Christmas at Trentham 2022

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Disclosure - We were invited to Christmas at Trentham. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own.

Returning for 2022, the Christmas at Trentham illuminated trail is designed to sprinkle a little Christmas magic, accentuate the flora and fauna and see the stunning historic landscape in a world of light and colour.

Christmas at Trentham was our first Christmas trail this year and it's one we have never visited before so we were excited to see what Trentham had to offer and share our thoughts on the trail and any tips that might help when you visit. 

Christmas at Trentham, The Trentham Estate, Stone Road, Trentham, Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire, ST4 8JG

When?

Selected dates from Friday 2nd December to Sunday 1st January 2023 - 4:30pm -8pm (time slots may vary by date) 

What To Expect at Christmas at Trentham

As soon as you step foot through the visitor centre doors you will be blown away by the amount of lights that await you. As we have never visited Trentham Gardens before we had no idea just how large the estate is, it was breathtaking. 

To enjoy the trail all you need to do is follow the one way path that will take you on a journey through the gardens. The trail is clearly signposted with the opportunity to weave in and out in certain areas.

Food and Drink

Only food purchased at Trentham is allowed with the exception of baby food. There are two opportunities to purchase food and drink. Firstly you can take a detour within the first ten minutes of the trail to the refreshments area. There is an option to buy snacks such as pancakes and pizza plus hot and cold drinks. There is an outside seating with heaters just in front of the food stands. 

The food and drink was not cheap. We had already eaten however we did take a look and it could be quite costly especially for families of four or more. 

Half way around the trail there is a tea room which offers hot, cold and alcoholic beverages. A price list is clearly advertised on a board as you enter. There is also a chance to purchase a mince pie. There is plenty of in and outdoor seating available at the tea rooms however the outdoor is not under shelter so would not be ideal on rainy days. 

Outside the tea rooms is the opportunity to toast your own marshmallow. This cost £3 and we were given a huge marshmallow on a long stick that we toasted over the fire pit. 

Toilets

Toilets are available outside the visitor centre before you enter and also at the tearooms. 

Accessibility 

The paths were flat in most places and the surface was easy to walk on however there are some small inclines in places. The paths were wheelchair and pushchairs friendly. There is a low narrow bridge in to the laser garden but there are ropes either side to hold on to if necessary. 

Cost

Prices start at £22.10 for adults and £14.60 for children. There are a range of different ticket options including family, twilight viewing and igloo. 

Children under 3 are free of charge. 

A disabled person purchasing a ticket may bring one essential carer companion free of charge. Please select this ticket type at point of booking.  

You can Book your tickets to Christmas at Trentham online

Parking 

There is free parking available on site, on a first come first served basis. Blue badge parking is available within the main car park. We found a space straight away just at the entrance. 

Anything Else?

Wrap up warm and prepare for all weathers. The Christmas at Trentham light trail is an outdoor experience with no shelter. 

I don't like to put a time limit on this type of experience as there is so much to see however I would say if you are pushed for time you could complete the trail in less than an hour. 

There are plenty of opportunities to take photographs and staff along the trail are happy to take family photographs if asked. 

There is lots of space and the paths are really wide in places. 

There are two fairground rides by the food stalls which you can access about ten minutes in to the trail or at the end. The ferris wheel and swings are £3 per person. We went on the ferris wheel and thought it was great value for money with at least 8 rotations.

Book early! These type of experiences tend to sell out very quickly so make sure you book in advance. 

Have you visited the trail or are you planning to?  If so I would love to know. Do leave us a comment or message us on socials. 

Also you can always keep up to date with us on our socials, give us a like on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or if this post has helped you, you can Buy Us A Virtual Coffee to say thanks.

Michelle

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Our Place In Space Trail, Liverpool

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We recently visited Liverpool to complete the Our Place In Space Trail inspired by Oliver Jeffers. The trail is centred around an epic scale model of the Solar System designed by the artist Oliver Jeffers. Together with Scientist Professor Stephen Smartt and a creative team led by Nerve Centre the three dimensional sculpture trail, interactive AR app and learning and events programme was created. We love heading out on walks in the North West and they're even better if there is a trail to follow. 

What To Expect When Visiting Our Place In Space, Liverpool City Centre, L1

The Our Place In Space trail is available every day. It is recommended to visit between 9am-9pm for the best experience. If you are familiar with Liverpool, the journey begins on Church Street which is in the centre of Liverpool.

Trail staff are available to help you on your journey through the Solar System with lots of information including how to download the app. 

The start of the trail focuses on the Sun and then you can follow the signs, your trail map or use the app to then visit the rest of the Solar system. Once you have visited the planets in the main city centre shopping area you will then head to Liverpool's iconic waterfront where you will pass the Museum of Liverpool and catch Jupiter close to Tate Liverpool. You will then continue along the waterfront all the way to Pluto.

