Wednesday 12 December 2018

Cinderella at the Manchester Opera House - A Review

My family and I have been looking forward to this pantomime all year, ever since the casting of the Ugly Sisters was announced back in April. In what I would consider to be a stroke of genius, the pairing of Connor McIntyre and Les Dennis meant that I had no doubt in my mind that we would be in for a great night, and we were definitely not disappointed. Although our initial focus had been on these two characters, it soon become apparent that the entire cast excelled with talent and it was a whole team effort that created a laugh a minute show from start to finish.

As the lights began to dim, there was a sense of excitement throughout the theatre, whilst the audience waited in anticipation. We were introduced to the Fairy Godmother played by Hayley Ria-Christian who has an absolutely stunning soul voice. She caught our attention immediately and her performances throughout the night were beautiful and a pleasure to listen to. She exhibited a lovely warm and friendly personality and we knew from the beginning that we had a great show ahead.

Photo Credit: Phil Tragen Photography
When Cinderella (Shannon Flynn) took to the stage it was clear to see that she suited the role perfectly. She was a familiar face for my children as they recognised her from CBBC and so they were looking forward to seeing her perform in pantomime. We found some of her collaborations with Buttons (Ben Nickless) really funny, along with a particular scene involving the Ugly Sisters shopping bags. Her vocals were lovely and you could see that she seemed very comfortable with her performances. The constant smiles and sometimes unexpected giggles ensured that her presence on stage was enjoyable to watch. There was a quick change scene involving Cinderella and The Fairy Godmother that also added a wonderful element of magic and left my children asking "How did they do that?" Though this was quickly followed by the most superb horse and carriage which literally took to the skies above the audience. Everyone watched in amazement at this stunning sight and it was obvious that no expense has been spared in creating such a beautiful moment.

Prince Charming is played by the delightful Gareth Gates and it was superb to see him perform the song Unchained Melody. I had secretly hoped beforehand that he would sing this, so it was definitely an added treat for me. He worked well alongside Cinderella in creating a believable chemistry and the wall scene in the woods when they first meet is absolutely hilarious.

Dandini (Jack Wilcox) was wonderful and has that likeability factor. We have seen a few different performances of Cinderella over the years and my daughter Emma said that his portrayal was by far her favourite.

Photo Credit: Phil Tragen Photography
When the Ugly Sisters first took to the stage there was a large cheer that resounded throughout the Opera House. It was the moment we had all been waiting for as Phelena & Michaela appeared. Phelena is played by Connor McIntyre (best known as Pat Phelan in Coronation Street) and Michaela is played by the legendary Les Dennis. It was an absolute delight to see these two perform on stage together and their performances far exceeded our expectations. There are plenty of references and quips relating to Coronation Street which provided numerous belly laughs. We absolutely loved the outrageous costumes which seemed to grow in extravagance in each scene. Our personal highlight though has to be the performance of "If I Were Not" which also included Gareth Gates and Ben Nickless. We were all close to tears from laughing so much and although we have seen this routine performed elsewhere before, the cast involved created a whole new dynamic of fun, that my children spoke about all the way home.

Photo Credit: Phil Tragen Photography
My favourite scenes however, were those that contained Buttons (Ben Nickless). I will be honest when I say that I personally hadn't heard of him before, but I am certainly aware of him now and genuinely hope to see him again on stage in the future. He is what I would consider to be an all round entertainer and brings with him a wide range of skills that offer far more than just jokes. Along with bringing continuous comedy to the stage, he was also incredible at impressions, with his Michael McIntyre, Gary Barlow and Ozzy Osborne being absolutely spot on. At one point he performed an Elvis Presley song and it was so wonderful hearing all of the laughter created throughout the theatre. Another highlight was when he appeared on stage alongside a talking bear, which was not only funny, but also a really sweet moment too that created lots of aaahhhs.

Photo Credit: Phil Tragen Photography
The ensemble featured some highly skilled performers who dazzled throughout, in their vast array of costumes. There were also some wonderful dancers from the Stalder Academy of Dance who helped to create some of the most memorable scenes with their superb choreography, dancing and gymnastics. I am always extremely impressed by talented young performers and it was clear to see their passion for performing arts. Whether dancing to a fast paced number or displaying their acrobatic skills, everything was just perfect and I am sure that there were plenty of proud parents in the audience watching their children on stage.

Of course no production would be complete if it wasn't for the creative team as well. It can sometimes be very easy to forget the efforts that go on behind the scenes with the writing, choreography, costumes, scenery, special effects, lighting and sound and this pantomime exceeded our expectations in those elements too. Ultimately it is the combined effort of all involved that makes a show successful and I have no doubt that audiences will love Cinderella during its December run.

