Our Day at Drusillas

Our Day at Drusillas

We have been fortunate to visit a few special attractions around the South of England this Summer. When I have asked the kids which one stands out, Drusilla’s Park won hands down. It has been so long since I have been to Drusillas It is nothing more than a vague memory to me.  So when I was asked to give a review of the Park I jumped at the chance. Anyone that I have spoken to about Drusillas has raved about it, so I was really excited to take the kids. A friend of mine, Simin, lives in Eastbourne and has an Annual Membership for Drusillas.  She has been visiting the Park for over fifteen years.  So, apart from a great opportunity to meet up with her and her little girl, I thought it would be handy to go with someone who knows the zoo and can give me a guided tour! Drusillas Park Is located just off the A27 at Ariston. From where we live in Warlingham (just outside of Croydon) it took approximately an hour. The kids usually hate long journeys, but I avoided the motorways and the route took us on a lovely drive through Ashdown Forest. I had always thought Drusillas was a small zoo.  My kids adore animals and learning about different species so I knew I would be earning brownie points on this day out.  What we actually realised on arrival is that Drusillas is so much more than ‘just a small zoo’. The variety of play areas and rides are probably the best I have ever seen!  But, I’ll tell you all about that later. Lets start at the beginning of our day. Car parking was simple and you don’t get charged to park in it.  This shouldn’t be a surprise, but a few of the attractions we have been to over the last six weeks have charged us for parking. Like most of my days out, it started with a coffee.  Coffee is my ‘mama fuel’ to help me mentally cope with the day ahead.  Not only to make sure I don’t loose one of my six children, but to make sure I can keep an enthusiastic, ‘Balamory style’ attitude throughout the day. Imagine my delight when I was greeted with a Starbucks sign! After my caffeine fix, it was straight onto the animals. The children had been given some activity booklets to complete on the way around the park. I thought they were great because they were kept simple.  The kids had to spot animals listed in the booklet and stamp it accordingly.  This meant it was easy for my younger children to complete, whilst keeping the older ones entertained too. They could also take part in the Zoolympics Challenge.  There were various points around the park where you could test your sporting skills against different animals. Our first stop was Iguanas and Snakes.  The smell was reminiscent of the twins bedroom, so I was keen to move on fairly swiftly, but the kids took in every fact and bit of information available to them. The Farmyard was lovely to mooch around, George loved it and It was so informative.  The older children have been to many farms and have books on most of our animals, yet we all learnt new facts at this section of the park. -Did you know that dairy cows produce 21 litres of milk per day? -Did you know that Donkeys are sometimes kept as pets to keep lawns short? (yea, I suggest swerving that informative can of worms!) -I also learned that despite how I might feel sometimes, I am not built like a carthorse and, at a push, I just about have the strength of a Serval (a giant cat)….I know!? who knew!? You don’t it about me, but I love monkeys!!! I could watch monkeys all day!! So Imagine my delight when our next stop was the capuchins (Marcel from Friends?) Marmosets, Colobus, Squirrel monkeys and Macaques.   There were even more species of Monkeys dotted around the park. In all the years I have visited farms and zoos, I have never encountered Bats until I visited Drusillas. The children and I were fascinated.  We could walk through an enclosed area where the bats were hanging (literally) all around us.  I grew up next to woodland and we would see the shadows of bats regularly during the summertime, but it was a completely different experience to see them up close. New arrivals at Drusillas this year are the Giant Anteaters, and how amazing are they! (and, FYI, nothing like ALF!) The park has over one hundred different animal species and I am not going to go through every one, but amongst some of our favourites were Beavers, Porcupines, Sloths, Camels and Penguins. I loved seeing the Flamingos, (and not just so that I could use that cute sticker on Insta Stories!) They are so beautiful and pink…. I am working on mike to let me have a flock on the farm….what do you reckon my chances are!? Another highlight of our day was our walk through Lemurland.  This is an enclosure where you can walk amongst the Lemurs and watch them jump across your path or if you are really lucky, they might even land on you! The Go-Wild play area was exactly as it is described…Awesome Play.  It was every child’s dream and with a separate area for younger children, it had something for all ages. The kids spent over an hour in this part of the park.  If they had their way they would have spent all day there! The photos don’t do Go-Wild justice.  I couldn’t possibly get a shot with everything included! But, there was still so much to see so we had to drag them away from Go-Wild and head for the Get-Wet water park. Simin had text me the night before to tell me to make sure I brought the kids swimming cosies and towels.  Now I don’t want to appear a whinge, but when you are getting ready to take six children out for the day something has to give.  On this occasion I forgot the swimsuits! Luckily, it was such a hot day It didn’t stop Libby and George from having a great time jumping in and out of the fountains and water sprays.Go Safari! is Drusillas new attraction which only opened this year.  It is an area of the park made up of three rides.  They provide perfect thrills for younger children (my two and ten year olds enjoyed them). The Hippopotobus, The Flying Cheetahs and The Safari Train which takes you on an adventure around the whole park. Drusillas has a great Park Maze. We all had great fun getting lost and trying to find our way out.  I kept George safely on my shoulders the entire time we were in there.  Those of you who follow my blog and Instagram will understand why! #Georgethemenace Hello Kitty Secret Garden is a lovely area with three more childrens rides.  The exciting 25ft hooper, a ride where you are bounced up and down.  The tea cups which, need no explanation and the Kitty car ride where you go on a magical journey through Hello Kittys Garden. Stop at Hello Kittys House.  The girls met The Puss herself, Hello Kitty, and you can indulge with a pamper at her ‘Parlour’.  Children (or adults if you so wish!) can have their face painted, temporary tattoos and hair braids (at cost). On this occasion I was organised and took a packed lunch with us. Therefore, I can not comment on Drusillas eateries but they all appeared clean and inviting (and the coffee was great😉) The facilities were good and you were never too far from a toilet (which is always handy with six children!) Harrison can not go anywhere without playing a shoot-me-up game so he was not dissapointed. And, if we hadnt run out of time they would have liked a go on the climbing wall. Drusillas have Keeper Talks and Animal feeding at regular times during the day and they have loads of events on throughout the year.  I would definitely recommend heading over to their website www.drusillas.co.uk We had such a great day!  The weather was glorious, but I can imagine we would have enjoyed it regardless. On our way home from Drusillas, Mikey asked if he could go back and ‘be a keeper for the day’ for his birthday……I am certainly going to look into it. If I have convincedyou to take a trip to Alfriston to visit Drusillas, let me know what you think. And, as always, Please share with your friends and followers 😘 I recieved free entry to Drusillas in return for this post. All of my opinions are completly honest and unbiased.

