Easter in Worthing: When your plans go wrong because of chicken pox

I’d been eagerly awaiting the Easter holidays, as it’s nice to have a break.

With a teacher for a husband and one child in school, it’s easy to get carried away and think the countdown they’re doing in the lead up to the holidays applies to you.

Until, that is, you remember you don’t get 13 weeks off a year, so you’ll actually be working as normal. And, in fact, your work-life will actually be busier than normal because other people (those infinitely more sensible than you!) have actually booked annual leave across these two Easter weeks.

So, alas, here I am. Still working, no break, but consoling myself by eating an unhealthy amount of Mini Eggs. But don’t worry, I’m sure it’s ok, because the packets are so small now, there can’t be many calories in them. Can there...?!

Aside from eating a lot of chocolate, I did manage to get out and about at the weekend.

As promised last week, we went to Nymans. I bang on about National Trust properties a lot. They’re not paying me, and haven’t asked me to, I just really, really love them.

They’re the perfect family day out, because the kids can run around in the fresh air, the adults can get their steps up, and there’s cake. You can’t beat a nice bit of lemon drizzle or a scone after an afternoon spent admiring the rhododendrons. (If that sentence isn’t the polar opposite of my column last week, then I don’t know what is. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Well, you should be a regular reader, shouldn’t you! Online readers have an advantage here as I’ll insert a hyperlink)

Because it’s Easter, most National Trust properties have special events on. At Nymans it’s an Easter trail, with a reward of a chocolate egg at the end. There are ten information points around the grounds, which gives the kids a good incentive to tour the whole place while being engaged in little activities.

It’s £3 each, on top of admission, but I’d say it’s worth it to give them something to focus on. Plus, it saved us having to spend money on an ice cream!

We had planned to visit Wakehurst too, where there is a special Hungry Caterpillar installation, but that is probably going to have to wait. That’s because, at the time of writing this, I think my son is coming down with chicken pox...

There seem to be a few telltale blisters on his torso, and as the day has gone on, a couple more have appeared.

So instead of the planned Easter jaunts, including finally going on the Bluebell Railway after years of saying ‘we really must do that’, we’re now looking for more housebound activities (but avoiding, as much as possible, craft activities, as we all know my dislike of them – remember my pom pom problem? No? Well, you really should have read that column, too!)

To cope with the impending infection, we have special cream and Calpol at the ready. Now we’re just hoping he doesn’t suffer too badly. Wish us luck!

I know I said last weekend was my last time going out for a while. But I’d forgotten I’d already booked in a date with some school mums for a drink at one of Worthing’s latest watering holes...

One of my friends lives in High Salvington, and suggested we have a night at the new Refreshment Rooms –the village shop and micro pub in Salvington Hill. Who knew High Salvington is where the party’s at? It was positively bustling when we arrived, but luckily we managed to stalk out a table and grab it as people left. It was a fab night of wine and chat. And best of all, it closes at 10pm, so you can have a night out and be tucked up in bed at a decent time. Bliss!

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