Recliffe Festival

I heard about Redcliffe Festival on the radio, and for some reason Eloise seemed very keen.

So we resolved to go today, while Nicole was sleeping off her night shift.

First of all to the brook to walk the dogs and arguably my first mistake of the day - which was to permit her ladyship to ride down on her bike.

It seems that she isn't quite completely over the hill as far as the old sickness thing goes, and became quite tired and emotional at the playground, so we wended our nearly-merry way back, paddling and rock-hopping accomplished, and back for twelve.

Whereupon I ate our lunch, and Eloise didn't, and upon suggestion of a little nap, the refrain "I would like to go to the Red Cliff now please" had us on our way.

Up on the bay, parking on the esplanade was a bit of a problem, but we got there in the end and got out of the car to the sounds of powerboats and helicopters.

We made our way down the ramp and onto the beach to see powerboats in the distance being chased around by choppers... presumably with cameras on board, but who knows.... and resolved between us to make our way up the esplanade to get a better view.

Of course getting from A to B isn't straightforward where Her Ladyship is concerned, what with having to brave the siren calls of playgrounds and children doing interesting things with sand, and general fatigue, but we rounded the headland about 1.45 to where the racing was apparently going on... but wasn't any more.

"They finished at 1.30" said a friendly bloke.

So we made our way further up le plage and stopped off to watch skateboarders and football kickers and basketball players at the amphitheatre before bypassing the lagoon (no swimmers) and going on the Sanctuary Cove playground.

Where a not altogether joyful time was had, what with pushy older kids pushing and little buggers with plastic swords doing what they do with plastic swords. Ending in tears. Never mind.

But an ice cream and a can of diet coke brought her back to the land of the happy and we headed home, Festival in sight, to see if Nicole had woken up yet.