Today was our annual excursion to the seaside and Issy's chalet. It was a bit of a blustery day, but the children still managed to have fun body-boarding and wave-jumping, and (as usual) it was the girls who were in first and out last, while the boys were back in the chalet complaining of being cold and getting changed.
On the beachOn the beach (1)
Here is Jess doing a quick warm up between water sports. Look at the picture behind her showing Mark pretending he has just caught the washed up whale with his tiddy rod and line!
Jess
Although they are now all in their teens - 14 and 15 - except Callum who reaches his on November 5th, Helen and Inge went with them to the tide's edge to do beach patrol and shout at anyone doing anything silly. A precaution proved more than justified as we watched the speed with which the giant beach-ball crested wave after wave and drifted off towards Holland! Nobody was fool enough to try and follow: it only cost 99p but even if that had been £99 or even £999 far better let it float away than for any one of those children to take a foolish risk.
Here are the mothers warming up after their beach patrol duties
Helen and Inge
The only baby of the group, Tilly, was taken down for a paddle, but found it much too rough and cold, though she liked the beach.
Tilly
Jenny, Issy's daughter and Inge's and my god-daughter, wasn't with us this year, but was away at the Leeds Festival celebrating her GCSEs with a group of friends, but Esther, her younger sister was of the party until she spotted a group of her own friends. It is probably unfair of me, but when they were together they reminded me of that group of girls in 'Doc Martin' who wander around that seaside town fully made-up, dressed to the nines and giggling at nothing in particular.

Issy, as ususal, provided a lovely lunch, and we did an early birthday celebration for Inge with my unblowable out candles nearly destroying Issy's beautifully made cake.

A good time was had by all.