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.

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

Our Day at Drusillas

Our Day at Drusillas

We have been fortunate to visit a few special attractions around the South of England this Summer. When I have asked the kids which one stands out, Drusilla’s Park won hands down. It has been so long since I have been to Drusillas It is nothing more than a vague memory to me.  So when I was asked to give a review of the Park I jumped at the chance. Anyone that I have spoken to about Drusillas has raved about it, so I was really excited to take the kids. A friend of mine, Simin, lives in Eastbourne and has an Annual Membership for Drusillas.  She has been visiting the Park for over fifteen years.  So, apart from a great opportunity to meet up with her and her little girl, I thought it would be handy to go with someone who knows the zoo and can give me a guided tour! Drusillas Park Is located just off the A27 at Ariston. From where we live in Warlingham (just outside of Croydon) it took approximately an hour. The kids usually hate long journeys, but I avoided the motorways and the route took us on a lovely drive through Ashdown Forest. I had always thought Drusillas was a small zoo.  My kids adore animals and learning about different species so I knew I would be earning brownie points on this day out.  What we actually realised on arrival is that Drusillas is so much more than ‘just a small zoo’. The variety of play areas and rides are probably the best I have ever seen!  But, I’ll tell you all about that later. Lets start at the beginning of our day. Car parking was simple and you don’t get charged to park in it.  This shouldn’t be a surprise, but a few of the attractions we have been to over the last six weeks have charged us for parking. Like most of my days out, it started with a coffee.  Coffee is my ‘mama fuel’ to help me mentally cope with the day ahead.  Not only to make sure I don’t loose one of my six children, but to make sure I can keep an enthusiastic, ‘Balamory style’ attitude throughout the day. Imagine my delight when I was greeted with a Starbucks sign! After my caffeine fix, it was straight onto the animals. The children had been given some activity booklets to complete on the way around the park. I thought they were great because they were kept simple.  The kids had to spot animals listed in the booklet and stamp it accordingly.  This meant it was easy for my younger children to complete, whilst keeping the older ones entertained too. They could also take part in the Zoolympics Challenge.  There were various points around the park where you could test your sporting skills against different animals. Our first stop was Iguanas and Snakes.  The smell was reminiscent of the twins bedroom, so I was keen to move on fairly swiftly, but the kids took in every fact and bit of information available to them. The Farmyard was lovely to mooch around, George loved it and It was so informative.  The older children have been to many farms and have books on most of our animals, yet we all learnt new facts at this section of the park. -Did you know that dairy cows produce 21 litres of milk per day? -Did you know that Donkeys are sometimes kept as pets to keep lawns short? (yea, I suggest swerving that informative can of worms!) -I also learned that despite how I might feel sometimes, I am not built like a carthorse and, at a push, I just about have the strength of a Serval (a giant cat)….I know!? who knew!? You don’t it about me, but I love monkeys!!! I could watch monkeys all day!! So Imagine my delight when our next stop was the capuchins (Marcel from Friends?) Marmosets, Colobus, Squirrel monkeys and Macaques.   There were even more species of Monkeys dotted around the park. In all the years I have visited farms and zoos, I have never encountered Bats until I visited Drusillas. The children and I were fascinated.  We could walk through an enclosed area where the bats were hanging (literally) all around us.  