Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, UK Tour for 2022

In August my husband and I went to watch Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium. It was such a great show that I wanted to write about it but it was only there for a short 10-week run in the summer. So I was thrilled to hear that the Palladium production will go on tour in 2022. At the moment there are limited dates announced, starting in the Spring and continuing through the year. At the time of writing, there are sixteen venues agreed with more to be announced. 

You should check the cast list for your chosen venue but it has been confirmed that Jac Yarrow will continue with the lead role of Joseph, Jason Donovan as Pharoh and Alexandra Burke and Linzi Hately sharing the role of the Narrator. In London, we saw Jac, Jason and Linzi in those roles and each was amazing. It was extra special for us as we saw the original production around thirty years ago and Linzi was in that too! 

Covid Measures

When we went to this show in August, it was our first foray back into a large theatre after Covid and all the closures. We had to queue outside the theatre, we're encouraged to use sanitiser as we entered and asked to wear a mask. We had been told to take a lateral flow test in the 48 hours prior to the show but no one asked to see any proof of this. Ushers asked people to wear masks and a placard was taken around the auditorium prior to the show to remind patrons. Most did wear masks, but many wore them below the nose and of course, they are impossible if you are eating or drinking. We're all waiting to see how things develop and whether masks and testing will continue to be required into 2022.

5 Art Installations That Found a Home in London

 

Photo by Andrew Ruiz on Unsplash

{This is a collaborative post}

Over the years, London has been graced by many weird and wonderful art installations. Some of these additions became permanent fixtures, while others were there just long enough to attract the attention of passers-by before moving elsewhere.

Here are five of the most fascinating installations to call the Capital home, however, brief their stay.

 

1)     One & Other, Anthony Gormley

Back in 2009, Anthony Gormley organised an occupation of Trafalgar Square’s vacant fourth plinth. For 100 days, 2400 members of the public had an hour to perform for the world.

The Guardian have ranked the top ten of these 2400 participants, including Jonathan May-Bowles who invited members of the public to text him their secrets so they could be read aloud, and Paul Speller who performed numerous scientific experiments. Art can certainly take many forms. 

 

2)     Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Read, Paul Cummins and Tom Piper

In 2014, a moat of 888,246 ceramic red poppies were placed in the grounds of the Tower of London, each representing servicemen that were killed in World War I.

The title of the work was taken from the poem of an unknown soldier, and at the end of the exhibition, the poppies were sold to members of the public, with the proceeds going to charity. It really was the most awe-inspiring installation.

The Most Important Sights in London

Photo by Nicole Baster on Unsplash

{This is a collaborative post}

London is a living blend of grandeur, history, style, and culture that becomes more and more enticing each year. Charming with royal parks, world-class free art galleries, and wooden-fronted pubs with delicious real beer. The ancient streets of London and the majestic architecture take you to the days of the past. Then, the illuminated signs of the West End theatres, designer shops, and the emerging innovative food space that is considered one of the world's premier choices bring you right up to date. Some of the best family hotels in London are a sight to behold too.

London is a place of diversity, with people from all over the world making up the population. Filled with British emblems, the ubiquitous presence of black cabs and with the towering limestone peaks of Parliament, London combines a colourful history and tradition with extreme creativity and true multiculturalism. Whether exploring one of the famous markets or relaxing in a lush park, you will see people from all over the world.

Culturally, London is unique, with its galleries and museums, some of which are the best in the world. Many of London's cultural attractions are free to enter and there is a great variety of attractions. From the Victoria and Albert Museum to the Natural History Museum to the Tate Modern to the London Transport Museum. There is something for everyone.

Everyone will have a different idea of what the premier sights are to visit when you're in London and many will go straight for the Royal sites like Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London, but read on for three great places to visit that are rich in history and a joy to explore. 

Visiting the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London

At the beginning of July, my Mum and I took a visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens or Kew Gardens as many know it.  Despite having lived about 25 miles away for much of my life I had never visited, and nor had my mum so we were really looking forward to exploring and Kew Gardens didn't disappoint us.

