Wildlife Week at Wyevale Garden Centres Review

Half term - remember that?  Passed in a blink of an eye, didn't it!  Just shortly before half term, I was contacted on behalf of Wyevale Garden Centres to ask if the boys and I would like to take part in one of their children's holiday activities. Of course, I said yes... anything to keep us busy during  the hell wonder of school holidays!

Wyevale have several garden centres across the country and they run activities during school holidays to help us parents survive without a gin drip keep our sprogs entertained.  Our local centre is Cadbury nestled between Congresbury and Yatton (or outside of Bristol if you're not as yocal as us).  It's always been a good place to visit with children in tow.  It's large so they love to run around and get lost among the plants.  Or play house in all the summer houses and sheds.  They also have a Costa to keep you caffeined up and a cafe offering tasty yumminess.  There's a handy little soft play too.

We attended a Wildlife Week session entitled "Pollination Station".  Set up in the middle of the garden centre, we and a small group of children were given plant pots to decorate.  There was a lovely selection of craft materials, some lovely pens including glitter gel pens (who doesn't love those?  Like glitter but less messy!) and cute animal themed stickers.  The boys had a lovely time sticking stickers all over their pots and getting a bit glittered up.

Once the pots were decorated, they were filled with soil by one of the centres helpful staff members (they were great - very patient with my dear Felix).  Once the pots were full, the children got to sprinkle on some seeds.  They were also able to decorate a sweet label to be stuck into the soil.

We are now waiting for our seeds to sprout and the boys are very excited about what will grow.  Currently Grandma is looking after our pots.  She is the green-fingered one in the family and we look forward to seeing what grows in the coming weeks!  The seed mix includes flowers that insects and bees love, hence the title "Pollination Station".  We've all heard how our bee population is suffering so activities like this are great.  Good to give nature a little helping hand!

The session lasted about 15-20 minutes and the cost was £2.50 per child to cover the costs of the materials etc.  I think the length of the session was good.  Especially for a child like Felix.  Towards the end of 15 minutes he was itching to get away..  Ethan could probably have stayed drawing on his pot and doing some colouring for a lot longer, but he is six, not two!  Bearing in mind we've come away with two sweet pots and (in time) some flowers for the bees to enjoy, I think it was good value for money.

To inject a bit of real life into my review, I would like to share with you the reality of doing an activity like this with a child like Felix.  The fact is that after a short period of time, he will get restless and run off...  Thank goodness I am able to leave Ethan whilst I chase Felix.  Felix being Felix, he managed to escape at speed.  When I finally caught up with him I found him wielding a hammer in one hand and a pen knife in the other.  Don't ask.  After our activity we went to the cafe where he proceeded to climb onto someone else's table whilst they had gone to get some cutlery.  Before I could grab him he had pinched their fruit scone and was making quite a messy dent in it.  Embarrassing doesn't cut it.  Let's also not forget when we visited the loos and he posted his glove into a sanitary bin.  So. Much. Fun.

Did we enjoy the activity?  Yes.  Would we do it again?  Yes.  Should I ever have another child? No. NO NO NO.

Thank you very much Wyevale. Hope you've manged to clear up after Felix's visit!

Farm Fest 2015 - Our first family festival!

We've done it!

WE'VE DONE IT!!!

I'm very happy to tell you that we have finally achieved one of my ambitions in life - a festival, camping with the family.  I've never been to a festival properly before.  I've been to small festivals and middle sized ones, but only ever for the day or not camping.  For as long as I can remember I've wanted to  (unwisely?!) camp at a festival and, once we had the boys, I wanted to do it as a family.  And we have finally done it!

I can't say it was easy.  If you read my blog you'll probably know that Felix is, well, quite hard work.  He's a complete delight and I love him to pieces but he is a very full on child.  He requires a great deal of attention, he doesn't sleep well (having only "slept through" a handful of times during his 26 months on this earth) and he doesn't ever stop moving.  Even when sleeping he fidgets around so much he wakes himself.  I knew that I wouldn't consider a festival with him as a tiny baby (although, ironically, that might actually have been easier!).  I was hoping that by age two it'd be easier.  It wasn't.  But it was fun.

Gorgeous views!

