Stonehenge, one of the wonders of the ancient world, a place of religious significance for some, a place of magic and mystery but, if you grew up locally, chances are you see it as that place you get stuck in traffic when going on holiday to Cornwall or Devon. Having been stuck there a few times themselves my children asked “Can we actually go in there one day?” so in Summer 2018 we did.
We pre-booked our tickets on their website, plus parking. The site is managed by English Heritage and the surrounding land is owned by National Trust England so those with these memberships can get in for free, (Free entry is not available to those with National Trust Scotland membership). Prices are quite high for those without membership (Details here) so it may be worth looking at getting it if you wish to visit. Walk in prices are higher so pre-booking is advised.
A short walk from the car park brought us to an impressive, modern visitor centre. From here we got a ticket to the bus that brings you to the Henge, you can walk but it was a really hot day. Whilst on the bus I felt a bit guilty, surrounded by people who had travelled thousands of miles to see the stones and I‘d never been bothered to pop in on the many occasions I had driven past. As we got off the bus the stones were very impressive but after a few initial wows my 7 year old and 4 year old were over them pretty quickly and almost had to be forced to walk the whole way around. We made our way back to the visitor centre and they quickly went from bored children, underwhelmed by one of the world’s most iconic sights, to children completely in love with the display of how those who built the Henges (there are lots of them, many within walking distance) used to live. Brought to life by the volunteers who give talks, the displays include replicas of the housing the builders lived in. The museum also makes use of different kinds of technology to really get them engaged with the history. Also, being surrounded by fields and several walks, there is plenty of room for children to work off excess energy.
We ate at the restaurant which was busy but manageable, even in August, and we found tables easily. The food was good but the price was what you would expect for a global tourist attraction, this goes for the gift shop too although there were some very cool items. All other facilities were really good. Pushchairs would be fine although at busier times you would struggle to take a pushchair on the bus so bring a sling or be prepared to walk.
We went on a sunny day but it would be doable on a day with some rain. I would recommend this as a day out for children, be prepared to spend more time in the visitor area than at the stones, but at just under £50 for a family ticket it is pricey so I would consider putting £50 towards one of the memberships that lets you in for free.
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Helping out with NHM articles that past couple of years I have gained quite a lot of knowledge about local Santa and Christmas experiences and this year I finally got to experience the stuff of local Christmas legend, the Basingstoke Canal Santa Cruise.
About
Each year, in late September/early October the Basingstoke Canal visitor centre opens up early to take bookings for their Santa Cruises.
Tickets go fast and bookings can only be made in person or by phone so be prepared to spend a lot of time pressing redial.
One friend did decide to drive there one year to guarantee her spot by booking it in person, but I persevered with the phone and finally got through at around 11am on the first day of booking.
Their advice is to have a few dates in mind, especially if you want an evening or weekend, and also have the names and ages of children attending ready.
In 2018 the evening experiences cost £15.50 per person, weekend day times were £15 and weekday day time were £12. In December 2018 they ran six cruises a day and all but two cruises were sold out.
Fast forward to a very cold night in mid-December when I arrived at the centre in Mychett, with my four year old and almost eight year old and waited outside for our boat.
The area outside the centre had been dressed with Christmas lights and we were greeted by a giant inflatable Santa.
Facilities whilst waiting were basic, access to toilets and a bench to sit on inside an area normally used for changing, so dress for the weather and don’t leave your car too early.
We boarded the last boat of the day at 7pm. There are twelve people per cruise, including adults, our cruise had five children on board. After boarding the boat our guide asked the children to look out for Christmas lights and let her know when they saw them.
We cruised up the canal for about 10 mins, when we arrived at our jetty and got off the boat everyone was given a torch.
The guide then asked the children to look out for the red tinsel which would guide them to Santa, we followed the red tinsel through the dark woods until we found Santa’s grotto.
Santa’s grotto was a yurt, beautifully decorated for Christmas.
Inside we all sat on hay bales as we waited for Santa to wake up, once he did he chatted with us all as a group first before looking up names in his book and chatting individually to each child for a few minutes.
He adjusted his chat accordingly to the age and personality of the child and afterwards we sang a few songs, he then gave out gifts to each child, which already had their names on.
We were in the yurt for about 20 minutes. After we said goodbye to Santa we used our torches to find the silver tinsel that would guide us back out of the woods and back on to our boat where we opened our gifts, good quality, age appropriate books.
We then cruised back to the centre where we did some colouring whilst enjoying mince pies or chocolate bars and hot drinks, all included in the price. We left the centre at around 8.20pm.
Rating out of 5
We do a few Santa and Christmas experiences each year and this was a really lovely event, unlike anything we had done before and perfect for restoring the magic for my doubting older son.
