I turned in to the car park of the Marriott hotel feeling tired, confused and a little stressed. I was late. My journey from Surrey to central Cardiff had taken much longer than I’d expected (Severn Bridge – can I introduce you to Dartford Crossing, a river crossing which doesn’t make cars queue for flipping […]
Holiday cottage by the beach in Wales
Arrival I turned off the engine, stepped out of the car and walked carefully down the concrete slope towards the gate. I heard a clunk as my daughter locked the car from the inside. It was after 9 o’clock on a March evening and it was so dark that it was difficult for me to […]
10 things my son learnt at Cadair Idris
Cadair Idris is one of the highest mountains in Wales. It’s 893 metres high and is a ruggedly beautiful place in Southern Snowdonia. It has far fewer visitors than celebrated Mount Snowdon and this makes it generally a more peaceful place to visit. I walked part of the way up Cadair Idris on the steep Minffordd […]
A great B&B in Snowdonia
I have to tell you about the beautiful place where we stayed in Wales: The Slate Shed B&B at Graig Wen near Dolgellau in the South of Snowdonia National Park. Graig Wen Owners Sarah and John bought this former slate works with 45 acres of land in 2007 and have made it into a truly […]
Dyfi Osprey Project, Snowdonia
Ospreys, it seems, have pretty brutal love lives. Those that breed in the UK spend the winter in Africa and then fly 3,000 miles back to their nests in spring. But when they arrive here they may have to battle other birds for both their nest and their mate. My daughter didn’t come with […]
Easter family days out in the UK
If you fancy a family day out over the Easter holidays there are lots of things happening in the UK. Here are a few ideas. Easter egg trails There are some adventurous Easter egg trails on offer at National Trust and National Trust Scotland properties across the country from 18-21 April. There are hundreds of […]
National Trust family working holidays
My husband had a wonderful time yesterday afternoon outside clearing up leaves and attacking shrubs with the hedge trimmer. At Easter we were guests on a National Trust family working holiday to Stackpole in Pembrokeshire which I wrote about for The Independent. The youngest loved the day our group spent chopping down shrubs in the woods […]
Kayaking for kids
My kids and I were in Pembrokeshire this week with some other Mums and kids, and my friend Lizzie and her two eldest went sea kayaking at the National Trust’s Stackpole Quay and had a great time. We weren’t organised enough to book ahead, and so there wasn’t space for all of us, sadly. I’ve […]
Sea Kayaking in Pembrokeshire
Putting on a wetsuit is exhausting, especially when you put it on back to front and then have to peel it off and reinsert yourself the right way round. But it was my first time, so I knew no better. Once suited, I had to put on a waterproof jacket, life vest and helmet before […]
