West Wycombe Park - Labyrinth Link

Spooky Caves

Location for a Classic 1980's Movie

The Dashwood Mausoleum

West Wycombe Park

Ever seen the movie "The Labyrinth" from the 1980's? A 16 year old girl, Sarah played by Jennifer Connelly is baby sitting her baby brother one stormy evening. He won't stop crying and in despair Sarah calls for the Goblin King, aka David Bowie, to take her baby brother away.

She soon discovers that you should be careful what you wish for! In a flash baby Toby goes silent and Sarah is horrified to find that he has been taken by the Goblin King. In a terrible twist she must now solve the Labyrinth in a race against the clock to save her baby brother.

"WHAT ON EARTH HAS THIS GOT TO DO WITH WEST WYCOMBE??" I hear you cry.

Watch this clip..........did you see that bridge she runs across? That is the grounds of West Wycombe! Did we find that exact bridge though?

You will have to wait and see.......

Following the sat nav religiously isn't always a good idea. "In 100 yards on your right, you have reached your destination." said the sat nav lady.

We missed that turn, (hard to tell as we don't know what 100 yards is, really must change the settings) and drove an extra mile or so, turned around "where possible" and went back.

Then it dawned on me.... what if this wasn't a car park for West Wycombe park. I looked in the distance up ahead and I could see tents, flags, stalls, toilets and row upon row of cars.
"This is a car boot sale isn't it!"

After completing a 15 point turn in the narrow lanes leading to the car boot, we were out of the field and back on the right track, actually the real car park was literally across the road and we were pleasantly surprised to find that it was completely FREE!

Although we had come solely to visit the Park, it didn't open until 14.00hrs. So, as a back up plan I had my eye on the Hellfire Caves. I remember visiting these caves years ago at a friends birthday party and having a brilliant time! Would my kids enjoy them?

Just across the road from the car park is a steep hill leading up to a rather impressive looking domed structure.

I assumed that this was the entrance to the caves. After a steep trek, we discovered that the domed structure really was something completely different. It was in fact a mausoleum for the Dashwoods.

Still definitely worth the walk to the top, just for the breath taking views. A sign pointed back down the hill but on the other side from where the car park was located, which read "The Caves".

At the Hellfire cave entrance is a café, toilets and plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Once you have purchased your tickets (£20 per family) you are given special tokens to get in. Kids love this, it feels like you have a secret key to get into somewhere you shouldn't be going!
I won't divulge to much as it may ruin your experience should you visit, however a narrow, dark opening leads into a maze of corridors and rooms. Each room tells a story of LOVE, GHOSTS, The HELLFIRE CLUB and how the caves came to be (from mining chalk).

You can in fact hire this place as a venue for parties and I have seen that spooky films are shown here! Bit spooky but each to their own! Most Haunted featured the Hellfire Caves on one of their programmes. Great place to visit at Halloween, perhaps!

After perhaps 45 minutes or so, we headed back to the entrance which also becomes an exit and headed back to the car to retrieve our picnic stuff. We found ourselves back at the car boot simply to while away an hour or so as the park still wasn't open.

"I hate car boots!"

After a quick walk through town to take in the sights we headed to the West Wycombe parks entrance.

It was open!

The staff explained where everything was, offered out leaflets and were on hand to give any assistance required. It costs £22.50 for a family to get in to see the whole property, (House & Gardens) or £4.50 per Adult and £2.25 per Child to see the Grounds Only.

Labyrinth Bridge

Did we find the actual bridge that Sarah ran across in the movie? Well see what you think.

Original movie photo

Our photo (From the wrong angle, I think)

There are lots of bridges to cross which open up exciting new areas to explore. Kids love running around finding the secrets this park has to offer. I must admit, you feel a sense of magic here. Which is probably why this specific location was picked.

Sorry but I just felt the need to add that video in! R.I.P David Bowie!

Dotted around the grounds are small Temples which you can go in. See if you can spot them all! Lakes, water features and wooded areas all await your visit.

Eliza loved running into each "Temple" to see what lay inside. Mostly seating areas but there are some unique surprises!

A Stunning place to visit

I find that kids, generally find days out like these more rewarding than the big named theme parks. There is nothing better than letting children use their imaginations. The caves enhanced the visit and with the picnic, we had a proper UK FUN FAMILY DAY OUT!

What the kids thought..

Eliza (Aged 4) - The baby Sheep and the gates were best, can we go through the gates again?

George (Aged 12) -  Gotta be the caves, not scary though!!

bourton-on-the-water-a-splashing-day-out

Birdland Park & Gardens

Cotswold Motor Museum

Model Village

Where can you have a Splashing Day Out?

Bourton-on-the-water is a stunning village located on a flat vale within the Cotswolds. 3,000 plus people populate Bourton, making it a large village especially when comparted to nearby Stow-on-the-wold and Bourton which are classed as market towns.

