Family and Other Animals

Saturday brought a trip to Yorkshire Wildlife Park with Thomas and Polly. Here we see a somnolent tiger.

Kestrel and large polar bear:

Thomas's faves, the lemurs (must have been childhood exposure to Zooboomafoo). Here A mother carries her babies:

Refreshments (of course). Thomas no doubt checking to see if they have Calippos.

The next day (you can tell because of the change of hoodie) and a walk that inevitably ends in a pub. Here the girls try to teach Sophy and Thomas rummy. Thomas is rightly suspicious.

A spot of tea and Karl perks right up.

More walking. Karl displays his war wounds. Shouldn't be allowed on a bike if you ask me.
Yorkshire scenery provides the backdrop. Hope Thomas is soaking it in, as he's coming home soon!


And here's a shot of the whole family (minus Karl the photographer).

So that's Polly, Martha, Sophy, Sam, Peter and Jane and Thomas in the foreground. Thomas was never a fan of posed portraits...

More Culinary Experimentation

Here is Thomas making risotto. According to an inside source, he believed it took a long time. Nonetheless (or, therefore) it was (reported to be) good.

Granny writes: "This had had to be started yesterday, so that the creme could be chilled overnight, before adding the brulee part this evening. Et voilà: creme brulee, now added to his repertoire - all he needs now is to practise it...." I will be very much surprised if Thomas puts so much effort into a dessert that could be swallowed whole before one moves on to bigger desserts, but I am willing to be surprised.

Dambusting

It is still a source of amazement to his parents that Thomas can be persuaded to go bicycling.  Here he is surveying the body of water where (we are informed by Peter) the Dambusters practiced.  He looks suitably heroic, hair blowing in the breeze, arms akimbo.

Makes you think, eh?

A Trip to York

 This is "The Shambles".

 They're reserving his place for when he masters choux pastry.

D'oh!  Granny writes:

We went for a short walk along the Roman/Norman/Mediaeval/Victorian City Walls, then after lunch (a restaurant this time, not a pub) it was the Castle Museum. Lots to see, but by the time we had finished, we had only strength for a cup of tea before heading home.

Thomas will not be denied his chocolatey breakfast!

Granny writes:

Challenged by my failure to find chocolate weetabix, Thomas found this in our neighbourhood coop on his way back from a solo shopping trip by bus.

Then, fueled by choco-wheaty goodness, Thomas was able to turn his hand to stir-frying (nice wok if you can get it) with Peter's help.

More Druidical Frolics

More pictures from the trip to the tiny henge. Here's the best photo Granny could produce of said circle:

Thomas wanders lonely as a cloud:

Lunch.

Thomas sets the pace along the Manifold Trail, post-lunch:

Peter is something of a straggler:

Granny remembered this as being "quite impressive" when she viewed it earlier.  Upon review, she thinks it has shrunk.  It's the "Nine Ladies," yet another stone circle.  Can't go anywhere in these parts without tripping on them, apparently.  Or tripping in them, if you're a hippy neo-druid, one supposes.

Not actually an album cover by The Who

In fact this is Peter and Thomas "drinking in the atmosphere" of Arbor Low, a 6,000-year-old "smaller and fallen-down version" of Stonehenge.  (Maybe it's the tiny one.)

Back 'Oop North, Thomas Tiptoes Through the Tulips

Thomas returned to Sheffield on the train yesterday, and today Granny sent these pictures and reported:
"Today we had hoped to go t Arbor Low, which is a small and fallen-down but no less ancient version of Stonehenge, up on the Peak District moors, but it rained intermittently throughout the day, so we shelved that idea. Instead, Peter was all set to go to the industrial museum at Kelham Island, taking along Martha (and a friend); then we found it is shut on Saturdays. So we looked up TripAdvisor, and Thomas liked the look of the Botanical Gardens: they were open, there is a cafe: we went. Here Thomas and Peter pass the renowned Herbaceous Borders."

"Here he is admiring the 90-yard long restored 1830s glasshouse, with its large collection of plants from many parts of the world. Unfortunately the cafe (in the original Curators house,) didn't do cream teas, but did provide a nice sticky ginger cake. (Today's cookery focused on soup, and turned out well)"