Farm Fest is a reasonably small festival with an attendance of about 5000 people.  It has been around for 10 years now (10th birthday this year!) and it is quite local for us (an hours drive).  It is also renowned for being family friendly.  For all these reasons I thought it'd be a good choice for us.  Family friendly means that there will be activities for kids and there will be lots of other kids there.  Being local means that if it turned out to be hell on earth we could get home quite easily.  Small means that it wouldn't be too overwhelming for our first proper festival experience.

I'm very glad to say that it lived up to our expectations and exceeded them.  It did indeed take us just over an hour to get there and once we found the not entirely obvious road sign on a nearby roundabout it was straightforward to get to.  There was heaps of parking and lots of attendants around directing cars and people.  It was definitely worth getting there early (the festival ran from Friday to Saturday night with camping on both nights) as we got a good parking space (close to camping) and we were able to pick a decent spot to pitch our tent.  There was an excellent security presence on site which I found reassuring, especially having our boys with us.

Heaps of space for camping, even if you did end up a little way from the entertainment you were guaranteed space for your tent. There was a separate camper van field which seemed popular!  I have to say I was very impressed by the toilets and running water with sinks.  Most of the loos were these composting ones which have become popular.  A loo over a hole in the ground.  You do your business and then throw over a cup full of chippings.  I can honestly say that these loos were far less stinky than the traditional portaloos and cleaner too.  Bigger as well!  Outside of the loos there was access to a good amount of alcohol gel and two sinks with running water which were a life saver.  I was constantly filling up our water bottles, washing the kids hands and faces and washing my hands.  Alcohol gel is great and I love knowing the nasties are gone but I'm afraid nothing feels as refreshing as some water!  Sometimes the loos had paper, sometimes not, but even we festival newbies knew to take our own loo roll with us!

Once we'd arrived and lugged all our gear to our tent pitch (the hardest bit - totally getting one of those pull along carts everyone has for next time!) and got our tent up, we went up to the main field to explore.  Just before entering the field there was a fantastic smelling coffee tent.  This was much appreciated by us and everyone at the festival I think!  We were surprised to find the coffee was damn good.  I also sampled one of their salted caramel muffins and it was one of the softest, freshest and most delicious muffin I've ever had!

Coffee makes me think of food and there was so much to choose from at Farm Fest it was unreal.  For us, it was as much about food as anything else and we were spoiled for choice.   I went for a fresh pizza for my lunch.  Whilst it was tasty, it was one of the more expensive food choices at £8 (basic pizza was £7, £1 for toppings) and I have to say it took a long time to arrive.  Around 20 minutes I think.  Which isn't easy when you've got grumpy kids swinging around your legs!  I realise that as it was fresh pizza it would take a bit of time to make, but they already had heaps of bases ready and as they are thin they shouldn't take long to cook, so I'm not sure what took so long.  It was nice though.  Good tasty ingredients.

Pete sampled the fish and chips stall.  I know he loved the fish and I helped him munch up the chips as did Felix and we enjoyed them!! Ethan wanted a marshmallow and strawberry crepe so he was very happy.  That also took a surprising amount of time to make but there was a big queue - not that surprising!

After filling our tummies we took a walk around to get our bearings.  There was an amazing disco stage (made to look like a huge pinata) playing vinyl disco classics called Donna Somerset (amazing name).  Felix was fascinated and kept trying to get up there when they weren't actually open.  When they were, they pumped out some awesome disco tunes so there was always a buzzing atmosphere. I'd say it was one of the most popular places there! Everyone was loving it.

Festivaling with the boys was, as I mentioned, tricky.  Felix was staying true to himself and despite a stinking cold (typical eh?!) was on the move constantly.  For that reason we found listening to the music on the main stage the easiest because it provided him with a good deal of room to run around, lots of people to chat to and the sound of the music wasn't too intense.  Talking of the music, Farm Fest isn't somewhere you go to watch big names perform.  It's much more about up and coming and smaller acts.  Which suited us just fine.  We just enjoyed hearing and seeing good music being played live.   And it really was.  Great strong singers, A good amount of base-y thumpy dance for the nights and lots of beautiful instruments.  We loved hearing some sax!  We saw several of the bands performing on the main stage on Friday and Saturday afternoon.  My brother, who was there with his friend, visited every stage and tent.  They loved the blue and white tent with some gorgeous chilled out Friday afternoon vibes.

