Sunday in Cassiobury Park

Sunday, 29th June.

Since the weather was determined to remain warm and sunny, we decided to take the girls for a stroll. We normally head out on a Sunday, regardless of weather, just to get the girls out in the countryside. Sometimes we walk along the Ebury Way to Rickmansworth or, travelling the other way, towards Watford and Oxhey Park. Today, however, we decided to head to Cassiobury Park.

After packing some drinks and snacks, we headed out and through Croxley View to Ascot Road, where we crossed Rickmansworth Road and entered the Park. Our entrance to the park was marked by a heron, gliding through the air above the River Gade.

Erin was soon out of the battlewagon and running along the path, looking at the butterflies, Jays and dragonflies. There were also small fish, that were clearly visible in the crystal clear waters of the River Gade, until a dog jumped in, churning up the gravel on the riverbed.

[caption id="attachment_1554" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Not the best shot, but it is the best that I could do.[/caption]

We continued to follow the River Gade, until we crossed one of the narrow bridges near the Cassiobury Park Nature Reserve. We would normally have carried on following the River Gade, into Cassiobury Park, but, as Emma pointed out, our new battlewagon could fit across the narrow bridges, whereas the old one was too wide.

With fewer people in this section, we strolled along with the Grand Union Canal, on our left and the Nature Reserve to our right. Soon, the River Gade rejoined us, as we approached the bottom of the park.

We headed up towards the paddling pools and cafe where, while Emma sat with the girls, I purchased a cappuccino and a bacon roll, for Emma, and a latte and a cheese burger, for myself. These were soon demolished, at which point we took the girls into the playground. Both girls were soon on the swings, before Erin decided that she wanted to go on the slide.

[caption id="attachment_1552" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Erin and Keilyn have a little swing.[/caption]

But not the little slide. The big kids slide. She soon mastered the giant steps, clambering up after the older kids, before screaming like a banshee, as she hurtled down the enclosed slide. Immediately she was back clambering up the steps to various platforms, before hurtling down the slide again.

Keilyn, meanwhile, was bemused by her sisters antics, preferring the more sedated swing. Soon, though, Keilyn discovered the smaller climbing frame and slides. And that was it. She was soon running back and forth along the platforms. Hanging from the various bars, while her feet dangled below her, before almost throwing herself down the slide. And, just like her sister, she was straight back up to do it all again.

Erin & Keilyn: Sliders

After a good while, we decided to make a move towards home, via Morrisons to keep Erin happy. With shopping purchased, including some mini sausage rolls that Erin and Keilyn immediately tucked into, we continued our journey home.

The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing, while we awaited the arrival of Emma's mum and dad, before the girls started running riot around the garden, again.

All-in-all it was a lovely Sunday with family.

A Stroll to Cassiobury Park

Sunday 17th February, 2013.

My alarm went off just before seven in the a.m. with its chime of ‘Dad? Dad?? Dad. Dad! DAD!!!’ So, up I got. I put Erin in bed with Emma, while I busied myself with getting dressed. Then I scooped Erin up and took her downstairs to get her changed and fed. Breakfast consisted of a coffee with a vanilla shot, for me, and milk and toast with jam, for Erin. Pretty soon Emma was up and we all made our way to Cassiobury Park. We normally go for a walk on a Sunday, but this was the first time in a few weeks that we had ventured out, as the weather had been too cold and wet for Erin.

It didn’t take us long to reach the park, which we entered via Cassiobury Park Lodge, just off Cassiobury Park Avenue. Opposite the ‘Cha Cha Cha Café’, I unbuckled Erin from her pushchair and carried her onto the fields to the left. Although Erin has been walking for the last three months, she has never had a proper run around outside. Well, she was in her element, when I finally put her down. She began by holding my hand, then decided to go and look at the branches of a tree, then the tree itself. Then she was fascinated by the people running around kicking a football. Then her fascination was taken by her shadow, which she couldn’t pick up. Finally, giving up on catching her shadow, we started to head in the direction of the playground. Erin’s choice of direction was circuitous, to say the least, but we managed it, eventually. On reaching the playground area, we decided to stop for a drink and something to eat. So, while Emma took Erin to find a picnic table, I bought us both a bacon roll, Emma a coffee and myself a bottle of water at ‘Vince’s Café’. After we had all eaten, including Erin who had managed to con her mum out of a piece of bacon, or two, I took Erin into the playground, while Emma finished her coffee.

As with all playgrounds, that we take Erin to, she has to go on the swing, first. All other pieces of apparatus can wait until later. Well, she began chuckling and giggling before I had even pushed the swing, for the first time and, looking along the row of four swings, I noticed that every swing was taken by a daughter and each was being pushed by their dads. How cool. By the time Erin decided that it was time to try something else, Emma had rejoined us. Looking around the playground, which was getting busier by the moment, I took Erin over to a mini climbing frame with a slopes and slides. Once she was on it that was it. Backwards and forwards across the sloping bridges to peer down the two slides, before heading off in the other direction. The odd clash of wills with other bigger kids and the odd loss of balance on the sloping floor, but no tears. The only problem with Erin, on something like this, is that she has no fear. This is evident when she does decide it is time to go down the slide. She would much rather step out into thin air than sit and slide, so we have to be very wary. Of the two slides attached to this piece of play equipment, the smaller baby slide was far less slippery than usual and Erin really wasn’t interested in it anyway. The bigger, taller slide on the other hand, was super slippery. Once we had managed to get Erin to sit at the top, she began chuckling away to herself as she nudged herself ever closer to the precipice. Then she was gone. Laughing and giggling all the way down to the rubber floor at the end of the slide. With no other children waiting to come down the slide, I sat Erin back at the top and almost immediately she threw herself down again, laughing all the way. Then she decided that there were other things to explore. The bouncy ‘animal’ chairs didn’t hold her attention but the roundabout did. The roundabout was pure fun for her. She began by holding on, like we had told her to, then she let go and slouched back and began giggling, as her world began to blur. She laughed even harder when I finally removed her from the roundabout and stood her on the tarmac, which to her dizzied brain made her stagger in a large circle, before she collapse on the floor, smiling at her shoes. Another go on the slides and it was time to head into Watford town centre and, pretty much as soon as Erin was strapped back into the pushchair, she was asleep. We walked back up through Cassiobury Park and to Rickmansworth Road, where we went through the subway and out onto the High Street. I had purchased some new boots from ‘Shoe Zone’, the day before, and one of the rivets had popped out as I put them on, so I needed to exchange them. The lady in the shop was very helpful and they were exchanged with no problem. On handing her my receipt, she informed me that the boots I had bought had gone into the sale, so I was entitled to £5 back. Bonus!

