Winter Wonderland Manchester

I wanted to go to this last year, but common sense prevailed as Baby was far too young. This year, with Baby now 16 months old, we decided it was worth a try. At £21.00 for anyone over 3, it wasn't exactly cheap, and each session is limited to 4 hours.

Being brutally honest, I would say that Winter Wonderland is a definite misnomer. Inside fairground is probably more accurate. If you go expecting fairground rides, with the opportunity to meet Santa, rather than a Christmassy experience, you won't be disappointed.

We'd chosen a weekday timeslot in the hope that it would be quieter, so there was only one timeslot available: 10.30-14.30. It seems that this was a good idea as the reviews I'd read on Facebook invariably complained about very large queues for every ride, and an hour long queue for Santa. We barely queued for anything; generally our time in the queue was limited to waiting for the next turn on the ride.

We arrived slightly after the start of the timeslot so there was no queue to get in. First impressions revealed a large number of rides, multiple opportunities to spend extra money on attempting to win prizes, and a handful of food stalls.

The first few rides we passed weren't suitable, as unfortunately adults weren't allowed on them, and Baby and her friend were too little to be trusted to ride independently. Sadly this turned out to be the case for lots of the rides, and even the inflatables, which adults weren't allowed to go on. I understand that too many adults would spoil it for the children, but it wouldn't have hurt to allow us to take the babies on the inflatables, given that in a few cases there were no other children using them, and it would have added variety to the experience.

That being said, we did manage to experience eleven rides/attractions, plus one attempt at an inflatable and a quick pitstop at the beach before ice cream proved more tempting.

The rides we experienced varied from very sedate cars on a track to a simulator to runaway train roller coasters that really weren't suitable for babies, though none of the ride attendants seemed to see fit to mention it before we rode them. There were also a handful of walk through attractions, including one very similar to that used in the final scene of Grease, when Sandy and Danny dance through shaking tunnels, and a 'mirror maze' which was actually just a series of windows, rather than mirrors, though it still proved less than straightforward to navigate through.

Baby enjoyed more or less all of the rides we tried, though Baby's friend was less keen and cried throughout every single one. There were multiple rides which consisted of a train or car following a track, so for the sake of variety there were a couple of those that we didn't try. But other than that, we tried all of the rides which Baby was permitted to ride. We found that there were rather a lot of rides which did not permit adults, which was a shame, and there was obviously a selection of rides which weren't suitable for small children at all, such as dodgems and waltzers. I did notice that a lot of the rides seemed to be a tad run down. Peeling and missing paint, holes plugged with mdf and very dirty walkways didn't exactly inspire confidence in the reliability of the rides and walkthroughs.

In addition to the rides, there are a handful of shows, including Basil Brush, a Cinderella special and a circus show taking place throughout the session. Most are on the Main Stage, in the centre of the venue, however we didn't see any of those shows because the noise from the surrounding rides was so loud we didn't think we'd be able to hear the shows. We did however make time for the circus, as neither of the babies had ever seen a circus before.

We walked in as the show was about to start and there were plenty of seats available. The show included jugglers, unicyclists and a few other acts. None were particularly exciting to my eyes, but both Baby and her friend were transfixed throughout the half hour show. I must admit I was slightly distracted by a woman cleaning the popcorn machine, which we were sat next to, as she was using Asda's own Window and Glass cleaner, which I am 100% sure is not an appropriate cleaner for food preparation equipment.

Having read reviews from other visitors I had prepared a packed lunch which we ate during the circus show. The friends we were with hadn't taken food though, so they purchased two carvery sandwiches for £10, which they said were tasty, but overpriced given their size. The food options seemed quite limited, we saw a burger stall, and a carvery stall, but plenty of stalls selling sweets items.

There were also numerous stalls where you could spend a lot of money attempting to win oversized stuffed animals. Knocking snowmen off shelves, hooking ducks, throwing balls into barrels, the usual fairground type stalls. Additional money spending opportunities were also available in the form of make overs, glitter tattoos and nail painting. Not forgetting the opportunity to purchase on ride photos on selected rides.

Baby and her friend had already seen Santa elsewhere, so we weren't particularly fussed about seeing him at Winter Wonderland. Multiple reviews had said they'd found Santa very grumpy and that the grotto could do with improved decoration, so we didn't even try to visit Santa. The queue seemed to be just a few families long, though the extra £3.50 if you want to get a gift from Santa seemed a tad cheeky.

The staff ranged from friendly and welcoming to extremely uninterested. What they all had in common was that they carried out their jobs very slowly. For one ride which consisted of around six cars going round a track, the attendant had to open the queue gate, escort each party to a specific car, shut the door behind them, then set the ride in motion, before unlocking the ride exit, then unlocking each car individually, and restarting the process again. Perhaps on weekends they have more than one staff member per ride, but if not, I can understand why the queues are so long.

Overall it was rather expensive for the attractions on offer for a 16 month old. Older children who could ride everything would probably love it, but I suspect that by the time children were old enough to ride, they would be in school and the queues on a weekend session are reportedly extreme. I would also think that if they were old enough to fully enjoy the rides, they would probably prefer a trip to somewhere like Blackpool Pleasure Beach. For pre school children, my guess is that Gulliver's World would be more appealing.

Given that there wasn't anything particularly festive about Winter Wonderland, except for Santa's Grotto, which we didn't actually visit, next year we'll try Gulliver's World instead.

Key Facts

Month of visit:

December

Weather for visit:

Cold, but irrelevant, as it was inside.

It is pushchair friendly?

It was all on one level, so yes, but babies/children would have to get out of the pushchair to go on any of the rides.

How are the baby changing facilities?

There was a special 'baby change area' signposted, however this was rather disappointing, consisting of a handful of changing mats and two sofas. Some parents had put the changing mats on the sofas to avoid having to change their children on the floor. The venue also had a baby changing room next to the toilets, but we didn't get chance to use this as it was occupied when we needed to change Baby.

What about somewhere to feed?

Limited seating, near the food stalls, but it didn't look particularly comfortable. The sofas in the baby changing area is probably the best bet, and indeed was being used by one mother to feed her baby. We also didn't see any highchairs while we were there, though we didn't actually ask staff members for one.

Is it worth a visit?

Probably not. The weekend queues would put me off visiting with a school age child, and for preschoolers it's overpriced.

Baby's highlight?

The circus show. Or possibly the ice cream.


Winter Wonderland
Event City
Phoenix Way,
Urmston,
Stretford,
Manchester,
M17 8AS

http://www.winterwonderlandmanchester.com

Sea Life Blackpool

Previous visits to aquariums proved big hits with Baby, and various childhood visits to Sea Life in Blackpool had left fond memories, so as we had a buy one get one free voucher from Kelloggs we decided to take Baby.

Additionally, it was Illuminations season in Blackpool, and based on memories of family visits in years gone by, I was convinced Baby would love seeing the lights.

Because we were staying for the Illuminations, we didn't set off until after lunch time, so when we arrived in Blackpool, the car parks were very busy. Rather than driving round and round the Central car park, as many others were doing in the hope someone would leave, we parked by the football stadium and walked for an extra 5-10 minutes, saving ourselves £5 for the inconvenience.

We walked up the promenade, passing a multitude of fish and chip shops, tacky souvenir shops, hotels, bars and street sellers with various light up items and pink fluffy cowboy hats.

There was no queue for Sea Life so we walked right in. £18.50 for the three of us, which included a voucher for a free round of crazy golf. We were directed to a tiny lift which took us to the first floor; the doors opened right next to the reasonably busy buggy park. From past experience we knew we'd end up taking Baby out of her pushchair to look at things so we left the pushchair in the buggy park and let her walk.

As soon as we walked through the door we were directed to a green screen and more or less made to have our photo taken. We were given a ticket so that we could see our photo at the desk in the gift shop at the end.

The first area we experienced was the rock pool, where you can touch various creatures, including starfish. Unfortunately the pool was too high for Baby to be able to have a go at touching anything, but I can imagine that older children would love it.

This was followed by a reasonably large room with a variety of small tanks/windows, themed like a pirate ship. Baby had to be lifted to see most of these, but she enjoyed walking around on the decks.

