1st up - yep it's John's turn.
I seriously cannot remember my last time at Jon and Jan's - I really can't. But on walking in I do remember loads of memories of me and Nikki playing there, the hiding places behind the bed, hiding behind the sofa and so on.
But off we went this week for a full Essex day, me, Mary, kids and Mum. I was designated driver to ensure we could all fit in. We arrived and had a lovely cup of tea and a cake and took a wander to the gardens that Jon is so proud of.
Out came the sun, so out came the camera before we set off for adventure No.1 in Southend.
This is now the output of those photos - John Twyman's Botanical Gardens, Lottem Road, Canvey Island, Essex, England!
Beautiful!
We call these Ballerinas - yep because they look like a Ballerina.
I assume there may be a Builder, Doctor, or Plumber flower too somewhere in the world - keep looking Brian!!!
Yellow in focus!
Purple in focus!
Pretty little white things!
Pretty little pink things!
Pretty little purple things!
Pretty little yellow things - do you think these look like tree fungus or what?
Answers on a post card for the above and below - hmmmmm what are they?
What could they be?
Flowers - yes. And very pretty at that.
But what flowers?
OK so on top we have cucumber - yes the green longish bit before the flower is indeed the cucumber.
And below we have tomato plant flowers - look at those little hairs, they look like my Amy's little legs!
We're off the botanical and green fingers.
Time now to go and get white knuckles at Adventure Island, Southend-on-Sea.
This was a real giggle!
Poor Uncle Jon (I actually think he was very excited and happy to be playing about with the kids) got continually asked to go on all the rides, especially by AmyBoo. More of that in a while.
here's the kids below in one of the 1st rides, no sorry it's the kids above on that ride and it's Mum and Jan below - or is it...? You decide.
And below is the kids now on that very same ride joined by their older brother - we call him Texan Jon for some reason! Basically what happened that was quite funny was that the kids were alone hence the picture above, and Jon was going to join Mum and Jan but couldn't fit - he he - so had to join the kids.
More rides for the munchkins.
The helter-skelter looms - no not the U2 song, the actual helper-skelter.
I remember this one as a wee lad when this place was Peter Pan's Playground many years ago.
We all had a go on this one.
About 4 photos in one for the below;
- Amy and I had just slid down together, luckily I was exiting fast as...
- Here comes Ollie nearly parking himself between one's buttocks cheeks if I hadn't swiftly moved,
- All watched over by what look like some night club bounced - check him out in the next few photos. Real hard nut looking. Imagine when he's out chatting up the ladies and they ask; "So what do you do big man?" "I look after the helper-skelter in Peter Pan's Playground." Hmmm perhaps that's why he's still single, he he!
- To the left is my GREAT mate Welchy. I mentioned I might be up to Essex and Adventure Island and bugger me he drives over for an hour or so to say Hi to us all - how nice was that!
Mum comes down at speed!
"You on the guest list?" Says the doorman!
Here comes Texan Jon - I am certain he had that hat stapled to his head - it did not shift off on any ride - quite amazing! Go Uncle Jon!
Both Jon and I now get roped in to the attendance on 'Drop n Smile' ride.
Smiling, groaning, screaming - not sure, in fact perhaps all those emotions reflected here!!!
I am excluding myself from this one as Mary took some great shots of the back of my head, and one hand type thing.
But I took some great ones of Uncle John on this ride with Amy. Now this ride really moved. And I mean really moved, it was well fast, really pushing you in your seat to the outside with the G-force.
Then it stops and does the same in reverse - phew- Note again THE hat.
But what's the speech bubble in the top photo - any ideas?
- Stop the ride I wanna get off,
- Stop the ride I need a wee wee,
- No photos please,
- 4+1 = ...
Me and the squidlets on some skateboarding style ride - pretty good actually.
Sort of like The Mary Rose of Dreamland Days - but on steroids!
Ollie then decided he was on a mission to make himself sick.
In fact after about 4 blue rides in a row he actually came back ashen as if a vampire had had a good couple of sucks on him!
One of those blue rides was this one - I think it was called Dragon's Claw.
He then had me on Rage.
This thing was awesome!
You sort of ended up laying flat on your back going up a vertical, then going over the top and flipping 180 degrees over and BOOM off you go on the ride, ending up doing corkscrews and flips as you'll see below.
Look carefully you will see in the front row in both pictures it is indeed me and Ollie - great photos Mary.
Cool ride!
Here is an Amy Spring Roll squirting from a slide.
I was planning to get Ollie too on film, but every time he went down he came out a different slide exit.
So just one spring roll.
Here is a ship load of scurvy sea dog pirates if ever I have seen them!
Off they went for the ride and I asked Amy after how was that; "Boring!"
Clearly I have two adrenalin junkies for children!
This is more like it says Amy - Green Scream.
She dragged Ollie, Jon and Mum and on this one - oh and yours truly of course.
In fact I think I went on this 4 times in the end with her.
Zoom in below - as this is Mum and Jon in the middle.
I think Jon was so scared he couldn't look - see the dipped hatted head - ha ha!
Come on Jon, Amy had arms in the air - she's 5!
Even in Southend I can hear it.
Facebook, Facebook, Facebook.
Darling, can you just take a couple of photos for me for...
Well here they are.
Jan and Jon.
I think Jan's words were "Oh be still my beating heart!" Ha Ha!
So with tired great uncles and aunts we decided enough was enough and we left Adventure Island.
Saying good bye across the road from the island - smiles from adults, not so wide and broad from the smaller ones!
Then off to John's friends about 20 minutes away - Ray's place in the arches, The Fountain.
Jon and I sneak in a quick beer or two, sat in the sun, family and friends - this is nice.
Photos kindly supplied by Amy Kennett.
Oh no - even Ollie is on that too.
OK OK check the can it is 0% alcohol.
Still he looks like he is part of the gang does he not.
Here it is.
The Fountain, Southend on Sea.
Get to the arches, say Hi to Ray, sit eat and have a beer - hopefully in the Sun.
It's great!
And they serve MASSIVE Knickerbocker Glories!
Wonderful!
Back to Jon's.
A short rest in the garden before the trip back to Margate.
Still lovely and Sunday sat in the garden.
Even Jon's blackbird came in to say Hi - OK OK whilst enjoying some lovely raisins.
But still he came and he sat for a photo or two.
And then goodbyes for another year.
We'll be back in July 2014.
Jon and Jan thank you so very very much for a wonderful day - what fun!
Love Bri, Mary, Ollie, Amy and of course Mum.
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