The changeover from East Compton to Centre Parcs was easier (for me, at least) than I first anticipated… Hannah drove me the promised 20-25 minutes and we met up with cousin Steph and Ray’s son Richard and wife Sarah who drove me into the Lodge to meet up with Ray.
Both twins Richard and Paul, and younger brother Russell came with their offspring - Harrison, Cameron, Lottie, Mia, Matthew and Jack. Making a total of 12 of us, in 2 next door lodges.
It was Ray’s birthday and the family had bought him an inside, professional putting green - we got him a chocolate cake, candles and all - sang the appropriate song and a he wore his large “It’s my birthday” badge with pride.
The lodge is set amongst mature trees and on a variety of levels … has a number of different restaurants and shops … and more activities than I can remember - if I knew them all - and steps and slopes up AND down. With that in mind, Ray had “serviced” and recharged the battery on a mobility scooter … for me. Everyone else (except Sarah) had their bikes - so she and I did quite a lot of walking and I had one excursion on the “scooter”. Ray was concerned I wouldn’t cope with the walks to the various events and restaurants… I was more concerned that I wouldn’t manage to stay on my chariot, on some of the slopes!
On Sunday morning I pulled my curtains and there stood a young deer, eating the grass and shrubs within touching distance - but sadly the noise alerted it and I took too long finding the camera on my phone to get a good picture of it. See it?
We had seen it yesterday from Sarah and Rich’s cabin, closely followed by a policeman, but didn’t dare move in case it got frightened away.
On Sunday, 2 or 3 squirrels wandered around the ground cover (though it may have been the same one each time - how can you tell?) and on Monday morning, as we were packing up, preparing to leave and small black and white kitten looked in, very hopefully, but disappeared soon after.
But quite apart from that they all (not me - I watched and recorded their antics) went swimming in the huge pool, with the added attraction of a wave feature … not the 👋 variety, but quite a swell in the water for a given period:
Junior Sherfields (actually behaving themselves at that moment)
The hydro slide
Ray (newly 77) and Matthew (10) went on the high wires
I played table tennis, Cameron said I was good ! Comparative, of course 😉
And ate a lot! With friendly waiters …
Italian
Harrison doing pizza home deliveries
(Back row L to R) Paul, Cameron, Ray, Harrison, Lottie, Mia, Russell, Richard.
(Front) Guess who, Matthew, Jack, Sarah
Spot the twins.
PLEASE NOTE: The sheer brilliance of these photos being on here is solely due to Sarah. Don’t expect it again!!!
