Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain Part Two! (by Robert)

The trailer

Horrible Histories Barmy Britain Part Two is a hilarious show which has two people arguing about whether we live in Great Britain or Barmy Britain. A man and a police lady act out the history in the show. Both characters have a different opinion of our country's  past.

A few of the funny moments were:

• The Queen undercover, experiencing jobs. I liked it when she met the fired king/queen bottom wiper.


• The only way is Essex with Dick Turpin.


• Richard the Lionheart and all the animal noises - meow, baa, neigh but no roar - when he says his name.


• The songs like Burke and Hare and the death song.

I think other people will like this show because it is funny, gory and very interesting. My dad liked it and so did my cousin (who's 10) and uncle, which means it's a great day out for everyone. I even thought it was funnier and more interesting than Barmy Britain Part One.

Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain Part Two is on at the Garrick Theatre in London. It is touring in lots of different venues around the country, including Norwich, Aberdeen and Llandudno from January 2014. You can find out more about the tour here.

Read my blog post about my favourite shows.

Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain Part Two! (by Robert)

 
                                                            The trailer

Horrible Histories Barmy Britain Part Two is a hilarious show which has two people arguing about whether we live in Great Britain or Barmy Britain. A man and a police lady act out the history in the show. Both characters have a different opinion of our country's  past.

A few of the funny moments were:

• The Queen undercover, experiencing jobs. I liked it when she met the fired king/queen bottom wiper.
• The only way is Essex with Dick Turpin.
• Richard the Lionheart and all the animal noises - meow, baa, neigh but no roar - when he says his name.
• The songs like Burke and Hare and the death song.

I think other people will like this show because it is funny, gory and very interesting. My dad liked it and so did my cousin (who's 10) and uncle, which means it's a great day out for everyone. I even thought it was funnier and more interesting than Barmy Britain Part One.

Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain Part Two is on at the Garrick Theatre in London. It is touring in lots of different venues around the country, including Norwich, Aberdeen and Llandudno from January 2014. You can find out more about the tour here.

Read my blog post about my favourite shows.
 

In praise of interconnecting rooms!

It's great to be with the kids- but it's also nice to be able to shut the door on them!

Holidays are fabulous, but there are sometimes downsides. I know, this could come perilously close to complaining, and I do realise we are extremely lucky enough to be able to go away, exploring the UK and beyond. But although I love spending time away as a family, those kids sometimes get in the way.

Let me clarify. I mean at night. And I mean when they are sharing our room.

It can be hard enough to find a family sized room, but once you have, you then all have to sleep in it together. This can mean that the children don't fall asleep until incredibly late, or that there is no space (we stayed in one B&B in Northamptonshire where I was convinced I was going to step on my toddler and kill him if I attempted to move). It also means that, if one of you likes it very dark to go to sleep (that'll be me then) and a child likes it light, you're in trouble. And I haven't even mentioned the heavy breathing (the asthmatic child) or the waking up very early (the other one).

All of which explains why I love interconnecting rooms. They are the holy grail of the family holiday and we are fortunate enough to have stayed in some which have made our holiday even more pleasurable. Sometimes these rooms are more expensive, but they are often remarkably good value and can make a real difference to your vacation.

When we visited Newcastle, a few years ago, we stayed in the Gateshead Hilton and had two rooms next to each other. There was a door between them which could be locked (for "normal" visitors) or open so that the children could stay next door, but come freely in and out. At night time we shut the door (although we didn't lock it) and peace reined.

Robert at Mynd House in Shropshire

We also stayed in a gorgeous B&B in Shropshire, called Mynd House (you can read about this trip here). Here we had the top of the house, which included two rooms and a bathroom. That was a real pleasure, as was the Merton Hotel in Jersey, which offered a range of family rooms.

When we visited Bristol this summer, we stayed in another B&B called Winston Manor. We paid under £100 a night (including a slap up breakfast) for the four of us to stay in two rooms which had a door between them. It wasn't madly cheap, but we only stayed for a few nights and the children even had their own bathroom and TV. It was wonderful.

There sometimes don't seem to be enough rooms set aside for family travel - I mean ones which are big enough for more than a double bed and a cot, or take into account the fact that adults may want to be separated from their children (especially as those children grow up). My kids are now at an age when they don't like sharing a bed, which is understandable, but we are often given this option, offered two double beds between the four of us.

