Discovering Welchman Hall Gully, Barbados

Craving some sun? Jess's post may make that even worse......!

Jess, aged 14, writes: Over the summer, I was lucky enough to be invited to stay at my friend's house in Barbados, and I had the most amazing time. We swam in the sea, visited museums, went sailing, and ate lots and lots of food. One of the highlights of the trip was visiting Welchman Hall Gully, a gully full of gorgeous plants and animals right in the centre of the island.

Prior to the trip, I didn't even know what a gully was. It turns out that they only take up five percent of the island, but contain a third of its plants. I was fascinated by this, and ran around trying to identify plants that we had learnt about in geography at school!

[caption id="attachment_3402" align="aligncenter" width="1699"] The gully was absolutely filled with plants[/caption]

As soon I walked into the gully, it seemed as though I was instantly transported to the middle of a rainforest. Plants stretched high above my head, monkeys roamed around me, and nutmeg and mace lined the floor. We kept running around to pick these up, and I delighted in finding a large one to take back with me.

The vast majority of Welchman Hall Gully is taking up by all of the incredible plants, but there were so many other aspects I loved. Upon walking into the gully, I saw a green monkey eating a banana on the feeding platform. At one point, there were lots of birds (I don't know which type) flying above us, and at another, I held a millipede for the first time. I liked sliding down a short section of the gully on a zipwire, and seeing gorgeous views of the island after walking up some stairs.

[caption id="attachment_3403" align="aligncenter" width="1699"] I held a millipede![/caption]

For someone who is really interested in plants and geography, I really appreciated the signs that told you information about the gully - at lots of places I go to, I find myself needing more information, which wasn't the case here. I also appreciated the amount of shade from the plants, as I really struggled in other places in the island.

My favourite part of the gully was a giant bamboo plant, which was definitely the biggest I've ever seen. Estimation is not my strength, but it must have been at least five or six times my height. Each stick was so big that I spent ages simply staring at it, as I never would have thought it possible for a bamboo to grow so big.

We finished off our trip to the gully with a walk through a cave. The gully was formed by the collapsed roofs of caves, and I really enjoyed walking through one. On the way up to the cave, my friend showed me a macaw palm tree, which both fascinated and scared me. It looks the same as a palm tree, except the trunk is covered with spikes. I wondered if I would have touched it, before realising that it was out of the way and the spikes were very visible. It was as very easy walk, although I have been told that there are harder ones! I was excited to see a stalactite and a stalagmite, and liked jumping down from a big pile of rocks.



Overall, I really loved my visit to Welchman Hall Gully in Barbados. It was so serene and tranquil, and everything was absolutely beautiful. I felt really removed from everything, and loved getting close to nature in a way that just isn't possible in London.

Admission to the gully is $12 for adults, with a booklet included. Children aged 6-12 are $6, and children under 5 go free. I was not asked to review the gully and all opinions are my own.

Ella goes to Copenhagen, Denmark

[caption id="attachment_3457" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Ella and her brother outside Kronborg Castle, otherwise known as "Hamlet's Castle"[/caption]

It's so lovely to have another guest post from my very gorgeous niece Ella, who’s 16. So far, she has written on Barcelona, Whitstable and the Veggie Prets in London! Now she's telling us about her trip to Copenhagen.

"This summer, I was lucky enough to visit the beautiful city of Copenhagen. Having never been to Denmark before, and having no idea of the language or culture, this was a very insightful and exciting trip – and one I would highly recommend.

The Tivoli Gardens were the highlight of my holiday. Known for stunning scenery, the gardens did not disappoint – and this was one for all the family. Whilst our parents sat entranced by the beautiful flowers, buildings and waterfalls, my brother and I loved going on a wide variety of rides and rollercoasters. One of my favourites was described to be similar to Disney’s “It’s a small world” – but this one was a history of Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tales, and is definitely not to be missed. As well as the slower paced rides, there were plenty of rollercoasters to choose from – varying in speed and scariness! There really is something for everyone.