The stingray tank in the next room was very well done. I thought Baby would love the large full length windows but actually she wasn't too interested. A cut out section meant you could be surrounded by the tank on three sides, and there was also a bubble in the tank you could put your head in. Daddy took Baby into the bubble, but she wasn't particularly keen on it, though other babies and children seemed to love it.

The next section was very popular with children, because it contained clownfish and blue tangs, aka Nemo and Dory. Baby absolutely loved this section, the Dory tank had windows down to the floor, so she could walk all around it and still see in. It probably helped that the fish in here were brightly coloured, and plentiful, so easy to spot.

The following sections, submarine and rainforest, didn't have much to keep Baby's attention. The tanks were all high up and she was keener on walking herself than being lifted to see what was in the tanks.

I remember the shark section from childhood visits, but I remember the wall to the tank being much larger, though that could just be my memory playing tricks on me, as obviously I was smaller then. There are three screens which look quite exciting but basically just call up the picture of a shark of your choice, one of which wasn't working. Baby liked seeing the large sharks go past the window, but once they were gone she was no longer interested. She did enjoy the underwater tunnel which came afterwards however, especially as there was a rather large shark lying directly on top of the tunnel. Whilst we were in the tunnel we also witnessed a family having a shark tank experience; they seemed to be having a blast.

The final area held 'jurassic' creatures. There was a video game on a large screen, and some neon lighting, but otherwise Baby was not interested in this section as there was very little movement inside the tanks.

This section led straight into the gift shop, where you could also look at (and buy) your photo. If you have a pram, you have to retrace your steps through the centre to the buggy park, to take the lift back down to the entrance, as that is the only lift.

At 5pm the Illuminations were switched on. Unfortunately they didn't live up to my memories, probably due to budget cuts. Baby loved the mermaid section, but the Star Trek section and the other areas we saw were disappointing. It was bitterly cold so we didn't walk for too long, particularly given that the lights weren't especially exciting.


Key Facts

Month of visit:
November

Weather for visit:
Freezing.

Is it pushchair friendly?
Very. Pushchairs can go everywhere within the centre, and there is a lift at the entrance.

What about somewhere to feed?
There were a handful of benches dotted around: at the stingray exhibit, in front of the shark tank. The website says there is an area with benches at the end of the route through the centre, but we didn't see this because of having to retrace our steps to use the lift. There is no cafe, and nowhere to sit in the toilets.

Is it worth a visit?
Yes. We spent about 45 minutes there with a 14 month who didn't linger over anything, so if you had children who were into fish they could definitely spend a couple of hours there.

Baby's highlight?
Finding Dory.


Sea Life Blackpool
Promenade
Blackpool
FY1 5AA

https://www2.visitsealife.com/blackpool/

Alton Towers

With a trip to Disneyland Paris booked for February, we were keen to test Baby with some rides, and with Winter approaching the theme parks nearby were set to close for a few months, meaning it was now or never.

The closest large theme park to us is Alton Towers, which has an area called CBeebies Land, with rides specifically targeted at preschoolers. Additionally, whilst not completely fearless (there are quite a few rides which terrify me, namely anything which turns upside down slowly), I do love a roller coaster, as does my husband, so it seemed like Alton Towers would be a great day out for all of us.

Baby's best friend (just twelve days younger) and her Mummy and Daddy also joined us for the day.

We used the buy one get one free vouchers from Kelloggs cereal packs, and under threes are free, so each family paid £51.40.

As we were visiting on a weekday, we were hoping for small queues, but picked up Parent Queue Share Passes from Towers Street just in case. The idea behind the pass is that adults visiting with young children can still enjoy the thrill rides, without having to queue twice. The first parent queues as normal, getting the pass marked by the ride attendant when they are about to board the ride. After the first parent exits the ride, they hand the pass over to parent two, who can then skip the queue and get straight on the ride. As it turned out, we didn't need to use the passes, mainly because at each ride one of the four of us didn't want to ride, so they stayed with the babies while the others went on the ride.

Using the sky ride, which went down very well with the babies, who enjoyed having such far reaching views, we headed first for the 'newest' ride: Galactica, thinking that this would likely have the longest queue. Three of us queued up while one who didn't want to ride looked after the babies, picking out a spot underneath some of the the track with the intention of seeing us as we went on the ride, and armed with breadsticks and rice cakes to keep the babies occupied.

Galactica used to be Air, aka my favourite ride. The unique lying down ride position and the feeling of flying are incredible. It reopened this season with the addition of optional virtual reality headsets, and a new name. All three of us were sceptical as to whether the headset would add anything, but we all gave it a go anyway.

Before we even boarded the ride, we noticed a significant increase in the changeover time thanks to the new headsets. One ride attendant per row (surely an increase in required manpower for Alton Towers?) removes the headsets from their pouches and hands them to the riders, checking that they are in focus. Once the ride is finished, the attendant removes the headsets and cleans them before placing them back in the pouch. This seemed to add several minutes per changeover, meaning that despite the queue barely reaching the end of the loading dock, we still waited fifteen minutes. I dread to think how long the queue would be on a busy day.

The headset is supposed to make you feel as if you are flying through outer space, but unfortunately the graphics aren't sharp or exciting enough to give you the sense of peril required to really make the experience work. One of us felt so sick afterwards that they couldn't go on any other rides for the rest of the day. For me the virtual reality element was disappointing and I wouldn't use the headset again.

Our next stop was Nemesis, but the queue said 30 minutes and the babies were clearly hungry so we made our way to the Pizza and Pasta Buffet. At £12.95 it wasn't particularly cheap but we could at least eat as much as we wanted, and it was probably in line with the prices of other restaurants in the park. There was plenty of pizza available, about five varieties, with a couple of pastas and some garlic bread. The salad bar had a reasonable choice and service was quick.

Tummies full, the Mummies spotted an opportunity to get in a sneaky ride on the Runaway Mine Train, while the Daddies were cleaning the babies up. There was virtually no wait for this at all and we managed to get on the next train, making it back to the restaurant before the babies were strapped into their strollers.

We then walked over to Th13teen. Although not a new ride, Daddy hadn't been to Alton Towers for several years and so hadn't been on this, therefore was unaware of the surprise element. Again, three of us went on this while the fourth looked after the babies. Daddy found the screaming coming from the Mummies more entertaining than the actual ride, but it is my favourite ride, having supplanted Galactica thanks to the virtual reality headsets.

After Th13teen we decided that we had better get to the main point of the trip, trying the babies on some rides, so headed for CBeebies Land. Neither of the babies has ever watched CBeebies but we were hoping that a lack of character knowledge wouldn't matter.

Our first ride was the Get Set Go Tree Top Adventure. The Daddies stayed with the strollers while the Mummies went on with the babies. A very sedate ride on an elevated track travelling around a significant amount of CBeebies Land, each car was a CBeebies 'Bug'. We took a car each but could probably have fit in one. I sat Baby on my lap and then the lap bar pulled down to lock us in. Baby enjoyed her birds eye view, especially when she spotted Daddy, and was perfectly happy sitting on my knee as we went round.

Underneath this ride was the Something Special Sensory Garden. Plenty of smells to be experienced, though neither baby seemed particularly interested in these. There were also a few mirrors, some drums, and a few lift the flaps. Baby's friend had a great time, but Baby wasn't particularly fussed.

Our next stop was the Big Fun Showtime arena. A large area, with fences all around but mostly open to the elements, with that special springy floor surface you tend to find in children's play areas, covered in a type of astroturf, it is marketed as a picnicking area and seemed like it would be a great area for kids to let off some steam. In here we met Iggle Piggle, though Baby wasn't particularly keen, crying at the first attempt, though she did deign to touch his hand at the second attempt. Baby's friend took one look through the entrance, turned around and walked off. We caught the first five minutes of a Zingzillas show, which some slightly older children seemed to be enjoying, but didn't hold Baby's interest for more than a couple of minutes.

We made our way to Postman Pat's Parcel Post ride, where post vans follow a track around and riders have to press buttons in the car to identify the correct parcel to deliver to each stop on the route. Each van had space for two children and two adults. Mummy and Daddy sat on a bench in the back, and Baby sat on a small seat in the front, where she could technically turn the wheel and beep the horn, though she wasn't strong enough to actually press the horn. Again, a very gentle ride, but I imagine a big hit for children who watch Postman Pat.

