Rescue operation!

Although this was supposed to be a picture of my son, who - unbelievably! - turned 16 today, he's somewhat camera-shy so I will have to catch a shot of him another time when he's not expecting it!

In honour of the occasion, we had a day out at Thorpe Park - which proved quite eventful, thanks to one particular group who seemed to be intent on creating havoc everywhere (think 'Paddy Doherty'). 

OK, so I ignored them smoking in the queues, cutting in line and generally being irritating but I drew the line at a group of their kids mucking about in Burger King (they didn't have their masks on, kept sitting on the seats, were jumping over barriers, and answered back rudely and pulled faces at any of the staff who spoke to them). I used my very best teacher voice with them and they were good as gold after that. I'm pretty sure everyone else there was very impressed with my behaviour management skills!

Later, we came across more of their group - about twenty of both adults and children - on the rapids ride. They insisted on taking a baby into the boat despite being told several times that it wasn't allowed and the attendants had to stop the ride until they got off. Some more of their group then refused to come off their boat after their ride finished as they wanted to go round again and the staff had to use the tannoy several times to ask others to sit down. The highlight, however, was when one of their children apparently broke the chain that pulls the boats up the ramp (no idea how they managed that!). We thought someone had fallen in at first, as the ride stopped just as we reached the top of the ramp at the end and several staff members with 'Rescue' jackets on turned up. We eventually had to climb out of the boat, which was not as easy as it sounds but nowhere as bad as when we were stuck at the top of the final drop on the log flume at Chessington a few years ago! The best bit, though, had to be the guy in the white shirt in the far right of my picture, who was having a cigarette while we waited! And yes, he was one of the same group.

I definitely think my son had an amusing birthday, anyway!