Kims 5km Challenge
I am gearing up to do the Adidas Women’s Challenge 2008 in Hyde Park, London.
This will be my 3rd time. The difference is that I will be running it instead of my usual walk/skip regime.
I figured if I can run a half marathon then 5km is completely possible. The benefits of this over the 13 mile Hastings Half is that:
a) it is only 5 km
and
b) the route is flat!
I am asking everyone that knows me and would like to help me raise money for my chosen charity the Tree of Life for Animals to please donate just £1 on my fundraising page which you will find here:
http://www.justgiving.com/kimclarke-womens-challenge-london-08
Thank you for your support!
P.S. If anyone wants to join me please email
Captain Jeremy's Pirate Pub Crawl
To give Jeremy a good send off we organised a pub crawl around Hastings.
Dressed as Pirates we followed the Treasure Map and fought our way through the dangerous seas to find the golden treasure.
Pirate Gang of Hastings
Well no, we got drunk and merry, ate chips and generally had a good time.
It was sad to say Goodbye to Jeremy - but hopefully this isn’t the last we’ve seen of him!
Jeremy and Yulia enjoy chips outside the Anchor
Alfie comes to Hastings
My brother Dan, sis-in-law Jemma and my little nephew Alfie visited us this weekend.
It was their 2nd time, but the first chance Alfie got to experience the beach and the sea and the seagulls as he was only 5 months last time.
We had a lovely time and got to visit Middle Farm on Sunday to see the animals, have cakes and scones and enjoy some cider.
Alfie on Hastings Beach
Cool dude
The Clarkes on the farm
Come back soon!
Lively Liverpool
Our friend Iain turned ** last week. Unfortunately Pete was obviously not meant to attend the party as his car broke down, the AA man took 3 hours to recover him and then the trains all had engineering works. After setting off from Hastings at 7am he only made it as far as north london by 5pm and gave it up as a bad job.
However I was in Wakefield already and managed to make it. After a few beers in the sun and a slap up curry we headed into Liverpool for cocktails, beer and a boogie.
We ended up at relax, a cheesy but fun 80’s nightclub where we dressed Iain up with a hen night devils tail and a ‘Relax’ sweatband - he looked scarily like Ralph Macchio (The Karate Kid actor). What do you reckon?
Cheese making day
Pete and I hired the car and set off on a sunny Thursday afternoon heading for Chard in Somerset. The reason? We had a cheesemaking course to attend!
It was a birthday present for Pete last year but we hadn’t been able to make any of the dates in 2007. Because it was a fair distance we camped over the night before. It was lovely pitching up as the sunset, cooking tea on the stove and sampling some somerset cider.
On the Friday morning we packed up and set off to Magdalen Farm. Magdalen Farm is home to The Magdalen Project, an environmental and educational charity based on a beautiful 132-acre organic farm in deep countryside on the Dorset / Somerset border.
Our course was held by Rita Ash, a quintessential english lady who has made cheese for over 40 years at home as well as teaching it in agricultural colleges and set ups all around the globe.
Although we didn’t get to make cheese (it takes a minimum 24 hours) we saw each stage of the process (minus the maturation) and got to sample some of Rita’s ‘Blue Peter cheeses’: Here’s some I made earlier.
Delicious! The lunch was fabulous - everything we ate had been grown on the farm and made that morning. Potato and mint soup, quiche, salad, strawberry, onion and balsamic salad, stuffed peppers and followed by chocolate mousse.
It’s only a matter of time before I get round to trying to replicate it at home. It seems easy enough - I just need a few pieces of equipment and I’m ready to go! I shall post pics of any cheeses I make as proof.
Visit the Magdalen Project website here for more information on what they do and what courses are on offer - www.themagdalenproject.org.uk
It really is a beautiful place and we will definitely be heading back!
Bank Holiday Weekend
Had a super weekend this End of May bank holiday. Busy busy bees we were.
Saturday 24th
On Saturday we had a parade in Rye with Sambalanco. Lots of little school kids dressed as bees, birds and butterflies and us in our bright purple and yellow gear banging our drums and tinging our Agogo bells.
Pete with his Serdo Drum
The weather was glorious as we wandered through the cobbled streets of Rye and finished at the harbour where we all enjoyed a beer and an icecream whilst getting sunburnt.
Kim with headdress and Tamba
Sunday 25th
Today we headed over to Battle to experience the annual Battle Medieval Fair. It happens in Abbey Green just in front of Battle Abbey. Food and drink stalls, lacemakers, falconry and owls, dragon tellers, jugglers, jesters and the Maypole dancers all gather together and celebrate.
Battle Abbey Medieval Fair 2008
Pete and I were selling Battle Cider with Lucy and Andy who make it. It’s cracking stuff and we had a great day with the sun shining once more.
Pete and Andy - cheers!
In the evening we got the free bus to the Black Horse Music Festival in a little village called Telham. Got there just in time to see the finale, Trans Global Underground who are well known for their amazing sounds - a combination of music from around the world. Brilliant.
Trans Global Underground at Black Horse Music Festival 2008
Monday 26th
What a miserable finish to the weekend. I stayed to sell Battle Cider until the afternoon, Pete had left earlier that morning to head into the office.
Despite the cold and showers, plenty of people still came to enjoy our ‘rustic apple juice of the alcoholic variety’
The evening saw Pete and I cosy up and watch a film before catching up on sleep ready for work the next day.
A Lady who rows
I have been recruited to join a few friends at the Hastings Rowing Club.
Tuesday was my first session and despite a cold and wet workout - it was an amazing adrenaline spiked experience.
All 3 of us enjoyed it and can’t wait for next week - especially if we get to add a few more to our team of Coastal Cuties as Becky calls us.
Watch this space!
Boo and Molly Moo
A couple of pics of Molly Moo and Boo.
Gorgeous Molly sunning herself on the windowsill
Bootiful Boo and Molly taking over our sofa
Jack in the Green
Jack in the Green is a May Day festival celebrated around the UK, but the best one happens in Hastings. This year was the 25th anniversary, and now Pete and I were in Sambalanco, we were to take part in the procession through the streets of the old town, dressed up in our purple and yellow “uniform”.
Sam-ba-lan-co!
After the street parade we headed up to the castle where we had a stage set before the Jack was ‘killed to release the spirit of summer’. We finished playing at 6pm with a jamming session in the Chess Square, George Street.
Jack in the Green Street Parade starts at the net huts at Rock-a-Nore
The sun was shining all day, we had a fantastically fun time and was sorry when it was all over but we were exhausted by the end of it.
Our next parade is in Rye next Bank Holiday weekend.
See our MySpace Sambalanco page.
Sambalanco
We have joined a Samba music band called Sambalanco. It has about 20-25 fantastic, friendly members and is a great way to make some noise!
Samba is a loud, proud, rhythmic style of music that is made with a variety of instruments that include the Cowbells, Shakers, Tambourine and a variety of snare drums, small contra drums and the larger base drums.
Pete plays the Number 1 Serdu drum whilst I have the more delicate but just as noisy Tambourine and at least I can dance with mine!
Once I have been more, I will learn all their correct names of the instruments. We have even been practicing in Hastings Town Centre in preparation for Jack in the Green on 5th May 2008.
Pete on the Serdu
Kim on the Tambourine
We often go for a drink at The Street after practice
The Gang
See our MySpace Sambalanco page.