Cadbury World

Playing a little catch up here but thought I would post about a day trip I did with the kids before we left the UK.

As a true Brit, I am a chocoholic.  It’s a problem.  My whole family is addicted and the British definitely have a weakness for it.  Cadburys is our chocolate of choice.  Having lived in the US, we’ve struggled with brands such as Hersheys…a chocolate made from sour milk.  The Americans I would say, are less of chocolate people but more candy and sweet treats such as donuts to satisfy their sweet tooth.

Anyway, I had promised a trip to Cadbury World for the kids.  A day surrounded by our favorite chocolate…!  What could go wrong?

What a disappointment!   While I was fully aware this was NOT a tour of the factory, the entire experience was dull and tired.

First off, its most definitely geared to kids ages 2-7.  The ‘Tour’ was old and felt tired.  Antiquated in parts and then just a very long walk around the outskirts of the packaging plant.   The make your own chocolate was a small paper cup of melted chocolate with a couple of toppings thrown in….and so on.  Just disappointment at each turn.

making your own chocolate

There was a ‘ride’ that looked like it was from the 1970’s and a new 4D cinema experience.  This was fun but it felt it was just 3 minutes long.

On the tour

Costumed characters looked bored and it all seemed a bit awkward.

Characters at Cadbury World

In my research before we went, I was excited to learn more about the town of Bourneville.  The town created by Cadbury to house the factory and workers.  Some great history.  Cadbury created a town, housing, recreational facilities and more to care for the well being of all those that worked for him.  As he was a Quaker, no pubs were established and to this day, there are still no pubs in the town.  There is a small museum detailing this history as part of the tour.  This was the most interesting aspect of the day (well for me anyway).  In past years, they would include a map of the Bourneville campus allowing you to walk around to view and appreciate this history here.  This year, they have removed the map from their tour pamphlet (I asked a member of staff to dig a map out for me).  With this and how poor the day was, I couldn’t help think that perhaps this tour is winding down, soon to close?.   As we know, Cadbury was bought out by Kraft.  The sense of family pride is no longer there and sadly the experience screamed of corporate, waiting for another necessary budget cut.

Were the kids disappointed?  Yes. Would we go again?  No.  Can you get a much better deal on Cadburys at the Co-op?  Yep!

Studland Beach – Dorset

View of Old Harrys Rocks from Middle Beach, Studland

Its been a busy week with family visiting…a lot to write about and STILL behind on prior travel I’ve wanted to write about!

So here’s a quick one as I wanted to share a new place we visited this weekend.

Taking advantage of the lovely weather we’ve had in England this week, we’ve done a number of beach days.  One was spent at Studland Beach on the South Dorset coast.

Studland is a National Trust Property and they maintain the coastline nicely.  As it is a NT site, having a membership is helpful as the car park is then free (usually £6).  There is no additional charge for the beach.

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We visited Middle beach.  There is also a South Beach (with a great coastal walk to Old Harry’s Rocks) and a Knoll Beach….one section of the beach is also for naturists (further on the north side).

Middle Beach offers a nice sandy beach, toilets, cafe and ice creams!

Of course, with the weather being perfect, it was very busy.  Space on the beach was at a premium but we managed to find a spot and settle in.  In fact, we stayed all afternoon and opted not to make the walk to Old Harrys rocks this time.

As you can see, dogs are allowed on the beach.  They need to stay on leash but we swam our guy far out and took him off leash so he could swim.   The water is shallow for a log way out so its perfect for kids and dogs alike!

Family Frisbee

Family swim

Great game of frisbee with the dog

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London – Sky Garden

So we’ve spent the last few weekends in London so I have a few more posts to write.  In particular order, I will just cover a little of what we have done as we’ve had some enjoyable experiences.

Yesterday, we went to 20 Fenchurch Street, the official name of the ‘Walkie Talkie’ building.

We’ve admired this building all year and I think I can say its my favorite modern building in the city.  Growing in popularity is the 3 story Sky garden at the top of the building – floor 35.   I have tried to get tickets in the past but they go quickly.  This time, luck was on my side.  With friends visiting from America, I checked in at Sky Garden website (here) 3 weeks prior to their trip to see tickets available.   The website has a 3 week leadtime for booking so sometimes can be tricky to plan.   I managed to snag the tickets we needed so I was thrilled.  It has been on my London ‘must do’ list for some time.

