Sunday July29

Hever Castle

Bit of a lie in for Maddy and Pat but Rob was up at 6:30 as usual. How does that boy survive on so little sleep? Pat had stayed up way too late to finish the new Harry Potter (best of the recent bunch, since you ask) and was a bit bleary over breakfast.

Just time to make some packed lunches and set the SatNav before heading off to Hever Castle. The weather was behaving and there was no traffic. Even when we got to Hever, there was no traffic - looks like everyone else had more of a lay-in than Maddy and Pat.

We went straight round the castle, having first marvelled at the fat fish in the moat. Lots of Tudor stuff, suits of armour etc. Mildly diverting for the kids, quite interesting for Pat.

Then it was outside to find a wasp-free spot for lunch.

We were adopted by a little Sparrow/Wren(?) who kept darting out from under a hedge to collect the crumbs. It was scared off for a while by a coach load of eastern European teenagers and their two nun-minders as they photographed every inch of our lunch area, but reappeared when it quitened down again.

The maze was shut as it was seriously waterlogged. I remember last time I went there were some big puddles, suspect a lot of it was under water this time as the area floods pretty quickly.

After lunch we went to the water maze, which the kids loved and Pat avoided. Maddy managed not to get wet at all. Robert wasn't quite so lucky. There were getting cold so we had a look at the indoor model house enhibition - pretty impressive.We then wandered up to the adventure playground where Maddy and Robert climbed the tower in the fort/maze and then we headed back down to get a drink. Unfortunately it started to rain so we were just getting up to grab a table inside when two knights appeared on horseback - the jousting was about to begin!

We hurried back to the castle forecourt where the knights had taken up station and waited for King Henry VIII and his queen to appear and give a not-too-cheesy speech. We then followed the king up to the events field for the games.

The sun came out and the kids managed to get a place near the front. Robert loved it all - four knights jousting, fighting and generally hamming it up with a supporting cast of squires and serfs.

After standing watching the fun it really was time for a drink so we grabbed a table and filled up on fizzy drinks. Nothing quite like chemicals and sugar to get you moving again. So it was back to the water maze for one last run around (packed full of soaking wet kids and anguished parents worrying about their cars, ha ha ha) and then we went to the bookshop to get a wildlife book for Maddy and a footie book for Pat. Nothing for Rob so I 'owe him one'.

Maddy kept us entertained with on the way back by telling us every single animal in her new book. Hot-dogs, beans and chips for tea (vegetables? pah, who needs 'em) and the rest of Ice Age2. Must be bath and bed time soon.

I expect the kids are tired too.

Robert's Record

Heaver Castle was great!!! The jousting,the water maze and the little bird that stayed with us for the whole of the time we were eating our lunch, we called him plumpy. It was very very sweet. We went round the castle and found a lot of very intresting things like the paitings,weapons,furniture and a lot more. I hope we can go again to Heaver Castle and I'm sure if I do go again it will be much much more funer. Im so tired I could sleep in the streets,on the pavment.

bye bye

Maddy's letter

We went to heaver castle today and had fun! I like my new book. It's about animals that live in England. I hope mum had a good journey and that Liam and Lucy were not very bonkers. When we went to the water maze the second time my right side all got wet!