Fire! Fire! at the Museum of London

Yesterday I took a day off work for a fabulous day out in London with Lara. It was a fun adventure exploring the fascinating world of the City of London complete with #BFGDreamJars , sightseeing, lunch with a city bigwig and a trip to the special Fire! Fire! exhibition at the Museum of London.

We started our journey with a tube to London Bridge; we walked across the bridge with wonderful views of the Tower of London, Tower Bridge and the old ports of London. Then we took a look at The Monument - a dramatic tower with a golden top built to remember the devastation of the Great Fire of London in 1666 and located at the edge of Pudding Lane, the place where the historic fire originally broke out.

Next, we wound our way through the streets of the City of London, past the Bank of England and the Royal Exchange to St. Pauls cathedral and up toward the original city walls where you'll find The Museum of London; a free family museum with exhibits to chart the rise of London from prehistoric times, right up to the present.

We had come to take a look at the special exhibition - Fire! Fire! which is on display at the Museum of London until April 2017. Fire! Fire! is an interactive exhibition suitable for families which details the events leading up to the Great Fire of London, how the fire unfolded, and how London was rebuilt afterwards.  It was particularly interesting for Lara who had learned about the fire earlier this summer as part of the KS1 curriculum and I believe it also features in KS2.

The learning opportunities at the museum were endless and yet Lara found it fun, engaging and inspiring - she whizzed from exhibit to exhibit with frantic enthusiasm, taking it all in. From the moment you step into the exhibition you are transported back in time as you walk through a dark, narrow corridor with overhanging wooden buildings, shadow puppets behind the windows setting the scene. You're taken through the bakery in which the fire started and you can read about the different reasons why the fire took hold. Next, a giant loaf of bread on which you can see the map of the city and how the fire burned through the streets.

We enjoyed the main hall where the sounds and smells of the city really set the scene. In this room there were lots interactive displays here - the chance to try and pack all of your belongings into one heavy wooden trunk, microscopes and magnifying glasses to see the effects of fire, up close, dressing up clothes to allow you to dress as a 17th century Londoner or even a fireman, and a touch-screen game where you could fight the fires yourself.  In a darkened room with flickering flames and orange lights it was all very atmospheric.  I was pleasantly surprised at how engaged Lara was with the detail of the museum - she found the time and patience to read the plaques and listen to audio descriptions of accounts written at the time and seemed genuinely fascinated to find out how it is we know so much about something that happened 350 years ago.

In the final area of the exhibition we learned about the politics surrounding the rebuild of London after the fire, and the blame game that followed.  Lara was less interested here (other than the chance to use building blocks to rebuild the city in her own design).  I don't think it was until a couple of hours later, as we walked around St. Pauls Cathedral (about a 5 minute walk from the museum) that she really understood the rebuild effort, and the extent to which London has changed since the fire.

I thought that Fire! Fire! was a great exhibition and we both enjoyed it - we spent about an hour in the exhibition and could have spent many, many more hours in the rest of the museum galleries.

The Fire! Fire! exhibition at the Museum of London is open until April 2017 with off-peak children's tickets from £4 and adults from £8. The museum itself is free to enter and explore.  Lara also particularly enjoyed learning about Roman London (Londinium) and how the Romans lived and settled on the banks where the city then emerged.

The Merlin Pass Summer Sale #MyMerlinSummer

Summer is knocking on our door and there’s no better time to start planning your summer activities for the family. Have you started thinking about how you might fill the school holidays? What about fun summer weekends or half-term days out?

A Merlin Annual Pass gives you access to 31 worlds of fun, and for not just the summer months, as the pass will last you an entire year. This year the Summer Sale means that you could access all that’s on offer for less.

If it's theme parks that you’re into, then look no further as your Merlin Annual Pass will gain you entry into the UK’s biggest and best, including Alton Towers Resort, Chessington World of Adventures Resort, LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort and THORPE PARK Resort.

Did you know that if you’re planning to visit one of the theme parks more than twice as a family, that you’re better off getting a Merlin Annual Pass in the Summer Sale?

