Awayweek 2026

Away week 2026 style started last Friday with a detour by a friend enroute despite a silly motorist causing issues outside the house just as the car was being loaded and I was trying to get in the car all ladylike in my black skirt and white long socks as we took a series of A Roads to beat the traffic that causes delays using the motorway to get to our destination for six days of fun.

We stopped off a few times for a break and stretch the legs before arriving and unloading in our respective rooms with me way up in the Gods in the attic room requiring two stairways to climb.

Given some business that by co-incidence was moving to a final determination just as I was away I really needed a break beyond just having more child-like totally innocent fun.

The overall theme of the get together was Movies and that was well weaved into things and out with individual event organizers. 

We did some arts drawing or painting miniatures based upon favourite children's movies we loved so I went for the St. Trinian's Great Train Robbery  where the girls made their way up the railway line.

There was decorating so inspired by a light I used pink icing and aniseed sprinkles to cover the sweet wafer carefully spreading the icing all over. 

I'll be honest and say cookery isn't my strong point but that worked out just fine actually.

Then in crafts we made paper airplanes from card, decorating  where they were judged for travel that was tested in the grounds, decoration and originality

A few jigsaws were made such as this Mr Men one  on a table by several of us.

There was a movie themed Treasure Hunt with clues and some singing of songs from The Sound of Music.

My friend organized some games with movie themes as did another a day later which I didn't do too badly at given my wobbly lower paws and damaged upper paws.

The All Purr-Puss Nekimimi Music Quiz was run by the resident catgurl which went well given the mice ate the wifi so unlike previous years this all had to done by pen rather print outs with some film related questions.

In addition a general knowledge quiz also with links to movies that went well while over three nights storytime happened which was super cool.

A variety of meals were prepared by the assembled although on days where there wasn't any organized activities people fixed their own on the Tuesday we went to a hotel that does meals open to non residents where I really enjoyed the Turkey and Leek pie  with chips and veg.

The cooking standard was one of the finest I've ever experienced.

Thanks to everyone who did something such as organize an event, prepare food, clean up and generally help out as it doesn't happen with everyone mucking in.

Summer days away

This last week was the second het together with friends  I attended and was likely to be a landmark one too for a number of reasons that were apparent from the very outset travelling by train and getting a lift.

Given the weekly weather forecast was for temperatures over 25 degrees c and next to no rain, this dictated what I took with me so it wasn't long before I changed into lightweight black school pinafore dress before colouring a little before we settled for a Pork Chop, mashed potatoes, runner beans with onion sauce and gravy and cakes.

We later watched the Tour de France - they cycle, I'm interested in cycling but lack balance never mind  muscles for it personally - following the competitors and admiring the countryside

.
As ever I was up early, making sure I had everything ready and available for loading into the car because apart from our personal effects, we also had games equipment and food for everyone on board too that had to be carefully slotted into it.

We left around of Ten in the morning of Saturday having a warmed up pie with mash and cakes we prepared and cooked ourselves for evening meal at the venue.

We also went out toward the lake for a stroll where we remarked the water levels, a concern in period of high temperatures and lack of rainfall, were surprisingly high there.

The reminder of the evening was very much a free to socialize and relax so I started reading a book and the London Underground jigsaw with 1,000 pieces came out as various folk gathered around desperately trying to find the pieces that went together in sea of white.

The Sunday was the first day proper and it was obvious with the heat the schedule I had prepared was going to have to be adjusted to take account of the impact of the heat.

One sign of this was I wore my blue check gingham dress most of the as it was lighter and more cooler than just about anything else short of only having say a swimsuit on.

Because I wasn't a good sissy gurl I saw this across my knickers a few times which really stung.

The first event event after the breakfasts all of which I set out doing battle with summer flies was the "Make it yourself" event where we used cardboard boxes, paint and make-a-do connectors to make a long dragon with a tail and working teeth which was ably lead by our team leader.

After lunch another lead the Alice in Wonderland treasure hunt with clues all outside for people to find and objects related to the story around trees and bushes  to spot including a spot of croquet and charades. This lead to discovering who really stole the Queen of Hearts, tarts.

This beautifully lead into a Alice in Wonderland tea party with themed cups and 'Alice Cakes' - home made tarts that were enjoyed by all in the blazing sun.

We had an enjoyable steak pie based tea with Apple and Sultana pie, the stake pies being carefully matched to peoples tastes having got preferences in.

Monday saw a switch on the schedule (it's with a K sound if your like me) as the team event leader  miraculously was able to both organize the event and take part in one of the two coloured teams, naturally Green and Yellow all at once that included Archery, Target, Egg and Spoon (no hens were injured in that!) and the sack race where a friend and I  decided to stand out that one as both of us for differing reasons wouldn't be able to do so for our differing teams. A sensible way through that situation.

I was in my lightweight airy t shirt and  green pleated games skirt as that was pretty cool to wear dashing about.

There was some ahem confusion with the Sponge The Staff event where when the yellow team were ask to start everyone regardless of team  just fired on the target as one! I'm sure that wasn't supposed to happen.

