Holi festival in Gateshead

What a fun-filled afternoon we had. The metros weren’t running so #3 daughter drove Mr C, the children and me into town to drop us off. We met #2 and the boys at Haymarket where they met a puppeteer. He showed them how to manipulate his Bob Marley puppet. James really got the hang of it quickly and had it doing high 5 with Nathaniel.

We had a good spot to watch the parade to celebrate the kittiwakes - the furthest inland these seabirds nest is on the Tyne Bridge. The parade was to celebrate all kinds of migration, people as well as birds. There were kittiwake models of all sizes swooping down to the onlookers. Music was provided by Ken’s street band. He plays the tuba. I got a great photo of him but decided on this one. It is only on the phone so cropped and fuzzy but I liked the joyful faces.

After that excitement we all walked down to the Tyne, weaving our way through the hen parties. The children spotted an ice cream van near the Millennium bridge so Mr C treated them. We crossed the bridge to the Baltic where the Holi festival was in full swing.

Ella was desperate to get her hand decorated with henna so I took her inside for that while the others watched the music outside. After we came out the colour-throwing was going on in a penned off area. A woman beckoned us over and put some on our faces. As soon as we found the boys they wanted some. Then Nathaniel and James wanted henna too (Thomas didn’t) but when I took them in we were told we had to clean up as we couldn’t get the galleries messy. I discovered it wiped off quite easily when in the women’s loos but by the time the boys came out of the men’s the henna women had packed up and gone. When we were waiting of the lift down again James said he was going by the stairs but when we got down and waited he never appeared. Panic. Ella and Nathaniel were sure he’d have beaten us down and would already be outside which is what had happened and he was safely with Mr C, his mum and Thomas.

We got back out in time to see some of the dancing but then Nathaniel realised he’d left his specs in the men’s loo when he was trying to get the colour off his face. Just as he was telling me a nice Indian chap overheard and said he’d just handed them in to reception. In we trotted to retrieve the specs - by which time the dancing was done and in the pen there was more music and colour throwing. I was disappointed I’d missed most of the dancing but it was a full-on fun day enhanced by being so friendly and good-humoured.

#2 daughter and the boys had to trek back up to town to get James some trainers but we were lucky as #3 had got back from getting her nails done so was able to drive to pick us up from behind the Malmaison. They were all going out to a friend’s for tea so we got our car and drove home.

We are ready for a stiff gin - it’s quite hard work keeping an eye on the 4 of them with so much going on around us.