A bit of fruit

As a child I always remember the days out with my parents in the summer, and I try to give my child the same opportunities that my parents gave to me.

Today we chose fruit picking.  It is something that I remember doing every year when I was little, whether this be at a fruit farm or in fields near to my grandparents house.

There are quite a few fruit farmers near to us but many have suffered this year due to the warm weather that we had been having.

Fruit picking is something that can be enjoyed by the whole family no matter the age.  Today we were after strawberries, Blackberries and raspberries as these are our favourite fruit.


The first farm that we went to didn't have any strawberries but we stayed anyway to pick the raspberries.  Titch loved this, trying to find the berries that weren't too ripe but also ensuring that they were ready to be picked.

After picking raspberries we decided to try a different farm as Titch was keen to pick strawberries.

Here they also had a Strawberry shortage ,but we were able to pick some.  I was definitely the strawberry picking champion though, filling my tub full of larger berries where as Titch found well titchy ones.

Whilst here we also picked blackberries and tayberries which we had never tried before.

Fresh fruit on a sunny day with some ice cream and meringue was well deserved after.  

Our Merlin Adventures begin... Warwick in Winter

Being extremely eager to start our Merlin adventures we decided that the first place we would visit would be Warwick Castle.  I had seen it advertise on TV the previous year and was quite excited to final have the opportunity to visit.  So we packed up a lunch and drove down to Warwickshire.  

As soon as we arrived we realised how cold  and windy it was going to be, but decided as always just make the most of the day out.  From the start I was mesmerised by the castle.  It is so beautiful even on a winters day.  

As we had Premium Passes we were also entitled to go into the Dungeons for free.  I was a little apprehensive as I had read that the actors like to get you involved and being a tad shy this did worry me.  However, there was nothing to worry about. The actors were brilliant. the were engaging and not too pushy. Titch loves gory and horror so this was right up his street; however, I can understand why some children would be scared inside there.  

Inside the castle itself there is plenty to see and learn about. Titch loves learning about the Tudors so was happy to see and read about Henry VIII and his wife.  We also spent time in the towers learning about the History of the castle and the grounds.  Considering it was a cold day, the castle was bust with visitors, but this did not spoil the experience as it is so vast that it never feels too busy.  

As it was Winter some activities were not on but the shows for the Birds of prey and the Bowman luckily were.  

The Birds of Prey show was fab.  The falconer was informative and engaging.  He explained as much as he could about each bird that he brought out and they were all truly spectacular.  

There is also a Horrible Histories Maze to complete and you can join the Knight school to learn how to use a sword. 

It was cold and windy, but a fab day we did have... we can't wait to come back though when it is a bit warmer.