Bradford - National Media Museum

We visited the National Media Museum (used to be the Museum of Photography) in Bradford today. The activity below was a hit with the kids.



And the following exhibit was a hit with me! I would never have believed I'd one day see the famous Play School toys in the flesh! Apparently Hamble was replaced by Poppy towards the end of the series, as she was apparently in a bad state of repair. (And I remember the show where Hamble was introduced!) I didn't actually like Hamble at all - Jemima used to be my favourite - and the arched window was my favourite window!!

Visit to Bradford Ice Rink

I went ice skating today for the first time since I was about 16. I learnt to ice skate with school, at Bradford Silver Blades Ice Rink, and I hadn't been back until today. I expected the place - if it was still there - to be refurbished, updated and unrecognisable. It wasn't.

As soon as we started going up this staircase to the rink, I remembered queueing here in a crocodile of school kids when I was 10. The wall design is totally 70s. Not retro, but genuine article. To be honest the place was minging.

Here are Joel and Emma exchanging their hired boots back for their shoes at the end. Shabbiness had been covered over in the main part of the rink by horrid blue gloss paint over every wall.

But the ice skating was great. I couldn't do it any more - it's not like riding a bike, it is apparently a skill that you lose. But by the end I got so that I was skating round the rink slowly but surely. The kids were fine when holding my hand, but I wasn't confident enough to go for long stretches supporting them.

This was a quick snap I took of the rink on the way out. I got immediately told off for it, hee hee! This evening I feel like a right old git - I have back ache from trying to keep my balance on the ice.

River walk

Ted and Val came over to York today, with Matthew and Megan. We had lunch, and a birthday cake for Joel, all singing Happy Birthday to him - then went for a walk through Rowntree Park and along the river.

Joey's 8th birthday

Joel was 8 yesterday and here he is eating an "8" shaped fritter at the Old Siam Restaurant in York.

Joel and Alistair in the restaurant.