Without a doubt QDOS Entertainment have pulled out all the stops in producing a highly entertaining show. There truly was never a dull moment and the cast and creative team have succeeded in delivering a production that is suitable for all. Packed full of all our favourite panto characteristics, along with plenty of audience participation, this definitely ticks all the boxes. Overall, Cinderella provides entertainment and comedy in abundance which makes it a must-see pantomime this festive season!

Listing Details

Show - Cinderella
Dates - Saturday 8th December to Sunday 30th December
Times - Performance times vary, so please visit the ATG Tickets website for the most up to date information.
Ticket prices - From £12 (transaction fee will also apply)
Address - Opera House Manchester, 3 Quay Street, Manchester, M3 3HP
Box Office - 0844 871 3018 or for group bookings 0333 009 5390
Website - www.atgtickets.com/Manchester



*Disclaimer: We were invited to the press night performance of Cinderella for the purpose of writing an honest review of the show. All opinions and thoughts are our own. This post contains an affiliate link.

Sunday 9 December 2018

Father Christmas at Waterside, Sale - A Review

Our visits to Christmas events are well and truly under way and so far we have attended some fantastic family friendly attractions and productions. Whilst entertainment and fun are the main characteristics we usually look for, we also love those that have that special Christmas magic to help create beautiful moments and memories.

Last year we watched a truly captivating show called "The Bear" at Waterside Arts Centre in Sale, which was created by the very talented team at Pins and Needles Productions. It touched every emotion possible and was the perfect introduction to theatre for my youngest son Riley. We were therefore absolutely delighted to hear that the team would be returning this year to bring another of Raymond Briggs' stories to the stage, the lovable Father Christmas!

We were invited to attend the press evening on Thursday and of course we gladly accepted the invitation. Both my husband and I decided to attend with our youngest son only, since he still very much believes in Father Christmas and we always find it nice to give each of the children some time with us on their own so that they get our full attention. We therefore thought that this would make it a lovely special time for us to enjoy together. Riley absolutely loves drama, dancing and music and although he can be quite shy around others, he is always putting on some kind of show or performance at home. This past year he has attended numerous productions and seeing how much he loves the theatre is always a delight to see.

The venue of Waterside, is a lovely arts centre and we have been impressed each time we have visited. We love the little additions that make the theatre so welcoming for children; for example Milk & Cookie packs, along with the option to come in your pyjamas to the slumber shows. This helps to create a really relaxed environment which I think is really beneficial for families of all ages attending the production.

The show itself tells the story of the grumpy but loveable Father Christmas and we followed his activities as he prepared for his busiest day of the year; Christmas Eve. Rather astonishingly this production consists of only three cast members, all of whom are extremely talented and draw you into the show from the very start. 

Mike Aherne stars as the bloomin' marvellous Father Christmas and his portrayal of the character manages to display the loving, warm and friendly side of Father Christmas' personality along with his grouchiness. The opening scene was something that most of us could also relate to, which was when he woke up for work. Riley found this particularly funny as he knows how much our family struggle to get out of bed in a morning! A very funny scene followed shortly after when Santa popped to the loo and it was lovely to hear all the giggles from children sat in the audience.

Our personal highlight of the show was when Father Christmas boarded his sleigh and set off for his Christmas Eve duties, which was so magical and delightful to watch. Led by two puppet reindeers, it looked really spectacular and Riley was absolutely astonished as he sat watching open mouthed.


Another favourite for me was when Father Christmas was amongst the roof tops and needed to navigate his way down the many chimneys. The set and staging looked wonderful and had been really well thought out. Watching him move along the many steps that I hadn't previously noticed, made me realise how much effort had gone into developing such a creative set design.

Richard Booth features as the talented puppeteer and we actually found it quite amazing how you could relate to a puppet and its feelings simply based upon a persons movement. The cat, dog, chicken and reindeer became completely believeable and even Riley commented that the way they moved or reacted seemed really genuine. He also mentioned that he kept forgetting that the puppeteer was there, which meant that he had become focused on the puppets instead of the person controlling them.

Katy Sobey was superb providing not only the music, but all the accompanying sound effects too. It was great to see how the noises were being created and it gave us a great insight into the different roles within the theatre. She would replicate sounds associated with Father Christmas' actions, so for example when he poured his cup of tea, a jug of water would be poured into a glass by the microphone. Riley couldn't believe how she made some of the sounds and his particular favourite was when the cooker hob was lit as he said it sounded so realistic.

Overall we had a wonderful time at Father Christmas and we felt that it was a truly beautiful production. The cast members were all extremely talented and watching the story being told on stage was simply enchanting. Packed full of live music, hints of comedy, wonderful acting and most importantly Christmas magic, it is certainly a show that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to others.

