hampshire

Moors Valley Railyway 30th Birthday Gala

Last weekend we were invited to the 30th Birthday Gala for Moors Valley Railway.

It wasn’t until the event that I discovered that its origins went back to 1980 when Jim Haylock set up a miniature railway at Tucktonia Miniature Theme Park in Christchurch – somewhere I have very fond memories of visiting as a child.

The miniature railway then moved to the Old Kings Dairy Farm at Moors Valley five years later and opened to the public on 26th July 1986.

Moors Valley Country Park is somewhere we have visited regularly since my eldest children were small as there is so much to do for all ages and it remains a firm favourite with all the family.

Sebastian is train mad, so every visit we have to take a trip on the railway which is a recreation in miniature of a traditional British Railway complete with stations, locomotives, rolling stock, bridges, tunnel, signal boxes, carriage sheds and engineering workshops – in fact the Moors Valley Railway is the south’s longest, fully signalled narrow gauge 71/4 steam railway with the main ride being a mile long.

moors-valley-railway

For the Gala celebrations not only did we get taken on a very special loop of the Moors Valley Railway, but we got to look behind the scenes too.

moors-valley-railway

In its 30th Moors Valley Railway has carried over 3 million passengers, over 100,000 each year. A typical train consists of a barrier wagon, 11 coaches and a guards van and can carry around 65 passengers.

The workshop was fascinating as it is a true main line in miniature and has seen the construction of over 20 steam and two diesel locomotives, many of which were out on display.

moors-valley-railway

Of course the day wasn’t all about the trains as the kids were keen to explore the other things the park has to offer.

Moors Valley is somewhere I always recommend to visitors to Hampshire and Dorset as there is just so much to do with over 1000 acres to explore. There is forest trails (nature, play and story), kids parks, cycle tracks, an 18 hole golf course, fishing, the railway and picnic areas plus Go Ape, the award-winning tree-top adventure course with Tarzan swings, zip wires and Segways to try your hand at.

moors-valley

The Rangers also arrange over 300 special events throughout the year, ranging from nature walks, fishing lessons and off-road cycling to miniature railway events, art and photographic exhibitions and golf coaching. For children at the moment there is the Young Ranger challenge which involves 40 exciting challenges to complete and Joanne from CharlieMoos and her family have been busily ticking them off.

After burning some energy off in the park, we, and the CharlieMoos crew tried our hand at some Go Ape fun. Keep your eyes peeled for a post coming soon ………….

go-ape-moors-valley

Special events at Moors Valley coming up soon are:

6th November 2016 – Tank Engine Day

10th/11th and 17th/18th December – Santa Specials

Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

 

Lost Kingdom

The Lost Kingdom at Paultons Park

This weekend we were invited to an exciting preview of the new Lost Kingdom at Paultons Park, a new £9m attraction which transports families back millions of years to when dinosaurs roamed the world!

The Lost Kingdom is set within four acres of Jurassic landscape, inspired by the era of fierce velociraptors, flying pterodactyls, giant triceratops and the mighty tyrannosaurus rex and we were amazed by what we saw. The dinosaur walk of old has been brought right up to date with lifelike animatronic dinosaurs and some brilliant new rides as well as a couple of revamped old favourites.

Our first experience of the Lost Kingdom was the Dinosaur Encounter where we came face to face with the Park’s very own, but fortunately quite friendly, captive T-Rex.

The Lost Kingdom

The Lost Kingdom has some fantastic new Jurassic-themed family rides including Boulder-Dash, Temple Heights and Dino-Chase; a dinosaur adventure play park, Little Explorers, and The Dinosaur Tour Co – a 4×4 Jurassic Jeep expedition, where you get to discover dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes along with a few surprises along the way and get to earn a Park Ranger License.

Lost Kingdom

Isaac, Eliza and Sebastian loved the Dinosaur Tour Co. although Sebby was a little scared when we went in a dimly lit tunnel and was met with a rather scary looking dinosaur who squirted him with water. Boulder Dash was lots of fun and had us spinning really fast in circles, Temple Heights was a really gentle flying carpet style ride and the adventure play park was lots of fun and the kids got to meet a baby Velociraptor in the shade of a large sand pit.

Lost Kingdom

Paultons Park is home of Peppa Pig World and therefore an instant hit for toddlers but with the addition of the Lost Kingdom there is now something more daring for older children to enjoy with the launch of not one, but two new rollercoasters: Flight of the Pterosaur and Velociraptor.

The Flight of the Pterosaur is a 395m suspended dinosaur coaster, which takes family adventurers swooping high and low around the prehistoric landscape with speeds of up to 35mph. Although Isaac and Eliza were both tall enough for this ride they were not brave enough to try it, leaving me to put it to the test. I have to say it was brilliant, you were held in at the waist which means your upper body is free. Having nothing to hold on to is exhilarating as you soar above the park.

Lost Kingdom

Again I was on my own to take on Velociraptor. This breath-taking 200m dinosaur family coaster drops you from 20m in the air and sweeps around tight bends with speeds of up to 40 mph and then sends you back around the track backwards. I have to say sitting at the back of the coaster sent me to its highest point and it is a lot higher than it looks but was great fun.

