Tulley Farm – Pumpkin and Spookfest

Tulley Farm - Pumpkin and Spookfest

​If you live in the South East and have not heard of Tulleys Farm and their Shocktoberfest you must be living under a rock. I last went three years ago and have heard through the grapevine it has only got better. 

I could not wait to take the kids this half term.

As usual, nothing in our house goes to plan and after getting the household ready, I ran into a small problem on departure….a flat tyre.

But, living on a farm has its perks and we usually have a back up vehicle of some description.

On this occasion it was our trusty Landrover Defender that came to our rescue. So, an hour later than planned, we were on our way. Tulleys Farm is a seasonal family event venue in Sussex, between London and Brighton, close to Crawley and East Grinstead.  So much is put into each event that it never fails to excite throughout each season. Drawing inspiration from the huge halloween industry in America, the Pick Your Own Farm began developing Tulleys Halloween events in around 2002.  It has since grown from visitors of 3,500 to the mega 60,000 it is welcoming now, over the Halloween period .

As a result of its phenomenal success, they have attracted some of the best Scare Experts in the business.

By day they run a fantastic family spooky experience and by night it becomes a terrifying fright fest that, quite franky, my bladder can no longer handle!

Last time I visited at night I spent most of the evening with my face burried in Mikes back!

For a fiesty lad #georgethemenace (my two year old) is scared of everything…  Spiders, clowns, masks, people dressed up and anything small that  moves.

As much as I enjoy the cuddles his terror brings, I knew this year it was best to leave him behind.

Also, as much as Tulleys has catered well for buggies, as us parents know, mud and prams make hard work.

Luckily my mum and dad were around and agreed to watch the two smaller boys for me.

Tulleys Farm is made up of a few different rides/experiences.

My kids favourite everytime we visit is the Horrid Hayride.

This is a tractor ride through a creepy woods where the aim of the game is to make the kids scream (and laugh). 

I’m going to be careful not to give to much away because the element of suprise and unknown is half the fun.

I will say, unlike the evening experience, the actors are much tamer during the day so that it doesnt traumatise the children……too much 😜

During the day we visited all the main attractions.

We visitied Dirty Gerty and The Witches in The Woods.

We tried to find all the ghosts in the Cornmaze.  Which, FYI, is a perfect opportunity to loose the kids for half an hour.

The Twisted Fun House, which even tripped me out slightly when I realised six little faces were relying on me to escape.

The more I tried to find the exit, the more we were faced with psychedelic clowns!

The Creepy Cottage was the ride that my older children found the scariest. Negotiating your way around a derelict cottage scattered with terrifying props

Inbetween all the rides are food stalls serving donuts, jacket potatoes, burgers, chicken, hogroasts and coffee….plenty of coffee everywhere!

The Pumkin Patch is really something to behold and you can buy them aswell as other great Halloween merchandise at the Farm Store.

As you walk around Tulleys there is plenty more entertainment scattered around. Spooky theatre, street theatre, puppet shows and a pertrifying play area, there is so much to do we nearly ran out of time! There really is nothing like this around.  It is such a brilliant concept and the planning that goes into it and the volume of visitors speaks for itself.

There are a few days left…….take a visit.   Tulleys Farm is a seasonal attraction and I am definatly visiting at Christmas. 

Tulleys Farm have also introduced an attraction called Escape Rooms. I’ve been checking it out online and it seems a team of you are locked in a room and the only way to escape is by solving a series of puzzles.  I can’t wait to give that a go

I would love to hear your opinions if you have visited.

For more information on prices and opening times, take a look at

www.tulleysfarm.com

 

Tulleys Farm gave me entrance tickets in return for this review. However, all my opinions are entirely honest and without influence.

