Showing posts with label Summer Holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Summer Holidays. Show all posts

Tuesday 17 July 2018

Dates for your Diary - Warrington's FamFest 11th-12th August 2018 - Children's Programme Confirmed

PLEASE NOTE: THIS EVENT HAS NOW BEEN CANCELLED

A brand-new family festival, FamFest, comes to Warrington next month featuring a jam-packed programme on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th August, which is sure to keep the whole family entertained.

Orford Jubilee Park will be brimming with activity zones, rides and attractions, character shows, skills workshops, and a full music line-up, all guaranteeing a fun-filled weekend which runs from 11am to 10pm each day.

Head to the Kids Zone and enjoy spectacular live performances from kids' TV favourites Mister Maker and Basil Brush, along with live action shows from Beauty and the Beast, Frozen's Elsa & Anna, Moana, Rapunzel and Flynn, and The Minions.


Roll up, roll up. The circus is in town and they want you! Juggling, plate spinning, diablo throwing, stilt walking - have fun whilst learning all the skills required to be the next great circus performer in the Circus Skills Workshop.

Get crafty and put your creative skills to the test with Disney's Art Attack presenter Lloyd Warbey who will be hosting the Kids Craft Zone with lots of fun activities for everyone to join in with.

There will also be opportunities to meet a range of characters throughout the two-day family festival including Darth Vader and Stormtroopers, Ironman, The Incredible Hulk, The A-Team's Mr T and many more in the Kids Zone!

The Sports Zone will be host to a huge selection of sports activities to have a go at and get the adrenaline pumping. With everything on offer from SNAG golf and archery, to rugby, cricket and basketball. Try to be the last one standing on the Gladiator podium, or why not battle it out in the sumo wrestling ring. There will be plenty to try and suitable for all levels and abilities.

Music fans will be in for a treat with the Main Stage featuring an amazing selection of top tribute acts paying homage to stars like Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Little Mix, Taylor Swift, Jessie J, Katy Perry and many more! PLUS an extra special performance by Warringtonian  - and winner of BBC's The Voice 2017 - Mo Jamil.

FamFest Warrington is a ticketed event. Along with regular ticket prices, there are also upgrade options to VIP, family VIP or weekend tickets.

Ticket entry will give visitors access to Sports Zone, Kids Zone, and Circus Skills activities, the Basil Brush Show, Kids Craft Zone and Character Zone, as well as the main stage tribute artists and shows. Mister Maker & his live shows are also there, but only on the Saturday.

There will also be a pay and ride Fun Fair with lots of thrill rides and attractions to enjoy.

Visitors can also visit the Princess Pamper Pavilion where all young festival-goers can pay to have glitter hair and tattoos done by the Disney princesses.

There will also be food and drink available to purchase, including a full licensed bar, and a VIP marquee.

Founder Pete Pinnington said: "I really wanted to create an event that caters for everyone, offering the whole family a fun and memorable day out! FamFest really does have something on offer for everyone - the younger kids will love the live shows like Mister Maker and Basil Brush whilst the older ones can have fun in the Sports Zone. Plus, the Main Stage will have music that appeals to all ages and generations - with the likes of Ariana and Taylor for the kids and Lionel Ritchie George Michael and Coldplay for Mum and Dad". 

"It promises to be an action-packed weekend, tickets are selling fast so get yours now!"

So grab your deck chairs, pack a picnic and book tickets to Warrington's premier summer attraction that is the perfect day out for the whole family!

For further details please visit the FamFest website or their social media pages, which can be found on the following channels:

Website - www.famfestwarrington.co.uk
Facebook - facebook.com/famfestwarrington
Twitter - @famfestevents

Listing Details

Event - FamFest Warrington
Venue - Orford Jubilee Park
Dates - Saturday 11th August to Sunday 12th August

All under 3's go free

Day Tickets
  • Child (3-15 years) £15 (inc fees)
  • VIP Child (3-15 years) £25 (inc fees)
  • Adult £30 (inc fees)
  • VIP Adult £60 (inc fees)
  • Family (2 x adult/2 x child 3-15 years) £70 (inc fees)
  • VIP Family (2 x adult/2 x child 3-15 years) £100 (inc fees)

Weekend Tickets
  • Child (3-15 years) £25 (inc fees)
  • VIP Child (3-15 years) £35 (inc fees)
  • Adult £50 (inc fees)
  • VIP Adult £70 (inc fees)
  • Family (2 x adult/2 x child 3-15 years) £120 (inc fees)
  • VIP Family (2 x adult/2 x child 3-15 years) £150 (inc fees)
Please note: Parking is £11 for one day or £22 for the weekend. Parking should be booked in advance as there will be NO pay-on-the-day parking available.

Disclaimer: Details provided are correct at the time of writing, however I would always recommend visiting the events own website, in order to obtain the most up to date information.

Sunday 17 September 2017

Travelling with DFDS from Dover to Calais

If you have seen my recent blog posts and tweets, then you will know that we recently enjoyed a wonderful holiday in La Croix du Vieux Pont in Vic-Sur-Aisne, France. There were a few different travel options that we could have chosen, but ultimately we decided to self drive and take the ferry from Dover to Calais.


