I always have a lot of questions about accommodati I always have a lot of questions about accommodation when we stay anywhere as a family so I thought I’d share this little tour of our room at @windjammerlanding which was a pretty perfect place to stay.

It’s the ‘Ocean View Two Bedroom’ which was like a little house, with an upstairs and downstairs, built into the hillside. Both rooms had outdoor space and their own shower rooms. Such a great option for a family.
A little photo dump from our holiday in St Lucia. A little photo dump from our holiday in St Lucia. We’ve been back a few days now but still miss the heat, the food, the pool, the constant sounds of wildlife and the lovely people. It was such a great holiday and I’m sure we’ll be back one day.
And just like that, Athena is 12! What a joy it is And just like that, Athena is 12! What a joy it is watching her grow and what a wonderful young woman she is becoming. We could not be more proud. Love you Pickle, have a great birthday.
We’ve just got back from two glorious weeks in S We’ve just got back from two glorious weeks in St Lucia staying at @windjammerlanding and it was just the holiday we needed. Two weeks of sunshine and relaxation in what must be one of the most beautiful islands in the world. 

We can’t wait to go back again in the future. Here’s just a little snippet of our trip.
AD - Press Tickets | We had such a nice day at @na AD - Press Tickets | We had such a nice day at @national_motor_museum despite the rain! The children loved the Little Beaulieu play area and we loved exploring the National Motor Museum and Top Gear exhibit before having a ride on the monorail! We went on an old open topped bus, explored the Beaulieu Manor House and loved the gardens. 
Beaulieu is always a great day out - whatever the weather. This summer they have a whole ‘Summer of Fun’ planned, with activities most days - parades, bird shows and hundreds of sculptures within the grounds too. If you’re looking for a day out this summer definitely think about heading to Beaulieu.
AD - Press Tickets | Tonight we took the kids to t AD - Press Tickets | Tonight we took the kids to their first concert - but it was so much more than just a concert! @abbavoyage is incredible. With CGI ABBA and a live band, it’s like being at an ABBA concert 40 years ago but with modern lighting, effects and sound. ABBA look and sound real, it’s a mind blowing experience.
The set includes all the songs you know and love as well as a few less familiar ones.
You can’t take photos during the show which actually made a refreshing change. A whole arena focused purely on the show and soaking up the moment. It’s definitely something the four of us will always remember.
Now, I’m off to sing Dancing Queen all the way home.
AD - Press Trip | We had such a great day at @phdo AD - Press Trip | We had such a great day at @phdockyard today. They have a fantastic Ultimate Explorer ticket that lets you visit all the attractions as many times as you like for 12 months - and after a day at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard we can see that you need more than one day to really do everything!

We explored HMS Warrior, HMS Victory and the Mary Rose Exhibition - which is incredible! We also saw where ships are built and restored and spent time in Action Stations where the kids climbed and did an assault course.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is such a fun, educational day out with something for all ages - we can’t wait to go on their harbour tours next time we visit!
AD | WIN!! Would you love to win a holiday? To cel AD | WIN!! Would you love to win a holiday? To celebrate #100YearOfARoads National Highways have launched their #ARoadsToSummer competition! It's all about celebrating summer holiday moments, time together, fun in the sun, days out and more.

So why not be in it to win it? To enter, all you have to do is send @nationalhways a DM on here with a photo or video of your favourite holiday moments. You can also comment on their Facebook or Twitter #ARoadsToSummer posts with your holiday photos. I've shared a few of our favourite photos to give you some inspiration.

The best six entries will each win a £500 @nationaltrust holidays voucher! SO what are you waiting for? Dig out your favourite holiday photos or take some new ones to share!

The #ARoadsToSummer competition runs from 24 July to 10 September 2023. Winners will be announced in September 2023.

Good luck!
Oh these two! Every day I feel lucky to have them. Oh these two! Every day I feel lucky to have them. As school draws to a close at lunchtime, I’m looking forward to a whole summer with them. My favourite people.

They’ve both had a great year at school this year. Troy’s first without his sister by his side and Athena’s first at secondary school. 

They both had great reports, always did their best and have made some really lovely new friends this year. I could not be more proud of them.

