Dark HedgesLast week I ticked one more thing off my list of 40 things to do before 40. It’s a good job quite frankly, as time is slipping away and I’m a little behind schedule. The lemon curd may have been mastered, but I’ve yet to get anywhere near a water bed, let alone Iceland.

Last week was all about the Dark Hedges in Northern Ireland, inspired by something I cut out of a newspaper a couple of years ago. I really like cutting things out of newspapers and magazines, partly because I like the idea of trying new things but also just because I find the scissor action very satisfying.*

The Dark Hedges is an avenue of beech trees, planted in the eighteenth century by the Stuart family in a bid to impress visitors as they drove up to their home. Bee and Belle may have been fairly nonplussed – ‘Is this it? Just some trees?’ – but it certainly impressed me.  View Post

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As avid readers, (which you all are obviously), you’ll know that we recently went on a bit of a motorhome adventure, in a van very kindly lent to us by Bailey of Bristol.

This was it:

Bailey Approach Compact

Motorhome crush

As well as being great fun, and an opportunity for us to listen to countless mystery novels on audio book, it was actually part of a grander plan. It isn’t for nothing after all that a girl is prepared to wheel a box of her own poo across a field of holidaymakers. It was in aid of ticking off another item from my list of 40 things to do before I am 40; specifically to visit every county in England. View Post

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At 5.28pm on Tuesday 5th August I found myself doing something I had never done before, something I never imagined I ever would do.

At 5.28pm on Tuesday 5th August I wheeled a plastic box of my own poo across a field full of holidaymakers, happily playing swing ball and barbecuing meats. It was a bit like walking through an airport, except outdoors and with infinitely more unpleasant luggage.

And so I was introduced to the joys of the chemical toilet.

chemical toilet View Post

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We’re home!

Did you miss me?

No, well, never mind, I’m back anyway whether you like it or not.

I’m going to be writing all about the trip over the next couple of weeks but before I distract you with tales of ancient monuments and rainy walks I just wanted to say a massive thank you to Bailey, who lent us the motorhome for ten days, allowing us to visit 12 counties in all and to tick ‘visit every county in England’ off my list of 40 things to do before 40.

I was really nervous before we set off about how I was going to manage a motorhome, but I actually loved driving it. Here I am, looking rather pleased with myself having successfully got us to our first Caravan Club site:

Bailey Approach Compact View Post

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Recently my sister Annabel took her family to Wychwood Festival. This is how they got on.

A few weeks ago we donned our wellies, slung our bindles over our shoulders and headed off for a family adventure to Wychwood festival. From the moment we drove straight to the family camping area (those who arrived before us did tell of hours stuck in queues but us being our usual disorganised selves managed to arrive slightly later on the Friday and cruised straight in) and unloaded we felt the jollity and friendliness of this festival. It is the loveliest, cosiest, most relaxing festival I have ever been to.

Now, admittedly those are not necessarily the qualities your average festival goer looks for – more the availability of alcohol, quality music and medic tent for emergency contraceptives – but when you have small children those hedonistic festival days are but a distant memory and for a family, Wychwood is absolutely spot-on.

The beauty of Wychwood though is that it does not compromise on the festival experience just because it is family friendly – some great acts played the stages from The Stranglers and the Boomtown Rats to The Levellers and Craig Charles; there is something to cover most musical tastes. You can still drink to your heart’s content and mingle with grown-ups, it is just well tailored to children as well.

We were struck first by just how small and cosy it is. You don’t have to spend hours traipsing through muddy fields to reach anything and a good portion of the festival is taken up with the children’s area which kept my three year old and five year old wholly entertained. They were particularly happy with the free Little Tikes village – packed full of toy houses, castles, kitchens and those awesome red and yellow cars that I always wanted as a child.

Little Tykes Wychwood Festival

There was so much for children that it was impossible to do it all; there were bug hunts, bubbleologists, clay modellers, drum workshops and everything else you might expect. Another highlight was the Waterstone’s children’s literature tent that put on talks from illustrators, authors and all sorts of other activities and then there were the most talented face painters I have ever witnessed.

In the interests of a full review my son took it upon himself to try every stall available to him so he go-karted, he slid down a giant inflatable slide, he is now the proud owner of the biggest bubble wand known to man and the bounciest balloon and his personal favourite – a helium balloon dinosaur that has legs and walks on the ground.

Grown-ups were not left out though, we sampled the odd tipple from the variety of bar and beer tents, you could also unwind in the healing field with a variety of treatments on offer, the music was good (Baraka were a particular favourite of ours as well KSH and the Going Goods) and being such an intimate festival you could really get up close to the acts and see them from all over the festival.

I would love to say that performances from beloved bands such as The Stranglers or The Levellers were the main stage draw but no…Justin Fletcher (Cbeebies’ Mr. Tumble to any pre-school parents out there) seemed to have the biggest crowd of the weekend on the Saturday morning. I have to admit, I was not looking forward to it having always been mildly disturbed by his voice but it was a cracking performance.