St Ermin's had two double beds and a single

When we stayed at the wonderful St Ermin's hotel recently (you can read about this here), the splendid room had two double beds and a single, so the children could happily spread out. It also had two bathrooms! Yes, we were all together, but it was so big and luxurious I didn't worry. And I could manage for one night...

More from me!

Seven reasons to stay in a B&B

Beautiful Alpine Austria

If you liked this post, please could you pop over to the Britmums website where we are absolutely thrilled to say that we have been shortlisted in two categories for the Brilliance in Blogging Awards (or Bibs). If you could vote for us, Family Travel Times, in travel and video (please click where it says "vote for them now"), we would be hugely grateful. Thank you!

In praise of interconnecting rooms!

It's great to be with the kids- but it's also nice to be able to shut the door on them!

Holidays are fabulous, but there are sometimes downsides. I know, this could come perilously close to complaining, and I do realise we are extremely lucky enough to be able to go away, exploring the UK and beyond. But although I love spending time away as a family, those kids sometimes get in the way.

Let me clarify. I mean at night. And I mean when they are sharing our room.

It can be hard enough to find a family sized room, but once you have, you then all have to sleep in it together. This can mean that the children don't fall asleep until incredibly late, or that there is no space (we stayed in one B&B in Northamptonshire where I was convinced I was going to step on my toddler and kill him if I attempted to move). It also means that, if one of you likes it very dark to go to sleep (that'll be me then) and a child likes it light, you're in trouble. And I haven't even mentioned the heavy breathing (the asthmatic child) or the waking up very early (the other one).


Read more »

Going back in time at Thornbury Castle

Thornbury Castle is absolutely beautiful

I don't know who was more excited, me, or the children. After all, it's not everyday that you spend the night in a castle, and certainly not one which has hosted one of the famous monarchs of all, Henry VIII.

Then again, Thornbury Castle is not your everyday kind of place. Instead, it is utterly gorgeous and perfect for a real taste of luxury. It is also situated right next to a beautiful church and just a few minutes from the delightful village of Thornbury in Gloucestershire. Thornbury has a very impressive array of shops, tearooms and restaurants and the most fabulous park which boasts the biggest paddling pool I've ever seen.

But back to the castle, which was built by Edward Stafford, the third Duke of Buckingham between 1510 and 1521. He was beheaded (unfortunately a common experience in Tudor times) in 1521 but the castle continued to go from strength to strength. Mary I stayed here often and Henry and Anne Boleyn (another who lost her head) stayed for 10 days in the Tower suite (yes, it's still there, although with some mod cons) in 1535.


The castle became a hotel in the 1960s and has recently been renovated and refurbished. It is part of the Luxury Family Hotels group, though more for families with older children (like ours) who don't need creches or looking after by other people during the day. However, it does offer activities for kids during the summer, early suppers, babysitting, and of course, a really special location.

Our suite was up its own stone staircase

I am a real sucker for history and castles (see my piece on Gorey Castle here), but Thornbury is special. The Tudor architecture is a joy and the bedchambers (all different - we made sure we visited some other than our own) are fantastic.

We stayed in Portlethen, up its own stone staircase and with its own impressively heavy key (to open a heavy oak door). The suite was magnificent, with more than enough space for the four of us, and with the children in separate single beds (they aren't too happy to share a double now they're getting older). There was even a small kitchen, as well as a very authentic looking tapestry on the wall.

This tapestry was in our suite

We loved the "royal" touches, such as long red ropes which you pulled to put the lights on and off, and crested toilet paper. My husband and I had a proper four poster bed and it was incredibly comfortable. In fact, we had such a good night's sleep and were so impressed by how unusual that is, we asked about the mattress the next day.

Upmarket toilet roll!

Aaah, we loved this comfortable bed!

The grounds are also atmospheric and charming. We enjoyed walking around the beautifully manicured gardens and although we didn't have afternoon tea outside, I can imagine that it would be a lovely place to do so.

Enjoying the gorgeous lawns

Portlethen was in one of the wings of the castle, so obviously we explored the main part of the castle too. We said hello to the coat of armour and visited the library and dining room. We also learnt that the long, deep windows in that room were originally built like that so that the men could, ahem, do their business in there, and not have to leave and miss any conversation (or plotting).

