8th April 2013

The cold snap shows no sign of retreating, a curious mix of sunshine and wind sharp enough to cut through three layers of clothing. Tempting though it is to get outside, the glow of the wood burner makes staying put far too easy. According to the papers, this has been the coldest March on record. Thank goodness we spent most of it hiding at sea on a cruise!

On Tuesday, Sarah joined Charlotte and the boys for lunch at Nan’s, then the whole gang appeared at Willow Bank. Sarah and Charlotte had mapped out a geocaching route along the Northamptonshire border, and I tagged along while Sue stayed home with the boys. The ground was sodden, puddles everywhere, with patches of snow for good measure. Charlotte even managed to get stuck in one, which provided the entertainment of the day. We found five caches out of seven (the other two having long since vanished into the ether). At one point, we amused ourselves by draining puddles like a pair of amateur water engineers, utterly pointless, but oddly satisfying.

Nearly three hours later, we tramped home, where I promptly lost a race down the drive, squashed Sarah’s finger in the back door, and woke Ellis from his nap. My contribution to the day’s chaos complete, Charlotte and the boys stayed for tea.

Later in the week, Sue and Sarah took Lucas and Ellis to see The Croods, followed by lunch at Charlotte’s. Meanwhile, I enjoyed the rather less animated pursuits of a haircut, seed shopping, and a stint on the allotment digging parsnips, harvesting leeks, and chopping wood. I left some leeks at Nan’s flat, but didn’t dare interrupt her bingo game; priorities are priorities. Jamie dropped by with enough meat to fill the freezer, before telling us about his plans for a holiday at the end of April.

Thursday brought another geocaching expedition with Sarah and Charlotte, this time around Stoke Albany. A brisk 3.5-mile walk produced 19 caches, a snowball fight, and a detour into Wilbarston Church. We thawed out with drinks at the Roebuck before heading back, where Lucas discovered his bike and spent the rest of the afternoon circling the garden like a junior Tour de France contender.

By Friday, Sue and I fancied a change of scene and set off for Southend-on-Sea. We checked into the rather swish Radisson Park Inn overlooking the world’s longest pier, then stretched our legs along the seafront. Despite the Easter weekend, it was pleasantly uncrowded. Geocaching was a muggled out, but dinner in the hotel restaurant more than compensated, with a glowing sunset, the lights of the Pleasure Park, and boats twinkling across the estuary.

Saturday morning saw us tuck into a hearty breakfast while watching joggers freeze along the promenade. We braved the pier on foot rather than taking the train, passing the lifeboat station and pausing at an “Only Fools and Horses” exhibition. After warming up over coffee, we spent the afternoon geocaching again, which took a rather unexpected turn. Searching in a bush, I discovered not treasure but a bundle of syringes, spoons, and drugs. Unsure what to do, we eventually tracked down a police officer outside a hotel. Keen to be rid of it, I handed it over, only then noticing that he was handcuffed to another man. Not sure who looked more surprised, him, me, or his “companion.”

That evening we stuck to safer pursuits: fish and chips, followed by a horror film. For an Easter weekend, Southend was unusually quiet; possibly everyone else had more sense and stayed indoors.

Sunday took us to Shoeburyness, where the warmer weather made for a lovely walk along the historic pier. We collected shells, admired the remnants of military architecture, and agreed it had been a surprisingly refreshing (and occasionally adventurous) break.