Dorset

A Mother’s Day Stroll around Whitecliff Park

We are so lucky living where we do in Dorset as there are lots of lovely places to take the kids to enjoy the great outdoors.

We are busy teaching Isaac and Eliza to ride their bikes at the moment so are concentrating on flat spaces where they can cycle with confidence and I don’t have to do too much pushing.

This weekend we loaded the bikes, kite, sky spinner and kids into the car and set off for Whitecliff in Poole. Whitecliff is home to one of the kids favourite parks, affectionately known as the “Helicopter Park” thanks to a large helicopter themed play frame. As well as the fenced play area, there is also a large recreation ground which borders Poole harbour with good views of Brownsea Island and a long, wide concrete path to practice cycling on.

Whitecliff

The kids raced ahead on their bikes whilst Sebby decided very quickly that he didn’t want to ride on his scooter, preferring Daddy’s shoulders instead. Eliza spotted a window of opportunity and swapped her bike for the scooter as she could keep up with Isaac that way.

Whitecliff

Of course once we reached the park the kids all insisted on parking up and heading inside to play.

Whitecliff

Play equipment put through its paces, we then ventured out of the play area to test out our new sky spinner, which is basically a frisbee which can do tricks. I am not sure we actually mastered any tricks, concentrating more on how to throw it so it reached the next person!

Whitecliff

We then headed back to the car full of fresh air and ready for dinner.

Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

Eliza bike

Testing Out Eliza’s New Bike at Potterne Park

Eliza turned 5 last week and top of her list for her birthday was her first bike and we didn’t disappoint her. Choosing the perfect bike is a minefield and we looked at various styles and sizes before we settled on the Emma Bike from Smyths Toys which was a bonus half price in the January sales.

Eliza couldn’t wait to get out on it, but being at school meant she was restricted to the school runs for the first few days but once the weekend was here we decided to find somewhere where she could really test it out. I loaded up the car with Isaac and Eliza’s bike plus Sebby’s scooter and headed over to Potterne Park in Verwood.

Potterne Park is perfect for learner cyclists with wide concrete pathways which lead all the way to Moors Valley and The Wheels skate park for more experienced riders which features a concrete bowl and a dirt track. Of course it has the added bonus of a large play area and equipment includes a Tunnel, Swings, Seesaw, Spinner bowl, Toddler Multi-Play unit, Puppet rocker, Climbing frame, and Flexus.

We met up with my friend Joanne from Charlie Moo’s and set off on our walk.  I had half expected to have to push Eliza most of the way as she built up her strength but the encouragement of cycling with her brother, Charlie and Olive saw her shooting off into the distance.

Potterne Park

Isaac only learned to ride without stabilizers at the end of the summer and hadn’t yet mastered how to get started himself as hasn’t had much practice since. After a couple of pushes from me and regaining his confidence he was off and starting off all by himself.

Potterne Park

The kids cycled about a quarter of a mile to the first bridge where we stopped for a rest and played a game of pooh sticks. It was clear that Eliza and Olive were both a little tired so we decided to head back towards the play park which gave them an added impetus to cycle back.

POTTERNE PARK

We arrived at the park with clearly exhausted small children, but something about seeing play equipment seems to give them an added burst of energy and we stayed and played for another hour.

POTTERNE PARK

I am hoping that a few more days out like this will build Eliza’s strength and it wont be long before she is riding without stabilizers too.

Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

The Stick Man Trail at Moors Valley 2016

The Stick Man trail was last at Moors Valley back in 2013 and the kids loved all the activities there were to do as we walked around the self-led trail and now it is back with new challenges and a new route to explore until the end of February and because the kids saw the film on Christmas Day they were even more excited to take part and of course Stick Man himself had to come with us.

We planned our visit around a break in the rain to help Stick Man find his way back to his family tree and be reunited with his Stick Lady Love, and his Stick children three.