Our only criticism of our stay was that the service in the restaurant was extremely slow. We had booked an early supper, from 6.45, but were still there at near to 9pm and weren't given any explanation for the delay. In addition (and it hurts me to say this as we did have such a wonderful time), we weren't hugely impressed by the food, except for the desserts. We chose the vegetarian menu (we were impressed to know that there was a vegetarian menu) and it was a bit bland for all of us, although the menu descriptions sounded delicious. The food simply needed more seasoning.

However, it didn't detract too much from such a marvellous stay. We all agreed that Thornbury is simply not the kind of place you come across very often and that makes it truly special. We would recommend it for visitors from all over the UK (it's not far from Bath or Bristol, so you could combine it with a day trip to either) and around the world.

Visit Thornbury Castle's website for more.

We stayed as guests at Thornbury Castle, near Bristol, which is part of the Luxury Family Hotels collection (telephone 0844 482 2152 or www.luxuryfamilyhotels.co.uk).

Classic Rooms start at £170 per night based on two adults sharing on a room and breakfast basis. A room accommodating two adults and two children is available from £270 per room per night on a room and breakfast basis.

Going back in time at Thornbury Castle

Thornbury Castle is absolutely beautiful

I don't know who was more excited, me, or the children. After all, it's not everyday that you spend the night in a castle, and certainly not one which has hosted one of the famous monarchs of all, Henry VIII.

Then again, Thornbury Castle is not your everyday kind of place. Instead, it is utterly gorgeous and perfect for a real taste of luxury. It is also situated right next to a beautiful church and just a few minutes from the delightful village of Thornbury in Gloucestershire. Thornbury has a very impressive array of shops, tearooms and restaurants and the most fabulous park which boasts the biggest paddling pool I've ever seen.

But back to the castle, which was built by Edward Stafford, the third Duke of Buckingham between 1510 and 1521. He was beheaded (unfortunately a common experience in Tudor times) in 1521 but the castle continued to go from strength to strength. Mary I stayed here often and Henry and Anne Boleyn (another who lost her head) stayed for 10 days in the Tower suite (yes, it's still there, although with some mod cons) in 1535.

Read more »

Beautiful Alpine Austria

Scheffau, where we stayed

I have a complicated relationship with Austria as you can see from this article, on my trip to Vienna. To me, it is not just a country of beautiful scenery and the finest of cakes. It is also the place where my father was born, and which forced him and my grandparents to leave.

My dad was born in Vienna in 1937. His father was taken away after the Anschluss (annexation) in 1938 and spent more than a year in Dachau concentration camp. He was extremely fortunate to be released before the start of the Second World War, and with my grandmother and baby father, managed to get to England in August 1939. Many of my father’s relatives were not so lucky.

This brief history may help you see why for me, Austria is far more than a tourist destination. It may also explain why I was so intrigued by the possibility of going to visit this tiny country as a holiday-maker.

The region I visited, the Wilder Kaiser, is a mountain range in the Tirol. It is best known for being a ski resort, but as it offers over 700km of signed hiking trails, over 400km of mountain bike routes, cable cars, six mountain adventure parks and numerous mountain huts and inns, it seems a waste not to enjoy it during the rest of the year. And of course there is the spectacular scenery.

I visited with my eight-year-old son, Robert, and we had a wonderful time although I did, at times, feel a little strange, a sensation I also experienced when I visited Vienna a few years ago. I think this is because Austria is such a very, very beautiful country, but with such a dark recent history. On this visit, I was struck by the fact that when I said my father was Austrian-born (I have an Austrian surname), only one person asked me for more details. In Vienna, people were far more interested.

The problem with family holidays is that they can often be too similar – full of beaches, chips and ice-cream. This is not an issue in the Wilder Kaiser. You can enjoy a holiday full of utterly stunning scenery, fresh air, and authentic cuisine — from schnitzel (not usually with noodles, I’m afraid) to Kaiser-schmarren (chopped pancakes)....

We stayed in the Hotel Alpin in Scheffau, around an hour from Innsbruck airport. This is a lovely place for families, offering a kids club, table tennis, fields to play in, and a swimming pool. It also has family rooms and includes buffet meals, perfect for children who are independent enough to want to choose what they eat (and easy for parents of any age, as it means you only take what you think your child will enjoy).