Listing Details

Event: Raymond Briggs' Father Christmas
Venue: Waterside, 1 Waterside Plaza, Sale, Trafford, M33 7ZF
Dates: Tuesday 4th December to Monday 31st December
Times: Times vary, so please visit the Waterside website for the most up to date information.
Tickets: Ticket prices vary £16.50/£14.50/£12.50
School tickets available for £10 and 1 teacher free with every 9 students booked.
Running time: 50 minutes with no interval.

*Disclaimer - We were invited to watch Father Christmas as guests of Waterside, for the purpose of writing an honest review of the show. All opinions and thoughts are my own unless otherwise stated.

Sunday 2 December 2018

Getting in the Christmas Spirit with Elf Pyjamas from New Look

AD - When it comes to Christmas films, most people are sure to have a favourite. Whether it be a classic from many years ago, or one of the newer offerings to hit the screens, it is certainly something that many will have an opinion on. In my family though, it is a very easy choice and no Christmas Eve would be complete in our house without watching our all time favourite ELF!

This year however, I am in for added treat, as not only do we have the film on Bluray DVD to enjoy whenever we like, but I now also have a fabulous pair of Elf pyjamas from New Look, so that I can watch the film in both comfort and style!


These fabulous festive Elf pyjamas are available both online and in-store now for the great price of only £19.99 and come in Small, Medium and Large sizes. The top is made from 93% cotton and 7% elastane, with the bottoms being 100% cotton and providing a really soft and comfortable fit.

The top is short sleeved, with a rounded neckline and features one of Elf's famous slogans from the film which is "OMG, It's Santa. I Know Him, I Know Him!" It is a casual fit, which I personally prefer as it hides my mum tum easily.

The trousers are super comfy with an elasticated waist and tie waist front, so you can adjust these as you need. Again they are a casual fit and have cuffed ankles to add a bit of style. I love the all over Christmas print that features throughout the pants, making them the perfect festive pyjamas to relax in at home.

If you would like to purchase your own pair of Elf Pyjamas, then they can be found on the New Look website here: New Look Elf Pyjamas

*Disclaimer - We were gifted a pair of New Look Elf Pyjamas in exchange for writing an honest review of the product. Thoughts and opinions are my own unless stated otherwise.

Christmas at Dunham Massey 2018 - A Review

One of our most popular festive reviews last year, was of the spectacular Christmas at Dunham Massey event, that featured the most wonderful and magical illuminated light trail. We were therefore extremely excited to be invited to the preview of this years event, which we attended as a family on Thursday evening.

Christmas at Dunham Massey has been made possible by a joint collaboration of the National Trust and leading events producers Raymond Gubbay Ltd, who have both worked together to transform the grounds and gardens into an incredible winter wonderland offering lights, music and plenty of festive fun.


On arrival we made our way to the restaurant where we were provided with some tea, coffee, mince pies and biscuits, whilst we listened to a short introduction to the event by one of the creators. After this brief talk we were invited to make our way to the courtyard and then onwards to experience the lights.

As we entered the courtyard we found that it varied slightly to the last year as there were more traditional rides for children which included a carousel, swings and a beautiful helter skelter, along with more food vendors to choose from. There were plenty of dining options available ranging from wood fired pizzas to pancake stacks & waffles. I also felt that the prices were very reasonable as well, with a lot more choice.

It was slightly too early for us to eat as none of the children were hungry just yet, so we made our way straight to the Christmas Light Trail. We had expected it to be very similar to our previous visit, but we were in for a huge surprise as this years event is even bigger and better than before!

As we made our way past the main property towards the trail, there was a mini-show featuring Mr & Mrs Claus, welcoming everyone to the event. The mansion was covered in a projection of snowflakes as Santa Claus asked for help to find his reindeer and for guests to look out for them around the trail. A short story was told in rhyme and the children were told to collect a wooden stick bearing a reindeer's name. They were then told to look for the reindeer on their stick and to tell a member of staff at the end of the trail where they had found it, in order to receive a large sticker. My children had Donner, Blitzen and Prancer and they loved trying to find the reindeer whilst walking around.


We were immediately blown away right from the very beginning, as we entered the trail through an incredible tunnel adorned with thousands of pea-lights. This certainly set the scene for the remainder of the trail as we were greeted with stunning displays at every turn. Each display was accompanied by well known festive tunes, apart from one area that featured the Harry Potter theme music instead, much to my children's delight.

Due to the poor weather, we had anticipated the path to be muddy and therefore came prepared with wellies, but it certainly wasn't as bad as we expected. Whilst a few small areas were a little squishy under our feet, the majority was absolutely fine, with some parts covered in rubber matting which showed that they were well prepared for any rain.


