Holiday Diaries: Friday

Sadly the last morning of the holiday, but not a moment was wasted. After a final farewell to the cottage, our intrepid explorers made one last assault on Corfe Castle. The castle was well and truly conquered, and the exhausted adventurers journeyed home, dreaming of kings, knights, princesses, treachery, and casting the enemy into dark dungeons.

Holiday Diaries: Thursday

The rock pooling at Lulworth Cove is fab. Caught three crabs, a sea anemone and a multitude of shrimp. All returned to the sea after close examination by four little (and four rather bigger) children. Back to Corfe Castle after lunch for a spot of sword fighting, and the obligatory cream tea at the number one tea shop in the country (according to Country Living magazine), and a perilous journey across the river back to the car.

Holiday Diaries: Wednesday

Hot hot hot. Who needs to holiday abroad when this is the kind of weather the English seaside can offer? Spent all day at the beach, in and out of the sea, making Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in the sand, playing frisbee and eating ice cream. Bliss.

Holiday Diaries: Tuesday

Down to Kimmeridge to test out our new fishing nets. What a glorious day. The water was crystal clear and very still. We wandered out onto the natural jetty wishing we had snorkeling gear, and and when the tide began to come in we headed off to Knoll beach for some sand castle action.

Holiday Diaries: Monday










The sun is out and we're off to the beach. This wonderfully huge expanse of deserted sand is Shell Bay. We went swimming, played frisbee and made Ivor into a mermaid.

Then off for fish and chips in Swanage followed by more larks on the beach in town.

Holiday Diaries: Sunday

After lazy morning, we headed down to Kimmeridge Bay for some paddling and fossil hunting.

Holiday Diaries: Saturday

After a very excited arrival yesterday in which James and Jennifer chased each other around the cottage squealing and declaring how much they love it here, we traveled in style by steam train to Corfe Castle, for a jolly jaunt around the village and castle.

A Happy (late) Birthday to Mabs

We celebrated Mab's birthday this year in true BST style with a week-late birthday pressie (lovely new garden furniture) and a week-and-a half-late birthday party.

Sunday morning was spent tidying up the aftermath, and drinking tea (and playing in the sandpit) with the Wallises as they collected Agnes after her very first sleepover at Sunnyside.

The progress of the Great Tits

The squatters in our letter box are now 18 days old and ready to fledge any day now. Here is a look at how they have been changing and growing over the past 18 days.

Day 1 ......................Day 2 ......................Day 4







Day 6 .....................Day 9 ......................Day 10







Day 12 .....................Day 14 .....................Day 16






Update Friday 4th June - The chicks fledged this morning, day 20.