Misfits Mid-Life Crisis Adventures in Southwold, Suffolk (The NEXT Chapter).

Week 123 Saturday 22^ndOctober until Friday 28^thOctober 2016.

The British love a holiday, most people I know look forward to their couple of weeks away.  It’s usually booked so many months in advance that the daily routine, grind becomes more bearable.

  My type of town.

The last few years during the October half term (this week) my mum, sisters Helen and SAZ,  her hubby Tim and kids decamp to Southwold in Suffolk.  I haven’t been every year because I was away in Mozambique, but this year I in attendance.  We rent a different house each year, Southwold is a small place so all the previous houses are within a few streets each one bringing back different emotions and memories.

   Interesting  use for an old phone box, a fave shop in town.

Since I returned to the UK in March I have been looking forward to this week.  It’s a chance to get together and have a lot of family time.  I am hoping in the future my brother and his family will join us, this will mean that we really will take over this beautiful small Suffolk town.  Living in such close quarters could drive each other a little loopy, but so far I’m not aware that this has happened everyone knows when to give each other space.  For me it’s a really lovely chance to be a proper aunty to my nephew and niece.

  Fog making the water tower look even more alien.  And sun on the beach.

Holidaying in the U.K can mean challenging weather, it’s very true that we as a nation we love to complain about the weather.  This week we have had a little of everything rain, sun, high and low temperatures and beautiful fog rolling in from the sea.  It would be far to boring if the sun shined all day long, we love a challenge.  You can tell a Brit on holiday, they will enjoy that ice cream in the rain or sand castle in the wind, a “little weather” is never going to ruin the holiday that a person has been looking forward to week after week.  Even illness doesn’t stop typical holiday activity; I haven’t been well this week my constant coughing has probability kept the whole of Southwold up at night. But I made sure that I still enjoyed my time away to the fullest.

One thing I like to do here is run; I have a specific route slightly off the beaten track through fields with cows who watch you pass by while chewing the cud.  The halfway point is a boat yard by the river Blyth. I feel there is something special about seeing a boat  in an alien position, yes on one occasion I did take a camera.  It’s a very friendly place, other runners and dog walkers say “morning” or “hello” Southwold has a magical feeling, I always feel it should be in a Harry Potter story.

  A normal family honest.

The working lighthouse and pier which were used as backgrounds for the BBC TV children’s programme “Grandpa in my pocket”.  My nephew and niece who watch the programme, are always wondering if the grand dad is around Southwold at the same time. My nephew loved to point and call out that the lighthouse was “ober dare”.  I’m a big kid who also get a thrill out of seeing a 31 metre structure at the end of the road with a light on the top.

  Tim first buzzed by at bat, then children.

I really don’t know what the future holds for me at the moment everything is a little in the air. I just know that there will be other family weeks in this lovely little town in years to come.  It’s also a place I really could call home a place I could settle down in.  There is one thing I still haven’t done, visit Sizewell the local nuclear processing plant which on a clear day you can see a little further along the coast.  I really enjoy this October half term, I’m already counting the days and weeks off for next year.

   Looking down inside the lighthouse.  From the top a view of Sizewell in the distance.

In other news…..  

 Luke rowing us across the river Blyth.

Quote of the week on a day that wasn’t hot or sunny, “I’m going braless”.  Highlight was Jesse speaking to Father Crimbo on the phone twice, while Anaia sent a letter to Santa.  Being buzzed by a bat when out with grandma and Tim plus the kids at night as we were showing them the lighthouse all lit up.  Thought I saw Jezzer Clarkson walking a dog I had to do a double take.  When crossing the river Blyth by rowing boat a journey of 20 to 30 metres to Walberswick, I surprised the man rowing because I remembered his name from a couple of years ago, I think Luke was impressed.  It was great having cuz Catherine, Thomas and Amelia and Tim’s mate Bingo and Flo the Greyhound round for our last night.

  Mum and Flo, enjoying our last night.

The Mid Life Crisis Conts……

This week I have mainly been watching:  “8 Out Of Ten Cats Does Countdown”, (Season 9, ep 10).  “Autumnwatch”, (2017, ep 1 to 4).  “Class”, (Season 1, ep 1 & 2).  “Crazyheads”, (Season 1, ep 1).  “Damned”, (Season 1, ep 5).  “Josh”, (Season 2, ep 6).  “Have I Got News For You”, (Season 52 ep 4).  “Have I Got A Bit More News For You”, (Season 52, ep 1).  “Horizon: The Wildest Weather In The Universe”, (2016/17, ep 1).  Horrid Henry”, (2011).  “The Apprentice”, (Season 12, ep 4).  “The Apprentice, Honest Subtitles”.  “The Apprentice, Your Fired”, (Season 11, ep 4).  “The Brain: A Secret History, 2 Emotions”.  “The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe”, (2005).  “The Graham Norton Show”, (Season 20, ep 5).  “The Great British Bake Off”, (Season 7, ep 10).  “The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice”, (Season 3, ep 10).  “The Last Leg: SU2C”, (Season 9, ep 4).  “The Tale of Mr Tumble”.  “Zapped”, (Season 1, ep 3).             

This week I have mainly been listening to:  “Iain Lee: TalkRADIO (Bonus)”, (20/10/16).  “Iain Lee: TalkRADIO (Highlights)”, (24/10, 25/10, 26/10/16).  “Iain Lee: TalkRADIO (Live)”, (21/10, 24/10, 25/10, 26/10/16).  ”LBC Podcast: Nick Abbot (Whole Show)”, (22/10, 28/10/16).  “Toby Hadoke’s Who’s Round”,(ep 65, 07/14)(ep 66, ep 67, ep 68, 08/14)(ep 190, 09/16). “The Adam Buxton Podcast”, (ep 3, 30/09/15(ep 4, 07/10/15)(ep 32, 25/10/16).  “The Barry From Watford Podcast”, (20/09, 22/09, 27/09/11)(04/10, 05/10, 12/10/11).  “Morrissey”, “Smiths”, “MGMT”, “Empire of The Sun”, “The Pretenders”, “The Editors”, Rihanna”, The Velvet Underground & Nico”, “Sigur Ros”, “Debbie Gibson”, “Journey”, “Wham”.