The singing trees were superb with lights wrapped around the trunks that moved in time to the music and we continued past coloured spheres that were scattered amongst the woodland. Riley was the first person in our family to find his named reindeer of Donner and he was absolutely delighted to have discovered it before his siblings. My daughter's favourite part of the trail came soon after as we walked through twinkling green lights accompanied by the theme music to Harry Potter. This led to her dancing through the trail, pretending to wave a wand around whilst singing along and I must admit that I did join in with this too!

We walked past a large tree with lights that replicated coloured raindrops falling from the branches, which was really beautiful to watch and quite mesmerising too. We also came across some giant sparkling reindeers that glistened against the night sky. You could also walk directly under one of them which Riley found fascinating. Another highlight for the children soon followed as we walked through another tunnel of lights, only this time they filled the entire walkway, so you needed to move the lights around you to make your way through.


My personal favourite of the entire trail was the huge grass area that had been filled with hundreds of football sized coloured balls. These lights shone brightly as they were perfectly choreographed to the relaxing music. It really was an incredible sight and something that must have taken a lot of planning to put together.

Photo Credit: This image was taken by a friend L.G (image not to be used elsewhere without permission from owner)

About three quarters of the way round, we arrived at the fire pits where you could purchase gourmet marshmallows for £1.50 each. Both Emma and Ben chose vanilla flavours, whilst Riley opted for a hot chocolate flavoured one. The marshmallows were mounted on sticks and we were directed to the fire pits where my children enjoyed toasting (and eating) them. There was a great range of different flavours to choose from including some extravagant choices such as blueberry & sipsmith gin, along with popcorn & cranberry.


As we made our way towards the end of the trail, we walked past a huge fire display that had a large quantity of stands that featured flickering flames. My youngest son thought that this was really interesting and it stood out as being something a little different to all of the other lights we had observed so far. We could also spot the fountain finale from across the water and Ben correctly guessed that he could hear the music from one of his favourite films 'Home Alone' in the distance.


Nearing the end of the trail, we found Ben's named reindeer which made him very happy as he had become slightly concerned that we might have missed it, but it was simply the last reindeer of the walk. There was a member of staff located shortly afterwards, who rewarded each of my children with a sticker.

It had been my intention to purchase some food to eat once we arrived back in the courtyard, but my children still weren't feeling hungry, so we headed straight towards the fountain finale. As you make your way there through the white exit gate, you finally spot the most famous reindeer of all, before following the path along the lakeside.

The finale at the end was superb and we sat on the conveniently placed benches as we watched the water fountains light up in time to the music. This was absolutely amazing and watching the lights against the watery backdrop to the soundtrack of "Somewhere in my Memory" by John Williams, was the most perfect way to end our evening.

Overall we absolutely loved the Christmas at Dunham Massey event. The effort that has clearly been put into this is tremendous and we didn't want the evening to end. My children grew increasingly excited to see what was coming next and around every corner there was something new to entertain us. In addition to the lights, we found the fire display and fountain finale to be spectacular and the festive courtyard added to the evening and made it a lovely place to relax both before and after we had entered the trail. The whole experience was wonderful from start to finish and I wouldn't hesitate to return in the future. I would definitely recommend this event to all and for me this was the perfect event to get us well and truly into the Christmas spirit!

For further information on Christmas at Dunham Massey, please visit their website or social media channels which can be found here:

Website - National Trust - Dunham Massey
Facebook - DunhamMasseyNT - Facebook
Twitter - @DunhamMasseyNT

Event Listing

Attraction - Christmas at Dunham Massey, the magical after-dark illuminated trail.
Location - Dunham Massey, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 4SJ
Dates - Selected dates from 30th November to 30th December 2018.

Admission

Advance - Adult £16.50, Child (5-16) £10.00, Family (2 adults, 2 children) £50.00
On the day - Adult £18.50, Child (5-16) £12.00, Family (2 adults, 2 children) £58.00

Tickets can be purchased from the See Tickets Website here: See Tickets - Christmas at Dunham Massey (affiliate link)

*Transaction charges/print at home charges/postal charges/agent charges may also apply.

Please note that advanced booking is recommended, as some dates are already sold out.

*Disclaimer: We were invited to this event as guests of Dunham Massey for the purpose of writing an honest review of our experience. Thoughts and opinions are my own. Any event details provided are believed to be correct at time of writing, but are subject to change. I would therefore always recommend visiting the attraction's own website in order to obtain the most up to date details. This post contains an affiliate link, which means that I may receive a small commission should you choose to purchase tickets.