Getting there

The drive up to Kew from Woking along the M3/ A316 was easy and took about 35 minutes, I was heading for the Kew Ferry Lane car park, which is £7 for the whole day and I thought this was very reasonable for London. However, before we even reached the car park we saw loads of spaces around Kew Green and we were able to park right in front of Elizabeth Gate and enter there. It cost us £5.65 to park there for 4 hours using the RingGo app and at the time Mum and I thought this would be fine, but we actually could have done with double that time. I'd say leave at least six hours free if you want to have a good exploration and enjoy some lunch/ a coffee. 

There are good public transport links to get to Kew Gardens - 

• a mainline train station at Kew Bridge, just 800 meters walk to Elizabeth Gate, 
• Kew Gardens tube station for the District Line and London Overground
• Bus routes 65, 110, 237 and 267 all come close by
• There are bike racks at each of the four entrance gates and note that bikes, scooters, skates, skateboards etc are not allowed to be used within the gardens

Tips for Planning a Long Weekend in London

{This is a collaborative post}

January is my bookings month, it is when I make plans for the year ahead. Where will the family go on holiday? Will I treat anyone to a weekend away for a special occasion? Should my hubby and I have a romantic getaway? It's the same every year, the minute Christmas is out of the way I am on my mission; it is as if the next year feels better for having some trips away planned. 

Of course, last year turned out to be a series of disappointments on the going away front. I can't even begin to tell you how many wonderful occasions and trips were cancelled but I am feeling far more optimistic for this year ahead and being able to have some amazing times away from home. 

The one trip I missed the most was my annual mother and daughter trip to London for Mothers Day. My Mum and I have chosen to spend our Mothers Day weekend together for a number of years now, and we've decided that this year has to be bigger, better and longer to make up for missing out on our 2020 break. Realistically we're not going to have our break in March this year as who knows what will be happening with lockdown and tiers but I feel confident to book for a July break to tie in with my Mums birthday too. A double whammy celebration!

Here are my tips for booking a long leisure weekend away in London. I think we are going to have at least 3 or even 4 nights this year -

Book your Travel about 12 weeks in Advance

Once you have your dates set, think about how you'll be getting into London. My Mum and I always use the train, as it means we don't have to think about parking and we can travel from different areas and meet easily at one of the stations. I think one of the 1/3rd off discount rail travel cards are worth it if you'll travel a few times in a year and look to book your tickets about 12 weeks in advance, as you'll often find advance or super-saver return tickets then and can bag a bargain. 

I look forward to my hour train journey as the start of my stay away. A time when I can read a book and shake off the realities of home and work. 

Image Credit: SITU

Book a Serviced Apartment rather than a Hotel

When Mum and I stay away we always want it to be somewhere a little luxurious and not just a functional but boring hotel room. I'd really advocate checking out serviced apartments as somewhere to stay in London. Not only will you have a comfortable bed to lay your head at night but you'll also have a lounge area, well-equipped kitchen, clothes washing facilities, Wi-Fi and so much more. Serviced apartments are a home away from home and depending on the length of your stay they generally have a housekeeping service too. 

I spent a happy hour on the SITU website planning where Mum and I might stay in June and I was really surprised at the great places that came up. I had a budget of £100 per night in my head and didn't really expect to find anything nice, but there was a good selection within that price range and I am booking The Gloucester Road Escape apartment that came up at just £332 for 4 nights stay.  I think that's a great price. 

I've been very pleasantly surprised and I'll be using SITU again to choose an apartment next time my family all go to stay in London as they have a very large range with many multi-bedroom serviced apartments, not just in London but all across the UK and further afield too. Do have a look at SITU Serviced Apartments if you fancy staying in a serviced apartment in London. 

Family Visit to London Zoo in the Rain with BuyAGift

It was my birthday earlier this week and our family had decided to have a night staying up in London, along with a theatre show. We were pondering what we might do on our second day when BuyAGift offered me the chance for us all to visit London Zoo, on one of their experience day vouchers.

I was very happy to take them up on this and I was thrilled to see that if we had bought one of their family London Zoo entry vouchers for £76 (based on 2 adults and 2 kids), we would have been making a great saving against the advance ticket price for the same, direct with the zoo. A saving of just over £14 on an off-peak day and nearly £20 for a peak weekend date. No worrying about peak and off-peak with the BuyAGift voucher though, that can be used any time for 10 months from purchase.