The boat and the canal centre are practical rather than luxury but the uniqueness of the occasion and the enthusiasm of the guides and Santa, really made this feel special. None of the children became bored, with each activity taking the right amount of time.
All the food was branded with allergy information easily available but it would be fine to take your own if you needed to.
The experience was really good value for money and suitable for all ages, although I think older children would really prefer the after dark cruises.
Highly recommended.
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They say: “Gymfinity Kids is the one-stop destination for active classes for kids. From budding gymnasts to natural born ninjas, all skill levels are welcome to join the fun!”.
They host all types of gymnastic classes, holiday camps, baby balance, Ninja Zone and parties.
There are several types of gymnastic classes ranging from beginners, intermediate to advanced and team gymnastics.
Ninja Zone was: ” designed to help children channel their boundless energy into something productive.
This fun and energetic class combines a mix of martial arts, freestyle movement and gymnastics. Every one-hour session includes warm-ups, games and rotations adapted to each child’s ability, plus a fun obstacle course. As their skill and ability grows, each child will advance through the different levels.”
Baby Balance sessions are: “”30 minutes of FREE sensory play for babies aged 3 months +. These are parent-led sessions where you can spend quality time with your little one, while catching up with other parents too!”
They have branches in Farnborough, Colchester, Reading and Leeds. I visited the Farnborough branch with my 8 year old son.
Every child has a free trial prior to signing up; this means that the child and parent gets to see if the facilities work for them, and it also gives the coaches a chance to assess the child’s ability and place them in the correct group for their ability.
Every coach is trained by a regional trainer regularly which means that they are all trained to the same standard. They also train coaches on the floor during classes so they receive on-the-job training.
Tips
Gymfinity is based on the upper floor of the Meads Shopping centre (above Sainsbury’s). I would advise you get to your session in plenty of time to get a parking space and pay for your ticket.
Food/drink
There is a vending machine and a hot drinks machine in the gym. These are usual vending prices.
Facilities
There is plenty of seating so you can watch your child during the class. There are a couple of tables. There are male and female toilets and disabled toilet with nappy changing facilities. They are very clean and well maintained.
There are two party rooms, both with disco lights which are very cool. I was told their unicorn themed party is very popular.
The gym itself has loads of equipment including balance beams, trampolines, assault course (with timer), vaulting horse, climbing wall as well as two slides which end in a massive foam pit.
Baby facilities
There are changing facilities in the disabled toilets
Parking
There is a car park which costs £2 for two hours. This can be refunded if you spend £5 in Sainsbury’s.
Prices
The trial session is free but if you decide you want to go ahead with classes these are prices as follows;
Pre-schoolers (up to 4.5): 25.95 a month with £30 annual membership fee
Recreational (4.5-16 years): 34.62 a month with £30 annual membership fee
Additional child: same monthly price but just £5 annual membership fee
Classes run daily and at weekends. At the end of each class children receive any awards and certificates they have earned.
Rating out of 5
5/5. Gymfinity is honestly amazing; it is well air conditioned without being chilly, light and airy. The gym itself is bright and colourful and very inviting to children (I was very tempted to dive headfirst into the foam pit after my son!)
The coaches are fantastic, really encouraging to the children and willing to throw themselves into the activity (my son certainly put his instructor through her paces). There are plenty of coaches on the floor who can help those children who need it and there is a maximum of 10 children per class.
Disclaimer: This post is a review of Gymfinity Farnborough. Our session was supplied free of charge for the purposes of the review. We were not expected to write a positive review and any opinions expressed are our own.
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Thank you very much to Emma for today’s NHM Secret Review! She’s done an awesome job :-D.
About
Stonor Park is a beautiful stately home found in the sprawling countryside near Henley on Thames. The house itself is open on various dates throughout the year and showcases art, treasures and a step back in time. However, as beautiful as it is, the reason that we loved our visit to Stonar Park was for the Wonder Woods play area that has been built and the beautiful gardens you can explore.
The adventure play area is really big and includes massive slides, swings, water play, climbing frames and gigantic zip wire. We arrived as soon as Stonor park opened at 10am and by 12.30pm the kids were still merrily throwing themselves around on the play equipment. We had to remind them that they needed to eat!
Once we had exhausted the play area we took a wander around the grounds and the children really loved all of the little winding pathways that they could run off and explore – it felt a bit like ‘The Secret Garden’ – really magical.
Alongside all of the exciting things to see, the facilities are also excellent. They have wonderfully clean toilets, a baby changing room, on site parking, gift shop and a café.
Tips
Take a picnic if you feel that way inclined, as they have a lovely big picnic area for you to enjoy whilst watching the Deer frolic amongst the trees.
Be aware that the play area is set on a very steep hillside. I had my baby in a pushchair and I managed to take it all the way up to the top but it was quite a work out to do so, perhaps leave it in the car and grab a sling instead! I also don’t think it would be particularly accessible if you had any mobility issues.