It is hard to find fault with Wychwood, the facilities were good (always a clean toilet nearby – without queues), the staff and stewards were friendly and helpful without being overbearing, the campsite was flat and spacious (advantage of being held on Cheltenham Racecourse) and it was just a really beautiful atmosphere. We enjoyed it enough to book tickets for next year and can’t wait to go back.

Wychwood Festival

Disclosure – Annabel was given tickets to the festival for the purposes of this review.

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Now it may feel a bit like I have given up on my 40 things before 40 list, but I promise I haven’t, I’ve just been a little distracted of late. It’s still happening though. I have been to the opera and launched a message in a bottle and everything, I just haven’t quite got round to writing about them yet.

One of the things on my list is to visit every county in England and I am intending to get that one ticked off as soon as this summer, thanks to the loan of an amazing motorhome from Bailey of Bristol. During August Belle and I are going to be hitting the road and visiting seven counties in seven days – a grand finale to this item on the list, where we tick off the last seven all in one week. We’ll be staying at a different Caravan Club site every night and will be working our way through Bedfordshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, East Riding, South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire – I need your help though for suggestions of places to do or thinks to visit along the way!

We’re going to be travelling in a Bailey Approach Compact 540. They are ideal for just me and Belle as they actually aren’t much wider than a regular car yet have everything you need for a self-sufficient holiday. Pretty cool right?

Bailey Approach CompactI was a little concerned however that ‘hitting the road’ could quite literally mean ‘hitting passing cars and trees’ as I am not terribly confident when it comes to driving large vehicles. Our last house move, where I was in charge of van driving, ended at 10.30pm in a dark garage forecourt with me crying, having backed Boyfriend and the van into a parked car, so you can see why I might be a little nervous. View Post

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As you may have noticed in my post last week, on June 18th I will be co-hosting a Twitter party with Gocompare.com all about travelling with kids. Gocompare.com will be providing the expert knowledge, hints and tips and I’ll be on hand to share my own hilarious anecdotes and to chuckle knowingly at tales of travel disasters with small children on long car journeys. There are prizes too. It’s all good.

To get you in the mood and inspire your questions, (submit them in advance for a chance to win £20 to spend at Boots), I thought I’d share six quick conversation starters; essentials to think about when travelling with kids.

Who?

First up, who is going on your holiday? There is a lot to be said for keeping it simple, but actually when your family is young it can be nice to share the burden and have other friends and family around. There are plenty of options for large groups, such as camping or splitting the cost of a large holiday property.

Where?

Bit of a key one this. From my experience, I’d say that with toddlers it’s always best to keep travel to a minimum if you can, so don’t rule out holidaying in the UK. We live in an amazingly diverse country and there is plenty to see. Ask friends with kids for recommendations for family friendly destinations and accommodation.

How?

Car? Boat? Plane? How to get there is just as important as where you go when it comes to travelling with kids. Think in advance about the journey, make plenty of allowances for stoppage time and make sure you pack lots of snacks. (And possibly a small hip flask.) View Post

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Did you know that today is the 70th anniversary of D-Day?

Well now you do.

If your family have any sort of interest in history (and really you should – it’s important you know), then this summer is the perfect time to visit Normandy and enjoy the vast array of museums and historical sites that tell the tale of the largest seaborne invasion ever – the day that potentially changed forever the way we live today.

Now I’ve never been very good at history. I enjoyed projects about the Romans in primary school – tracing and colouring pictures and copying things out of books in my best writing – but I didn’t even take history GCSE. I find it hard to get a sense of anything through a textbook. Visiting an actual site though where something has happened really brings things to life for me – it’s why I want to visit the book depository in Dallas, Texas, and why visiting Auschwitz is on my list of 40 things to do before I’m forty.

If you’re like me and want to get a feel for what D-Day really meant and how it shaped the future of Europe, why not pay Normandy a visit? It’s basically like going to Cornwall, but with the added excitement of taking a ferry to France and flashing your passport.

To get you in the mood, take a look at everything you can do while you’re there: 
A trip to remember - where to visit in Normandy to discover the history of D-Day: An infographic

Image source: Brittany Ferries presents the D-Day guide. Sponsored post.

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I have a feeling that this post may be a little superfluous. I there anyone who doesn’t love Cornwall?

We hadn’t visited Cornwall for a while though, so Belle and I were really looking forward to heading off to Retallack Resort and Spa for a couple of days last weekend. Belle loves a good lodge. We just stayed for two nights, but it was a well-timed break and a great reminder of just how lovely Cornwall is.

Retallack

Here then, in case you were in any doubt, are four reasons to love Cornwall. View Post

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I’ve stayed in a lot of hotels over the past couple of years. Initially it’s exciting, spending the night somewhere different, snaffling the free toiletries and watching TV in bed, but after a while it can become a bit boring – there are really only so many white bedrooms and smiley yet blank receptionists that you want in your life.

Our stay at the Bella Vista in Weston-Super-Mare then was the perfect antidote, just what we needed to balance out all the sterile chain hotels we’ve endured. We were checking them out on behalf of Approved Family Friendly, and so had our best hotel inspector hats on, but really found it difficult to fault them.

