To the Trains

Today didn't get off to such an early start, whoop whoop!!
Our lovely youngest daughter decided she wouldn't disturb us until 8am so we had a lie in! What an angel!!!
My mum, dad and I took Archie and Elsie for a walk after breakfast. There are several footpaths leading from the campsite - including the Purbeck Way leading to Corfe Castle. We took the bridlepath towards The Blue Pool which I'd never heard of but which my dad went to as a child and was keen to get back to. 
No time today to go all the way but what a beautiful walk to return to. The dogs loved it! 
Well Archie loved it until he got stung by a massive hornet. Luckily my mum noticed him jump a mile all of a sudden and we were able to get it off him. Bless him, it was right in the middle of his back and he couldn't get to it and was clearly bothered by it.
I was worried he might have an adverse reaction but he seemed OK.
We had to dash back to jump in the car to drive to Norden Station to get the steam train to Swanage.
It's only about 200 yards from the campsite but it's long a busy main road and we'd left it a bit late to walk.
We'd evidently left it too late to drive too as we heard the Noon train whistling and chuffing its way out of the station as we parked the car!!
Missing the train meant we had a lovely forty minutes sitting in the sunshine on the platform eating cake and ice cream (everyone apart from me) and tea (me!)
The train was fabulous - like stepping back in time! The steam trains make me so nostalgic even though I obviously never actually used them in real life! The carriages are still familiar from my younger days - doors that you open by reaching through the window, the upholstery, the windows you can actually open, the wood, the lovely train smell. Just brilliant!!!
The scenery between Norden and Swanage is beautiful, and it was great seeing the castle from the train - another different view of it! 
It's only a short walk from Swanage station to the beach and the Little Misses were soon stripping off into their swimming things and running into the water while my dad and I went to Harry Ramsden's across the street to get fish and chips for lunch. It took so long that by the time we got back the Little Misses were out and changed!!
Once we'd eaten I took the Little Misses over to the arcade for another half hour's fun on the 2p machines. I think we may need family therapy to get us over our addiction!!!!!
A new thing (well new since the late Eighties, I don't know when it actually started!!!) is the tickets that come out of the machines. As you feed in the 2ps (like a crazed Zombie!) tickets come out of the machine randomly. You collect tickets and then get a prize at the end. When you finally have the willpower not to change another £1 into 2ps and you can't scavange round the machines anymore!!!
It adds a whole new dimension. Always just needing a few more tickets to get a better prize!!
My name is Mrs K and I am addicted to 2p machines!!!!
We went back to the station early for the 6pm train so we could have a drink in the cafe which is in a refurbished carriage. We sat out in the sun, drinking tea, listening to the robin and watching the Little Misses play with the tat treasures they'd got from the arcade.
We had a compartment on the way back and it was like being Harry Potter!!
There were what sounded like thousands of feral children running up and down in the corridor by our compartment and several of them kept coming and banging on our door, pressing their faces up against the glass, winding the dogs up and generally being very annoying. 
My family vetoed the suggestion that we just let the dogs out into the corridor to scare the little shits off so instead I went out and told them to stop and told their mother to keep them under control as they were upsetting our dogs. "They're not all mine" she said as if that made it OK!!!!!!
I hate it when people don't at least try and control children. The adults had obviously all collapsed into the compartment after a tiring day and were welcoming a break from the kids!!!!! Grrrrrrrrrr!!!! 
And how bloody dangerous to let them run wild all over a steam train - with wonderful doors and windows that you can easily open all by yourself at any point!!
Anyway rant over!
The journey was beautiful and rather than go straight back to Norden station we decided to get off at Corfe station for a look round and then get the last train of the day back to Norden. 
Corfe station was magical in the evening light. We stood up on the bridge as train came the opposite way and were treated to a blast of steam and a tooting whistle. Fabulous!!!
Once back to the car we took Nana, Papa and the Little Misses back to the campsite, dropped them all off and then headed straight back into Corfe for dinner for two at The Greyhound. Another delicious meal. What a treat!!