Snoozy Sunday

Well here I am back at Woodland Grange for the second week of my NEBOSH course. Apparently this week is easier (I certainly hope so!) Unfortunately the first exam didn't go wonderfully as I had complete brain failure - one of those cases where I completely forgot stuff that I'd been looking at only a few minutes before. Of course it's sods law that now I'm out of the exam environment I can remember the answers without a problem (isn't that always the way?) Anyway I'm sure the week will be okay even if I do end up as nervous and sick-feeling before the exam as I did last week.

I stayed just outside Leamington Spa for the weekend as I couldn't face the long journey back and forth and so Mrs H3 came to visit and we spent yesterday at Warwick Castle. It isn't a cheap day out once you start to add it all up - tickets are £18.50 each (although we were lucky that someone gave us a discount voucher which gave us 2 for 1 entry) plus another £2.75 each for the Ghosts Alive attraction (definitely worth a visit), car park is a fiver and then of course there's the cost of food and drink, not to mention all those little souvenirs one so desperately needs to buy ...

I had forgotten to mention in previous posts that Mrs H3 and I had been to the O2 bubble to see the Tutankhamun exhibition for her birthday a couple of weeks ago - which was also incredibly expensive (think almost £60 for 2 tickets including entrance to the 3D film 'Secrets of the Mummies') and to be honest it wasn't a patch on Warwick Castle. Although it was interesting to see the egyptian stuff, most of it wasn't anything to do with Tutankhamun (or two tanks as we now think of him) and disappointingly the mummy wasn't there (which we knew but was still disappointing) but worse still neither was that elaborate death mask - you know, the one everyone thinks of when thinking of egyptian grave goods ... the one that they are using on the posters to promote the exhibition (very much a rip off I thought!) The film was interesting, mainly for the 3D aspect rather than interest value. Although it did fill a couple of hours I personally wouldn't want to go again and I'm not sure I'd recommend it to anyone either.

However, Warwick Castle is a different matter. The place is brilliant and I would heartily recommend anyone who's ever in the area to go and visit. Obviously there is a big castle ... and very impressive it is too. Add to that archery, waxworks in authentically restored rooms, weaponries, fantastic birds of prey and the largest trebuchet in the world (22 tonnes) and it adds up to a cracking day out.

They cleverly schedule different things throughout the year so you could go every couple of months and not get bored. Although the weather wasn't fantastic, at turns cold, wet and then hot and sunny we both had a good day, and it was a full day too. We arrived about 11am and left about 5pm. Obviously we looked at all the displays and watched 2 of the birds of prey displays as they used different birds each time as well as taking part in the seasonal entertainment which was fairytale princesses and princes. A lot of fun for everyone involved - I just wish I had a job anywhere near as interesting as the one the people that work at the castle have ... and they get to dress up too!

Mrs H3 did take some photos which will follow at a later date when I have a chance to upload them.