Beaulieu - Great fun for kids

Last week when we stayed in the New Forest we were lucky enough to be offered a family ticket to visit and review Beaulieu. I recalled going to the motor museum as a child and I have to say that my memory from the 27 odd years ago was that it was OK but nothing special for a girl. Happy to be proved otherwise my family headed there mid-week in the school holidays. Our party consisted of three children (6 year old girl twins and near 10 year old boy), my Husband and I and my Mum, so there was a wide range of ages to test out Beaulieu.

How was it?

I won’t keep you in suspense, we did have a lovely time and it is a place that you can easily spend a full day, or even more if you have a particular interest in the motor industry or living history. I was highly impressed to see on our receipt that we could have gone to customer services and swapped our receipt for a free return visit for us all within the next 6 days. How fabulous is that? Basically you are receive two days entry for your one payment. If we had paid for our visit it would have cost us £49.50 for a family of 5 (when booked online in advance) which I think is very good considering there is enough to do to be a full day’s entertainment.

Beaulieu was easy to find and well signed, there was a mass of free car parking and we did not have to walk that far to gain entry. The queues to get in moved quickly and the staff were friendly and efficient, from the start it all looked very nice and well kept.

Top Gear Exhibition

Our first stop was the World of Top Gear exhibition and JJ and my Mum loved this. I’ve never watched Top Gear before to be honest but I got a flavour when I watched the 15 minute show in the Enormodrome and it looks great fun. There are loads of the cars used on the show and I imagine if you are a die-hard fan this would be awesome for you as it was good for someone clueless like me!

The Motor Museum

The indoor museum is as you would expect, there are an abundance of motoring exhibits and lots to see. Not just cars but bikes, motorbikes, fire engines, caravans, campers etc are all on display and in such beautiful condition. My girls enjoyed sitting in an old fashioned London bus and watching a short film and JJ thought the Ford Wheels ride that took us through the history of motoring was epic, in fact he announced he could sit on it all day!

If cars are your thing then there is loads of information available with history about each exhibit and there are quite a few hands on areas where the kids can learn a bit more in a way that engages them. Miss E was amazed to find out that her croc shoes were made from old rubber tyres! You can also take part in the daily tours of the museum and learn from the experts.

Probably my favourite part of the museum was reading about the cars which attempted the land speed records, the Sunbeam and Bluebird are both on display and it does feel very special to be standing next to something that cost so much in its time and created history.

Within the museum is the excellent Bond in Motion exhibition, this covers vehicles and other modes of transport such as the crocodile used by Roger Moore in Octopussy. If Bond is your thing then you are bound to be interested in these 50 different vehicles that are all genuine from the films. The area looks very slick hidden behind frosted glass and the cars are beautiful and you can imagine Bond behind the wheel.

Palace House and gardens

I knew there was a house at Beaulieu but I had not realised that we could access it and have a look around. This was probably the first time my girls had seen a staged house and they were really interested in chatting about all the ‘call bells’ and the enormous dining table. We got to listen to a duet singing and playing the piano and you can of course talk to the characters who act as living history and will tell you what life in 1880 is like.


Outside the house a car draws up regularly and picks up various staff and guests and you can sit in the car for a photo or chat to the staff and learn a little more about how we used to live. Then on the lawn where some Victorian games for adults and kids alike. We are a family who like a bit of old fashioned fun so we were happy to play hoopla, noughts and crosses, solitaire, Sudoku and do a bit of skipping. My Mum was very proud to be able to solve the Sudoku.

We walked back up to the museum via the Victorian kitchen garden and enjoyed a chat with one of the gardeners learning why they plant sweet peas and dahlias near to the vegetables (to attract good insects such as ladybirds in case you are interested!).

Beaulieu Abbey

The ruins of the Abbey and the parish church of Beaulieu are beautiful. If Religious artefacts and places are your thing then you will enjoy it here. You can feel the peace as you walk around and of course you can explore the exhibition about how the monks used to live.

During the summer there are Falconry displays three times a day and the birds of prey on display there are awe inspiring. Their handler is a really nice guy and very happy to talk between shows and fill you in on a bit about how the birds live.