A River Runs Through It

Named the "Venice of the Cotswolds", Bourton has a very shallow River running through it, the River Windrush. In the Summer months this River plays host to a game that dates back to the Medieval times. A type of water football which looks great fun. The players purposely soak the spectators and try and score as many goals as possible.

Travelling from Banbury doesn't take long and is an enjoyable drive. Its a whimsical part of the world and I for one would love to live there (But Cannot afford it!).

When we visited we were lucky enough to spot a sign that read, "Parking - All Day £5".

"BARGAIN!!" I thought. This makeshift car park was just a field,however normally in a touristy spot like this parking can be very difficult. There was plenty of space in the field and we parked up easily in a nice shaded spot.

A short walk along streets flowing with 17th century architecture, brings you to the heart of the village. A large village green invites you to sit and enjoy
a picnic while your children play. If you bring buckets and nets they can have lots of fun in the friendly River, just keep your eye on them!

You can enjoy pub meals, fish and chips, visiting the sweet shop, or various other specialist retailers. On a warm day grab an ice cream or sup a pint, relax and enjoy.

Bourton also houses many fun activities like Birdland, The model village, Dragonfly maze and the Cotswold motoring museum. I have visited Birdland and the maze and that fills your day without doing much else.

I must say this truly is a fun day out to be enjoyed by all the family!

What the kids thought...........

Eliza (aged 4) - I really, really, really loved the baby birds and ice cream!

George (aged 12) - The dragonfly maze was good fun. I actually worked out the clues, not like you Dad!

Tranquil, cheap day out - hours of fun!

YES!!
I have uncovered a hidden gem.....(As Tina Turner once sang) You're Simply the Best (In my opinion) and cheapest day out for a family in the UK.

Stanwick Lakes

Set in the heart of Northamptonshires Nene valley, over an area of over 750 acres - Stanwick Lakes, is simply the Best!
It took us around 40 minutes to travel here from Daventry and on arrival we parked very easily. You will need to pay a fee of £5.50 for parking before you depart. This covers your whole day.

As we climbed out of the car we stood at the foot of a huge, wooden, adventure playground. How I wished to be a kid again!
A giant sand pit surrounds part of the park that houses climbing poles.

When your kids are running about laughing, you know that they are trully enjoying themselves. For me thats a perfect day out.
Where you find sand, we shall dig. Dont yiu always find that for some reason kids & sometimes even adults find it mesmorizing to just simply dig in sand. Take buckets and spades with you to increase the fun.
Water runs through this area down through an irrigation system and kids love filling up buckets and pouring them in a sandy hole they have dug.

So what more could you possibly want on a day out?

You want more?

How about:

Fishing, horse riding, picnic areas, BBQ Facility, sculptures, shop / cafe,  visitor centre, walking routes, adventure train, assault course, bird watching and a discovery centre..... & Breathe!

For more info click HERE

We're going on a bear hunt......

Who doesn't love to stretch their legs, surrounded by woodland and fresh air?

Well - at Salary forest you can do just that! It's is located between Milton Keynes and Towcester off the M1 & A508. £4 car Parking is all you need to spend!

Everytime we go for a long walk now my kids think that were embarking on a bear hunt, hope we don't catch one!

Of course dogs and little monsters are allowed as long as you tidy after them. It's good practise to take dog poop bags also.

Make a day of it by taking a scrummy picnic or treat yourself at the excellent Forest cafe. Just outside of the cafe is a park with a very difficult climbing apparatus  - maybe better suited for children aged 6 - 14. 

A number of trails lay before you and each takes you along to Salary forests magnificent Tree top trail. 

A very wobbly, gentle incline takes you an astonishing 15 or so metres above the ground 😨

Perfectly safe and accessible for wheelchairs and pushchair until you get to the viewing tower at the very top.

Steps rise up to the final viewing tower and the views from it are quite simply breath-taking. You can see for miles & miles. 

When we visited when a Stick man trail was on but I believe that has now finished. Check the forestry commissions website HERE  for what's on when you're thinking of visiting.

Sorry to finish on a bad note but i like to be realistic. The only bad points to our visit were that some irresponsible dog owners throw used dog poop bags into the trees along the walk. It isn't a pretty decoration - you know! Also the sound of the M1 can be heard from within the forest which can spoil your peaceful walk.

OMG! Time Travel Really Is Possible!!

Visit Blists Hill Victorian town to be transported more than 100 years back in time.
A place to experience life from a bygone era - This bustling town is set in a large valley with working examples of homes, shops and workshops.
As you make your way through town - the smell of coal fires, mixed with the sights and sounds of professional Victorian Actors and a Horse and cart really give you a sense of wonder.

So yes - time travel IS indeed possible!

Seriously though, Blists Hill is a living museum located near Telford, Shropshire. The shops are staffed by actors in period costumes who are more than happy to chat about their lives and how things used to be.