If you like walking and fresh air, then you will find the entire region delightful and may also be surprised by just how much there is to do. As the parent of a rather screen-obsessed child, I was thrilled by how physical everything was, how outdoorsy and fun. Robert walked and walked and never complained.

The region offers a free hiking bus, the Kaiserjet, which makes it easy to get around. Be warned, however, that as you’re not in the UK, buses arrive when they are supposed to and leave shortly after. This means you need to check the timetable and be punctual! There wasn’t time to visit everywhere the Kaiserjet could have taken us, but we saw some real highlights.

One of these was at Hexenwasser Soll. Hexenwasser means “witches water” and it’s a kind of outdoor activity centre, with more than 60 “stations”. Robert particularly enjoyed making his own beeswax candle, creating music with drops of water and walking in the streams over rocks and stones (this is supposed to be done with shoes off via a barefoot reflexology trail, but trust me, it wasn’t quite the weather!). We also both enjoyed a really wonderful Austrian breakfast with homemade bread, jams and green eggs (yes, really) at the Grundlalm, half way up the mountain.

The green eggs we were served at the Grundlalm

The KaiserWelt Scheffau activity park is another excellent place for children. It offers a climbing wall and zip wires as well as some great wooden castles and aeroplanes. It’s high up with excellent views, so if you don’t want to enjoy the playground side of it, you can have a walk around.

And if you are more of a walker than a zip wire-r (like me), then you may enjoy the Kneipp experience. I loved it, especially as we had a brilliant guide.

The Kneipp philosophy was founded by a Bavarian priest, Sebastian Kneipp in the 19th century. It’s all to do with walking barefoot and using cold and hot water to bring you back to good health. It’s something I would really love to do again, especially as I have a long-term foot problem and am always looking for things which may help. However, I admit that I was loath to put my bare feet in the sticky looking mud.

Our favourite place was Ellmi’s Zauberwelt (or Magic World) on the Hartkaiser mountain, and which we reached by a funicular railway. It is a huge outdoor park with a magnificent children’s playground, water pump and water jet (both of which my son adored), trampolines, maze, pirate ship, treetop walk and more. It’s the kind of place where you can spend an entire day, and the most fantastic part about is that it all takes place outside and in front of the most fabulous panorama.

Robert on the trampoline at Ellmi’s Magic World

 

Our only gripe about our trip was that it was tricky in Austria (as in much of Eastern Europe) to be a vegetarian, especially if you don’t want to eat too much cheese. The weather also wasn’t brilliant, but that’s often true of the UK. When the sun shone, it was spectacular.

I cannot pretend that my personal circumstances stopped me from enjoying this holiday, although they probably put the experience in a different context to my fellow travellers. But my son and I still found it a superb, and out-of-the-ordinary, place for a family trip and would recommend it wholeheartedly.

Sarah Ebner and her son were guests of Crystal Holidays.

The Wilder Kaiser region in the Austrian Tirol is made up of four villages, Going, Ellmau, Scheffau and Söll.

Crystal Summer (www.crystalsummer.co.uk; 0871 231 2256) offers 7 nights half board, packed lunch, afternoon tea and cakes, unlimited drinks and children’s ice cream buffet at the 4* Hotel Alpin in Scheffau from £2,113 for a family of four. Price includes flights from Gatwick to Innsbruck and resort transfers. Regional airports are available at a supplement from £20.

Also included in the price is ‘Bobo Club’ for children from 3 years with activities, Sunday-Friday · outdoor children’s play area with football pitch, trampolines, table tennis and climbing area (unsupervised), a small petting zoo area with goats and rabbits. The hotel has a heated indoor pool, sauna and steam room, bar/lounge with open fire place and WiFi throughout the hotel.

For more information about Tirol, go to www.visittirol.co.uk or on the Wilder Kaiser region, visitwww.wilderkaiser.info.

Read Jessica's article on 5 things you MUST do in Vienna

THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED ON THE BRITMUMS BLOG

Beautiful Alpine Austria

Scheffau, where we stayed

I have a complicated relationship with Austria as you can see from this article, on my trip to Vienna. To me, it is not just a country of beautiful scenery and the finest of cakes. It is also the place where my father was born, and which forced him and my grandparents to leave.

My dad was born in Vienna in 1937. His father was taken away after the Anschluss (annexation) in 1938 and spent more than a year in Dachau concentration camp. He was extremely fortunate to be released before the start of the Second World War, and with my grandmother and baby father, managed to get to England in August 1939. Many of my father’s relatives were not so lucky.