For the kids

With three under 10’s in tow it was important to us that there was enough to occupy and entertain the kids and we need not have worried. They all had a great time and we went home after a solid 7 hours with aching feet and boggling minds. As well as everything listed above there is also a kids play area, this is advertised as being for under 5’s but all my kids enjoyed it, especially the mini-bus which they pretended was an ice cream salon. My girls were also able to ride the electric mini-cars for free and these were a big hit.

Miss M loved the monorail and managed to convince my husband to ride it a few times, it is nice that it goes through the museum and you get to see the cars from a totally new perspective.

Miss E would not let us go home until we had ridden on the old fashioned Beaulieu bus, this was a nice round the park tour on a warm day and we all enjoyed this. The great thing was that we only had to wait 10 minutes for the bus and about 5 minutes for the monorail. Queues do not appear to be an issue at Beaulieu which is a massive plus point.

Every school holidayBeaulieu lay on fun for the kids and often theme the park to match the occasion. This summer it was about the Living history and we had to spot lots of characters and play the lawn games. October half-term it is of course Hauntings with spooky activities for all.

Catering facilities

As we entered the grounds our first sight was the Brabazon restaurant and it was nice to see so much outside dining space with parasols, the calibre of the furnishings is high and you can comfortably enjoy coffee and a slice of cake. We did not lunch in the restaurant but the food there looked really god quality and talking to one of the gardeners we learnt that much of the produce is grown on the Beaulieu estate. The prices were as I’d expect with homemade soup and roll retailing for £4.25, a jacket potato with one filling at £4.75 and kids meals including a drink £4.50. If you want something more filling then main courses seem to be between £6.95 and £8.50 but as I mentioned before the quality looked really good. It is not your average theme park fast food here.

We enjoyed some ice creams while at Beaulieu and these were on the expensive side, a child’s milk lolly started at £1.20 and a magnum style lolly was £2.20. I was also a bit dismayed to hear that the whole site had run out of still water due to a busy weekend. Thankfully they were happy to give out free water on request.

In conclusion

Beaulieu is a fun day out for all ages. It is beautifully presented, there is an abundance of space for picnics and your kids to run around. Once you are in you do not need to spend any more money but if you choose to eat here it looks like you are in for a treat. There is also a marvellous large gift shop with reasonably priced trinkets (my kids bought a £1 keyring each).

The variety of attractions at Beaulieu is vast and I think they have really worked hard to ensure that they deliver an experience that meets their strapline of ‘much more than a motor museum’.

Well done Beaulieu, our family is happy to give you 10/10 and we will be back!

Disclosure: We were provided with free entry for the six of us for the purposes of this review. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.

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Review: Shorefield Country Park (Holiday Village, New Forest)

Last week my family and I took a well earned break in the New Forest. We stayed in a 6 berth Milford Lodge at Shorefield Country Park in Milton on Sea, which is part of the Shorefield family of holiday parks.

I'll start by saying that hand on heart this is the best holiday village I have ever stayed in and we have done quite a few in our time. In general we have normally been to parks which belong to the big chains but I have stayed with a few independents as well and Shorefield Country Park beats them all hands down.

So what did I like so much?

Well they say a picture speaks a thousand words, so here goes -

*  The Grounds - Every caravan, lodge or chalet on the site looks well kept. The grounds are beautiful and there is an abundance of space for running around, 100 acres in fact!

*  Swimming - There are indoor and outdoor swimming pools which were not too busy, even on a sunny August bank holiday week.

*  Play Parks - There are three outdoor play parks for the kids to make friends and occupy themselves, two of these had sand in them as well and that was a big hit.

*  Spa & Gym - The onsite spa is gorgeous, I had the most divine massage and it really relaxed me after a stressful couple of months and moving house. What is really great is that if you book your treatment and pay for it 7 days in advance you can get 20% off and that makes a half hour back massage just £28, which is excellent value. There is also a well equipped gym but I did not use this.

*  Kids entertainment - My girls loved the evening entertainment for the kids. JJ felt he was a bit old for it at nearly 10 but he was happy to hang around the free internet terminals and the arcades with the bigger kids. We did not stay for any of the evening adult entertainment but I felt the Champagne Suite was a good venue, there was enough space for us all and drinks prices were pretty much as expected at £2.50 for a J2O and £2.20 for a Coke.

