Yesterday we had to pop over to Tewkesbury.  Well actually I had to tag along with my husband to a KTM bike shop in the industrial park.  I agreed to come on the hour long trip on the basis that we would go into the town centre for lunch.

I have never been to Tewkesbury before & due to the heavy rain didn't get a chance to look around but I did stumble across this lovely little deli for lunch!

There isn't much room but we managed on this tiny little table for two right next to all the shelves of fudge, which was fatal!  We enjoyed lovely freshly made sandwiches & coffee & left with a few extra treats.

We did also have some lovely lamb samosas but old dog ate them.

Happy Days!!

I know Fathers Day is meant to be for all the dear fathers in the world but I have to say, I too really enjoyed Fathers Day today.

My husband got up & cooked us all scrambled eggs, smoked salmon & bagels!  Then full of energy off he went with our two boys, a friend & his eldest to Motocross at Foxhill!

The poor wives who were left behind with the 2 youngest (being princesses & far too delicate for motocross), went out for a lovely coffee & cake, followed by a little mooch around some yummy shops!

We then all met up in Cosmo Pan Asian restaurant - where you can eat as much as you possibly can!  I am now lying like a beached whale on the sofa.

Entertaining the Kids....

... for free during the holidays would be nice but that's not always possible.  We nearly always do the picnic & walk to a nearby forest, country park or stream.

My kids don't potter - it's full steam ahead from the moment they wake up, however they do sleep well!

So, today I scoured the internet for recommended playgrounds for us to visit, still with picnic in tow to keep the cost down.  This is what I've come up with.  Any other recommendations?  Please feel free to comment.  I haven't found that many really good playgrounds for FREE!!!!!  Maybe you know of some.

Local to us:
Lydiard Park, Swindon, Wiltshire - FREE
Bowood House, Calne, Wiltshire


National Trust properties with woodland play areas - great to make use of your membership:
Polesden Lacey, near Dorking, Surrey (I've read that there is an outdoor play area called Squirrels Corner hidden in the woods - yet to find images, can anyone confirm?)
Belton House, Grantham, Lincolnshire
Cragside House, Morpeth, Northumberland
Chirk Castle, Wrexham, Wales
Killerton House, Exeter, Devon

Other Adventure Playgrounds
Ragley Hall Park & Gardens, Alcester, Warwickshire
Lower Leas Coastal Park, Folkestone, Kent - FREE
Chatsworth, Bakewell, Derbyshire
Floors Castle, Kelso, Scotland
Harewood House, Harewood, Leeds
Cannon Hall Farm, Cawthorne, South Yorkshire
Princess of Wales Memorial Playground, Kensington Gardens, London - FREE I think
Wilton House, Wilton, nr Salisbury, Wiltshire
Bewilderwood, Hoveton, Norfolk - can voucher for this one, my kids had an amazing time in the pouring rain!!!
Moors Valley, nr Ringwood, Dorset - FREE (sort of, you have to pay to park the car)
Puzzlewood, Forest of Dean - looks lovely, yet to be tried.
Wellington Country Park, Reading, Berkshire

Go Ape - 27 locations, age 10+
Jungle Parc - Liverpool & Wellingborough, age 4+

In Awe of Bloggers

I take my hat off to all you bloggers out there.  I try, I really do, to keep my blog up-to-date with exciting things, places we've been to, things we've discovered, etc.  I even manage to write the posts!  Then they sit there, waiting for me to upload the photo's to make the page look pretty & more interesting - that bit I somehow just don't seem to manage.

It really is a shame as we've done some wonderful things lately:

• We spent an amazing Easter in North Devon in that glorious weather - we pootled around in our dear old camper van.

Travels with our Camper

• We discovered an amazing National Trust Cafe at Baggy Point.

• We've given up our allotment & turned a small corner of our garden into a veg patch.

• My husband has dug a HUGE whole in the garden ready for scalpings, etc - I anxiously await the arrival of the greenhouse!!!

• The kids did brilliantly at their rugby presentation day - we were very proud parents.

• Our poor little puppy was very ill & had to spend a week at the vets.  He's much improved now.  My bank account is not!!!  (This was not so wonderful).

 

Sad Oscar feeling very unwell

• We attended a fabulous wedding of some very dear friends.  I had a fashion crisis but all turned out ok.  My daughter was however better dressed than me!  How does that happen so soon?

• I wish I lived nearer London so I could go to Handmade Nest.  I have been inspired to start knitting a scarf for my daughter though - there's a chance it might be ready for Christmas!!!

