by iamcrabstix | May 6, 2017 | Reviews, Travel
CENTER PARCS WHINFELL FOREST REVIEW
Taking a little one abroad seems a daunting task when they do not travel lightly. So we opted for a visit to Center Parcs at Whinfell Forest, Cumbria as we could pack the entire contents of our house and put them in our car to take with us!
It was approximately one hour and fifteen minutes away from us along the A66, so wasn’t a bad drive at all to do with a little one, although it was his longest time in the car to date.
We managed to get one of the older three bedroomed lodges for under £400 mid-week at the end of April, which seemed like a great deal compared to the prices we’ve been quoted when we’ve looked at other times. From the moment you enter the drive-in check in you know that Center Parcs is well run – they’ve thought of everything!
We did not know how ‘old’ and used it would be as neither of us have been within the past five years, but we had nothing to worry about as the accommodation was well kept and modern inside.
If you’ve never been to Center Parcs before, you are able to access the facilities ahead of your check-in time, which for us on the Monday was 3.30, so access to swimming is popular! Some of the restaurants are closed on the Monday as this is a changeover day. You are able to view and book activities before your stay through the website or app, although you can do this while you are there, please note that things such as bike hire is cheaper if you do it beforehand! I think I paid £29 per bike for booking it beforehand and if I’d done it on the day it would be £41. If you require trailers or child bike seats, I now know that you have to re-enter your booking as you cannot do this at the time of booking – apparently there wasn’t enough room on the web page! As I missed this minor detail, I had to pay when I got there for a trailer for RLT at a cost of £29 for the four days. Children are able to use the trailers from six months, they are a good way to get around with a little one!
There are lots of activities to do with kids of all ages – but most paid activities start for around 18 months plus. The swimming is great for little ones as it is indoors and the pools are heated but also separated so that there is an area for babies only as well as toddlers and then many various deeper pools, rapids and slides. There is a wave machine, which starts off OK but goes wild – floation devices are OK for babies and they also have vests for them to wear, which is useful.
The village centre (pictured below) contains the swimming pools, bowling, starbucks, cafe rouge, Huck’s, and other eateries, clothes shops and a grocery store/bakery (which wasn’t really that badly priced!). Everything is an additional extra at Center Parcs, they’ve made it so easy for you to spend money without realising – you add your card details to your wrist band and they debit your card at the end of your stay! There is the option of taking all of your food and drink with you in your lodge, which is advisable as the prices are a little bit more expensive than you’d usually expect. Swimming is free, however if you need towels it is a £2 per day towel charge.
The accommodation is comfortable and open plan living did make it feel big, but there are lots of sharp edges around the fire surround and a full length radiator on the wall next to the patio doors – so we had to move the leather chair to obstruct it in order for the little one not to get it. It tried to snow a few times while we were there, so it wasn’t the weather for keeping the heating off.
There are cots and highchairs supplied for anything over a two bedroomed lodge, so you don’t have to request them. The cot is extremely deep, easy to put up and comes with a mattress, however it doesn’t come with a cover for the mattress – which baffled me as how was I supposed to know the dimensions of a cot I’d never seen before? On the picture, the cot is by the right hand side of the bed, when it was put up there was absolutely no room between the bed and the cot, so was tricky to get him in.
Our housekeeper apparently forgot to supply us with toilet paper and when we opened the oven the oven tray was full of fat, so this wasn’t great. The apartment was clean, but they obviously hadn’t done a thorough check that they had done everything ahead of our check-in. This along with no cot bedding just felt like housekeeping let it down.
There were many free play parks around the forest, which were great and there was an indoor soft play in the sports centre – it was advertised at £4.25 for a two hour play session, but when I got to the desk they told me it was free for under 1’s. They just didn’t advertise that fact!
