Invaders from Lancashire

Earlier this month, August, we had two of our grandchildren staying for a twelve day holiday. Of course we fell for the idea that it was down to us to entertain them. Unless they are small children this is not necessary. But we took them out to the Welsh Mountain Zoo at Colwyn Bay when it rained quite a lot and took the shine off the event. The photos you see are of Eleanor, aged nine and Josh aged fifteen. As he was taking photos of the sea lions swimming underwater Josh's camaera stopped working. Josh immediately blamed it all on the rain and said it had written his camera off. From then on it was all sighs and moans about his out of service camera.

On the way home I called at Argos in Llandudno to buy some rechargable batteries for Pauline's camera ready for our forthcoming holiday in Greece. As I was writing out my order form I heard Joshua explode with enthusiasm. "Hey, Grandad, they have a remote controlled car here that was £100.00 last Christmas. It's only ten quid in the sale. I'm going to get one!" From then on he forgot all about his camera and in the car he never stopped talking about his bargain buy!
Once he had run out of steam on this topic he leaned over to his sister, Ellie, in the front seat, to give her loads of advice for when she started in the senior school in two years time! Once home he began once more to relate his story about his bargain to Pauline. It was now her turn to listen to his excited comments.

Next morning he was out at 7 o'clock running his car in the road outside. He eventually came in only when he had run the batteries flat. If it was wet he was happy to watch TV. We are lucky in that we have a spare TV in our bedroom so the children can watch their own choice of TV programme.

Pauline loves to go swimming so she took them several times on poor days to the local swimming pool at Amlwch Leisure Centre. Josh loved going and so did Ellie when she demonstrated for the first time that she could swim. The pool people gave her certificates to show she had done it. She was thrilled - no more arm bands! Of course Pauline had to buy her the relevant badges.

Later I went with Josh to buy him an advance birthday present from Pauline and me, a fishing rod and all the extras he needed. Eventually we had a good day for weather so I took him to the rocks off Moelfre to learn to fish. As I did not have a clue I suggested he asked someone how to fish when he got there. He ran on ahead of me, and by the time I arrived a minute after him he had already found a tutor. The trouble was that he experienced problems which he asked me to solve. Eventually this created so much friction that I left him to it and went home for some lunch. Pauline went to collect him and he came back to report he had caught two tiddlers!

The next day I simply said we were leaving Pauline at home for a rest and going on a magical mystery tour. We drove down to Abersoch, a place I had never before visited. Then we drove along the coast, visiting Pwlleli and then Criccieth where we stopped for lunch. next we went on to Porthmadog where Joshua was thrilled to see one of the Fairlie Doubles hauling a steam train across the cob on its way up to Blaenau Ffestiniog. We came home as happy as we could be.

On the Wednesday I promised to take Josh down to se the jets at RAF Valley in the afternoon. By the time Pauline got back home it was getting late. When we eventually arrived at the end of the runway all the jets had been flown in and there was just a lone helicopter excerising overhead. However, it fascinated Josh, and that was mattered.

The following day we took them back to Milnrow in Lancashire. We did not stop for lunch with their mum. I had a plan to take Pauline for lunch at the Romper Inn near Manchester Airport. She enjoyed the food there and said she would like to go again sometime. Some time after arriving home we set off to see if we could grab a table at the Quarterdeck Restaurant for the evening meal. We were lucky, even though we had to wait for the table.

The food was sensational and was the best experience we had ever had in a restaurant. It was an excellent way to end a heavy day, not having to cook or wash up. Now that I am aware of Josh's interest in aircraft I can take him there next time he stays and he will be happy. He even took interest in the wildlife he saw on the roads around Anglesey. But we shall not go fishing again!