I grew up next to woodland and we would see the shadows of bats regularly during the summertime, but it was a completely different experience to see them up close. New arrivals at Drusillas this year are the Giant Anteaters, and how amazing are they! (and, FYI, nothing like ALF!) The park has over one hundred different animal species and I am not going to go through every one, but amongst some of our favourites were Beavers, Porcupines, Sloths, Camels and Penguins. I loved seeing the Flamingos, (and not just so that I could use that cute sticker on Insta Stories!) They are so beautiful and pink…. I am working on mike to let me have a flock on the farm….what do you reckon my chances are!? Another highlight of our day was our walk through Lemurland.  This is an enclosure where you can walk amongst the Lemurs and watch them jump across your path or if you are really lucky, they might even land on you! The Go-Wild play area was exactly as it is described…Awesome Play.  It was every child’s dream and with a separate area for younger children, it had something for all ages. The kids spent over an hour in this part of the park.  If they had their way they would have spent all day there! The photos don’t do Go-Wild justice.  I couldn’t possibly get a shot with everything included! But, there was still so much to see so we had to drag them away from Go-Wild and head for the Get-Wet water park. Simin had text me the night before to tell me to make sure I brought the kids swimming cosies and towels.  Now I don’t want to appear a whinge, but when you are getting ready to take six children out for the day something has to give.  On this occasion I forgot the swimsuits! Luckily, it was such a hot day It didn’t stop Libby and George from having a great time jumping in and out of the fountains and water sprays. Go Safari! is Drusillas new attraction which only opened this year. It is an area of the park made up of three rides.  They provide perfect thrills for younger children (my two and ten year olds enjoyed them). The Hippopotobus, The Flying Cheetahs and The Safari Train which takes you on an adventure around the whole park. Drusillas has a great Park Maze. We all had great fun getting lost and trying to find our way out.  I kept George safely on my shoulders the entire time we were in there.  Those of you who follow my blog and Instagram will understand why! #Georgethemenace Hello Kitty Secret Garden is a lovely area with three more childrens rides.  The exciting 25ft hooper, a ride where you are bounced up and down.  The tea cups which, need no explanation and the Kitty car ride where you go on a magical journey through Hello Kittys Garden. Stop at Hello Kittys House.  The girls met The Puss herself, Hello Kitty, and you can indulge with a pamper at her ‘Parlour’.  Children (or adults if you so wish!) can have their face painted, temporary tattoos and hair braids (at cost). On this occasion I was organised and took a packed lunch with us. Therefore, I can not comment on Drusillas eateries but they all appeared clean and inviting (and the coffee was great😉) The facilities were good and you were never too far from a toilet (which is always handy with six children!) Harrison can not go anywhere without playing a shoot-me-up game so he was not dissapointed. And, if we hadnt run out of time they would have liked a go on the climbing wall. Drusillas have Keeper Talks and Animal feeding at regular times during the day and they have loads of events on throughout the year.  I would definitely recommend heading over to their website www.drusillas.co.uk We had such a great day!  The weather was glorious, but I can imagine we would have enjoyed it regardless. On our way home from Drusillas, Mikey asked if he could go back and ‘be a keeper for the day’ for his birthday……I am certainly going to look into it. If I have convinced you to take a trip to Alfriston to visit Drusillas, let me know what you think. And, as always, Please share with your friends and followers 😘 I recieved free entry to Drusillas in return for this post. All of my opinions are completly honest and unbiased.