I've worked with and bought BuyAGift vouchers before, as you can often find really good deals. I've made sure I am signed up for their newsletters and then I get to know when there are deals like 10 or 15% off. One of my favourite deals to buy when there are special discounts on, is the Prezzo 3 course meal and a glass of wine for 2 people.

I was pleased to find that using our BuyAGift voucher was super easy too. Sometimes you have to convert your voucher online and book in advance, but not so with the London Zoo one, we literally had to turn up to the gate and exchange it for entry. It was really easy.

Review: Premier Inn, County Hall, South Bank, London

Image Credit: Premier Inn

We love Premier Inn

I’ve been a Premier Inn fan for a very long time. We stay in their hotels at least four or five times a year, Sometimes many more. I really like the fact that I know exactly what I’m getting with a Premier Inn and they can sleep four to a room, which is good. Of course as a mum of three it would be perfect if they slept five of us in one room, but alas we’re still to find an affordable hotel that can do that. If all five of us are travelling together, I’ll book for two rooms and I find that as long as I’m booking around 3-6 months in advance I can get a great price - anywhere between about £24.50 - £39.50 per room.

Of course I haven’t actually found the London County Hall Premier Inn that cheap, as it is situated right on the South Bank by the London Eye, Shreks Adventure and the Sealife Aquarium. It’s also just a few minutes walk from Waterloo and Charing Cross mainline stations and Embankment and Westminster tube stops. I stayed at this hotel for two Friday nights in March, I paid £59 for one of the nights and £69 for the other.

It was only two of us staying on both occasions, but the price would have been the same if it was four, and the bedrooms I had were a really generous size with two king size beds. So as twins, they feel really luxurious, as space is normally limited in London hotels, unless you are staying in a decent five star, I’ve found in the past. It appears that most of the bedrooms have a view onto the rear street, rather than onto the Thames, but the last time I stayed I had a side view, it was very nice to be able to glimpse the London Eye right from my bedroom.

Side view of the Thames from my room

Girls Time in London - Remembering to be Thankful! #R2BC

Despite the promise of strong winds, rain and pretty horrible weather all round, as well as a landslide closing my regular train line and thus having to take a much longer route, I headed up to London last Friday to meet my Mum.

It's become a tradition that we meet just before Mothers Day and enjoy some time just the two of us. We were booked in to the Premier Inn at County Hall on the South Bank and had plans to go to the Shard on Saturday morning but the rest of the time was free of plans.

We love to see a show together, so were hoping for a musical but due to my train problems I didn't arrive into London until much later than normal. I hadn't managed to bag any deals in advance even though I'd played the theatre lotteries and tried to get rush tickets via TodayTix and I figured we were a bit late for the Leicester Square half price ticket office so I went for tickets for a play instead. I'd read rave reviews for The Curious Incident but sadly it didn't turn out to be a play we enjoyed. It was certainly clever and an excellent insight to what it must be like to live with Aspergers but we ended up leaving half way through.

This one hic-cup didn't spoil our time though, here's some of the things I was super grateful for -

*  Finishing up series 2 of Designated Survivor on the train. I love that you can download Netflix programmes,

*  Great bedroom at the Premier Inn, County Hall. The position is amazing, you get two king size beds in a twin room and we even got a free breakfast as we were woken by noisy door slamming by the staff.

36 Hours in London with my Hubby - A Big Reason to be Cheerful

How are you today friends? I hope the week has been treating you kindly. It’s been quite a good one here and I’m looking forward to a chilled and uneventful weekend.

The basis of this weeks Reasons to be Cheerful post was my overnight stay in London with my hubby last weekend. We only had 36 hours up there but it was enough to tire me out, as well as provide a fabulous time.

We headed up on the Friday morning once the kids were off to school and started the day with a wander of Borough Market, with coffee and cake at Southwark cathedral. It’s so nice to be able to chat without interruptions, and I really needed a break from hearing ‘Mum’!

Happy Birthday to Me #R2BC

It was my birthday on Wednesday and I turned 45, I can't believe how quickly those years are adding on to my age, but I have to be honest, I'm not worried.

My family and I headed up to London on Wednesday morning and where there for 36 hours, we had a thoroughly lovely time, although as always, I am pleased to be home, as it is far too busy, muggy and smoggy in London (now I sound my age)! lol.

