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Mike the Knight at Warwick Castle

Posted on by Abi

Last Saturday my family and I travelled to Warwick Castle to meet Mike the Knight as part of a weekend organized to celebrate series two launching. The castle in conjunction with Hit Entertainment had arranged a selection of Mike themed activities. If you fancy crying ‘Be a Knight, do it Right’ Mike will be back at the castle again this coming weekend (6-7 July).

To say my children were excited would be an understatement, however my heart sank when I saw a queue at the castle ticket office (I imagined hours of waiting in line for each attraction).Thankfully this was not the case as everything was very well organized and only the Face Painting had a long queue.

The Mike the Knight area was set in little Medieval style tents and children were given booklets listing all the activities. As each activity was completed they were given a sticker and if they finished them all they received a prize (it’s a flag). The adults in charge of each event stayed in character throughout and seemed genuinely enthusiastic about the kids having fun!

My little knights started by taking a Wizard Workshop with Mike’s sister Evie. They watched as she pulled things out of a bag and helped her to cast magic spells and create something out of thin air.

Next they took to their (hobby) horses and galloped to victory in a race. The Knight in charge of this event had all the parents in stitches as he organised our kids; he had endless patience as they ran in the wrong direction, set off in twos or just generally caused chaos!

A little castle building, target shooting and face painting later we made an orderly queue and waited to meet Mike himself. He stood happily as each child came to meet him in front of the beautiful castle backdrop!

Everywhere we walked the Mike the Knight theme tune played through speakers concealed in bushes and trees 🙂 We finished by joining Sparke and Squirt’s Dragon Egg Hunt. This went all over the grounds and certainly gave the children some exercise (and the parents a chance to admire the views). We all had a fabulous time and if you have any Mike fans at home I thoroughly recommend going to meet him.

That wasn’t the end of our day though, we had the whole of Warwick Castle to explore! I have many childhood memories of visiting the castle and after reading some reviews online I wondered if I would still enjoy it. I did 🙂 The castle sometimes receives criticism for being part of the Merlin group and people accuse it of being more like a theme park than a historical monument. However I feel this couldn’t be further from the truth. Yes it is owned by Merlin, yes there are photos you can buy and gift shops to visit but the Castle is very much aware of it’s past and importance in British history.

There are little rooms all around the walls with wax figures dreaming on the eve of battle, or ghosts squealing down staircases. I suppose this might not be to everyones taste, but for a child this really brings the castle to life! There’s no standing around looking bored while Mum and Dad read a plaque on the wall, here they can watch the story unfold and get involved with the action.

We visited the Princess Tower, where my daughter was picked to test a stack of 7 mattresses to see if she could feel the pea (she could, she’s a princess! 🙂 ). We went through the Merlin Tower where my son was spoken to by a dragon and somehow they knew my daughter’s name and warned her to use her powers for good (she was astounded and promised faithfully that she would).

We saw bald eagles and owls flying between the battlements and knights teaching us why metal shields would never have worked before chopping apples held in someones hand! It was thoroughly educational and more importantly… it was alive!

For more information on Warwick Castle and the Mike the Knight event click here.

To find out more about Mike the Knight visit his website here.

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Meet the latest member of the Angel Eden family!

Posted on by Abi

My posts may have been a little sporadic recently and for that I apologise, but I promise I do have an excuse. My time has been rather taken up by a new addition to our family affectionately nicknamed ‘The Spotty Crocodile!’

We have always wanted a dog to join our happy little band and finally the time seemed right. After much research and discussion about breeds we finally settled on a Dalmatian. We were lucky to find the perfect breeders and eagerly waited to hear that their bitch had given birth. We then had to wait a long 8 weeks before our spotty darling could come home.

Life has been busy as you might imagine, but he is such a wonderful addition to the family that it’s hard to imagine life before him. He’s already proving to be very intelligent, learning many new tricks (not all of them taught by us I might add, such as how to undo zips and open cupboards). He also has a fondness for tottering across thin walls (agility in the future methinks) lying upside down and stealing cushions when he thinks you’re not looking.

He is bound to feature in many posts from now on so it seemed only right to introduce him properly, I may even get a video of him up here at some point, he has me in hysterics on a regular basis with his antics.

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Guest Post: Top Five UK Locations For Families To Visit

Posted on by Abi

Today we are lucky enough to have a guest post from Sykes Cottages with the top five UK holiday destinations for busy families!

When it comes to holidays, everybody wants at least one a year, but some people don’t realise how good trips around the United Kingdom can be. With places like the North Yorkshire Moors and Devon, there are so many places that families can enjoy every year.
Each place will boast activities that are great for children and adults. From exploring woodlands to learning about the history and heritage of a region, visiting Sykes Cottages
holiday cottages UK for your travelling experiences, can be a great way of escaping the hustle and bustle for a week or a weekend. Have a look around with these top locations to enjoy.

Dorset
Found on the English Channel coast, this is a beautiful place that boasts the holiday resorts of Weymouth and Bournemouth along with various landforms. Most famous for the aptly named Jurassic Coast, there is so much to explore and enjoy. Brilliant for walking, and getting unique photo opportunities, there is a great contrast of charming villages, vast countryside and seaside hotspots to take in. Whether you want to spend days on the beach, walk through the countryside or be interactive and take in some activities like quad biking, walking with llamas or adventure parks there is something here to keep you smiling for a weekend or week break.

Norfolk Broads
From the south-west we head to east Anglia, and the navigable lakes and rivers of the famous Norfolk Broads. Exploring this region has always been popular for boating enthusiasts and it boasts an area of 303 square kilometres, with two-thirds available to enjoy. The stereotypical view is reeds and windmills, and this is something you will see in this area of natural beauty. Whether you want to kayak on the broads, take boat trips, or head to the wildlife and animal centres there is something for you and your family to enjoy and remember forever.

Lake District
With a great variety of lakes and countryside to walk through and many other activities, this is one of the top places for an adventure holiday. Whether your children like Beatrix Potter, are studying William Wordsworth in school or enjoy taking adventure trails they will fall in love with this part of the world. Head to Windermere for a trip on the lakes, and to Stanley Ghyll Force to see a breath-taking waterfall . If time permits, why not visit some of the small market towns such as Keswick.

North Wales
From family activities to cultural festivals, North Wales has it all. Whether you want to show your family the picturesque landscape views that can be seen from the top of Snowdonia or the surfing and sailing beaches at the Llyn Peninsula – or both – then you’re in luck. With stunning hills and a variety of historical sites, you can enjoy so many things with a family holiday here.

Highlands of Scotland
It’s possible to enjoy a great touristy time at all five of these places and this fifth and final place is a beauty in itself. Last doesn’t mean it’s least, and with the Northern Highlands, Skye and Loch Ness all within this region of the United Kingdom, you’d be hard pushed to say that it doesn’t deserve a visit. Many people return many times and continue to get a unique experience, so head up with the family to explore castles, museums and the vast wildlife that there is on offer.

Photographs provided courtesy of Michael Edmondstone for Sykes Cottages.

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