5 top tips for visiting Legoland (by Robert, aged 9)

I am sure most of you have heard of or been to Legoland. I love going there and wanted to share my top tips for when you go again (or for any first-timers).

5  Try and plan out your day before you get to Legoland because it saves a lot of time.

4 Try to go on the Dragon rollercoaster and Laser Raiders late in the day because the queues can go on for more than 45 minutes.

3 Go on the wet rides at the end so that you aren't wet for any of the other rides afterwards!

2 If you are not sure if to go on a ride or not, watch the ride one to three  times before you go on. That way you will know if a ride might be too scary or too babyish.

1 Unless you have a Q-Bot or there is hardly anyone at the park I recommend to not go on a ride more than twice.

More by me:

A Harry Potter walking tour in London

5 top tips for visiting Legoland (by Robert, aged 9)

I am sure most of you have heard of or been to Legoland. I love going there and wanted to share my top tips for when you go again (or for any first-timers).

5  Try and plan out your day before you get to Legoland because it saves a lot of time.

4 Try to go on the Dragon rollercoaster and Laser Raiders late in the day because the queues can go on for more than 45 minutes.

3 Go on the wet rides at the end so that you aren't wet for any of the other rides afterwards!

2 If you are not sure if to go on a ride or not, watch the ride one to three  times before you go on. That way you will know if a ride might be too scary or too babyish.

1 Unless you have a Q-Bot or there is hardly anyone at the park I recommend to not go on a ride more than twice.

More by me:

A Harry Potter walking tour in London

A Delicious Breakfast in London By Jess

Last weekend, my family and I stayed overnight at the five star Marriott Park Lane Hotel near Marble Arch and Oxford Street (we stayed using Marriott Miles!), and got to try out breakfast at its new restaurant - Lanes of London.  This is what I thought...

The first impression we were given of Lanes of London was a great one; we were instantly greeted by smiling staff, and there were lots of platters containing delicious looking pastries in front of us. We were given a menu and quickly decided what we wanted to have: waffles with berries for me, smoked salmon and eggs for mum, pancakes with berries and porridge for Rob, smoked kipper with lemon butter for dad, toast, and a basket of pastries to share. Does that sound enough to you?!

We were very impressed by the fact that even though Rob cannot eat dairy, soya or eggs, the helpful staff offered alternatives to what he couldn't have. Mum had mentioned this in advance, but they couldn't have been more helpful and that was really impressive. Rob was very happy with his choices, especially the pancakes. He often loses out when we go out to eat.

Mum, dad and I all shared the "Lanes Of London Baker's Basket," and we were told that we were allowed to choose any four pastries, muffins, danishes or brioches on display. All of them looked amazing, but we finally decided on a rhubarb danish, apple turnover, pain au chocolat and brioche. They were all scrumptious, especially the apple turnover!

To be honest, all of the food was fantastic. Everything I tried tasted fabulous, including my waffles, which were covered with fresh and brilliant-tasting berries. The toast (made with sour dough bread) was delectable and it was served with perfect butter, and the juice was so nice that I had two glasses!

Overall, you should definitely visit the Lanes of London if you have the chance - it is in an incredibly convenient location (great for a London visit), the food is delicious, the staff are really nice and there is something for everyone. We really had a lovely time and felt thoroughly spoilt. This may sound like I'm writing a kind of advert, but I really don't mean to. It's just that we really did have no complaints!

Disclosure: We were offered breakfast at Lanes on a complimentary basis in order to write about it. However, all the thoughts and opinions are, of course, our own.

More by me: 

Three great child-friendly restaurants in Bristol 

The view from the Shard

A Delicious Breakfast in London By Jess

Last weekend, my family and I stayed overnight at the five star Marriott Park Lane Hotel near Marble Arch and Oxford Street (we stayed using Marriott Miles!), and got to try out breakfast at its new restaurant - Lanes of London.  This is what I thought...

Read more »

A Harry Potter Walking Tour in London

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A Harry Potter Walking Tour in London

We started the tour at Embankment tube station which is featured in the Harry Potter films when Harry goes to the Ministry of Magic with Mr Weasley

Me and my mum went on a Harry Potter walking tour. On a walking tour, you walk around and look at places connected to a popular film. I was in a group of 15 people and the walk took two hours. I had a fantastic (but tiring) time.

