Babies in Birkenhead

Its been another busy little week for us! We've started to venture out of our comfort zones a little and managed to get out and see a live music gig on Wednesday. At first I was pretty uncomfortable about the number of people, not in a "not covid safe way", just in a "I'm indoors and why is there people standing by me" kinda way, but I quickly eased into it and, whilst Hayseed Dixie is not to everyones taste, we had an excellent time.

Then came the mad dash weekend. 

Although, yes, covid tests first thing in the morning before setting off, just in case. All negative, so good to go. 

My Wirral based friend had her baby boy in August, and we wanted to go and see "Bear" (I love official nicknames, they make my life so much easier when writing about adventures!) before he was out of the newborn phase. After booking the weekend with them, we held off until the last moment to organise specific plans - I have 6 neices and nephews (some by genetics, others through the deepest friendships) so I knew there was no point in making grand plans as Bears nap schedule could change at any moment.

And yes, for those wondering, Bear is neice/nephew no 7. I didn't ask or hint, he was handed to us with the grand introduction of Aunty and Uncle. We're both very happy to have been bestowed the honour of the title.

Friday evening was the meet and greet and Saturday we went out for lunch at the Woodside Ferry Village. There was a bit of a squeeze getting us all in the car (thiers was down with engine trouble), but we arrived safe and sound and, being the one holding Ren, absolutely covered in dog hair. The hug was worth every single strand! We arrived to find a Christmas Market and excitedly ordered some very nice Japanese food. Missy and Ren are thick as thieves - they paired up on the sad eyes and Missy conducted lessons on her Hard Stare(tm). 

I bought a reflective poppy for Missys collar from the market (as if she needs more poppies, but I'm always happy to help the Poppy Legion) and the new parents bought a little fox baby grow. Bear was too little to meet Father Christmas, so Ren and Missy got to meet him instead.

Then it was back to theirs for boardgames and dinner and the most delightful homemade Biscoff slices I've ever had. A great wee day, and whilst (for us) very chill, it was nice to take things down a notch or two and just catch up.

This morning we hit the road early. But not after properly exploring Birkenhead Park. This Disneyland for dogs was less than 5 minutes from our Airbnb and, whilst we did walk it Saturday, we used Sunday to give it a proper explore. But why Doggy Disneyland? The squirrels. The sheer volume of squirrels.

Missy completely disregarded her days training on how to not chase them, and spent a solid hour stalking, sneaking on, dashing after and full on chasing the things. We instantly realised these squirrels had it sussed as Missy failed to get anywhere near them. I'm sure every dog in the Wirral must chase them as they executed perfectly planned escapes at great leisure. And not just the squirrels, the ducks and pigeons too:

An excellent way to burn beans before the big drive home. 

And that was it! Although, of course there was a sewing gift:

I couldn't find a small enough waistcoat pattern, so got some baby grows and just went for it. I'm sure these will be much easier than buttoning up a real one!

That's all for now, time for some well deserved tea and a biscoff slice... 

Razzle Dazzle with the Fab Four

Part 2 of our holiday away! When looking for things to do in our designated Liverpool day, I happened across the Mersey Ferries River Explorer Cruise. Not only was it dog friendly, it had a port based in the Wirral side of Liverpool (a convenient 15 minutes from our friends house who we had planned to visit that night) and it was one of the last weeks she would be sailing in her Dazzle colours. Why the Razzle Dazzle? Created as part of the First World War commemorations, designed by Sir Peter Blake (more famously known for designing album covers for the Beatles) and inspired by the dazzle camouflage of the time, the ‘Everybody Razzle Dazzle’ is a sight to behold. 

The explorer cruise is a 50 minute loop with an audio tour of the landmarks of both sides of the Mersey, and the ticket acts as a hop on, hop off day pass. After enjoying free entry into the U-boat experience (complimentary as part of the ticket), we headed over to the Albert Docks for a stretch of the legs, a wonder and some lunch. We knew it would be a long day, so kept the plans low key. 

Missy met these four guys, who were fab (had to be done!) and we really enjoyed listening to buskers all playing Beatles covers. The day was bright and clear and was pleasant for a wander about before we found an eccentric double decker bus-come-burger van where we had lunch. They kindly gave us some water for Missy and a we were back on the boat. The plan from the outset had been to visit friends for dinner and a catch up and we managed a quick walk together. Ren, another fur cousin, is now 2 and has learned his manners, so both dogs played very nice (although Missy did hump him a little when she'd had enough playing!) 

Didn't get many photos, was too busy enjoying good food and chat! 

And then it was Friday. Going home day. Well, we couldn't resist enjoying our holiday a little longer and stopped in at the National Waterways Museum. This was an absolute gem of a find. Completely dog friendly, Missy could go anywhere and everywhere with us, and again a beautiful, if cold, day for it. I have a huge soft spot for canal boats and recently, through work, have found canals quite fascinating places in regards to construction. For the hubby, who loves a good audio tour, they had brand new tech - a tablet with AR installed that brought the people on the information panels to life. It was a lovely change for me, who usually reads and summarises aloud all the boards, to have them read to be in wonderfully over the top Mancurian accents. 

There was plenty to look at, from the construction of the canal, the mechanism behind the lock keys and even a little terrace of houses each done in a different time period. It made me think of New Lanark and I immediately recommend it to my sister and her young family. Missy was a star attraction amongst the school groups visiting, and she even had a brief flash mob where they all took turns patting her (I made sure she wasn't feeling crowded, but as usual she just lapped up the attention). The cafe, also super dog friendly, provided us with some warming food before we decided to get back on the road and go home.

Overall a wonderful trip! With all the wartime themes, I picked up the Make Mend and Do booklet and was actually surprised that there are some very useful hints and tips as well as some fun upcycling ideas. Keep an eye out for some inspired pieces in the near future!