If it’s London days out that you're after, then you’ve got loads available. How about a trip to Madame Tussauds, followed by the London Dungeon and even a once round on the London Eye? And not forgetting the London Aquarium, which is a family favourite for everyone!

Our personal favourite Merlin attraction is Alton Towers Resort where my two girls LOVE CBeebies Land.

If you live further afield there is also plenty to do, as your Merlin Annual Pass will gain you access into 11 SEA LIFE centres across the country, plus landmarks such as the Blackpool Tower.

The Merlin Annual Pass Summer Sale in on now for a limited time only, so don’t miss out on this amazing value for a whole 12 months of fun. Prices start from £109 per person.

Visit http://www.merlinannualpass.co.uk to purchase your pass and find out more about what's on offer.

Alton Towers CBeebies Land Review

A few weeks ago, my very lovely Mum treated us to a family day out at Alton Towers, the home of the brand new CBeebies Land.  Since then, Lara and Holly have talked about more or less nothing else - I think it had a big impact!  Tonight, in the car on the way home, they were comparing tales of when they met the Zingzillas and how they explored Tree Fu Tom's world.

CBeebies Land Entrance

CBeebies Land opened at Alton Towers at the end of May and I think it is a great addition to the theme park which makes Alton Towers feel just that little bit more family-friendly.  CBeebiesLand is very close to the park entrance so you don't have to worry about little ones trekking all over the park; in fact, I think the girls would have been quite happy to spend the entire day in just CBeebiesLand even though there is a small number of other appropriate rides in other parts of the theme park.

Zingzilla's show

Postman Pat Ride

CBeebies Land features lots of the girl's favourite TV characters.  From Postman Pat's vans to Charlie and Lola's kitchen.  From Nina and the Neuron's invention lab to Mr. Bloom's allotment, there are attractions to suit toddlers, preschoolers and younger children and lots of recognisable names and characters to get them excited.  The biggest hit for us was the Tree Fu Tom themed outdoor playground which kept both our 2 year old and 5 year old entertained for ages because there were lots of climbing/hiding/exploring areas.

I thought the most magical part of CBeebies Land was Mr. Bloom's Allotment (seeing both girls sing along with the veggies brought a massive smile to my face) but I felt that the queuing time was far too long for small children to tolerate.  The biggest attraction seemed to be the In The Night Garden water ride which features Iggle Piggle's boat drifting through the Night Garden.

Tree Fu Tom playground

Numtums Merry-go-round

Holly most enjoyed riding on the NumTums roundabout and this is the thing she is still chattering about several weeks later.  Lara talks most about having had her photo taken pretending to be with Mr. Tumble!  I think it is fab that you can buy a digital download of the images you create.  There was so much to do at CBeebies Land that we didn't even get a chance to ride the over-head CBeebies monorail style ride (a re-incarnation of the old squirrel ride) or explore Mr Tumble's sensory garden. There are also LOADS of live shows throughout the day if you need a sit down or a sing song.

Lara (and Holly!) in their Mr. Tumble Photo

Chasing Fish Fingers at Charlie and Lola's House

We had lunch in CBeebies Land and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and value of the food.  Yes, it is expensive but certainly not as bad as several other UK theme parks I have visited (and the prices are pretty standard for Merlin attractions).  Inside CBeebies Land you can buy yummy healthy packed lunches for adults and children alike but there are lots of other food options throughout the park.  If you are visiting Alton Towers with older children (or if, like us, you have a friendly set of grandparents who can temporarily look after the kids) then I can highly recommend the Smiler rollercoaster - guaranteed to put a smile on your face and 'marmalise' you!

Smiler

A Beautiful Day In the Sunshine

Today we took a wonderful day trip to The Vyne estate in Hampshire which is a National Trust property that is very family friendly.  We took the opportunity to try out the girls' brand new outfits from the Mamas & Papas kidswear range.

I have owned a few very gorgeous items of  babywear from Mamas & Papas before but I hadn't realised that Mamas & Papas made children's clothing right up to 6 years old.  When I first discovered the range of Mamas & Papas girls clothes I didn't know where to start... it's all perfect for Lara and Holly.  Casual, fun, bright.