Here's a few photos to show you what we got up to -

Super yummy burger lunch at Byron Burgers in Covent Garden. Using my Tastecard we got 50% off and to be frank, that's the only way we could afford it!

We spent some time in Covent Garden browsing, and watching the street artists.

London Theatre Kids Week: Tickets on Sale Tomorrow

Have you heard of the Official London Theatre Kids Week before?

No. Really? You need to know about this. If you are a parent who loves going to the theatre in London but finds it hard to afford to take all the family then this is the time of year to get excited because you can get your kids tickets for free!

What is Kids Week?
Yes, totally free. For each adult ticket you buy for one of the 40 eligible shows on offer this year, you can get a child ticket for free (for a child 16 years or under) and if like me you have more children than adults in your family then you can buy up to two additional child tickets for half price.

Kids Week is an amazing initiative from the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) which has been running since 1998 and has reached over 1.2 million families, it is such a great way to make the best London shows available to more families and to open children up to an amazing new cultural experience. Last year we went along to see a show called 13 The Musical which wasn't one I'd heard of before but the kids really enjoyed it and the tickets were super cheap. We had a fab time in London as a family.

Kids Week started as one week but is now so popular that it now runs from 1 - 31 August. Tickets are available subject to availability (especially at weekends)

24 Hours in London - Reasons to be Cheerful #R2BC

This week I'm dedicating my reasons to be cheerful post to a great 24 hours last weekend spent with my Mum in London, belatedly celebrating Mothers Day. We've done this the last few years and it is a really nice treat to look forward to.

We start the weekend off with me heading over to meet Mum at Waterloo and enjoy a good cup of coffee at Costa, of course having a right old natter to catch up on what has been going on since we last spoke. The weather is then far too nice to head down to the underground so we walk along the South Bank and take in the street performers and the great atmosphere on the way to Westminster tube station.

There we pick up the tube to go to High Street Kensington as we are staying in the Holiday Inn just off the High Street and only a few minutes walk from the tube station. It proves to be an excellent hotel and I'll write up a review, even though I paid for it as my Mums Christmas gift.

London: Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland - Is It Worth a Visit?

Last weekend my family headed in to London with the intention to have a few hours fun at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park and then to go to the theatre.  Well, the theatre was amazing and I'd recommend La Petite Soiree to anyone who'd listen but Winter Wonderland was a bit of a let-down to be honest.

Would we got again?  No, probably not but you might enjoy it. Every family is different, so I'll give you my very honest low-down and share with you some links to review posts from other bloggers, then you can make your own decision.

Travelling to Winter Wonderland
Of course you'd expect the weekends to be the busiest times and also after school and into the evening I believe, so be ready to battle the crowds in the tube stations. We came out of Hyde Park Corner station at about 11.30am on Saturday 9th December and it was heaving, we had to hold our kids hands and they are nearly 5ft tall. I'd have worried if I had to battle those crowds with a toddler or buggy.

Later in the day we tried to get on the tube at Marble Arch at about 5.45pm and it was so busy they were turning people away to use different entrances. We headed over and caught the bus on Park Lane, which was definitely less packed and more desirable.

Top Tip - Plan your journey in advance and leave plenty of time. Check out the TFL journey planner to help you.

Entry to Winter Wonderland
There are a few entrances (which I don't think most people realise) so don't make the mistake of just queueing at the one closest to Hyde Park Corner tube station. When we arrived at about 11.45am to the entrances the first one we came across had mega queues and really didn't seem to be moving very fast. We walked a bit down and yes we joined a queue but it was about 4 times smaller than the first one and we were in within 10 minutes, so I was pleased with that and there is a fast-track lane if you've booked to see any shows or join in with an attraction.

I was a bit miffed that they took my water away though as it was in a plastic bottle and apparently a safety risk.

Big plus point, there is no entrance cost to Winter Wonderland, so you can just go in and soak up the atmosphere, without spending a penny - if your kids will allow you to of course!

#R2BC - Getting Fitter, My Op's Booked & Feeling Motivated

The Homeless Bard's Poem

God is good! I've had a very lovely week and I'm happy to share it with you all. I do hope your weeks have been just as fun.