Drink wise, there were several "bars".  Larger was surprisingly well priced, no more expensive than a pub.  You could get all the basics but there was also a beer/cider/cocktail tent supplying more traditional drinks.  I did have a cheeky Moscow Mule cocktail on the Friday night which set me back £7.  Not cheap, but again, that's pretty much what you pay for a cocktail in a bar.  It was yummy and generous on the vodka.

For kids, there was plenty.  A dedicated kids tent and various things dotted around the tent.  The kids tent was great.  Heaps of recycling materials to get creative with, paints, pens, glitter and structured activities such as puppet making, instrument making, sing songs, bed time stories and yoga.  My two just enjoyed making random things from cardboard boxes.  Ethan made a "bird" which he insisted we carry around.  Actually came in hand for sitting on whilst listening to music and later on became a handy door mat for our tent!  Both boys got covered in glitter.

There were a good amount of "shops" to look around selling the usual stuff you'd see at festivals; retro clothing, face painting, tat stuff to attract kids.. but there were also some cool things like screen printing, slack lining and massage.  Ethan loved having a go at slack lining!

For us, the hardest bit of the weekend was the night.  With hindesight, it probably would have been better to stay out until the boys were ready to drop but what we actually did was head back to our tent at about 6:30pm because Felix was flagging, having a cold.  Once we got back there, though, they went a bit manic and it was 10:30pm before they had conked out.  Neither of them slept well either.  Mostly because Felix was so snotty and feeling ill.  In fact, at one point during the night, Ethan put his ear defenders on to sleep because he hated Felix's snoring!  Once the boys were asleep Pete and I took it in turns to pop back to the action for a bit but I don't think either of us felt like leaving the other with the boys for too long.  Life is different now, and that's OK!  I bought us both a deep fried mars bar from the chippy -  you've got to try it!  They sound disgusting but are kind of amazing!

None of us slept well, Felix ended up with me and Pete with Ethan.  Felix crawled down the bottom of my sleeping bag at about 4am which was peculiar but somehow he slept his best down there!!

On Saturday morning we packed up our tent.  Whilst camping was still available for that night, it'd been such a tough night with Felix we weren't in rush to repeat it.  Poor Felix was really quite unwell on Saturday, not even up to running around!  We all enjoyed hot drinks from the coffee tent, coffee for us and hot choc for Ethan.  We needed it because Saturday was a bit colder and gray than Friday had been (Friday was a stunner!).

Once refreshed, we packed up our tent, packed the car and headed back to the festival for the day.  Again we enjoyed tasty food (French cuisine), good coffee, craft at the kids tent and music at the main stage.  Towards 4pm it was starting to rain and Felix was feeling really ill so we set off for home.

It was a shame for us that the weather on Saturday wasn't quite so nice and that Felix was so poorly.  Had he been well we might well have "carried on camping" ;-D.  Still, we're not put off.  It was a very friendly festival, great for us and the boys.   We would love to go again and I think that next year, when he's 3 and hopefully a little better at sleeping then we will be back!  With a pull along cart....

Real Family Holidays - the affordable way to take a family break!

Since my Ethan started at school in September 2013 we have become very restricted with regards to holidays, much like most of the families in this country.  Prior to this we would go on holiday during term time to take advantage of the cheaper prices.  We were very lucky and would go for a week away in the Summer in France or the UK, a week in Centreparcs in October and maybe a long weekend away somewhere at some point in the year.  Because it was cheaper, we could afford to!  We managed to fit in one more cheeky Centreparcs break once Ethan had started at school because he wasn't 5 until July '14 so legally we didn't have to have him in school.. but now he's in Year One and rapidly heading towards 6, it's a different ball game.

I hate to be restricted in this way.  I personally feel that holidays are incredibly beneficial for families.  Not essential maybe, but very important.  Holidays mean a change of scenery, time together, a chance to get away from every day chores that take up our time, new experiences, new languages, new food.  Holidays create memories that all of us treasure and look back on forever.  Think of some of your favorite memories from your childhood or in fact your life in general..  Most of mine are from time spent away with family and friends and I bet yours are too!

