Zippo's Circus At Winter Wonderland

Last weekend we were invited along to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park to enjoy a day out which included a visit to Zippo's Circus. I hadn't been to the circus for as long as I can remember and this was Eliot's first time so I was looking forward to it!

Eliot, the ringmaster & some of the performers!

 It didn't disappoint at all and one of my favourite things about the show is that it lasts just under an hour meaning its perfect for families! I'm sure we've all had the experience of young tots wanting to make an escape but the show was just the right length!

Each of the acts were brilliant in their own way and some of the performances were just unbelievably talented!

Two sisters from Norfolk performed amazing acrobatics together mid air who earned lots of gasps and applause from the audience. 

Khametov's high wire troupe really had me on the edge of my seat with their act! I was in awe of the skill and amazed at their performance.

The unicycle act from Russia made riding a single wheeled bike look easy peasy and again left the audience mesmerised.

One of my favourite acts from the show was the roller skating duo, New Revolution from Cuba. I mean the speed they skated and the moves they made were insane! 

As well as all those acts there's a talented juggler and  the very funny Emillion whose comic timing was absolutely spot on! He made me laugh when he got some of the audience involved!

We all enjoyed the show and I definitely recommend watching if you're heading to Winter Wonderland this festive season! Zippos Christmas Circus is at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland  until 5th January 2020. Tickets should be pre-booked to avoid disappointment!

As well as Zippo's Circus there is a Mr Men and Little Miss show in the mornings, again another great show for families!

As well as some great family shows there is obviously the rest of Winter Wonderland to enjoy including rides, food and stalls!

There's plenty of family and toddler friendly rides as well as those for thrill seekers so plenty to keep everyone happy!

We also visited the 'Magical Ice Kingdom, this year the theme is 'A Christmas Carol'. This is definitely worth a visit but wrap up warm as it's very cold!

I'm not sharing too many photos of the ice kingdom as I don't want to give too much away but you can see how exquisite the sculptures are! The detail and craftsmanship is outstanding! There's even a slide made out of ice which Eliot had lots of fun on!

I certainly recommend for a family day out, there's plenty to see and do to keep all age groups entertained!

Have you visited Winter Wonderland?

* We were gifted tickets to experience what was to offer at Winter Wonderland 2019, all opinions are my own

Carter's Steam Fair

 At the weekend we enjoyed a family afternoon at Carter's Steam Fair when they visited town for a few days. Carter's is a unique fair with rides that the Carter family have collected and restored originating from the 1890's to the 1960's.
 It did feel like you'd taken a step back in time, from the rides to the music I really felt that there was a sense of going back in history!

On the carousel

One of my favourite things as a child was to go to the fair when one came into a local town. These days I'm not keen on the 'usual' fairs that appear during the holidays but Carter's is not your 'usual' fair and the atmosphere felt completely different!

Each and every ride is beautifully painted just as it may have been all those years ago when it made its' debut, keeping that sense of history and originality.

When we arrived at Carter's Eliot was so excited he couldn't decide which ride to go on first! There were plenty of rides for younger children to enjoy and that are suitable for toddlers. He was able to go on many alone but also gave some a try that he wanted to go on with a grown up! 

There are also a couple of rides that aim to please those that enjoy white knuckle rides including the 'Victory Dive Bomber' which is the only remaining travelling Dive Bomber!

See the Dive Bomber in action?!

As well as rides to enjoy Carter's also have plenty of fairground games to play including 'Hook A Duck' (the traditional fairground game), a coconut shy and even an arcade full of vintage slot machines!

Hooking one of those ducks!

 As well as 'Hook A Duck' Eliot had a go on the 'test your strength' traditional 'Striker' game. There were three sizes to cater for different ages and strengths, giving the opportunity for all to have a go!

Candy floss at eh coconut shy

Entry to Carter's Steam Fair is free, tokens are required to be purchased to go on the rides. These can be purchased online before you visit or at the machines or token booths at the fair. To get the best value it's a good idea to buy online as Carter's give extra ride passes! 

