Neil Hopcroft

From our room at the Sloop we looked out over the harbour, which turns into a sandy beach with boats on it when the tide goes out.

We took a walk around the town – near where our car was parked was a small bay.

We took a rare opportunity to get away for a weekend – we stayed at The Sloop Inn in St Ives, an old Inn in the centre of the town overlooking the harbour.

I took Nils to the local zoo – he loves the animals, especially the birds. Sadly I didn’t get many good pictures of the animals, they all move too quickly and live behind fences.

The photographer in me can’t let a sky like this pass without at least attempting to take a picture of it.

We visit Audley End quite frequently, it being one of the closest English Heritage sites to us, but this was the first time I’ve been up to see the folly in the grounds.

The toy museum at Mountfitchet Castle is an incredible collection of toys from all eras crammed into a small building on top of the hill by the castle itself.

We went to Mountfitchet Castle – a recreation of a Norman castle. I’m not sure Nils was really old enough to appreciate it but he liked the deer and peacocks and chickens.