Tuesday 27 November 2018

Breakfast with Santa at Bridgemere Garden Centre, Nantwich - A Review

Last weekend we were delighted to be attending our first Christmas event of the year at the Wyevale Bridgemere Garden Centre, located in Nantwich, Cheshire. We have plenty of fun activities planned for the next few weeks, but what better way to begin our celebrations, than with a visit to see Father Christmas and the chance to enjoy Wyevale's Breakfast with Santa experience!

Having previously attended Bridgemere last year to review their Santa's Grotto experience, we were very excited to be invited back to enjoy this wonderful Breakfast with Santa event and find out exactly what it was all about. Although we have seen these kind of events advertised before, this was the first time that we had tried something a little different to a normal grotto and so we were all intrigued as to how it would work and whether it would be as much fun as it sounded.

Bridgemere Garden Centre is located in Nantwich and there are plenty of signs from the main roads helping to direct the way. As returning customers we already had a good idea of how to get there and so the drive was really simple and took us approximately 45 minutes from our home in North Wales.

On arrival we made our way to the main entrance and walked along the path through the outdoor garden centre area. I absolutely loved some of the creativity in the displays and before we had even reached the restaurant, we had all decided that we wanted to have a good look around after our meal and enjoy a little festive shopping. This Robin display was one of my favourites and I thought that the prices were really reasonable too.


As we entered the indoor shopping area, Riley spotted this wonderful polar bear display pictured below, which was absolutely beautiful. The large polar bear and baby bear also moved which really set the scene for this stunning winter toy arrangement.

We had arrived in plenty of time for our Breakfast With Santa, however we had become distracted by all of the lovely plants and gifts for sale. We soon noticed that we only had five more minutes to spare, so we quickly made our way over the restaurant.


We were a little unsure as to where we should go initially as we saw two signs for restaurants, but a quick chat with one of the helpful staff, soon led us to the correct place and we were greeted by a friendly lady who checked our name off a list and guided us to our seats. My children had asked whether we would have to sit with "strangers" meaning other families on the same table, and whilst the tables were arranged in three long rows, there was plenty of space left between each family, so that you had your own table area to enjoy your breakfast. This meant that there was no feeling of being too cramped in, or being in earshot of anyone elses conversations. We felt that the tables had been arranged perfectly and whilst everyone had their own space, the fact that the tables were joined together also gave the appearance of a celebratory feast, which we thought worked well.

The tables were neatly arranged with cutlery, crackers and colour in placemats for the children. There was also a Christmas card in the centre of each seating area for the attending families. We were immediately impressed with the set up of the event and took the opportunity to take some pictures of the lovely surroundings whilst waiting for the other guests to arrive.

The room had been decorated beautifully and was adorned with festive lights, a stunning Christmas Tree and a wonderful sleigh that was full to the brim with presents. There was a seating area with blankets and cushions, which we guessed would be where the children could meet Santa. It looked really cosy and a nice place to enjoy a sit down and have a chat.


We were invited to help ourselves to some refreshments, with tea and coffee available for the adults and unlimited squash for the children. A member of staff then came round and brought some toast to our table with both white and wholegrain choices available.

Once all of the families had arrived then the breakfast commenced and we were very much looking forward to our meal. There was a little bit of confusion to begin with as the tables either side of us had their sausage sandwiches served to them, but we then also noticed a queue forming at the opposite side of the room, so we were unsure as to whether we needed to collect our breakfast or if it would be brought to us. We spoke with a lovely member of staff who explained that guests who had purchased a cooked breakfast would be called up table by table to collect their meal which answered our question.


Whilst we waited for it to be our turn, Riley spent some time looking at all of the toys that had been displayed within the sleigh. He noticed a few things that he really liked the look of and was wondering if he had enough pocket money with him to buy one of the games that he really wanted. We had no idea at the time that children would have the opportunity to choose one of these toys following their meeting with Santa.


It was soon our turn to collect our meals and the food looked absolutely delicious. The lady serving asked each of the children if there was anything that they didn't like and offered them the opportunity to select something else which I thought was a great idea. One of my children doesn't like scrambled eggs, so rather than miss out on an item of food he was able to choose an additional sausage instead. We were told to help ourselves to sauces and once we were sat down a member of staff came round with more toast. We had a selection of white and wholegrain and both sets were toasted just right.

The food was absolutely delicious and just the right portion size for my children. The sausages and bacon were really good quality and the eggs were perfect with a nice runny yolk to dip the toast in. We all pulled our crackers and put on our party hats, whilst telling some Christmas jokes as we ate our meal.