The trail from the Sun to Pluto is 8.1km in total. With an average walking speed the trail should be completed with 2-3 hours. However if you need to take a round trip then you would need to add on more time to your visit. 

The end of the trail is a short walk away from Aigburth train station where you could hop back in to the city centre if needed.

The planets are really interesting to see and the scale of the solar system is 591 million to 1. At this scale the Sun is 2.35m, the Earth 2.2cm and Pluto being just 4mm.

This is mainly a walking trail, however you could actually drive from one planet to another once you have visited the planets in the city centre and Royal Albert Dock. 

Toilets are available at various public locations along the way. 

The trail is fully accessible by bike should you chose to visit this way. 

We love trails and they are a great way to explore a city and see things you may not would have noticed before. The Our Place In Space Trail will be in Liverpool until the 6th November 2022 and you can find out more by visiting Our Place In Space

Have you visited the trail or are you planning to?  If so I would love to know. Do leave us a comment or message us on socials. 

If you enjoyed this post you can check out more by clicking our  'you may also like' posts below. 

Also you can always keep up to date with us on our socials, give us a like on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or if this post has helped you, you can Buy Us A Virtual Coffee to say thanks.

Michelle

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Captain Careless Treasure Hunt At Sea Life and Legoland Discovery Centre

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Disclosure - We were invited to Sea Life and Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. 

This Summer Sea Life and Legoland Discovery Centre have teamed up to offer visitors a swashbuckling adventure.  Can you follow the trail led activity to help Captain Careless find his treasure?

What To Expect At Sea Life Centre and Legoland Discovery Centre For Captain Careless's Treasure Hunt

At Sea Life guests will be able to take part in trail-led activities, from navigating their way across the ocean to helping solve Captain Careless’ coin conundrum, whilst hunting for the lost shiny booty which is hidden within the depths of the attractions. 

At the Legoland Discovery Centre, enjoy a brick-tastic day out. Don your sea legs and meet Captain Brickbeard and enrol in the Pirate Training Academy so you can learn what it takes to be one of the crew! Why not create an awesome pirate pet or a pirate flag from millions of pieces of lego?

 

On arrival at Sea Life we were given a map and a pirate trading card to get us started. We explored the centre looking at all the Sea Life creatures whilst trying to solve the Pirate puzzles. 

The puzzles where clearly displayed and the trail was a great addition to our visit. At the end of the trail we were greeted by a pirate who gave us a gold chocolate coin, a Peppa Pig Sticker and a magnifying glass for taking part.

Legoland Discovery Centre in Manchester is just next door to Sea Life and again on arrival we were given a map and another pirate trading card. 

We were free to enjoy all the usual attractions at Legoland Discovery Centre however there were pirate themed activities throughout the session. 

Find a member of staff to play the trading cards game (similar to top trumps) if you win you get to keep the cards and there are 6 to collect. 

Join in with the Pirate Dance party showing off your best pirate moves. 

Meet Brickbeard for the chance to grab a quick photograph with him. 

Anything Else?

Where? SEA LIFE London, Manchester and Birmingham and LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester and Birmingham 

When? Birmingham: 9th July – 4th September, Manchester: 16th July – 4th September, London: 23rd July – 3rd September

 

Pre Booking is essential and a time slot needs to be chosen if booking in advance

I would recommend allowing no than 1hr30 for the Sea Life and Legoland Discovery Centre is limited to a 3 hour slot which is plenty of time. 

You can purchase standard tickets online however if you are visiting both Sea Life and Legoland Discovery Centre you can purchase a multi which can help you save up to 32%

Sea Life has a small children's soft play area half way through and toilets. There are a few seats and vending machines. There is no cafe. 

The Legoland Discovery Centre has a variety of timed activities such as the 4D cinema and the pirate themed activities. Make sure you plan your time so you don't miss out. 

Both centres have chargeable VR experiences.

Legoland Discovery Centre has a cafe inside selling a selection of drinks and snacks. If you are choosing to buy a drink then I would recommend purchasing a free style cup as soon as you arrive. It is £3.50 allowing unlimited refills. 

To find out more information and to book tickets to the Captain Careless Pirate Treasure Hunt, please visit your local site below.

 

LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Birmingham

SEA LIFE Birmingham

LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester

SEA LIFE Manchester

SEA LIFE London

Will you be planning a trip to Sea Life and Legoland Discovery Centre? Leave us a comment below and let us know.  

If you enjoyed this post you can check out more by clicking our  'you may also like' posts below. 

Also you can always keep up to date with us on our socials, give us a like on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or if this post has helped you, you can Buy Us A Virtual Coffee to say thanks.