Verdict? – A great place to go with kids for a short break and to feel relaxed! Swimming is absolutely brilliant as are the outdoor areas if the weather is right for it. Should probably make some minor modifications to the lodges to make them a little bit more child friendly, in my opinion, Kielder lodges are cosier, but they just don’t have the facilities such as the swimming. It is very easy to go there and spend a further couple of hundred pounds on eating and drinking out – most being chain restaurants and hardly the tastiest things on the planet. I think Center Parcs is perfect for using the accommodation to cook your own food and enjoy the company of your loved ones.
by iamcrabstix | Apr 22, 2017 | general parenting, Travel
PLACES TO VISIT WITH CHILDREN IN COUNTY DURHAM
Here are my tips for places to visit with children in County Durham. Ten months into this parenting job and I’m still a little bit scared of being stuck on the A1, at the Angel of the North with the little one, so many of the great things to do I have seen online in Newcastle/Northumberland have yet to be tackled, there are lots of them on the fantastic blog Northeastfamilyfun. I’ll get over my trips-in-car-with-baby-on-my-own issue sooner or later!
So, not venturing too far from home, I have compiled a list based around the south of the region, which are a bit closer to me in County Durham. I’m not going to give you the obvious ones, like walk around Durham – we all know what an amazing sight that is. But some tips on places you may not be so familar with, which are baby friendly.
If they aren’t my own images, they belong to This is Durham, who have a fantastic social media presence as well as being a fantastic resource for everything that is amazing about Durham!
Hardwick Park
Our go-to place. Durham County Council have done a fantastic job, a great walk, a lovely lake and a Gruffalo Trail for the kids. Parking is £3 for the day and the money goes back into the park. Chavs don’t seem to like paying for parking, so is usually family friendly. Favourite of dog walkers – so be weary if you’re not a fan of dogs. Here is us by the lake in December – it’s open all year!
South Durham Gymnastics Centre
Locally known as ‘The Pink Gym’ the gymnastics centre offers open play for 0-4 years olds five times per week. It is a great place to let little ones explore on crawling and toddling friendly surfaces. They also get a taster for what the equipment is like in the world of gymnastics. They can join SD Gymnastics Club from the age of 2 – but it is advised to put names down on a waiting list as it is so popular, especially as it is the home gym of Olympic Gymnast, Amy Tinkler. It is great to have such a role model in the local area, and fantastic to see a local club so popular. Open play sessions cost £4 per session.
Spennymoor Leisure Centre Sensory Room
This is the best sensory room around – suitable for babies from a young age. The sessions are limited by numbers, so booking is required and you are free to explore the sensory equipment, everything is self-explanatory.
This was the first place I took RLT on my own! The Council website doesn’t have a great deal of info on it, but the reception staff and centre manager are very responsive to enquiries. Timetable for baby sessions correct on 30th Oct 2018 are: Monday 1 and 2pm. Thursdays 1pm, Fridays 9.15am and 10.15am. These sessions are for children aged between 0-2 years and are £4 per child. To book, call reception on 03000261161.
Beamish Museum
A wonderful place for all! A place for education and exploration. We are incredibly lucky to have this open air museum on our doorstep – just past Chester-le-Street! A bit further North than most of the other recommendations, but another great Durham County Council run tourism attraction, so it counts! Great prices on annual passes, mean that it is a great regular destination and regular changes to programme such as Christmas specials and 50s weekends make it even more fantastic. This was the place we all used to come on school trips and I’m very proud to have this in the local area. I cannot wait for the 50s village, which is due to open in Summer 2019.
Hamsterley Forest
We are also exceptionally lucky to have Hamsterley Forest on our doorstep. Great walks, stuff for bikers, different play parks to ones you’d find elsewhere and a Zog trail! It is a full day out kind of place! They also have cool events during the year, like night time safaris and you can pick your own Christmas Tree and a discovery pass system to pay for annual parking if you’re a regular visitor.
We took RLT here aged five weeks in a papoose… fun for all ages!I’d advise you to get a map and follow a route – it is a forest after all and therefore MASSIVE.
Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon
Obviously being home of the railways is a massive part of our history around here! So visiting this place is a must to understand how it all started! I must admit, I’m not the biggest fan of trains, but the museum has old carriages, so you can see how trains used to look back in the days of it being the elite way to travel and they are beautiful! Likewise seeing the Flying Scotsman in all of its glory is great. There are so many historically significant links to the area and the railways, it is really great to visit and will fill you with a sense of pride. Santas Specials here get booked up fast, too! Recently there was a really popular lego exhibition – I’ve never seen the area so busy! Great to see!
Is there anything you think should be included? Please comment below! There are days out with kids websites which compile everything, this is simply a tried and tested list from me.
by iamcrabstix | Apr 11, 2017 | Reviews, Travel
If you love animals – Elephant Nature Park, elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand is an absolute must.
Ran by Lek Chailert – who has been named Asian Hero of the Year by Times Magazine, because of her amazing achievements and tenacity to educate on the hideous tourist trap of riding elephants. The park itself has an array of awards, including from the Smithsonian.
Elephant Nature Park is a must see – I love animals, the cruelty of riding elephants is all over Thailand, it is heartbreaking. This place gives those elephants a happy ending, rescuing them wherever possible and educating people on the sad reality that these animals are often left disabled because tourists ride on them and their spirits have been ‘broken’ in the cruellest ways to allow their owners to make money from them.
The elephants here live a happy life, it is amazing to watch them feed and play. I’m struggling to put it into words because they roam free, without a care in the world and if you’re lucky enough to see the amazing relationship Lek has with them, it will blow your mind. She is so small and these elephants put her under their trunks, play with her and can pick her out of a crowd, it is absolutely magical to see. It gets booked up so far in advance, so try and book before you get to Thailand. You can do day trips or stay longer and help them look after the elephants, dogs, buffalos and cats that all live there!
We will definitely be back to try and share our love of animals with RLT. Transport is arranged as part of the package and there is a booking office in Chiang Mai. As a bonus Lou Carpenter from Neighbours does the video intro on the bus!
I probably haven’t sold it to you, because seeing is everything with this one. Visit their website to see the amazing things they do, you can even sponsor an elephant if you have no plans to go to Thailand soon!
by iamcrabstix | Feb 23, 2017 | Travel
I am not a contender for the Mark Warner Mum Family Ambassador programme. They want social media stats and stuff, there are many more people that take this more serious than I and probably deserve a skiing holiday more than I do. Just for a laugh, here are my top 10 travel must haves:
1. Suncream – Very important, especially when you have absolutely no melanin in your body/ginger skin.
2. Little kids following you around because they’ve never seen someone, who is so pale yet so red at the same time, before. Image taken in the amazing Orchid Garden, Hoi An, Vietnam
3. A decent sized bath – I’ve had some mini-baths in places like Spain, no good. I need to lie down to soak my sunburn. Image below taken at Elephant Nature Park
4. A decent pool – makes it easier to get my sunburn on if I stay in the water for a long time. Image taken at Phu Pai Art Resort in Thailand
5. Really smelly animals – I don’t think any holiday is complete without being forced to sit on an animal who hates you as much as you hate it.
6. Travel insurance – Because you’re never sure when you’ll need help breathing
Jokes. I’m in an Oxygen Bar in Sharm El Sheik, really!
7. Protection – nuff said
8. Treesssss.
9. A wheelchair.
10. Sensible Shoes
Jeremy Scott for Adidas, taken in a department store in Tokyo.
by iamcrabstix | Dec 4, 2016 | Reviews, rlt, Travel
We chose Kielder as the destination for a winter break and the first holiday for RLT at aged five and a half months. Kielder Waterside is a development within Kielder Water and Forest and within the Leaplish Forest Park, which is also where the Winter Wonderland is based.
We opted to go for 4 nights Monday – Friday as my OH is starting a new job on 5th December, so he wanted some downtime before he started. We couldn’t quite fathom out formula, nappies and baggage allowances to travel abroad with a baby, so when my friend Nikki, mentioned that she was looking for a winter break in the UK and we should come along, we jumped at the chance.
