Hiya 🙂
Without meaning to, my menfolk timed their trip to Blackness Castle brilliantly today, as an event was just starting in the grounds.
We have asked for a family Historic Scotland pass as an amalgamated Christmas/birthday ‘experience gift’ from Hubby’s parents these last two years, and our sons always get so much joy from it! The pass got them into today’s festivities for free, so it was definitely worth it; it easily pays for itself within a few months.
The boys both volunteered, and were picked, to help with demonstrations in the science tent. Youngest went to the front and play-acted ‘energy’ by running on the spot; Eldest demonstrated ‘leverage’ by standing on a plank of wood over a log, while a girl tried to elevate him. When she wasn’t able to the first time, and the commentator pointed that out, Youngest came to the girl’s defense and said: “Well…he is quite heavy, he’s seven!” which was followed by a ripple of laughter from the crowd 😉
There were displays of battle techniques (using pool noodles, as our kids do in the playroom!), tents with different professions relating to various points in history, and even the opportunity to try on armour!
Hubby informs me that there were also muskets and a cannon fired. The boys had a good time being stonemasons, holding a hammer and chisel (!), too. There are no pics of that bit as Hubby was supervising closely…!
Youngest was very interested to see a couple playing a Viking board game called Hnefatafl. It attracted him because they were using stones as the play pieces, and he thought it may have been rudimentary chess. Undeterred, he went on to give the couple a quick synopsis of the rules of chess, and have them tell him how a piece is ‘taken’ in Hnefatafl. He then mused that their method even differed from draughts!
All-in-all it sounds like a very fun outing with Daddy, they were there for over two hours and briefly went on the beach too. I am a little sad that I didn’t see all the action first hand; but I’m sure you’ll agree that Hubby took some great pictures! I also would have been nervous of letting our two near the swords and jousting sticks… 😉
I wrote today’s poem after they all got back (I had been tidying, cleaning, sorting and washing laundry, showering, writing lists of goals/blog ideas/to-dos for the coming week etc) and worked with the destination that the generator suggested in such a way that I could incorporate the real life one 😉 ‘historical’ did feature, after all!
Marry Axiomatic Zoo Unable Waste Historical Mouth Aromatic Babies
It managed to marry
Our children’s interests perfectly.
Hand raised, our youngest
Was dishing what he saw
As axiomatic truths;
And both boys got up to demonstrate.
At a zoo, usually,
One is unable to properly interact
With what one gazes upon.
A waste of precious brainstorming
(And no wild animal’s good caged)
But a show of historical bent
Puts new words in one’s mouth,
A castle is less – aromatic – but
Our monkeys’ *minds climbed just as high
As those babies behind glass.
*I’ve just realised, while typing it out, that I missed out a word in my pencil writing of the poem (??) I must have done that whole ‘thinking faster than my fingers move’ thing…?! I probably popped it in subconsciously while reading it to Hubby too, cos I didn’t pick up on the omission then, either! Oops!
Come visit the Facebook page and follow @ComfyRestless on Twitter
September 4th, 2017 at 5:50 am
Enjoyable poem and lovely background information
September 4th, 2017 at 1:04 pm
Thanks Jane, thought you might like it 😉 x
September 4th, 2017 at 2:33 pm
Sounds like they had a fun day!
September 4th, 2017 at 4:15 pm
They are still animated about it, bless them 😉 top marks, Hubby!