We loved our day in Malaga this summer. The eldest was not keen on our parking spot, by the bullring, but we distracted her from what happened in the bullring and walked through the old part of town to the Picasso museum. The artist was born in the city, although he never returned after the […]
Things to do in Gibraltar with kids
The main street of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar reminded us of Bromley, we decided. But much hotter. Arriving in Gibraltar On a family holiday to Andalucia we were so close to the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula that it seemed rude not to visit. No buses cross the border from Spain, and parking […]
Day trip to Morocco with kids
While on a family holiday in southern Spain we took a day trip to Morocco. The coast of Africa is clearly visible from the tip of Spain, so we couldn’t miss the opportunity of popping over there. It was an organised tour, and so quite limited as to what we saw, but as none of us had […]
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 […]
Cool Camping Cookbook
My 9 year old loves cooking and was delighted when I was given the new Cool Camping Cookbook to review. He’s dyslexic and cookery books are great for him as he’s so interested in them that he reads loads without thinking about it. He leafed through the book and decided we were going to build […]
World Book Night
I just found out that it’s World Book Night, and that’s made me really happy because: a kind lady gave me a new book to read which I have never read and think I will love (The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho); on the back of the book it says ‘This book is a gift. It […]
National Trust Standen for kids
Standen is a beautiful Arts & Crafts National Trust house in West Sussex, and I went there last week with my sister and our children. I know the National Trust has been harping on about all the things kids should do before being swallowed up by screens, but I’ve never found Trust properties (of the […]
How to make an Easter bonnet
The youngest’s school Easter Bonnet Parade is looming. This, like World Book Day and other such occasions, must have been dreamt up by an alpha mum who can effortlessly fashion a costume out of scraps of leftover craft materials she happens to have lying around, and whose extrovert child loves nothing more than turning up at […]
Helping Hedgehogs in the Hosepipe Ban
With seven water companies set to introduce hosepipe bans from April, and the Environment agency warning that the drought could spread to other parts of the country, we’ve been regaling the children with our childhood memories of the summer of 1976. I clearly remember performing a rain dance with my friends on the school field, […]
School trips for teenagers
My eldest, who’s 13 and whose hobby is Facebook, begged to go on her school Latin Trip this Easter. Her Dad and I were surprised and delighted, and fondly imagined her following in our youthful backpacking footsteps around Pompeii and Herculaneum, absorbing the history of the land of her ancestors and generally having a lovely […]