Visit the bank and you can withdraw some shillings to spend on freshly baked buns, delicious fish and chips, a pint, classic sweets, addictive fair ground games and hand made candles.

Now, we decided to visit before Christmas - back in 2016. From Northamptonshire It took us about an hour and a half to drive there and we found it very easy to park once we had arrived.

As it was Christmas, we had promised to take the kids to see Santa. Trying to avoid queues, we hurried through the entrance and marched down the old cobbled street to see Santa in his makeshift grotto.
Luckily - we were only the second family there and soon found ourselves whisked straight through to see the big man.
Now I'll be honest, I truly believed that Santa came from the North Pole! So to my astonishment when he spoke, out bellowed a thick set Birmingham accent!

On this occasion, (two separate festive weekends) in the run up to Christmas - Reindeer were led about the town for visitors to admire. There's just something whimsical about Reindeer, don't you think?
One managed to wriggle free from its reigns and give the carer a good old run around! Quite nimble things really.

"Oh Deer!" I thought.

Who can honestly say that they liked school?

If you think yours was bad, sit through a lesson in a Victorian classroom.WOW! Talk about a strict teacher, if you or your family are sensitive, I'd probably avoid this lesson. Looked like hell!

After a stroll down the main cobbled street, past houses, stables and shops we came across a hillside tram. I couldn't wait to have a go and before we knew it we were travelling up the steep hillside. At the top is a viewing platform that gives you a terrific view of the whole site.

After a few more hours visiting everything Blists Hill had to offer we jumped back to the future and took a short car journey to the Iron bridge.

Well we couldn't leave without having a look, could we? The world famous Iron Bridge spans the River Severn.
Here are some incredible facts I didn't know until now:

1) This Bridge was the first Bridge to be made completely from Iron.......in the whole world
2) It was a symbol of the Industrial Revolution
3) Iron Gorge Bridge is as important as the Pyramids of Giza being a world heritage site.

Up from the bridge we had just enough time to visit one more museum. The Museum of the Gorge let itself down. Basically this museum consists of four sparse rooms with a large model of the Iron Gorge Bridge banks.
As there isn't much space around the model you can only see one side of it.

Come on -  use a mirror or move the thing. Really show it off, guys! Before leaving the museum you enter an auditorium and can watch a short educational film. Very informative and in my opinion the museums saving Grace.
On the wall of one of the rooms inside this museum is flood lines - showing how deep the River Severn has flooded this area over the years.

You would need your scuba diving kit on some occasions!

As it was getting late and we needed to leave, we set off heading back towards our car.
As we approached the Iron Bridge once more a shop sign caught my eye.
"Eleys World Famous Pork pies!" WOW! They have succeeded where others have failed - made a pork pie better than anyone in the whole, wide world.

Needless to say, I had to have one. It wasn't cheap but hey you pay for what you get right? I had to wait until we got home to sample my World class pie. Unwrapping it I tried to imagine how it might taste.
A crumbly, short pastry. Tender, juicy meat and that typical pork pie jelly! Yum!

Have you ever tried one of these World Famous pies yet? Don't tell Pork Pies!

How was your experience?

We loved our visit to Iron Gorge and will definitely return - whenever we can. Here is a price list correct as of January 16th 2017.

 http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/plan-your-visit/ticket-prices/

Boot out Breast Cancer - Hadrians wall walk 2017

Hadrians Wall Walk 2017

What drives individuals to complete crazy antics, challenges and inspiring actions?
Unfortunately, most of us have, at some point in our lives been at the receiving end of a thunder bolt of bad news.

Some rise up and jump this obstacle - however for some it's not that simple.

In August 2017, my wife & are challenging ourselves to walk the entire 84 mile stretch of Hadrians wall. We hope to complete this feat over a period of five tiring days, equating to 17 miles a day.

We hope to raise money for the Charity "Boot out Breast Cancer". This charity funds the purchasing of new equipment for the NHS to help the trained proffesionals detect Breast Cancer early on.

In late 2015 my wife, sadly, was diagnosed with Breast cancer. She feared the worst and our lives were simply put on hold.
Helen went on to receive various treaments, needed to attend numerous hospital appointments and was dragged to hell and back in the process.

It almost seemed like it was all happening to somebody else's wife.

This brings me to the reason we are doing this. We simply want to help other women because if the Cancer is detected early on the chances of survival are greatly improved.

Ultimately lets help save lives.

Only with the help from family, friends and professionals we got through it all.
Then at the end of 2016, thankfully she got the all clear! ❤👍

Follow our expedition and if you can, please donate to this brilliant cause! Just £1 can really help if enough people donate!

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/HadriansWallWalk2017

Know Your Lemons is a new campaign set up by the World breast cancer organisation. Take a look and share their message.