After comparing the available ferry companies, we opted to travel with DFDS due to their reasonable pricing and availability for the particular times that we wanted to travel. The last time I travelled on a ferry to France was with school nearly twenty years ago, so I couldn't really remember much about it and it was the first time we would be driving abroad to a holiday destination. DFDS currently offer two routes from Dover to France. The first is Dover to Calais, with the second route being Dover to Dunkirk. The Calais journey was better for us, as it meant a shorter drive time once in France, to get to our destination.


I found their website to be very clear and I had a look firstly, at what kind of facilities were available onboard. The crossing only takes approximately 90 minutes, but that short time can feel like hours if there isn't much for the kids to do and they get bored. The website provided information on what facilities were available and I was pleased to see that there were a variety of dining options, places to relax, shopping and a games & play area.

I read that DFDS offered a dedicated play area called Pirates Island, which included soft play and toys. This sounded perfect for my son Riley and would provide him with a place to keep busy and entertained whilst travelling.


Once we had made our final choice on sailing date and times, we booked online and received our booking confirmation almost instantly via email. The email confirmed all our booking details, which I checked over carefully and it also provided some important information such as check in time. Usually you can check in up to 45 minutes before, but with it being the busy summer period, it was suggested that we arrived 90 minutes early. We didn't want to risk missing our journey, so made sure that we took this into consideration when planning our route from North Wales to Dover.

On our day of departure we set off early from North Wales at around 2am. Our sailing time was 09:10am and it is just under a 5 hour drive from our home. We made good time on our journey through the night due to there being very little traffic on the roads. Even with two rest breaks, we arrived in Dover for 7am and with us having time to spare, we decided to stop at a nearby Premier Inn for breakfast. I always find these really good value as kids eat free, so we can enjoy a full breakfast buffet with drinks for the 5 of us, for only £17.98.

Once we had finished our breakfast, we made our way to the port with plenty of time to spare. Despite being a bank holiday, we were suprised to find no queue and drove straight to the DFDS check in booth to hand over our passports. These were then scanned and we were provided with a hangar to display from our rear view mirror. We were told to follow the lane round and then join the queue in a particular lane number, where we could park up and then either stay in the car, or walk to the terminal for a drink. 

We had brought drinks with us on our journey and with just having had breakfast, we decided not to visit the terminal area and instead remained by our vehicle. We waited there for just under an hour and applied our headlamp deflectors whilst stationary. These are a requirement for all British vehicles to have whilst driving in France so we decided it was the ideal time to apply them, before boarding the ferry. 


Once it was time for us to board, the staff directed the lanes one by one onto the ferry. Staff onboard then showed us where to park and we then simply locked our car and made our way up the stairs onto the ferry, ready to explore.

We initially went straight to Pirate Island, where Riley enjoyed a good play before it got too busy. This was a nice area, but did soon become very busy and crowded, as to be expected on a busy bank holiday crossing. There was a television too which was showing a Scooby Doo movie, so Emma and Ben sat and watched this for a while. Once the ferry began to move, we decided to move to one of the outdoor decks so we could watch as we travelled through the water and wave goodbye to the White Cliffs. The weather was dry and quite warm so we stayed up here for just over 40 minutes, before heading back to explore the rest of the boat.

Our first stop was the shop, which was very well stocked and the prices actually seemed quite reasonable. I was expecting most things to be overpriced, but some things were actually quite low in cost, such as the perfume and alcohol. It was well stocked and in addition to the usual duty free items, there was a nice selection of gifts and toys available for children.


We decided to begin heading back to Pirate Island and stopped at the Games Arcade on the way. This was quite a large area, but didn't seem to have many machines. There was certainly room for more, and unfortunately three of the games that were available were out of order, which was slightly disappointing. The children did manage to enjoy one of the racing car machines though and this kept them more than happy. Once we reached the soft play area, Mr F and I enjoyed a coffee whilst sat by one of the large picture windows looking out over the water, whilst the children played again. We stayed here for the remainder of the journey and found it to be quite relaxing. 

Once we reached the Port of Calais, we returned to our vehicle and waited to be allowed to disembark. I had expected to have to show our passports again on reaching France, but suprisingly we simply just drove straight off the ferry and onto the motorway. We were out of the port in a matter of minutes, making the journey very quick and easy.


Overall we found it to be a good experience. The ferry was very clean and modern and there was enough to do to fill the 90 minute journey time. However, I think the Pirate Island could do with being slightly larger and that the games arcade area could also benefit from the introduction of more gaming machines. The food and drink we had onboard in both directions was hot and tasty and the service was great. We found there to be ample seating throughout the boat for all guests and the seats were comfortable and relaxing. The children enjoyed being able to sit out on deck whilst sailing and it was nice to be able to get outside and enjoy the fresh air during the journey. Both the embarkation and disembarkation process was quick and easy and this helped to make our travel stress free. We would definitely travel with DFDS again and hope to use them again in the future.

If you would like to learn more about the sailings that DFDS offer, then you can visit their website here: DFDS Seaways





* Disclaimer - I have received no payment for this blog post and it has been written of my own accord based on our recent experience. All opinions, thoughts and photographs are my own unless otherwise stated. This article contains affiliate links.

Monday 11 September 2017

Our Family Adventure at La Croix du Vieux Pont with Al Fresco Holidays

Last week we spent a wonderful few days at La Croix du Vieux Pont with Al Fresco Holidays and we are already missing our relaxing evenings sat out on the decking by our accommodation. Whether you are looking for a base to explore Paris & the local area, somewhere within easy reach of Disneyland Paris, or simply a destination that has so many activities on offer, that you need never leave the site, then La Croix du Vieux Pont ticks all the boxes for the perfect family holiday.