The Greens won by 36 to 33 against Yellow.

The afternoon was taken up by a Class that this time was about the Solar System where we learned some interesting facts about our near neighbours and everyone cut and drew some image connected with it. The result was more like a collage.

I made a image of a boy shaped rocket landing on mars with a sign pointing to Sirius  next to the Mars Life Centre with a trash can with a Rat shaped satellite nearby.

An aside to the event, space junk does concern me actually.

We had a mainly Fish and Chips tea, I say mainly cos I spotted a few fried sausage and a chicken in the order that had been phoned in and collected while it was being served.
In the evening, 

We had a  Quiz based upon Disney and UK Facts and figures which was win by the Three Musketeers that included me.

Tuesday morning saw a water pistol challenge was held naturally out doors to avoid damaging anything like the ceiling where four friends and I chased around firing at each other and sometimes as one against the other as we got soaked having fun which yes is kind of like kids but that's the point: we were just letting that side out as is.

In the afternoon, the resplendent in black with ears nekimimi was purring her way through the All Purrpuss Nekomimi Music Quiz that she'd prepared earlier between things like talking to her BFF.

The quiz was divided into two sections, a short classical one and a section of 60's to 90's popular music with three teams competing with the Cycle Paths and another scoring 16 points each and thus winning two magnificent colouring books (they were really good actually) and the last team scoring 12 from a maximum of 25.

I believe it was much enjoyed for the broad selection of questions to appeal to all present.

Given the extreme heat we decided to have an early meal later but in form of a very tasty b-bq by one of our group with kebabs and chicken part cooked in the oven first to make sure it was properly cooked which really is a must with just the burgers and sausages done exclusively on the griddle.

 This was served with salad with fried onions, bread rolls and so on as needed  turning out quite a memorable meal for all the right reasons.

Somehow a camp fire or a bb-q type event evokes the right kind of 'feel' to being together especially on the penultimate day, something I remember from school organized holidays we went on.

Wednesday was leaving apart from finishing apart from two pieces that seemed to be missing another jigsaw time was taken up more with taking down and apart things we'd made, tidying up and getting our things ready to leave.

A few of us went for a half hour walk to look at the nearby lake and countryside.

I'd pre-packed some of my case across the days to make things a bit easier for my friend reloading the car with a good portion of what we took with us in order.

Setting out a bit earlier than originally planned at eleven because I was (and had been for a few days) rather unwell with the start of a migraine coming on rapidly that morning  we arrived back for around half three or near enough I was struggling to focus so recollection for much of that is a bit hazy.

I think the general consensus was that people had gotten the sense of being 'little' for several days interacting together, being in "little space" able to come out from the child within, expressing it through what we did even if we did need to 'big up' to take care of some aspects or run an activity.

The only negative which certainly is no reflection on anyone was the problem of tics and horseflies  as a number of us were bitten which did include me making coping with being unwell less comfortable, running up a temperature as my body was fighting the bites.

What had been a great venue for several years will be warmly remembered as we look forward to new one here in The Midlands having had a lovely time this Summer.

Winter get together

After last weeks bit of a break, I am writing an account of how that six days and a bit spent at with friends went.

Really it is in some ways a bit like a spring or summers camp for actual children except it is for those 18+ who are in differing ways more 'like a child' and so completely non sexual.

It's really a place where many of us can let out amongst others our child-like selves and while to make the thing happen we hire a place and look after our own catering needs, outside of that we're in a child-like place, what I call 'Little Space' so we do activities and act from "the child within".

I got to my friends by train and a lift from the station which after an overnight stay a trip in their car.

One thing I do wish to comment upon is what you might wear because we all see and hear different things but the first thing to say is you don't have to dress any different because it's less about dress and more about that child within but different folk do things do things different some more infant others, more dressy and there some of us who wear things more like school or school age uniform depending how our little/middle side comes out.

In so far as it went with me, the first thing after taking my coat off at my friends was to get into my black pinafore dress as a adult litle gurl before having a cup of tea and getting one of my dollies out before getting on to helping to make our evening meal which was Lamb Chop, Mashed Potato and boiled Broccoli.

On the Saturday morning I helped with packing the car with not just our personal stuff but those things we had bought for for other people such as games and bread.

It took us about three hours thirty so we arrived around a quarter to three in the afternoon which happened to just in time for a "Bacon Butty" - literally cooked back bacon between bread - which as we'd eaten before half past nine in the morning was very much appreciated that we had with some cakes.

Shortly after that I set up my room, fixed a drink and rested until about a quarter to six as I soon get tired so normally take an afternoon nap until my friend called me because it was getting toward time to fix some food.

Most people having arrived by now also were fixing food but that involved ordering Indian food and collecting it but we decided to fix our own so I had get utensils out and peel potatoes for some mash with our steak pies, the best in the Midlands which was soon enough done.

One group activity we did was doing jigsaws three of them  although I think we met our  match with one based on Chocolates that we really struggled with  and the London Underground where we did get around 75% of it done but struggled with the masses of pure white bits that we couldn't slot in even though we knew they just had to.