Lost Kingdom

The old caterpillar rollercoaster has been given a make-over to become Dino-Chase and I was impressed that Eliza braved it with Nanny, I think I may convert her into a rollercoaster lover very soon. The real highlight of the Lost Kingdom is the realistic animatronic dinosaurs that are scattered through the park, along with life-like sounds.

Lost Kingdom

Of course no visit to Paultons Park would be without visiting Peppa Pig World for Sebastian, who is finally tall enough to ride on George’s Dinosaur Ride (it has been a long time coming) and we spent a couple of hours enjoying the delights of Peppa Pig and her friends.

Peppa Pig World

The Lost Kingdom is a fantastic new addition to Paultons Park and now makes it appeal to families with older children too as along with Magma, The Edge, Wave Runner, Sky Swinger, Log Flume and Cobra, there now enough to keep them occupied all day too.

Disclaimer: We were provided with a family ticket for Paultons Park for the purpose of an honest review.

 

Eliza bike

Testing Out Eliza’s New Bike at Potterne Park

Eliza turned 5 last week and top of her list for her birthday was her first bike and we didn’t disappoint her. Choosing the perfect bike is a minefield and we looked at various styles and sizes before we settled on the Emma Bike from Smyths Toys which was a bonus half price in the January sales.

Eliza couldn’t wait to get out on it, but being at school meant she was restricted to the school runs for the first few days but once the weekend was here we decided to find somewhere where she could really test it out. I loaded up the car with Isaac and Eliza’s bike plus Sebby’s scooter and headed over to Potterne Park in Verwood.

Potterne Park is perfect for learner cyclists with wide concrete pathways which lead all the way to Moors Valley and The Wheels skate park for more experienced riders which features a concrete bowl and a dirt track. Of course it has the added bonus of a large play area and equipment includes a Tunnel, Swings, Seesaw, Spinner bowl, Toddler Multi-Play unit, Puppet rocker, Climbing frame, and Flexus.

We met up with my friend Joanne from Charlie Moo’s and set off on our walk.  I had half expected to have to push Eliza most of the way as she built up her strength but the encouragement of cycling with her brother, Charlie and Olive saw her shooting off into the distance.

Potterne Park

Isaac only learned to ride without stabilizers at the end of the summer and hadn’t yet mastered how to get started himself as hasn’t had much practice since. After a couple of pushes from me and regaining his confidence he was off and starting off all by himself.

Potterne Park

The kids cycled about a quarter of a mile to the first bridge where we stopped for a rest and played a game of pooh sticks. It was clear that Eliza and Olive were both a little tired so we decided to head back towards the play park which gave them an added impetus to cycle back.

POTTERNE PARK

We arrived at the park with clearly exhausted small children, but something about seeing play equipment seems to give them an added burst of energy and we stayed and played for another hour.

POTTERNE PARK

I am hoping that a few more days out like this will build Eliza’s strength and it wont be long before she is riding without stabilizers too.

Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

The Stick Man Trail at Moors Valley 2016

The Stick Man trail was last at Moors Valley back in 2013 and the kids loved all the activities there were to do as we walked around the self-led trail and now it is back with new challenges and a new route to explore until the end of February and because the kids saw the film on Christmas Day they were even more excited to take part and of course Stick Man himself had to come with us.

We planned our visit around a break in the rain to help Stick Man find his way back to his family tree and be reunited with his Stick Lady Love, and his Stick children three.

The trail is basically the play trail backwards and leads you through the forest using activity points with activities based on the Stick Man book allowing them to live the epic adventures of Stick Man, finding characters from the book and learning about the importance of forests for people, wildlife and timber.
Stick Man Trail

We had to build a cosy nest, trying and hit a pine cone with a stick from 3 metres away, find a curves stick to make a bow and arrow and of course, make our very own Stick Man.

You can also buy activity packs for £3, which include a fun-packed activity leaflet, sheets to create your own Stick Man rubbing and pipe cleaners to make your own Stick Man, a chunky crayon and a pencil, but they are not essential as the boards have all the challenges on and the trail is clearly signposted.

Stick Man Trail

The kids had lots of fun doing all the activities, squelching in the mud and sploshing their way through the muddy puddles and as they did so well I promised them a visit to the park afterwards. The park for the older kids was open but for no apparent reason the park for Sebby’s age was closed off which was a real shame as there was nothing really for him to do apart from watch the miniature train as it trundled around the outside of the park.

Moors Valley

Despite the park being closed, we had a lot of fun doing the Stick Man Trail and you can sign up to the Stick Man and friends email newsletter to receive exclusive offers, free activity sheets, information on events and more.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

Revisiting Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

Back in July 2015 we visited Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and found that there was so much to see and do that you could not fit it all into one day.

On New Years Eve we headed to Portsmouth to visit Spinnaker Tower and as we have annual passes to the dockyard we decided to head back and see what we missed back in July.

Our first port off call was HMS Warrior 1860 which was the fastest, largest and most powerful warship in the world when she was launched. She was Britain’s first iron-hulled, armoured warship and the pride of Queen Victoria’s Fleet with a combination of iron sides, which offered protection from the exploding shells and the ability to carry large guns, changed the nature of marine warfare.

