day out

Out on a Saturday

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Lady M and I managed to forget that we’d booked some time ago to go see Frozen, the Musical, up in town – so despite it being nearly month-end we wandered up to Covent Garden. Drury Lane is only a few minutes’ walk away so we were able to take some time taking in the sights and people-watching. It feels like years since I’ve been in the area – maybe more like six to nine months in reality to be fair, but its certainly been a while. My having a headache and general body pains didn’t put me in the best mood initially, but being out in the open air helped.

The link, other than Lady M being very keen on all things Disney, is that the daughter of someone working with Lady M is coming to the end of her run as young Anna in the show. We’d been making noises about going to see it to support them so this was one of our last chances to do so. I can generally take or leave musicals but I’m glad I went because it was stunning. Time flew and the singing, stagecraft, and costuming was enthralling and amazing. And then we caught up with the little star and her mum and chaperones briefly afterwards, which absolutely made Lady M’s day.

And because we couldn’t not visit, we then had a wander to Forbidden Planet, and to Foyles, to have a browse and window shop. I was very restrained – I only bought the one book – and then we were home at a reasonable time.

Today was a lot quieter and was mostly taken up with preparing for the D&D session. I’ll write that up separately as it was full of action and drama.

Oh, and I didn’t get the acting up position, but I’m looking forward to the proper feedback as it sounds like tweaks needed rather than a wholesale oops which bodes well for future opportunities.

A Trip To The Zoo

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The salt sea air always knocks me sideways when we visit the coast, hence my not posting for a couple of days. We’ve been visiting my parents – the first time I’ve had the opportunity to see them since before the first covid lockdowns. The journey up was fairly draining due to roadworks slowing our average travel speed, but safe enough as these things go.

Today then, the boy s and I went to Blackpool Zoo – in particular to see the otters there. The boy s is currently hyper-fixated on otters, so the news that the local zoo offered him the chance to see some in real life rather than just on YouTube. We left everyone else behind and made it a mini road-trip for the day.

Picture of boy s with shaven head, big grin, glasses, and thumb up. In the front pouch of his hoodie is a plush otter, while a plush orangutan peers out of another pocket.
Selfie of a bemused and bearded Tim holding the plush otter and orangutan in a cafe

The weather kept threatening showers, but held off, so we had a great time exploring the whole place. He grabbed a map and marked off every animal that we found – but his first sight of the otters I think just made his day. There was a massive grin and shocked expression at just how loud their chirps were. We did also find many other animals that provoked a similar response, but that and the promise of feeding time later was the highlight of the day. He was also blown away by the sealion display as we went into full tourist mode to fill the time.

A red panda walking along a rope bridge headed to the left. Its red and black fur is very clear against the background foliage
otter looking to the left as it sits on a grill above water at the end of a tree trunk
two otters looking at the camera against a backdrop of stones. Both are wet from recent swims and they are both dark grey and silver in colour

All in all, a really good day out. I enjoyed rediscovering somewhere I last visited when the Charleesi was small, and boy s is determined to return once the wild cat area has finished being redeveloped.

Back on the road tomorrow…

A Dippy Day

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We had a day out today up in town as Lady B was staying at the boy’s place. Quite by chance we’d seen adverts for the return of Dippy the Diplodocus to the Natural History Museum and as Lady M hadn’t been in years, we turned it into a day out for Lady M. Dippy has been on a tour around various museums around the United Kingdom and has been the focal point of exhibitions and work around how the world changes as part of the framing of the tour.

Dippy the diplodocus fossil, assembled and free-standing in a brick and stone and timber hallway. People are gathered all round, admiring and taking photos

I have many fond memories of Dippy in the main hall on my many visits during my childhood. The long face would peer down at all who entered with what seemed to be a gentle smile – and was that rare thing in not being tucked away behind glass. I’m happy to report that while Dippy has not returned to her old spot, she is still not locked behind glass. Moreover, the pose is now more active, with tail in the air in line with the spine, curled above people’s heads rather than coiled and heavy on the ground. It adds an air of dynamism and nimbleness to counterweight that long neck that feels a better depiction of poise.

For those wanting a closer look at the skull, a replica is available to touch and examine on a nearby table – and a ten-minute looping video plays on various screens around the hallway with people talking about how they’ve taken inspiration, or have worked in areas of research that fill out our pictures of how Dippy lived and moved when alive.