We travel around so much, but have never self driven to France before, usually opting for the fun of flying instead. It has been something that we have wanted to try for a while though and after spotting a great deal on Dover to Calais ferry crossings, we started to look at our options for an end of summer trip to France.

With Riley only being 4, he is still at the beautiful age of believing in magic and has a love for Disney Characters such as Mickey Mouse and the Lion King. Therefore I wanted to find a holiday park that was in an easy driving distance to Disneyland Paris. My husband and I also wanted to find somewhere that offered plenty of activities on site to keep the children busy, as well as somewhere that had a kids club, so that us parents could have the opportunity to relax too. As we had decided on a location near to Paris, we had a look at three Al Fresco parks that were all within a 2 hour drive to the city. When we came across La Croix du Vieux Pont, it was an easy decision to make and so we excitedly booked our stay.


About Al Fresco Holidays

Al Fresco Holidays specialise in family mobile home holidays throughout Europe, with some fantastic family friendly holiday parks on offer.  There is a wide range of different parks on their website, that offer some wonderful facilities, in a great choice of locations.

Al Fresco Holidays have recognised that everyone looks for something different in their holidays and therefore they offer a selection of different sized parks such as large and lively, small and friendly, authentic and value, as well as midsize and sociable. This means that you can be sure of finding a holiday park that suits your needs and requirements. 

They offer a variety of mobile home options, which are all well equipped, comfortable and modern. The mobile homes are a great idea for larger families as some of the mobile homes can accommodate up to 8 people, making them extremely cost effective. They offer more space than just an individual hotel room and some of the holiday homes also offer decking, outdoor seating and a barbecue, which helps you to make the most of the sunshine too!

The website makes it easy to find a destination or park that suits you, by using the search function and then refining the results to suit your particular needs and requirements.  You can make selections such as budget, being near to the beach, kids club facilities and dining choices to name a few. There are also a variety of options as to how you wish to travel with flights, self drive, the ferry or Eurotunnel all being something to consider. If you cannot decide which option would be best for you, then Al Fresco representatives are always happy to assist and provide their recommendations and help.

The Al Fresco Holidays Website

I find the Al Fresco website really easy to use and navigate. I think it is well organised and it is easy to search for holiday parks based on location. You can also search for the best deals and offers on their whole range of parks, as well as view comprehensive information on the choice of holiday homes available. The design of the website is sleek and modern, with no over complicated graphics. It's simple design makes it easy to see everything clearly, without the need to search through endless lists or contents pages. 

My favourite thing about the website, is the amount of information it provides about each park. There are images, videos and reviews to help you obtain a thorough understanding of each park, which helps you to make an informed choice.

The booking process is very simple and literally takes a few minutes to get your family holiday booked. You can pay a low deposit, which allows you to pay your holiday off at your own convenience, so there is no need to worry about having to pay for everything all in one go. Once you have selected your chosen holiday park, there are a range of optional extras that you can also add to your booking such as air conditioning, linen packs, baby packs & toddler packs. These packs are a great idea and can cut down the amount of luggage that you need to take with you, which is very handy if you are restricted to a particular suitcase weight on airlines. 

For example the baby pack contains a travel cot, high chair, baby bath, socket covers and a baby gate, making your holiday home, not only comfortable, but safe too! During the booking process you can also add an equipment damage waiver, which covers you should there be any accidental damage during your stay. As anyone with children knows, accidents can happen at anytime, so I personally always take this out, so that I know we are covered in the event of any mishaps. The charge usually equates to just £2 a day, however if you choose not to take out the equipment damage waiver, then you will be required to leave a deposit of £200 on arrival. 

The Journey to La Croix du Vieux Pont

There isn't much public transport available in the area where the park is based and it is approximately one hour and twenty minutes away from Paris. It is nestled within the french countryside, in the lovely village of Vic-Sur-Aisne. You could fly into one of the Paris airports and hire a car or get a taxi, but I believe that both of these would be expensive options, so my personal opinion would be to catch the ferry or go via the Eurotunnel to France in your own vehicle and drive.

There are a few options for this as you could travel from Hull to Zeebrugge, Dover to Dunkirk, or Dover to Calais. The latter two are short ferry crossings which take around 90 minutes, with the Hull ferry likely to be more expensive due to being an overnight sailing. The Eurotunnel option is the quickest route with crossing times of roughly half an hour. We chose to drive from North Wales to Dover through the night and then got an early ferry crossing from Dover to Calais with DFDS. We chose this option so that we had a nice break between the drive and that it would give us a good amount of time to stretch our legs, enjoy the fresh sea air and grab a bite to eat and a drink onboard. 



We found the check in and boarding process at the port really simple and with no delays, we set off on time across the English Channel. On arrival in Calais, the disembarkation process was just as easy and we simply drove straight off the boat and out of the Calais Port onto the French motorway.

The Sat Nav had given us a journey time of approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes, however I had done some research beforehand and read reviews from previous guests, who had recommended staying on the A26 until either junction 10 or 11. The Sat Nav kept trying to pull us off the motorway so we ended up ignoring this until we exited at junction 11. There are a few important things to remember when planning your road trip in France and it is important to consider such things as tolls, speed limits (remember these are in kmph not mph), the compulsory car safety kit and of course remembering to drive on the RIGHT hand side of the road. 