Each token is worth 50p and the number of tokens needed for each ride varies. Most of the toddler rides require four tokens, whilst family or thrill rides require five or six. You also need tokens to play the games too which cost five tokens.

We had such an enjoyable visit to Carter's and certainly recommend a visit for a family afternoon/ evening out. To check if Carters are coming to a town near you have a look at their online tour dates.

They are back at a local town in September and we already have it booked in on the calendar!

*We received ride passes & refreshment vouchers in exchange for our honest views. All opinions are my own!

Sealife London Aquarium-Review

Last week we had a fun summer holiday day out to the Sealife London Aquarium. I've been there a few times before but not for a good while, there were a lot of changes, from a new entrance to the addition of penguins, there were lots of new things to see!

As you first go in there is a clear walkway over some of the sea life...including sharks enabling you to get a look at them swimming below!

It was obviously busy being the holidays, so it was handy there were toilets while we were queueing to get into the next part. There was large family toilet which we went into complete with a kids toilet as well as a 'normal' toilet and a baby change! It was perfect timing as Nola needed nappy change.

As well as there being an abundance of sea creatures to see, there were also several talks about some of them, repeated several times a day.

One of my favourite things about our visit was being able to get a bit hands on. Eliot touched a starfish for the first time, despite having opportunities to do this in the past he was never quite brave enough. He said he was 'too scared' on this visit but after a member of staff said she would show him how to do it first he was happy to have a go.

 As we were about to go through the tunnel there was another member of staff with different specimens talking about what they were and answering any questions.

Eliot getting hands on

Another favourite part of our visit was seeing the giant turtles, I'm always in a bit of awe when I see wildlife and it was amazing to get so close, minus the glass. Of course one of the main attractions are the sharks and there a plenty of opportunities to see them from different perspectives in the tank.

Nola enjoying looking at the sharks!

 Seahorses are another of my favourites, they're so interesting to watch and move so gracefully. I think the tiny white specks you can see in the clear tube were baby seahorses!

There are plenty of species to see and read about as you walk through the different areas.

We all enjoyed the 'Rainforest Adventure' zone which started off with some creepy crawlies. The giant leaf cutter ants were fascinating to watch, as well as being in a tank there was a tube that ran above the other exhibits meaning you could catch a good sight of them in action. 

There were also hissing cockroaches and a rather large tarantula! The tanks they were in enabled you to get a better view and give the impression you were in there with them, with a dome in the centre you could crawl into.

Moving further through there were plenty more species to look at including piranha fish, poisonous dart frogs and cuban crocodiles.

Of course there were many people surrounding the penguin tank, all hoping to see them in action. Most of the penguins stayed at the back but there were a few that seemed to love having the crowds watching them. They'd dive in, swim around at an incredible speed before launching themselves back on to dry land like absolute pros!

One penguin in particular that wowed the audience was 'Max', he took it upon himself to parade right next to one of the windows, going back and forth before diving back into the water again. What an absolute character, such a joy to watch!

I certainly recommend a visit to the Sealife London Aquarium whether it's a trip with your other half, friends or a family day out, there's plenty to see! It was also interesting to learn about the conservation projects they are involved in.

Have you visited recently?

*I received complimentary entry in exchange for a review, all options are my own

The Golden Hinde London

If you're in London or not too far away,The Golden Hinde in Southwark is one of London's many things to do and is part of a perfect trip out for any pirate/history fans. 

 Eliot has always enjoyed being out and about across the capital and loves the varied sights of what the capital has to offer. Lately, he has been particularly fond of London’s historic sights and revels on the background stories and facts behind them. One of his favourite historic subjects at present is pirates and ships.  So when we mentioned paying the Golden Hinde a visit he was very keen! Especially when his dad told him stories and facts about of one of history’s most famous Elizabethan sea captains, Sir Francis Drake and the mighty ship, he couldn't wait to get there!