View up 20 Fenchurch Street

It’s easy to find and easy to access.  Security was swift and efficient and in no time, we were on the 35th floor looking out over London.  Note – the views are great!  And when you compare to the London Eye (£25) and the Shard (££), considering this is FREE, its probably all you need.  In fact, I would even argue it was better than the Eye.

I loved the view of the Tower of London….a favorite place of mine and new vantage point.

Tower of London

St Pauls, BT Tower, City of London

West London

The gardens are mostly green but lush and nice to wander around.

View from Garden overlooking main cafe/ vista

 

The Tower boasts a couple of cafes and a restaurant.  We sat in the window with afternoon tea jut taking in the view.  It was perfect.  And because they limit the numbers up there, its not crowded and has a lovely spacious feel.

If you’ve not done it already, plan ahead and visit the Walkie Talkie!

Take That!

Horribly behind on posting but this is a quick one I wanted to share!

This last weekend, we went to see Take That at Hyde Park, London.  It was part of the British Summertime Festival presented by Barclaycard.

It was the kids first real concert and TT didn’t disappoint!  Wow!

We snagged a fairly decent spot early on and didn’t move all day.  The festival offered 2 other stages and some activities and lots of food stands.  But TT fans are die hard..they are there to see TT and really no-one else.  Strategically, we managed our space all day (alternating folks on food and toilet breaks) and the wait was worth it!

I’ve been to a good number of TT concerts and this is the first time LuLu was present for Relight my Fire – needless to say, crowd pleaser.  Also fun to have Sigma on stage for their current single Cry.

Supporting bands included Ella Eyre and Olly Murs who was surprisingly good.

Not sure where we will be living next year but hope to catch the boys on their 25th anniversary tour.

 

History in action – Bletchley Park

So this trip actually happened last fall but I try to play catch up when I can – mixing new adventures with some of our older ones!

For those of you that don’t know, Bletchley Park is/was home of British codebreaking and a birthplace of modern information technology. It played a major role in World War Two, producing secret intelligence which had a direct and profound influence on the outcome of the conflict.  Those that worked at Bletchley through the war were the unsung war heroes, that only in recent years has the nation become aware of and recognised for the role in winning the 2nd world war.  Not only did they help defeat the enemy but they saves countless lives in the process….all through brains vs brawn.

Bletchley has been restored and is now a museum dedicated to all those that lived and worked there.

This particular visit was a special occasion for us.  As it happens, we know a code breaker!

My sister in laws mother  was an original code breaker at Bletchley back in 1943/4.   Her story only came to light in the past decade or so.   She married, raised a family and lived her life without telling a soul of her war efforts and the role she played.  Sworn to the Official Secrets act when she signed up for Bletchley, she maintained her silence for decades.   No surprise really when she recounts the story of joining and signing up….pen in hand and a revolver on the table in front of her, reminding her of the severity and importance of the situation!   Not even her family knew, telling her parents she was working at a clock factory.   Edna was recognised as being particularly bright by her current employer at the time, thus recommending her for the job.  Her travel to Bletchley was secret – cars and trains with no idea of destination and finally arriving and understanding the task at hand.

Many many folks worked at Bletchley and was a community within itself.  Edna worked in the now famous Hut 6, breaking codes related to imminent threat.  What a treat to visit this iconic location with her.  We entered Hut 6 and Edna showed us around even taking us to her office space and desk/ machines.   She was also kind enough to bring morse code and other code breaking info with her and showed the kids how to use the machines!

We accompanied Edna to a Veterans reunion.  We got to hear more of her stories as well as others.  Sadly, not many veterans are still with us and many went to their grave without ever disclosing their war efforts.   About 10-15 years ago, the Bletchley workers began to be recognised thus Edna’s story coming out.  Even then, some veterans opted still not to speak due to their loyalty to the country.