Right now, Mamas & Papas have a Mix and Match offer with 3 for 2 on certain items from the range.  I chose the girls these similar long-sleeved jersey dresses in spots and stars, the normally cost £16 each.  Holly had great fun filling her pockets up with fir cones.  The dresses have three big buttons at the back to fasten them.  They really were the perfect item of clothing for a sunny spring day because it was still a bit chilly in the shade and it meant that they didn't need to wear a coat or cardigan.

For my third mix and match item I chose Holly a set of two pairs of stretchy leggings which were available in similar colours; even when they are not in the 3 for 2 offer they cost just £14 for the two pairs.  These leggings work perfectly with the long sleeved dress.

Disney on Ice - Dare to Dream

I had been on the lookout for a really magical Christmas show to take my girls to this year - last year we went to the theatre and this year we are going to watch our first ever Disney on Ice extravaganza at the O2 in London - I don't know about Lara and Holly, I'm certainly REALLY excited about the opportunity to be invited along to see the show.

This year's wintery Disney on Ice show is called Dare to Dream.  It combines classics such as Cinderella and Snow White along with the more modern Disney stories of Tangled and the Princess and the Frog, all brought together by Mickey Mouse and his friends.

I think Lara is going to absolutely LOVE bopping to the boogies of Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen in New Orleans. And I'm looking forward to seeing the Seven Dwarfs with Snow White.  Lara is totally obsessed with Disney princesses at present so seeing Rapunzel and Cinderella 'in person' dancing on the ice is going to be a truly magical experience for her.

Disney on Ice Dare to Dream has been touring the country in September and the tour will culminate with a series of shows between Christmas and the 5th January at the O2 in London.  Tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster.

The Marwell Hotel - A Family-Friendly Review

Last weekend we took a much-needed break away as a family to the Marwell Hotel in Hampshire.  It was a great weekend away that we all enjoyed.

The Marwell Hotel is nestled in its own little patch of woodland.  The hotel comprises a series of wooden 'lodges' which are joined together with covered glass walkways.  The walkways make you feel like you are out among the trees even though you are tucked up in the luxury and warmth of the hotel - with the leaves falling around us, it was really very magical.

 

Describing the hotel as a series of lodges makes it sound incredibly rustic and when we first saw the lodges I was a little worried that they looked and felt a little bit like the kind of place you would visit on a school trip but in fact the Marwell hotel is very far from rustic.  Inside our room we felt very pampered indeed - the room was really smart, beautifully decorated, pretty spacious and packed full of special little touches that made us all smile.  The girls rushed straight to their bunkbed to investigate their free colouring sets while we headed straight for the REAL coffee maker and the complimentary cake!

Our room had a DVD player and all the rooms have one available on request along with a series of family DVDs that can be borrowed from reception.  There are also indoor games on offer as well as an outdoor play area for the children.

We dined in the Marwell Hotel restaurant which was a very smart affair.  The children were welcome during the early hours of the evening restaurant service and they were very well catered for.  The menu for children offered a small selection of smaller family favourite dishes cooked to the same high standards as the full adult menu... Lara was flummoxed when she was served her first ever amuse-bouche, a small mug of beetroot soup.  I got the impression that the staff didn't regularly cater for toddlers and pre-schoolers but that they did really well to try and respond to our needs throughout the evening.

We all enjoyed our dinner - it was great to be able to share such a grown-up meal with our girls and I was really glad that they enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant as much as we did.  Dinner for the four of us, including dessert, wine and drinks came to around £100.  I thought it was good value for a special meal but I think that it makes the package deals at the Marwell Hotel very appealing for families because some of the packages include dinner.

The Marwell Hotel also offer Zoofari package deals from £150 for a family room which includes family tickets to Marwell Wildlife which is a VERY short walk from the hotel.  We visited Marwell Wildlife after a scrumptious breakfast and had a wonderful day spotting snow leopards, rhinos, giraffes (Holly's favourite) and poison dart frogs (Lara's new discovery!).

