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 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.

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!

Alexander House, Sussex, Afternoon Tea

Alexander House, Sussex, Afternoon Tea

When you have children, especially a five – a-side team, if someone asks me if I want an afternoon out I have my lippy and heels on and I’m out the door before the kids can say bye! So when my sister in-law suggested afternoon tea It was welcomed with enthusiasm. Being 32 weeks pregnant I didn’t really fancy going up town and negotiating trains and tubes so when Sarah suggested Alexandra House Utopia and Spa, a highly-recommended, five star hotel that is within a thirty minute drive from where I live…perfect! It was my mother-in-law’s birthday treat and we decided to bring Libby (my six year old) for her first girly afternoon tea too. She brought a tear to my eye as she came in, dressed to the nines in her favourite sparkly dress. Then sat with me while I did my make up and she put a little blusher and lippy on. I have heard lots of things about Alexandra house, friends have had spa days, stayed in the hotel and had diner and the feedback is always great, so I was really looking forward to see if it lived up to the hype…..It most certainly did. Firstly, let’s talk about the setting. It stands in a beautiful 120 acres between East Grinstead and Crawley. The Property is approached via a long driveway through the beautiful grounds, leading to a Modern yet tastefully designed building. Set just behind that is the breath-taking, manor house, Alexandra House (jeez, I went back into my old estate agent mode then!) The interior is just as beautiful as the exterior. Everything inside is decorated impeccably and absolutely spotless. A lovely concierge greets you on arrival and shows you to the reception where you are taken through to the Afternoon Tea Lounge. We were seated at a lovely table that overlooked the beautifully manicured gardens. It really was as tranquil as it sounds. After we were seated we were asked if we would like a glass of champagne. The waiter looked at my baby bump and offered me half a glass…..HALF A GLASS!? 😕 I thought this was a very sweet offer but I declined the half glass and asked for a full glass! (I almost asked for the bottle!) was met by amusement as the waiter tried to dig himself out of the hole by telling me his wife would have said the same thing but he thought he better ask! He dealt with my directness very well and we all had a giggle. We were then directed to the menu which included different teas from a small tea company called Metrodeco based in Brighton. I opted for Terracotta Sunburst (Rhubarb and Vanilla) flavour while Sarah and my mother in law choses Rockafella Cleansing and Metrodeco Classic. Meanwhile, Libby, who honestly found the whole experience quite overwhelming, ordered a hot chocolate. Even though she is the only girl is a house full of boys, she isn’t really used to being the centre of attention. She plays the ‘only girl’ role perfectly at home, but, when she is really treated like the princess she is, she finds it a little uncomfortable. When we asked if she was ok, she just said sweetly that she missed her brothers. Having said that, once her afternoon tea food stand was brought out she soon came out of her shell! Enjoying her children’s afternoon tea which included jam, cheese and ham sandwiches, scones, ice cream, Chocolate brownie and a cookie. Our food was lovely, finger sandwiches, potted salmon on toast and little pizza. The cakes included a banoffee, lemon meringue, pineapple pannacotte and a profiterole. All absolutely delicious and combined with a couple of scones each I left feeling completely stuffed! The tea was delicious and the atmosphere was classy, relaxed and very child friendly. I had such a special day, made even better spending time with my gorgeous daughter. A perfect treat with mothers day coming up 😉 I cant wait to go back with Mike and the boys. We had a little nose around after our tea and I can say with certainty…. watch out for my next review on the hotel and spa, it looks absolutely lush! If you have enjoyed my review please follow me and share the love 😘

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 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.