HMS Warrior

HMS Warrior has been beautifully restored both inside and out and provides a valuable insight into what life was like onboard an elite warship from the Victorian era.

HMS Warrior

Once we had finished we had a bit of a breather and headed into Action Stations where the kids got to steam around the activity centre, fire (pretend) guns, fly helicopters in a simulator and try out some science experiments.

Action Stations

Last time we visited Portsmouth Historic Dockyard we looked around HMS Victory ourselves, stopping to ask the guides who were dotted around the ship questions. This time we had a set time to visit and went around on a small group with a guide that explained everything in fine detail. It was fascinating looking into the lives of those on board and I was surprised at how engaged Eliza and Isaac were – both asked lots of questions. Sebby on the other hand decided it was time for a snooze on Daddy’s shoulder.

HMS Victory

Our final ship of the day opened in August 2015 and was the HMS M.33 and the sole remaining British veteran of the bloody Dardanelles Campaign of 1915-1916, and the Russian Civil War which followed. The ship is one of just three British warships from World War I still in existence.

HMS M.33 was built in 1915 on the orders of the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill. She was a floating gun platform designed to bombard coastal positions from the sea and she was a lot smaller than I initially imagined.

HMS M.33

We were greeted aboard the ship and told some of her history and then were allowed to wander unaccompanied throughout the ship. We were warned that it was dark inside and at one point of the tour, there were videos being projected against the walls with loud acoustics of guns and warfare. I would have liked to stay and watch more of this as it was fascinating, but the kids were scared so we may go back and revisit when they are at school, but the kids were told to look out for the ships cat which kept them busy.

HMS M.33

By now the weather was starting to close in and it started pouring with rain. We had planned returning to Spinnaker Tower to take in the view in the dark but the weather got the better of us, so we headed back to Action Stations so Isaac could do the climbing wall which had been too busy before.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

Of course the boys wanted to man the guns again so I decided to have a go too – strangely therapeutic blowing up pretend arm vehicles!!

It was a very wet and windy walk back to the car, but was a lovely way to spend New Years Eve and we ended the year as we started – adventurously!

Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

Spinnaker Tower

Climbing High in Spinnaker Tower

Soaring 170 metres above Portsmouth Harbour and the Solent, the Emirates Spinnaker Tower is taller than the London Eye, Blackpool Tower and Big Ben and we have been itching to climb it since it first opened way back in 2005.

Ten years on and we have finally made it!

The weather has been quite frankly awful in recent weeks with torrential rain and high winds, but we saw a break in the pattern of a few hours and decided to make the most of it. My weather app on my phone told me that we had a period of six hours which promised to be dry, however we did start to worry it may be a wasted journey as the heaven’s opened for most of the 45 minutes drive to Portsmouth but as we arrived the sun made an appearance too.

We were surprised that the signposts led us to Gunwharf Quay as I had assumed it was closer to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, but we found it tucked behind some restaurants on the Quay. Our bags were searched and we were scanned by metal detectors at the entrance before purchasing our tickets and having our photo taken on a green screen.

It was then time to take the express lift which takes all of 30 seconds to the first of the Three view Decks whilst the lift operator told us what to expect.

With full height glass walls which surround you on three sides, it really is a WOW! moment as you exit the lift as the windows allow you uninterrupted panoramic views across the city, harbour, sea and coastline. At this point you are 100m above sea level and if you are brave enough there is Sky Walk to walk across (or jump if you are my children). The unique glass floor is made up of 4 panes, each of which measure 2050 x 950mm, giving the floor at total area of 7.79m2. The overall thickness of the glass is 60mm and can hold a total weight of 288 stone – plenty of room to run across.

Spinnaker Tower

Of course the real treat is the breathtaking 350 degree city, country and seascapes which stretches over 23 miles.  The weather wasn’t perfect for us although we did manage to witness a brief sunny spell, but it was fascinating watching a storm front rolling across the Isle of Wight, brushing past us and then heading back out over the sea. A great learning opportunity for the kids.

Spinnaker Tower

We also had a fantastic view of the dockyard and HMS Victory and HMS Warrior. There are several i-View monitors on this floor which are interactive multi-touch screens which allow you to find out more about the many points of interest in the view, zoom in to get a closer look and switch between a clear day or magical night-time view. Isaac even got to drive a speedboat!

Spinnaker Tower

You can take the lift up to the 2nd and 3rd viewing decks but we chose to take the stairs, heading for Deck 3 first which is the highest deck with an altitude of 110m above sea level. When we were told in the lift that this deck was open to the elements I was looking forward to seeing the views without rain spotted glass in front of me, but sadly, the Sky Deck only lets the wind catch your hair as it is just the roof which is missing, with a large net like material above your heads.

Deck 2 is home to Cafe in the Clouds which offers hot and cold drinks and cakes to enjoy along with the breathtaking views.

Spinnaker Tower

We spent about an hour and a half in the tower and our hands were stamped so we could return anytime during the day, however we decided to head to the dockyard to look around some of the ships we had missed on our previous visit.

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