Royal Pump Rooms - Leamington Spa - Saturday 28th July

We're trying to make the most of the Summer Holidays, and the most of the time we have together as a whole family, Mr Bogert included, so weekends are our best times.

We haven't been to the Royal Pump Rooms before, in fact, we don't really spend a lot of time in Leamington. I used to work there when I was a teenager, and that is pretty much the last time I used to spend any amount of time there.

I had seen the Art Gallery was running a children's art competition on this day, and as Alexandra loves drawing so much, I thought she might have fun. We had a look around the displays including a temporary sporting exhibtion called "Going for Gold". The Small Person chose an Olympic poster in this display as inspiration for her art work. She spent a lot of time just trying to get the wiggly water lines right. She was given a medal, a biscuit and a drink for taking part.



This is the Small Person Art Competition entry based on an olympic poster.

We've had more lovely weather this weekend, so we set out across the road from the gallery into Jephson Gardens, and sat with a picnic under a big tree (that the Small Person was convinced was just the right size for her to climb!). After eating, we had a little look around the hot house. They had Olympic inspired art work from the local schools on display.

Then it was across the bridge into the children's play area. The Smaller Person was convincedhe could do all of the things that his big sister was doing, and it took a bit of persausion to get him to stick to the smaller play things. He also wasn't entirely convinced by the tube slide. Another little girl had to show him it was OK before he would go down, then there was no stopping him.

We started to take a slow wander back to the art gallery for the anouncement of the art competition winnders. The Smaller Person loved the fact he was allowed to walk freely again. He spent some time talking to the pigeons and a goose by the water.

Back in the Art Gallery, The Small Person had just enough time to make a mask with one of their family activity craft packs, before the winners of the art competition were anounced.

The Small Person was so happy - she won second prize in the competition in her age category, and was given a certificate and a £15 voucher for WHSmith. She had her photograph taken with the other winners and the judges, and her art work is now on display in the gallery. She said "I just keep winning things!".