Our day at Godstone Farm

Our day at Godstone Farm

I have been visiting Godstone farm since I was Georges age. Over the years it has just got better and better, whilst keeping hold of it orginal charm that makes me so nostalgic. So last week, I made the brave decision to take ALL my children for a visit. Even though we live on a farm, there is nothing like a day out at Godstone Farm.  We are so fortunate that it is just fifteen minutes from us. Considering it was the middle of the summer holidays, it was relatively quiet, which helped me stay sane. The farm is divided into areas that makes it easy to explore. They have all the animals you would hope to see on a farm.  Horses, donkeys, pigs, goats, llama and cows. They have a wonderful selection of birds and smaller animals. Chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks, rabbits, ferrets and guinea pigs aswell as a few reptiles. Activities are ran throughout the day such as animal talks and feedings. Have you ever watched Pig and feret racing?  The kids loved it! I had to giggle when the boys announced, on seeing the piglets… ‘Look mum, this pig has more babies than you!’ -yep, she looks in better shape to! Always a magical part of the day is the barn where you can hold the babies and small animals. They have baby chicks of different ages, rabbits and tortoises. Aswell as making sure no little darlings throw the chicks across the barn, Godstone farm employees are on hand to answer any questions the kids have. My kids loved this area, particularly George. Lets talk about the outdoor play area that gets even the adult visitors excited. The playground alone is worth the enterance fee. (How amazing is this swing!?) It has everything from zip wires and large slides for the older kids (and adults), to a sand pit, climbing frames and ride-ons for the younger ones. It is perfect to plot up and have a picnic, but, if like me you are not that organised, they have a sandwhich hut serving coffee, tea, cold drinks and ice cream. We spent about two hours here, and I still had to drag the kids away kicking and screaming! If the weather is bad, There are also two covered play areas. One is a huge soft play area set up in one of the large barns.  The other area is smaller with a climbing area and slide, set up for younger children After wearing George out in the play area we headed to the Dino Trail. Dotted around a path, and looking over the llamas, at the bottom of the farm are large model dinosaurs.  Each one is accompanied with facts on the animal. With a toddler and an eight year old obsessed with dinosaurs, this was a great suprise! Who knew that a baby T-Rex could have been born with feathers? We ended our day in the large sandpit for younger children with a portion of chips and an ice cream. I spent most of my time here wrestling George as he tried to take every tractor toy in the sandpit away from the other tots.  Always making time for a trip to the shop, the boys bought some water toys to play in the sun. Apart from all the activities, I was impressed with the general appearence of the farm. The landscaping is beautiful, the facilities were clean and there were plenty of hand washing points. We had a great day at Godstone Farm.  As always, it provided a fun and educational day outdoors, enjoying the great British summer. For more information, please visit http://godstonefarm.co.uk/ *I recieved free tickets in return for this review. However, as always, all my opinions are entirely honest and without biased.

Leeds Castle

Leeds Castle

Rosie and I took the kids (all eight of them!) to Leeds Castle in Kent during half term. It was our first proper visit (we went along one, cold evening four years ago to watch Frozen on the castle lawn).I absolutely love a mooch around a Castle or historical house and I love taking in the beautiful grounds. I always picture what It might have been like to live there during the various periods of history. Who owns it now? How do they keep it looking so beautiful? How many bottles of wine could you store in that wine celler!? (And Leeds Castle definatly has the BEST wine celler!)It was a stunning Autumn afternoon and we had such a fantastic day that words can not do it justice. I am going to let our photos explain……Leeds Castle has lots to do for the children, not least climbing trees and finding secret dens. It was Halloween when we visited and they had lots of spooky activities to enjoy. There is a wonderful playground area, maze and lots of activities from archery to dressing up as a knight. The children loved exploring the castle and filling in all the activity sheets they had been given. They have been learning about British History at school so they loved reading about how Leeds Castle related to Henry V111 and the Second World War. While they were reading about how King Henry VIII did a ‘changing rooms’ on the castle to impress and gift his wife Catherine of Aragon, I listened eagerly to the stewards who explained to me that in more recent years part of the castle was converted into a cinema and areas to entertain friends (jelous much!?).I have asked Mike to take me back for a romantic ‘date day’.  The strolls, the atmosphere and the stunning architecture would make a beautuful day out with a loved one (or first date?). I have never seen such beautiful gardens and the wildlife is everywhere. I am looking forward to visiting again in December and enjoying the Christmas  festivities with Mike and the children.Please share my post for anyone who might enjoy a beautiful day out at this Kent treasure. For more information on Leeds Castle and its wonderful, seasonal treats, take a look at their website https://www.leeds-castle.com

