When Wookey Hole went Wrong; What to Do in Cheddar

We planned a family trip to Wookey Hole just before Christmas. We had been looking forward to it all week. My son was especially excited, as he, like most ten year old boys, is obsessed with Minecraft and has always wanted to see inside a real cave. I had been given a media pass by the lovely folks at Visit Bristol and had spent the previous couple of weekends enjoying some fantastic days out at some great local attractions. This one wasn't quite so local, though, which was why we were pleased to have the media pass. It's not cheap and there was an element of petrol involved for the 40 mile cross-country journey. It took over an hour to get there. Then it all went wrong.

Fantastic Fun at The Gun Powder Mills

Last year, we visited the Royal Gun Powder Mills at Waltham Abbey. It featured briefly in our 40 Days of Summer posts in 2014, but I have always wanted to give it its own post. So here it is, a gun powder post for Guy Fawkes night! We had no idea what to expect at the Gun Powder Mills, but there was a surprising amount to see and do. We learned all about the fascinating history of the Mills in the interactive museum and there was an opportunity to view and handle various guns and weaponry in the Armoury. L was fascinated to see what our soldiers had to carry during past battles. Some of the guns were nearly as big as him!

Dismaland: A Review by Mel

I often lack motivation, so it is with some irony, that I must report I have yet to find the time to travel down to Weston super Mare for the Banksy exhibition. I would really like to go, but it's tricky bus-wise and I don't think it's an appropriate place for a nine year old, which obviously limits when I can go. All is not lost though, as my intrepid explorer friend Mel, from Diary of a Jewellery Lover did all the legwork for me and reports her findings below. After reading her answers though, I would now really quite like to go. That's more irony, right there. Over to you, Mels.

Location Hunting; Richard Briers and Midsomer Murders

A Guest Post by The Husband... 

War Games, Stamp Collecting, Blogging, even Pole Dancing, most people have a passion in life and I'm no different. Mine is reading and researching. When I take an interest in something or someone, I like to find all the facts I can. My head is full of little pieces of knowledge that nobody else cares about, but they all matter to me. I know I drive my wife mad at times, when I recite an episode of Only Fools and Horses, word for word, or rattle off Dean Martin's life story but she does nod occasionally and humour me, bless her.

Roebeck Country Park, Isle of Wight Review

The build up to our holiday had been fairly intense, with lots of child-based excitement and sleepless nights, but finally the day had arrived! We were so excited, we left the house at midnight, for the three hour journey! There is definitely an arguement for travelling in the early hours if you want a stress -free road trip, but even I thought that was going a bit far! This is our review of our stay, although I'm not sure I could really do it justice, there is so much we loved about it. Roebeck Country Park is situated near Ryde on the Isle of Wight and we visited during May half term.

Travelling 'Abroad' with Wightlink Ferries

I love being a blogger. I love writing, which is why I started blogging, but also, sometimes epic things happen. Like, when I was recently asked if I would like to review a holiday park on the Isle of Wight. Brilliant, I thought! Then I hit a snag. It was pretty short notice and I needed a ferry crossing. A cheap one! Along came the lovely people at Wightlink who offered us a free crossing, if we promised to let you know how we got on. So, here is our review of the Wightlink Ferry Portsmouth to Ryde crossing, we hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Exciting Holiday News with Roebeck Country Park!!

We have had the best news ever this week! News so exciting, L cried tears of happiness and has talked of nothing else since I told him! We are going on holiday!! This is the first holiday we've had in quite a while, so it's a fairly major event and we are really looking forward to it. L is growing up so fast and he has been mentioning for some time now that he would love to go 'proper' camping. For the uninitiated in the language of small boys, 'proper' camping must take place a significant distance from the place where you live, ie; not in the garden or under the dining table. it must involve an atual tent and there will be no corner-cutting when it comes to cooking and eating al fresco. 

What Kids Learn on Holiday

 This is a tricky post for me to write, as it's been a long time since we've been able to afford a 'proper' holiday. We are very lucky though, as we live in a lovely part of the world, with easy access to other lovely parts of the world. Wales to the West, The Cotswolds to the North East, the Forest of Dean to the North West, Somerset to the South and in the South West is Weston super Mare and the South West coastline. So, for the last few years we have mastered the 'stay-cation', and had lots of lovely picnicky daytrips instead. That's not to say I wouldn't love a holiday somewhere different, away from our every day home life, but what's the point in wasting time thinking about what you don't have?

A Day at the Etihad!

You may remember my lovely friend Lisa from the previous post Remembering Jack. She and her family have had a difficult year or so and have shown enormous strength and solidarity throughout. Not least, young Jesse, who, at just ten tears old, has had to endure more trauma and heart ache in his young life, than you would wish on anyone, big or small. So, when Lisa told me about a competition to win Jesse his dream prize, I was very, very glad to assist. ‘Help!’ she said. ‘I have to write about why Jesse is their biggest fan, but I’m HOPELESS with words!’ She’s really not, as you will see below, but anyway…

A Day as a Penguin Keeper at Birdland Park and Gardens

I am proud to introduce my daughter Jade, with her first guest post for you. She is here to tell you all about a lovely place to visit with children. Birdland Park and Gardens in Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire is a lovely, family friendly environment with lots to offer, including an assortment of over 130 bird species. The prices are very reasonable, and there are extra activities that can be prebooked at fantastic prices. Click on the link to visit their website for more information, or join them on Facebook here. For Jade, the best part of our visit to Birdland, for a life-long penguin fan, was the keeper experience, which included feeding the penguins, amongst many other duties. Here is an account of the day, in her own words.