Veterans at Bletchley

Stories of a time gone by not only included of breaking codes but also of life at Bletchley, socialiszing, work (they worked very long hours through the night at times), and stories of finding Churchills cigar butts in the hut after secret nighttime visits by him.   A particular poignant story shared by Edna is picnicing with local servicemen one weekend on  a rare day off.   The men were off to battle… ‘see you soon’ were the servicemen’s words as they left.  Edna knew of the battle they were to head to and knew she was never to see them again.  The work was difficult in so many ways.  They had the codes in hand and used them over years to defeat the Germans, but not everyone could be saved.

So as we know more now, and code breaking has become the feature of a couple of blockbuster movies, being at Bletchley allowed us to become fully immersed in the history.   We watched the Imitation Game with the kids before we went so they had a good basic understanding of Bletchley…..much easier than text books and a history lesson.  Funnily enough, we are currently settled just 2 miles from Sherborne so references to Sherborne and the Boys school also was of interest and we often walk past the Alan Turing building at the school.

Additionally, when we went, Bletchley had a large exhibition dedicated to the Imitation Game which the kids also enjoyed.  The movie definitely helped with the younger ones maintaining engagement.

Bletchley is a full day out.  So much to see and experience and quite interactive. The history is captivating and for science and maths buffs, you’ll love it.

 

 

Cornwall – Carnewas

This is a follow up post to the Watergate post yesterday.   We rounded out our day after the stroll along Watergate Bay at another National Trust spot further North along the coast (just a few miles).   This was Carnewas.   This is home to the famed Bedruthan Steps.  Sadly we didn’t go this far as the crew was tired but for a short distance, the rewards were plentiful.  I’ll let the photos speak for themselves!

Idyllic setting

Views from the coastal path

View south down the coastline

Playing with camera filters allows for  moodier shot

Cornwall – Watergate Bay

Watergate Bay

Day 2 of our adventure and we had an exciting day planned.  Firstly, another note about Parkdean and the site.  Not sure if its the time of year or this would be year round, but the place was full of crows…yes crows!  The noise from the them is deafening and starts around 5am…needless to say, we were up early!  The good news is, the sun was blazing and the weather gods were looking down on us 🙂

The weather was particularity exciting for the girls – the camp was home to 3 swimming pools and  200ft water slide…so yes, we hit the pool for an hour before we set off for the day.  The camp actually plans well for the British summer.  They keep the pools heated at 30° so even if the weather was cooler, they were plenty warm enough.

This day we knew we wanted to head North from Newquay.  We were headed to Watergate Bay.

I have family that often stays at the Watergate Bay resort.  Sadly, not for us this trip but it looks gorgeous and does offer all sorts of sports etc.   We arrived at Watergate Bay Beach area and easily found parking.  In high season, I am sure its a bear to park but we did just fine and were happy to pay £6 for all day parking…..a good deal for all day.

Our first stop was Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant!  We were so excited to experience a Jamie O restaurant and food and this was a really special treat.  What we have saved on accommodations, we can put towards experience.  In addition, the cause is a good one.  The Fifteen Model began in London in 2002, providing chef apprenticeship opportunities to disadvantaged youths in the local area.  There are now a number of the restaurants and the Cornwall location is also a local charity.

Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen at Watergate Bay

I believe on all kinds of experience, big and small, basic and organic to grand and bold.  A dining experience at an upscale establishment is not only special but helps build skills in the kids for when the embark on their own adventures later in life.  While Jamies Fifteen is not over the top fancy (especially for lunch), they still had a properly set table, a sophisticated menu of which the kids asked the waiter many questions on to make their choices and a level of expectation on behaviors.

The restaurant is beautifully located on the beach of Watergate Bay overlooking the ocean.  Every table affords a great view.  The kitchen is ‘open’ so you can see the chefs at work.  The kids were happy to face the chefs to watch and we had the ocean view seats.

We opted for cocktails and mocktails all round and the food was delicious..

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After a long leisurely lunch we explored the beach.  The sun was still shining so stripped off our shoes and wet for a paddle.

Surfers and Kite surfers were out but as the beach is HUGE, its felt like it was all ours 🙂

Paddling at Watergate Bay

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Kite surfing at Watergate Bay

Watergate Bay

Cornwall – Newquay

Gunnel at Cranstock Beach

This last weekend, we went to Cornwall for the weekend.   It was a cheap getaway that we booked just a couple of weeks ago.  I had seen an offer in the Daily Mail to collect the tokens and get away for just £20pp.  I dont often do offers like this but as a family of five and copious amounts of travel draining the purse, I thought this would be a great deal for us…and it was.