Once we had finished a lovely lady called Emma came round and brought the children some snowman shaped biscuits, along with edible confetti and an icing tube. This meant that the children attending the breakfast could all create their own biscuit, exactly how they wanted to and with their own unique design. Whilst they were decorating, Emma spoke to each of my children individually asking their name, what their interests were and what they would be asking Santa for as a Christmas gift this year. I don't often highlight a particular member of staff but she was absolutely wonderful with the children. My youngest son Riley can be very shy at times, but he immediately chatted away with her and even offered to sing her a song. The way that she engaged with the children was really lovely to see and it definitely added to our experience.


Riley practiced a few times laying out the snowflakes in different formations before applying the green icing gel. Eventually he decided to use the confetti for the hat, scarf and buttons and he was delighted with the end result. As he had just eaten a large breakfast he didn't want to eat his biscuit straight away, so Emma kindly went and got some takeaway boxes for us and the children placed their biscuits in them to take away and enjoy later.


Of course Breakfast with Santa would not be complete without a visit from the main man himself and the Bridgemere Father Christmas was superb. At no point were children rushed to finish their meeting with Santa and Riley was with him for a good five minutes talking all about his Christmas list. I thought that the way it was organised worked really well and seeing such a huge smile on Riley's face throughout the conversation was priceless.


Riley told Santa all about his school and that he and his friends have been practising for the Christmas concert. He also told him about his favourite things to do outside of school and the shows that he loves to watch. There was no awkward silence during the chat and Santa seemed really enthusiastic and keen to hear more and I genuinely think that Riley could have carried on talking for hours!


Once Riley's time with Santa was over, he was told that he could go and select a gift from the huge sleigh that we had noticed earlier. I was quite shocked when I heard this, as the presents were really good quality items and there was plenty of choice to suit children of all ages. Riley selected a large jigsaw puzzle which also doubled up as a finding game, so once you have built it, you need to spot certain items and see if you can find them all.

It was Ben's turn next to visit Santa and again Ben told Santa about the things that he had asked for this Christmas. When Ben revealed that had asked for Fifa 19, Santa asked him which football team he supported and quite proudly he replied with Manchester City. This resulted in Santa sharing a little secret with Ben as he whispered his favourite football team in his ear too!

Lastly my 12 year old daughter visited Santa and although she is no longer a believer, this did not stop her from enjoying the experience. I felt that Santa was great with the kids and was able to easily adapt his conversation to suit the age of the child. All three of my children really enjoyed the Breakfast with Santa experience and we were able to create some lovely memories that will definitely stay with us in the future.


After leaving our Breakfast with Santa, we decided to have another look at all the displays as well as enjoy some Christmas shopping. I absolutely loved this unicorn display below and I could have literally spent thousands buying all of the items that I saw. Sadly these beautiful unicorns were beyond my budget and so we settled on purchasing some new baubles for our tree to add to our collection.


My husband gave each of our children £5 and told them that they could pick a bauble of their choice, which they were all really excited about. There was just so many to choose from and I adored this entire selection of white and silver decorations. They each had a good look around and Ben decided on a selection of Silver Car baubles which were in a pack of three. Riley opted for a personalised Santa bauble with his name on, along with a flashing Reindeer bauble where the nose would flash and light up. Lastly Emma chose a personalised snowflake bauble along with a flashing Father Christmas one and we were all really pleased with their choices.


After selecting our new baubles, we decided to have a look around the gift areas. Again these were all displayed beautifully and every shelf looked immaculate. The staff clearly work hard to make sure that all the products are displayed neatly and this definitely helps with the shopping experience. There was such a wide range of gifts to choose from and the food and drink gift sets were wonderful with something to suit all tastes.




Overall we had an absolutely wonderful time at Wyevale's Bridgemere Garden Centre and the Breakfast with Santa experience was fantastic. I believe that it offers exceptional value for money, as well as being a lovely variation to the traditional grotto experience. It is perfect for families looking for something a little bit different, as well as being an event that the whole family can enjoy together. The food was delicious and the staff were so friendly and welcoming that it made the setting a really enjoyable place to be and I wouldn't hesitate to return again in the future.

Attraction details

Attraction - Wyevale Breakfast with Santa 2018
Address - We attended Bridgemere Garden World, Bridgemere, Nantwich, CW5 7QB, however this experience is available at numerous other Wyevale Garden Centre's. Further details can be found here:
Cost - Child's Breakfast £10.95, Adult's Breakfast £8.50, Adult's Mini Breakfast £5.00
Dates - Various dates and times are available.
Times - Opening times vary, so please check their booking page for availability here: Tickets
Website - Wyevale Garden Centres
Twitter - @WyevaleGC
Facebook - Bridgemere - A Wyevale Garden Centre

