Playing in Priory Park

Here we go, just a few shots from the park -

- walking along with Flyingpops (like such a big boy) -

- swinging on the swings -

- climbing the climbing frame -

- playing on the seesaw -

- appreciating the works of art (and finally, a first) -

- walking along in his new shoes -

- taking a little tumble -

- and getting back to his feet without having anything near by to hold on to -

- oh and exhibiting all the signs of separation anxiety (not)...bye then Thomas! ;)

Thomas' first pair of shoes!

So Sunday, Water babies being cancelled (as there were temperature issues with both air and water - brrr!) we went as a family to go and collectively experience a rite of passage (of sorts) -buying Thomas his first pair of proper shoes - he's been getting by with a couple of pairs of crocs and a pair of tiny sandals up until now, but what with the increasingly cold weather and an undiminished enthusiasm for outdoor pursuits, it really was time to bite the bullet (sweetened considerably from an offer from his Nanny and Grandad to cover the costs involved - thanks!)...so, we all got in the car drove to Reigate (parking in Morrisons)-

- and whizzed up to the high street where a convenient (Sunday opening) boot maker is located -

The process is actually surprisingly imprecise, after a quick measure -

- (his first pair needed to be in the 4.5 range, actually rather large, but considering Daddy wears an adult size fourteen, not that surprising)

- all that is actually done is to try a succession of pairs (all brown) and see if he toddles around as comfortably as usual -

- and so, after a couple of tries (some more successful than others) -

- and one rescue from the stock room later, we had made our selection, and off we went to scuff them into a complete mess in five minutes flat play in the park! Next size up due in approximately six weeks time (groan)...

Slippery Surfaces - Canary Wharf

It really looks like fog doesn't it? It wasn't though, it was extremely dense but very fine rain, you know the kind...you think "Well, this isn't too bad" and five minutes later it's like you have been standing in the shower...this lead to some absolutely *deadly* conditions on the highly polished surfaces around "The Wharf", especially as I have just given up on my nice black Nikes (they had developed several new ventilation points over the summer, which in the words of the immortal song are now "letting in water") for a pair of quite nice grey and flourescent orange Vans, which unfortunately don't possess much in the way of grip (strange considering they are a popular shoe of choice for the "sk8terboi" set)...alright normally (as long as I am near something I can grab on to) but this morning the train was cancelled from Earlswood (only the second time since I changed hours) meaning I was in a bit of a hurry - actually, it's always bothered me that...in places where moisture is occasionally inevitable, why voluntarily put down shiny hard surfaces? Like *all* Spanish bathrooms being fitted out with shiny tiles for example? Yes it looks pretty, but the potential for accidents is high (I slipped practically every day getting out of the shower in Mexico until I remembered to put a towel down before I started), do these property managers want to get sued?

Anyway, like the towel outside the shower, I've got a bit of a method worked out now to dry the soles quickly and stay under control, as I come off the wet (and perfectly grippy) pavement and onto the slippery concourse I propel myself a little like an ice skater, skidding in a fashion whereby I don't actually lift my feet off the ground, it only takes 4 or 5 little "slides" until I feel the grip start to return...admittedly it probably looks absolutely ridiculous, but I don't care about that one jot as long as I stay upright... ;)

Shoe Shine, Canary Wharf

Well, well, lookie here...I find myself at the tail end of the year 2007 and in this high tech world of floating glass, shimmering storefronts (packed with the finest goods from all around the globe) and sat right under the most powerful symbol of progress and excellence in industry that one can find in the whole of the United Kingdom -

- hidden underneath the escalators, in the subterrainian spaces below, it is possible to see people, today, earning a living by sitting at people's feet, in public, and polishing their shoes...

...how Dickensian... ;)

New Shoes...

...thanks to Flyingpops (and the Sunday Times newspaper) I now have a nice new pair of leather shoes that really fit (and amazingly aren't either - a) made by Dr Marten or b) from the USA)...Samuel Windsor make a handmade range (which they advertised in said newspaper) right up to size 14! The pair pictured here are their "Classic Oxford", which are very comfortable indeed! ;) We did get two pairs but the other ones were a bit too big(!) so they went back via the Royal Mail today for them to send a slightly smaller model...it's normally my experience to walk into a shoe shop and be lucky if there is even 1 pair to try on (no option on the style at all)...in fact, I even failed miserably at the "Dr Marten Store" in Covent Garden, "Sorry, the biggest size we stock is 12"...pathetic...not everyone is a midget, you know! ;)