This was followed by the In the Night Garden Boat Ride. None of us had ever seen In the Night Garden, so we were all rather bemused by the characters, and felt as if we were hallucinating somewhat. The babies weren't that interested either, with one making several escape attempts over the bow.

As we exited the boat ride it had started to rain, so we decided on Charlie and Lola's Moonsquirter's and Greendrops, which was an indoor attraction. Essentially two rooms, the first had cupboards to open, and some clothing items to put on a character on the wall. The second had a small ball pool behind some net, a 'mountain' to climb, and a projection of fish on the floor which moved when it was touched. The cupboards had magnet closures which made them impossible for the babies to open by themselves, and only one person at a time could dress up the character. The ball pool was so small that the slightly older children jumping into it meant the babies couldn't go in it. Baby did love the floor projection, but otherwise it was disappointing.

There were a couple of other attractions in CBeebies land that the babies were too small to experience, but we still felt we'd got our money's worth.

After a quick coffee we paid for parking and were on our way.


Key Facts

Month of visit:
October

Weather for visit:
Surprisingly warm, only jumpers required, and dry.

Is it pushchair friendly?
Very. Pushchairs can go everywhere on site, with ramps wherever there are steps. In CBeebies land there are specific buggy parks dotted around, but there are plenty of areas large enough to leave a buggy outside each attraction entrance.

How are the baby changing facilities?
Plentiful. At each set of toilets there is baby changing, and toilets are scattered throughout the park. The baby changing facilities we used were clean with no queues.

What about somewhere to feed?
The baby changing under the monorail next to the car park had a couple of comfortable chairs for feeding, but the changing in the Big Fun Showtime area was just a tiny room. There are several benches outside around the resort, and plenty of restaurants and cafes to provide some warmth.

Is it worth a visit?
Definitely. We were able to test Baby on rides with and without lap bars, boat rides, and walkthroughs. Plus the grownups were able to enjoy a couple of the bigger rides. Using the buy one get one free vouchers I wouldn't hesitate to go again, especially out of season with no queues, but I wouldn't pay full price.

Baby's highlight?
Get Set Go Treetop Adventure, and it's birds eye view over the rest of CBeebies land.


Alton Towers
Farley Lane,
Alton,
Stoke-on-Trent,
ST10 4DB


https://www.altontowers.com

Paradise Found Educational Farm Park

We were travelling to Norfolk for a family holiday, which is a 4.5 hour drive, so needed somewhere to stop halfway for lunch and to give Baby a bit of a break. We didn't want it to be somewhere expensive, as we wanted to stop for 2-3 hours max, including time for eating lunch. Baby would then be ready for another nap and we could get back on the road. Doing some research, I came across Paradise Found Educational Farm, slightly over halfway, around 2.5 hours from home, traffic permitting.

Sat nav took us directly to the farm, but we almost missed the entrance because the sign was very small. The car park wasn't overlarge but there was plenty of space on the day we visited, and there seemed to be an overflow car park.

We made our way into the building, guessing at the entrance as it wasn't signposted. Once we were inside it became apparent that most of the other people there were there for the soft play, rather than the animals. There were a group of mums and children, and a handful of other people. Food options are rather limited, we both opted for a filled roll, which were made freshly for us.

After lunch we wandered outside. It was clear that the animals are very used to being fed as they all approached their fences and stuck their heads through the gaps as we walked towards them. We hadn't bought any food but that didn't seem to bother the animals. The pens were all reasonably large and the animals seemed well cared for. There were sheep, goats, cows, horses, chickens, as well as some less typical animals such as reindeer and alpacas.

It didn't take us much longer than half an hour to see all of the animals, though I can imagine with children feeding the animals it might take a bit longer.

The main feature which sets this farm apart is that they have an educational centre, hence the name, where school groups can learn about how the farm operates and cares for its animals. Obviously we didn't experience this side of the business, but the staff that we did meet were friendly, approachable and welcoming.


Key Facts

Month of visit:
March

Weather for visit:
Cold, with on and off drizzle.

Is it pushchair friendly?
So-so. The paths were mainly grass, so on a muddy day it might be a completely different kettle of fish. On the day we visited most of the paths would have been passable, but we put Baby in the carrier anyway.

How are the baby changing facilities?
The normal toilets were at the end of the building and were rather cold and draughty. Thankfully the baby changing was in a disabled toilet within the main building, which was warm and clean. The walls had been painted with trees and animals which added a nice touch.

What about somewhere to feed?
No seat in the toilet and no specific room, but I had no issues feeding in the cafe area next to the soft play.

Is it worth a visit?
Given its distance from home, I wouldn't make a specific trip, but I wouldn't hesitate to use it as a stop off en route somewhere again.

Baby's highlight?
A rather woolly sheep with a friendly face.

Paradise Found Educational Farm Park

Leicester Road,

Sapcote,

Leicestershire

LE9 4JF

http://paradisefoundfarmpark.co.uk

Lyme Park

My first Mothers Day, and Baby had shown herself to be a baby genius by organising a day out for Mummy. She'd very generously invited Daddy too.

It was a secret destination with a secret lunch reservation, but Mummy realised where we were going when we approached the entrance to Lyme Park, as Daddy needed to show Mummy's lifetime membership card to gain free parking.

The heavy snowfall the previous day had shut the estate, and there was clear evidence of this everywhere. The car park was rather muddy, and there were banks of snow that had obviously been piled up as staff attempted to clear it. The house only opened at 11am and we were there not too long after, so it wasn't too busy. There were plenty of dog walkers putting muddy dogs back into cars so the grounds are clearly a popular early morning walking spot. As we left, the car park was getting busy, though there was still the odd space or two.

With plenty of time to spare before our lunch reservation we decided to visit the house first. We were greeted at the courtyard entrance by a friendly volunteer who pointed out the buggy park, toilets and ticket office for us. We had taken the carrier in anticipation of the no pushchair rule. The buggy park wasn't particularly large, but it did have locks provided which was a nice touch. There were also lockers in which we could store coats and changing bag until needed, no charge.

A quick trip to the ticket office and we were ready to visit the house.

Every room guide we met was friendly and keen to share their knowledge, with at least one or two going out of their way to interest and entertain children walking around with their parents. There didn't seem to be (though I must admit I didn't go out of my way to look for one) a trail for children to follow, and there were a couple of children who seemed to be rather bored.

One particularly interesting feature which I haven't seen before, was the costume department, where children and adults could dress up in Edwardian clothing, and then visit the rest of the house, or the tearooms, or even the grounds in their new attire. We didn't give it a go on this occasion, but it seemed a popular idea.

Mummy and Daddy enjoyed their visit; the house was larger than I had realised, with some interesting history to it. There weren't too many people wandering round either which meant we could take our time (as much as Baby would allow) to view all of the rooms.

After a quick change and feed for Baby, we made our way to the Cellar for our reservation. Although the reservation was for afternoon tea, Daddy has made it for lunchtime, because he knew Mummy wouldn't be able to wait til mid afternoon to eat.

There weren't too many tables in the Ale Cellar so I was glad we had a reservation. In fact I think it may have been reservation only. There is an afternoon tea on offer usually but this was a special one being offered for Mothers Day.

Tea and coffee were included, but any other drinks were extra. As I don't drink tea or coffee we had to add on a soft drink. The table wasn't very big, even just having the drinks on the table made it very crowded, so when the food stand arrived it was tough to find space. Even tougher was making sure everything was far enough from Baby to prevent her getting her hands on anything.

The afternoon tea was scrumptious. A good selection of sandwiches, plus scones and small squares of cake. Daddy ate most of the sandwiches and Mummy ate most of the cakes. There were two of each cake, which included brownies, victoria sandwich and lemon drizzle. There were plenty of sandwiches too. Staff were more than happy to put the leftover cake in a takeaway box for us, when we were too full to continue. I did hear another (quite large) party further down complaining that there wasn't enough food, but there was more than enough for us.

A lovely first Mothers Day in beautiful surroundings, with wonderful food.


Key Facts:

Month of visit:
March

Weather for visit:
Sunny but very cold. Heavy snowfall the previous day had actually shut Lyme Park.

