First, Thomas the Tank Engine steamed into Drayton Manor. Then Peppa Pig and her family trotted off to Paultons Park in Hampshire. Now, Postman Pat, Igglepiggle, Tree Fu Tom and Mike the Knight, among others, have set up home together in CBeebies Land at Staffordshire’s Alton Towers. The attraction features characters from many of the…
Think Anna Ryder Richardson and you’ll probably recall the BBC’s long-running DIY show Changing Rooms. But there’s another, perhaps surprising, string to the TV presenter and interior designer’s bow – that of zoo keeper. Six years ago, Anna forked out £1 million to buy the dilapidated Manor House Wildlife Park, near Tenby in Pembrokeshire. The…
It’s a tale to melt the heart of every dog owner. One day back in the 13th century, the Welsh prince Llywelyn The Great went hunting, leaving his faithful hound Gelert at the palace with his baby son. On Llywelyn’s return, Gelert joyfully sprang into his master’s arms – but his jaws were smeared with…
Many, many years before young Cerys was born, her mummy and I enjoyed a short break at Disneyland Paris. We met Winnie The Pooh (Mrs C’s lifelong favourite) and a framed picture of that momentous occasion hangs on our three-year-old daughter’s bedroom wall. It goes rather well with the Pooh curtains, Pooh rug, Pooh lampshade,…
Whoever said you never forget how to ride a bike was a liar – and should be forced to sit on the thinnest of racing saddles for all eternity. When I got my leg over, so to speak, for the first time in nigh on 30 years I was as wobbly as a plate of…
You may not know the name but there’s a chance you’ll recognise the place. The family-friendly Luabay Costa Los Gigantes hotel in Tenerife is the location for a long-running TV ad by all-inclusive specialist First Choice. Featuring the Flo Rida track Good Feeling, the minute-long promo aims to sell the “feelgood” factor you get when…
After a tiring day running around after my two-year-old bundle of energy I felt justified in kicking back with a couple of beers. Not only were the drinks justified, they were highly appropriate because our Kent holiday home for the week was a converted oast house. A 19th century invention, oasts were designed for drying…
The last thing I expected to stumble upon while exploring County Wicklow’s countryside was a walk-through birth canal (to put it politely). Nor did I expect to see several statues of the Hindu god Ganesh (one holding a pint of Guinness) or the world’s largest fasting Buddha (with a mobile phone tucked in his back…
With kisses goodbye and a ‘‘be good for nanny and grandad” we set off for our first night away from our two-year-old daughter. Anticipating a little parental anxiety, we’d booked a hotel not a million miles away from our Droitwich Spa home. In fact, it was only 10 miles away. Yet the peaceful Brockencote Hall,…
Diary of a beach babe, aged one and a half… little Cerys Caffery stays at Clifton Court, Putsborough, one of north Devon’s most desirable destinations… / Day 1: Arrived at our holiday home. Wow! This place is even cooler than Justin’s House off the telly! The open plan apartment overlooks Morte Bay and its brilliant…
