Blimey its Friday already!

This week has just gone by so fast. We have had some lovely weather which has meant that we have been out all week.

Tuesday was yet more Jack-ing, hundreds of green bits everywhere the over jacket is now coming to completion (will post photos when done). Wednesday was spent in the park with some friends. A great day playing around looking at the flowers and blossom whilst having a good old natter.

Yesterday was a family day to Portsmouth, We visited the Historic Docks though not the Mary Rose as the exhibit is closed till 2012 or sometime like that. Littleun really enjoyed himself and had great fun playing treasure hunt on the HMS Victory and looking at the HMS Warrior.

The HMS Victory was Nelsons Flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar. Completed in 1765 but reserved until 1778 and costing £63,176, she was used steadily until her repairs in 1800.

Three years later she set sail as Nelson's flagship. Leaving Portsmouth at 227ft long and with 821 officers and men she was a sight to see.

Nowadays resting in dry docks at Portsmouth she has had many visitors admire her and we definitely appreciated the work that must have gone into her construction as well as the lives of the men who called her home for many months at a time.

The HMS Warrior completed almost a hundred years after the HMS Victory was at her time the largest, fastest and most heavily armed/armoured warship going.

At 418ft long she had 705 crew and cost a staggering £332,000 almost bankrupting the shipyard before the Admiralty stepped in. She is a mix of sail and steam with an iron hull, a fierce combination which allowed her to out-run and out-gun any and all her foes. Built with efficiency and attention to detail she really is my favorite of the two. The transition of technology at the time is clearly shown in her with the massive engine room just fascinating (well for a geek like me!) with the older style of fitting showing on some of the upper decks.

Littleun loved the messes and decided that the officer rooms were just what he wanted for his bedroom!

Today was spent swimming with my aunt. Littleun loves the water but at 4 still hasn't learnt to swim. Something that I am really keen on him to do as living by water I think for safety he should. However today he did his first proper moves, legs kicking arms desperately holding onto the tubular float he proudly started to move about. So many thanks R, glad you managed to get him going!