You can pay to visit the whole site (including the house) or just for the gardens and Wonder Woods.
Finally, I suspect that the day was made by the beaming sunshine – it is quite an exposed spot so I am not sure if it would be the same in the pouring rain.
Rating
We had a wonderful day out and I think in good weather it is most definitely a top scoring location! 5/5!
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Thank you very much to R for today’s NHM Secret Review!!!
Review 2018: CarFest South
Wow. Our day at CarFest was certainly one to remember! Ha ha. I will explain…
CarFest doesn’t do anything half-heartedly. It gives 100% to the atmosphere, to the entertainment, to the food, to the music, to the cars and to the fundraising. It really is impressive. Unfortunately, on our day visit, the weather also decided to give 100%… 100% rain!!! All day. From start to finish. It rained. And rained. And rained some more. It was relentless.
Now you would think, with all the problems that the weather was creating, that the event would be a washout. However, I am pleased to report that it definitely wasn’t getting the better of this very British affair. We had an amazing time at CarFest and, weirdly, the crazy torrential rain made the whole experience even more unforgettable!
Top Tip: Be prepared for all weather conditions (take suncream, hats, layers, waterproofs, picnic blankets/chairs, umbrella, etc) as this is largely an outdoor event.
About
CarFest South is a fantastic weekend of family fun, awesome cars, delicious food and great music. It was founded by Chris Evans and raises money for BBC Children in Need.
It takes place over the August bank holiday weekend each year.
It is located on Laverstoke Park Farm, near Overton in Hampshire, clearly signposted from Basingstoke. We didn’t encounter any issues with traffic or queuing at all.
There is plenty of parking onsite.
Top Tip: Please note that it is a long uphill walk from the car parks so choose suitable comfortable footwear. Also make a note of which car park you are in to make it easier to find when you return in the dark!
Since its start in 2012, CarFest has raised £10.5 million for BBC Children in Need! The purchasing of CarFest tickets, adding to the collection buckets, buying merchandise from the Pudsey shop and getting raffle tickets, all contribute to this wonderful charity helping disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.
What’s On
The weekend is jam-packed with family-friendly entertainment. I couldn’t possibly include everything in this review but here is a quick overview to give you an idea of what’s on:
Family Farm Olympics, Steam Fair & Rides, Car-nival Parade, Kids’ Theatre, Inflatables, Kids’ Driving School and so much more.
Cars Race track, Cartopia & Wall of Death, Vintage Village, Motorshow and Pudsey Bear Dream Rides.
Music Wigwam Stage with performances from new and unsigned acts. Main stage – headline acts this year included James Bay, Paloma Faith, Clean Bandit and Status Quo.
Food Food Fair, Kitchen Stage (with live cooking demos from celebrity chefs) and caterers/cafes/food stalls galore!
Top Tip: Find out what’s on and where from the Daily Planners. Plan ahead and schedule your day so that you don’t miss out on any of your favourite activities, acts or displays. Some of the children’s activities, such as milkshake making and biscuit decorating, require booking a timeslot.
Top Tip: The use of ear protection for young children is recommended at CarFest due to the loud cars and music performances. These can be collected from the Organiser’s Office.
Facilities
Toilets and Baby Change
First Aid
Lost Child Point
CarFest encourages the use of reusable bottles to help protect the environment so there are drinking water points across the site.
Public Wi-Fi (all proceeds from Wi-Fi connections donated to Children in Need – £1 for 1 day, £3 for full weekend access)
Cash Machines (NB withdrawal charges apply)
Information Points
Electric Scooter & Wheelchair hire
The following must NOT be brought onto the festival site:
Dogs (except assistance dogs)
Alcohol, Glass, BBQs.
Exhibitors
All the wonderful folk volunteering and working there must have been so wet and cold but it didn’t dampen their spirits at all. Everyone was so kind, helpful and enthusiastic.
This was particularly true of one stand “Milk & More” who kindly welcomed us to shelter from the rain for a while. It was very interesting to learn about their service and sample some of their products. Milk & More source milk and other fresh produce from Britain’s farms and deliver them to doorsteps nationwide.
They are passionate about encouraging people to eat well and live sustainably and it was inspiring to hear their story. I love the idea of waking up to fresh milk from a glass bottle. They were even providing the weekend’s campers with lovely fresh tasty breakfast hampers! Their website is definitely worth a look.
Chris Evans himself injected so much energy and fun into the weekend’s events. He is very much present and actively involved in everything that’s going on. He is clearly passionate about CarFest and about the Children in Need charity and it was great to see him compere the evening’s entertainment and interact with all the performers.
Tickets for CarFest South in August go on sale in the previous November.
