Finally Spring with a bit of brightness. 24

 

Exciting time of year Easter, when the days really are getting that bit longer and noticeably brighter and spring flowers making their presence. I love it! We have already enjoyed the prelude to Easter with our Wedding Anniversary. First year we were not together on the day, it was weird, Jerry was looked after in the local cafe I took myself off to the cinema to watch the Bob Marley movie. Celebrations were once I got home surrounded by golden roses and a trip to the seaside at the weekend. 

Lego roses!

No surprises on the beach at West Runton, Cromer Pier

An Afternoon Tea celebration in the grounds of Ketteringham Hall at the Orangery, gorgeous treat with Ma n Pa, followed by a catch up with Nanny Pat.

Easter, starts with chocolate at breakfast.

Family Easter Egg Hunt always a privilege to get together and have fun with the little people searching for chocolate eggs. 

Our very obliging hosts

We are lucky Vanessa & Steven are willing to share their garden and BBQ to host the event, this year with Steven's brothers family, folk we have not seen in years. Really pleasant although slightly surreal as Pauls children were all at school the last time we were all together now were partnered with weekend blended families, when the children were not familiar with each other.

Searching for those eggs, lots of smiles and team work.

Rebecca Dylan & Milo

Llwella Esme & Lucia

Ada, Llwella & Arlen

Pauls family's children

Grandparents

Grandad Steven with India

Grandad Kevin with Lauren

Nana Sara with Ada

and Uncles

Uncle Finley with Arlen

Uncle Jerry with Lauren

Easter brings a flurry of birthdays, starting with our very own Easter Sunday baby all 14 years ago, our boy Dylan.

With a 'mum made' chocolate Smarties birthday cake and a suitcase full of gifts to enjoy, a boys birthday in full action of enjoyment.

A great surprise reaction to a special gift, worth the watch. 

A boy who has a natural flare & interest in politics a visit to the Houses of Parliament is a perfect trip. Great day out full of immense British history as we walked through the steps of royal pageantry from Victoria Tower to Elizabeth's Tower, the home of Big Ben.

This is Victoria Tower on the right through the House of Lords, the Houses of Parliament to Elizabeth's Tower on the left, the home of Big Ben.

The guide we walked from Victoria Tower to Elizabeth's Tower

The tour started in the Great Hall where we met the resting places of all those greats & admired the décor of changing lights through the day.

Churchill

Gladstone

Queen Elizabeth II

King George 6th & Queen Mother

King George 5th & Queen Mary

Light at midday!

The same architecture at 3pm!

Lunch at the 'Chairman', just off Parliament Square.

As its Easter, for the first time in years we enjoy a bit of local farm activity at Felbrig Hall Farm to take in 'lambing'. 'Enjoy' mixed with some over emotional awe-inspiring horrors as the realities of 'birthing' are played out in front of us. We watched a very impressive shepherdess try to deliver a lamb but was unsuccessful, the lamb was big and became stuck. The impressive ingenuity of the team was to smoother another orphaned / rejected newly born lamb with the 'after-birth' of the unsuccessful birth with in moments of the trauma played out in front of us. The mother and orphaned lamb were embracing, wagging tails and suckering. 

Sheep-sisterhood sharing in both the sorrow & joy of the moment!

A true miracle, far too emotional a moment but certainly brings you back to the impressiveness of life and the skills of the shepherdess's at work.

The volunteer team described the most consistent visitors enjoying the experience of cuddling lambs were adults, rather than children.

Birthdays to celebrate. Roger had a milestone birthday we enjoy a lovely family meal together and then he & Rachel take themselves off on a magical adventure around cycling routes of France & Spain, very special. This rolls in to celebrating Nanny Pat's enormous age, we get together for cake, homemade sponge with strawberries & cream.

Then a week later we enjoy Jerry's special day. He starts the day with a spa gift as I dash home in the afternoon from work in North London to present a carrot cake (homemade again!) birthday cake.

Minus child is a moment in time, Dylan went off on his Spain water sports holidays in May. Gruelling journey by bus, they survived to enjoy kayaking, wind surfing, paddle boarding, sailing and a day at a water park, with the long journey home tolerated as he slept most of the way. A happy boy home in his own bed.

Just imagine being on your May holidays with this group of teenagers (god bless teachers!), he is in there somewhere!

The minus child opportunity meant we took ourselves off for a belated birthday treat bank holiday weekend away in our favourite West Runton Guest House, The Corner House staying with Darron & Shaun. 

Room at the top of the house, with a grey day view; where is the sea!

Wandered along the beach front, around the shop museum, chatted to the shop parrot and fed the dinosaur.

Echinoid fossils, impressive collection.

Vertebra - sperm whale compared to a seal - WOH!

West Runton Mammoth tibia

Huge crab 'The Warrior' found 1998

Sensible conversations!

And Sharon we came to say hello but you weren't in, see you soon!

Fantastic afternoon tea, we missed the heaviest thunder & lightening rain storm on a Sunday afternoon whilst feeling smug as we were dry and many around us soaked. Certainly an afternoon tea to go back for too.

The Corner House is adorned with artist Leon Bunnewell pictures, oils of vibrant colour describing Norfolk seascapes, I loved them.

We found our blue sky, beautiful view of our North Norfolk coast, before we leave and enjoy a little time in Cromer to view a few more 'Leon B' paintings.

Cromer at its best.

Finally a bit of school activity; Paddle boarding, taking part in the great river clean up, boys won in the most rubbish collected! 

Lastly one of the best impressive formal outfits of Dylan, James Bond theme!

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