A 3 hour queue to see some gold...

Yes we went to Birmingham to join a 3 hour queue to see some gold. It seemed like a good idea at the time. But after I'd got lost driving in to Birmingham, and discovered that the car park I'd finally found charged 90p per 20 mins (!), and I then found another carpark, which then took only some of my change before it jammed up...etc etc...and then we joined the 3 hour queue...yes it seemed like a good idea at the time.


Thankfully we were queuing next to a natural children's entertainer, who obtained some paper from the gift shop and proceded to make all sorts of origami creations for the kids. Then I saved our place in the queue and took the kids for a noodle around the museum; dd and I shared the camera. And to be fair, the kids were fab, and the staff very accomodating. Would I recommend it? Well it's a sneak preview of what, no doubt, will be an amazing exhibition when it's all catalogued and valued. But it was 3 hours to see a few cases of crumpled gold!
Anyway, ds1 and his friend were interviewed on the BBC (yes...kids with hair unbrushed, sweaty, grubby looking kids, who had queued for 3 hours and were trying to be impressed at these 3 glass cases of crumpled metal!). But at least ds1 had his 'I'm not hidden, I'm home-educated' badge on (even if it was upside down). They were meant to be showing the piece today (Friday), but we'll see.

And you know what? I think the bit the kids most enjoyed was fighting with lightsabers outside the museum after it was all over!

We couldn't take photos in the room of gold, but here are some photos/articles:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/content/articles/2009/09/24/anglosaxon_gold_hoard_showing_feature.shtml

AND...last week we went sledging with friends in Milton Keynes. Fab! I even managed to fit my huge bum on a teeny tiny sledge. I want to disgrace myself and do it again! (Do you think it's an appropriate activity for someone who is near their 4th decade?). DD managed to lose control and end up face-down under the ski lift in a totally different section of the slope (!), but she got up smiling and carried on. Guess what she wants to do for her birthday?!

And also, recently, a trip to the local museum...

Followed by a trip to the park...

And some conker collecting...

And boat-making...

And more boat making...

Ok, who stole the biscuits then?

If this blog spot seems a little rushed, that's because it is. I'm off for the weekend to the Cheltenham Literature Festival...and meant to be packing right now. Displacement activities? They're great aren't they?