As an alternative to Breakfast with Santa, Wyevale also offer Tea with Santa, where children can enjoy a choice of hot meals or a selection of 4 items from the Little Diggers Picnic Range for £10.95. At the same time accompanying adults can enjoy a festive afternoon tea with St Clements Cake, Blackberry Pavlova, Mini Macarons, festive iced fruit cake, plus cranberry and cinnamon scones with clotted cream and jams along with fresh finger sandwiches for only £8.50. A mini tea consisting of tea/coffee, a slice of festive cake or traybake, plus a bowl of seasonal soup with crusty bread or cheese scone is also available for only £5. Further details on both the Breakfast or Tea with Santa events can be found here: Breakfast or Tea with Santa


Disclaimer: We were invited to Bridgemere Garden Centre as guests of Wyevale for the purpose of writing an honest review of our experience.

Wednesday 14 November 2018

Poopsie Surprise Unicorn - A Review

Now let's be honest, as an adult the thought of a unicorn poo-ing out slime, isn't something that particularly appeals to me, but my five year thinks that the concept is absolutely hilarious. I have also seen Poopsie Surprise Unicorn feature on quite a few must-have toy lists for Christmas, so when the opportunity arose to write a review of this product, I was certainly keen to find out more.

With the use of slime growing hugely in popularity, it is no surprise that toy manufacturers have now began to involve its use within their products. This does of course mean that adult supervision is a must, as no one wants brightly coloured slime adorning their pristine cream carpet, or fabric sofa. However, when used carefully it can provide lots of fun and its easy to see why it appeals to children of all ages so much.


Poopsie Surprise Unicorn offers the slime factor in abundance and whilst the thought of running your hands through unicorn poo slime may sound disgusting, it definitely provides plenty of laughter and fun for the kids. So what is Poopsie Unicorn Surprise?

Poopsie Unicorn Surprise is a brightly coloured unicorn doll who comes with a selection of over 20 surprises! There are 4 different designs of unicorn to collect and the product is hidden from view inside the box, so you can't be sure which one you will have until you open it up. I have however noticed that some online retailers are advertising particular designs, so if your child is after a specific unicorn then it could be worth shopping around to find the one you want.

We were very keen to see which unicorn we had been sent, but first of all we set about unboxing the other surprises which were located within the packaging. This is great fun in itself as you peel the cardboard packaging around in a circular motion to reveal a collection of blind bags. This creates a sense of anticipation and excitement as you find each bag and open it up.


We received the Rainbow Brightstar Unicorn which looked fantastic with it's brightly coloured rainbow hair. I think if we could have chosen a specific design then this would have been the one that we'd have picked. After opening all the packaging and the individual packets we found the following:

1 x Rainbow Brightstar Unicorn
1 x T-shirt
1 x Nappy
1 x Golden feeding spoon
1 x Feeding bottle
1 x cleaning aid
1 x potty
1 x sachet of Unicorn Sparkle
4 x sachets of Unicorn Shimmer
2 x sachets of Unicorn Magic
4 x sachets of Unicorn Food
1 x Rainbow poopsie keyring
1 x hair brush


When it comes to creating the slime, I admittedly found this a little complicated at first as there were quite a few different steps to go through, so it took a couple of attempts to find the right consistency for the slime. Our first try didn't go particularly well and our poopsie was more like a wee! But we read the instructions again and our second go went much better.


Firstly there is a switch which is located on the rear of the unicorn's body and it is important that this is on the feeding setting. In the picture below you can see that there are two modes which are the feeding to the left and the rocking to the right. Our unicorn had the switch set in rocking mode, so you need to make sure you slide this to the correct side before commencing the feeding process. Next you will need a packet of the unicorn shimmer and you feed this using the special golden spoon before feeding 5ml of water too.


For the next step you need to use the feeding bottle provided and you pour one sachet of unicorn food inside and fill with 25ml of tap water. After replacing the lid, you need to shake the mixture together for around 60 seconds. Note that there is a straw at the top so fluid can leak from this if you don't make sure it is covered whilst shaking. It does state this in the instructions, though somehow I happened to miss this, so don't make the same mistake I did!

Once these steps have been completed, then you need to feed the unicorn by placing the straw in it's mouth and squeezing firmly but gently on the bottle until it is empty. You then need to change the switch on the rear of the unicorn back to rocking mode and move your unicorn around for 15 seconds. The instructions recommend moving it in a cartwheel motion, as well as back and forth. We actually did this for a little longer than advised for 20 seconds instead and we found that when we did this the slime was much better.

Nearing the final stage of the poopsie making process, you then remove the unicorns nappy and place it on the potty, pressing the belly button to make her poop slime. Unfortunately you cannot play with the slime straight away and you need to allow a further 20 minutes for it to set properly. This was my children's only annoyance with the toy as they wanted to be able to play with the slime immediately and aren't great at waiting, but we set a timer on my phone and played a game together to pass the time.