Last weekend my husband and I headed up to London for a night away and to attend the Premier Digital Conference (think BritMums Live for Christians). We had a super time and there was so much I could share about it but I have decided to post one good reason to be cheerful for each day. Last year for Advent I did #1GoodThing a day on Instagram and I think I'll do it again this year, it is a lovely way too stay focused on the good in life and to cultivate an attitude of gratitude, corny but super worthwhile!

Thursday - I had a fitness test at the gym and in the last 6 weeks my fitness level has really improved, my heart rate had dropped by about 12 beats per min at the same activity levels compared to when I started to exercise

Friday - We met The Homeless Bard in Trafalgar Square and I couldn't help but write about him, he is such an inspirational man

Saturday - We attended the conference and I came away fired up with so many ideas for blog posts

Reasons to be Cheerful - Time Away, Work and Family Time

I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed if I'm honest. You know when you have too much on and don't feel as if there is enough time to complete it all?

Away in London with my Hubby
I'm trying to ignore that feeling and push it away as tomorrow I'm off up to London with my hubby for 36 hours while a lovely friend of ours looks after the kids. We're due to go to the Premier Digital Conference at the Brewery but if I'm honest I'm not feeling that inspired to go, so we will play it by ear and see how it all pans out. Whatever happens we'll have some fun and I'll forget about blogging and work obligations for all of Friday and Saturday.

Loads of Work and Goodies
Talking of blogging an being overwhelmed it is a good problem to have really. I just need to manage my expectations of myself and not expect everything to be done super quick. I need to get used to having a busy to-do list every day. All the paid work coming in is allowing me to plan holiday for next year and all the goodies arriving will make the children very happy when Christmas day arrives.

Chilled Half Term
I've not written an R2BC post for a couple of weeks as time run away from me over half-term but we had a good chill out, staying mainly close to home. The kids went swimming and to one of those huge trampoline parks, we had a couple of meals out and did some shopping and that was about it really (I was a good girl and made it to the gym twice). JJ worked a couple of days and I'm just getting used to the idea that my 14 year old is now big enough to have a real job.

Reasons to be Cheerful - Happy Mothering Sunday #R2BC

Lucky me, the girls made me breakfast in bed

Happy Thursday friends,

How are you doing? I'm having a funny old week. there is nothing particularity wrong but I've had that horrible feeling that sometimes crops up. Do you know what I mean? Where you just feel something isn't right and is a bit off-kilter but you've no real idea what is causing the way you feel. No matter, I'm going to press through it and not give in to the doldrums.

This coming Sunday
This week's #R2BC post is all about celebrating Mothering Sunday. Firstly I am really looking forward to this weekend when I'm away in London with my Mum. Just the two of us for around 36 hours doing whatever we feel like doing. We are staying at the 4 star Mercure Kensington hotel and planning to hit the theatre, shops and at least a couple of good restaurants. To be truthful whatever we do will be fine by me as we always have a lovely time in each others company and this breakaway is long overdue.

The last time we had a weekend in London together was in 2014 as we planned one in 2015 but my Dad got taken to hospital and we had to cancel. Then in 2016, we had a weekend away with my girls to a Haven caravan park, which was nice but nothing beats time just the two of us in 'the big smoke' as my Mum would say!

Reasons to be Cheerful - Home, London and Singing #R2BC

So glad the fog is clearing here. The last few days have been just awful but look how gorgeous home normally looks in the winter sun. Today's #1goodthing is being able to live here

A photo posted by Michelle Pannell (@michelletwinmum) on Jan 25, 2017 at 2:37am PST

Hello friends, how are you?

1. Love where you Live
What is it like where you are? It has been super cold, foggy and plain nasty many of the days this week in East Sussex but there have been glimpses of bright blue skies too and some enjoyable times to get outdoors and enjoy the amazing landscape here. So that is my first reason, that I get to live in the most amazing place, just look at that picture above, pretty cool - right?

2. Trip to London
Last weekend, my husband and I got to have a one night, two day stay up in London whilst our lovely friend Annie stayed with our kids. We saw Wicked the musical, had fabulous Chinese food, walked the Thames, looks round the Tate Britain museum and I loved it. It was so good to spend time just the two of us.