Is it pushchair friendly?
Not particularly. Pushchairs aren't allowed in the house for obvious reasons. There is a buggy park with chains to lock your pushchair up by the entrance, and they loan slings to carry babies around the house. On a previous visit in October we took the pushchair around the woods, and whilst although the initial paths were fine, once in the woods, they were very muddy and the pushchair wheels got so clogged with mud they just stopped turning.

How are the baby changing facilities?
We used the ones in the house, which looked like they had been refurbished very recently and were lovely and clean. There was a specific baby changing room, next to the ladies toilet, which had a drop down unit, sink and chair. Last time we were there we used the changing facilities by the woods, which were reasonably cold, and just acceptably clean.

What about somewhere to feed?
There was a specific room in the for feeding with a comfy chair and a microwave. It was very small though so only room for one person. Plenty of cafe options too.

Is it worth a visit?
Yes. Especially for older children who will love the adventure playground in the woods, and the large grounds to explore. The room guides were all very friendly and made a big fuss of Baby which allowed Mummy and Daddy to get a little bit of culture.

Baby's highlight?
The large mirrors in some of the rooms; Baby loves to look at her reflection.


Lyme Park,
Disley,
Stockport,
Cheshire,
SK12 2NR

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lyme

Smithills Open Farm

This farm had been recommended by a few different people, so after the success of Wimpole Farm on holiday we decided to give it a try.

We used sat nav, but as we got close, sat nav wanted to send us in a different direction to the brown signs pointing to Smithills Country Park. We decided to follow the signs, and this turned out to be the correct decision. The farm signs weren't great however. We missed the turning for the entrance, as from the side we approached (turning right into the gate) there was only a sign for Smithills Hall. After we'd driven past, looking back I saw a sign for the farm. Luckily there was a little turning place; presumably we're not the first to have made this mistake. Once we'd driven into the park, we found another sign. However, the arrow wasn't particularly clear, and at first we took the left, rather than the right fork. Finding our way blocked, we backtracked and drove up a road that looked as if it would just lead to a housing estate. Continuing, we arrived at the farm, and found our way to the car park. Clearer and more frequent signage would definitely not go amiss.

The car park was busier than I'd expect for a cold Monday in term time. At the ticket desk, we paid £7 for each adult, Baby was free. The girl on the desk offered donkey rides, tractor rides and animal feed for an additional charge, but we declined. Walking round, it was very clear that the animals are used to being fed by visitors, they would stick their heads above and through fences as soon as we even thought about walking past them.

By the entrance there was a large board with the times of various activities happening that day. We saw one other visitor taking a photo on her phone, which proved a good idea as an aide memoire.

We were given a map when we bought our tickets, but it wasn't particularly useful. I found it a tad confusing as entrances/exits/through routes for each of the barns weren't noted. After walking round, I could just about understand it, but if I was using it to navigate to a specific barn I think I would have struggled.

We first walked through an animal barn containing pigs, alpacas, horses and sheep. Baby looked, but didn't seem particularly interested. It was freezing cold so I'd decided to put her in the pram rather than the carrier, perhaps this meant she was less engaged.

Through the other side of the barn we could see the toilets, so I took Baby to be changed. Clean nappy on, we found the cafe, for some much needed warmth. Burgers, jacket potatoes, sandwiches, toasties, plus breakfasts, all at very reasonable prices. The food took longer to arrive than expected, but at least that suggests it was freshly cooked. The egg from Grandpa's egg and bacon barm was also missing, but we didn't want to wait another twenty minutes for them to redo it, so he just ate his eggless barm. The cafe was not that big, around twelve to fifteen tables from memory. When we arrived, at 12pm, we took the last table. By the time we left there were a handful of free tables, but I can imagine that at peak times at weekends and during holidays it's very difficult to get a table. There did seem to be plenty of highchairs available and there were some picnic tables outside.

Baby was too little to ride the donkeys, but as no-one was riding them, we took Baby over for a look. All three looked very sad, but then as every Winnie the Pooh fan knows, that does tend to be their natural expression. We could hear a talk being given whilst the cows were being milked so we walked into that barn, but there were steps up to the viewing platform (though only a handful) so I didn't take Baby's pram up there. This barn also housed lots of calves and a couple of very inquisitive llama, who were interested in chewing Baby's pram, when no animal feed was forthcoming. There were also goats, donkeys and lambs.

As we made our way through the barn, the staff told us that Pets Corner was about to start, if we wanted to join in. I was a bit dubious about this, as previous experience Pets Corners has involved one animal being held by staff while it is mobbed by lots of boisterous children. This one was different, and much more organised and calm (for the most part). Bales of hay around the edge provided seating, with just one step up so we kept Baby in her pram and took a seat.

First up were some lambs. Bottles were handed out to visitors, (including Grandma), and then the lambs were let loose. They clearly know the drill as they were racing around to find the bottles. Staff kept an eye on them and once a lamb had finished a bottle, it was scooped up and put back in its pen, to ensure that all the lambs were able to feed. The staff then collected the empty bottles in. I'm glad I kept Baby in her pram for this bit as the lambs were very energetic.

Next was a baby goat. The staff brought him round to each family one at a time, allowing them a minute or so to stroke the goat. I took Baby out of her pram and used her hand to stroke it, and she loved it. Further animals introduced in this manner included a baby donkey, piglet, and even an owl. There was also a snake, which was draped over four unsuspecting volunteers in the middle of the barn, and children were invited up to touch it. Mummy does not like snakes so Grandma took a very brave Baby to stroke it. Baby was more interested in stroking the fur collar on the lady holding the snake!

At the end, the staff brought out chicks and handed them out to each family. We declined, as Baby wasn't quite ready to be holding animals by herself. Rabbits were also offered, we just let Baby stroke one being held by a member of staff briefly, rather than actually taking one to hold.

Staff had made sure to reiterate the importance of hand washing, so we took Baby to wash her hands before finding the weird and wonderful section, and Meerkat Mountain. Back in her pram, Baby was unable to see most of the weird and wonderful animals (owls, skunks, coati among others) because of the mesh enclosures, and because they weren't particularly easy to distinguish from their surroundings, colourwise. On our first walk past there were no meerkats to be seen, and although one had appeared when we walked back down, the walls were too high for Baby to see over in her pram.

We visited the cow barn, which also contained goats and horses, before starting to walk around the field enclosures. Unfortunately the terrain proved too much for our pram, and so we turned back, although I don't think we really missed much, as the animals in these enclosures weren't particularly close to the fences and so would have been difficult for Baby to see.

All in all, a nice little farm for a day out, with the added bonus of the well organised Pets Corner giving Baby a new experience.


Key facts:
Month of visit:
February

Weather for visit:
Very very cold, but dry.

Is it pushchair friendly?
Yes. The main barns have wide paths that pose no problems for a pushchair. The enclosures further out (behind the cow barn) had more gravelly paths, and I turned back, as pushing along there was proving too difficult.

How are the baby changing facilities?
I was very disappointed with the facilities. There were two sets of baby changing, one next to the women's toilets and one next to the men's, though when I used them, I didn't realise there was a second room. I had to leave the pram outside the one in the ladies as I couldn't get it in, and close the door, which was a very wide door. Equally, I had to walk in, then close the door, before I could put the baby changing unit down. Thankfully Grandpa was on hand to hold onto the pram while Grandma and I changed Baby.

Next challenge was the baby changing unit itself. Covered in dried mud, and requiring a good clean before I could put Baby down. To clean it, Grandma had to use the tap, the water from which was icy cold. As someone who prefers to use cotton wool and water rather than wipes (and indeed had forgotten wipes this day!), this was not good. Additionally, it was so cold in there (no heating) that Baby was shivering even before I'd started to undress her. Next time I'd change Baby in the car. It might not be any warmer but it would definitely be cleaner. When we discovered the second set of baby changing by the gents we had a quick look, but unfortunately that room wasn't any cleaner.

What about somewhere to feed?
Freezing cold with nowhere to sit in the baby changing, so I fed in the cafe. It's only a small cafe however, so if there was a queue for tables I would have felt a bit time pressured.

Is it worth a visit?
Yes, especially if you have mobile children, who can get involved in feeding, milking, tractor rides etc. Even for Baby the Pets Corner proved a big success. I'd imagine it gets very busy at weekends though.

Baby's highlight?
Pets Corner.

