Beach combing, frisbee and messages in the sand

I have taken a complete blogging break over the school holidays. Magoo likes to be out and about as much as possible. Plus my Mother-in-Law came to stay for a week, so I wanted to give them both my full attention. Our holiday was filled with trips to the park, meeting up with friends, walks to the allotment, bike rides, ice creams and lots of trampolining.

We seem to be a little bit out of step with our Easter Holiday break. Most schools had their holidays around the bank holiday weekend. Ours started a week after the Bank Holiday weekend. Although it has been a bit grim and grey at times, we have enjoyed the occasional burst of Spring sunshine.

Saturday was a bright and beautiful day, so we decided to make the most of the sun and head to the beach near our home. We love this particular beach because there are lots of places to explore. Along the tide line you can often find interesting pieces of drift wood, pebbles in a hundred and one different shades and sometimes the odd fossil.

Due to high tides and Winter storms, the sandbanks were more exposed than usual. It looked like large chunks had been washed away. We could clearly see the exposed layers of sand, stone and shells in the bank. Magoo and Mr M couldn't resist having a dig around to see if there were any fossils or interesting stones to be found. We particularly love finding pebbles containing quartz because they glitter in the sunshine and look like jewels.

We took bucket and spades, beach mats and a frisbee. Magoo loves the frisbee, and spent quite a while throwing it into the air just for the fun of it. I really wanted to try and capture a photo of the neon pink frisbee against the blue sky and Welsh coastline in the distance.

We also spent some time collecting stones to write messages in the sand. I though it might be nice if another family or a dog walker found our 'LOVE' note later on in the day. I hope it survived the tide coming in...but if it didn't, there's plenty more pebbles to write a new message next time we're on the beach.

This week I'm linking up with these lovely blogs:

"Country Kids" over on www.coombemill.com

"Twinkly Tuesday" over on mummascribbles.com

"Point + Shoot" over on youbabymemummy.com and www.snowingindoors.com

"Whatever the Weather" over on www.lifeunexpected.co.uk and monkeyandmouse.co.uk

"Let Kids Be Kids" over on letkidsbekids.co.uk

"Blogger Club UK" over on www.cuddlefairy.com and mudpiefridays.com

Five active family days out in Somerset

School's out for Summer...so what are we going to do today? Over the past eighteen months we've had lots of fantastic days out in our local area. Somerset is a beautiful county. There's something for everyone, coastal areas, farmland, hill walking and tons of pretty towns and villages. As a family we're happiest when making the most of the great outdoors. So I wanted to put together a list of our top five favourite active days out in Somserset. And the best thing? Most of them are free. You just need to grab your walking boots, a picnic and get out there!

1) Tobogganing at the Mendip Snowsport Centre in Somerset
I spotted on Facebook that a friend had taken her daughter to the Mendip Snowsport Centre to try out the tobogganing slope. It looked like great fun so I promptly went online and booked a session for Magoo. It was only £4 for an hour of tobogganing, which is a real bargain. A perfect way to have some fun in the school holidays.
You can find more information in the the full blog post here

2) Walking on Wavering Down on the Mendips in Somerset
Wavering Down, Crook Peak and King's Wood are a truly special place to spend some time. When I was a child growing up in Somerset, Wavering Down and Crook Peak were places I often walked with my own Mum and Dad. It's not any easy walk, steep in parts, it climbs to one of the highest points of the Mendips. But the views are reward enough for all your hard effort.
More photos and the full blog post here

3)Discovering Steart Marsh wetland nature reserve
Having never visited Steart Marsh...it feels like some sort of hinterland in my mind. I grew up in Somerset, but never visited this part of the county. I have to say, I am a complete convert to this stretch of the coast. It is beautiful and it seems to be a well-kept secret. The WWT and Environment Agency have clearly invested in the area. There are brand new hides dotted around the wetlands, lots of information on birds you may see, a pristine toilet block located in one of the car parks, wide footpaths suitable for buggies, bikes and wheelchairs and stunning views almost everywhere you look. Perhaps I shouldn't even be telling anyone about it? Well, I'll let you in on a secret, it's an amazing place to visit...go and see it!
To see more photos and read the full blog post click here

4) Spring has arrived at Court Farm in Somerset
I wrote this blog post back in Spring when we went to Court Farm Country Park to feed the lambs. But Court Farm is lovely any time of the year. There are always animals to feed, milking displays, a large wooden outdoor play fort, trampolines, zipwire and plenty of places to have a picnic.
You can find more information in the the full blog post here
5) Breathless at Brent Knoll
Brent Knoll is a unique place. Anyone travelling on the M5 to Devon and Cornwall may have spotted it as they pass Weston-super-Mare and travel further into the South West. It looms up out of a landscape which is predominantly flat (well, they aren't called the levels for nothing). It is 449 ft above sea level and once you've got to the top, there are 360 degree views all around you. Jaw-dropping views of the beautiful countryside and coastline at the top make the steep climb more than worthwhile.
To see more photos and find out more, head on over to the full blog post

