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