 

Situated on the historic banks of Southwark, moments from London Bridge Station, and under the shadows of the gothic majestic Southwark Cathedral, The Golden Hinde is an exact replica of the real thing and is moored perfectly to where many boats and ships of the time would have docked.

Below deck is very tight and apart from Eliot, the rest of us had to duck down as we explored the lower decks. It really gives you a feel for how difficult and awful it would have been for the crewman who manned the guns as explosions and chaos rumbled around the ship. The living and sleeping quarters  were extremely cramped which makes you wonder how the crew coped. 

Being a grumpy, bossy captain!

 

We enjoyed our trip to the Golden Hinde and learning about the different parts of the ship and what they would have been used for.

The Golden Hinde is open daily but do check the website as they close for private functions, you can also see what's on as they have special events on certain days. The day we visited there was a pirate training activity!

Jumping with excitement!

 

Have you visited the Golden Hinde?

 

 

*We received free entry in exchange for a blog post

 

Hamerton Park Zoo Review

We  recently had a family trip to Hamerton Park Zoo near Sawtry in Cambridgeshire. Nestled deep in the countryside on first appearance looks more like a farm than a zoo but it's actually a lot bigger than it seems. We arrived in the afternoon just before half one, on entry we were handed a couple of leaflets and entered the park. There was a noticeboard with different animal feeding times throughout the day, the last one being (on the day we were there) at 1:30pm. It was the cheetahs being fed which I was keen to see so we started to rush round the zoo (in the wrong direction). This is where I felt it would have been helpful to be handed a map on entry or be informed they were available to buy within the guide.

Whilst trying to get to the cheetah enclosure I was briefly distracted by the frisky tortoises, Eliot loudly declared 'Look mummy that tortoise is climbing on that ones back', which made me chuckle. You can always trust an animal to give you some sort of nature in action!

We were just in time to catch the end of the feeding session and I was surprised how close you were to these beautiful animals. Being a cat owner I also have a love and fascination for big cats too and really enjoyed observing them. It was great to see their enclosure was large, with plenty of space for them to roam.

Even though their keeper had finished feeding them, the cheetah's were obviously hoping for more food as they stuck close to the fence whilst the keeper chatted to people and answered questions. It was then one of the cheetahs began to make a 'meow' type noise over and over again which was amazing to hear as I'd never heard it before and was surprised how much it sounded like a pet moggy!

Eliot had spotted the play area and the train by this point and was eager to get on to both. We told him we'd do both later as we needed to have lunch first.

We did have a look at a few more of the animals including the American mammoth donkey's which were happy to be petted. There was also a step up to reach them making it easy for children to stroke them.

The hand washing area was just behind, so made it very easy to ensure hands were cleaned after stroking the mammoth donkeys.

 

We then headed to the café to get a bit of a late lunch. Below is picture of the food that was on offer and prices on the day we visited.

I quite fancied a jacket potato and the other half (OH) wanted a bacon roll but unfortunately all the jacket potato's had gone and there was no bacon left, which was a bit disappointing but I suppose can happen later on in the afternoon. There were still different sandwiches available to choose from but I ended up going for the pepperoni pizza, as did Eliot and the OH went for a burger and sandwich. The hot food was microwavable so not anything to have high expectations of but was fine to fill a gap.

There were a few tables inside the café and then picnic tables dotted around outside as well as nearer to the play equipment. One thing that did make my experience in the picnic area less enjoyable were the amount of wasps that were around. Obviously being one of the warmer days, they were out in force around the food and drink. I personally can't bear them and admit to having a bit of a fear after being stung as an adult, I'm one of those people that runs, flaps their arms, squeals and shrieks if they get too close and certainly did all of those things a few times! I know they don't bother some people but I think it could put a dampener on a day out if your child got stung, therefore I think those wasp catcher bottles would be useful around the café and picnic area for those warmer months.



 

We were kindly gifted £25 to spend in the café or shop as part of our review, the above food along with some drinks, left us with just over £8 change which we saved for Eliot to buy a souvenir in the shop.