So that's my list of five active family days out in Somerset. I hope you get to visit some of the places mentioned above in the Summer holidays or at any time of the year. I hope this post shows you some places you haven't heard of before. Entertaining children doesn't have to cost the earth and you don't need to visit glossy theme parks to have fun. Enjoy!
I'm linking up with these lovely blogs who support outdoor adventures with children:
'Let Kids be Kids' over on letkidsbekids.co.uk
'Whatever the Weather' over on www.lifeunexpected.co.uk
'The List' over on youbabymemummy.com
'Country Kids' over on www.coombemill.com

Walking on Wavering Down on the Mendips in Somerset

Last Sunday was the first truly warm day of the Summer. Magoo went to a birthday party at midday. After a couple of hours of running around with her friends she wanted to get the paddling pool out on our return to the house. It was so warm that we decided to eat an early evening meal and then take a walk up on the Mendips, a group of hills a short drive from our house.

When you've been working in the week, sometimes you just get the urge to climb somewhere high and drink in the air and the surroundings. It's good for the soul.

I took my husband for a walk on Crook Peak about six months ago and he was totally blown away with the views. I think he instantly fell in love with the high ridge of hills. It is a special place. When I was a child growing up in Somerset, Wavering Down and Crook Peak were places I often walked with my own Mum and Dad. It's not any easy walk, steep in parts, it climbs to one of the highest points of the Mendips. But the views are reward enough for all your hard effort.

With that in mind, I half thought Magoo might struggle. How wrong I was. She took to the walk with gusto and set the pace walking out ahead, stick in hand.

You first enter King's Wood, a dense area of trees, regularly used by mountain bikers who have worn a roller coaster track through the undergrowth. Amongst the trees are dens constructed possibly by walkers, other families or maybe even the Gruffalo. Whoever made them, they are a great place to play.

It is a beautiful, ancient woodland with masses of old, twisted trees. All we could hear was the sound of birds singing and calling to each other. Such a magical place.

As you walk out through the woodland you emerge out onto Wavering Down and catch your first glimpse of the stunning view. In the near distance is Cheddar Reservoir with the grey limestone rock faces of Cheddar Gorge peeking around the corner of the hills. Off in the distance lie the Somerset Levels and Glastonbury Tor.

One more steep push up Wavering Down leads you to the trig point at the top. At 692 feet, the trig point makes you feel like you are on top of the world. This feeling is helped by the flatness of the surrounding levels. The view takes in Exmoor, the Quantocks, Wales, the Bristol Channel and the Dorset hills way off in the distance.

We had come prepared with juice and victoria sponge cake, the perfect reward after all the climbing. It was an unusually calm and warm evening. Usually there is a biting wind blowing across the Mendips. The last time we were there in November it felt like the wind was going to peel the skin off my face. But on this night it was beautifully warm with only a gentle breeze. It really is one of the best places for a picnic.

There was even a lone-cow chewing the cud and taking in the view a few feet away from us. She seemed incredibly chilled, which is understandable on such a balmy, tranquil evening.

I'm really proud of Magoo, she faced the walk head-on and made it to the top without losing any enthusiasm. In fact, she said she loved it and wanted to do it again...soon. I couldn't agree more.

This week I'm linking up with these lovely blogs:

#countrykids over on www.coombemill.com

#ordinarymoments on www.mummydaddyandmemakesthree.co.uk

My Best Post of the Week #MBPW over on www.britmums.com

Point + Shoot over on youbabymemummy.com

Discovering Steart Marsh wetland nature reserve

I was born and raised in Weston-super-Mare in Somerset. We visited many parts of the local area when we were growing up & yet I have never been to the section of North Somerset coastline where Steart Marshes is located. I know the coast pretty well up to Burnham-on-Sea and we travelled to the Quantocks and Exmoor on many occasions. But the section between Burnham and Watchet? I haven't much of a clue about it. I have heard my Mum talk about Steart Marsh a few times, in fact she painted an acrylic landscape of the area & it hangs above our mantlepiece.
We decided to visit Steart Marshes to satisfy our curiosity. I knew there was an important wetlands area there & Magoo loves peering through the binoculars to see if she can spot things, so off we went.
On the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust's website it says:
"The Steart peninsula juts into the Severn Estuary at the point where it is joined by the River Parrett. This position in the landscape makes it both enticing for migrating birds and puts it at the mercy of one of the biggest tidal forces in the world.
The Environment Agency spotted an opportunity to manage coastal change to protect Steart Village and create a huge new area of intertidal habitat. They presented the options to the communities in and around Steart and asked what they would like to happen. The local community came out in support of managing the change and taking the opportunity to create habitat.
The Environment Agency chose the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) to manage the site. The two organisations, in close collaboration with the residents of Steart Village and the local community, have now set about creating vast new areas of wetland nature reserve from the land."


