Play At Brewers Fayre – Castlewood (Derbyshire) Review

Play at Brewers FayreLast weekend my family and friends were invited along to the Castlewood Brewers Fayre located in Derbyshire to test out their brand new Beano themed play area for ‘Play at Brewers Fayre’. As every parent will know soft play centres can often end up being a bit of a love/hate day-out. Of course your kids love them, but if the centre is unclean or unsupervised they can be a real let down. Did we love the new area at Brewers Fayre? Read on to find out!

IMG_1453First impressions

The play area is bright, clean and surprisingly roomy (I could stand up straight inside and I’m reasonably tall). My friend also pointed out that the flooring was both clean and sensible so you didn’t mind mooching around in just your socks. The staff were very attentive keeping things spick and span, I saw them out with a cordless vacuum on a couple of occasions.

faceyBut is it fun?

Thanks to a great face-painter, my tiger, menace and ninja were straight in to test out the play equipment. There was a slide, tunnels, swings, rolls, cars and more, so the kids were thoroughly entertained. In fact they thought the equipment was so good that they’ve asked me every day since if we can go back! They even managed to meet Denis and Gnasher. I believe the cost to use this equipment is £3 per 90mins which seems like a fairly good deal, especially as parents can sit (or even eat) on the side lines while their little angels are having fun.IMG_1459

How about food?

The food on offer at Brewers Fayre is fairly typical for a chain restaurant. Along with the new play area there is now a Beano themed kids menu which got a thumbs up from my three. They tested out:

The Cod-Apult

Load up with crispy cod bites, chips, peas and ketchup.

The Big, Bad Dog

Hotdog, chips, ketchup and mini corn on the cob. Get your gnashers around that!

The Menace Burger

Beef burger with ketchup, coleslaw and chips.

Cookie Double Dare

A cool layer of ice cream sandwiched between two cookies.

Tricky Minnie Doughnuts

Lip-smacking mini doughnuts.

 

Plus unlimited soft drinks (this caused a lot of excitement).

The only complaint I heard was that the Cookie Double Dare dessert had rather small cookies.

IMG_1437So would we recommend a visit?

For families with kids it’s often hard to find a restaurant that can cater to the needs of everyone without testing the patience of the adults or boring the kids. Play at Brewers Fayre does a fine job of keeping everyone happy and well fed. We would definitely go back, in fact the kids have asked if they can have their birthday party there, which says it all I think.

For more Information

Visit Brewers Fayre online to find your nearest restaurant.

Thomas Tale of the Brave DVD Review & competition!

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Thomas the tank engine is a beautiful blue steam engine which recalls Britain’s mastery of the rails and the age of steam. My whole family has grown up with him through his books, toys and TV shows. Now my own children enjoy watching his antics (now CGI based rather than animated) and own a huge collection of Thomas trains. Despite this we have never visited Thomas Land at Drayton Manor before, so when we were asked along to a special screening of Thomas’s brand new movie we just couldn’t say no! So today I am bringing you our Thomas Tale of the Brave DVD review and over the next few days I’ll pop up a post about all the fun we had at Thomas Land.

TOTB movie still

The films begins with a terrible storm which causes a landslide at the Sodor China Clay Pits. Thomas notices some strange footprints, but who could they belong too!? The engines of Sodor are divided in opinion on whether there is a real live monster stalking the rails of Sodor but one thing’s for sure it’s going to take one brave engine to solve this mystery!TOTB movie still 3

The movie also introduces some brand new trains to the Thomas world including Gator, Marion, Timothy and Reg. Without revealing too much of the story and giving away the mystery here is what my kids thought of the film.TOTB movie still 2

Engine N – I loved it, I like James best, he’s funny and naughty.

Conductor G – It was really exciting, I particularly like Thomas, he’s always been my favourite!

Driver I – I thought the film was brilliant and my favourite part was when Thomas meets Marion the digging train, she talks a lot and made me laugh.IMG_9964

From a parents point of view all three kids were transfixed for the full hour and entered into a state of blissful silence, you can’t really ask for more.

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There have also been some new toys released to coincide with the movie including Marion, Timothy, Gator and Scrap Heap Monster trains and a new Take-N-Play Roaring Dino Run set including Thomas.IMG_9956

Competition

Thomas&Friends _TOTB DVD artwork

To be in with a chance of winning your own copy of Tale of the Brave on DVD enter my brand new competition!

How To Enter

Entering couldn’t be simpler, just pop over to the Angel Eden Blog Facebook page and hit ‘like’ then either click the widget below or the ‘Competition’ tab on the Facebook page to register your entry.

For extra entries either:

Leave a comment on this post (comments will be checked so make sure to leave one)

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The competition will end at midnight on 20th September 2014 (UK residents only please).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Make sure you leave me a way to contact you should you win.  Good Luck!

DVD Details

Release date:                    1 September 2014

RRP:                                     £12.99

Running time:                  68 minutes

Find out more about Thomas on the Thomas & Friends website www.thomasandfriends.com. You can keep track of all the latest Thomas & Friends news on Twitter and Facebook.

George at Asda bedding review

beddingShopping online to organise a grocery delivery has become relatively commonplace, the ease and convenience mean it’s an option preferred by many. But, had you ever thought of visiting your favourite supermarket online to shop for home wares? Asda has launched a brand new George at Home range which allows quick and easy delivery of items from bedding to furniture, all ordered from the comfort of your own home. This gives you the convenience of internet shopping with the added value of a supermarket brand. However not all items are created equal and today I’m sharing my George at Asda bedding review.logo_george

I’ve always been an advocate of good quality bedding. It’s estimated that we spend around a third of our entire lives in bed, so comfort and relaxation have to be of paramount importance. Therefore a value range of bedding at first seems to fly in the face of such a belief and I was respectfully sceptical that George’s reasonably priced bedding couldn’t ever compete with their more expensive counterparts.

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George Home Potting Shed Birds Duvet Set in Single – £10

I absolutely adore the style of this duvet set, the print is gorgeous and the colour perfect. I prewashed it then placed it onto my daughters bed who was in love the moment she saw it!

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George Home Lemongrass Fitted Sheet in Single – £5

I teamed the potting shed birds set with this single sheet, they look fabulous together! I was also very impressed by the depth of this fitted sheet, sheets pinging off the mattress are the bane of my life but this sheet has a really good depth to it.

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George Home Vintage Patchwork Throw – £20

Bed throws can be notoriously expensive but this throw is a beautiful design for an extremely good price.

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George Home London Tube Map Duvet Set in King Size – £18

I loved the design of this duvet set, it’s funky and fresh and looks decidedly more expensive than its selling price.

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George Home Parisian Postcard Duvet Set in King Size

This set is definitely my kind of style, the wonderful quirky postcard design and feminine colours scream relaxation and sleep.

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Washing

All three sets and sheet washed amazing well. After their second wash the postcard set did feel a little rougher to the touch but this seemed to dissipate after it had been slept on for a night. All the colours have stayed vibrant and no runs have occurred. All in all I am thoroughly impressed.

Comfort

Again all three duvet sets and the sheet performed equally and everyone who has slept upon these beds has slept soundly and comfortably. There has been no compromise in comfort. As mentioned in the washing section the postcard set did feel a little rougher after the second wash but this settled within a night.

Value

The value of these sets, considering their washing and comfort credentials is amazing! I will definitely be buying more sets from George at Asda as and when I need them. They are also proving incredibly popular as several sets already appear to be sold out.

Would I recommend the bedding ranges at George at Asda?

I have and I will. I’m already planning on buying several more bits for myself which I think says it all really. The quality and value is amazing.

Details

To view the full range of bedding available online click here.