Michelle

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What To Expect At The Nickelodeon Experience Summer 2022

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You may have read my post recently advertising this years Nickelodeon Experience. The experience is visiting Heaton Park, Manchester until the 5th August and then onto Knebworth House from 14th Aug - 27th August. The Nickelodeon Experience promised lots of fun and activities for all ages and we were excited to visit Heaton Park on it's opening weekend. 

When arriving at the park The Nickelodeon Experience was clearly signposted and we were guided to the car park which was less than a minutes walk to the entrance of the experience. Tickets are timed and ours was 12pm but a queue started to form about 20 minutes before. Once we were at the front of the queue the tickets on our phones where scanned, we were given wristbands and then the children were given a free Nickelodeon branded popper which was a nice surprise. We later found these in the shop and they were priced £6.

Once you are inside you are free to roam the experience and take part in the activities. They are clearly signposted around the outskirts of the sectioned area of the park. We tried all the experiences before the great British weather took a turn and started to pour down. Luckily most of the activities are undercover so a bit of rain shouldn't spoil your day. 

HENRY DANGER'S MAZE

Push your superpowers to the limit as you brave your way through the Henry Danger Maze! But be careful, this cave is full of twists and turns, puzzles and passages and you’ll need to get through the cave unscathed - or face transportation to another dimension!

But don’t worry, Jace Norman will be on screen to give you the low down and tips on getting through! 

(For 7 - 14 years old.)

This was a bit of a disappointment and as it was our first activity I was a little worried the rest would be like this. It had so much potential but it was basically just a lot of mirrors and you could clearly see the 'push bar for exit' way out as soon as you walked in. There were three buttons to find and press once inside but because it was small and open we found them in 30 seconds. However when we had finished little J instantly wanted to go in again so sometimes a grown up's perspective is so much different than the kids. 

THUNDERMANS' SCHOOL FOR SUPERHEROES

Be a superhero at The Thundermans' School for Superheroes!

Are you ready to save the day? The Z-Force needs you! Kira Kosarin is dialling into The Thundermans' School for Superheroes to set you the ultimate superhero challenge…to win back your superpowers that have been taken by the Dark Orb!

But hurry, you’ll need to work together in your teams and be FAST to win! 

(For 7 - 14 years old.)

Next we did the Thunderman's School for Superheroes. We walked in to the tent and it was designed really well as a superhero camp. There were hula hoops, space hoppers and exercise bikes all positioned around the Dark Orb. The host for this activity had so much energy and was really great with the kids. She encouraged them to work out puzzles before finding a piece of equipment which they needed to use to try and become superheroes. All the children were engaged and played along and it was definitely an improvement on the previous activity.

HUNTER STREET ESCAPE ROOM

Can you unlock the mysteries of the missing painting at Hunter Street’s very own museum?

As soon as the door locks – the countdown begins! Work together with your super-star friends to solve the clues and see if your team can unlock our escape room... 

( For 7 - 14 years old.)

This was brilliant! As big fans of Escape Rooms I was hoping this activity would be good and it really was. Only 7 families can enter the escape room at a time and it takes about 20 minutes in total so this activity did have a constant queue but it was worth it. Each family was given a clue sheet and a wipe clean board to write on. We were taken in to the Escape Room and the two hosts explained what we had to do. No spoilers here but if you are a fan of Escape Rooms and puzzles you will enjoy it. 

CRAWL THROUGH THE TURTLES' LAIR

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to live underground?

There's a subterranean adventure to be had in The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ lair! Head underground, crawl through the maze and play the interactive TMNT based games.

(Suitable for all ages.)

This was a set of tunnels which the children could crawl through at their own pace. Little J did go in however was out after a minute or two and ready to try another activity. 

SANTIAGO OF THE SEAS' TREASURE COVE

Set sail on an adventure aboard a giant pirate ship with Santiago of the Seas!

Your little ones can play around in this interactive world and uncover hidden treasure in a sandy paradise! 

(Recommended for 2-6 years old.)

Just before we headed to this activity the rain started so lots of people gathered under this tent including us. There were lots of treasure chests filled with sand and posters dotted around that encouraged the children to look for hidden treasure. 

SLIME TIME PARTY!

It’s time to get SLIMED… The ultimate Nickelodeon honour!

Join other privileged VIPs and experience real-life Nickelodeon slime just like the superstars before you. Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, David Beckham and Sir Andy Murray are all part of this elite club – and now it’s your turn!

Kids 7 and under will also be able to take part in the fun with our slime confetti simulator. 

(Suitable for all ages.)

Both John and Little J had a go at the Slime Time Party. They were given a poncho before they entered the Slime zone. 

LOVE PAW PATROL?

Then you need to come on down to Adventure Bay!

There’s lots of fun to be had, as well as an opportunity to meet everyone’s favourite PAW Patrol Pups, Chase & Marshall.

PAW Patrol is on a roll... 

(Recommended for 2-6 years old.)