The trail is basically the play trail backwards and leads you through the forest using activity points with activities based on the Stick Man book allowing them to live the epic adventures of Stick Man, finding characters from the book and learning about the importance of forests for people, wildlife and timber.
Stick Man Trail

We had to build a cosy nest, trying and hit a pine cone with a stick from 3 metres away, find a curves stick to make a bow and arrow and of course, make our very own Stick Man.

You can also buy activity packs for £3, which include a fun-packed activity leaflet, sheets to create your own Stick Man rubbing and pipe cleaners to make your own Stick Man, a chunky crayon and a pencil, but they are not essential as the boards have all the challenges on and the trail is clearly signposted.

Stick Man Trail

The kids had lots of fun doing all the activities, squelching in the mud and sploshing their way through the muddy puddles and as they did so well I promised them a visit to the park afterwards. The park for the older kids was open but for no apparent reason the park for Sebby’s age was closed off which was a real shame as there was nothing really for him to do apart from watch the miniature train as it trundled around the outside of the park.

Moors Valley

Despite the park being closed, we had a lot of fun doing the Stick Man Trail and you can sign up to the Stick Man and friends email newsletter to receive exclusive offers, free activity sheets, information on events and more.

Ringstead Bay

A Winters Day at Ringstead Bay

As a family we have challenged ourselves to visit every beach in Dorset and we made a good start in 2015 by ticking off Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door, Swanage, Portland, Charmouth, West Bay, Lyme Regis, Kimmeridge Bay and Burton Bradstock as well as the 7 miles of beach we have in our home town of Bournemouth.

Yesterday we headed to the Sea Life Centre in Weymouth and had planned to go up in the Sea Life Tower too but sadly it was closed. I was going to take the kids onto the beach in Weymouth but as we drove in I remembered seeing a sign for Ringstead Bay, somewhere which had been recommended to me but we hadn’t yet visited, so we headed back out-of-town in search of somewhere new to visit.

Ringstead Bay lies on the Jurassic Coast and is known for its natural beauty and fossils. The car park is a short walk from the beach and as we rounded the corner of the path to get a view of the beach it was a real “WOW” moment.

Ringstead Bay

Ringstead Bay has a pebble and shingle beach with some sand and Sebby wasn’t sure at first as the shingle was quite tricky to walk on, however he soon found his balance and headed down towards the water where they all threw pebbles into the water to make different sounds.

Ringstead Bay

There was lots of seaweed and other debris washed up on the beach thanks to the recent storms and we found a couple of mermaids purses, but Eliza was far more interested in spinning around and using the seaweed like a gymnasts ribbon.

We then headed around the corner and down the wooden steps to another section of the beach. This was framed by clay cliffs and the kids were fascinated by the soft texture of the clay which was dotted along the beach. We didn’t find any fossils as I didn’t want the kids too close to the cliffs as they are unstable because of the amount of rain we have had recently.

Ringstead Bay

We spent a good two hours exploring the bay and playing on the beach. We even spotted a couple of Cormorants on top of a pole who appeared to be having an in-depth conversation with each other.

Ringstead Bay

It was a lovely afternoon by the sea and we certainly be back when it is warmer as there is a small outcrop of rock which appears when the tide is low which we want to explore. We could just make it out as waves were breaking over it.

Ringstead Bay

Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

The Somerford

Somerford Beefeater has re-opened its doors with a brand new look!

Somerford Beefeater has re-opened its doors with a brand new look and we were invited down to check out the designer interior and mouthwatering menu.

We last visited in September and didn’t think it needed a new look, however the restaurant has undergone a huge makeover in just eight days, with a fresh look inside and out creating a light, welcoming environment and with booth seating for large groups inside, a comfortable bar area and a modern design.

The updated menu is packed full of favourites for the whole family, including succulent steaks, BeefPasties, Mega Ribs and Oven-Baked Seabass. You will also find plenty of classics including Beer-Battered Cod & Chips and the Beefeater Mixed Grill, each prepared with care and presented with flare. And if these weren’t enough, Beefeater is now offering unlimited skinny or triple cooked chips with selected main meals.