We went out quite a lot during our five day stay at Shorefield but this was just because it was a new area for us to explore, not because we needed to. In truth the kids might have been happier to just stay on the park and join in with the activities such as treasure hunts, crafting, talent shows, archery, bush-craft skills, mini-golf, outdoor water activities, Squirrel picnic, football and nature trail.

*  Our Lodge - we had a pretty basic lodge in comparison to many we saw on site, I assume this was because we had a dog with us. However I can honesty say it was lovely, very clean and well presented. We had three bedrooms, a double and two twins, a large lounge/ kitchen, bathroom, en-suite to one bedroom and an enclosed outside decked area. It was great to be able to have the 2 doors open and allow the dog to come in and out.

I was amazed at the amount of storage you get in the bedrooms too, each wardrobe had enough room for 2 peoples clothes and the suitcase as well. There was also plenty of parking space close by to the lodge and we always found room for our 2 cars. Only one tiny niggle - we found our shower hose had a split in it but this was replaced without any quibbles and very promptly. Super service Shorefield!

*  The location - Shorefield Country Park is situated just off the A337 Christchurch Road and you can easily access anywhere you fancy going, like Bournemouth, Christchurch, Lymington, Beaulieu etc. There is also a beautiful beach at Milford on Sea - it is stony but it has amazing views of the Needles, Isle of Weight, just be aware that most of it is down a cliff!

*  A focus on nature - It was great to see a holiday park taking their responsibilities as land owners seriously. There is a nature centre at Shorefield and many areas have been allowed to grow long to attract insects and wildlife and to allow them areas to flourish in.

Eating at the Bistro
We were offered a meal for the 6 of us whilst staying at Shorefield Country Park and we chose to eat in the Bistro, between our party we had spaghetti carbonara (very nice), spaghetti bolognaise (very nice), mixed meat and veg calzone (nice), chicken pizza (overcooked and processed chicken pieces) and Pepperoni pizza (very nice). In the main the food was good and the waiters were really great but it took an awful long time for the food to come out and the environment was very noisy. We waited about 45 minutes for our main courses and not having any starters and 3 children with us this felt like a lifetime. The cost was also a bit more than I would have expected with the Pizzas being about £10.00 each for a 12".

I had not realised before that you could buy food in the bar area and actually they had a dedicated area for eating. We did not eat in there but went in there quite a few times to buy take-away chips, cappuccinos and slush puppies and the food always looked very good and if the chips we had were any indication then we should have tried this restaurant area out. It looks as if it was very geared up to the family market.

It was also quite useful that you could take your meals through to the Champagne Suite where the entertainment is and the adults can eat whilst the kids play and dance.

What could be improved? 

* WiFi connection - this was patchy much of the time in the main building and I could not access it elsewhere on the park. I'd have been happy to pay a small fee to access the WiFi if that had been made available to me. (This may well have significantly improved in the last 4 years)

*  The website - 2017 update - In 2013 I had a few niggles with the website but it is no longer relevant as they had an overhaul and it is now very easy to use.

Overall, in Conclusion

As I started this post by saying we had a great holiday at Shorefield Country Park and I would definitely return there again, in fact we are pondering it for our Summer holiday with Nanny and Granddad next year. There are loads of facilities on site whatever the weather and it also makes a really convenient base for exploring the local New Forest area. It is easy to see why it is a 5 star rated holiday park.

I am happy to give Shorefield Country Park 9/10 overall, given the comments I made above.

Booking with Shorefield - Visit the Shorefield website to check out their holiday parks and to check availability - www.shorefield.co.uk or you can call them on 01590 648 331. If you are able to book last minute then I notice there are some really good deals when you book with a short lead time. You can get a caravan holiday from just £99 in September and October, just click on the special offers.

Right of reply  (September 2013)-
I always allow companies to reply to any comments I make in my posts. I'm pleased to see that Shorefield took my comments seriously and they have come back with the following -

We are currently working on our WiFi connection on park; at the moment WiFi is only available to holiday makers in the club house area and the connections that you would have been picking up in your unit would have been from private units. We also have free to use kiosks near the Cheers Bar which our guests are more than welcome to use.

Thank you again for your feedback.