Little J didn't want to see the characters however there were lots of little ones very excited to meet the Paw Patrol pups. 

BIKINI BOTTOM BEACH

Completing The Nickelodeon Experience is hungry work! With plenty of delicious street food options to choose from you’ll be spoilt for choice…

During your visit, make sure you join us at Bikini Bottom Beach, a central zone for the whole family to spend time, relax and grab a bite.

There will be plenty of hot and cold food and drink on offer, as well as vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options. 

(Suitable for all ages, even the grown ups!)

We didn't use this area as the rain was just so bad at the time and we couldn't sit in the deckchairs however on a sunny day this would have been great. The deckchairs were all facing a huge TV screen showing Nickelodeon shows. 

The event is on grass so I would recommend sensible shoes and be prepared for all weathers. There were plenty of toilets, seating area both underneath a canopy tent and also the deckchairs. There were queues for food but you would expect that at this type of event. There is no hard sell to buy toys, light ups etc, there is just one shop by the exit although I think it can be avoided if you didn't want to visit.

Overall we all enjoyed The Nickelodeon Experience. The activities little J enjoyed most were Henry Dangers Maze, The Thunderman's Superhero Camp and The Hunter Street Escape Room. He did every activity once except for the maze which he did twice. After a look in the shop at the exit we left after being there for about 90 minutes. I think the rain did shorten our visit however we did everything and it was a really good experience. 

The Nickelodeon Experience will provide lots of fun for the kids this Summer. You can head over to The Nickelodeon Experience for more details and to book tickets.

Will you be heading to The Nickelodeon Experience during the Summer holidays? Leave us a comment below and let us know.  

You can always keep up to date with us on our socials, give us a like on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or if this post has helped you, you can Buy Us A Virtual Coffee to say thanks.

Michelle

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Julia Donaldson Superworm Trail at Delamere Forest

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New for 2022 at Delamere Forest is the Julia Donaldson Superworm trail. The Superworm trail is based on the popular Julia Donaldson children’s picture book Superworm. These trails are really popular and are a lovely way to take you on an adventure through the forest.

What To Expect At The Superworm Trail, Delamere Forest, CW8 2HZ

The Superworm trail takes you on a path through the forest on the lookout for six Superworm activity boards. Each activity board represents an animal from the Superworm story. You will find out the animals super power, a variety of different facts and an activity for you to complete. 

There is a trail pack to purchase from the visitor centre for £3.50. You do not need to purchase the pack to enjoy the trail however it does contain a mask, fact cards for the animals along the trail, an activity booklet and crayon. The activity booklet has an exclusive activity you can complete along the trail. 

There are lots of 'Gruffalo' statues still in place along the trail such as the mouse, owl and fox.

Along the trail there are many opportunities for you to go off the beaten track and explore the woods. There are lots of open spaces with logs to walk across, bugs to find and dens to be made. 

There are benches along the way to enjoy a picnic or just a rest. 

The trail takes approximately 40 to 60 minutes however this will depend on how fast or slow you take it. If you head into the woods, enjoy a picnic and do the activities it could easily fill 2-3 hours. 

Whilst there is no cost for the Superworm Trail, Delamere Forest is part of Forestry England and therefore there are car parking charges applicable. There are a few car parks around the forest however the purpose built car park next to the visitor centre and cafe is huge and I would recommend it.

The new visitor centre and cafe was built during 2020 and is a huge improvement on the old centre. There is a huge toilet block, cafe with indoor and outdoor seating and visitor centre. There is a wide range of hot and cold meals, snacks, cakes and ice cream. 

You can also access a range of walking trails close to the visitor centre. If you fancy heading up in to the trees you can also visit the Go Ape Tree top Challenge. 

We have visited Delamere Forest many times over the years and it was once home to the Gruffalo Trail and The Gruffalo Orienteering Trail. However the Gruffalo statue is now in need of repair and restoration due to weather damage and wear and tear. The Gruffalo statue has now been removed but it has made way for the Superworm trail which I know will be popular amongst fans of the book and short film.

You can join in with the Superworm trail at the following

Alice Holt

Bedgebury Pinetum

Beechenhurst

Cannock Chase

Cardinham Woods

Dalby Forest

Delamere Forest

Fineshade Wood

Gisburn Forest

Grizedale Forest

Guisborough Forest

Haldon Forest Park

Hamsterley Forest

Haughmond Hill

Hicks Lodge

High Lodge

Jeskyns

Kielder Forest

Moors Valley Country Park

Salcey Forest

Sherwood Pines

Thames Chase

Wendover Woods

Westonbirt Arboretum

Whinlatter Forset

Wyre

Have you visited any of the Julia Donaldson trails? Leave us a comment below and let us know.

 You can always keep up to date with us on our socials, give us a like on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or if this post has helped you you can Buy Us A Virtual Coffee to say thanks.

Michelle

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