The new menu has even created new roles, and all staff have undergone expert steak and wine training. Despite the restaurant’s new image, familiar friendly staff members remain ready to welcome everyone through the doors, ensuring that guest’s every need is met.

Kelly Redmond, General Manager of Somerford Beefeater said: “All these great changes make Beefeater even more inviting and we’re proud to reopen our doors. We have spent a lot of time working on the presentation of the new look to give our guests the wow factor. We are confident our guests will enjoy the changes as much as we do and friends and families can make the most of their time here. It’s still their Beefeater – but with a modern twist.

Beefeater is all about affordable quality and has great value always-on offers, catering for all manner of tastes. Steak and chips start from just £10.99, Daytime Menu dishes start from £4.99 Monday – Saturday and with kid’s eating free breakfast every day, a visit to Beefeater won’t break the bank either.

We visited last Sunday and saw some of the changes as we pulled up. Gone is the old porch and instead a large, modern wooden plaque features outside with the same Somerford carved into it.

The Somerford

The most significant changes I saw inside was to the bar area and the entrance where we were greeted and shown to our table in the large extension which now has comfy booths to sit in with lots of cow themed artwork to admire.

The Somerford

As it was a Sunday, Kian, Hubby and I all ordered from their Sunday Roast menu. Hubby and I went for Lamb which was perfectly cooked and came with lots of fresh vegetables and Kian went for the chicken which was also delicious. Isaac, Eliza and Sebby chose from the children’s menu and because they can be fussy were able to pick and choose what sides they wanted with their main meals.

The Somerford

I have to admit that as it was a Sunday it was fairly busy and the service was not as good as it had been on our last visit, but the meals arrived within 20 minutes of ordering them. We did have to flag the waiter down to clear the table and order our desserts, but once they had been ordered they did arrive within 10 minutes.

The Somerford

All in all we loved the new look of The Somerford Beefeater and will definately return. The only think that would have improved our visit was to have been served by Lyn but I think she must have had a much-needed day off as we didn’t see her.

If you are visiting your local Beefeater it is worth checking their website or app before you visit as we received a BOGOF voucher of the main meals which took our bill down from £76 to £65. That was for two courses and drinks for 3 adults and 3 children which is very reasonable.

Disclaimer: We were given a £50 gift voucher towards our meal for the purposes of a review.

Otto & The Robin

Otto and the Robin at Lighthouse Poole – Review

Today we were invited to the Piddle-under-Puddle annual Christmas party and were promised everyone would be there.

Joanne from Charliemoos and I arrived at the Lighthouse Poole with 7 very excited children and were shown to a small, intimate theatre called The Studio.

Before we got to go inside everyone received an invitation to the Piddle-under-Puddle annual Christmas party which had some activities for the children to do later including a spot the difference, colouring and a maze.

The Studio was the perfect size for a small audience and the show was fully interactive with magic spells, dancing and even helping decorating the village hall of the party.

The show is centred around Otto, played by Oliver Grant and the Robin and Maggie, both played by Lynne Forbes.  Maggie was busy organising the Christmas Party and everyone was invited, well nearly everyone … Otto would like to go, but he’s just too shy.

Then one day a robin flies in through Otto’s window and changes his life forever.

Otto and the Robin

Otto the Robin is a quaint winter tale of making friends and overcoming our fears filled with festive cheer, fun songs and gorgeous puppetry. The beautiful handmade Robin is the star of this family show from Dorset based Angel Exit Theatre and delighted both us and the children. Even Sebastian, who can be a little shy, was up and dancing.

Both Otto and Maggie made the children feel special by talking to them throughout the production and Otto even commended Isaac and Charlie on their Christmas jumpers. The best bit of the show was at the very end when the children were invited into the stage to join in the party, complete with snow and meeting the cast afterwards.

Otto and the Robin

The show is aimed at children aged 8 and under and it is the last day of performances tomorrow, with shows at 11am and 2pm. A perfect Christmas Eve treat and tickets are still available.

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