David Currie

806Christine’s cousin was down at the weekend with her family and, having noted the rain on the forecast, we decided to head over to the Blue Reef Aquarium in Portsmouth on Saturday. What we’d failed to realise, until we heard a traffic announcement as we left home, was that the rain was to be accompanied by gale force winds! The M27 was an interesting drive as the car was buffetted about but the seafront at Southsea was quite something else. We arrived just before lunchtime and sat in the aquarium cafe (whose speciality seemed to be that well known Italian dish, panini and chips) watching the waves break over the sea wall. They then proceeded to close the section of road we had just driven along!
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Emma was pretty tired after our day out but, as I had to go in to Winchester anyway to pick up Christine’s cousin, we decided to offer her the opportunity to go and see the torch lit parade and bonfire in Winchester, safe in the knowledge that, in the half hour between the lighting of the bonfire and the start of the fireworks, we could return home and avoid a repeat of Thursday night. Having checked that bonfires don’t go bang, Emma said that she would like to go.
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803Having failed to renew our annual membership of Hillier Gardens (we just tend to do so on our next visit), we noticed with interest an advert for Hampshire County Council’s Culture-all Passport when at Royal Victoria Country Park last weekend. This entitles two adults (at least one of whom must be named on the card) and two children, free entry to any of the Council’s attractions. This includes Hilliers and another local favourite, Manor Farm Country Park, as well as some attractions further afield which we thought might provide for useful distraction e.g. the Milestones Museum in Basingstoke. Perhaps equally important, it gives you free parking at all of the Country Parks owned by the Council.
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Yesterday night we headed along to the firework display at our local school (Hiltingbury). The buggy board we had ordered also arrived earlier in the day. Emma was so excited – she rode on the buggy board the whole way there shouting “We’re going to the fireworks” to anyone who would listen. Christine and I were in a slightly less ecstatic mood having failed to find Christine’s wallet, hoping that she had left it in the post office earlier in the day. We had a bit of a wait before the action started and Emma amused herself with a glo-stick. Emma was up on my shoulders when the fireworks started and the reaction was immediate: sheer terror. She started screaming that she wanted to go home and had to be carried away from the school. Last year, having seen a few fireworks out the bathroom window, Emma kept asking about them for weeks afterwards but it would seem that she’s just not ready for the loud bangs.