I understand supply and demand.  I know why travel companies up prices in the school holidays but it is still maddening to most of us.  If you do take your child out of school you can now be fined (though I have heard whispers that something might be being done to change all of this).  For some of us, the risk of a fine is one worth taking.  My husband and I are a bit goody goody really and being fined does put us off.  We're also not comfortable with the idea of phoning the school and pretending Ethan is ill for a week.  In no way would I want to make my child lie and show them that lying is OK. So.  We are stuck.  Holidays in the school holidays it is.  Or no holidays at all.

For this reason, when I read about Real Family Holidays earlier this year I pretty much lept up and whooped for joy!  Finally a company who want to make holidays accessible to all!

Who are Real Family Holidays?  Well, they are part of the Field Studies Council?  Not heard of them before?  Well, they are a registered charity who are "dedicated to helping people enjoy nature".  If you studied Geology or Geography at A Level or higher, chances are you took a field trip and stayed at one of their locations around the country to complete some field work.  This is where the idea came from.  The FSC have lots of locations in the UK which are used by schools/collages/universities in term time but during school holidays, these places are left empty of students.  Why not fill them with families who need a break from their towns and cities, want a chance to get close to nature and have a family holiday that doesn't cost the earth?!

From £20 per person per night (including all your food and accommodation) you can get away to a variety of places around the UK during the holidays.  You can't get much cheaper than that!  The FSC have buildings in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Yorkshire, Wales, Surrey, Somerset and Devon.  A good selection!

We decided to visit one of their Welsh locations, Dale Fort in Dale, Pembrokeshire.  We felt it would be a good distance from us in Somerset.  The location in Somerset felt too close to home.  Anything further than a couple of hours drive too far away (Felix is not yet 2) and Devon is somewhere we visit quite often.

Dale Fort is a converted Victorian Military Fort right on the Pembrokeshire cost.  From the base you can easily explore beaches and countryside and even visit the famous bird islands of Skomer, Skokholm and Grassholm.  The accommodation consists of a mixture of twin/3 bed/dormitory style rooms, so great for families and groups.  Toilet & shower facilities are close to rooms and in some cases in rooms.  There is a quiet lounge for visiting adults and a common room for children.  These rooms house coffee/tea making facilities, TVs and games.

A free activity is offered for each day, at Dale Fort these activities include rock pooling, pond dipping and wild art.

The centre also offers a field for sports and a lawn/decked area for relaxation in nice weather.

We visited during the first week of the Easter holidays.  Unfortunately the weather wasn't great during our stay, it was rather cold and very windy.. but this was unlucky!! For the people staying during the second week I'll bet it was a different story!  Despite the weather we were very impressed.

We found Dale Fort easy to find.  Once you reach the village of Dale it's quite a long thin road you have to rive down to reach the fort but it's very quiet so this was no issue.  There was plenty of parking once we'd arrived.

The welcome we received was very friendly.  In fact, all contact we had with staff during our stay was fantastic.  They were all friendly and very very helpful.  I felt they were excellent at dealing with young children and you certainly felt they were available to you, should you need them.  We were shown to our room which was one of the dormitory style rooms which could sleep up to 5 people (or more!).  The room was an excellent size.  There was one set of bunkbeds, a high sleeper and two single beds underneath.  Plenty of room for us to set up Felix's travel cot, a large desk, a chest of draws, wardrobe, chairs, sink and our own shower and loo.  An excellent set up!

Felix still drinks a lot of milk so we were very pleased to find a small fridge available in the common room and adult lounge.  We were assured that it was absolutely fine for us to store milk there and just advised to write our name on it.

Once we had settled into our room and been for a little explore around the centre it was time for our first meal.  Meals with Real Family Holidays are a little like a school dinner experience but I mean that in a positive light.  The evening meal was served between 6-7pm.  Breakfast was between 8-9 am and packed lunch making facilities and supplies were available in the mornings until a little after breakfast time.  Homemade cake, tea & coffee were available at all times in the common rooms.  All of the families staying at the centre eat in the same room (but there are separate tables) and the food is served from a hatch (this is where it feels a bit like school dinners!) with water, squash, tea/coffee, sauces, cutlery, napkins and fruit available on the tables.  The menu changes each day with one main choice, a vegetarian option and the option of a jacket potato and toppings if you don't fancy the main option.  A pudding is also provided in the evening.