I initially thought that this would be quite confusing being on the opposite side of the road from what we are used to, however it was actually really easy. The roads had barely any traffic on them and we didn't come across a single traffic jam. Everywhere is well signposted and there were plenty of rest stops and petrol stations on our journey. We made a couple of quick stops on the way, firstly to top up with fuel and secondly just to stretch our legs. We were on the motorway for over 100 miles making it a really easy straight route. The last half an hour of our journey was a little busier and involved numerous roundabouts, but again it was all relatively simple.

Our Arrival at La Croix du Vieux Pont

The campsite is well signposted from the road and it would be hard to miss the turning. We went to the main reception firstly who advised us that as we were early, we could park in the main car park and enjoy the facilities prior to checking in at 4pm. They provided us with directions to the Al Fresco reception and also told us briefly where we could go for a drink or a swim.


We had taken the children's scooters with us, so we parked up, got the scooters out and went for a quick exploration of the park. It immediately became apparent just how large the park was, there was so much to see and do, so it wasn't long before the kids were excited about what we could do during our stay. We had a quick look around all the facilities and took a walk up to the lakeside beach, where we stopped to enjoy a drink.


When it was time for our Al Fresco experience to begin, my daughter and I went to the Al Fresco reception, where we were greeted by Nich, a lovely young gentleman who made us feel very welcome. He gave me some information about the Al Fresco Holidays kids clubs, activities to do in the area and invited me to ask any questions that I had regarding our stay. I provided him with a cheque for £50 to cover our housekeeping deposit, which is returned to you at the end of your stay providing that you have left the accommodation as you found it. A cheque is the best way to do this and is Al Fresco's preferred method too, as this does not affect your available funds by having to leave cash. Once I had signed the housekeeping deposit form, we made our way over to our Vivaldi accommodation. We had only had a brief look around the mobile home at this point as the sun was shining brightly and the kids wanted to have a swim, so we quickly unloaded the car, before heading back over to the lakeside beach where we spent a good couple of hours sunbathing and swimming in the sunshine.

Our first impressions of our Al Fresco holiday were great and we couldn't wait to enjoy everything that was on offer.


Accommodation

We stayed in a Vivaldi 3 bedroomed mobile home, which was very spacious and clean. It had one double room and two twin rooms meaning that we all had our own space. The main living area was open plan and consisted of the lounge, dining room and kitchen. There was plenty of room for all of us and we never felt too crammed in. 

The space continued outside too, where there was a lovely large decking area that had an outdoor table, a parasol, six chairs & two recliners, which was perfect for some Al Fresco dining. It was a lovely space to relax outside whilst the children played. There was also a nice grassed area, along with a space to park the car right outside.


The kitchen contained everything we needed for our self catering break, with a kettle, pots & pans, utensils, microwave & dinnerware. There was also a large fridge freezer that had plenty of room for all our food and the all important ice creams and lollies for the kids.

There was a separate bathroom and toilet, which I always prefer as being a large family it can cause problems in the morning if someone is in the shower whilst someone else needs the loo. The shower was a nice size and there was a large sink area and cupboard next to it, so there was plenty of space to store your belongings. There was also a shelving area opposite the sink, so there was enough storage for all our toiletries.

The bedrooms were very comfortable. The double room had a sliding wardrobe, bedside units, a mirror with shelf, along with plenty of lighting. The twin bedrooms also had wardrobe units and the mattresses in all of the rooms were comfy and offered a good nights sleep.

The dining table was ideal to enjoy our breakfast together in the mornings. There were only 4 seats set at the table, however we found that there were also two spare chairs in one of the cupboards which meant that there was enough seating for all of us.

Overall we were very pleased with our accommodation. It was comfortable, spacious and gave us everything we needed for our stay, so we were more than happy with it. There were also newer models located opposite the beach which looked beautiful in their own little plot and a higher quality of outdoor furniture. Although we were very pleased with our Vivaldi accommodation, we would definitely consider one of the new lounge models as an alternative in the future.


La Croix du Vieux Pont Holiday Park

Well there is certainly no chance of your children getting bored at this holiday park. There is so much to see and do, that we didn't manage to even do half of it during our stay. From swimming pools to bouncy castles, mini golf to kids clubs, parks to fishing, this site literally has it all!


Firstly, there are several swimming pools, which are both indoor and outdoors. The site has a long season and the weather can be very similar to British weather, in that it can be glorious sunshine one day, then cold and rainy the next. Therefore having the choice of both indoor and outdoor pools, means that there is always swimming available whatever the weather. The swimming complex features a lazy river ride, water slides, a children's splash zone, separate children's pool and jacuzzis. The clever aspect of the indoor pools are that if the sunshine comes out in abundance, then the roof can also be retracted. There were plenty of sun loungers available and we had no issue in securing a couple near the children's pool on each day of our stay.


My children's favourite swimming pool though, was the artificial lake, that was surrounded by a beautiful sandy beach, which Riley absolutely loved. There was plenty of space and Riley was really happy sitting on the beach building sand castles, mountains and digging holes.



