We went on a mini holiday last weekend. We started in Brighton and moved to St Leonards before coming home via Kent to take a little trip down memory lane.

We went for lunch in Eynsford which is somewhere my Mum remembers visiting as a child when my Grandpa played cricket for Wilmington. It was a lovely sunny day and after lunch I suggested we go and visit my Grandma and Grandpa’s old house before we drove back to London.

We arrived in Wilmington with my Mum pointing out the church where some of her long gone relatives are buried and the house which my Grandpa was born in and then we turned the corner to their old house.

I don’t know why really but I had butterflies in my tummy and thought I might cry. This was the house which my Grandparents had lived in since my Mum was a teen and then welcomed us into when my Dad left. I lived in this house for a few months before my Mum and I moved to Norwich and I have happy memories of riding my bike round the grass in the middle between the houses and playing out with friends.

Grandma and Grandpa loved it there, they had bought it as a brand new house which I imagine was the most magnificent achievement but when Mum and I were in Norfolk, all alone, they sold up and moved to be near us. To a city they didn’t know. Just because they loved us. They were pretty amazing and without them my life would have been far less rich. I loved them so terribly much and I miss them both every day.

The house was both the same as I remember but completely different. Everywhere was smaller and the area less swish looking. My Mum says it has gone down hill in that respect but did used to be a really lovely place to live. I looked up at my old bedroom window and could remember the exact smell and sounds of being inside.

Pigeons cooing is the noise I remember and soap with wooden floor polish was always wafting in the air. It’s a very distinctive smell which takes me on a sense memory visit every time I come across it which isn’t often but funnily enough had happened while we were in St Leonards in our caravan. I always think my Grandma pays us visits and when I smell her smells she is there. Perhaps I’m bonkers but I like to think that she is…

I couldn’t help myself but to knock on the door and ask if the owner minded me taking a picture. I was disappointed when a waft of smoke smell came out of the door and the lovely wooden floors had been replaced by a thick bright blue carpet. I almost felt offended that this new owner could have done that to my Grandparent’s house which is just silly I know… The house they lived in for years and until they died wasn’t this one but somehow in my mind this house still is so much a part of them. They took such good care of it that it annoyed me this man clearly didn’t.

He was pleasant and interested and told us of neighbours still there and not and he was very happy for me to take a picture which was nice but I still felt annoyed with him. I realise this is a little irrational.

We’re going to go back to Wilmington soon to walk round the church ground, seek out old family members (my Grandpa was one of eleven) and maybe take another look at the house which my Grandma and Grandpa loved living in.

Just an ordinary house really I suppose…

MY LIFE WITH TWO!

We really did have the most gorgeous holiday with my Mum last week. For once the British weather did us proud and we just lapped up the sunshine. The children absolutely loved it with an outdoor swimming pool and plenty of things to do and we all just had so much fun!

Some of my favourite holiday pictures!

And then we had to come home… But we came home via a place called Battle which was beautiful and then a beautiful village called Eynsford in Kent. We had a delicious pub lunch overlooking the river and then the children went paddling with the ducks! Lovely!

Paddling with the ducks!

At least the sun is still shining in London which made it a little easier to drag ourselves home but I definitely had that holiday blues feeling! And it was just a weekend away in the UK, who knew!

I’ll be back again next week but in the mean time please do follow me on Twitter @rocknrollerbaby.