An idea for the summer holidays – Reigate, Surrey

An idea for the summer holidays - Reigate, Surrey

Mikey has had rehursals for his summer show in Reigate over the last 5 weeks so I feel like I’m really getting to know the town well. I worked in Reigate years ago but never appreciated what it had to offer, but then  I did spend all my free time in the pubs! We have spent a few lovely evenings at Priory Park, enjoying the warm summer nights while the kids play in the fabulous playground. Libby didn’t leave the zip wire, Charlie was king of the pirate ship and the twins were having a water fight (when they weren’t hunting for pokamons). The park is so beautifully kept with perfectly manicured flowers, paths perfect for bike riding, a lake, tennis courts and skateboarding ramp. It’s has the feel of a Royal garden but without the hassle and bustle of London. We have also given some of the restaurants a go….. It’s hardwork but there has been no time to cook! 😜 Charlies favourite place to eat is The Giggling Squid, a Thai restaurant with a modern feel. The food is stunning and I recommend the Green Thai Curry, Thai Beef Salad and Pad Thai noodles. Charlies favourites are the pork dumplings and the paid Thai are a guaranteed win for my lot. www.gigglingsquid.com We have also taken the kids to Bills which has a fabulous little courtyard garden. The menu has something for everyone from Seabass, Burgers, Grilled paprika chicken and Salads. The kids menu is very reasonable and the decor is great. https://bills-website.co.uk Reigate also has Pizza Express, Cafe Rouge, Carluccios, Cotes and lots more lovely places to eat…. I’m working my way round! So if you find yourself at a loose end over the summer,  take a visit to Reigate,you won’t be disappointed.

Petworth and The Three Crowns, Wisborough Green

Petworth and The Three Crowns, Wisborough Green

​I am really lucky when it comes to my relationship with Mike. Being self employed he is at home alot of the time. This would drive most wives to murder! But, as it happens, I quite like it! He often joins me for a coffee with the girls in the morning, listens to us moan about shit we find to moan about and then lightens the mood with one of his cocky comments. I’m completely going of the subject of my post! What I’m getting at is that he often suggests a random trip out after I’ve dropped the kids off to school. It might be that he has a job to price up or check on so we could be off anywhere (I’m writing this blog from the car on our way to Clapham) Just before Xmas we took a trip out to a place called Petworth. Petworth is a beautiful, small town in West Sussex, about 30 minutes from Horsham. A town made up of cobbled streets, antique markets and beautiful boutiques. We didn’t have much time there as we were restricted by the school pick up but there is a national trust property there which I will save for my next visit. Obviously I managed to find enough time to check all the shops out! I was so pleased with a bunch of real mistletoe I treated myself to 😘 The indoor antique Market is fantastic. If you like quirky bits for your house that add character or you just love a mooch around, looking at vintage gems it is definatly worth visiting. Some of the items we looked at I’m certain would be ten times the price on Kings Road!

Saint Nick popped in for a cuppa!

Saint nick popped in for a cuppa

​Deck the halls! We have had a really special,  festive weekend full of friends,  wine,  mince pies, sausage rolls, tinsel, The Pogues and Santa Claus! Back in November I looked into which Santa to take the kids to visit. I looked into local garden centres, National trust venues and shopping centres. I know most of them are great experiences but when you have 5 children they are also really expensive. It got me thinking,  how much would it cost to bring the big guy to us!? I hit Google and found a company called Hiresanta. They sent me a few videos of different Santa auditions and the relevant price for each Santa. Obviously, the best,  most realistic was the most expensive….. And typically the one I set my heart on. The price tag for our Santa came at a wopping £300, but,  considering I was going to spend £100 for 2 minutes with a half decent Santa at the local garden centre, I thought I’d give it a go.  He didn’t disappoint! The children were absolutely blown away (and so were the adults). Turns out our Santa was a professional actor with credits such as Eastenders, The Bill, Frost, Londons Burning and Casualty just to name a few. He spent two hours talking to the children,  listening to each of their presie lists and told them a lovely Christmas story. We are definatly going to book again for next year. Some of the older kids were suspicious but he was pretty convincing and left even the most defiant believers wondering….. Could he be!? So I can confirm we are now officially in the Christmas spirit! If you can get a few friends together and split the cost it is a great experience and a chance to make special memories that last forever. It’s also a great excuse for the parents to get together with a few bottles of wine and let a jolly man in a suit entertain the children for a couple of hours. Only one problem, Santa left his belt on my bed!…. Try explaining that one too the kids 😆🙊🎅 HO HO HO!!!! 🎅 http://www.hiresanta.co.uk