We booked into a camping resort – Parkdean, Newquay.  Again, never staying in a ‘holiday camp’ type of resort before this was a new experience but pleasantly surprised.   The unit we booked accommodated up to 6 people.  It was sparkling clean and had everything we could possibly need for the short stay…2 bathrooms, fully equipped kitchen, living room, diner, tv etc.  We are at the beginning of the season so I wonder how well the units would hold up through the summer but for us, it was perfect.   We opted to bring our own sheets, although, they do offer these as an extra charge.   With the newspaper deal, we paid under £50 for a 3 night stay!  WOW!  This is a brilliant deal and highly recommend anyone looking out for the deals when they are done again.  We paid an additional £40 for entertainment passes.  Not critical for us but we did use them and they did check the passes so with such a good deal, happy to spend the little extra.

Lounging around at the Camp site

Our first full day there was Saturday.  Having been weather watching all week, we knew that the weather wasn’t going to be great so we opted to do some driving/ touring around the area.

First stop was Newquay.  Don’t get me wrong, Newquay has some of the most beautiful beaches and best surfing spots in the UK but on a grey day we were less than enamored.  The town center/ promenade area was also disappointing.  Maybe we just didn’t hit the right spots?  Not sure…but with one way road systems, rain and no ease of parking we moved out of Newquay and headed South along the coast.

Our first pull over site was a National Trust location Crantock Beach.  We have an annual membership for NT so as it turned out, we were going to be fortunate to use it a number of times this weekend away.

We headed up and over the dunes onto a pretty sandy beach.  As I said, one of many in this lovely area.

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We took a stroll along the beach watching the tide come in.   We opted to take a different path back to the car park.  There are many paths off the car park so by chance we opted to take an opposite path up and over into another cove.  This was beautiful!  Its clear where the water flows here and leads out to the ‘Gunnel’.

Dogs playing on Crantock Beach

If you go, take a walk over to the wooden bridge and cross over to a series of steps up.  166 in all.   Perched at the top, there is a delightful cafe with fantastic views.  Naturally, we took some tea and cake – what we do best 🙂

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View of the Gunnel at the top of the steps/ cafe

After refreshments we set out North again to find another adventure.   Next stop was Holywell Beach (National Trust).

We asked the car park attendant for his must do at the beach and he told us to head to the far end and explore the cave…so that’s what we did!

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For the walk back to the car park, we ventured through the dunes….all very picturesque!

Two beaches down, we opted for a little change in scenery – we headed into Truro for a look around.  I wont spend much time here on it as we only hit the shopping/ center.  From what we saw, it would be worth a return visit one day to explore more.  Shopping was pretty standard but the kids enjoyed a change in activity.   We grabbed a bite of dinner at Sams Bistro.  I would recommend the restaurant – the food was good and reasonably priced.

Final stop was back at Parkdean in Newquay – our camping resort.  In true holiday camp fashion, the resort offered plenty of evening entertainment.   So Bingo and quiz night it was before we headed off to bed!

 

York

A brief post about a flying visit to York a few days ago.  I wont really do it justice as the trip was quick and I know there is so much more to see and do here.

My Sister in law and I took a train from Manchester into York.  A quick trip, just 1.5 hours and the views (cross Penines) can be lovely at times.  Its so nice to take a train.   With so much driving in the car this year, taking a break and being a passenger was welcome.

I have a good childhood friend that lives in York so the intention was to catch up and send time with her.  Sadly, we haven’t been able to get to York as a family as we’ve been so busy and its been just a bit too far for the weekend.   So being in Manchester for a week, allowed a day trip to make this happen.

Naturally, no trip to York is complete without a trip to York Minster.  My friend was fortunate enough to be married in the Minster and I was bridesmaid.   It was a great day and memorable being such an impressive venue.

York Minster

This trip we were disappointed with the Minster.  Now they charge £10/ adult to enter (kids are free).   The charge seems high and is the only Minster/ Cathedral we have visited int he UK so far that makes a charge.  Additionally, on entering, the Minster was filled with workmen and scaffolding setting up for some theater productions.  I am sure now, these are no longer happening but then the charge still applied despite the disruptions.   Having been to the Minster many ties before, the level of scaffolding and high charge, we opted not to go further.   Interestingly enough, a large group ahead of us was also put off by the charge and opted not to pay.   I wonder if the entrance fee sometimes works against the minster vs relying on donations?

