Allotments 4 All

My daughter's (Jennifer) 16th birthday today. My little girl has gone and been replaced by a wonderful young lady. So she got her own bouquet from the allotment this morning. As her treat, she spent a couple of hours snowboarding at the Snowdome in Tamworth, with her brother Matthew (the marathon runner), and absolutely adored it.

I watched from the balcony, and found I was captivated. So now I am debating whether to have ski-ing lessons, or snowboarding ...
My wife is also finding out about ice skating lessons for crusties ...

So I will be able to hack it with my kids ...  ;D ;D ;D

Derekthefox :D

Happy birthday, Jennifer[/color]

Does this mean that my spotty, stinky, anti social 15 yr old will overnight become a charming handsome caring young man in 8 months time then, Derek?  Can but hope!  I'm still not going to offer to go skateboarding with him tho'!

Derek

You think that's great...wait till you walk her down the isle you will be so proud

I got to do it twice (two daughters)

Derek...the other one

I want my 7 year old to ask for rollerblades for his birthday so as I can get mine out and go out to play.

Jill I don't think it works for boys ... ! I am still spotty, stinky and antisocial ...

Heldi, I am investigating ice skating lessons as I speak, so I can go out to play as well ! ! !

Quote from: Derek on September 25, 2005, 19:50:49
You think that's great...wait till you walk her down the isle you will be so proud

Thanks Derek, I think I am already really proud  :)

Derekthefox  :D (the first one)

Now Derek, that's really not true, is it.  Well the anti social part, anyway!  Can't comment on the spots or smelliness. ;) ;D

Does Eddie the Eagle still give lessons there Derek?

I never thought to ask Mimi ...  ;D

Jill, well perhaps not antisocial ...

Derekthefox :D

When the kids were little I took them ice skating once and got a septic heel out of it which was so painful I couldn't drive and had to declare a no go zone around me  ;D  The kids accused me of being a softie so I went again the following week but I still couldn't get the boot on my swollen foot. At least I tried - never been since and I;m  going on 50  ;D

Right, sorted out details etc.

Ice skating - a new course starts locally, November for 8 weeks Sunday morning, cost £40 total inc skate hire. I intend to be on that course, starting with all the little kids (ahhhhh !).

Skiing - the cheapest route I could find to 'recreational ' standard, costs £130 for 4 hours tuition, all equipment included. Because the 'season' is just starting,  I need to investigate when is the best time, because the slopes get full at weekends and evenings. After that, at membership rates, the slope is £10/hour.

This looks like fun ...

Derekthefox :D

I started having rollerblading lessons with the litte ones when I was 38.  Had lessons EVERY Sat for 2 years (in the littlies class).  My 5 yo at the time picked it up in 3 weeks!!  I loved it.  It was something I always wanted to do when I was a kid but my wouldn't let me because she was scared I would get hurt!!

I now play in-line hockey and I love it.  All I can say is that I can run on skates, go backwards, hit the puck BUT I am not graceful.  I'll never have the style.  But it was so inspirational to have 50 & 60 y olds playing.

Skiid for the first time last year (at 43) was petrified but did it.
Was much better skiing this year and my 11 yo couldn't stand me better than him!!.  Just for one day though.

Go on Derek you'll have so much fun.  You men seem to have good balance & pick up these sorts of things so easily.  Your not scared like us women. ;D

(Roller skating/blading is much cheaper in Australia than ice-skating)
And then the slopes for skiing...

Anna :)

Thanks for the encouragement Anna. Yes, something has just clicked in my brain, I was never bothered before, but now suddenly I want to do all these things. Perhaps I just don't want to feel old, I don't know. Not into heights though, forget skydiving or bungee jumping ...  Even flying to spain is agony for me! I wonder whether my son could help me master the skateboard ... improve my balance ...

Derekthefox :D

I had huge amounts of fun skiing on a dry slope in Bebington years ago but it was completely different on snow and I hated skiing.  Would love to do rollerblading though.  This year, I have decided it is time to learn how to ride a bike...it was my ambition to do it before I got to 30 but I'm 33 and still don't know why I can't. 

M.

Well I have finally done it - signed up and paid for skating lessons at the local rink in Coventry.

The course consists of 7 lessons and runs on Sunday mornings at 10am, starting on 30th October. Not bad for £35, including skate hire. Each lesson is half an hour long, and the rink is available afterward for free skating ... I don't think I will catch up with my children though, they are zooming around all over the place, forwards, backwards, on one leg, Jenny is even doing spins ... I am pretty sure that I will be the oldest person on the course though  ;D

I must remember to buy some gloves ...

Derekthefox :D

Just gloves...what about knee pads, elbow pads etc etc?  ;D

I was hoping to get one of those inflatable sumo costumes ...  ;D

Derekthefox :D

Derek it'll be great fun!  I wish I could be there to watch...I have a cruel streak and love seeing people fall over lol !  ;D

My daughter has already said she is going to come down and heckle ... so that has given me more motivation to show her just what her dad can do ...  :D

Derekthefox :D

go for it - the next olympics perhaps?

Ha ha Baggy, I am thinking of slightly smaller targets, like completing the 7 weeks !

Apparently one of the skaters at the rink is an Olympic hopeful though ...

Derekthefox :D