Friday, February 24, 2006

Center Parcs


Just had a great break in Center Parcs (the Longleat Forest village). We've been before, but not for a few years and now the kids are older (11 and 8) they can just go off and do their own thing in the swimming pool which basically means about 3 hours worth of hurtling down the rapids and the slides!
If you've never been to Center Parcs, it's a geat experience. You can just laze by the pool, bike in the forest (no cars!) or do any one of a multitude of sports from table tennis to archery and horse riding. The only catch is the cost. The pool's free(or at least access comes with the cost of the holiday), everything else (apart from the bikes if you bring your own) you pay for, so it can get expensive. We had a great time on our midweek (Mon-Fri) break. The "villa's" look a bit like portakabins but inside are comfy enough, though you can get posher versions (more money). The famouse dome houses the pools, slides shops and various restaurants. the feeling you get is a proper mini break - away from it all in the sense there's no cars and time to do what you want when you want. Relaxing - well - it depends. I got more exercise in 4 days than I've had in the last four weeks, with swimming, biking and so on! Great fun.

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Out of retirement

After a year (or more like 18 months) off cricket, having officially retired from the game due to dodgy knees/arthritis, I've been talked into coming out of retirement by my good pal Basher (aka Badger - for various and probably best left unexplained reasons).
I'm planning - if they'll have me, to turn out for Dinas Powys CC rather than the Tavs, my team of the last 20 years. It's been a wrench deciding not to go back to the Tavs, but the chance, albeit a little late in my career to play some league cricket with a side where I can just turn up and play is quite enticing. I've only been to one net so far as unfortunately nest night clashes with skittles nights most weeks, but I enjoyed the net. Indeed the facilities at Glamorgan CC's indoor cricket facilities are superb. I think I did OK, and the DPCC lot (several of whom I know anyway) seem a good bunch. Roll on the summer, and let's hope the bones hold up!