Bank Holiday

I thought I should blog about the first bank holiday weekend in May before  the second one happens!

On the Saturday afternoon G and I went to the theatre to see a trio of plays by Noel Coward. The first was Way and Means about a couple who had frittered and gambled away their money and were wondering how they were going to continue their travels through Europe and pay their bills. They were so self indulgent and self absorbed you didn't feel the slightest bit sorry for them. It was very, very funny.

The second was Fumed Oak about a downtrodden man who has saved enough money to leave his family. Doesn't sound funny but it was and there were parts which made for uncomfortable watching too.

The third was Still Life which went on to become Brief Encounter.

 Enough said.

A really enjoyable afternoon.

The Sunday was spent firstly at the car boot and then at home catching up with bits and pieces around the house and just general pootling about.

Bank Holiday Monday called for a day out. We picked up S's friend L so she didn't have to put up with boring mum and dad on her own and the four of us hopped on the train down to Portsmouth.
In the Guildhall Square I had my first viewing of the new Charles Dickens statue. Impressive beard.

We made our way down to the front at Southsea and paused a while at the Naval Memorial. The names of those who died during WW2 are listed on the panels which run along the length of the wall. 

Those who died in WW1 are inscribed on plaques on the obelisk, part of which can be seen behind these poppies wrapped around a lamp post. A piece made by, according to the attached tag, Knit Portsmouth.

We wandered through the fair on Southsea Common and stopped long enough for S and L to have a go on this humongous inflatable slide. The look on their faces when they saw how big it was and then what the view was like once they had got to the top was priceless! As S took her first slide down I could hear her shouting out 'This is amazing!'

We had chosen Southsea as our destination as they were holding a rural and seaside show which looked good fun according to the blurb on the website. Great styling on the advertising poster.

They did have a lot going on over the three days and what would have made it more enjoyable would have been a listing on line of each days events and timings as when we arrived the things we had wanted to see, like the heavy horse display, had already happened which was a bit of a shame.

It was a really good day out though and lovely to be beside the sea side on a bank holiday.