Now, let’s go and enjoy the next six weeks before school starts all over again!
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Days Out, Days Out and Attractions/Events, Reviews · May 24, 2022

Jorvik Viking Centre York Review

On our recent trip to North Yorkshire, we planned to go to the city of York and do some exploring. One place we were aware of and wanted to see was the Jorvik Viking Centre in the heart of the city.

What is Jorvik Viking Centre?

The Jorvik Viking Centre is in the heart of York City’s Coppergate Shopping Centre. It was built on the site of the famous 1976 Coppergate Dig, a five year archaeological dig that led to the insight of the Viking age in Jorvik. In total, more than 40,000 archaeological finds were discovered that included 5 tons of animal bones, ancient timber used to build houses, handmade leather shoes, woven garments and even a coprolite – fossilised human poo – found under what was and still is, Lloyds Bank. A huge selection of these items are on display at Jorvik Viking Centre – including the poop!

Entry to Jorvik Viking Centre

After a little research online, we discovered that the Jorvik Viking Centre is part of the Jorvik Group that also consists of Jorvik DIG, Barley Hall and the City Walls Experience. As we were in the area for a week, we decided that the best option for us was to get the Pastport entry to all of the Jorvik Group attractions and museums so we could save money, book and explore as we wanted to.

Online reservations are essential at the Jorvik Viking Centre and when we bought our tickets, we chose a timeslot too. The attraction can get very busy so this is done to keep numbers manageable but not too crowded.

When we arrived at the centre, we were met by a colourful cast member, dressed head to toe in authentic looking Viking garb, complete with handmade leather shoes. We were shown inside where more friendly staff members checked our booking before explaining a bit about the experience.

The Jorvik Viking Centre experience

As we descended below modern street level, we found ourselves in an atmospheric room with a glass floor. Underneath, we could see where archaeologists had painstakingly reconstructed the dig from the late 1970’s. We could see oyster shells, a cheap and popular food during the Viking age, utensils, pottery, coins, shoes and so much more.

These are all recreations of how items were found during the dig, and with the glass floor, visitors can see the conditions in which the items were found. There are also a few interactive displays dotted around the area that let users dig an item up and see the stages of retrieval and preservation needed. These range from keeping the item at the right humidity, temperature and even exposure to light. The children loved these and would gone through all 40,000 items if we’d let them!

Jorvik Viking Centre Time Warp Ride

Once we had our fill of reading the displays, looking under the floor and playing with the computers, the next stage of the experience was the Time Warp ride. We sat in carriages large enough to accommodate a family of four comfortably or six at more of a squeeze.

There are a number of screens in each car, and as the ride was starting, we got to choose which tour to take. There was a normal English one along with a Kids English one too. The Kids version was narrated by enthusiastic characters that really bought it to life, but the adult version was just as entertaining! 

The time warp took us back to the early days of a Viking settlement in what was known as Jorvik and we followed its evolution through the years. The journey includes authentic recreations of dwellings, an ironmongers, a butcher’s shop and every aspect of Viking day to day life.

This all included ambient sounds, smells and even changes in temperature! A lot of the animatronic models are based on scans of recovered human remains from the area, even down to facial reconstruction of what the Vikings of the past might have looked like. This really bought the experience to life, especially the smells!

After the time warp, we found ourselves in an exhibition of the recovered Viking artefacts. For the age that they are, many of the items are incredibly well preserved. You can see the intricate detailing on ancient leather items, as if the item was made yesterday.

The glass jewellery has been restored to its former glory and the amount of ancient weaponry and clothing is remarkable. Oh, and the fossilised poop I mentioned earlier? That’s on display too! The kids really got a kick out of this. Along with a demonstration of Viking coin minting, you can spend hours just looking at the exhibits, reading the displays and soaking it all up.

Our trip to the Jorvik Viking Centre was a lot shorter than we expected and we were there less than two hours. This was mainly down to the children’s attention spans as you can spend as long as you like in Jorvik, reading all the item descriptions and spending time using the interactive aspects.

We enjoyed our visit to the Jorvik Viking Centre and with the Pastport tickets giving 12 month access we will be looking to go back if we find ourselves up North later in the year. You can find out more about Jorvik and check the Jorvik Viking Centre opening hours over on their website. For reference, the address is: 19 Coppergate, York YO1 9WT

Jorvik Viking Centre York Review

In: Days Out, Days Out and Attractions/Events, Reviews

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