A day being Gran

When most schools went back after half-term, my youngest granddaughter (9) had a couple of extra days for 'staff training', so I was drafted in to spend one of the days with her. We decided to go to Halifax to the cinema, and on the way we called in at Manor Heath Park, one of our favourite local places. There's a small 'jungle experience' - heated greenhouses with tropical plants, huge butterflies and ponds and streams with fish and terrapins. It's all rather fun and quite educational, though these days it tends to be my granddaughter educating me, rather than the other way round! 

She guided me round the back to a walled garden that I didn't even know about. It was really attractive and peaceful and we happily explored the planting and the winding paths. M is rarely still and, given half a chance, will find a spot for dancing and jumping about. 

In one of the flower beds she discovered a small stone, painted with a picture of a blue whale. 'Look, Gran, a whale.' 'Oh, well spotted,' said I. 'Whale spotted,' she retorted, quick as a flash. I think that's the first time she's made a little joke like that with me. Obviously she's taking after me and her mum. We both love puns. 

We had a very congenial day out. The film we saw was 'Garfield, the Movie'. Of course, being deaf, I can't hear the dialogue but it wasn't hard to follow the storyline. To add to the fun, it was in 3D so we had dark glasses to wear and it appeared that things were coming out towards us from the screen. Weird but enjoyable.