MonkeyDispenser

A large group of us went across to Flamingo Land in North Yorkshire this Sunday for possibly the last summer activity this ’summer’. To say it has been a poor summer is a bit of an understatement considering the unprecedented flooding around the country. Ironically, now that we’re coming into autumn the weather has improved greatly and held out for us all day. There was even the danger of sun-burn in the morning!

I wouldn’t say Flamingo Land  is the best theme park in the country but when you have kids from age 1 to 5 it does well enough to entertain them. Good job really at £74 for a family of four! Once Holly is 2 years old that means we’ll have to get a family ticket plus another single ticket for £20. Ouch! Why does ‘family’ mean two parents and two children? I’m sure there’s cause for a legal challenge there…

It definitely helps to have other parents around when going somewhere like this. At least you can pool the children and give other adults the chance to go on some of the bigger rides. It is a bit like herding cats though.

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On Tuesday this week I passed my driving theory test. Not that I don’t already have a driving licence, I just don’t have a motorbike licence and that’s what I’ll be aiming for next month by taking a direct access course. In theory, by the end of the course I’ll have my full bike licence. It’s a good job I passed the theory test though; failing that after nearly 20 years of driving would just be embarrassing. The official test DVD (the one that costs 10 quid, not the freebie they send you when you book your test) is pretty much a collection of the actual questions you get on the test. The test certainly isn’t hard if you’ve been driving for a long time, but if you can’t afford to fail (like me!) then I recommend the DVD.

Things are moving along quite quickly. I already have my protective gear ready and I’m in the process of getting hold of a bike similar to the one pictured. It’s a funny position to be in; on one side are a group (the bikers) telling you it’s by far the most enjoyable way to travel and on the other side is another group (the non-bikers) telling you you’re more-or-less going to kill yourself. Hmmm…nervous now.

Also it’s an entirely selfish thing to do if you have a young family like myself, which probably doesn’t make me quite as excited as I would otherwise be. None-the-less I’ve been wanting to do this for years and I’m determined to see it through successfully.

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