Teddy Joffli and the Bank Holiday

George came home from nursery on Friday night fast asleep and clutching a teddy bear I'd never seen before

Jon introduced him as Teddy Joffli and told me we had been entrusted with his care for the weekend and that any adventures we had with him we were to take photographs and make a note of it. Some parents might baulk at the tiresome task, but I love things like this. In fact, I think I was probably more excited than George!

Saturday dawned with rainclouds and gloom and our plan to attend the carnival seemed like a bit of a miserable option. Still we had breakfast and considered our options while waiting for Auntie Shaz to come over.

By the time midday sallied around we were looking out on gloom and downpour and the prospect of becoming drowned rats was not terribly appealing...so we popped to Hebden; We've never been to Flying Saucers before but had been planning a visit for ages, the timing was great as I decided to get George to paint a birthday cup and saucer for Daddy.

It was huge amounts of fun, and we Shaz and I helped George while Jon had a coffee, we managed by degrees not to turn the items into a sea of brown and Shaz did a fab job getting George to do a handprint on the saucer. He seemed to really enjoy himself and I think we could have stayed longer and painted more, perhaps a trip back in the autumn to make some christmas baubles as presents for Grandparents and proxy grandparents.

Still hammering it down we fled round the corner to The Milk Bar - one guaranteed food that George will eat is ice cream!! - where he had a vanilla cone, Shaz had mint choc chip and Jon and me had milkshakes - the speciality of the place - mine a sublime Jamaican ginger cake and Jon's a dolly mixture - which I have to say tasted reminiscent of the screwball ice cream of our youth - Teddy Joffli got a faceful of ice and enjoyed some time watching George dance to the juke box.

We then called into the tourist information for some leaflets and teddy hugs, before heading home...

Sunday dawned even wetter....

...and we decided to have a lazy at home day

There were bacon sandwiches...

Row, row, row your boat...

and phone calls...

When we woke to sunshine on Monday we scrambled to go and make the most of it with a trip to Little Moreton Hall in Congleton. I bought a quick picnic from Morrison's on the way and when we arrived at this glorious half timbered tudor gem we settled down for some eats.

There was more ice cream...

A little walk round the gardens and into the Hall...

 And then look who we bumped into................!

Auntie Shaz and Grandparents by proxy Dot and Brian; and while we popped and got a cup of tea, they took George and Teddy to do some natural soap making in the tent with the nice lady in tudor dress.

It was a gloriously sunny afternoon full of happiness and kismet and we had such a lovely time, and I think Teddy Joffli did too. Huge thanks to Little Moreton Hall and Family Williams.

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