Camp Bestival 2016

Camp Bestival 2016

My friend has been to every Camp Bestival since it started and every year she has tries to convince me to come with her. Now, here is the problem,  i don’t camp! My experience of tents is that they are damp and freezing when the weather is cold and like a sweat box when it’s warm.  They smell and don’t even get me started on putting the bloody tent up and taking it down! I have nothing but respect for anyone who can embrace camping,  especially with children! But it’s not for me. When you have five children in tow the aim of the game is to always plan ahead. Avoid anything that could cause Unnecessary stress! Over the last year the kids have really started getting into music and what’s hot in the charts. I looked into tickets to capitals jingle bell ball, party in the park,  Justin Bieber and more,  but tickets always seem to be a minimum of £100 each. When you want to take four kids it’s starts getting ridiculous! So my thoughts turned to Camp bestival,  where the tickets for children are approx £150 but you have three days of various artists plus so much more. Another friend had mentioned she was going but had hired a campervan….bingo!!! After the drama of trying to find a six berth campervan to rent for the first weekend of the summer holidays with two weeks notice we hit jackpot in Hayling Island. At the cost of £650 for the weekend,  to take the kids away for four nights, we thought is was a bargain! It is so much easier packing a campervan for a little holiday than a car.  Food i had brought went straight into the fridge,  I made the beds up and put the cases away in the wardrobe. The campsite opens on the Thursday,  there is not a huge amount happening that day but food stalls are open and the Slow Motion area (pampering section where you can have your hair done,  spa treatments,  yoga etc). We drove down Wednesday night and pulled up at a lay-by close to The festival ready to drive straight in on Thursday to get a prime spot and avoid heavy traffic. Camp Bestival is set in the grounds of Lulworth Castle in Devon. It took about  two and a half hours from where we live in Warlingham. It is an absolutely beautiful setting that’s adds to the magic of the festival. Knowing Thursday was more of an orienteering day to gauge where everything is, I decided it would be the perfect day to book a relaxing massage in the Slow Motion area. Mike and I both had a shiatsu massage which really set us up for the weekend. I have never had a massage on the ground in a teepee before but don’t knock it till you try it,  it was fantastic! The campervan was equipt with a toilet,  shower and a kitchen but unfortunately the field don’t provide electric so we couldn’t use our shower. However,  the ‘posh showers’ they provide are really nice and as long as you pick your time right (we showered late afternoon)  there were no ques. I can’t go through everything that the festival has to offer,  mainly because I don’t feel like we did even half of it but I’m ready to go hardcore at this festival next year!! The main stage is where the big acts perform.  From about 3pm the music acts are continuous. Our favourites are Reggie and Bollie, Jamie Lawson, fat boy slim and Katy B. Dick and Dom from Cbbc really for the crowd going and Mike and I were crying with laughter at some of their antics! Unlike other festival,  the main stage area never felt rammed. There was plenty of room to set up a picnic blanket, buggy and bags and have a dance without bumping into anyone. The Big Top tent is where we watched a beautiful West End Kids show featuring songs from all the Disney movies, We Will Rock You and to Mikeys delight, a bit of  Arianna Grande. The children all took part in the Brit School Workshop where they learnt dance routines. We spent a few hours in the art tent making all sorts of models with the outerspace theme that the festival was based on, Mikey, Charlie and Libby particularly enjoyed that. Harri spent his time outside the tent perfecting his spinning wheel tricks! The kids were mesmorized by the insect circus, loved the