Chicken Pox help 

Chicken Pox help 

Looks like Chicken Pox is doing the rounds again 🤒 I have to share an amazing medicine that relieved my boys and ended their misery.. My four older children have all had ‘the pox’ and one caught it off another. First Charlie (very mild and over in no time), Libby was the last to get it and it didnt really effect her either.  Then there was the twins, in the middle and it was worse than I could imagine! They had spots everywhere, their bodies, their eyelids, mouth, lips, absolutly everywhere. They were in agony, one evening they didnt sleep at all, wriggling, itching and crying.  I tried all the creams and drugs they offered but nothing worked. I cant remember who it was that suggested it, whether it was advice given on Facebook or an answer to my desperate google searches but the suggestion was OATS. Oats that you can buy from any supermarket. I took an old pair of tights, filled the foot with oats and wrapped it around the bath tap.  I let the bath run through the tights, warm water but not too hot. It ran out like a milky liquid and as soon as the boys got in there was instant relief. That was the beginning of the end of Chicken pox for them, the relief wasnt just instant, it also lasted hours.  As soon as they felt uncomfortable again I would run another bath. Your babe may not get it as bad and,  like Charlie and libby,  probably cope fine with a bit of camomile lotion. For anyone whose children really suffer, I hope this helps you as much as it did for us! Lots of Love xxxx

Happy New Years……Resolutions? 

Happy New Years Resolutions

​2016 has been an exciting year for me.   My new addition, George has given me his first giggles, crawled, taken his first steps and become a fully fledged toddler. watch my beautiful sister in law get married on one of the best holidays I’ve ever had.I spent a fantastic weekend in Dublin with some of my favourite girls. found out we are expecting baby number 6 and started my Modernmum blog. I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported me and encouraged me throughout my blogging experience.😘 I have met some wonderful new people through this journey and still feel it is only just beginning. Looking forward to seeing you on the other side…2017! 🎊🎉 I was chilling in the bath earlier,   thinking about what my new years resolutions will be for 2017. I’ve never made NY resolutions before (mainly because I know I’ll never keep them,  why add pressure!?) But this year, I feel like I want to challange myself,  to see if I am capable. So here it goes….

-Being pregnant I’m not about to put pressure on myself to lose weight,  however,  baby is due in April.  By next Xmas I would like to be pre pregnancy weight. #goals

-Stop convincing myself Libby’s messy bun is an acceptable school hairstyle.   Actually start brushing and tieing it up neatly every morning.

-Take George to more toddler groups and less coffee shops.

-Start working at a desk rather than on the laptop infront of the TV.

-Always make sure the kids have lots of paper/supplies for homework projects.  They get so embarrassed taking in a scrappy bit of A4 when little jonny looks like Monet has done his homework.

-With the children,  sign up to at least three charity fundraisers.

-Stick with this blogging lark, I am really enjoying it and maybe even double my followers (feel free to share away😘)

-Get my arse into gear and make sure we have turkeys here in the summer.  Next Xmas we will be supplying your Xmas dinner) -Laugh more,  love more and try harder. So what’s your news years resolutions?  Or like me in the past,  do you just not bother? Happy New Year, Lots of Love Kate xxxx