We opted for a couple of quick snaps outside and moved on!

Lunch was looming so we checked out Tripadvisor for some good eats.  Going for Fish and Chips, we went to Drakes in the center of town.  Not bad food but perhaps there are better choices in town?  It was fine though and caters for tourists wanting the classic British dish.

We spent a lot of time walking around the streets of York.  Architecture and history is fascinating.  The shambles I think is the most photographed street in England and we also stopped into York’s most haunted pub.

The Shambles

Haunted pub

While we didn’t do it, there is a cat trail of York.  Its is a self guided trail and info can be found online and certain shops.  We did a few and enjoyed seeing the cats as we walked through the day.

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The day was cooler than we had had all week so we opted to stop for hot drinks to warm up.  A must do is the York Cocoa House.  Hot chocolates are amazing and for the grown ups, they can make them much less sweet so a little more sophisticated.   Each drink comes with a complimentary chocolate of the month (ours was Ginger) and the cake selection was fabulous too.  If you lived locally or had a longer stay, they offer chocolate making classes and more.

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York Cocoa House

Shopping in York is really good.  Huge range of stores from high end, to novelty and then also great antique stores.   We enjoyed browsing through some more of the unusual shops..

Soap Store

Fun novelty gift store

We wrapped up our day with a walk around the city walls.  The walls afford some pretty views and again, steeped in history for the city which dates back to 71 AD when the Romans arrived.

Walking city walls and view of the Minster

Clifford Tower

If you are visiting the North of England, York is a must do and if we had time, we would be back!

Manchester – Didsbury

Poplars of Didsbury

I’ve written a little about Didsbury in a post prior (Community Re-defined) but this post is just a little more about the area and a recent trip ‘home’.

I’ve been lucky to have had a week ‘off’ and stay in Manchester with my brother and sister in law.  Just me, no kids, and days to relax, explore and fine dining!

The week was filled with sunshine which is always a bonus.

One day, we explored the Trans Penine Trail, as it runs through Didsbury (and beyond). For all the years I lived in Didsbury, I had no idea about this pathway.   I knew of one short section…a small stretch that we always need to run along for school cross country (any Parrs Wood Alum will remember this), but I never thought about where the path led to in either direction.

We accessed the path off Barlow Moor Road.  At the end of Darley Avenue you will find an access path to the trail along the river.  We headed left towards Didsbury (beyond will take you all the way to Stockport too).

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You can walk either side of the river, with several crossing points along the way.   The path is a lovely alternative to getting around.  Walking, running and biking.   Wildlife is aplenty with birds and butterflies and it was so peaceful.

We ended our river walk at Fletcher Moss Park.  Another haunt from my childhood.  Again, if you are visiting Didsbury/ South Manchester, these parks are a must.  They are beautiful and and lovely serene spot central in a bustling area.

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There is a lot to explore here, including some older buildings and churches steeped in history for the local area.

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The river walk and exploring Didsbury can take up a day.  With Didsbury a booming ‘village’, there are also plenty of options for coffee or something a little stronger 🙂

On a different day, we strolled around another beautiful park – Marie Louise Gardens.  Situated in West Didsbury with an entrance on Palatine Road.  It was given to the citizens of Manchester in 1903 by Josephine Silkenstadt, in memory of her daughter, Marie Louise, who died young.   As a child/ young adult, I spent hours in these gardens.  Again, another hidden haven in the area.  The squirrels have a reputation of being friendly and you can feed them directly if you would like!   Its a favorite place of mine and I have fond memories of my dad here.  He grew up locally to the area and I am sure, as a child, he visited the park often too.

If you have time to dine and drink in the area, the Rose Garden on Burton Road is a must.   My brother is a regular there and I had the pleasure of lunch one day.  The food was amazing and possibly one of the best restaurant meals I have had.

For drinks, Burton Road is overflowing with bars!  We enjoy Folk – offering indoor and outddor seating and its always busy so atmosphere is guaranteed!