Having never visited the area...it feels like some sort of hinterland in my mind, until today. And I have to say, I am a complete convert to this stretch of the coast. It is beautiful. In fact it seems to be a well-kept secret as we had the place virtually to ourselves. The WWT and Environment Agency have clearly invested in the area. There are brand new hides dotted around the wetlands, lots of information on birds you may see, a pristine toilet block located in one of the car parks, wide footpaths suitable for buggies, bikes and wheelchairs and stunning views almost everywhere you look. Perhaps I shouldn't even be telling anyone about it? Well, I'll let you in on a secret, it's an amazing place to visit. Just don't tell anyone...








I'm linking up with the lovely Country Kids over on the Coombe Mill blog
#ordinary moments on mummydaddyandmemakesthree.co.uk
Image of the Week over on www.trulymadlykids.co.uk
My Best Post of the Week #MBPW over on www.britmums.com
Sunday Stars over on minitravellers.co.uk
Point + Shoot over on youbabymemummy.com

Spring has arrived at Court Farm in Somerset

It looks like Spring has finally arrived. We spent a fun day bottle feeding the lambs, cooing over the chicks, watching some baby goats settle into their new home and lots of fun on the zip wire at Court Farm in Somerset.

In Britain we love to moan about the weather. But if we didn't have the damp & dreary Winter months, I don't think we'd appreciate the re-emergence of the sun & lazy days outdoors quite as much. My Mum has a friend with a son who is an artist in Los Angeles. He loves to travel back in Winter to his parent's house in the UK just to see the beauty of a frost in the morning.

Saturday was the first day this year we've all been out & about without our coats on...a red letter day for us Brits!

It really was lovely to feel the warm sun on our faces.

Court Farm is located about 2-3 miles outside Weston-super-Mare and in my opinion, March & April are two of the best months to visit. They have lots of baby lambs to feed & all the children who came along to sit on a straw bale got a chance to hold a bottle. Some were brave enough to hold very wriggly lambs for a cuddle. Magoo loved holding the bottle, although it's always a shock to see how strong these small lambs are when they get a whiff of some milk.

We also saw baby chicks making quick progress around the farmyard...with the mother hen never too far away.

There is plenty of farm land to roam over and we took a stroll down to the lake to say hello to the donkeys.

Alongside the newer residents taking most of the limelight in the large barn, there is a selection of more 'mature' sheep, goats, ponies and pigs in various other barns dotted around Court Farm.

Enjoying our first outdoor ice lolly of the season...

Court Farm also has plenty of outdoor play space, including a large wooden fort, trampolines and Magoo's favourite - zip wires!

I'm linking up with these lovely blogs Country Kids, #ordinarymoments over on www.mummydaddyandmemakesthree.co.uk, #magicmoments on theoliversmadhouse.co.uk, Let Kids be Kids, ‘Living Arrows' on Shutterflies blog and last, but not least #brilliantblogposts over on honestmum.com

Breathless at Brent Knoll

One of the upsides of moving back to my home town is that I can take my daughter to all the places I enjoyed going to as a child.

One of those places is Brent Knoll on the Somerset Levels. It is quite a unique hill. Anyone travelling on the M5 to Devon and Cornwall may have spotted it as they pass Weston-super-Mare and travel further into the South West. It looms up out of a landscape which is predominantly flat (well, they aren't called the levels for nothing). It is 449 ft above sea level and once you've got to the top, there are 360 degree views all around you.

It's no wonder you find the remains of a hill fort up there, you could see your enemy approaching from all directions. For many years it has been used as a vantage point. Bronze age, Iron age and Roman troops have used Brent Knoll as a safe place to keep an eye on the surrounding land.

These days it is one of the best places to see jaw-dropping views of the beautiful countryside and coastline we're lucky enough to have on our doorstep.

From the top you can see the coast of South Wales, the hills of Exmoor, the edge of the Quantocks, the Mendip hills, Cheddar Gorge and far off in the distance, Glastonbury Tor.

But before you get to see these views, you have to put in some leg work.

I haven't been to Brent Knoll since I was a child and I'd forgotten how steep it was. My heart sank when we got to the foot of the hill. I thought my daughter would complain all the way up. How wrong I was. She stormed on ahead of my husband and I. She was completely caught up in the task of getting to the top.

There's nothing like a climb up a steep hill to make you feel unfit. Whilst my daughter took the climb in her stride, we were puffing and panting up the path behind her. I felt like my heart was going to burst out my chest at one point.

But once you get to the top, you are completely rewarded for your efforts.

My daughter stood at the edge with her arms flung out on either side of her and shouted "this is amazing!"

And who can argue with that?