You were allowed inflatables in this pool and so the kids really enjoyed being able to play and relax on their inflatable crocodiles and rubber rings! The grass area next to lake provided a lovely place to lay your towels and sunbathe, whilst still being able to supervise from the shores. The lake side beach bar also meant that there was somewhere close by to grab some refreshments, though on most days we took our own food and drink with us in a cooler bag, which seemed to be a popular idea with a lot of guests. 

Next to the swimming lake, was also a large children's park, a beach volleyball court and a mini golf course. The mini golf carries a small charge to play as well as needing a deposit to use the clubs and balls. This is minimal though and we found all the activities to be very reasonably priced.



Adjacent to the swimming lake, were two fishing lakes on either side. The first one was also used for watersports which included paddle boarding, kayaking and pedalos. Fishing seemed to be a popular activity and every day during our stay there were numerous anglers trying their best to catch some fish. My son Ben became quite fascinated by this and enjoyed making friends on the lake side whilst watching the fish being reeled in. Some of them were absolutely huge, which Ben was amazed by. You do need to purchase a licence to fish in the lake and the costs vary dependent on the duration of your licence & whether you are a child or adult. We found that this lake seemed to be more popular for fishing that the other lake which was located towards to the top end of the site. I found this surprising, as I thought that the water activities would disturb the fish, but there seemed to be no problems catching a bite on the line.

The kids club was a great facility to have, with numerous activities taking place for different age groups each day. We only used the kids club once, despite initially planning to use it every day, purely because there was just so much to do on site, so we ended up doing a lot of family activities together instead. 

Next to the pool complex, was also a laser quest, bowling alley and an indoor soft play area, which again provided plenty of opportunities for indoor fun should the weather be poor. In addition to the indoor activities, there is also bouncy castles, trampolines, bungee trampolines, pedalos, kayaks and go karts outdoors, therefore providing plenty of entertainment to see you through the day. All of these carried an additional charge, however you can purchase a leisure card that can be used for some of the activities on site. These are great value and offer some fabulous savings. For example you can buy a leisure card for 40 euros which gives you 70 euros to spend on activities.



All the staff we came across on the site, were really lovely. The Al Fresco team are an absolute credit to the company and we were so impressed with their friendly hardworking attitude. Nothing seemed too much trouble, and the same can be said about the La Croix du Vieux Pont staff who were always walking round with a smile. On one occasion the manager of the site was driving around throwing prizes to the kids and Ben bagged himself a brand new bright green rubber ring. This retailed at 12 euros in the shop, so Ben was very pleased with his bonus gift! 

For convenience there is a shop on site, as well as a bakery. We purchased fresh croissants and baguettes from here every morning and the queue was always out the door. It was worth the short wait each morning though as everything we purchased from the bakery was delicious. The prices were slightly higher than the supermarket in the village, however they tasted much nicer and it was ideal to not have to drive down the road and just simply walk to the bakery on site. The site shop offered a good selection of food products and drinks and the prices were reasonable, though some things such as snacks & chocolate bars etc, were a little on the expensive side.



Near the swimming pool and sports complex there was also a gift shop where you could purchase your inflatables, toys or gifts to take home with you. Riley bought a large plastic boat for 6 euros which he played with every day of our stay in the swimming lake.



Towards the far end of the site, there was an outdoor adventure company called Tower Pursuits who ran activities on a daily basis that included a climbing wall, abseiling, trapeze & zip wire. The sessions get booked up quite quickly, so it is a good idea to pop over on arrival day and get booked in for any activities you want to try.

In the evening we enjoyed taking a stroll around the whole site. It was a lovely walk in the evening just as the sun set and the lake lit up beautifully.


Dining and Drinks

As we had planned ahead for self catering in our accommodation, we had no need to dine out during our stay, however there were plenty of options available had we wanted to.

Berny Burger offers an evening takeaway service where there is a wide range of fast food choices available for purchase. The takeaway looked very clean and well presented and there were also some tables and chairs outside, should you wish to dine out instead of returning back to your accommodation with the food.


For a more formal dining experience, the Brasserie Macao was a very popular choice. This appeared to be fully booked on most nights, with people often queuing outside waiting for a table. I have heard nothing but positive reviews from other guests regarding this restaurant and the dining area looked absolutely lovely. The menu was very extensive and had something to suit all tastes. Whenever I walked past, it seemed such a lovely atmosphere and you could always see the staff working hard throughout the restaurant. The smell of the food was absolutely divine and the few meals that I saw being carried out, looked extremely appetising.


Another option was the La Plage Beach Bar which offered a more refined menu, as well as a vast choice of drinks and cocktails. The setting of the La Plage Beach Bar was very idyllic and overlooked the lake and beach.

If you fancied venturing off site for something to eat, then the local restaurant Chez Micheline comes highly recommended. Again this can get booked up extremely quickly and quite far in advance in peak season. It is within walking distance from the campsite, so I would recommend either calling to book a table or taking a walk down on the first day of your stay to make a reservation.

Evening entertainment

Bar Summer located near the main pool complex was a bustling place in the evening, with plenty of tables both inside and out for guests. Entertainment was provided in the evening and this varied on a nightly basis. Some evenings it was a children's disco and others there would be live entertainment such as a band. The entertainment for each day would be displayed on a board outside the bar, so it was easy to check what was on during your stay. Entertainment is of course seasonal and so could be quite limited if you visit in off peak times.