Entry into Tivoli was quite pricey, so I would recommend dedicating an entire day to spending there to get your money’s worth. In addition to the entry fee, you do have to pay for the rides. These cost anywhere between 25 and 75 DKK (£3-£8). My brother and I both bought wristbands for 220 DDK each (£26) – these allowed you unlimited access to all the rides for one day, and are particularly good if you are there off-peak, and can avoid long queues.

The statue of Hans Christian Anderson’s Little Mermaid is a supposed must-see during a trip to Copenhagen. However, my family and I found it to be very under-whelming, probably due to all the hype it’s given! In saying that, I wouldn’t advise you to avoid it all together – perhaps rather than dedicating a trip to it specifically, you can settle for seeing it on a boat trip.

We used our first morning in Copenhagen for a sight-seeing boat tour on the canal. This was the perfect way to start our holiday, and get a great taste for the beauty and intricate architecture of the city. As well as glancing The Little Mermaid, a wide variety of other sights are to be seen – including The Copenhagen Opera House, and the impressive Black Diamond Library.

The tour takes approximately an hour, and is guided in English, Danish and one other language per boat - varying between German, Italian, French, Portuguese and Spanish. I would definitely recommend it, but make sure you wrap up warm!

It is no secret that Copenhagen is an expensive city. Prices are all very high, and perhaps this wouldn’t be the ideal destination for a solely shopping holiday! We found a good way to get around the high costs, especially in restaurants, was to buy supermarket food and make our own meal once a day. The people we encountered were all very friendly, which made shopping in a supermarket full of a completely unknown language a much easier task.

[caption id="attachment_3459" align="alignnone" width="750"] Nyhavn[/caption]

I loved walking around and getting a feel for the beautiful, quirky city – a walk on the colourful Nyhavn is definitely not to be missed! This is the cute and attractive harbour, where the buildings are painted a multitude of different colours, and the atmosphere is lively and fun.

We also embarked on a very interesting day trip to "Hamlet’s" castle. If you’ve hired a car, the hour long drive from Copenhagen to Helsingor is a great way to see a little more of Denmark. There are many fisherman villages on the way, and the drive is very beautiful. The castle itself is also quite a sight! It is called Kronborg Castle, and is the actual castle that Shakespeare set Hamlet in (otherwise known as Elsinore).

Copenhagen is a city that many tourists and residents choose to cycle around, so renting a bike is another great way to become acquainted with the city.

Overall, I really did have a lovely holiday, and Copenhagen is definitely worth a visit."

 

More by Ella on Barcelona and Whitstable, Kent

The National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire

[caption id="attachment_3439" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The Naval Memorial[/caption]

With Armistice Day just around the corner, it seemed a perfect time to tell you about the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. It is a really beautiful and important place, sad and moving, and a really good location for a visit from the whole family. It’s also remarkably peaceful, with the Rivers Tame and Trent flowing through the site.

The Arboretum was inspired after David Childs, who set it up, visited Arlington Cemetery and the National Arboretum in Washington DC in 1988. John Major, the then Prime Minister, launched an appeal to set up the Arboretum in 1994, even though there was no land or money at the time. It was officially opened in 2001 and is a fine tribute to all the men and women who have laid down their lives for their country.

The Arboretum is set in 150 acres, with over 40,000 trees, over 300 memorials and an abundance of wildlife.

We took a buggy tour round some of the memorials and then walked around by ourselves later. The Arboretum is huge, so a buggy tour is a really good idea, especially if you are with kids, although the land train is another good option. Our guide, Maurice Dodds, used to be in the armed forces himself and he was full of information, driving us to some fascinating memorials and pointing out many more as we whizzed past.

[caption id="attachment_3441" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The memorial to Jewish servicemen and women[/caption]

It is really hard to pick out particular memorials as they are all important. However, there was something especially moving about the huge one to those killed in the fighting at Basra in the first Gulf War, as it seemed so recent, while there are many beautiful gardens and marked trees, all of which have their own stories to tell. There are memorials to postal workers and policemen and women, to those who lost their lives during the Northern Irish conflict, in Suez, in Kenya, and the Far East, to Jewish servicemen and women and to those in the special forces. There is a memorial to the Twin Towers and a memorial railway line to those who died setting up the Sumatra Railway, plus a large memorial for those who died in the Falklands, not so very long ago. And of course there are so many more, with new ones added each year, just as (sadly) new names are added to the armed services memorial. You can see a listing here.