On Sunday morning we took advantage of the hotel's leisure facilities.  We took the girls to the small swimming pool and had a ball - the girls don't often get to swim together and the pool was the perfect size for a little person like Lara to practice her swimming.  A morning dip is a great way to work up an appetite for a huuuuuuge cooked breakfast.  I thought the buffet breakfast was brilliant and catered for all sorts of different tastes and once again I was impressed by the little details such as mini pastries wrapped in a warm cloth which were served with our toast.

The Marwell Hotel is a short drive from Winchester in Hampshire and is easily accessible from the M3.

Image credit: Pool image courtesy of Marwell Hotel.  Undercover walkway image courtesy of www.lcphotographics.co.uk

A Magical Family Day Out at the Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour

Earlier this month we were really lucky to be invited to a blogger event which took place at the Warner Brothers Studio Tour at Leavesden near Watford.  While we were there, we had a chance to take the tour about the making of Harry Potter.  It was an unforgettable experience that we all really enjoyed.

When we found out a few weeks beforehand that we were going to be taking the Harry Potter tour, I decided it was time to introduce 4-year-old Lara to the Harry Potter movies.  She had initially found them scary but was totally swept along by the school theme and the magical elements so she was REALLY really really excited when we arrived at the studios.

I think that the Warner Bros. Studio Tour would be better suited to slightly older children but I don't think the magic was lost on Lara.  I think a child who better understood the challenges of film-making and appreciated the difference between fantasy and reality would really be fascinated to see all of the different sets and costumes and props on display.

And there were a whole lot of costumes and props!  Lara most enjoyed seeing the different sets - the Gryffindor common room, the Great Hall at Hogwarts, The Knight Bus and Harry Potter's house.  She didn't totally understand the concept of a green-screen to film against for special effects so I think the 'have your photo taken on a broomstick' area was a bit lost on her!

Lara did though very much enjoy learning wand skills and hasn't stopped practicing them since!

Elsewhere on the tour you can sample a glass of Butterbeer or take a seat in the Weasley's flying car.

For me, I think the most magical areas of the studio tour were the set from Diagon-Alley and the final show-piece which is the full model of Hogwarts school.  You first see the model in its initial concept drawings, then paper scale models and then finally you walk in to a beautifully lit room where you can walk around the school in 360 degrees as the music plays and the lighting changes.  It was awesome.

I think that the Warner Bros. Harry Potter tour is a great family day out for fans of the books and the movies and I think it is educational as well as just pure entertainment.

Warner Brothers Studio Tour #HarryPotter

Click on the image above to see my full set of photos from the day!

Wintery Days Out

Girl's Polartec® Aircore® 200 Zip-Front Hoodie

This post was written in partnership with Land's End who provided me with inspiration and reward for this post.

One of my new year's resolutions was to get out with the girls once a week to get some fresh air and explore the local area.  While I will admit that we did skip a week or two, I think we have done pretty well so far and we have braved the cold weather (and on occasion, snow) to go exploring most weekends.

Getting out and about as a family is great fun, despite the amount of packing we seem to need to do, even for a simple walk.  The incredibly cold weather recently has meant that our car boot has been full to the brim with hats, scarves, gloves, snowsuits, jackets, coats, spare jumpers, extra socks and fleeces as well as waterproof jackets, waterproof overalls and welly boots!!!  This in addition to the baby carrier in which we carry Holly.

Keeping both girls warm has been a challenge.  Girls clothing at this time of the year usually means layers.  Lots of them. For Lara, layers can work pretty well but the more layers she is wearing, the less mobile she becomes.  For Holly, layers means bulk.  I often worry about Holly getting cold while we are out exploring because, until she is confidently walking unaided, she is considerably less active than the rest of us; unfortunately, if I dress her in enough layers to keep her warm, she looks REALLY huge and her arms stick out of the baby carrier as if she can't move!!!

