An extra special day!

Today was a very special day.  Marguerite and Ben are in Rostrevor, County Down on a lovely sunny day and they are out and about in the beautiful Co Down countryside.













The 01st September started off with a little lunch in the wee campsite cafe.  Here Ben and Marguerite are reading Ben's latest magazine.

Soon they were fed and watered and off out for the day.

Where were they going?







Well only up the mountain to the 'Big Stone' overlooking Rostrevor and Carlingford Lough.














'It's over here Jude', said Ben (he calls Marguerite and Jude Marguerite and Jude, if you get what I'm saying, i.e. as opposed to Mummy and Daddy.

It's funny!










'Yes son ........ let's go this way, and then this way, then up here ...... over there ..... and we'll end up here somewhere ...... on a mountain.

It's an extra special day today so we need to make an extra special effort and there's nothing better than walking up a mountain.

'Let's do it', said Ben.







'It's a bit steep', said Marguerite.

'That's not even the mountain Marguerite', replied Jude. 












Marguerite and Ben then made it across the bridge ......













........ and around one corner ........















....... before they had to have a wee sit down.

Wrecked they were!  And it was only just a wee dander to here.

But that was about as far as Ben was walking. 

So how did he get up the mountain then?








Piggyback!

The best form of transport if you can get it ....... and Ben can have a piggy back just about any time he wishes ....... for now!!










'Hurry up Marguerite', said Jude as Ben and he paused to check where she was.













The scenery on the way up was class.














'A bench', exclaimed Marguerite ........ 'let's sit here for a break'.

'Come on, we need to get up here before it gets dark', said Jude.  'Remember this is a very special day', he rambled on.

'What is he rambling about', mumbled Marguerite.








Every now and again Ben would take off on his own wander around the place ......













...... and find his own little games to play. 
















Then he took off ...... he saw something amazing ...... like nothing he had seen before.














'Woooow ....... that's a big stone', said Ben.

'Yes son ....  that is thee Big Stone .... the Cloughmore ....... which is Chloch Mhor in Irish, meaning Big Stone.   











Ben was super impressed by this, Rostrevor's Cloughnore Stone. 

'It's massive', he said.  'It's the biggest stone ever', he went on.

'Now, won't you remember this as a great memory of a very special day Ben?  Jude asked.







'Marguerite ...... do you remember this time last year?

'No, not really, nope', replied Marguerite as she and Ben went exploring.

'Were we in Manchester? Marguerite asked.









Seriously ...... the views .......















....... class!
















And Ben was kind of amazed at it all.

'This is like Poland', he said.

'Yes Ben ...... but without the snow', replied Jude.











'Marguerite ..... where were we 5 years ago ...... can you remember?  Asked Jude.

'No ...... I've no idea .....wait ...... we were in America ...... just about to have Ben', she replied.

'That's right', said Jude.







Meanwhile Ben was still admiring the views ..... in his welly boots ....... on the 1st of September.

Wha?













Moments later Ben met a lady who was sitting on rocks looking out with her little set of binoculars.  Ben asked for a go and he looked and he looked and he looked.  Jude had to peel the binoculars back off him to give them back to the lady.

This truly was a special day ...... but why?








'Marguerite ...... can you remember where you were this day 10 years ago? asked Jude.  'No, was the reply'.   'No?  asked Jude.  'You were in County Down, just over there somewhere', he pointed.  'Do you still not remember? he asked.

'No ..... I've no clue .... what were we doing? asked Marguerite.

'We were getting married .... 10 years ago today, happy 10th wedding anniversary!!! said Jude.


'Are you sure, were we ...... today?  Oh that's great, Happy Anniversary', said Marguerite.


'Right I'm away over here', said Ben as he ran back to the Big Stone.

Soon they headed back down the mountain.

And that was Jude's big plan for the day ...... going up to the Big Stone.  Exciting or what?  You can't make stuff like this up folks.  Wha?  He figured Marguerite would never remember and that he would get the whole way to the top before making the big announcement.  And he was spot on!! 




A lot has happened in the 10 years since 01st September 2007.  Lots of wonderful things.  Ben has arrived on the scene, a few years in America, Utd won the Cup again ...... like I say .... lots of wonderful things.     

(There would have been more photos of today but Jude left his camera in the Rostrevor Inn when they went out to celebrate their anniversary and only retrieved it a couple of weeks later).

Today really was an extra special day.