Bairns and Blethers - A Good Old Catch Up

 Well, world, what in the heck happened?

One day I catch myself saying to Dave: "I wish something would happen, you know?  Something that just makes the world stop for a bit.  I'm so done with the relentless-ness of it all and just want it all to stop"

And the next - it did.

Sometimes I do feel like I am connected to this wee old planet in a bit of a spiritual way (ooky spooky!) and well, most times I do really just feel like a bit of a spaceman floating around waiting for something to happen or tell me where to go.

And sometimes I feel absolutely driven, like I am desperately feeling like I need to fulfil my purpose RIGHT NOW, which is kind of how I am feeling just now.

Covid has been a bit of a crazy ride, and as we come up to the wierdest anniversary of anything ever - like, ever - I feel a bit like I have ridden the greatest rollercoaster in my whole life and now I have to get off and go home back to the boring mundane.

I'm not ashamed to say, I have quite enjoyed being locked down.  I mean, okay, it has been a bit shit for the kids; my oldest basically got chucked out of p7 and into high school with the shittest goodbye ever, my youngest has had to start school in pandemic conditions and I think I might have gained about 2 stone because I have comfort eaten the fuck out of it, but otherwise, it's been fine, really.

Middle boy has been better than he has ever been and has come on so much- any of the regular societal pressures he has felt over the years has completely gone and school is now much more manageable for him.  The weight of all of that being taken off has changed our family considerably.  The crazy merry-go-round has actually stopped, which is nothing short of miraculous.  It may even have given us some actual formative real chance of getting somewhere with this.

Myself and Dave are keyworkers in the third sector and our jobs have catapulted our careers further in a shorter space of time than any of us could have imagined.  It is absolutely mind-blowing compared to last year where we are now, and for that I am eternally grateful.  It feels like a mad dream.

By all accounts, I certainly don't ever want to downplay anything that has happened in the world or the horrible, awful, terrible hardships anyone has been through in the last year; not at all.  Working in the third sector (and in things like emergency provision for basic needs like food and clothing), I know life is so tough on so many and in so many horrible conditions all over the world.

But personally, for me, for us, for our wee family, in this wee dilapidated cottage which is going to suck our souls dry (or leave us dying of frostbite or in an electrical fire) for once...for once....FOR ONCE....the world isn't shitting right on our laps for a change.

And it feels good.

It feels good to be able to put food on the table without panicking.  We are travelling a lot less, so less wear on the cars, which meant come MOT time, we weren't completely destroyed.  We are paying a lot less for fuel, so aren't constantly running on empty.  We have been able to address some real pressing issues in the house like basic furniture needs, like buying the kids a bed and bedding.  We have been able to buy gifts at Christmas without sheer panic.

I keep waiting for the bolt to shut across the door, when whatever cosmic being has let us free from our usual crock of shit life realises that we got out, but it hasn't happened just yet.

While the rest of the world is desperate to get back to 'normal', here's me in a corner saying, "please, not quite yet.  There's still so much to do".

I mean, I've written it down now, so I have totally jinxed it, but it has been so nice to just have this break.

And if all I end up with is this little memoir to look back on, well, I'm glad it happened and now I know it can happen - so watch out world, here I come.

Farmer Parr's Animal World Blackpool

Looking for something to do with the kids around Blackpool that won't break the bank, but still provide anamazing day out?

We were!

I love Blackpool a lot, but we were finding it rather difficult to find something for a 5 year old and a 3 year old to do, which wasn't going to cost us a fortune.

The piers are great, but the arcades, plus food, rides etc would have killed us, plus the entertainment factor would have only lasted half a day.

The refurbishment at Blackpool Tower looks amazing, but as it would have cost close to £80 just to get into the circus and view the Tower Top, it was kind of out of the ballpark figure of what we were able to spend.

The zoo was also a contender, but again, with soaring prices, we had to give it a side swoop - it was just too much after what we had already spent on food, toys and various other little bits and bobs.

Years ago, my family would have headed to one of the arcades and spent some change in the machines, getting a few hours of entertainment and perhaps some prizes out of it.  Nowadays, I look at the grabbing machines and realise that all they are going to grab is your cash - fast and hard, with no return.

We needed somewhere where the kids could be themselves, where we wouldn't be pestered to spend more money than we really had and where we could possibly take a picnic, whilst doing something we wouldn't normally do - Farmer Parr's was the perfect answer!

Situated North of Blackpool, close to Fleetwood, Farmer Parr's Animal World is a curiosity of a place.  A wee mish-mash of some really fabulous things - a few we really weren't expecting, and which turned out to be a lovely surprise.

Farmer Parr's is a bit like your typical farm park - it has goats, sheep, reptiles, ducks, chickens and small animals in a petting area.

There are lovely picnic benches, where you are very welcome to sit with your own picnic, or some food from the on-site cafe, and a Tractor Ride too.

There's a lovely wee park for the kids to let off some steam, and a really great small animal show, where you are introduced to some of the animals, and Farmer Parr himself is on hand to chat to children and adults alike, which is a great addition to the whole thing - this guy seems to be a character!  He is full of homely Northern banter and really great with the kids.

What we didn't realise though, are all the wee initiatives going on in the park - there's fundraising for various charities, and Farmer Parr's even houses The Fylde Country Life Heritage Centre in a deceptively huge space - over 10000 feet! - where you could wander around for hours quite happily, taking in some very interesting, mesmerising displays.

Not only is the Centre set out in mock scenes such as a butcher, dairy, houses, wash house, baker etc, but it also houses some massive examples of old farmyard machinery!  The boys loved it!

Farmer Parr's also hosts a part of Autism Initiatives, which sees people who have autism or other learning disabilities able to volunteer on the farm, helping with animals and doing some work around the farm itself.  This is an amazing idea, and something which totally added to the overall experience - the volunteers were very good at helping out during the Pony Riding sessions and Animal Handling sessions, helping visitors to get closer to the animals, which would have been impossible otherwise; a win-win situation for everyone!

Farmer Parr's is also raising money for a charity in order to build a wheelchair friendly garden in the farm too!  How awesome is that?  There are lots of really good things going on here, making a refreshing change from other money-grabbing tourist stuff in the area.

We had an amazing day!  Highly recommended.