It was at this point we decided to head home, before Erin awoke wanting her lunch.

All in all another great Sunday morning walk.

Until next time…

May it be well with you.

A Stroll Along the Grand Union Canal

Friday 27 July, 2012

 

After seven years of waiting and having listened to all the comments and negative vibes about what was to happen in the opening ceremony, I have to say that I was seriously impressed.

 

To start with, the Olympic Stadium looks really impressive and is a crown in what was once a contaminated wasteland, in the East End of London. The regeneration that has been achieved will benefit the area, and the City, for many years to come.

 

The introduction to the London Olympics 2012 began with with a journey along the River Thames, from its source to the Olympic Park. On reaching the Olympic Stadium, the countdown began. The ceremony proper started with 'Jerusalem' being sung in the Olympic Stadium, and with Northen Ireland joining in with 'Danny Boy', from the Giants Causeway, through to the children of Edinburgh singing 'Flower of Scotland' to 'Bread of Heaven' in Wales, then returning to the Stadium, which had been transformed into England's green and pleasant land, I began to get a real sense of what the Ceromony was going to be.

 

With cricket and football being played on the green grass lands of England, and children dancing around Maypoles, I felt we were taken back to a bygone era, where everyrhing was rosy. Edward Elgar's 'Nimrod' added so much to this scene. This soon changed, when men in suits and tall hats appeared and started to lay out plans for our future. Within moments, Glastonbury Tor spewed forth men and the grass was soon being ripped up, only to be replaced by many belching smokestacks; The Industrial Revolution was here. Amongst this change women appeared, parading with plackards with slogans about equality and the right to vote; The Suffragettes had arrived. With much of the grass being destroyed by the Industrial Revolution, there was a lot less green to be seen in the Stadium, but there were enough Poppy's left to show the inhumanity and waste of The Great War. One of the crowning moments of the Industrial Revolution scene, was the forging of the Olympic Rings. Then it was a chance to show off the NHS with a great seen involving the staff of the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children, which culminated in the arrival of a number of Mary Poppins, who banished the Demons from the Children's dreams. This was accentuated by a special appearance by Mike oldfield, performing an enriched version of his iconic 'Tubular Bells'. We were then taken on a musical journey from the sixties through to the present day, which showed off some of this countries greatest musicians, and the sound of the TARDIS could also be heard. This concluded with an appearance by Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web. A piece concerning the victims of the July 7th Terror attacks, was moving and a little overwhelming, unless you were watching in the United States of America, where NBC cut the scene and replaced it with an interview with Michael Phelps. Losers!

 

With the introductions of the 200+ competing coutries, a special mention has to be made to the Czech Republic who arrived in blazers, shorts, wellington boots and umbrellas. Each countries flag was then 'planted' on Glastonbury Tor, before the Olympic Flag entered the Stadium. Another emotional moment ensued as the flag stopped before the fragile figure of the Great Muhammad Ali. It was hard to imagine that this thin and fragile man, was once the greatest athlete on Earth. A man who can no longer function without an aide by his side. The Olympic Flame was then transported, via a speedboat driven by David Beckham, to the Olympic Stadium, where it was feceived by England's greatest Olympian, Sir Steve Redgrave. It was he who took the flame and passed it on to seven young up-and-coming British athletes, who proceeded to take the flame around the Olympic Stadium. With their lap of honour complete, they then each took a lit torch and headed into the centre of the Olympic Stadium and put their torch to what looked like metal plant petals. As the seven torches lit the petals, the fire spread and soon all 204 petals were aflame, at which point they began to rise into the shape of a cauldron. The Olympic Flame was back in London, for the third time and, within moments fireworks lit up the Olympic Park.

 

I have left a lot out, like the Red Arrows flypast. Or, the performing of Vangelis' 'Chariots of Fire', with Mister Bean adding his own unique talents to the score. Or, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who spoke just four words (Good evening, Mister Bond.) and Daniel Craig as James Bond in a short video filmed at Buckingham Palace, which eneded with them suppoesedly both parachuting into the Olympic Stadium. Or, various musical artists who added their talents to the proceedings. Or, the cast of countless volunteers that gave their time and effort to such a worthy cause. And Lord Sebastian Coe, who, despite ever mounting pressure over the past seven years, has managed to deliver so much.

 

I think that what Danny Boyle achieved, and pulled off, was one of the best opening ceremonies to any of the Modern Olympics... Ever!!!

 

Let the games begin!