I now need to catch up with all of your lovely blogs - so my feet are up with a nice cup of tea & lots of happy blog browsing.  Thank you one & all. x

Easter Day Trippers

What an absolutely amazing Easter weekend!  I don't recall weather being this fantastic over Easter in ages.

Sadly though everyone had the same idea as us & went camping, which meant we couldn't get into any of our favourite campsites.  But we were not going to disappoint our 3 little angels. So..... we day tripped.

Good Friday
We went to Barbury Castle for a lovely walk with the dogs.  It's a great place where the kids can run safely.  It's good for kite flying.  Dogs do have to be on leads in the sheep field. We took our flask & treats with us & enjoyed a lazy time in the beautiful sunshine.  We then whizzed home to light the barbie & share the evening with some good friends around the chiminea.

Image - Barbury Castle

Saturday
By popular demand we took a trip to Monkey World in Wareham.  If you haven't been, you really should.  Whilst it is extremely sad to see these primates in captivity, it is also wonderful to know that they have been rescued & have been able to live a well cared for life here.  Some of the stories are heartbreaking.

Image - T&M tracking the route

Take a picnic or eat in their restaurant.  Opportunities for coffee & ice-cream.  A wonderful gift shop full of monkeys - we brought some home with us! There are also a couple of great play areas for your own little monkeys to climb & swing from.

How can you resist?

Image - Monkey World

Later that evening the kids wrote a letter to the Easter Bunny & left some carrots.  The bunny left some lovely chocolate - even mummy & daddy were included!!!

Image - letters & carrots for The Easter Bunny!

Image - Yummy, Thank You Easter Bunny!

Easter Sunday
We found ourselves heading to Symonds Yat. We had a lovely lunch at the hotel situated in the end car park in Symonds Yat East (for the life of me I cannot remember the name).  We planned to go to the Saracen's Head Inn which seems to be the most popular one, so popular we couldn't get in.  However, we enjoyed sitting in the hotel garden (of the one I can't remember) overlooking the River Wye.  We then took the walk (with kids on bikes) from the carpark, through the woods (where there was an abundance of wild garlic), over the suspension bridge & back up the other side through the Biblins Youth Campsite (which looked pretty cool too) & up to Ye Olde Ferrie Inn - where we sat on their wooden balcony for a drink & crisps (Pimm's in my case).  From there we caught the hand pulled ferry across the river & walked back up towards the Saracen's Head.  Here we had some lovely ice-creams before starting our hike to Yat Rock.  We didn't actually make it as far as Yat Rock but we did make it to the viewing point across the wooden bridge.

Image - Suspension Bridge @ BYC

Image - view from viewing point en route to Yat Rock

We didn't make it to the Seven Sisters Rock or King Arthurs Cave & we didn't spot a Peregrine Falcon - we'll be back for another visit soon!

Easter Monday
We're on wind down mode now, not wanting to drive too far at the end of a bank holiday.  A walk with our dogs around Coate Water.  It was busy but a place to go if you're in the area & it's not a bank holiday!

We stopped off at the Royal Oak on the way home to the last bbq of the weekend before the weather turned colder!

Fun in the Sun

I can not believe this weather - apparently we are 10 degrees above average!

Today we packed a HUGE picnic & headed off to Bowood House.  I spent most of my time sitting on the picnic blanket.  My children spent a happy 6 hours running, climbing & sliding here......

Image - Bowood House Adventure Playground

 and here....

Image - Bowood House Adventure Playground

 crossing the waterfall & going through the pitch black cave here.....

Image - Bowood House Waterfall

and running in the wide open spaces, rolling down hills & just enjoying a very simple day in a beautiful setting.

Image - Bowood House Boathouse

Images owned by Bowood House & BBC website.

Wonderful Wales

Our Welsh adventure was amazing! I managed to put together an adventure pack for my daughter (boys adventure packs were in previous post) - a duffle bag with lip balm, tin mug, pretty flask, camping towel in pink & a new foldaway raincoat that she desperately needed!  Not that we needed any raincoats at all, it was so sunny.

We stayed here with our two dogs, who couldn't believe the freedom they had to roam. I could've moved into the cottage permanently.  We ate huge breakfasts, made delicious packed lunches & finished off with hearty meals back at the cottage before bed.

We walked all day, climbed, made dens, found waterfalls, stopped for a cuppa & walked some more.

Sadly we were only here for 3 nights - we're desperate to go back!