This brief history may help you see why for me, Austria is far more than a tourist destination. It may also explain why I was so intrigued by the possibility of going to visit this tiny country as a holiday-maker.

The region I visited, the Wilder Kaiser, is a mountain range in the Tirol. It is best known for being a ski resort, but as it offers over 700km of signed hiking trails, over 400km of mountain bike routes, cable cars, six mountain adventure parks and numerous mountain huts and inns, it seems a waste not to enjoy it during the rest of the year. And of course there is the spectacular scenery.

I visited with my eight-year-old son, Robert, and we had a wonderful time although I did, at times, feel a little strange, a sensation I also experienced when I visited Vienna a few years ago. I think this is because Austria is such a very, very beautiful country, but with such a dark recent history. On this visit, I was struck by the fact that when I said my father was Austrian-born (I have an Austrian surname), only one person asked me for more details. In Vienna, people were far more interested.

The problem with family holidays is that they can often be too similar – full of beaches, chips and ice-cream. This is not an issue in the Wilder Kaiser. You can enjoy a holiday full of utterly stunning scenery, fresh air, and authentic cuisine — from schnitzel (not usually with noodles, I’m afraid) to Kaiser-schmarren (chopped pancakes)....

We stayed in the Hotel Alpin in Scheffau, around an hour from Innsbruck airport. This is a lovely place for families, offering a kids club, table tennis, fields to play in, and a swimming pool. It also has family rooms and includes buffet meals, perfect for children who are independent enough to want to choose what they eat (and easy for parents of any age, as it means you only take what you think your child will enjoy).

If you like walking and fresh air, then you will find the entire region delightful and may also be surprised by just how much there is to do. As the parent of a rather screen-obsessed child, I was thrilled by how physical everything was, how outdoorsy and fun. Robert walked and walked and never complained.

Read more »

A Delicious Sally Lunn Bun...

This summer, my mum and I ate at Sally Lunn's - a delightful eating house and kitchen museum in one of the oldest houses in Bath. This is what we thought...

The first thing you notice when you see Sally Lunn's is the stunning tea house. It feels friendly and welcoming, and as if you are being whisked back in time when you step into it. However, I felt slightly less optimistic about the house when we were waiting in the hallway to be seated (an inconvenient place where it was impossible to be seen).

By the time we were seated, my mum and I were extremely hungry and anxious to start eating. The menu had lots of choice, and we chose to have a savoury bun each and share a sweet one. My mum chose Welsh Rarebit and I had roast vegetable. Unfortunately, the service was slow, but our buns more than made up for it. They were warm, light and fluffy, and a half-size portion was just right with the side salad.

My bun was covered with delicious roast vegetables and a mouth-watering pesto mayonnaise. The flavours will stay with me for a long time!

We chose a cinnamon butter bun for dessert, and I loved it. It had an absolutely massive amount of cinnamon butter on it, and I could have eaten it all day.

When we were finished, we walked down to the museum, expecting to find some fascinating history. However, it was basically a cellar with a few posters on the walls, and someone selling Sally Lunn buns. I would have liked to find out a bit more on the history of the bun, but the information there was down there was quite interesting. In the end, we brought back another bun - who wouldn't?!

Overall, the Sally Lunn had great food, great atmosphere and a great location. With better service and a more interesting museum, it would have been perfect.

More by me:
Three great places to eat with kids in Bristol

A Delicious Sally Lunn Bun...

This summer, my mum and I ate at Sally Lunn's - a delightful eating house and kitchen museum in one of the oldest houses in Bath. This is what we thought...

The first thing you notice when you see Sally Lunn's is the stunning tea house. It feels friendly and welcoming, and as if you are being whisked back in time when you step into it. However, I felt slightly less optimistic about the house when we were waiting in the hallway to be seated (an inconvenient place where it was impossible to be seen).

By the time we were seated, my mum and I were extremely hungry and anxious to start eating. The menu had lots of choice, and we chose to have a savoury bun each and share a sweet one. My mum chose Welsh Rarebit and I had roast vegetable. Unfortunately, the service was slow, but our buns more than made up for it. They were warm, light and fluffy, and a half-size portion was just right with the side salad.
Read more »