• {Exploring} Max Gate, Dorchester
    days out - Dorset - National Trust

    {Exploring} Max Gate, Dorchester

    September 6, 2023 - By 

    As I told you about our family visit to the pretty cottage where Thomas Hardy was born yesterday, today I’m going to share our visit to Max Gate. This was the house designed by Thomas Hardy (who trained as an architect) and built by his father and brother. Thomas Hardy lived in the house until his death in 1928. {Exploring} Max Gate, Dorchester Max Gate couldn’t be more different from Hardy’s Cottage which we visited. Built in the Queen Anne style we found it rather soulless and unwelcoming. We had booked our ticket online and were guided round the house…

  • {Exploring} Hardy's Cottage, Higher Bockhampton
    days out - Dorset - National Trust

    {Exploring} Hardy’s Cottage, Higher Bockhampton

    September 5, 2023 - By 

    Over the summer we spent a week exploring Dorset, surely one on the prettiest counties in England? The weather was pretty good to us and we were able to use our National Trust membership to explore some new properties, such as Hardy’s Cottage and Max Gate, the home he built in later life. Thomas Hardy was a British author, of poems and novels including Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Far From The Madding Crowd, Jude The Obscure and The Mayor of Casterbridge. {Exploring} Hardy’s Cottage, Higher Bockhampton You need to pre-book a visit to Hardy’s Cottage online and turn up at…

  • Exploring Seaton tramway with kids and a dog
    days out - Devon

    Exploring Seaton tramway with kids and a dog

    September 4, 2023 - By 

    Sometimes I forget how lucky we are to visit some of the beautiful places in the UK. This summer we spent a week exploring East Devon, especially the coastal villages of Lyme Regis and the surrounding areas. One place we really wanted to take the children was the Seaton tramway in Devon, this is a narrow gauge heritage tram which runs between Seaton, Colyford and Colyton in East Devon’s glorious Axe Valley, travelling alongside the River Axe. Exploring Seaton tramway with kids and a dog We first visited Seaton tramway back in 2005 and it was really lovely to be…

  • Bermondsey Foreshore Walk
    days out - Local Review - London - London Borough of Southwark

    {Exploring} Bermondsey Foreshore Walk with Thames Festival Trust

    August 31, 2023 - By 

    We love a guided walk. They are such a great way to learn new things and see things differently. Last year we were lucky to attend a guided walk along the Thames foreshore at Bermondsey. My daughter always seems to spot small things, and often comes home with a pretty feather or unusual stone from the beach. I knew she would enjoy a guided walk along the Thames foreshore. {Exploring} Bermondsey Foreshore Walk with Thames Festival Trust The Thames Trust is an annual festival of the Thames and features guided walks and events along the Thames. I booked the family…

  • d20 Uxbridge Board Game Cafe
    days out - Hillingdon - Local Review - London

    d20 Uxbridge Board Game Cafe

    July 26, 2023 - By 

    A few weeks ago we visited our local Board Game Cafe, d20 Uxbridge Board Game Cafe. If the name sounds familiar that’s because they have another branch we’ve previous visited, d20 Watford. d20 Uxbridge Board Game Cafe The Uxbridge branch can be found down Windsor Street which is the prettiest street in Uxbridge. It’s full of independent shops and the perfect place for a board game cafe. It’s at the furthest end of the street, away from Uxbridge town centre, but still only a few minutes from Uxbridge underground station. There are at least two rooms at d20 so we…

  • The Tusk Gorilla Trail at Covent Garden
    days out - London - Sculpture trails

    The Tusk Gorilla Trail at Covent Garden

    July 22, 2023 - By 

    Visitors to London are blessed with not one, but two free sculpture trails this summer. The other day we told you about Morph’s Epic Art Adventure London. We’ve visited the trail twice so far (there are so many sculptures to find!) but were equally excited to hear about The Tusk Gorilla Trail at Covent Garden. The Tusk Gorilla Trail at Covent Garden The immersive art installation an be found in the heart of historic central London. The trail is live from 14th July until 14th October 2023 in support of African conservation. There are 15 life-sized sculptures of gorillas, all…

  • Crowns and Coronets exhibition at Blenheim Palace
    days out - Oxfordshire

    Royal Connections, Crowns and Coronets exhibition at Blenheim Palace

    July 15, 2023 - By 

    We spent today re-visiting Blenheim Palace. It has been a good few years since we last visited and we were excited to visit again but this time with our children. Our gifted tickets were given so we could visit the Royal Connections, Crowns and Coronets exhibition which features some of the lavish collections of Blenheim Palace, along with costumes from The Crown and Bridgerton (which were both filmed at Blenheim Palace). Crowns and Coronets exhibition at Blenheim Palace The last date to explore Blenheim Palace’s current exhibition Royal Connections, Crowns and Coronets is Sunday 30th July, so don’t miss out…

  • The Hovercraft Museum
    days out - Hampshire

    A family trip to the Hovercraft Museum

    June 17, 2023 - By 

    A few weekend ago we were lucky to visit the Hovercraft Museum, in Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire which is situated on a museum heritage site. This museum is the only museum, run by a registered charity, dedicated to the hovercraft. The museum has a collection of over 50 hovercraft of various designs in various conditions, and these can be visited at weekends and school holidays. A family trip to the Hovercraft Museum What is a hovercraft? A hovercraft is an amphibious craft capable of travelling over land, water, mud, ice, and other surfaces. They use blowers to produce a large volume of…

  • Terrible Thames river tour
    days out - London - Tower Hamlets

    Birmingham Stage Companies’ Terrible Thames river tour

    April 20, 2023 - By 

    Last week we were invited to attend Birmingham Stage Companies’ Terrible Thames river tour. The kids are big fans of Horrible Histories and we’ve seen several performances including Horrible Histories: More Best of the Barmy Army and Horrible Histories: Terrible Tudors so knew what to expect. Birmingham Stage Companies’ Terrible Thames river tour Horrible Histories proudly presents its wicked river tour of the Terrible Thames. Climb aboard and hear the horrible history of the most famous river in the world! Terry Deary is the creator of Horrible Histories and one of Britain’s best-selling authors of the 21st Century. He’s also the…