Smithills Open Farm

Smithills Dean Road,

Bolton,

Greater Manchester,

BL1 7NR

http://www.smithillsopenfarm.co.uk/index.php

Anglesey Abbey Gardens

We knew that the house wasn't open during our visit, but the key attraction at this time of year is the snowdrops in the garden, rather than the house anyway. Grandma is keen on nature so she really wanted to go and see the snowdrops.

We started with some lunch in the cafe. A wide variety of hot food and an even wider variety of cakes. Plenty of seating, but it was very busy, and there was a constant stream of people looking for tables. Usually it didn't take more than a few minutes to find one, as most people were too keen to see the snowdrops whilst the weather was dry, to linger.

Pram issues meant that Baby was in the carrier, but it was quite cold, so we walked reasonably quickly. Despite the busy car park, the gardens didn't feel crowded at all.

The route around the gardens is a circular one, with very few places where you are required to choose a direction. The path in the first part of the route was lined with a variety of plants, including the famed snowdrops. Beautiful colours contrasted and caught Baby's eye as we walked along. Leafy green plants, expansive red twig like bushes, low lying purple plants. So many plants lining the route meant that I was able to help Baby touch some plants to feel the different textures.

We moved into an area with taller plants, including plenty of trees. Baby particularly liked some tall trees with silver bark, offset against a backdrop of green hedges and dark soil.

We then reached the mill. It was open, and selling flour, but it was very busy so we didn't go in. I get a bit antsy around crowds of people anyway, but with Baby strapped to my chest, the potential for people bumping into her was just too much for me to contemplate.

The next part of the walk took us along the river (beware those with more mobile children, there is no fence along here), until we reached the house, with the final part of the walk again taking us through more formal gardens, back to the shop, tearoom and toilets.

All in all, a lovely walk, that Baby very much enjoyed, as she was able to get up close to everything. She also loved the attention she received being in the carrier.


Key facts:

Month of visit:
February

Weather for visit:
Sunny but cold

Is it pushchair friendly?
Yes, the paths around the garden are wide, gravelled and although there were one or two puddles/muddy patches these were easily avoided, even after heavy rain.

How are the baby changing facilities?
There is one baby changing room in the visitor centre, which also had a toilet in it. It was clean, but when we used it, there was quite a long queue forming due to it being the only one there.

What about somewhere to feed?
No chair in the baby changing, but I fed in the cafe with no issues.

Is it worth a visit?
Baby loved the fresh air and the variety of colours in the garden, we'll definitely be going back.

Baby's highlight?
The red bushes and the little voles.

Anglesey Abbey, Gardens and Lode Mill

Quy Road,

Lode,

Cambridge,

Cambridgeshire,

CB25 9EJ

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/anglesey-abbey-gardens-and-lode-mill

Wimpole Home Farm

Another National Trust property, and baby's first experience of farm animals. The Hall wasn't open when we visited because of the season, but we would only have wanted to go round the farm anyway, as doing the hall and the farm both in one day would have been too much for Baby.

February half term meant that it was very busy. The car park was full, which meant we were directed onto the overflow car park, also known as a field. Lots of rain in previous days meant the field was very muddy. Wellies would have been a good idea but unfortunately we hadn't taken any. Pushing the pram from the car over to the entrance was very hard work and in the end we carried it for the last stretch, as the wheels were caked in mud and no longer turning.

Arriving at the farm we were greeted by donkeys and goats. Through the entrance there were cows in a large central pen. Unfortunately Baby had fallen asleep on the walk from the estate entrance to the farm entrance (a good 5-10 minute walk), so we made our way straight to the cafe. The previous day's outing had shown us how busy it could be, and on a previous pre-Baby visit the cafe had run out of jacket potatoes (its main hot food offering) so we wanted to have lunch early anyway.

As expected, the cafe was very busy. There were no free seats inside, but as Baby was snug in her pram we decided to sit outside, where there were a handful of tables under cover, as well as plenty of picnic tables. The queue was so long however that by the time food arrived, Baby was just waking up. Jacket potatoes, soup, pasties and sandwiches formed the main savoury options, with the usual wide selection of cakes most National Trust places are so good at offering.

After lunch, and a quick change and feed for Baby, her five year old cousin had a quick play on the tractors. These are the delight of little children, with their bright colours and free turning pedals, and the dread of parents, who usually have to bend over double to push their children who haven't quite got the strength to turn the pedals fast enough to make the tractor move.

A suitable amount of energy expended, it was off to see the animals. The barn with the sheep, including two little lambs, offered yet another opportunity for Baby's cousin to burn some energy. Hay bales occupied half the barn space, the perfect height for climbing on, and well spaced out to allow for jumping in-between.

Outside the sheep barn there was a meet and greet with Jacob the shire horse. Baby wasn't quite sure what to make of the very large horse, even when Mummy and Auntie showed her that it was a very friendly horse who was quite willing to have his nose stroked.

Beyond Jacob's vast body, Baby spotted some animals which seemed a more approachable size: several white geese, who honked as Auntie took Baby to see them. Next were some chickens, followed by some cows with very large horns, who were more interested in their lunch than in Baby. The other shire horses in their stables were also having lunch, so Baby saw more of their backends than of their faces. The goats were slightly politer, at least looking at Baby while they ate.

Baby has a book, bought by Grandma and Grandpa when they visited Scotland, called Harry the Highland Cow, and a cuddly toy to match. So Grandma was very pleased to see that the cows in the big pen included a Highland Cow. Unfortunately this Harry had decided he wanted to have a bit of a lie down and a rest in the corner, making him difficult for Baby to see. Perhaps sensing Grandma's disappointment, another (white) cow decided to take a liking to Baby, and followed her as we walked round the pen. Mummy and Baby kept a safe distance because of the cow's long sharp horns which he has been known to stick through the fence, but Auntie was braver and tried to stroke the nose pushed through the fence. The cheeky cow quickly stuck his tongue out and gave Auntie's hand a big slobbery lick. 'Like very wet sandpaper' apparently.

Hands suitably washed, next up were some shetland ponies. The perfect size for little children to ride. These were followed by a visit to the piggery, which was bursting with little piglets, born in the late Summer and Autumn. We saw one little piggy which was born three days after Baby. One pen had seventeen piglets in it, who all jumped up and ran around when their food arrived, which amused Baby muchly. Not so entertaining was a rather large pig who grunted very loudly at Baby, making her cry for a moment or two.

With Baby all tired out from seeing so many new animals, we left Baby's cousin to expend yet more energy on the adventure playground and headed back to the car, making sure to stop at the gift shop on the way out for a stamp for Baby's National Trust Visitor's Passport.


Key facts:

Month of visit:
February

Weather for visit
Sunny and dry, but not overly warm.

Is it pushchair friendly?
Usually, yes. The path down to the farm from the entrance is wide and gravelly, and once you're in the farm, it's mostly concrete. On this occasion though, I found myself wishing I'd taken the carrier, as the mud in the car park was horrendous. We drove past the following day and saw a sign stating that heavy rain overnight had forced them to close the car park, so worth thinking about recent weather when planning your visit.

How are the baby changing facilities?
There are baby changing facilities in the entrance courtyard area, which we didn't use, and in the farm area itself, by the cafe, which we did use. It was a separate baby changing room, but it was so small that prams would have to be left outside. There was a large sink which someone had obviously used to clean their boots, a changing table, a nappy bin and a plastic chair. No heating, so it was very cold, as it was a cold day. Even in Summer I should imagine it remains quite cold in there. The lock on the door didn't work at the time of our visit which meant we were constantly having to tell people we were using it, and would have been very inconvenient while I was feeding Baby, had Grandma not been on hand to keep the door shut. As there was only one room, there was a small queue to use it.

What about somewhere to feed?
As mentioned above, I fed Baby in the baby changing room, more due to lack of any other alternative than because it was particularly suitable. Had the cafe not been so busy, I probably would have fed in there, where it would have been warmer and cleaner, but as there were no free tables inside, we sat outside, and feeding outside on a freezing cold day wasn't really an option.

Is it worth a visit?
Definitely. Children and babies alike will love seeing the different animals, and Wimpole has thoughtfully provided areas for children to let off steam. They also offer a variety of activities throughout the day, such as meeting the shire horses, meeting rabbits, and watching the animals being fed. In the Summer, there are also horse drawn carts which take visitors down to the farm.

