fab camping holiday! [part 1 prob!]

we have been away. we went to coalbrookdale camping in much wenlock with the manorborns. we had a fab time! we learnt a lot about the area from the variety of places we went too, from the early times with the much wenlock priory, through the industrial revolution times to the modern. also a lot of back discussion about victorians, steam etc.

we arrived on sunday at sytche camping and put up tent and tarp in the scorching heat. unfortunately we wer not pitched near the manor borns, but instead about as far away as poss. they could still hear BB tho, so failed there! anyway, i did get sunburnt putting the tent up, as it was that hot!! the manorborns followed later and were pleased to share a cool beer and cup of tea!

monday started off with music theory for c and sb. c v enthusiastic, sb somewhat less so, tho i think she has now sorted tonic triads! some cwaft [ as pronounced by BB and mimicked by c!] and set out to blist hill and got their fairly soon after opening. loved the intro hall of the noises of smelting and steam, but BB not so keen, so we went up into the sunlight and to the bank to change our modern money into blist hill old pennies, farthings etc! [what a fab idea!] we played dosie doh the school groups and the big 2 girls did the maths challenge. this was really good, but let down by a couple of things – some shopkeepers emphasised how hard it was or gave the answers!, and when a shopkeeper wasn’t there [cf candemaker] you couldn’t complete. so anyway, that minor grip aside we had a really good time, the post mistress, wood turner and printer were especially good to talk to. SB has really got into the swing of asking questions and listening to the answers to feel how things were. its not that long since we were at the black country museum, which is also turn of century victorian, so she is pretty clued up on their tools and kitchen paraphernalia anyway. also i remember little nanny’s stories, so retell them whilst i can. [we should revisit gressenhall, but i think it might make me cry.] I love the steam things, and also spending time seeing how things worked. i loved the addition of some pigs and veg gardens. unsurprisingly we were pretty much the last ppl out! will hopefully add some photos in to show what a fab day it was. we brought back c, so she got to choose car cd’s too. these were the ones played in the week:

back to a shared meal of camp curry and chat until late in the night! girls all playing v happily and just chilled really!

next day we went in the other direction to the victorian farm. I think this might have been BB’s favourite day. would again really recommend it! i loved the lengthsmans house, the milkable cow, and watching the shire horse plough! BB loved the piglets, lambs, ducklings and being able to explore. she had a minor ‘fairness’ moment about the blacksmith and a minor money moment in the shop, but otherwise was pretty happy. SB also loved it, and we mostly pootled round together. i love spending time with SB, as she talks as she thinks, so you get a stream of SB consciousness as you go round of marvelling, wondering and asking. she would quite like a drop spindle, but i have no idea how to use them – anyone?? i think we pretty much saw most things, and she was most happy to have a go at bellowsing for the blacksmith, and getting a piece of knotted iron as a reward!! [the bb not fair moment] and also chatting to the chap tht sorted the 4 calves to getting some milk, when only the biggest belonged to the cow. we were pretty much lasterers there as well [surprise!] and, somewhat mistakenly, sent chris and marcus to effect shopping whilst the rest of us went home in michelles car. unfortunately chris did his timewarp thing, and marcus had no powers to speed up the process!! late dinner of ken hom! but girls nibbled and played nicely, and me and michelle had cucumber sandwiches and tea followed by wine, so v civilised!