We found the food to be great!  Yes, it's not Michelin standard but it was more than acceptable,  Tasty, warm.  Just what you need after a busy day.  Ethan loved going up to the hatch and asking for his food.  We loved all eating together and not having to cook or wash up (you do help by taking your dirty plates through to the wash up area).  Because the boys are still young there aren't many times we all manage to eat as a family of four so this was a lovely chance for us all.

The trickiest thing about our stay was that we were all in the same room.  Felix is not yet two and not the easiest sleeper at the best of times.  I would be lying if I didn't say sharing a room was hard.  However, if he were a little older I know this would not be a problem.  Or even if he had a different personality!! The fact is he's a light sleeper and very switched on.  Other kids are out like a light and hardly wake!  Thankfully the room was big enough for us to put one light on once the boys were asleep so we could read, chat quietly and have a cheeky pint.  WiFi was available too!

Our second day dawned and we all excitedly attended breakfast.  There was plenty on offer. A cooked breakfast with all the trimmings, cereal, fruit, drinks.  We filled ourselves up!! Once we'd eaten we visited the packed lunch making room (down a corridor from the dining room) and were VERY impressed with the choice!  Just about every sandwich filling you could ever think of was on offer.  I mean it! Marmite, jam, cheese, phili spread, egg mayo, tuna mayo, cheese savory, coronation chicken, branston pickle and the list goes on.  There was plenty of bread, brown and white, masses of salad and veg, fruit and heaps of cakes and biscuits.  You just made as much as you wanted and bagged it up for later!!

After making our packed lunch we went for a stroll into the village.  It took about 20 minutes to walk there (it'd be a bit quicker without young ones in tow) and once there we visited a cafe as Felix had fallen asleep.  Pete and I read whilst Ethan did a bit of Minecraft!! Chill out time.  After that we headed back up to the Fort to eat our lunch in our room and then do some more exploring!  In the afternoon Ethan and I took part in that day's free activity.  We'd decided it'd probably be a bit too structured for Felix (again, this will depend on the activity and your child!) so Pete took him for a walk.

Ethan and I met the FSC employees who were running the activity in the Dale Fort library.  That day it was just Ethan and I taking part in the activity and we were asked if we'd like to go pond dipping or rock pooling.  Ethan and I decided rock pooling would be more exciting.  We then grabbed a load of equipment (I borrowed some waterproof trousers.  Waterproofs and wellies are available for hire during your stay) and off we set.

We took a short walk from the centre down to one of the small beaches nearby.  It took about 10 minutes to get there and whilst a little steep at times, it was an easy walk for Ethan (who's 5) to manage.  Once down on the beach we headed to the rocks to find the rock pools and see what we could find!

The staff were full of information and were absolutely brilliant with Ethan who wouldn't stop talking and singing at them.  Honestly, they were a delight!  We found heaps of creatures.  Ethan impressed everyone by correctly identifying barnacles, anemones and limpets!  We found fish (Blennies), crabs and even some tiny, very cute starfish! Ethan was in his element and we had a fantastic time.  I don't think Pete had it so easy controlling Felix back at the fort!!

Once we arrived back we all hung out in the common room.  The boys enjoyed seeing some other children in there.. then before we knew it it was time for our evening meal!  We had fish and chips with fruit salad for pudding.   Classic!  After tea Pete took Felix back to our room to get him settled down for the night.  I took Ethan off to the adult quiet room as there was no one else there.  We enjoyed a bit of TV together for a bit (I had a coffee!) and then we nestled into one of the sofas and I read him a few chapters of his book.  After that it was up to bed where he settled down quite easily and Pete and I could relax in (dark) peace for a bit!

On our final day we took part in the morning activity which was Wild Art.  We all trekked down to the beach in Dale village and set about collecting whatever we could find.  Ethan had asked me if he could make a mobile so we found bits of drift wood and shells.  It was sunnier but still windy and a bit chilly so we didn't hang around too long- Felix was starting to get cold and grumpy!  We found a good selection of stuff and with the help of the staff who provided string and scissors I was able to create quite a good mobile with Ethan!