Our favourite place to visit in the evening after our walk, would be the La Plage Beach Bar. This was in a lovely setting and entertainment during our stay included a karaoke night and a fire dance show. The fire dance show took place on what was a beautiful sunny evening and so with the lake still being warm, we all watched the show from our inflatables in the pool.



Local Area & Places to Visit

If you did decide to leave the site to explore, then there is plenty to do in the area. The local village of Vic-Sur-Aisne is very picturesque and holds a regular market day which during our visit was on a Wednesday. There are also numerous other markets that take place on different weekdays in neighbouring towns such as Soissons and Chauny. 

The stunning Chateau de Pierrefonds is less than a 30 minute drive away and at only 8 euros admission (under 26s FREE) it makes it the perfect low cost family day out. It is a stunning architectural design and well worth the short journey to visit. There is plenty of free parking available in the village and then it is just a short walk to the entrance to the Chateau.

If you want to travel slightly further afield, then the theme parks of Disneyland Paris and Parc Asterix are both less than 90 minutes away. We drove to Disneyland Paris on one day of our stay and found it to be a really easy drive. Just remember to take some change for the tolls and don't forget to top up your fuel, as petrol stations seemed quite far apart once we had left the main motorway. The site also has a double decker bus that runs trips to Disneyland Paris, though travel days vary throughout the season. This is a great option to have if you don't want the worry of driving and at the time of our stay it cost 17 euros per adult and 14 euros for a child aged 2 to 11. An infant between 0-2 years cost 10 euros to travel. We felt that this was a good price for a small family, but it worked out more cost effective for us to drive.


Paris itself is about 1 hour 20 minutes away, though the traffic can be pretty hectic. One alternative we looked at was getting the train from one of the nearby towns to the Gare du Nord station in Paris. This seemed like quite a cost effective way of travelling into the city centre, but due to being so busy participating in on site activities, we just didn't get the chance to give it a go. Just like the Disneyland Paris trips, the site also runs a bus service a couple of days a week, which takes you into Paris and costs 23 euros per adult, 17 euros a child and 11 euros for an infant.

Our Al Fresco Experience

We have stayed with Al Fresco Holidays on four occasions now and have never been disappointed. Everything from the moment we booked, til the moment we checked out, was absolutely perfect and I cannot thank Al Fresco enough, for yet another wonderful family experience. We received plenty of information prior to our stay, which helped us to feel excited and prepared for our holiday.


I had a couple of questions prior to our stay and made use of the Al Fresco Holidays online chat service that is available on their website. The customer advisor was extremely helpful and although they did not know the answer to one of my questions, they offered to contact one of their representatives on the park and emailed me a couple of hours later with the answer. What fantastic customer service!

The on site representatives were amazing and Al Fresco Holidays should be extremely proud of what a great team they have. On the last night of our stay, one of the representatives came to check us out and return our housekeeping deposit as we were setting off very early in the morning for the return journey home. We ended up having an hour long chat with the gentleman who was one of the loveliest people you could wish to meet. We weren't made to feel like customers, but instead we were made to feel as if we were staying with friends, which I think is a wonderful attribute to have. Unfortunately I cannot remember this gentlemans name, but his wife Diane also worked on site, who was equally as lovely.

The Al Fresco reception was also a welcoming place, with plenty of information on what to see, where to go and opening times of the facilities on the park. There was a selection of board games that you could sign out and borrow as well as some books and beach toys. I thought that this was a great idea as it is nice to have a family board game to play in the evening.

Overall we had yet another fantastic experience with Al Fresco Holidays and will definitely be using them again in 2018!


For further information you can visit the Al Fresco Holidays website which can be found here: www.alfresco-holidays.com

Alternatively you can follow them on social media, via their channels which are:

Twitter - @AlFrescoHols
Facebook - Al Fresco Holidays
Instagram - @alfresco_hols



Disclaimer: We were provided with a discounted media rate for our accommodation for the purpose of providing an honest and impartial review of the Al Fresco experience and the La Croix du Vieux Pont Campsite. All opinions and photographs are my own, unless otherwise stated. This post contains affiliate links.

Wednesday 6 September 2017

How I Prepare for Back to School!

After an amazing six weeks together, September finally arrived along with the return of "Back to School". I understand that for a lot of people it can be a relief, especially when you work full time and need to arrange childcare, but I absolutely love the summer holidays and so I was a little sad to see the kids go back to school on Monday.

Riley has just entered reception, Ben has gone into Year 5 and Emma is now in Year 6 which is her final year in primary school. It still feels like yesterday that I was taking her to nursery and cannot believe just how quickly the time flies by.

Although we have had plenty of fun over the summer holidays, it is also a time for "Back to School" preparation. New uniforms, shoes, coats, bags & stationary all need to be arranged, as well as planning ahead for snack money, dinner money or packed lunches and school trips. I know that both Emma and Ben will both have the opportunity to go on a residential trip this year and from past experience I know that all classes usually go on at least one school day trip before Christmas so I try to budget and plan ahead for these eventualities as well as making sure my budget covers everything that they need for returning back to school.



