Brighton

It's over a week since we were down on the south coast, celebrating Alice's degree in Brighton. After the degree ceremony, two hours of continual clapping was just a tad too long!

On Wednesday we had a day trip to the seaside, Brighton, to see Alice's Degree Show. Alice studied textiles, specialising in knitting, with business studies. I really love Alice's final pieces, all hand knitted and crocheted, based on fishermen's knots, ropes and nets. Well done Alice!

We went with great expectation because we love their TV show, but the live show was very poor. At times you glimpsed their genius but for the most part they rested on their laurels and it was very disappointing. The show was tipped too far towards their music and the comedy felt like an add on. The transition from cult to mainstream is often the death of shows like this.

Yesterday Ashley and I went down to Brighton for the day. We meet up with Alice and did some shopping. We had a very nice lunch at a veggie restaurant that Alice had found. The restaurant was called Iydea. 17 Kensington Gardens, North Laine. The weather was warm enough for us to eat outside. We all enjoyed the food and would recommend it. One downside was I didn't get to try the home made lemonade. I bought one but managed to spill it. I just missed a man sitting opposite. Poor man he was just enjoying a coffee, reading a book.

Another day trip to Brighton, this time a girls day out shopping and lunch. A day return ticket for 4 just £25, bargain. When we arrived in Brighton it was straight off the train down to the sea front and a beachside cafe for coffee, then some shopping and lunch at a Mexican restaurant. Met up with Alice briefly to give her an eighties retro black cotton beaded jumper, I bought it on Wednesday at St Albans market for £2, it had shoulder pads and I thought it was fab, Alice did too and tells me she is wearing it as a dress with gold boots!

On Friday I went to Brighton for the day with my friends Susie, David, their daughter Issy and 8 of her friends, it was Issy's birthday treat. The weather could not have been better for early April. Issy is 14 so her and her friends are independent enough to explore Brighton without too much adult supervision. When we arrived we went to the beach and had coffee at a beachside cafe, the girls went on the beach and down to the sea.

My daughter Alice is at Uni. in Brighton studying textiles specialising in knitting. Alice learnt to knit at junior school, Aboyne Lodge, taught by one of the mums who gave up her time and patience, It paid off, thank you Mrs Loader. One of Alice's projects I paticularily like is based on decay, she took photographs then interpreted the texture and colour using knitting and crochet. I think the colours are very effective, proud mother moment.