As you can see there are a few steps needed which could be a bit confusing for younger children, so I would definitely recommend that an adult is always on hand to help out with this process.

Once the slime had set, we added some sparkle and played with it for a while before placing it inside the provided keyring. My children immediately wanted to create some more Poopsie slime and now that we had a better understanding of the process, we found it much easier. There is also enough unicorn feed to have a few goes.

I had been slightly apprehensive about the cleaning process, as thought that this would be a nightmare, but it has actually been really well designed with an easy access compartment on the back. We have used several toys previously involving slime that have been hard to clean and therefore remained sticky or messy, so it was definitely a relief that the cleaning of our unicorn and her potty was very simple.


Top Tips

* Make sure that you place towels or sheets on the table or flooring where you intend to use Poopsie in case of any spillages
* Read the instructions carefully
* Double check the switch settings when starting to create the slime
* Be prepared for the slime making process and allow yourself plenty of time
* Plan something to do to make the time go quicker whilst waiting for the slime to set
* Clean the product after each use


Overall my children really enjoyed this and even my eldest two couldn't resist getting involved and creating some slime. I found the slime making process a little frustrating to begin with, but managed to figure it out on the second attempt and created some poopsie with success. I can understand why it is so popular with children and it provided us with plenty of laughter whilst testing it out. I think the RRP of £49.99 is reasonable in comparison to some other toys on the market, but for this price I would have liked it to have included a few more sachets of unicorn food, as if you struggle with the first couple of attempts then this can quickly be used up. This toy is ideal for children that love unicorns, slime and laughter!

Poopsie Surprise Unicorn is set to be a very popular Christmas toy and it is currently available to purchase from Smyths, Argos, The Entertainer and other good retailers.


Disclaimer: We were gifted this product in exchange for an honest review of the toy. All opinions are my own unless otherwise stated. This post contains affiliate links.

Thursday 8 November 2018

Raymond Briggs' Father Christmas Comes to Waterside, Sale

Christmas fever is truly kicking in at Waterside in Sale, Trafford as it gears up to welcome Raymond Briggs' Father Christmas in just 4 weeks time! This heart-warming and much loved family tale is brought to you by the creative team behind last year's sell out, acclaimed and sensational show, The Bear.

Children of all ages will delight in Briggs' grumpy but loveable Father Christmas as he gets ready for his busiest day of the year: Christmas Eve. Watch as he prepares his Christmas deliveries, feeds his reindeer and finally takes flight into the snowy night.

Bursting with live music, songs, puppetry and enough theatre magic to win over and melt the hearts of any non-believers - this critically acclaimed adaptation of Raymond Briggs' cherished book is a delightful festive treat for all the family.

Photo Credit: Tom Gladstone
Darren Adams, Manager of Waterside says: "After a record breaking year and unprecedented audience response to The Bear (which has recently been shortlisted for Theatre Production of the Year in the Northern Soul Awards 2018), we are thrilled to be working with the same team to bring another Raymond Briggs' favourite, Father Christmas, to Waterside this Winter. Joining forces with Pins and Needles Productions are the highly prestigious Lyric Hammersmith, who have staged the production in London and around the UK, receiving critical acclaim from both audiences and critics alike. We are proud of our commitment to creating enchanting experiences for our young audiences, presenting work of the highest calibre and we cannot wait for Christmas to begin on 04 December."

Raymond Briggs' Father Christmas opens to the public on Wednesday 5th December and runs until Monday 31st December. School performances are also available and for a full breakdown please visit www.watersidearts.org/fatherchristmas.

Cookies and Milk Packs are also available to pre-order along with your tickets for just an extra £2 each for all shows.

Children (and adults too!) are invited to come in their PJ's and bring a favourite bedtime teddy to the 6pm Slumber Shows to make their theatre experience a real bedtime treat.

The show is recommended for children aged between 3 & 11.

Listing Details

Event: Raymond Briggs' Father Christmas
Venue: Waterside, 1 Waterside Plaza, Sale, Trafford, M33 7ZF
Dates: Tuesday 4th December to Monday 31st December
Times: Times vary, so please visit the Waterside website for the most up to date information.
Tickets: Ticket prices vary £16.50/£14.50/£12.50.
School tickets available for £10 and 1 teacher free with every 9 students booked.

Photo Credit: Tom Gladstone
Disclaimer: Details provided are believed to be correct at the time of publishing but are of course subject to change. I would therefore always recommend visiting the venues own website in order to obtain the most up to date information. This post does not contain affiliate links. Images are not of the 2018 Waterside cast.