On the Sunday a small Tatty Teddie was found outside my door and after a while it emerged so had everyone else as one group member had left them which I though was a lovely idea.

Something I and I think a couple of others did was colouring so it was as well I bought my pencils and one book although there were  other things to colour in to which I did as I find both relaxing and also helpful with my hand-eye co-ordination.

On a few days a group of us including myself decided to walk varying distances around the neighbouring countryside, being alert to the local wildlife, vegetation and the solitude enjoying being in the fresh air, feeling care free.

As well, that day saw a film show put on with Paddington Turns Detective, an assemblage of Donald Duck cartoons plus the Laurel and Hardy classic Help Mates that we enjoyed and her home made sound movie of a 1999 steam trip from Birmingham to Liverpool Lime Street which featured a few stations I am most familiar with. Ice Cream cones were served during the interval.

A little surprisingly that home made film was a hit with everyone!

There was a music quiz.

Tuesday saw a kind of Princess Hunt where you have to find them all to win a prize which was fun as rushed up and down the building looking everywhere for the princesses (and I mean everywhere including the Laundry!!!)

On the Wednesday we left after packing everything we'd taken with us and shared but because we needed to leave before mid morning several of us had done some packing before and generally tidied things up ready for the venues staff to come in and clean.

For me though this wasn't the end of this adventure after encountering  showers with temperatures around 2 degrees C  as we made our way toward Northamptonshire whereas it was really pretty sunny where we'd set off from we arrived back at my friends house.

After helping unload the car in two stages as it was a bit wet, the coal fire was lit and we had a cup of tea with cakes spending our time talking about the everything we'd all done and catching up on some tv such as Call The Midwife and The 2018 series of Great American Railroad Journeys travel documentary.

On Thursday I departed catching a train earlier than planned but itself delayed due to some incident at Birmingham that lead to one railway platform being taken out of use just as I had climbed part way up the stairs for it!

Thankfully getting the cab home at the other end was a lot more straightforward  and my driver was pretty talkative.

I had a fantastic time.

Time away

I was away with friends recently and here's some thoughts  from that period.

A good a start as any is to look at my emotions which as you all know have been all over the place with the permanent loss of one relative and sadly the living loss of uncle who is sleeping further and further into the Alzheimer's fog, struggling to recognize a soul.

In some ways at least it takes me back to how I was when I was Thirteen around the time my Grandpa died when I was sent around to keep an eye on him although in truth I felt way way out of my depth struggling even then look after myself never mind being expected to make (relatively) mature decisions when neither of us could understand each other but everybody else was going through the charade pretending this was okay.

I know, we all know, losing a close relative is a loss, and you do grieve for them but this memory is associated with feeling helpless, inadequate even and it's that which has been on my mind.

For me, being away was necessary because I needed to have mental and emotional space to process these thoughts and to do things that made me feel happy and whole again so just being focused more on play being away from the environment where all this hangs around cloud style was a must.

It also helped that those who I entrusted about what was happening were supportive, showing love and concern without smothering me so while being supported I could breathe while sharing and taking turns helped reconnect me as I am very prone to just shutting down when feeling overwhelmed emotionally.

One thing unexpected that happened was because the meet up this time was more laid back with less structured activity a few of us did feel not withstanding it was Winter to venture out of doors so we actually went on longish nature trails.

I found just being away from things, switching off to all other than the natural sounds,sights and smells helped  as we walked talked about various things although it was the case I did lose my footing and had to pulled up as my foot landed in mud and started to go sliding requiring my camera and shoes to cleaned !

We also encountered dogwalkers who actually were not phazed by seeing me in a dress and three-quarter socks along their travels and indeed one complemented me on my looks as friends with permission stroked the dogs!

While thinking a bit about where you might go makes sense avoiding extreme presentations, sometimes we set the bar in terms of what can be accepted higher than many are prepared to accept us as ourselves.

While out I also did some photography which usually helps relax me.

One thing I did talk about with member of the group who also has brain damage was how we do things, the things we do appear on the surface to cope with that leads others to think we don't have the needs we actually do.

This is something I do find a problem not least in trying to shop where staff are trying to upsell to you and make offers that I'm in no position to deal with leaving me in suspended animation and others seeing me struggle asking if you're okay because I haven't just frozen but have gone mute. I'd sooner have an official card I can show so I can treated more like a minor at the counter as my capacity in these situations is very much sub adult and in that respect I need 'protection'.

When I'm away I'm always 'looked after' in their words "I always treat you more like a child" and apart from the odd verbal reminder I did behave myself and helped out making what I was to eat and doing chores such as setting the table or loading the car ready to go.

They are quite firm with me around that whole area of having to assume some responsibility and play an active if of necessity limited role which was a bit of culture shock at first but is helping me do a bit more and find some self discipline.

I found the time away did help me think past those issues that were on my mind, finding more joy in more fun child-like things which is in so many ways where I remain ever the adult but child while the walking helped with developing and maintaining better fitness not just physically but also mentally too.