Alfie had a fantastic birthday party yesterday at Dudley Zoo with 15 of his little friends. Once we made our way through the police cordons to the car park (access was controlled due to EDF and  UAF rallies) it was great day First of all the land train took us up the hill past the flamingoes and monkeys to the castle where there was a ferret to stroke, and sea lions to see. Once inside the party room all the children got to hold or touch a rat, a bearded dragon, a chinchilla and cockroaches, before making a fridge magnet. then lunch and face painting, before being free to explore the zoo for the rest of the day. My indoor photos haven’t really come out, and I didn’t get a chance to take any of the cake or candles being blown out. Hopefully I’ll be able to put Dad’s photos of it all up once they’re back from London.

We got held up trying to leave the zoo at the end of a fantastic but tiring day as the protesters had broken through the barriers and it was considered unsafe to let us out of the zoo. Eventually we were taken via a bizarre back route through rough ground to the zoo car park and made our getaway We stopped off at Basmati for a much needed curry on the way home

A quiet day today to recover. Easter egg hunt in the garden, roast dinner, a bit of spring cleaning, and opening all the presents from yesterday Alfie had some more wonderful things, including some fantastic books and craft bits and pieces. Thank you to all my friends for sparing us any (more) plastic tat

All in all a fantastic birthday week for my wonderful little man