Girls' Chevron Down Coat

With every day that goes past, Holly becomes more and more able to walk unaided.  I know that within the next couple of months Holly will be able to join us on our family walks.  I'm really looking forward to some family strolls in the spring sunshine and making the most of our National Trust membership.  We are lucky to an unbounded list of gorgeous family-friendly places to explore within an hour of our house in Berkshire.

So far our explorations have taken us to a National Trust site in Finchampstead, Frimley Lodge Park in surrey, the back-roads of Arborfield and... the excitement of the local park!!! I am sure that as the weather gets a touch warmer our travels will become more adventurous.

I'm enjoying getting out every weekend; not just for the basic exercise that it provides us all.  An invigorating wintery walk seems to help Lara's behaviour (it helps having an opportunity to run off some of her energy) and the fresh air certainly seems to aid both girls when it comes to sleep in the evenings.  The other hidden benefit is that a weekly family walk helps us work up an appetite for a warming roast dinner every sunday evening.

Holiday Inn Chester South & Chester Zoo Review

Last weekend we had a brilliant family trip to Chester, courtesy of Holiday Inn Chester South. We were invited to try out their hotel and zoo package and it was a really mellow weekend.

After our long drive north, we arrived in Chester in the dark and rain. The car park for the hotel was nearly full and we had to rush to reception in the howling wet wind. From the outside, the hotel didn't look awfully appealing but on the inside I think we were all immediately surprised. Neither myself nor Mr. B. has ever knowingly stayed at a Holiday Inn before and our expectations were a bit more motel than hotel. Our expections were definitely exceeded - Holiday Inn Chester South felt like a very smart hotel once we were inside.


We were allocated an executive room at the very furthest part of the hotel from reception - sigh! Despite the trek, the room was worth the walk. Holly has, in her short 6 months, already stayed in 8 different hotels and this was by far the smartest. It was well appointed (it even had bathrobes which Lara didn't hesitate to try on), clean and comfortable. Lara had a sofa bed made up and Holly had a travel cot. One of the things we liked most about the room was the great big thick shutters instead of curtains - this meant we could get a total blackout in the room which was handy come the morning.

Before dinner we all had a dip in the hotel swimming pool. Holiday Inn Chester South has its own on-site health club with gym and pool. Even the pool area was well set up for families. There were floats and armbands available by the side of the pool and in both the male and female changing rooms there were cots available for you to put your baby while you got changed. Small things that make a big difference.

Unfortunately we were too late to get a table for dinner in the hotel so we headed out to explore Chester in the wind and rain. We know the area a little bit so we took a short drive north of the City to the Cheshire Oaks outlet centre near Ellesmere Port where we knew there were lots of restaurants. We all had dinner at a Harvester restaurant and both Lara and Holly gorged themselves on food!

Our night was very disturbed because Holly was really suffering with bad teething pains. We needed a good breakfast to wake us up enough for our day out! Breakfast was great - a good quality buffet of hot and cold food. The staff provided us with a highchair for Holly without being prompted. In fact, throughout our stay at Holiday Inn Chester South every single member of staff we spoke to was cheerful, friendly and polite (very unusual in a UK hotel in my experience).

After breakfast we headed out to the north of Chester to Chester Zoo. It was about a 6 mile journey from the hotel and by the time we got there, the sun was shining and the day looked bright. We met up with some of Lara's cousins who live nearby and they couldn't wait to tell us about the baby elephant who had been born just a few hours earlier - I don't think Lara quite realised how priviledged we were to see the family of elephants gathering round their new arrival.



I love most UK zoos but it is many, many years since I had been to Chester zoo as a child and I can tell you it is just about the best zoo I have visited in Britain. There has obviously been a lot of investment in the zoo - alongside the smart cafes and shops it has lots of large, tailor-made enclosures which, while being spacious and well-tailored to the animals, are also designed with the public in mind. We saw all sorts of animals from tiny mongooses (mongeese?) to massive Orangutans. Lara's favourite animals were the tigers but I think I enjoyed seeing the Red Pandas and Cheetahs most.

