Back in the summer holidays ………

A moment for reflection

The summer holidays seem a long time ago now, as the temperatures take a decidedly downward turn, the sun sinks ever lower into the sky with each passing day and in the garden, plants start to give up the ghost, shrivelling and turning brown as the last of their fruits reach full maturity and, in the case of the pumpkins and winter squashes, start to develop their autumn colours and hardened skins. Yet it was only two weeks ago that the Mudlets’ schools opened their doors once again, at the start of yet another academic year and hordes of excited children arrived in the playgrounds, anxious to catch up with their particular set of friends, sharing news of holidays, outings and all manner of goings on.
So as the chill night air once again starts to envelope Mudville, I have decided that now is the time to share the summer happenings of our little family, to reminisce of warmer days and new experiences.

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Out and about with the Mudlets (part 1)

North Landing: the view from the cliffs

Mud has had this past week as annual leave and we have really lucked out on the weather which, to be frank, makes a pleasant change because over the last three years or so, pretty much every long weekend or week off that he has booked, has had the most dire weather and this, in turn, has delayed his restoration of Ciggy the Series 2. So bad was his luck with the weather, that his colleagues started to make sure that they booked their holidays after he had booked his, in order that they could ensure their precious time off didn’t clash with his and therefore stood the best chance of falling in good weather. However, this week the sun has shone and we have reaped the benefits.

All Aboard for Scarecrows and Steam

Not quite the Hogwarts Express but close enough!

Bank Holiday Monday marked the end of Muds’ week off and we had one last trip planned for the Mudlets. Having already visited an air museum and a road transport museum, this time we decided to visit the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway at Ludborough and have a ride in a carriage pulled by a steam train. Both girls were really looking forward to this particular outing, as they love trains. Middle Mudlet had actually driven a train (albeit a diesel engine) a few years ago, when we went on a rail tour run by the Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society which operates on the railtracks that circumnavigate the Tata Steelworks in Scunthorpe. The engine driver did have to put a wooden box in the cab for her to stand on because being only 6 years old at the time, she wasn’t tall enough to see out of the window but, nonetheless, she drove the engine 50 foot in reverse and then back again and this was and probably still is, one of the best experiences of her young life, cementing her love of trains.

National Coal Mining Museum: Land Rovers, Trains and Pit Ponies

Little Mudlet was dwarfed by a waterwheel.

The Mudlets were playing quietly and peacefully on the rug and I was watching something on the television, when Mud, who had been engrossed in his most recent copy of ‘Classic Land Rover’, with an air of assumed casualness, suddenly announced to no one in particular “Oh look, it’s Leafers at the Pit this weekend!”

Uhm! Really!

I waited and sure enough, a few minutes later he suggested that this year, perhaps we could pop across (it’s an hour away) and have a gander. Mindful of the fact that, much as we love them, the idea of spending hours walking around looking at other peoples Land Rovers and chatting about axles, gearboxes, engine conversions or leaky gaskets may not be to every ones taste, he sweetened the deal with an even more casual, “Oh and whilst we’re over there, and seeings how the event is held at the National Coal Mining museum, we could spend some time looking around the museum as well.”

On the buses – Lincolnshire Road Transport Museum

This stunningly beautiful Austin Gypsy fire tender was Middle Mudlets favourite exhibit

A couple of hours after we first arrived at the Lincolnshire Road Transport Museum (only to find it closed until midday), we drove back into the museum car park. Buoyed by our spontaneous visit to the Cogglesford Watermill and fueled by a very tasty lunch, we decamped from the pickup truck and headed for the entrance.

Regular readers of this blog won’t be at all surprised to learn that Mud and the Mudlets had been really looking forward to the opportunity to immerse themselves in wall to wall vintage and classic vehicles, though how on earth a Maestro qualified for a spot in the main display area, defeats me but as per normal I digress.

Cogglesford Mill: an unexpected bonus

The view back up the river from the Mill race bridge.

With Muds’ week off drawing to a close and yet more rain, wind and generally unsettled weather predicted for the weekend (well it is a Bank Holiday), Thursday night he announced that we ought to find an indoor attraction to visit with the girls on Friday.

“After all,” he said thoroughly disgruntled, “I’m not going to get much done tomorrow if it’s raining …. again!”