Baby's highlight?
Seeing the piglets running around, being honked at by geese, and watching her cousin play on the hay bales!

Wimpole Estate

Arrington,

Royston,

Cambridgeshire,

SG8 0BW

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wimpole-estate

National Trust Museum of Childhood at Sudbury

February half term saw us take Baby on her very first holiday, to Cambridge, to visit some family. As it's roughly a four hour drive, and Baby has never gone further than 1.5 hours in her car seat before, as well as the recommendation being to not let babies stay in car seats for longer than two hours at a time, we needed a stop half way. Being National Trust life members, a National Trust property was the obvious choice, and Grandma (who was in charge of the map) suggested Sudbury, with its Museum of Childhood.

The car park was busy, Grandma and Grandpa repeatedly commented on how they'd never seen it so busy, though Grandpa also repeatedly pointed out that it was half term, and we should have expected it to be busy. We were directed to what appeared to be an almost full overflow car park. As the museum had only opened half an hour earlier, I suspect some people arriving slightly later might not have been able to park.

A five minute walk (including crossing a busyish road) led us to the entrance to the courtyard containing the shop, cafe, toilets, and museum entrance. Sudbury Hall wasn't open the day we visited.

Our first stop was the cafe, but unfortunately the queue was extremely long and there was a distinct lack of tables. Many families had chosen to use the picnic tables outside, but breastfeeding a baby outside on a freezing cold day wasn't particularly appealing. We decided to try a pub round the corner which was advertising hot food, but here again we were out of luck. No free tables and a small queue already.

Back to the courtyard we walked. I reasoned that Baby needed a change and a feed anyway, so whilst I took care of that, Grandma and Grandpa would queue, and we'd see how far they'd got by the time I'd sorted Baby out. We were in luck, as the queue had gone down significantly, so Grandma and Grandpa had been served and found a table when Baby and I joined them.

Suitably nourished, we made our way to the Museum entrance, where there was a queue to get in. There was a buggy park outside, which was very full. An open sided marquee style covering had been erected but I doubt this would have provided much protection in the event of any actual rain, and it was so busy that prams were being left outside its confines anyway.

There were several themed areas, including work, school, babies, stories and toys. The work area included several role play sections, but we skipped these as Baby obviously isn't old enough and there was congestion with all the kids wanting to have a go. The rest of the museum was much less crowded.

On certain days children can experience a lesson in the schoolroom, and there are other interactive features around the museum, including a dress up section and the opportunity to play with various toys. There are also exhibits behind glass. In the baby section there were some toys especially suited to babies, including a Spot the Dog that Baby took a particular shine to.

Grandma has visited before (apparently with Mummy, who has no recollection of the visit) and said it has changed a lot since then, a statement one of the volunteers heartily agreed with. Hopefully next time we visit the Hall will be open too.


Key facts:

Month of visit:
February

Weather for visit:
Sunny and mild.

Is it pushchair friendly?
Yes and no. If your child can walk, and is likely to walk around, you are encouraged to leave pushchairs outside. When the museum gets busy, if everyone were to take a pram round there'd be no space to walk past, as some of the corridors are quite narrow. However, we did take the pram round because Baby can get quite heavy, and found corridors/walkways easy to navigate, plus there was lift access to every floor, albeit with a very small lift.

How are the baby changing facilities?
There is a baby changing room in the courtyard, next to the gents toilets. A slightly strange set up, there is an area with a toilet, sink and a single chair, with rather a lot of spare floor space, with a lockable door. Outside of this, there is a fold down changing table. Once someone is using the changing table it becomes awkward for anyone to get in/out of the toilet however. Whoever designed the space clearly didn't have a baby themselves. Having only one changing table also meant there was constantly a queue. For those keen on cotton wool/water, rather than wipes, note that this is impossible here as the sink is far too far away from the changing table.

What about somewhere to feed?
If you can find a seat in the cafe, there's nothing to stop you feeding in there. There is a mezzanine level which might offer fewer passers by, but sitting there would require leaving pushchairs downstairs. The baby changing facility had a single chair, which I used, however the constant queue made me feel under pressure to hurry baby along, which wasn't ideal.

Is it worth a visit?
Children will appreciate going up the Victorian chimney and working in a scullery, though they may find the exhibits in cases less entertaining. It's not the biggest museum, so won't keep you occupied all day, but the grounds are good for letting off steam and there certainly seemed to be many families enjoying them in addition to visiting the museum. Less worthwhile for babies, who can't partake in the activities and aren't that interested in the static glass cases.

Baby's highlight?
Spot the Dog. The cabinet with various teddy bears in it, including Paddington and Winnie the Pooh, was also a big hit.

National Trust Museum of Childhood

Main Road,

Sudbury,

Ashbourne,

Derbyshire,

DE6 5HT

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sudbury-hall-and-the-national-trust-museum-of-childhood

Chester Zoo

Even before Baby arrived we decided we wanted to buy an annual membership for Chester Zoo. It's expensive, at £20 for an adult on the gate in the colder months, and £28 in the Summer, but it is a full day out, with so much to see that it can't all always be seen in one day. A joint adult membership is £145 for the year, so if we visited four times over the year we would have saved money.

Our first trip was to celebrate Grandpa's birthday. Baby's Christmas present to Grandma and Grandpa was an annual membership, so our first port of call was the membership office. Cards obtained, we were ready to explore.

Our first stop was the elephant house. It seems that you don't actually need to have purchased a ticket to get into the elephant house, as the entrance to it is before the ticket gates, round behind the shop. We were in luck, as the elephants were obviously feeling friendly, and were close to the edge of their enclosure. Baby was very interested in these strange animals. We even spotted the new baby of the herd, Nandita, born around the same time as Baby. She was very playful, climbing onto a rock and managing to balance for longer than seemed physically possible.

Next up was the monkey house. The first window was very busy so we decided to move further round to get Baby closer to a window. Unfortunately, the monkeys in the remaining enclosures weren't so keen to come close to the window, so Baby didn't really get to see much of the monkeys.

We took in a few more enclosures before Baby decided she'd had enough and wanted a change and a feed. We used the facilities in the Bembe Kitchen, which was closed for refurbishment during our visit, so there was no hot food available, though the building was open, which was useful. The baby changing was snug but reasonably clean and the building was warm, which was useful for feeding.

While Baby was awake and in a good mood, we decided to take her on the monorail. She hasn't seen much public transport to date, and we thought she might find it a novel experience. Typically, she took it all in her stride and seemed completely unfazed. It was £2 per person, and went from opposite the elephant enclosure to the restaurant on the other side of the zoo. It was very quiet, we had a carriage to ourselves which was useful as we had the pram, which we were able to wheel straight on and off with no issues. We travelled over the lion enclosure and got a really good view of them, they even looked straight at us at one point. We also saw a cheetah strolling around in its enclosure. Baby was able to get a really good view of them and seemed to enjoy looking out of the window as we went over the enclosures.

We lunched at June's Kitchen. It had the biggest range of food and plenty of seating, though with Bembe Kitchen being closed it was quite busy. We were still able to find a table with no wait however. Lots of prams meant that the aisles between tables were often blocked, but most people were very good natured about having to squeeze round others to get in/out.

With the membership we got a discount on food, but it's still not particularly cheap. Of course there is the option to take your own picnic but to sit outside would have been rather chilly and not particularly enjoyable. There was pizza, pasta, burgers, fish and chips, and a deli with healthier options. The ice cream parlour didn't seem to be open.

Baby fell asleep as we were eating, so missed the rest of the zoo. We saw sun bears, penguins, eagles. We also went into Realm of the Red Ape, hoping to see some orangutans. Unfortunately signs in all of the enclosures there said they were now in Islands, which wasn't open during our visit.

We also made brief pit stops to see the chimpanzees, giraffes and the tropical realm before heading back to the entrance. The beauty of the membership is that it doesn't matter that Baby fell asleep, because we can go back and see some other animals another time.

It was a cold day this visit, and as mentioned above, Islands wasn't open. The zoo was very quiet compared to the crowds that visit in Summer, which meant it was peaceful and easy to get around. Most of the animals were inside though, rather than outside, so on a few occasions this meant they were out of sight. Regardless, we all enjoyed our day out thoroughly.


