So the May weekend found us back at Sizewell, a walled garden campsite on the grounds of a conference centre, and for those who might find the name familiar half a mile from a nuclear power station!
The children love being with the other kids, but most of all the freedom that camping gives them! With a play park close by and plenty of space for bike riding they are in their element. There is also a pond full of newts just waiting to be caught! On Sunday cries of snake snake were greeted with yeah right, till they arrived back with one disgruntled grass snake in their nets!
He was safely returned to the pond and we set off for a stroll along the beach for ice - cream! Only to spot an adder! So never seen a snake in the wild in 45 years then 2 in one day!
Most days were leisurely, time for reading, knitting, sewing while the kids get time to be just kids! Especially when the sun shines!
But we did manage to get out a couple of times....
Ok so it was windy and I look like I'm wearing a wig! But boating on the lake at Thorpeness was fun, it was too windy to take them kayaking but they did have a go at rowing!
Picnicking at Warbleswick!
Any guesses what they are up to here?
Need a clue?
Crabbing!!
We had often seen people crabbing at Warbleswick so thought it might be fun to take the kids, and bizarrely they loved it - we were bored long before they were! Though you have to wonder why the crabs haven't got wise yet!
We headed off eventually for a stroll on the beach!
And some stone surfing!
On the days we stayed at camp we did get down to the beach, even on a windy, cloudy day the girls loved chasing the waves, filling their wellies with water! And when the sun shone they even managed a quick paddle!
Camp wouldn't be complete without an evening spent round the fire, singing crazy songs ... Tom the toad, funky chicken, star of the evening added to this year by Bob!
Hi I'm Bob I'm a goldfish and a goldfish has a memory of ... Hi I'm Bob I'm a goldfish and a goldfish has a memory of ... Hi I'm Bob you get the gist I'm sure! Thanks for that one Jodie!!
Toasting marshmallows for smores!
This year Martin set a treasure hunt for the kids on the last night and while they were off hunting clues we went and set another bonfire for them, it was such a lovely way to end the week, singing frozen round the fire!
The thing that has struck me looking back on our week is that the kids had an amazing time doing what kids have always done. Riding their bikes, playing in a pond, playing at the park, exploring the woods, crabbing, singing mad songs round a fire! It's just that they don't get to do these things at home much, they are constrained by the society that we live in that makes it unsafe to let them have their freedom. They are the things I did as a child and camps like Sizewell help keep these things alive, and that why we put up with the cold and the rain in a soggy tents because these are memories that they will treasure!
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