Disclosure: We were provided with 4 nights in a Milford lodge for our family of 6 and a dog. I was not instructed what to write and I remain honest.

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So much to see - if you just look....

A few weeks back I read a post over on Liska's blog and she really inspired me. She had posted a picture of her beloved Aaron and then described all the things she could see in that photo and it really got me thinking about how often I really look at photos in detail.  I don't is the answer.

Then yesterday I was looking through some photos from our recent New Forest holiday and I came across the one above and I really looked at it for quite some time and was amazed at what I saw. Yes on the surface it is 3 kids on a stony beach but when you look closer and know those three kids, you see also -

*  Miss E who has changed and grown in confidence, this little girl is happy to run to the sea with gusto and get her shoes wet. As she turns, smiles and shouts 'Mummy come and see' I realise my baby is no longer a baby but still she wants me involved in everything she does. I'm her best friend she tells me and we will live together forever. I doubt it but its nice to feel so loved.

*  Miss M who is maturing beyond her years. She is learning caution, empathy and self-control. This little girl is starting to like the rewards of good behaviour and is enjoying playing the role of the good girl but still she struggles with her natural exuberance, the desire to do it first and to be liked. My tall and lean little lady who loves to move, dance and jump about - there is something active she will really excel at but we are yet to find it.

*  JJ as he lags behind and keeps an eye on his girls, happy to go up and join them to show them how stone skimming is done. 'Keep back' he calls, conscious of his role as the big brother, the protector. My little boy is no longer so little and he is maturing into a young man that I find I really like, someone who is good to chat to and is very helpful. he takes his responsibilities seriously and I glimpse the man he will one day be, someone like his daddy, someone who won't let you down.

I'm linking this post up with Katie over at Mummy, Daddy, Me and her new Ordinary Moments linky.

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Review: Exbury Gardens & Steam Railway (New Forest)

Whilst we were on holiday in the New Forest we were lucky to be offered review tickets for Exbury Gardens and steam railway. It is not somewhere I have heard of before and to be honest, a garden might not normally be my first choice of place to visit with my 3 young kids. However we’d have been missing out due to my narrow mindedness and assumptions that my kids would like something more glitzy.

We found Exbury fairly easily, once you start to get close there are the brown signs that direct you in and I was surprised to find the car park practically empty and the place looked pretty deserted. Upon speaking with the receptionist I learnt that the key times for visits are April/ May when all the world famous rhododendrons and azaleas blossom. Looking at the brochure the colour in the gardens at that time looks amazing, really beautiful. Once autumn is fully here that is another key time for visits too as all the trees change.

It would then be easy to think that summer might hold nothing much for us to see but actually the gardens are interesting and well maintained at all times in the year. The Sun Dial and Tennis Court gardens are bright and beautiful and the trees offer a variety of shapes, sizes and colours all the year long. There were some unusual tree species like the Tulip Tree, Monkey Puzzle Tree, Mahogany Maple and weeping beech.

Buggy Ride

First off to we hopped on a chauffeur driven buggy for a guided trip around the gardens, this took about 45 minutes and we hopped off to look at the carp in one of the ponds and gladly listened to our guide tell us about the history of the gardens and area. He was also really knowledgeable about the species of plants on site and it was amazing to hear that just 8 gardeners tend the land on the estate (all 200 acres of it). The buggy is an optional extra and costs £4 per person, I thought it was thoroughly worth it and even the dog was welcome on the buggy.

The driver was such a friendly guy, both Miss E and Miss M took turns to sit with him and chat

Walks through the garden

There are 23 miles of walks through the gardens and they offer a whole variety of different landscapes, some by the river, others through valleys of rhododendrons and some through more formal gardens. I love the meadow with river view that in the spring is covered in daffodils and of course the kids love to run through the woodlands and more densely planted areas. The paths are generally earth and can be a little uneven but there are many that are suitable for those in wheelchairs or with disabilities.

There are lots of benches to be able to sit down and muse or of course it is great to take a picnic and spend some time there. We hardly saw any other people as we went around the gardens and it would be a great day for a romantic afternoon for two. Many people had their dogs with them and they are welcome on a short lead.

Steam Train

Of course for kids a ride on a train is always a highlight and the Rhododendron line did not disappoint. The journey takes about 20 minutes and you have a short stop half way round so the driver can oil this engine. The kids are invited to get off and go and have a look at the engine as he does it.

