Scalextric Meets Dukes Of Hazzard

See the ramp! See the cars! See how the cars fly from the ramp!



Thanks to James May we know that you don't need a continuous track for your Scalextric cars to work. Don't ask me how, you just don't. Which inevitably led us to experimentation with long straight tracks....and jumping....


Sam set up a pits area at one end of the hallway. We set the track up along the hallway floor. And hoisted the end of the track up to make a jump. A big jump. With a Health & Safety "Cars" duvet as a landing area, natch.

Oh what fun! The cars roared and whined then flew. Then crash landed. All perfectly safely. Great fun.

Did I say "all" safely. I meant "nearly all" safely. Ooops.

Don't worry though, with ten minutes TLC and a Phillips screwdriver, Sam's blue Mini was back in working order once more.

Orienteering In The Park

I'd been looking around for a suitable orienteering race for us to take part in for quite a while - so to hear that there was one happening in The Walks was very cool, if not a little spooky. So off we went.



Sam likes maps, and is becoming quite good at using a road atlas. A sport that combines maps with charging round the great outdoors has got to be a winner. Norfolk Orienteering Club organised a "Try Orienteering" event that sounded just the job.

We chose to do an "orange" course, which is very easy but a decent length, and Sam loved the whole thing. We found 20 of the 21 map references (known as controls), and the 21st had been stolen from its tree, and although worn out by the end, the little star had a great time and has asked when we're going orienteering again.

Sam finished fourth on the Orange course in a time of 33:52.

You can find the full results here: Walks-Result

And Norfolk Orienterring Club live here: Norfolk_Orienteers

King's Lynn Town v Great Yarmouth

Last weekend we visited the re-branded "Walks Stadium" to see how Town got on in the FA Vase against Great Yarmouth. Sam found some of the older boys from school, and was accepted as part of the gang straight away.


Lynn were 0-2 down after twenty minutes, but came back to win 4-3 in a thrilling match. In the next round we travel away to meet Thrapston - wherever that may be!



Incidentally, have you ever seen a football kit as disgusting as Yarmouth's? Click on the picture to feel the full horror.

The New Loo!

Essential modifications have been made in the little boys' room at 2-Sox Towers.






We've applied warning markings to the seat!



And in case one should miss the first warning, when the seat is lifted....Hey Presto!

p.s. doesn't it look clean!

Chop Chop!

Sam's becoming a bit of a dab hand in the kitchen!





Last weekend we ate our Sunday dinner - at dinner-time on Sunday(!!!), which may well be a first. It's usually been on a Friday night, so we enjoyed the special occasion.



We raided the veg patch at first light (well, half nine) and Sam enjoyed chopping up the carrots and beans greatly (closely supervised, natch). He is also the man in charge of the baster as we roast a chicken. Not only does he like helping, he is very keen to help as much as possible, in any way he can. Exceptional!



Dinner turned out to be delicious, and we followed the roast chicken and veg with apple crumble and ice cream. We didn't fancy anything at tea time....

Veg Patch Update - First Crop!

A milestone on the veg patch - the first harvest. Potatoes, carrots and runner beans, as you can see. I think Sam and I will return at the weekend so that the young man can pick and dig some for himself.

The spuds - delicious. Not a heavy yield, but "very tasty, very sweet". *

The carrots are beautifully varied in shape and size, and the runner beans are completely string-free. Most excellent.

* only the hardiest Dad's Army fans will recognise this phrase....

East Coast Truckers 2010

What's this going on at Yarmouth seafront? A traffic jam? No....





It's the East Coast Truckers charity convoy for 2010! I'd heard about this event, but was rather ambivalent. Giving kids a ride in a lorry, so what? I was wrong. As I watched the trucks roll past, with the kids waving at the crowd, and the crowd waving back, the joy on their faces was evident. I didn't shed a little tear though, oh no no no.


If you want to find out a bit more check out their website : East_Coast_Truckers


It's something I'd love to take Sam to see.