Lara and her cousins had great fun on the play areas and running through the tunnels that were part of the mongoose exhibit. We all had lunch (pricey but lots of options to suit all budgets and tastes) before we had to head back south for the long drive in the Sunday night traffic.

It was a brilliant weekend and we will definitely be going back to Chester Zoo again in the future.

If you fancy taking the same family trip as us, Holiday Inn Chester South are offering a discount for Mellow Mummy readers if you book at least 21 days in advance - see their website for details.

Days Out in Hampshire - Royal Navy Submarine Museum, Gosport

On saturday we were lucky enough to be treated to a day out in Hampshire at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum courtesy of Beko who are one of the largest charitable donators to the museum's campaign to save the HMS Alliance.

The Royal Navy Submarine Museum can be found on the harbour front in Gosport, Hampshire.  It makes a great family day out in Hampshire even for children as young as Lara (I suspect that Holly at 4 months took something away from it too).  The museum is home to the HMS Alliance, Britain's only remaining world war two era naval submarine which, as you can see, is in need of a little TLC.  The work to restore the HMS Alliance is planned for completion in 2014 at a cost of £6.75m but throughout the works the submarine remains open to visitors to get on board and get a taste for life onboard an active WW2 submarine.

HMS Alliance is being restored to its former glory

The museum surprised me.  I was braced for a musty, bleak room packed with black and white photographs and a series of rusty torpedoes.  Thankfully, the museum was nothing like this (apart from the weapons gallery, which also had an action-stations simulation so I shall forgive them).  Instead, the Royal Navy Submarine Museum is surprisingly modern and engaging with lots of exhibits to keep the whole family occupied.

Learning about how a submarine floats and sinks

As a family, we particularly enjoyed the hands-on science exhibits which taught the physics of submarine technology in a way that fascinated both myself and Mr. B (who has in the past dabbled in sonar) while teaching Lara the basics about buoyancy, sonar, pressure and the chemistry behind the generation of water and fresh air on board a submarine.  The museum offered history and science at equal levels and a fascinating background to prepare us for the tour inside HMS Alliance.

Twirling propellers to learn about propulsion

We were very impressed with the facilities for young children, specifically access for the buggy and baby changing facilities.  There was a small children's play area (very small) and also a cafe on site which offered a lovely range of cakes and hot drinks as well as a small selection of light lunches.

Alongside the HMS Alliance sits a purpose-built building that houses Holland 1 - the first Navy submarine built in 1901.  It's vast steel hull is an impressive sight to behold.

After lunch we took our guided tour inside the HMS Alliance which is included in the price of the ticket.  The tour guide was a former submariner;  he was passionate about the history of the vessel which was one of the last submarines to be built for the Navy during WWII.  Once inside, the doors were shut and we were able to get a taste of the cramped, gloomy conditions for submariners inside the submarine.  Holly seemed absolutely fascinated by the new sights and sounds.

I loved the fact that all of the descriptions of the functions of the submarine and its battle torpedoes were accompanied by real sounds recorded during active service.  The vast noisy engines, the "dive" alarm and the eerie sound of sonar waves from a passing battleship bouncing off the outside of the submarine shortly before releasing a depth charge.  The sounds and smells added to the atmosphere of the tour.

All of the children on the tour seemed totally absorbed as we explored the cramped living quarters.  Lara, at 3 years old, was perhaps a little young to take it all in and began to tire by the end of the tour but she has talked a lot about it since so it obviously left an impression.

The Royal Navy Submarine Museum offers free parking which is well sign-posted from the M27.  A family ticket for two adults and upto three children costs £30.60 if you buy it online in advance.  There is also access to the Portsmouth harbour water bus which can take you across the harbour to Portsmouth town centre.

For us, because we have two young children, the Submarine Museum was plenty to keep us entertained for one day but if you were looking for more to do then there are lots of other attractions in the area to make a full day out.  The Explosion! museum is just down the road in Gosport and there are several museums on the other side of Portsmouth Harbour.  We checked out smartsave.com before we went and saw that they currently had discount vouchers for the Blue Reef Aquarium, Spinnaker Tower and the Royal Marines Museum.