To make it more fun for the kids there are shrubs being trained into animal shapes and some animals made from metals around the track for the kids to spot, some of these are really great.

After the ride it is good to take a walk into the train shed and see the exhibit about how the railway came into being. I enjoyed the short video watching it is all being built.

Mr Eddy’s Tea Room

This is not cheap but the food and the portions are excellent, there is an abundance of inside and outside seating and the service is efficient and friendly too. I had a jacket potato with coronation chicken, salad and coleslaw for £6.50, the kids has sausage, chips and beans at £4.50 each and Dh had a cottage pie, new potatoes and vegetables for about £8.75. This tea room was nice enough that I’d happily travel back here again just for it. We didn't try any of the cakes but they looked excellent as well.

General Facilities

·     *   There is loads of free parking at Exbury

·     *   free wheelchair loan

·     *   a nice gift shop

·     *   well maintained toilets

·     *    very friendly staff

Pricing

You can opt for an ‘all-in’ ticket from 10 June – 25 October and this includes admission to the garden a ride on the steam railway, a buggy trip and discount vouchers for the tea room and shop. These cost £16.50 per adult and £7.00 per child and include a voluntary gift aid donation. There are various separate pricing options available too, take a look online. 

In conclusion –

We all enjoyed our visit to Exbury Gardens and it is somewhere we would happily come back to. As we have just moved to a 220 acre estate ourselves my kids are now a bit spoilt for beautiful countryside to run around but I’d say if your kids do not normally have much access to such a lot of space then they will love the opportunity to explore this land and to let off some steam. Take a picnic and make a family day of it. I noticed you can do a family nature trail for £1.50 too and there are many special days and weekends at Exbury, I particularly fancied a mushroom foraging weekend break!

A big thumbs up from our family. 10/10, I can’t think of anything else I’d like to have found at Exbury.

I'm linking up this post to Fiona's Country Kids - click on the badge to head over and see what others have got up to in their Country Kids exploits.

 

Disclosure: I was provided with free entrance, buggy ride and steam train journey for my family in return for this review. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.

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New Forest Reasons to be Cheerful (week 35, year 3)

Happy Thursday, as you know I’m away on holiday this week, so I bring you Reasons to be Cheerful from the New Forest and boy is it beautiful here.  I have driven through before and even used to live in Bournemouth so I’ve been close many times but never until now stayed here and really experienced what it is like. I can confirm that I’ve been missing out and we would happily come here again on holiday.

This week my reasons are all based around my holiday -

*  We are reviewing Shorefield Country Park staying in one of their pet friendly lodges and I can happily say it is super here. This is by far one of the best caravan parks I have stayed at, it is really well kept and the entertainment/ swimming is putting big smiles on my kids’ faces! (full review to follow.

*  I can visibly see my dh starting to chill and forget about the stress of being in a new and demanding job. He really needs this break and is enjoying himself.

*  We have been swimming every day in the indoor pool and I’m loving it, the girls are getting more and more confident in the water and that lifts me.

*  I love seeing all the wild foals, cows and donkeys as we drive through the national park here, it just isn’t a sight you see every day.

*  We really enjoyed ourselves at Exbury Gardens and steam railway, a real highlight was having a chauffeur driven tour of the gardens by a very lovely man who told us all about the history, plants and trees.

*  I’m off for a massage tonight before heading out with dh for a night together, it should be fun.

What has made you cheerful or grateful this week?

It could be something massive or it might just be the everyday simple things that happen. If you are new to Reasons to be Cheerful then take a look at the background to this linky and my rational for starting it 3 years ago. Write a post and link it up, no rules, just as long as you have written about something which is adding a smile to your face or rocking your world then I’m happy. Then link up the post, add in the blog hop code to your post if you fancy and then people can go from post to post nice and easily. Visit a few other people and leave a comment and I pray they will come do the same for you. I’ll try and visit everyone this weekend when I’m back home. 

I’m doing this on the hop this week so #R2BC blogger of the week will be back next week. Do feel free to shout out anyone you would like to see highlighted as blogger of the week.

Wishing you a blessed week ahead, Mich x

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