We were welcomed by owners Bev and Tim, who took on the Bella Vista two years ago, and it became immediately obvious that the couple have a genuine love of children and a desire to give families a wonderful holiday experience. The Bella Vista is a classic seaside town hotel, but with a personal touch and friendly welcome that you just don’t find in many places.

Bella Vista hotel Weston-Super-Mare Bev and Tim acknowledge that the accommodation is a little dated in parts, but the Bella Vista is a work in progress, with the eight bedrooms in the process of being brought up to date. We stayed in a comfortable family room with one double bed and one single, and had the chance to check out some of the other rooms too. The rooms that have been redecorated have been very tastefully done and there is plenty of space for families, with some rooms sleeping up to five people.

Bella Vista hotel Weston-Super-Mare

What’s lovely about the Bella Vista is that families really do come first – if you can think of anything at all that you need, Bev and Tim will do everything they can to provide it. Belle had an absolutely lovely time and when we left was already talking about wanting to go back again, and thinking about the home made presents she could take with her to add to the seaside themed décor.

If you’re looking for a comfortable, affordable family friendly hotel then the Bella Vista really should be top of your list.

Bella Vista hotel Weston-Super-Mare

Disclosure: We spent a night at the Bella Vista for the purposes of this review and to carry out our inspection.

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As you may have seen from the snazzy badge in my sidebar, Belle and I are Butlins ambassadors this year. This essentially means that we get to go to Butlins for a holiday in returning then for writing about how we got on.

Wave hotel Butlins Bognor Regis

Part of the reason I applied to be part of the scheme is that I don’t have particularly fond memories of Butlins. In fact, my enduring memories are of tedious days out, deserted windswept fairgrounds, barbed wire topped high fences… Not exactly the stuff dreams are made of.

Butlins has had a bit of a makeover over recent years though, and I wanted to see if the concentration camp vibe I remember from my youth is now a thing of the past.

We rocked up for four nights in the Easter holidays to the Wave Hotel at Bognor Regis and were pleasantly surprised. It wasn’t 5 star – I don’t think they would claim to be that – but the hotel itself was excellent, the staff very friendly and we enjoyed the break. Of course Butlins is all about the kids, so I thought the best thing to do would be to hear what we thought from the horse’s mouth.

And by horse I mean Belle.

Disclosure: We are Butlins ambassadors. 

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For Christmas last year Boyfriend’s parent bought me an English Heritage membership. (Jolly nice of them wasn’t it?) I’ve been a National Trust member for years, lured in mainly by the cream teas, but had never really got into English Heritage apart from a visit to a castle with Belle on the Isle of Wight last summer.

Now though, I am a convert. This week my new handbook and magazine arrived, giving me the perfect excuse to turn off Twitter for a few minutes, make a cup of tea and read some real words on actual paper. You know, the old fashioned stuff, made of trees?

English Heritage

As part of my list of 40 things to do before I’m 40, I plan to visit every county in England, and I thought that English Heritage would be an ideal way to make sure I did something wholesome along the way, rather than just stopping in every county for a cake. I’ve browsed my brochure and come up with five English Heritage sites I would love to visit on my travels:

Stonehenge

A bit of a classic this one. I have driven past it a few times, and have a vague memory of visiting when I was small (although it could have been anywhere really – perhaps the stones just looked big because I was little?) but I would love to visit properly.

There is just something so magical about it isn’t there? Seriously, those stones are massive, how did they even get there?? Please do take a quick look at the video – it’s really short but just beautiful.

Bolsover Castle

The East Midlands generally is the region of England that I have visited least, so I thought I should pick out a couple from this area. I was drawn to Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire as it’s described as a ‘fantasy castle of frivolity’ – ‘a uniquely preserved example from an age of extravagance.’

Well, I’m always up for a bit of extravagant frivolity as you know, so what’s not to love?

Bolsover Castle

Peveril Castle

Also in Derbyshire, I thought this one would make a nice contrast to Bolsover, as it used to be a prison. Call me morbid if you will but there is something very evocative about a ruined prison. Gazing out over the Peak District I imagine getting a real sense of what life may have been like as a prisoner – the vast, sparsely-populated landscape stretching for miles.

It hasn’t always been a prison mind you – mentioned in the Domesday survey, Peveril Castle is one of England’s earliest Norman fortresses. Pretty cool.

Peveril castle

Whitby Abbey

Having lived near Glastonbury for the majority of my life I have a bit of a soft spot for ruined abbeys and Whitby Abbey looks particularly beautiful. In fact, its gothic splendour is said to have inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula – spooky stuff. There are even sometimes live performances, helping you to get into the Dracula spirit of things, which is always fun.

Whitby Abbey

Audley End House and Gardens

When you think Essex you might not immediately think stately homes and sites of historical interest, but Audley End House looks like a cracker and Essex is on my list of counties I’ve never been to. Reopening this spring after a huge redevelopment project, Audley End House promises the whole upstairs downstairs thing – showing the contrast between how different members of the household lived.

I always love seeing the kitchens and servants’ quarters in old houses as I think these create much more powerful, relatable stories.

Audley end house and gardens

What are your favourite English Heritage sites?

All images apart from the one of my cup of tea are courtesy of English Heritage.

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