GHS Halloween and Bonfire Party 2016

Introduction
If anyone wondered where I might of been  over the last few days it was because I was away with friends over a three day period and it is usual for me to be off line during the period so  get the break away from the cyber world and deal exclusively with the real one.
After arriving and changing into my tunic, as it was the start of the weekend I had a math lesson covering measurement using imperial measurement which wasn't something I had when I went to school and in a country that commonly uses them being brought up on Metric, I am confused by them so we covered inches and and yards, pounds, ounces, stones and hundred weights. I also did some multiplication and division.I wasn't as attentive as might of been which was picked up upon!

I also did some cake making  too, which is a bit of first for me even if  it was a ready bought cake mix, cracking open and stirring  the egg in,ladling the egged mixture in the cases before putting in the oven for fifteen minutes. Miracle of miracles they actually rose!!!
 I made the icing although some landed where it shouldn't like on  the grown up in charge of me and then  spooned it onto the risen cakes before applying  the decorative stickers made from icing.
We were going to have cottage pie for tea and as it's 2016 I was to help out so I helped chop onions (that made me cry), potatoes for mashing ,dice carrots and cabbage while the grown up sealed the mince beef adding the onions before taking that adding to the carrots and cabbage with gravy  to cook putting the now mashed potatoes on top. The grown up put it in the oven so it all cooked.
It tasted really well and was the first time I had something I made a substantial contribution toward making.
On the Saturday morning, I got up, wished up any outstanding dishes and fixed some breakfast before setting down at the desk to do some more Frozen colouring while we waited for the others to arrive. I also showed them my English study guide I work with.
Upon their arrival we had home beefburgers made from local ingredients and served in tasty white bread buns.
Thankfully the weather held up well so were able to hold our Willy Wonka themed treasure hunt with clues from the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory book and movies outside in a big garden looking for clues and finding lots and lots of Wonka Bars! I won three of them!
By that point we went inside so while the bonfire people were talking, four of us including my best friend on an other site made Pumpkin Lanterns from the pumpkins she and an other had provided together with some child-safe tools.
Making one is a bit messy, which may be a part of why we like it  and this is the one I made.

Having finished them off, the Tea Lights were put in them and taken outside.
As well, connected with the Willly Wonka theme we had kits to make our own chocolate although you did need grown up help with melting the chocolate and putting it into the mould so I made this bunny rabbit shaped one from milk chocolate. Sammy made a chocolate Shark.

We also played with play-doh making things and cutting out shapes which was fun.
After this we went outdoors having put coats and warmer attire on to observe at a safe distance our bonfire that had been made in the late afternoon laughing as it roared like a lion with an orangey glow.
After that we moved a bit further back as our fireworks we safely lit by Andi which included Catherine Wheels and rockets oohing and awwing as they lit up the night sky in brilliant colours and shapes.
After all that excitement we had a freestyle buffet to which everybody had contributed something including my cakes with some of us in our jim-jams as it was a little late eating in the front room with the coal fire going. Paul had found some  Ham in beer which was intriguing as although I had heard of it -it's Belgium- I've never tasted before and Andi's blancmange based trifle which was really lovely
We were all a bit late getting up with all the excitement of the previous day, stretching our backs and flexing the paws as we got a light breakfast. I had on my green pleated school skirt which Jennifer approved of.
We went for a bit of a walk the local canal observing the wildlife and the spectacular colours of the Fall and even a narrow boat in a flight of locks until we came to a public house that most over here does do food which was where we going to have lunch together before we left.
The one thing that struck me upon be escorted to the tables we'd booked was the relatively high number of reservations which suggested an air of confidence among locals and that passing trade while important wasn't their main thing.
After getting a class of orange, I ordered a turkey roast with trimmings with the vegetables coming separately to be shared between us  that was well cooked but not dry which matters not least with the turkey itself and the stuffing. For a desert I opted for the fudge cake which was a really large portion served with a drizzled sauce and ice cream which was very yummy.

We made our way back and it wasn't long before a group of us needed to get to the local rail station to take the train home so Andi kindly drove us there before she made her way back being more local.
I only had a short wait for the London Midland service to Liverpool that calls at Cheshire's biggest rail station to come on just slightly late on the platform (2b  not 2 3/4qtrs!) making my way into the disabled carriage area. I arrived at Crewe and with some assistance from Virgin station staff dealing with the ticket barrier went out of the concourse to the taxi rank where I got a cab back home.

To conclude this bit of a report it was interesting weekend  learning new things even if I do need supervision with them and an enjoyable one for being with friends that all contributed *something* to having fun together well away from the groan up world. I'd like to thank Andi for safely lightening the fireworks that were so much fun to watch which is important in addition taking three of us back home.