Wonderful Whitby Abbey

We are lucky enough to live a mere 20 minutes away from Whiby and thankfully the boys love the place as much as MadDad and I do.  We take every opportunity to escape the humdrum and melt in to the old fashioned perfectness of Whitby, but we don't often go to the Abbey, in fact I can not remember the last time we went.

So on Friday as the sun was shining, school had not yet started and MAdDad was off, plus we were looking after my 5 year old niece (as her Nanna is terminally ill), so we decided Whitby was where we were going.

We loved it, yes it is often windy, but it is a fantastic place to explore and allow the children to be free.  I have to say that we have been members on English Heritage since Maxi was born and I love visiting with the boys. 

We took a picnic and some books and had a wonderful relaxing visit.

Half Term Highlights

Today is an teacher training day, so we are off to spend the day with Grandma, original plans had to be changed due to the weather, but we have had a fantastic half term break, the weather has been mostly kind and it has been so much fun watching the boys play together.

Our Fab day at Emma Bridgewater

Baking our best in the world oat and raisin cookies

Spending time together just chilling in the garden

Watching our veg plants grow, the warm weather has made a real difference

Having fun in the paddling pool

Good job the neighbours don't mind the boys running around naked

Visiting Whiby with Grandma and having fish and chips from The Magpie and treats from the old fashions sweet shop.

Days out to the beach

We really had great weather for it (no it is not my windbreak)!

The boys spent more time wet than dry.

Lots of fun in the local parks was had too.

Before we had school and preschool I used to dread the half term holidays as all the things we did, the toddler groups would be cancelled, but now it is wonderful to spend quality time all together.  I can not wait for the summer holidays.  I hope you had a great time too.

Whitby for Lunch

One of the biggest joys of relocating back to our native North East of England has been returning to some of the most stunning and outstanding scenery and places to visit in the whole of the British Isles.

MadDad and I both grow up in the North East and MadDad spend the first 5 years of his working life in Whitby and this has become a firm favourite of the minimads.  

As soon as they both saw the sun was shining today, they requested lunch at Whitby and who were we to disagree.  So in the car we popped and 20 mins later we were there.  MadDad knows all the best places to find a park and we were soon in the thick of it.

If you are going to eat fish and chips in Whitby then there is only one place in our opinion worth going to and that is The Magpie Cafe.  You can eat in, but we prefer a takeaway on the harbour wall and it is our tradition.

So we all queued to get our cod and chips twice, with home made tartar (me and Maxi), mushy peas (MadDad and Mini) and Lemon (Maxi).  We love the ritual of putting on the salt and vinegar and the smell, oh the smell is out of this world and takes your breath away for a short second.

This was mine and Maxi's cod and chips today and I got a sniff of the batter and fish and I was allowed 2 dips in the tartar not that I mind.  it is great watching the children munch on all the fish and they do.

20 mins later this is what the box looked like:

The other box was just the same and the boys still had room for sweets and ice-cream!!  We made a visit to the old fashioned sweetshop on Sandgate and the boys chose popping candy and then before coming home we made a quick detour to Sneaton and picked up 2 small containers of ice-cream from Beacon Farm, which went down a treat after dinner Sunday Evening.

In fact it was a perfect late winter, early spring day and I hope the start of many family outings to come.