The memorials are all very thoughtfully done. The one for the police (The Beat) is an avenue of trees made up of London planes and chestnuts – this is because the first truncheons were made from chestnut trees.

One of the most impressive is made out of glass and stone and is in memory of Naval personnel. It consists of 13 glass panels (which look like sails) representing the oceans of the world. Apparently when the sun shines on them, the tops of the panels create the shadow of a warship on the pavement surrounding them. At the far end there is a panel, in red to represent the setting sun, and it says (of course):  "At the going down of the sun, we will remember them.”

[caption id="attachment_3443" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The Shot at Dawn memorial[/caption]

One of the most moving areas was definitely the Shot At Dawn Memorial which remembers those 306 British and Commonwealth soldiers who were shot in the First World War – whether for “cowardice”, desertion, disobeying orders or sleeping at their post. Many were under age.

The memorial is modelled on a 17-year-old, Herbert Burden, who was shot in 1915 at Ypres. His name and all the others are listed on the stakes surrounding the statue.

There is also a beautiful chapel, The Millennium Chapel of Peace and Forgiveness, which is open to people from all faiths – and none. A daily Act of Remembrance takes place each day at 11am – the only place in England where this happens.

It all sounds very sobering, and it was, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t suitable for children – and it’s certainly educational for all ages. Near the Somme memorial there is a reconstruction of a World War One trench, which was full of young children when we visited, all listening intently to actors dressed up as soldiers telling them about their lives. There is also a brand new sensory garden and another children’s woodland area to play in too.  There is a lovely cafe and coffee shop on site, but you can also bring a picnic and there is so much space, that even with lots of visitors, you won’t feel crowded.

[caption id="attachment_3446" align="alignnone" width="1200"] In the new kids' sensory garden[/caption]

The Arboretum offers an audio tour which covers 93 of the memorials and there is also a brand new  Remembrance Centre. We would really recommend it as it is also very moving, though small, with videos, art and even a way for you to create your own memorial landscape.

The Centre gives explanations and background to the concept of remembrance and the many different ways we can remember, contains interactive displays and a booth for you to record your own memories. There is also a quite magical pathway of leaves, which turns into poppies as you walk through it. Plus visitors to the Remembrance Centre have the audio guide included in their ticket price.

[caption id="attachment_3445" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Poppies on the floor at the Remembrance Centre[/caption]

A visit can take you a few hours or a full day, but it truly is a beautiful place which makes you think. There are regular activities and talks (including a daily Shot at Dawn talk at 1.30pm) It is free to enter – although the Remembrance Centre costs £7.50 per adult and £6 for a child aged between 6 and 16. A ticket for a family of four is £20.

Jess says: I enjoyed our visit to the National Memorial Arboretum much more than I expected. Although it was sobering in places, it felt very fitting to honour the inspirational people who have given their lives serving this nation. It also felt like a celebration of their achievements, rather than a grim display. The memorials were beautiful and the stories fascinating - though scary in places. I really liked walking through the trench, and a highlight of mine was going to the exhibition and finding out about different peoples’ experiences serving the country. A main message from the exhibition was to remember all the people who have sacrificed their lives, and I think that this is very important.

A 50 minute buggy tour is £5 per person, £2 per children (5-12 years), while a volunteer-led guided walk (45 minutes) costs £3 per person.  The land train is £5 per adult and £2 per child and leaves every 30 minutes between 9.30 and 3.30pm.

Disclosure: We visited the National Memorial Arboretum as part of a trip organised by Enjoy Staffordshire. Our buggy tour and visit to the Remembrance Centre were given to us on a complimentary basis, but all our opinions are, as usual, entirely our own.

While in Staffordshire we had quite a different experience at Drayton Manor theme park - read about that here.