We opted for the Otterstone Superior lodge which was lovely and incredibly homely. The added touch of the Christmas tree added to the atmosphere. The lodge was very well equipt and the bed, furniture and fixtures were all extremely high quality, we were extremely impressed.
RLT chilling by the Christmas tree in living area
The swimming pool was small but ample for our requirements, the changing rooms seemed to be brand new. The coffee shop and bar restaurant were all decorated to an extremely high standard too. The food was also very good and I didn’t feel over priced for the quality considering they had a captive audience. The draft ale was Wylam too, which is a very well respected brewery in the North East – little touches like that go a long way.
Kitchen of Otterstone Superior Lodge
The lodge had a hot tub, I’d never been in one! A man came every day to check the levels etc, it was extremely well maintained. He advised it had been drained and fresh water added for our visit – as you never know who and what has gone on in those things! I went in once for around 20 minutes, the lodges are pretty close together so if you’re thinking of a break with friends for hot tub parties, I don’t think this is the place for you. It’s more for families to enjoy, in my opinion.
The bath was also a jacuzzi one, basically, everything to do with water was an optimum experience, which is no surprise given that the lodges are owned and operated by Northumbrian Water, who own Kielder Reservoir. EVEN THE TAP WATER TASTED AMAZING.
We didn’t set out to do anything but go on a few walks and relax, so when we saw the Winter Wonderland stuff, we felt obligated to participate for the two-year-old that was with us, thankfully it was only a weekend thing so the park was pretty empty. Things seemed to close on 30th November, half way through our stay such as Kielder Castle etc, but we still managed to do the Stickman Trail and we were fairly laid back about what to see and do anyway, so we didn’t mind.
Winter Wonderland was closed but you could still access the lakeside way for walks, which was ideal with a baby.
Even out of season, this place is pretty great. We picked a good place to go on our first holiday with our baby. The lodge was like a home away from home. They even provided a high chair (which was brand new with the tags on) and a travel cot. We got it for a rate cheaper than advertised on the website due to the time of year, but at full cost and compared to what you’d pay at Centre Parcs, I’d 100% recommend this place for families to consider. We had a lovely time.
Things to look out for…. Northumbrian Water seem to use Hoseasons for their bookings… We were looking for a Hoseasons logo on site, so thought we’d taken a wrong turn. So if you see signs for Leaplish, just keep driving!
by iamcrabstix | Oct 30, 2016 | Travel
Mark has gone to see NFL’s The New York Giants at Twickenham today. He said he can’t wait to take #rlt with him – but he’s already seen them, I have a certificate to prove it!
When I was three months pregnant, we decided to go to New York for 10 days over Christmas – we wanted to get away as we weren’t looking forward to Christmas for a reason very personal to us and we thought it would be our last opportunity for a while – taking a child away from family at Christmas was never going to be a popular choice! Mark was adamant that he was going to get to an NFL game while he was in America and thankfully Stubhub helped us do just that. So on 20th December we went over to New Jersey to see NYG play again the Carolina Panthers.
The guy looking after our section, I guess as security, was called Johnny, he looked a bit like Richard Gere and was lovely. We told him it was our first game so he told us to go to guest services to get a certificate – so we decided to get one for the baby as he was technically there with us! (we didn’t know he was a he until a month later).
You have to write your name on a piece of paper at guest services and they print the certificate for you… I wrote baby as obviously we didn’t have a name for the baby yet – the woman handed it to me and said “here you go, Baby” well, we were absolutely creased at this, as in America I guess it isn’t all that of an unusual name for a woman!
Some fella called Rubin scored the first touchdown too… Ohhhh that is a sign, we thought. We liked that name already!
Any tourists reading this… if you’re trying to work out how to get to the Giant’s stadium, the bus people in the depot are the most unhelpful people ever and there are no signs. The queue for the bus on the way back is an absolute pain as well – so if you have an alternative way of getting there, use that!