Less is More

Having a wonderful time in #London with my hubby. Great food, lots of laughter, a very long walk & soon Wicked at the theatre. #1goodthing

A photo posted by Michelle Pannell (@michelletwinmum) on Jan 20, 2017 at 9:04am PST

I've just got back from a lovely overnight trip up to London with my husband. We went up to see Wicked the musical and enjoy a meal in China Town, which was his Christmas gift from me. I'm very into giving people experiences for their presents rather than something physical that they don't actually want or need. Of course the added bonus is that I get to enjoy this gift too. Clever, right?

Whilst we were away together I was reminded that less really is more in so many ways. We only had one night away due to our children and finances but because we had that limited time we made the most of the time we did have and really enjoyed it. Also because we go away on our own so infrequently nowadays, again is it that same thing, that we relish the time. We have far less time together and certainly less breaks away but I think we treasure and embrace them more now than we ever did in our twenties.

On arrival in London we didn't want to have to rush to our hotel to leave bags so we decided to pack light and managed with just my handbag and a small rucksack that my hubby carried. This was comfortable for our two mile walk from China Town to Vauxhall, where we had booked a Travelodge for a good price of just £59 for the room. Thus providing another example that less is more as it was at least £40 cheaper than anywhere else and that difference paid for our Chinese meal and very good it was too.

A Child Free Weekend in London - A Big Reason to be Cheerful!

Love this shot. You know when a photo just makes you smile. It was my first time walking across the Millenium bridge over the #Thames yesterday. #London

A photo posted by Michelle Pannell (@michelletwinmum) on Nov 14, 2016 at 2:38am PST

Happy Thursday, I hope you are all having a wonderful week.

I've had a great week, it has been pretty low key but the weekend was superb as my husband and I got to go and stay in London together without the kids. It happens once or twice a year and you just can't put a price on the value of that time alone as a couple. So thank you Annie for looking after them so well and they had a ball with you, there are not many babysitters they ask for again.

Quiet Train Ride 
We set off fairly early Saturday morning so we could make the most of the day and it was great to spend 90 minutes just chatting without any interruption. I had downloaded some programmes to watch and taken my book and I didn't need either. Hubby was on good form and good company! lol

Premier Digital Conference
We attended the Premier digital conference during Saturday and had a good time. Neither of us had particularity high expectations as last years conference was a little basic for us but they had upped their game and the stream for experienced bloggers was way better. I particularly liked the sessions on legalities and vlogging. I've made a promise to myself that I'll vlog once a week from Jan, ekkk. I better start getting in some practise.

I was a finalist in two of the award categories for the Premier Digital awards for my faith blog Progress Not Perfection. We didn't go to the awards in the evening though as I already knew I wasn't a winner or runner up and sadly they only pay for those tickets and the cos was beyond our means.

Kidzania - A Kids Paradise in London's Westfield Centre

I've been dealing with a very tired 9 year old today, she didn't get to sleep until gone 11pm last night and now she is jumpy and hyper-sensitive. Thank the Lord that our 1pm arrival time has come around for entry into Kidzania as she may now finally calm down a little and settle in to her afternoon of fun!

At the beginning of the year my 9 year old twin girls came to Kidzania with their school class and loved it. It was all they talked about for a couple of weeks. So when it got close to JJ's 13th birthday and he said he fancied a visit too, I jumped at Kidzania's offer to host our family on a date of our choice. We visited on Saturday 8th October for the 4 hour slot commencing at 1pm and I expected it to be heaving but thankfully I was wrong (although the girls tell me it was busier than the school day they had last visited).

Arrival

As our tickets had been booked in advance for us we had printed tickets and this meant we could head straight inside Kidzania and go up the three floor to the British Airways departure lounge. Check-in was easy and the member of staff very smiley and friendly, he certainly knew how to relate to kids. He checked if the kids had any allergies or additional needs and fitted us all with a security bracelet. This meant the kids couldn't leave without my husband or myself and it also acts as a location tracker.

They were handed 50 kidZos each (money just available for the children to earn and spend in Kidzania) and the girls explained to their brother how he earns or spent them. Miss E had saved some KidZos from her previous visit and thus had enough to open a bank account if she wanted. This was the cause of great excitement.