School Uniform

Our school has recently introduced a new school logo and although they are phasing the old school uniform out over a couple of years, I decided that I would like them to return in September with the new clothing. We were made aware of the costs a few months ago and so back in May, I made a list of everything that they would need. I checked the school uniform list carefully and made sure that I made a note about which items needed to have the school logo and which items didn't. Every year I always save £30 a month towards school uniforms so that each August I have £360 so spend on clothing and equipment without feeling the pinch. I increased this ever so slightly from May to August to £35 as the new supplier of the uniform was slightly more expensive than the previous.

Once I know that I have my budget sorted, I can then begin to shop around for the non logo items such as shirts & blouses, skirts, trousers, & joggers. I have purchased supermarket items in the past, and still do buy school shirts, blouses and socks from our nearest Asda. However, when it comes to skirts, trousers and joggers, I have found that they can wear quite quickly, so usually try to find my nearest stockist of the Trutex brand. I have found Trutex to be of really good quality in the past and that their trousers seem to withstand any playground test that my son Ben puts them through.

They have put together a handy back to school guide this year that features advice from experts, a handy school uniform checklist and top tips on preparing for back to school. This can be found here:

Trutex Back to School Guide

School Shoes

It is so important to get well fitting shoes for your children for when they head back to school. A child will be wearing these shoes for an average of 7 hours a day, as well as running around in them at play times, so it is vital that they fit well and are comfortable. Some stores offer a foot measuring service to ensure that you buy the perfect size, but a lot of online retailers also now have a handy print out guide that helps you to get the right size even when choosing to purchase online.

Back in July we reviewed some Bella Brogue Lace Up shoes from Term Footwear. My daughter was really impressed with them and they were so comfortable for her during the day. In addition to wearing them in school time, we walk just over two miles a day to get to school and back and so it is always important to me that they don't rub or cause any discomfort during the walk to school. As my daughter has had no complaints about her shoes at all, it made Term Footwear my "go to" brand when looking at new school shoes for Riley. As he is starting reception it would be the first time that he has had to wear smart shoes all day and I also know how active he is at play times, so I knew that they would be the ideal choice for him when considering his comfort.


Riley hasn't mastered the skill of tying his own shoe laces yet, so a velcro fastening was a must have for me, to make sure that he had no difficulties taking his shoes on and off for PE lessons, or worrying about tying his laces. After having a good look through the choices we finally settled on the Hoddle Double shoes, which look fantastic.

Term Footwear have also put together a great little video called 'A Day in your Shoes' which gives a true reflection of what happens in a school day and how Term shoes are the ideal footwear. It also features animated captions explaining the benefits of Term School Shoes. The video can be found below:



School Bags & Stationary

Riley doesn't really have much need for a school bag in reception, instead just opting for his lunch bag and school branded book bag. However Emma and Ben both like to have sports branded bags which as most parents know, can be quite expensive. We always have a look online to try and get a good deal, but the last couple of years, I have found our local Nike Outlet store to offer the best deals and value for money with their bags costing around £12 as opposed to around the £20 mark in other stores.

None of my children actually require stationary at the moment as this is provided by the school, but Emma likes to have some of her own pens in her bag for writing and drawing. She loves art and likes to do some sketches, if it is a rainy day and they have to stay in the classroom, so we do buy a few things for her to keep in her bag. We find that Asda & B&M to have a great range of stationary at affordable prices. I remember my mum always having to take me to an actual stationary shop to purchase mine and it costing a small fortune, but nowadays most large stores seem to stock a great range of stationary in the run up to back to school.

School Trips

The last thing you want after spending a small fortune on uniform is a letter on the first day telling you about an upcoming school trip that needs payment by the following week. With Emma and Ben only being a year apart, I have found that a lot of their school trips are the same and that they often go together, so it means double expenditure for me. Luckily I have learnt to prepare for this and put aside £20 a month for school trips. This means that I never have to worry about money for school trips or deposits for residentials and this certainly takes a lot of the pressure off. On the first day of school this week they both came home with a letter for a trip taking place next week, that they also need a costume for. Although I hadn't planned ahead for the need for a costume, it does mean that I have been able to pay for their school trip without any issue.

Saying Goodbye at the Gate

Well this is one thing that I am never prepared for and cry on the first day back every single year! This year has been particularly hard, as its the first time in 10 years that I haven't had a little sidekick with me all day. I am already missing building train tracks with Riley & our little trips to the shop for sneaky treats whilst Emma and Ben were in school. It is definitely going to take some getting used to!

I hope everyone's Back to School days have gone well, and that your children have a fantastic school year in their new classes!


Disclaimer: This post was written of my own accord and I have not been asked to include any brands mentioned, or received any additional payment. Opinions and thoughts are my own unless otherwise stated.

Wednesday 9 August 2017

It's Time to Play! at Chester Zoo

Chester Zoo is well renowned for being one of the best conservation, animal and leisure attractions in the world. It's regular animal care programmes, vital conservation work and enhancements to the zoo have seen it's visitors grow to over 1.9 million guests a year which really is an incredible achievement. It is only a ten minute drive away from our family home and so we have seen the changes that have been made over the years and have watched the zoo grow with the addition of the Island's habitats that opened in 2015.

The zoo has now invested in a brand new Play! space as well as installing fun Play! challenges throughout the attraction which have all been designed to encourage families to have fun together. Families can be assured of enjoying a laughter filled day of exploring, that is packed full of fun and adventure. We were therefore very excited to be invited along to Chester Zoo last week to check out the new Play! Base Camp and try their fun Play! activities which include skipping, balancing, climbing and lots of laughing.