Key facts:

Month of visit:
January

Weather for visit:
Very cold, but thankfully dry.

Is it pushchair friendly?
Yes, everywhere is accessible with wide paths and ramps.

How are the baby changing facilities?
Plenty of baby changing dotted around the zoo. The ones we used were reasonably clean, if a little cold occasionally.

What about somewhere to feed?
Baby changing facilities are only small, with nowhere to sit. I fed in the cafes with no problems.

Is it worth a visit?
Absolutely. So many animals to see, too little time. An expensive day out for a family, but worth it for an occasional treat.

Baby's highlight?
The elephants.



Chester Zoo
Upton-by-Chester
Chester,
CH2 1LH

http://www.chesterzoo.org

World Museum, Liverpool

Grandma wanted to see the poppy installation at St George's Hall in Liverpool, so a very cold January day saw us wrapped up warm in the city centre. Seeing the poppies only took about five minutes however, and as I mentioned, it was very cold, so Grandma suggested we popped round the corner to the World Museum to warm up.

First stop was the cafe on the ground floor. Plenty of tables and completely empty when we arrived. We opted for hot drinks and cake, though there didn't seem to be too much in the way of savoury food, bar a handful of sandwiches in a chiller. There is another cafe on the fifth floor which we didn't venture into.

On the first floor there is an aquarium. Grandma thought that Baby might enjoy looking at the fish and she was right. It was the first time Baby had seen fish and she was entranced, particularly by the brightly coloured ones. She was a bit confused too, and I don't think she could understand why she couldn't touch them through the thick pane of glass.

The aquarium wasn't very busy which meant that we were able to wander round at our leisure. Whilst not a huge aquarium, there was plenty to look at, and each window was large enough for several people to look in at any one time. In addition to the brightly coloured fish, Baby also enjoyed the sting rays, as they swam up the glass pane in front of her.

After we'd explored the aquarium, we decided to visit the dinosaur exhibit. There was a trail to follow, so naturally Mummy and Grandma did that on Baby's behalf. Most of the cards for the trail were easy to find, though one or two had us stumped for a while. Again, it wasn't a particularly large space, so it didn't take us long to look around. I quite liked this though, as I can imagine that visiting multiple sections might keep mobile children entertained for a longer overall period.


Key facts:

Month of visit:

January

Weather for visit:
Very very cold.

Is it pushchair friendly?
Yes, there are two large lifts in the atrium, and the majority of the exhibits can be accessed without stairs. There was a mezzanine level in the dinosaur exhibit which seemed to be only accessible via stairs, but we didn't actually look too hard for an alternative, nor did we ask any staff members.

What about somewhere to feed?
There were benches on the levels we accessed, and a chair in the large baby changing room. There was also a cafe on the ground floor.

Is it worth a visit?
It's free, and Baby loved seeing the fish in the aquarium, so we'll definitely be back.

Baby's highlight?
The aquarium. Large windows and colourful fish had her fascinated.



World Museum
William Brown Street,
Liverpool,
L3 8EN

http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/wml/

Martin Mere

When we were younger, we used to visit Martin Mere all the time. Great-Grandpa was a keen bird watcher, and the fresh air and chance to get close to some birds, whilst not being too far away, were a winning combination.

After Baby arrived, Grandma suggested that we visit, to see what, if anything, had changed. We even decided to take out annual memberships, on the basis that we would probably visit more than four times. Since then we've already visited enough times to make the membership worthwhile.

This particular visit (Baby slept through the whole of the first visit) was to coincide with the Lego animal trail which was in place over the Winter months. Giant animals including flamingos, otters, kingfishers and other birds were made out of hundreds of lego bricks and positioned around the enclosures.

We were given a map at reception, and set off. All of the statues were very easy to spot, as they were very tall. Some were chunkier than others, but they were all equally as impressive. Their height meant that Baby was able to spot them from her pram, though they were all strategically positioned to avoid anyone touching and damaging them.

The site itself isn't that large, and a walk round can be done in under an hour, which was just as well on this occasion as it started to pour with rain about three quarters of the way round. The 'enclosures' are on one side of the site, to the left as you leave the shop/visitor centre, with the mere and hides to the right.

The enclosures contain a large variety of ducks, moorhens, flamingos and even otters. There are gates in between the areas which are split generally into continents. The paths are wide and generally tarmaced or concrete, but the edges of some of the water bodies are unfenced, so those with curious children would need to pay special attention whilst walking around.

There is also a Wild Walk, which Mummy and Baby have as yet been unable to do, because Mummy nevers remembers her wellies/forgets that Baby needs to be in the carrier, not the pram, to access this part. During the ostensibly warmer months (April to October), there are canoes for hire and boat tours available. Again, Mummy and Baby are yet to experience this because babes in arms aren't permitted on either, for safety reasons.

Part of Martin Mere's appeal for serious bird watchers is that it attracts large numbers of migratory swans, and it even hosts swan feeding at specific times in certain months. Any events put on for children tend to focus on the enclosure side of the site, meaning that the hides are kept still and quiet.

Grandma could sit in the hides all day watching different birds coming and going. Surprisingly, Baby also enjoyed sitting on the window ledge in one of the hides, watching the swans extending and flapping their wings, far more than I thought she would. One of the newer hides is heated, in an attempt to encourage children and families to make use of it. Personally I wouldn't take Baby into a hide which I knew had other bird watchers in as I suspect she might make a bit too much noise and disturb the birds/watchers, but if children were able to make minimal noise they might enjoy using the binoculars and bird books provided to spot different species. A good location for ticking off some items in an ispy book!


Key facts:

Month of visit:
January

Weather for visit:
Intermittent rain and dry spells.

Is it pushchair friendly?
Yes, all the paths are wide and accessible.

How are the baby changing facilities?
There are a couple of sets of toilets, we used the ones in the cafe. Baby changing was in the disabled toilets, and were clean and warm.

What about somewhere to feed?
Nowhere to feed in the disabled toilets, but I fed in the cafe with no issues.

Is it worth a visit?
Yes, fresh air and plenty of visual stimulation for Baby.

Baby's highlight?
The giant Lego kingfisher.



WWT Martin Mere
Fish Lane,
Burscough,
Lancs,
L40 0TA

http://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/martin-mere/

Lantern Magic at Chester Zoo

Lantern Magic is a seasonal event put on by Chester Zoo at Christmas, which is now in its second year. The advertising for the event heavily features large lanterns in the shape of various zoo animals and I must say, looked incredible.

Daddy took a day off so that we could go on a Friday, and at 4pm, so that we wouldn't be home too late to put Baby in bed, and in the hope that it might be a bit quieter than on a weekend or evening.

You book a specific timeslot, in an attempt to distribute visitors evenly throughout the evening, and there is a one way route to follow, though once you're in, there's nothing to stop you going round the trail as many times as you want to. There were different packages on offer, from just a ticket, to a package including a meal and a day's entry to the zoo. We opted for the ticket + meal option, thinking that prepaying might offer some advantages on the day, and would mean we didn't need to think about tea when we got home.

When we arrived it was very cold and windy, though thankfully not raining, so we bundled Baby up in multiple layers, including her snowsuit, and put her in the carrier. We also took the pram in case it got too cold or Baby started to get fed up with the carrier, but we thought being in the carrier would give her the best vantage point.

There were many people congregating at the turnstiles, and a few members of staff walking around offering free shortbread biscuits in Christmassy shapes. At 4pm, those of us with that timeslot on our tickets were allowed in. It wasn't quite dark when we entered, but by the time we'd finished it was dark. We quite enjoyed this, as it meant we were able to see the sights both in the light and dark.

As we began the walk around, we were handed a lantern. This was a large cloth pyramid, with a light inside it (though our light went out before we'd reached the halfway point), on a bamboo pole. Whilst a nice idea, to create a parade of lanterns in the dark, especially with the wind we found it annoying and I tucked it into the pram so I didn't have to carry it. Children could carry their own much smaller lanterns, which I imagine would lose their novelty before the end and be given to parents to hold!

What the advertising hadn't really shown was that the animal lanterns were only a part of the route. The FAQs on Chester Zoo's website suggested 90 minutes to complete the route. We actually only took 45, and we stopped to look at everything. Unfortunately the additional bits that were supposed to round out the route, felt very much like afterthoughts to pad it out, and most could be seen in two seconds, before moving on.

