Hassocks - the first ten days

We were pretty laid back about packing and travelling last week and had very good luck with it too.  We got going rather early, and as it is usually the case, because we had plenty of time and were not in a hurry, everything came just as we got there: trolley bus, tram, metro and bus all came at once or only after a few minutes' wait and we had well over 2 hours to kill at the airport.

Playing in Elian's room

Xander on the slide

Our good luck carried on at the other end too, as in spite of strike action, we only had to wait 15 minutes for our train, after a pretty quick arrival of luggage and getting out to the railway station.  We were about an hour early against estimated time of arrival at Stephen's and he even managed to give us a lift about half way to his house.

Grandma and Xander on the see saw

On Wednesday, our first full day I had a phonecall about my optician's appointment being cancelled. That was it, never again will we go to ASDA for glasses.  Their glasses are cheap, but less and less cheerful and their service stinks. I asked Stephen if he could recommend someone in Hassocks and he sent us to his own optician just down the road.  They had one appointment left later on that day, we went, met up with a delightful young woman optician and her technician and in about 90 minutes they relieved us of £500 for my new glasses.  That is at least 50-60% more expensive than ASDA, but it scores high on service and if the glasses are as good as everybody says they are, it would have been well worth it.  We have an appointment for having them fitted on Saturday and I hope that'll be that.

Daddy's Daddy provides the lift on the swing

On Thursday we took Xander to the nearby park to run around a bit and play in the playground. He threw up sitting on the swing, but otherwise it was a happy occasion. I also ordered a nice print of Elian's school photo online, I hope it arrives soon. They seem to have offered the option of postal delivery, but at the end it became clear that the only option was delivery to the school. Hopefully Stephen or Lucy will send it on.

Cyril the squirrel before we cleared the garden

The next three days were quite hard, as Lucy was still pretty immobile and Stephen was working away. We still managed though and learnt a lot in the process.  I can now program the television and know where most of the children's programs are.  We bathed them a few times and ended up soaked in the process.  I know the story of The Gruffalo by heart and have also learnt how to grab a fast asleep child out of his bed, put him on his potty and back into his bed without waking him. The quantities of wee on these occasions amaze me, how they can do it fast asleep, I will never know?! :-)

Xander in the tractor outside Tesco

On Saturday I went to Tesco's with Stephen to do some shopping before he went off and on Sunday Roy and the boys did a bit of garden clearance collecting up the fallen leaves. In the afternoon, after Amber arrived we managed to get away and have a Cream Tea at the nearby garden centre, which was delicious.

Elian clearing the garden of fallen leaves

One and a half of scones with tea and hot chocolate

The following Monday was the first time Roy and I managed to get away for an entire day.  We had to go to Brighton to see the bank, followed by a visit to The Basketmakers Arms in the North Laines. Every time I return there, I worry that it might have had a change of management or something equally drastic and we would not find our beloved Basketmakers.  And then, we just celebrate that not one thing has changed, the beer and the food is as superb as ever and the atmosphere too.

The remains of the West Pier

We also did a bit of shopping in Boots and at Currys. The former was for soap and Paracetamol, the latter for a new camera chip and a small travelling laptop. Carrying 5kg+ of monster laptop, like I am doing on this trip, is not fun!  After our shopping and bank visit, we walked along the seafront, which was beautiful in the low sun and offered many photo opportunities. On Monday Stephen finally appeared with Roy's Birthday present (after I reminded him), and Roy looked pleased with a DNA kit from ancestry.com.  He filled the little tube with spit and after wrapping and posting it, we now await a list of weird and wonderful parts of the world where his DNA suggests his ancestors come from.  I got rather jealous at this, so ordered one for me too, which I am glad to say has already arrived at Haywards Heath (£20 for postage and packing should give you courier delivery!!) and Ian should bring it with him to the Fish and Chips shop on Friday.

On Tuesday Lynne arrived to clean and have a clandestine natter with us, as she always does. I also enjoyed taking Elian and Harrison to school with Stephen, although Harrison's heartrending sobs at having to go to school were very hard to take.   He did cheer up now and again, but got all teary again when we got near the school. Stephen and I had a cup of coffee on the way back and the weather was good too. Once back home, Roy, me and Xander had another go at the garden, sweeping up the remaining fallen leaves and then bagging all of them in 6 enormous black bags.

i360 on the seafront

At 3pm I fetched Elian from school and we pootled back home together, jumping on paving stones, walking on low walls and sniffing flowers. There were very large machines, tractors and rollers in the lane en route home and Elian got talking to a very nice young man on one of the tractors. They are filling the holes and redoing the entire surface, so the lane should be a bit nicer to drive on in future.

An interesting and suggestive board in The Basketmakers

Gorgeous horsebrasses in The Greyhound

It's truly autumn in Hassocks

Wednesday was a bit easier, as the boys were at school/nursery, so Roy and I managed to get away again, this time to The Greyhound in Keymer.  The weather was superb, although it started getting colder. I had scampi, Roy had liver and bacon, the beer was good (I had a funny one called Hobgoblin, which was dark red and delicious!!), then we walked back through the park and picked up Elian from school again.  The main event this time was that the lane was blocked by those big machines and they had no sign at the start of the lane, so we had to turn back and go round on the main road.  Elian was a bit whingey to start with, but then accepted it with good grace.

Harrison, Stephen and Elian en route to school

Roy with a pint of Harveys in The Greyhound

Last night Stephen and Lucy had guests, two couples, one with a baby and had a good time chatting, eating a Thai takeaway and drinking. Due to most mornings waking up around 4 or 5 o'clock, I seem to collapse very early in the evening, but last night I managed a nap between 6-7.30pm and that revitalised me for the rest of the evening.

This morning I was left out of the school run as Elian and Harrison were taken by Stephen in the chariot. And they used the newly laid surface along the lane with much enjoyment. Even Harrison was a happy chappie, totally forgetting that he was actually going to school, which he hates with a vengence. The only little chap that was not very happy, was Xander, as he was not going to nursery today and saw that both his brother and his friend were having fun getting to school.

Stephen with Harrison and Elian in the chariot

The rest of our time before next Tuesday is going to rush past very quickly, I'm sure. Tomorrow we're off again into Brighton and later to Hove. Initially we have to see the bank again and then we are seeing Ian and Ros at Ramsbottoms, our favourite Fish and Chips place in Hove. Saturday should see me getting my new glasses and Sunday we are planning an outing with all 6 of us to a pub for lunch.  Monday is still clear, just in case we have a last minute chore, but if not and the weather's good, we should walk out  to somewhere or other to say good bye to Hassocks.  A place I am quite fond of, as it's near the South Downs.