After the activity we decided to start making our way home as we had a 2.5 hour drive ahead.  Whilst we would have liked to stay for longer than two nights at Dale Fort we suspected in advance that it would be quite hard work with Felix being so young still, all of us in one room.  We were right.  However, on our journey home Pete and I both expressed that whilst it was hard work looking after him there, we would do it again in a heartbeat.  We're just going to wait a year or two!

The boys enjoyed themselves no end which is what it's all about really.  Ethan didn't want to leave.  he really took to the staff and they to him!  He loved being able to take part in making his own packed lunch and rambling around getting mucky and exploring the beaches.

Since getting back I have told so many friends and family about Real Family Holidays.  Everyone I tell is so impressed with the price.  I think it's such a fantastic idea and we truly recommend it.  If your children are aged 3-4 upwards I think it'd be perfect.  There's little else you can do in this country for this price, food and accommodation included.

The different centres around the country offer different times for stays but they are all set during the school holidays.  There is something for everyone!

Thinking of going?  Great.  You won't regret it!! All I would say is to remember it's an outdoors/activity based holiday so pack for all weathers and don't pack your nicest clothes and you'll be fine!

Family time at the playground

If we're ever stuck for something to do we fall back on an old favorite.  A playground.  Ethan always loves a run around in the fresh air, a chance to climb.  As Felix is getting older he is also starting to get into playgrounds.  Both boys love swings and climbing.  Playgrounds provide us with an easy way to spend some time together as a family.

We recently discovered a new playground in Tickenham, a village near us, that we hadn't visited before.  As the weather was nice (well, cold, but sunny and dry!) we decided this afternoon would be a great time to visit, so off we went!

We were pleasantly surprised with the playground.  It's hidden behind the village hall and there is plenty of parking.  There are quite a few walks in and around Tickenham so it's a great addition if you're children need a bit of extra fun before or after a walk!

In terms of play equipment, there is a large swing (I think the correct term is a "team swing"), a zip wire, a climbing frame with a slide and a timber framed adventure trail.  Something that appealed to me straight away was that the play equipment was mostly wooden.  It blended in with the natural environment.

Much of it was too "old" for Felix who is 18 months old but Ethan could have a good go on all of the equipment.  Both boys enjoyed the swing.  They were able to go on it together which was fun!

Ethan enjoyed the climbing frame, slide and adventure trail.

All in all we think it's a great addition to the area.  So lovely to know of another playground nearby that we can visit!  If you are one of my local readers then you might want to check it out - the playground is on Clevedon Road in Tickenham, behind the village hall.

Westbury Court Garden - National Trust

Lovely bank holidays - an extra family day!  If there is something we love in our house, it's a bank holiday. I love the way it stretches the weekend out.  An extra evening off chores and the like!

This bank holiday just gone we took ourselves for a picnic.  We like to picnic as often as we can throughout the year.  We have a little tradition, we go to the shops, buy fresh bread, cured meat, olives, salad, cheese and something nice to drink and then we head out on the road.  We usually go to a National Trust location because we are members.  On this occasion we visited somewhere new.  Westbury Court Garden in Gloucestershire.

The journey there was very pleasant.  We came off the motorway and travelled over the old Seven Bridge.  Something Ethan always enjoys.  We drove through some lovely towns and villages and enjoyed seeing sheep at the sides of the road.

The gardens themselves were very pretty.  As National Trust properties go, it's one of the smaller locations.  There is no house, there are few facilities, just a loo.  It was perfect for us though - lots of space for the boys to run around in and explore and lovely picnic areas.

We found a spot and settled down to eat.  Felix spent most of his time romping around.  Ethan managed to get sheep poo on his foot.  Nice!

After our picnic we strolled around the grounds.  It was lovely being able to let Felix go off a little now he's starting to walk.

There were quite a few long grass areas which Ethan enjoyed running through and Felix enjoyed batting with his hands and shouting at.

A lovely peaceful way to spend our afternoon!

Linking up with Coombe Mill for Country Kids.