On arrival at the zoo we were provided with a play map which gave us an explorers guide to non-stop play. The activities we could enjoy were marked out on the map and the main Play! Base Camp was highlighted in the middle. We were also given one of the normal attraction maps, which my son Riley very quickly placed himself in charge of, as he began to march through the attraction towards his favourite animals. The first stop was the giraffes, which Riley couldn't wait to see up close.


Riley was amazed by how tall they were and he couldn't believe that even the baby giraffes were taller than him! Once we had walked through the giraffe enclosure and then through the tropical realm next door, we came to our first play activity which was the tortoise shells!


My children each took it in turns to be a tortoise and imagined what it must be like to carry a huge shell on your back every single day. The tortoise shells are a very simple idea but encourage imaginative play and they are large enough for adults to fit in and join in the fun too!

Next up was one of my favourite animals which is the Sloth. I absolutely love this picture that my husband took of one of the sloths travelling along the rope under the beautiful blue skies.


Mr F was on great form with the photographs and also managed to take this photo of one of the stunning jaguars in the Spirit of the Jaguar enclosure. The animals are just so beautiful and it was great to be able to see them in such close proximity.


As we continued to make our way around the zoo we came across two further activites which were "Follow the Line" and the "Flamingo Balance". Riley loved attempting the flamingo balance and although he didn't get it quite right, he was more than happy at just being able to stand on one leg. As you can see it isn't the perfect flamingo stance, but he had lots of fun trying all the same, which is what Play! is all about.


After attempting the flamingo balance, Riley took control of the Play! map once more and noticed that we weren't far away from the Play! Base Camp. We therefore made our way past the penguins and towards the lions, which the base camp is adjacent too. We could see the large slide housed in the 9m high Baobab tree in the distance. This really stood out and so the kids all excitedly made their way over to the play area ready to burn some energy, climb like a monkey and ultimately have some fun!



The play area was absolutely fantastic with so much to do for all ages. There was a large sand play area that provided a fun and safe environment to play in, as well as some more challenging play equipment for older children such as the spider web ropes and climbing nets. The whole area has been really well thought out and covers a large space. This means that despite it being really busy, it didn't feel too chaotic or dangerous in any part, as there was plenty of room for everyone.



In addition to the high energy play areas, there were also some quieter areas that offered you somewhere to go for a more chilled out play. There are also activities such as Tots Story Time and  Animal Game Shows that are held in these areas at certain times, as well as Play! dates events that are scheduled throughout the summer. You can find the most up to date information on these here: Play! Dates & Activities



There is a large cafe area opposite the Play! Base Camp and so this also gave us somewhere to enjoy a drink whilst watching our kids enjoy themselves. We stayed here for just over an hour, but I am sure my children would have happily played there much longer. After all that play, it was only fair that they had a little rest and enjoyed a delicious ice cream.


The Play! theme continued all around the zoo and we kept a look out for any challenges that we came across. Some of our favourites were the Monkeys Balance, Hot Lava Stepping Stones and the Skipping Lane. We also enjoyed making our way along this path by hopping like a frog. It was great to see so many parents & grandparents joining in with the fun too.


In addition to all the wonderful Play! that you can have at Chester Zoo, there are of course many other fun things to see and do. The Zoo is home to over 15,000 amazing animals as well as featuring some stunning gardens to enjoy. The Islands habitat which was introduced in 2015 is incredible and one of our favourite areas of the attraction. You could easily believe that you had been transported to South East Asia if it wasn't for the British climate reminding you of your real location.



The Islands also offer some great places to capture some memories with some lovely photo opportunities scattered throughout. I think that these are a great idea and provide you with the perfect background to remember your visit and look back on in the future.



As our visit came to an end, we made our way to one of the shops where Riley had earlier spotted an inflatable giraffe. These were only £5 and he thought it would be hilarious driving back home with a giant giraffe in the car window, so how could I refuse!


Overall, we had an absolutely fantastic day at Chester Zoo and I would like to thank them for inviting us along to Play! There is so much family fun to be had, with activities for guests of all ages. The animals are very well cared for and we were very lucky to see one of the new baby Rhino's that was recently welcomed to the zoo. The grounds are beautifully landscaped and well cared for, with the whole zoo appearing immaculate and tidy in appearance. We had a really enjoyable day and cannot wait to see Chester Zoo continue to achieve great things in the future.

Important Information

Address - Chester Zoo, Upton-by-Chester, Chester, CH2 1LH (Sat Nav CH2 1EU)

Opening Times - Opening times vary throughout the year and so I would always recommend visiting the Chester Zoo website for the most up to date information prior to visiting. Opening time information can be found here: Opening Times

Entry Price - Prices vary and the most up to date information can be found on the website here: Ticket Prices & Online Booking


Chester Zoo can also be followed on social media and there social media accounts are as follows:

Facebook - Chesterzoo1
Twitter - @ChesterZoo
Instagram - @ChesterZoo
YouTube - OfficialChesterZoo


Disclaimer: We were invited to Chester Zoo as guests to experience the new Play! at Chester Zoo, however we were not asked to write a review and have done this of our own accord due to having such a fantastic day. Opinions and photographs are my own unless stated otherwise. Thank you to Chester Zoo for inviting us.