Fun and games in Newcastle

When the sun comes out ....... well a wee trip to Newcastle is hard to beat.  It's a trip made at least once every summer, sure it's only an hour down the road.  It's class!  Today Marguerite, Ben and Jude took the scenic rout down through Hillsborough and all those places and got lost at least three times.  Sure it's all in a day's drive.








  and Jude and Ben are busy practising their football skills.  well they're taking a wee break here actually.  Jude's not quite the footballer he used to be .... actually he wasn't even very good then ...... but Ben ..... he's getting better every day.  Good lad.




  




Ben has a couple of old school toys ........ like this cool Jack-in-the-Box.  He loves that Jack-in-the-Box.












It's Saturday morning and Marguerite is all ready to hit the road.  And hour and a half later .....













........ and they're in Newcastle .... dandering down the main street looking for fun and games.













The first thing Ben spied was this cool wee Spiderman and sure then he had to have it.   It was two fifty well spent let me tell you, sure that's what it costs for a decent ice cream these days ...... Ben got some enjoyment out of Spiderman.









Ben loves these yokes too.  Loves them he does. 

I wonder how long it will take him to figure out that his Mama and Dada are total spoofers though.  Why?  Well because poor Ben always gets told that these machines are all broke.  Miserable gits!








So off he trudged to the park.  Ben loves parks.














And up and down the slide he went.
















And of course the swings, don't forget the swings.













Marguerite likes to take any opportunity she can get her hands on for  a wee break. Sure a nice wee trifle adds to the occasion too.












Then Ben made his way down to the .........














.... Swan Boats.














Perched up in the middle with Spiderman he was.













And as the boat set sail he had a good auld laugh at proceedings .......













........ before taking over and dishing out the orders. 













Newcastle is a really nice town with great views of the Mourne Mountains.













'That way Dada'.














It was great craic on the wee boat and Ben would have stayed on it all day if he had the chance. 














'Here, day trips are great, aren't they Jude?  Said Marguerite. 

A quick stop for lunch at Mauds .......















and off they went to .....














....... the Amusements!

Now Ben really did love this.  He was running around like a kid on Christmas morning, all excited and not knowing where to stop.










Little kid, big kid!  Jude shows Ben how it's done.













And Ben's not long 'getting the hang of it'.














Carousels?  Do you think Ben likes these things?  Taking Ben on these rides is sooooo funny, he just laughs all the way around.







 




'Hahahaha, funny, me, hahahaha'.

Wha?

The good thing about taking Ben in here is that he loves it.  The bad thing is .....











....... taking him out!  That's the bit he does not like at all ..... not one bit ....... but it is always so funny as he tries to wriggle free to get back in.  And his wee face.  Funny!

There's only one thing will bring Ben back to normal after the trauma of being taken out of a wonderland place like this .....







..... and his Mama quickly sorted it our for him. 

What was it?

Ice cream of course!














A couple of days later and Ben and Marguerite are out celebrating Marguerite's birthday. 

What did Ben and Jude get Marguerite for her birthday this year?










This class new Pendleton Bike.  Wha?  It's a real clinker.  Marguerite takes it out a spin around the windy roads of Glenavy village.

So how is Ben coming on these days?

Great. 

He can now easily see over the bottom half of the 'stable door' ......












.......... he likes to play guitar ......














..... he's always on the ball ....














..... and he got a class new sand and water game to play with.  Sure what could be better?













And these days Jude and Ben are also busy practising their football skills - well they're taking a wee break here actually. 

Jude's not quite the footballer he used to be .... actually he wasn't even very good to begin with ...... but Ben ..... well he's getting better every day.  Soon he'll be better than his Dada.  Good lad Ben.