punch and judy puppet show and although we didn’t make it to the biggest bouncy castle,  we are saving that for next year. We all enjoyed watching the BMX and stunt shows but, again,  we missed a few opportunities that we are looking forward to catching next year such as the wall of death and the kids climbing wall/ gymnastics. The atmosphere feels very relaxed and safe with regards to the kids. I lost a couple of the kids one evening (not on purpose i promise)  and kids welfare tent called me within 10 minutes to say they were safe and with them. All children are given wrist bands with parents numbers written on them. One of the managers that I spoke to when I picked Mikey up proudly told me that in all the years Camp Bestival has been running they have never lost a child for more than 15 minutes!  That is quite an accomplishment given number of families that attend. Now let’s talk about my favourite subject…..food! The food choices are out off this world! With a family of seven it can work out expensive to feed them all day at the festival. I would suggest packing lots of food so that you can cook breakie and take snacks etc. But with all the best intentions to save money, when your faced with the choices there,  it’s hard to resist! Chicken katsu curries, fish and chips, Dj Bbq, French crepes, Indian, Burgers (not just any burgers,  those posh burgers made from any meat you want!) Lobsters and shellfish,  pasta, pizza, milkshaka made with any chocolate you want, I’ve cream,  Vietnamese, Jerk, Cakes, Mike had a Ox Cheek wrap that was out of this world. The list goes on,  honestly,  anything you could possible want,  they catered for. Mike was particularly enjoyed when he saw a few of the foodies he follows on Instagram there. On the recommendation of our veteran camp bestival guru Katie, we made a point of going into the kids field and getting them some corn…… That went down a treat with them all and is now going to be a regular snack in our house! As you can probably tell, we really had the time of our lives! Now I’m going to dissapoint you by telling you we left early. We packed up on Sunday afternoon,  missing a few acts, losing out on seeing some of the other treats the festival had to offer and most importantly, the complete highlight (so I have been told) THE FIREWORKS 🎆 Mikey had already missed a couple of rehearsals for the production be was in due to our weekend away and missing any more could have meant losing a place in the show. This is just another thing I will look forward to next year. We spent such a magical weekend together.   The children loved it and Mike and I both agreed it was better than taking them to Disney world! Needless to say we have already booked for next year and can’t wait! FYI,  Camp Bestival provide a payment plan for tickets so that you can spread the cost a bit. For us to go (2 adults, for children and a baby) for four nights,  including pitch and tickets was approx £750. If you decided to give this a go next year here are a few tips: -The campsites are up and down some pretty beastly hills. We must about managed with the buggy but watching some of the campers drag trollies of tenting equipment back and forth from the car park (up another hill) made me want to pour them a vodka. If you can afford it, look into the glamping, backstage and boutique camping.  If you have young children it would be well worth it. -Take plenty of supplies (milk,  bread,  crisps,  baby wipes) I ran out of a few bits and popped to the very limited camping shop. I paid £2 for a tiny pack of baby wipes (the pack I usually get free in my baby show goody bag) You get my point! -Don’t rush to the front of the main arena, it’s calmer and easier for the kids to dance about towards the back and you still have great views of the stage. -Don’t pre judge the acts!  we were so excited about Fat Boy Slim and Jess Glynne that We were not fussed on Mr Tumble,  Dick and Dom or Reggie and Bollie yet they were our highlight! Hopefully I’ll see you there next year…. http://www.campbestival.net

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.