Alexander House, Sussex, Afternoon Tea

Alexander House, Sussex, Afternoon Tea

When you have children, especially a five – a-side team, if someone asks me if I want an afternoon out I have my lippy and heels on and I’m out the door before the kids can say bye! So when my sister in-law suggested afternoon tea It was welcomed with enthusiasm. Being 32 weeks pregnant I didn’t really fancy going up town and negotiating trains and tubes so when Sarah suggested Alexandra House Utopia and Spa, a highly-recommended, five star hotel that is within a thirty minute drive from where I live…perfect! It was my mother-in-law’s birthday treat and we decided to bring Libby (my six year old) for her first girly afternoon tea too. She brought a tear to my eye as she came in,  dressed to the nines in her favourite sparkly dress.  Then sat with me while I did my make up and she put a little blusher and lippy on. I have heard lots of things about Alexandra house, friends have had spa days, stayed in the hotel and had diner and the feedback is always great, so I was really looking forward to see if it lived up to the hype…..It most certainly did. Firstly, let’s talk about the setting.  It stands in a beautiful 120 acres between East Grinstead and Crawley. The Property is approached via a long driveway through the beautiful grounds, leading to a Modern yet tastefully designed building.  Set just behind that is the breath-taking, manor house, Alexandra House (jeez, I went back into my old estate agent mode then!) The interior is just as beautiful as the exterior.  Everything inside is decorated impeccably and absolutely spotless. A lovely concierge greets you on arrival and shows you to the reception where you are taken through to the Afternoon Tea Lounge. We were seated at a lovely table that overlooked the beautifully manicured gardens.  It really was as tranquil as it sounds. After we were seated we were asked if we would like a glass of champagne.  The waiter looked at my baby bump and offered me half a glass…..HALF A GLASS!? 😕 I thought this was a very sweet offer but I declined the half glass and asked for a full glass!  (I almost asked for the bottle!) This was met by amusement as the waiter tried to dig himself out of the hole by telling me his wife would have said the same thing but he thought he better ask! He dealt with my directness very well and we all had a giggle. We were then directed to the menu which included different teas from a small tea company called Metrodeco based in Brighton. I opted for Terracotta Sunburst (Rhubarb and Vanilla) flavour while Sarah and my mother in law choses Rockafella Cleansing and Metrodeco Classic. Meanwhile, Libby, who honestly found the whole experience quite overwhelming, ordered a hot chocolate. Even though she is the only girl is a house full of boys, she isn’t really used to being the centre of attention. She plays the ‘only girl’ role perfectly at home, but, when she is really treated like the princess she is, she finds it a little uncomfortable. When we asked if she was ok, she just said sweetly that she missed her brothers. Having said that, once her afternoon tea food stand was brought out she soon came out of her shell! Enjoying her children’s afternoon tea which included jam, cheese and ham sandwiches, scones, ice cream, Chocolate brownie and a cookie. Our food was lovely, finger sandwiches, potted salmon on toast and little pizza.  The cakes included a banoffee, lemon meringue, pineapple pannacotte and a profiterole. All absolutely delicious and combined with a couple of scones each I left feeling completely stuffed! The tea was delicious and the atmosphere was classy, relaxed and very child friendly. I had such a special day,  made even better spending time with my gorgeous daughter A perfect treat with mothers day coming up 😉 I cant wait to go back with Mike and the boys. We had a little nose around after our tea and I can say with certainty…. watch out for my next review on the hotel and spa, it looks absolutely lush! If you have enjoyed my review please follow me and share the love 😘

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! After We left Petworth we stopped for lunch at a lovely pub on our way home in a little place called Wisborough Green. It is a beautiful, quirky village pub set on a picturesque green. On arriving our welcome was perfectly fitting! It was like popping to your favourite aunties who you haven’t seen in years. The owner greeted us,  she was over the moon to see George (if you have kids you know how reassuring it is to know kids are welcome, Lots of pubs have an over 50’s only attitude). After seating us she went through the menu and explained that all locally their meat and seasonal veg are locally produced on nearby farms. She then offered her preference on the dishes, which I loved! We were introduced to the two family shit-tzus who wander around the pub and greet all the visiting dogs at the door. They did the perfect job of cleaning the floor around George, not that my son tends to waste any of his food! We are usually lucky if he comes away from lunch with his fingers in tact! Unfortunately, after a coffee and cake at Petworth neither of us were hungry enough to order a full lunch so we opted for a starter each. Mike went for The seafood chowder, which he thoroughly enjoyed and dispite it being a starter, hit the spot perfectly and was washed down with a recommended pint of Ale. I opted for the sticky pigs cheek with black pudding. Again,  it was absolutely delicious.  Thanks to baby number six, mine was washed down with a lemonade and lime but then someone had to drive us back 😉 George had a lovely sausage and mash, unfortunately it was so good that the dogs went hungry. All of this accompanied by a friendly banter with the owner /hostess and the impeccably mannered staff. Whether it’s a family lunch out in the country,  a dog walk followed by a drink and a bite to eat or a romantic dinner I massivly recommend this wonderful pub! http://mobile.dudasite.com/site/thethreecrownsinncom?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thethreecrownsinn.com%2F&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.co.uk%2F#2943