Slightly Mad or Quintessentially British???

Hello Everyone. Am hoping you have had a lovely weekend? Two posts from me in one weekend – what is going on!!!?? I have had a quiet week after my day surgery on Monday – was told to take the week off work and rest. I did try but you know us Executive Domestic Engineers never get time off, right? I did spend a couple of afternoons on the sofa with tea, crochet and a movie so I think I did ok. I didn’t go very far all week – just to school, preschool and the corner shop, the furthest of which is 500yds away.

Today we have had an outing though – oooooooOOOOOOOooooooo!! Our nearest small town had a bit of an event happening today. Recently lots of things have been cancelled because of the rotten weather but this was still going ahead despite a showery forecast – yay! So we walked down, the parking gets tricky when its busy. Here is what we saw…

Can you tell what it is yet? (My best Rolf Harris impersonation!)

Here’s a closer look…

Yep, ducks.

It was our local duck race. Tickets cost a pound each (money raised goes to charity) and the number on your ticket corresponds with the number on your duck. They tip them all in at the same time using a digger on the bridge and off they go. These pictures are near the start, hence the large amount of ducks close together. It really is total luck because they get stuck behind rocks and in whirlpools and eddys.

It was really busy. Lots of people.

I find it quite funny that we should tip a lot of toy ducks in the river for a race. And even funnier that so many people buy tickets and essentially gamble on their duck coming first!!! We must all be slightly bonkers!! The kids love it.

Getting closer to their destination now. They are more spread out. There was quite a lot of water in the river this year so I think the winning duck would have arrived long before we did. Last year it took them ages to get to the finishing line.

There, they’ve made it at last, The Finish Line. These brave people have the task of collecting them all up at the end. Not fun today I would think, as it was quite chilly and jumpers were on. Not a day for paddling.

At the end there are some stalls and fairground rides. The boys both had a go at Hook-A-Duck, Little J went on a roundabout and Big J won on a tombola. Both came home happy with their prizes and some of what is known in our house as – Candyfluff (something else that Little J misheard!). No idea which duck came first but I am pretty sure it wasn’t any of us – they would have phoned by now!

Feeling quite worn out now so I am off to the sofa with the crochet again. I have been working on my crochet patchwork blanket again… finally! It had been put down and left for quite a while but I have discovered that it is the perfect thing to make time pass in hospital waiting rooms – made two squares while waiting on Monday. It keeps you busy but isn’t to complicated – love it. I another appointment next friday so it may have another outing then.

Have a great week.