The animal lanterns however were amazing. In most cases they were life-size, and although there were clearly teething problems with some of them, as a few bulbs seemed to have not lit up, they were spectacular. I just wish there'd been more of them. With the exception of one or two, they were gathered on the lawn outside Dragons in Danger.

There were also some 'lanterns' that were moving lanterns, i.e. they were operated by people. These included flamingos, giraffes and penguins. The flamingos were on the lawn with the other lanterns but were interacting with all the children walking the route. We came across the penguins on the wooden bridge as we were reaching the end of the route, and they were very good with Baby, which was a lovely touch.

We also saw Father Christmas who was driving around on his sleigh; his elves were handing out sweets to visitors he passed.

The route was mostly well marshalled, with staff pointing you in the right direction, which was necessary as occasionally it went back on itself. We were also marshalled through various sales points, including having obligatory photos taken on green screens, and walking through the snack hut selling hot chocolate.

When we reached the end of the route we found ourselves surprised that we'd finished already. Had Baby been a bit older, and had it been less cold, we might have walked around again after eating, as I think seeing the route in the dark would have been an interesting comparison to seeing it in the fading light.

The pre booked food was served in Bembe Kitchen. Despite the confirmation email saying that we would receive vouchers at the gate, staff there told us we could just show the email on our phone to the serving staff. Whilst this proved correct, the serving staff were at first unsure about this and didn't seem to be aware that this was the process.

We both had the pulled pork roll, which came with chips. It was very tasty, but could have been a big bigger. I had thought that there might be an advantage to prepaying, but we didn't get priority or a discount, we could have bought exactly the same meal at the same price on the day.

We were lucky with timings in that because we'd finished the route quickly, the restaurant wasn't very busy at all. I imagine that later on it would get pretty hectic. Baby was out for the count by this point so we were able to eat in peace!

All in all, I would go back again next year because the animal lanterns were so good, but at least now I know what to expect, and will spend more time looking at the lanterns, rather than thinking there would be more ahead. And of course Baby will be able to walk around herself next year, and I imagine will very much enjoy them too.


Key facts:

Month of visit:
December

Weather for visit:
Very cold and windy, but thankfully dry.

Is it pushchair friendly?
Very, everywhere was accessible, though we used the carrier.

How are the baby changing facilities?
We didn't need to use them on this visit, but there seemed to be plenty based on signage.

What about somewhere to feed?
Too cold to feed on one of the many benches outside, but the restaurant was nice and warm.

Is it worth a visit?
Yes, just make sure to take your time viewing the lanterns.

Baby's highlight?
Interacting with the penguins.

Chester Zoo

Upton-by-Chester,

Chester,

CH2 1EU

http://www.chesterzoo.org

Maize Maze at Red House Farm

Mummy and Grandma have been to the Maize Maze every year for the past five or six years. Mummy was a bit unsure about going this year, and indeed we left it until the last weekend of the season before deciding to go, as the walk can be quite long depending how much of the maze you cover.

The maze at Red House Farm is made out of maize, hence the name, and the limited season, before the maize is harvested. Each year, the maze has a different theme and is set out in a different shape. This year the theme was Blue Peter. There are several boards positioned around the maze, which each have a stamp attached. You are given a map at the entry kiosk, on the back of which is space to stamp for each board found. This is a very large maze and without the map you might struggle to find all the boards. Our usual approach is to take a pen and draw a line along the map as we go, to make sure we don't continually retrace our steps.

It didn't take us too long to find all the boards. We could tell that it was the end of the season, as there were several unofficial paths through what should have been solid lines of maize. As a bit of a traditionalist, I generally refuse to use these cut throughs! Baby seemed to be very much enjoying being snuggled up against Daddy in her carrier and fell asleep almost straight away, staying asleep for the whole of the time we were in the maze.

After exiting the maze, we headed for the tearoom. Not huge, but there was thankfully a table free inside. We were offered a highchair but Baby was definitely too small, not to mention still asleep, so she slept on Mummy's lap while we ate.


Key facts:

Month of visit:
September

Weather for visit:
Dry but overcast.

Is it pushchair friendly?
Staff said the paths around the maze were fine for pushchairs, and there were wheelchair gates for the bridges. However, we used the carrier, which gave us more freedom. The paths were generally fine, but perhaps a bit too bumpy, and I imagine if it rains they would become quite muddy.

What about somewhere to feed?
There is a small cafe, but I fed Baby in the car.

Is it worth a visit?
Yes, especially for maze loving Mummy! Children will love finding the stamps and navigating the maze, though it was a little wasted on Baby.

Baby's highlight?
Cuddling Daddy and sleeping!


Red House Farm
Red House Lane,
Dunham Massey,
Altrincham,
WA14 5RL

http://www.redhousefarm.co.uk

Baby's First Day Out - Rufford Old Hall

As lifetime members, a National Trust property was always a likely candidate for Baby's first day out. We've been to Rufford Old Hall before, so taking Baby here for her first day out didn't feel as big a challenge as taking her somewhere we've never visited. We know the staff are friendly, there is plenty of car parking, and if things went pear shaped, we're only 20-30 minutes from home.

Grandma and Grandpa accompanied Mummy and Daddy for the first outing. Baby was only 20 days old. A last minute nappy change and subsequent feed (how do babies know when you're trying to leave the house?), meant that Grandma and Grandpa were already there, and halfway through a delicious scone, when we arrived. This had its advantages though, as Grandpa could cuddle Baby whilst Mummy and Daddy ate in peace.

After lunch, we made the most of the sunshine and walked through the woodland. There were various knitted animals located throughout the wood, and although they were clearly reaching the end of their placement, they still added lovely touches of colour. The walk started on a clearly marked path which would have been fine for a pushchair, but in the middle it became a bit of a muddy field, before concluding with a gravel path by the side of the canal.

The woodland was followed by a walk around the house. It's not the largest National Trust property by any stretch of the imagination, but for Baby's first day out it was just the right size, especially given my body was still recovering from a 50+ hour labour. The room staff were all welcoming (the primary question being 'pink hat, blue cardigan, is it a boy or a girl?'), and it wasn't too crowded, which eased my rather neurotic worries about people bumping into her.

The actual hall wasn't too warm, which isn't really surprising given its size and construction, but the remainder of the house was pleasant. There were a handful of rooms downstairs and the same upstairs. Several of the rooms are rather small and can feel a bit claustrophobic with more than two people in them, but this was never really a problem for us, and the other visitors (as you might expect for a National Trust property) were all very polite and waited patiently for their turn on the rare occasion there was a queue.

All in all, a gentle introduction to the world of days out for Baby (and her slightly neurotic Mummy).


Key facts:

Month of visit:
September

Weather for visit:
Hot and sunny.

Is it pushchair friendly?
Not really. We used a baby carrier, partly because we wanted to test it out and partly because we knew there was no lift to the upstairs, it being such an old building. There are several tight corners to negotiate as well as steps up and down into rooms. In Summer the woodlands would be accessible with a pushchair but I imagine in Winter (or just whenever it has rained recently) the mud would be too much. The gardens do have lovely wide pushchair friendly paths, which fare better in inclement weather, but can still turn a bit muddy with heavy use and rainfall. We did see another new mum using a sling, and at other National Trust properties they are available to loan for no charge, so I imagine they're also available here.

How are the baby changing facilities?
There are baby changing facilities alongside the toilets in the main yard. While we didn't actually use them, we did have a sneaky peek. They seemed clean, if a little cold. As they were located in the disabled toilet, there wasn't anywhere to sit and feed a baby, should you be so inclined.

What about somewhere to feed?
As the baby changing was located in the disabled toilet, there wasn't anywhere to sit and feed Baby. The tearoom is small but shouldn't pose any problems for feeding.

Is it worth a visit?
Yes, especially in dry weather, as the gardens are lovely and children can have fun building dens and roaming in the woodland. They may get a little bored in the house, but it's not very big and there is a trail they can follow.


Baby's highlight?
All the attention she received!


Rufford Old Hall
200 Liverpool Road,
Rufford,
near Ormskirk,
Lancashire,
L40 1SG


http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/rufford-old-hall