The whole museum was pretty busy – especially in the earth sciences section as the majority of people were being directed to use the side entrance due to some development work in the gardens – but Dippy was undeterred and unbothered – and her hallway remains a quiet pool of wonder. I was impressed at how the whole building felt turned around and invigorated, and will definitely go back soon to rediscover it

Adventures Old and New

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We had a great time yesterday at the Preview event at Thorpe Park – a pre-season day exclusive for annual pass holders and staff and their families. In previous years before the plague times we were the former and dropped in with the Charleesi. This year it was as guests of boy s.

The sun was out, the cub unsure of what he might like, and the after effects of Storm Eunice were still evident in some closed attractions. We had fun. I’m feeling a bit battered and bruised, and it took a while for my brain to remember how to process the signals from my inner ears, but I’m so glad I tried some new things.

Bright skies are back

Even remembering I should have been at counselling just as dessert arrived at our restaurant meal afterwards didn’t put too much of a dampener on things.

And then today we joined a gym – biting the bullet to manage various health conditions. The last time I was a member of a David Lloyd gym I was deep in depression and generally all over the place. My brain has therefore wasted no time in trying to recall and castigate me over non issues from that time period. No surprise there.

I am reminding myself instead that my last gym membership did me a lot of good and I did actually enjoy it.

Time for new memories.

Explorations

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We went to Bletchley Park today, despite the best efforts of the Bank Holiday traffic. We picked it partly our of interest in its history, and partly so we could return our niece to her aunt as it was a little over halfway there.

I’m not entirely sure where the afternoon went as five hours sped by and there was still a lot we didn’t see. What we did find was fascinating and heartbreaking in turn, especially when it came to the areas devoted to Alan Turing. Going from a case containing his Teddy bear Porgy to a recreation of his office was surprisingly affecting as it brought forward the human behind the stories.

We had conversations with the kids around LGBTQIA+ history and in particular around Alan Turing’s treatment – which in turn led to conversations over lunch about our relationships and the polycule. And now Lady H is friends on Facebook with myr s, and the kids want to meet the cub.

Not really what I foresaw for the day, but a positive turn amid the strangeness all the same.

A Day Out?

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Lady M and I met up with the ex-Lady M, the Charleesi, and J today to visit the Richmond Gin and Food Festival – a last minute decision taken yesterday after the Charleesi spotted an advert.

Being a total extravert, I was champing at the bit to see some life, while Lady M was concerned about being out among people. Despite the nerves though we got to Richmond by bus and had our first real gathering of the clan in the open air setting of the Old Deer Park.

For me, the biggest excitement was that for the first time in over a decade I was able to afford to do more than just window shop. The reason for this is that my first wage from the new job came through this week. Between working full time and a significant uplift in pay grade it is a lot more than I’m used to seeing in my account.

So, rather than batting my eyelashes at Lady M, there was a lot more parity and confidence in being able to indulge in trying and buying the various wares on display. Money has been a major cause of worry over the years, so the knowledge that I had a budget that would give me room to breath was… unusual. As a result there was a lack of underlying tension to the day, at least as far as my brain and gut feelings were concerned.

And oh my, the food and drink were amazing. We have bought a number of new gins for the shelves, and I discovered that I love a good moonshine, or at least the wheat-based ones on sale today as opposed to the usual corn base. All in all, a really good haul, some nice memories, and I was well fed into the bargain.

South Coast Sauntering

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Its been a good day today, albeit one with a lot of driving. myr s invited me down for breakfast, and this coincided with Lady B having arranged to pick up a vanity table from a friend, so we thought we’d make a day out of it, kidnap Lady J too, and bustle over to Eastleigh for the morning.

My sat available decided that with all the local roadworks on the motorways that it would try and ratrun us cross country, so we had an enjoyable bought of trying to work out where it was trying to take us and then willfully ignoring it based on my passengers’ local knowledge.

If nothing else it made for cheery conversations as people recalled past jobs, workplaces, or relatives in places we passed. We duly picked up the vanity table, tetris’d it into the car with only one seat needing displacement, and went on search of food before myr s could turn into the hangry hulk.