We went to loads of Harry Potter related places, like Diagon Alley and the Ministry of Magic which are all in central London. These were my favourite places, as I had seen them lots of times in the films, so it was really exciting to see them in real life. It felt like I was inside the story! 

This was me and June re-enacting a scene when Ron is keeping a look-out

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Visiting Selby Abbey: nearly 1,000 years of history

One of the joys of travelling is stumbling on gems you don't expect to find. That's what Jess and I did last week in Yorkshire.

We were on a trip to make macaroons (yes, really) in the glamorous Carlton Towers near Selby and will tell you all about that another time. We had a few hours to kill before our train back to London, and luckily a helpful taxi driver was on hand.

"Did you know that we have a near 1,000 year old abbey here?" he asked us. Funnily enough we didn't, but we asked him to take us there to have a look.

We arrived at Selby Abbey 3.50pm and were disappointed to see that it closed at 4. Fortunately we were then told we could stay as long as we wanted and we found it fascinating. It has rather an impressive, and turbulent, history, as well as marvellous architecture and beautiful stained glass windows.

Selby Abbey was the first monastery to be founded in the north of England after the Norman conquest and was initially erected in 1069 (I think this astonished Jess, who studied the Normans at school this year, and couldn't believe we were actually standing in something which had been in existence so long ago).

Between 1069 and 1539 the Abbey was ruled by 34 Abbots and became a famous (and very wealthy) monastery. It was visited by monarchs, became the focus of the local area and over the years, saw many changes, adding new windows and chapels.

What is amazing is that the Abbey survived, architecturally unscathed, after the dissolution. As those of you who remember your 16th century history will know, Henry VIII decided to close or "dissolve" the monasteries, appropriate their wealth, and in many cases destroy them, during the Reformation. In Selby however, the last Abbot was Robert Rogers, who appears to have been a good friend of the King, and who signed the petition calling for Henry to be able to divorce Katherine of Aragon. Coincidentally (or not), Selby was not destroyed (although obviously its purpose changed) and the church was left alone.

It became the parish church in 1618 and still is, although it's probably the most impressive parish church we have ever seen.

The roof of the abbey was, unfortunately, destroyed in 1906 when the bells in the central tower melted. However, it was brilliantly reconstructed, and there are reminders of that inside and outside the Church, including  in the stained glass windows, which contain images of the (then) Royal family (including Queen Victoria and Edward VII).

We particularly liked the Washington Window, which contains the heraldic arms of the Washington family (yes, that Washington family!). If you look up, you can see the original 14th century glass containing three red stars above two red bands on a white shield, and these are supposed to be the model for the American Flag - one of the first known representations of the stars and stripes. The window is thought to commemorate John Wessington, Prior of Durham (1416-1446).

We were also fascinated by the a leper squint. Lepers were not allowed in the Abbey to pray. Instead they stood outside and looked down a hole in the outer wall. This connected to a narrow opening which meant that lepers could see the high altar. You can still see into the leper squint today.

The Abbey offers lots of easily available information (including a family trail) and the staff are friendly, knowledgeable and more than happy to chat, even after closing time! We felt very fortunate to have stumbled on a place so full of interest. Once again I felt that England has so much to offer.

Selby Abbey is free to enter (although donations are encouraged) and is open daily from 9am to 4pm. There are services throughout the year.

Read about another Washington connection at Sulgrave Manor

And read more about another historical visit with our blog (and video) on Hever Castle

Visiting Selby Abbey: nearly 1,000 years of history

One of the joys of travelling is stumbling on gems you don't expect to find. That's what Jess and I did last week in Yorkshire.

We were on a trip to make macaroons (yes, really) in the glamorous Carlton Towers near Selby and will tell you all about that another time. We had a few hours to kill before our train back to London, and luckily a helpful taxi driver was on hand.

"Did you know that we have a near 1,000 year old abbey here?" he asked us. Funnily enough we didn't, but we asked him to take us there to have a look.

We arrived at Selby Abbey 3.50pm and were disappointed to see that it closed at 4. Fortunately we were then told we could stay as long as we wanted and we found it fascinating. It has rather an impressive, and turbulent, history, as well as marvellous architecture and beautiful stained glass windows.

Read more »