The veg patch is progressing most enjoyably. The majority of runner beans are now united with their wigwams. As an experiment we've used twine to secure a couple of the frames, plastic cane holders on others, and a combination of both on one. I wonder which will prove to be the best?

Our carrot seeds are starting to produce carrot seedlings. Very exciting!

Our one and a half rows of potatoes are bursting out with great vigour.

Sam gave the lawn an extra haircut today....

And some mischievous felon "planted" a sneaky beef tomato under one of the young tomato plants in the greenhouse....who can that have been?

Camping At Snettisham - Part Four - Surfing And Home

If everybody had a surfboard across the USA, everybody would be surfing like at Old Hunstanton beach....

After a couple of disappointments due to (extremely) distant water's edges, we got it right on Sunday. Old Hunstanton was the venue and Sam had fun in the surf, and was actually, really, catching waves and riding in on them. The weather was warm and sunny but with a gale force southerly wind on the beach - so strong that I abandoned attempts to erect the windbreak for fear that I would take off.

Eventually Sam got cold and we decided to return homeward. And after Sam had gone back to his mum's I found the usual poignant vignettes of our time together.....sand-encrusted size 12 flip-flops.....

And a bath tub that appeared to have a good part of Old Hunstanton beach inside it....

Camping At Snettisham - Part Three - The Big Match

What's more traditional when camping than the mass football match? Sam got involved last weekend, as he joined forces with the two brothers from our next-door tent to take on the might of three boys from the south.

The three other boys were expecting an easy game, facing just one older boy and two nippers....they were sadly mistaken! As the goals flew into their goal they couldn't believe how adept Sam and George were, and they did indeed prove to be a match for their bigger opponents.

Comments were swapped such as "They're good!", "They're really good!", "I can't believe we're losing to the little kids" and "We're getting thrashed!".

The final score was a resounding 12-5 win for our lot. HURRAH!

Camping At Snettisham - Part Two - Seal Spotting

On Saturday we re-visited Blakeney to take a trip out to the point on one of the seal spotting boats. The last time we went out was in September 2006 so it was time to return. A trip on the seal boats costs £8 for adults and £4 for youngsters, and I think it's a lovely and unusual way to spend an hour and a half.

I won't waffle on. Some of the photos were taken by Sam, some by me. Visit the seal boats soon!

Camping At Snettisham - Part One - Arrival

Our first under canvas expedition of the year saw us returning to Diglea's campsite at Snettisham. It's Sam's favourite, so far.



Straight from school on Friday (I'd pitched the tent earlier) we headed out to the campsite. We dined heartily on takeaway, as always, for tea. Sam chose a chicken kebab, Dad had doner. And Sam snapped the rather lovely picture of the Hunstanton sunset, above.



Sam had a late night in his side of the tent, and fell asleep about ten, and Dad followed at eleven.


Sam was so happy to return to a happy hunting ground. Dad was happy that Sam was so content.

Un-Excellent....

The old block of flats that we live in is a mostly quiet, fairly respectful kind of place....

On Wednesday somebody decided to take a dislike to the hallway, and splash paint all over the information sheets there.

I have half an idea who it may have been, but there will never be any way of proving it.