The last time I was there was for Pride a couple of years ago, so bits of the street layout started to come back to me, enhanced by Lady Best memories of working at a now defunct club that seems to now be an empty space. We allowed the mental stretch of imagining reworking it as a split use site with an LGBTQ+ coffee/bookshop space during the day and club/bar space for the evening. Maybe when the best sellers and/or lottery wins roll in…

Oh, and we hit Poundland, partly for sugary drinks, and partly to raid the Halloween supplies. We’re all cosplayers, it’s what we do…

I also got told that the cub had explicitly demanded I not leave until we’d picked him up from school, so we did that and treated him to McDonald’s for his supper before I headed home. The grins and hugs were well worth it.

And so home, with a bag of goodies for Lady M from myr s, for a curry, mindless nonsense on the TV, and more tinkering with scenario details for the next game.

Can’t complain really…

Random Wandering

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Just for the hell of it I went down to Portsmouth today to gather up myr s, the cub, Ladies J and B and go grab some food, drink, and relative normalcy out on the town. And it feels so good to have done so.

It says so much about the disruption that that has happened this year that it was, for some of us, the first time for eating out. There was a palpable sense of relief and accomplishment in just being around a table in public.

To round out the afternoon, we had a lazy afternoon where we enjoyed each others company. We did some shopping, and went back to Lady B’s flat to talk and pass some time – and it has been a tonic for the spirits for us all.

And then I came home to find that my order of one of my t-shirts had arrived from Amazon. Lady M immediately grabbed it to twirl and model and I very nearly lost it to her before ever wearing it myself.

Orff to the Rugby

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We had a grand adventure today as part of a delayed birthday thing. Lady M had managed to get tickets to the Quilter friendly international match between England and Wales for today – a series that is often seen as a warm up and tryout for the Rugby World Cup.

I’m not an avid follower of rugby, but I played it at school, and have always enjoyed watching matches on TV if I happen to catch them. England Vs Wales always leaves me caught in the middle too: my parents are Welsh, but I’m a born and bred Londoner. I feel no fierce tribal loyalty either way.

That said, there’s something about the buzz of a stadium event that had us look at each other and go for it. I hadn’t been to Twickenham stadium for a good thirty four years or so, and Lady M had never been to a match. We even splashed out a bit on the tickets, and that’s how we ended up with the view above: pretty much at the front with a perfect view of the goals.

We’re also lucky enough to live a short bus journey away from the stadium so we avoided the trains. This was a good thing, as over 80,000 people attended on the day.

Rugby crowds are generally more chilled than their soccer counterparts – there’s a politeness and cheer fuelled by moderate drinking, plentiful food, and a no nonsense attitude towards people causing trouble.

This was no more evident than in the case of the group of young men behind us who seemed to have a few soccer fans in their numbers. Midway through, one of them leapt to his feet and tried yelling an obscene anti-Welsh chant. It trailed off pretty much straight away as everyone – English and Welsh supporters alike – stopped, turned, and just looked at him. He sat down and we didn’t hear from him again.

By comparison, I gave Lady M repeated giggles by translating the term “knock on” for her as “someone was fucking clumsy”, and “driving the scrum down” as “dangerous fuckery”

Behind us we heard rugby fans explaining to the soccer fans that a “high tackle” wasn’t necessarily deliberate, but it was dangerous and that was why it was punished.

All in all, a great day out – sometimes amusing for the wrong reasons, but so grateful for the chance to be there and soak up the occasion.

The Little Things

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We’re out at Chessington World of Adventures today – myself, Ladies M and S, and of course the cub. It’s another day in what has been a lovely long weekend of us all together; and yet another series of little moments where we’ve continued to gel and grow as an extended, if unconventional, family unit.

This is what gets me – a lot of people assume that the focus of polyamorous relationships is on what happens in the bedroom. While that’s as fun and and varied as in any other healthy relationship it doesn’t take any more priority than it does in monogamous relationships. Less, in some instances: for example Lady K (Lady S’ fiancée) identifies as asexual)

Our relationships manifest in how we take turns looking out for each other, and the cub, just as we look out for the Charleesi even as she has headed off to university. It’s in being a choice of hands to hold, or whoever is available helping to wash hair or run baths. It’s in the hugs, the managing of tantrums or boundaries – all of which will no doubt be ringing bells with parents.

Among us grown-ups it’s in the acknowledgement of silliness and mistakes; the gentle touches, the cups of tea and coffee, the winding down at the end of the day and sharing of moments that have bemused or vexed us. It’s being surrounded by love and support that fuels and encourages us to give out as much as we receive.

And with a small cub in tow, yes that does include sharing the emotional and physical workload so we don’t run out of spoons – extremely useful on a theme park visit..!