New Kitchen

New Kitchen

When we moved to the farm three years ago It was a wreck. Mike had just finished the refurbishment at our old home and just as we were starting to enjoy it he asked if we could go and view this ‘bit of land with a house’ he had seen. It was a complete dump! a tiny four bedroom house that the estate agents were describing  as ‘unliveable’. But, we could both see the potential and given that it could offer us a life we dreamed of (and the fact we both have a screw lose) we took the plunge. I will write a post about ‘surviving an extension / refurbishment’ but for now I’m just going to brag about my kitchen. I say ‘brag’ because after living with a tiny ‘unliveable’ kitchen for over two and a half years and then a building site for another three months I feel like I earned it. I can’t offer much advice on how to cope with having a new kitchen fitted because, quite frankly, I’m not sure I did cope! Our builders were great and made sure I always had a cooker and a sink (most of the time).   Although,  I won’t lie,  we became great friends with our local restaurants over that three months! I ll let you know how I got my perfect kitchen….  I knew I wanted a country kitchen that was in keeping with a home on a farm but anyone that knows me will tell you there is a bit of a Essex girl in me fighting to get out and that girl loves a bit of glitz and glamour. So I’m going to say the look I settled on was classic, country glamour. I Googled and looked through pintrest to get an idea of what i wanted. There were a few things I knew I needed to include before the planning started : -The Amtico flooring that I have throughout the rest of my downstairs was a must for the kitchen.   We love to entertain and the kitchen is always the hub of our house. With five kids, six dogs, a husband that loves shooting and given where we live we need a hard wearing floor that doesn’t show every speck of dirt. Our Amtico Tradional Oak Spacia is perfect for that.  It is so easy to keep clean and always looks smart.  I ordered this off the internet, if you go into your flooring shop and ask for a quote you are likely to go into cardiac arrest! -I love stone worktops.  Granite, marble, Composite, Quartz, I love them all!  I don’t love the price but I do think it adds something to a kitchen, and as long as you don’t pick black (a mistake I made in an old house) it is easy to keep clean and always looks lush. -I bought a rangemaster induction cooker when we moved into this house.  Given that is was only a couple of years old and we were on a budget  I had to keep it.  Once it had a professional clean looked fabulous. Induction for anyone that doesn’t know is an instant heat hob that is heated by a magnet.  Food doesn’t burn onto it so its really easy to clean and if you put your hand on the hob it doesn’t burn you (great for the kids and husband) . -My fridge/freezer is Fisher and Paykel.  They were the only manufacturers that had a fridge/freezer that had a water dispenser but didn’t loose the space inside the fridge to store the ice and water tank.  With a family of seven, soon to be eight we need as much room as possible.  The Ice drops straight into a drawer in the freezer section. So again, the kitchen had to be worked around that. found a local kitchen supplier (Cathedral Kitchens, Sanderstead) who did a great job at planning the kitchen.  I knew roughly how I wanted to lay it out but he suggested the curved units and building a unit around the fridge. I gave him a budget and a rough idea of what look I wanted and he showed me what he described as his ‘kitchen that never dates’.  He has been selling it for years, a Crown kitchen in the Heathfied range. I knew I wanted copper accessories and when I was shown the copper handles I knew they would be the perfect finish. The kitchen units and handles came in at a great price.  If you think that the local independent kitchen shop is going to be expensive, go and check it out, I think you might be surprised. I’m an online budget shopper so I had fun searching for a few bits… Our two worktops are solid wood which I ordered from Worktop Express online.  They were so much cheaper than any shop or local supplier and the quality is really good.  At the price I paid a few people questioned what they would actually look like but my builder said they are great quality. The three lights over my island I ordered off Ebay for £39.99 each and they are a talking point of the kitchen.  In the evening when we are all sitting around the Island having a drink, the lights (on a dimmer) really create an atmosphere. tractor stools were from Melody Maison online and cost £54.50 each.  They add that rustic farm feel to the kitchen. My two copper effect radiators were £100 each off an Ebay heating shop, a total bargain and a bit different from an average radiator. The focal point of the whole kitchen has to be the Island worktop.  I rang various people from online companies to local people and I was quoted anywhere from £5,000 – £8,000 for this. It was money we didn’t have but a part of the kitchen I wasn’t prepared to compromise on.  What made it even harder was that mike wanted an edging to the stone that nearly doubled the price. I called a local company to us who store their own stone in a huge warehouse.  I couldn’t believe my luck when they showed me an off-cut, big enough for my Island. The only problem was, because it was granite, a natural stone, it had some slight orange markings.  This meant it would be hard for them to sell, but with my copper finish I thought it would look great and  As it happens you could barely see it. managed to get my Island worktop, made and fitted for under £3000!  If you live in the South East and would like more details on this company feel free to email me. and a small wash sink in the island with a boiling water tap, a total necessity for any new kitchen (tea and coffee on tap…literally and no kettles taking up worktop space) my kitchen came together! Unfortunately, dispite having a fantastic decorator, by this stage money was tight and I decided to paint and paper myself.

I am a nightmare for wallpaper! I love it and every room in my house has at least one wall papered. Because the French doors all open up to our garden and fields I knew I wanted something which brought outdoors indoors.  A tree theme preferably in a green that would set off perfectly with the copper and cream. After browsing the net I found Sanderson Waterperry, Its not cheap at approx £44 a roll, but It was only for the one wall and I have Sanderson wallpaper in my lounge and the quality makes it worth it. One of the things I hadn’t thought about when we were doing our kitchen was how much it would bring us back together as a family.   Now instead of everyone going of into seperate rooms we all spend time together, playing,  cooking, eating or just chatting in the kitchen. If you want any more details on the kitchen or our fabulous builders,(S.W CONSTRUCTION 07956161721) who I can not rate highly enough please email me katethompson485@gmail.com.

I’m back 

I'm Back

I’m sorry I haven’t posted any blogs recently.  It’s been a busy time in our house the past few weeks. Getting the kids ready for school after a fab six week summer holiday,  baby girl had turned 6 and it was George’s first birthday. The kids seem to have settled back into a routine better than I have! All this while living with no kitchen, collecting cows,  hatching chicks and looking after a poorly dog has left very little time to blog. Im slowly getting back into the swing of things though so Modern Mum will be back on track.