Shivering Mountain -Mam Tor, Derbyshire

 One of the last activities on our Summer wall was to climb Mam Tor, 

this was one of the ones chosen by Geoff.

 With beautiful blue skies was started the climb.

 Reuben and Rosanna were very excited to be climbing shivering mountain.

It is known locally as the 'shivering mountain'. This is due to its horizontal layers of shale and gritstone, said to be ‘cake-like’ sedimentary bands, which begin to crumble due to their unstable nature when water and ice work their way into the layers. The shale and gritstone was laid down some 350 million years ago within a river delta. The hill side is said to ‘shiver’ as its rock crumbles away, which is particularly prominent on the east side of the mountain.

 At the top of Shivering mountain

 Time for a cup of tea and for the little two to play.

'Whoaa, whoa, you're making me dizzy!'

 We then set off along the path and down to see the broken road.

  The road was first built in 1802 and was damaged several times by landslides from Mam Tor. Eventually the local authorities decided to close the road in 1979. It is closed to traffic but people can still walk on it.

Cannon hall gardens and farm

 We have a new favourite local place, Cannon Hall gardens,

It's just been made even better by the new playground.

The grounds are a lovely place to walk and explore.

Jemima took these photos of flowers in the grounds

 Onto fairyland, with victorian folly.

And a visit to Cannon hall farm,

It's got the usual animals

 and a smiley goat!

 A new amazing tubular maze.

 Another new playground for older children, 

which is challenging, but loads of fun.

 and the cafe is yummy too!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar tea party

For Rosanna's 3rd birthday, Imogen and Jemima decided they would make her a butterfly tea party, they made butterfly cupcakes, butterfly pizzas and a butterfly birthday cake.
I put it all together to go with the story of the very hungry caterpillar by Eric Carle. At first I thought about making leaves and the food from the story, but sometimes I feel I get so stressed that I don't enjoy the day, so instead I matched the story to the food we had, and Rosanna loved it!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, written by Eric Carle, adapted by Me!

 On the light of the moon, some eggs lay on a union jack plate.

On Rosanna's birthday, the warm sun came up and -pop! out of the eggs came some tiny and very hungry caterpillars.

 I laid out some fruit...
At breakfast time the caterpillars ate through one banana, but they were still hungry.
At snack time they ate through two oranges, but they were still hungry.

 At Rosanna's tea party they ate through, sandwiches, breadsticks, crisps, pizzas, marshmallows,

 and yummy cupcakes made by Imogen and Jemima!

 That night they had a stomachache!

Then the caterpillars ate through one of Geoff's organically grown cucumbers fresh from the garden and after that they felt much better.

Now the caterpillars weren't hungry anymore and they weren't little any more.
They were big fat caterpillars.

They built small houses, called cocoons, around themselves. They stayed inside for more than two weeks. Then they nibbled a hole in their cocoons, pushed their way out and...

we had a swarm of beautiful butterflies,

(We stuck paper butterflies onto cocktail sticks and then stood them in lime jelly, the butterflies do a lovely dance, when you wobble the jelly.)

and a yummy chocolate butterfly.

Happy 3rd Birthday Rosanna

Robin Hoods Bay

 The weather forecast wasn't very good for the August bank holiday, but Geoff and the girls finally gave in and let me have a camping trip to Robin Hoods bay.

 The girls devised an 'olympic' style training camp.

 The first evening the weather was perfect, 

lets save the ice-creams for the next morning I tell the children...

 Well the next morning it was lashing with rain, but still the kids wanted Dolly's ice-cream. So we set off down to the village...

and the rain got heavier and heavier, 

and Jemima's water proof wasn't waterproof!

Dolly's ice-cream dipped in the chocolate fountain

 Thankfully the sun came out later and the kids could continue with their olympic training, high jump today!

 In the afternoon, we went to visit St Stephens church, the old fisherman chapel standing on a hillside over looking Robin Hoods bay.

 Externally it looks wind swept, internally it is a rare and unaltered example of a church furnished for the preaching of the word - a real 'preaching box' which has escaped re-ordering - with galleries to the north and west, box pews below and a three-decker pulpit.
 

There are maiden's garlands which were made by family and friends when an unmarried women or girl died.  They were decorated with flowers and rosettes. They were then carried in front of the coffin by other girls.

Some people buried the garland with the body, but it became popular to hang them in the churches as a memorial.

 

 I love the description of the garlands in the church,
 'Reactions to the four Maiden's garland that hang in Old St Stephens church vary from "Eew-creepy" to "Oh yes, they used to hang in the chancel". Miss Haversham-like, fragile relics, they seem to exist in suspended animation in their draught-like glass cupboard, vaguely perceived through ancient window panes and beyond box pews, something anachronistic, awkwardly dangling dream catchers.'

 

 We'd just bought barbeque stuff, when it started to rain,

 but we still managed to cook and enjoy food.

 On the Saturday, the weather forecast was dreadful all day, so I planned indoor activites, but in fact the weather looked promising.

 So we had a trip to Scarborough castle

 We learnt about medieval fighting

 Still no rain, so we headed for the beach.

 And then a walk on the coastal footpath.

 A perfect day...

 well almost, the weather turned nasty at bedtime.

 

 By morning the weather was perfect again, and we headed off to Whitby Abbey.

 There was a time travellers event, we've been to one before. They are excellent, really bringing history alive, similar to horrible histories on TV.

 Reuben was choosen to be a merryman in the Robin Hood story.

  We also watched the story of Dracula.

  Which took us to various parts of the Abbey.

 And finally some medieval equestrian skills.

  We really enjoyed our time at the Abbey, 

but felt like we couldn't take in any more history.

  A fab picnic spot

 Even time for crafts in the tent

 We had a fab few days, 

but finally had to drive home over the heather covered moors.

Fitting in one more English Heritage property on the way!