 

Once we'd finished lunch we decided to go back to where we'd started and have a proper look at all the different animals before having a train ride and letting Eliot loose on the play area. There are over a hundred different species of animals to see, so really lots to look at and take in.

We spent a fair bit of time around the bird enclosures, particularly observing the vultures who were intimidating as well as fascinating to watch. Their wingspan was incredible and their body language and movements was really interesting. I think the were hoping to be fed but also seemed to have a dislike of cameras.



One thing that I liked around Hamerton Zoo were the information plaques for each species somewhere around their enclosures. They weren't overwhelming with information but gave you enough, including the animals' level of vulnerability in the wild e.g. 'critically endangered'.

I loved the display cabinet of different bird eggs, (above) Eliot was also interested in the different sizes which included replicas of eggs of extinct birds such as the dodo.

We continued enjoying looking at and reading about the different creatures in their enclosures even though Eliot continued to pester us about the train and play area. From meerkats to bearded dragons back to the mammoth donkeys and the other animals in-between, there is plenty to see.

It was when we were back near to the mammoth donkeys that we realised the train was being put away for the day. Shock, horror, we thought this may end in an epic meltdown from Eliot being the train fanatic that he is, luckily he didn't but he was disappointed he was unable to have a ride. I was surprised as it was around 4pm and the zoo was open until 5:30pm. It was pretty quiet and perhaps that was why the train was put away but I felt there should have been timings visible somewhere or it should have been mentioned when arriving and entering the zoo. I wasn't even aware that tickets to ride the train had to be purchased until after our visit. This is something you could definitely be made aware of when entering.

So with a train ride fail under our belts, we headed to look at some more big cats, two Bengals and a Malaysian tiger. Again I could watch these big cats for hours, and was in awe at being so close to these incredible animals.
The tiger enclosures are quite new and there are indoor parts where there is lots of information about tigers and the conservation work Hamerton does.

After exploring the tiger enclosure we headed to the 'Stroll A Safari' where you'll find sheep, ducks, chickens, camels, alpacas and pygmy goats. Some of the animals can roam out of their enclosures and you can feed them with food from the feeding station which you will need 20p coins for. Unfortunately the animals had ventured back into their enclosures so we missed out on feeding any.

Luckily Eliot didn't mind as he was still keen to spend time on the play areas. Before doing so though we headed to the shop so he could buy a souvenir as we didn't want to miss the shop too! I must admit I'm not a fan of gift shops as they're usually overpriced but there were a fair few items at pocket money prices. Eliot did spend a very long time deciding what he would like but in the end chose a zoo themed story book and a dinosaur egg which you're meant to put it water and it hatches but he ended up cracking it open whilst pulling it out of the box.

We were one of the last few families there so Eliot pretty much had the play equipment to himself and enjoyed the end of his day out climbing and going down the slide.

Overall we had a really enjoyable afternoon at Hamerton Park Zoo, if you're not too far away and looking for days out in the last week of the summer holidays it's definitely worth a visit!

Things we loved...

• Opportunities to see some of the animals being fed
• Able to observe the animals in large enclosures
• Information available not too overwhelming
• Covered picnic areas so still able to eat outdoors in wet weather
• Some walkways around enclosures covered so able to stay undercover in some areas if weather is wet
• Play area for babies and toddlers as well as older children
• Opportunities to stroke/feed some of the animals

 

Things that could have made our visit even better...

• Being given a map on arrival (the park is not huge but as we arrived at a feeding time this would have enabled us to get to the enclosure quicker)
• Being told that train tickets need to be purchased on arrival/having a sign near the train pick up point
• Having train start and finish times visible to avoid any disappointment
• Wasp control measures around café and picnic areas

 

 

Hamerton Park Zoo is open everyday apart from Christmas and Boxing day. Adult entry is £13.99 per person, children between 3-8 years pay £8.99 and under 3's go free. Tickets can be purchased online or on the gate. Head to the website to get your 10% off voucher!

 

 

* We received free entry and a £25 voucher to spend in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own