Neighbours Day in Speke

It’s Neighbours Day in Speke today. All agencies and local anyone who’s anyone put up stalls and people wander around picking up freebies, chatting, there’s a mini fairground, and usually a vintage bus gives rides to Garston and back.  I kind of hate it cos we have to represent church there with a  little stall, smiling, offering ourselves to people, perpetuating the impression that we think we’re sorted, we’re nice, we have all the answers, we think you would benefit from being like us. I am of the opinion that most of everyone in Speke knows who we are, and already formed opinions about us and have chosen not to join us! And i respect their opinion.

What could we do differently? Ok I’d quite like to have a big banner with “we are a complete nightmare!” And all wear appropriate t shirts with stuff like Mess. Lazy. stuck up. Bitch. Whinger. Loser. Bully. knobhead. on them. I’d happily wear Up Myself or take suggestions!

Or perhaps more appropriately just a Big banner of  Jesus. Jesus. jesus?

Your thoughts are welcome.

day out in Leeds

Yes, yes it would be wonderful if I knew how to post both words and pictures in the same blog post.  But I can’t when I’m using my phone. 

Fred is attending two days of Daisy half term club, so I took the opportunity to take my Jojo and Ruby somewhere they’d enjoy. We got a train to Leeds,  which surprisingly took about 2 hours (I have no idea where Leeds is!) And walked down a nice canalside walk to the Royal Armouries.  Jojo loves all historical war/weapons/military stuff and Ruby’s GCSE history about the Cold war has really captured her imagination. So it seemed ideal. It’s free to get in. 

Its a fabulous day out! There was more than you’d imagine.  Check out the website as I didn’t bother taking any pics of what’s there!  There’s a goid mix of traditional displays and interactive stuff, it was a quid to try each gun simulator and £3 for 8 crossbow shots. Everything else is free.  Oh theres s good dressing up/play area with little castle etc for younger ones,  I think £2.50 . The little kids were really enjoying that.  A day out with my quieter two was a novel experience.  It was lovely to listen to them on the train-i was sat behind and they were playing with some lego LOTR minifigs and Jojo was narrating.   

Ruby is (rightly!)  terrified of any mannequins in museums and I was able to steer her about so we hardly missed anything.  in fact being just the three of us showed me how much I miss of these lovely people cos my attention is so often on keeping Fred out of trouble.  

It was a lovely day out, I enjoyed the countryside passing us through the train windows too, I think it’s the first time we’ve been to Yorkshire. 

We topped it off well with a visit to Just Grand vintage tearoom.  Lovely!

Ain’t life grand!

rifle

machine gunner

polleaxe demonstration

Learnt how surprisingly mobile knights could be in 6 stone of armour.

at Leeds Armouries

Had a go on crossbows

Behind the scenes in the museum

We went with a group of Christian home edders teens, to Liverpool World Museum Entomology dept – down many gorgeously tiled corridors, to what is basically a huge fridge full of dead stuff. Drawers full of owls! A massive room full of insects. Dozens of jars of pickled bats. I don’t really like any of this, and i much preferred the last half when fred and i quizzed an elderly volunteer about his work.

We got to look at all kinds of dead animals!

He was sorting some old collection of tiny beetles. He was rather fun, an ex lecturer. I find learning so much more fun when you ask someone what they are doing, rather than listening to a presentation. Don’t you?
The two Tonys from the department were really friendly and said we can come back any time.

mum’s 70th/ family reunion

creepers

Scarily accurate creeper faces