Prices vary depending on the number of days you wish to visit and whether or not you will be camping. A 1-day family ticket (2 adults, 2 children) for the Friday this year was £143.
Children under the age of 6 can enter free of charge but you must order them a ticket.
Top Tip: CarFest tickets are in high demand each year and can prove tricky to get your hands on. You will need to set your alarm, be prepared and get online in plenty of time. If possible, use various devices and get friends and family on the case too! Keep pressing refresh to see the latest information.
Rating
My rating of CarFest has to be 5 out of 5!!! We really hope to return to this fantastic family event again next year. We will also be hoping for a bit more luck with regards to the weather.
Reminder of Top Tips
CarFest tickets are in high demand each year and can prove tricky to get your hands on. You will need to set your alarm, be prepared and get online in plenty of time. If possible, use various devices and get friends and family on the case too! Keep pressing refresh to see the latest information.
It is a long uphill walk from the car parks so choose suitable comfortable footwear.
Make a note of which car park you are in to make it easier to find when you return in the dark!
Find out what’s on and where from the Daily Planners. Plan ahead and schedule your day so that you don’t miss out on any of your favourite activities, acts or displays. Some of the children’s activities, such as milkshake making and biscuit decorating, require booking a timeslot.
The use of ear protection for young children is recommended at CarFest due to the loud cars and music performances. These can be collected from the Organiser’s Office.
Take picnic food and snacks with you to save some money as purchasing food onsite can be pricey.
Be prepared for all weather conditions (take suncream, hats, layers, waterproofs, picnic blankets/chairs, umbrella, etc) as this is largely an outdoor event.
Disclaimer: This post is a review of 2018 CarFest South in conjunction with MilkandMore. The tickets were supplied free of charge for the purposes of the review. We were not expected to write a positive review and any opinions expressed are our own.
Don’t miss out on future posts like this – you can receive updates directly to your inbox by email by adding your email address to the box on the top right of this page and hitting subscribe. You can also follow NorthHantsMum onTwitter,Facebook Page, Facebook Profile, LinkedIn and Feedly. I hope to see you there!
Thank you very much to “L” for today’s NHM Secret Review!
Review 2018: TNT Family Fitness
My 2 and a half year old daughter and I recently attended the first TNT Family Fitness (http://tntfamilyfitness.co.uk/) session at Viables Community Centre.
The TNT Family Fitness moto is ‘making family’s fit’. Their classes cater for all the family by using activities that are fun and engaging for children but in a way that means adults can exercise.
By joining the fun and fitness together it means you can be doing something beneficial whilst having great quality family time!
I was a bit nervous about attending the class as I’ve not done loads in the way of exercise since having my second baby and my eldest always takes a little while to warm up to classes and start to join in. I had no need to be worried! The first thing Andy did was throw a load of football’s out for the children to play with while parents filled out their registration forms, that was it my little girl was straight off running around and playing with the other children!
We started off doing a warm up but this was no ordinary warm up, it was ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ complete with lots of lunges, stretches and running! After that we played a game that involved running to different colour cones and doing various movements including star jumps, high knees and stretches.
My daughter’s favourite activity was tidying the balls away. It wasn’t just tidying balls away though, there were football’s and tennis balls everywhere! We had to run to them and parents had the option of lunging, squatting or doing a press up to pick up the ball and then run and place it in the right coloured hoop. Great activity for the parents as it really got us moving and great for the children as it got them moving and thinking about colours!
Other activities involved an egg and spoon race (my daughter was better than me!!!) And capture the flag (the tent was a big hit!). We finished off with a cool down.
We really enjoyed our session and it’s definitely something we’d do again!
There are still more sessions on this summer at a variety of locations in Basingstoke and it’s not too late to book.
14 August at Old Basing
21 August at Melrose Hall
28 August at Melrose Hall
The time of the session depends on the age of your child – there is one for under 5s and one for over 5s.
More information can be found over on the TNT Family Fitness Facebook page!
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I recently received a message on facebook from Aideen, asking me if I would like to have my hair done in exchange for a review on NorthHantsMum.
I jumped at the chance! 😀
(There is a special offer for NHM Readers at the bottom of this post :-D)
HAIRaffair Basingstoke
Anyone who knows me, knows I’m not a “girly girl” but I do take an interest in how I look. I haven’t had my hair cut in a salon in over 10 years as I have always found hairdressers to be very intimidating places, especially as I’m not into fashion.
It turned out that at a recent fundraising raffle I had won a voucher to get my hair cut but hadn’t realised it that it was with Aideen. I actually gave the voucher to a friend who needed pampering more than me, so when Aideen got in contact it clicked that I’d given away my voucher!!!! lol.
I explained to Aideen that I wasn’t really a girly girl and she was absolutely lovely about it. I did know that I wanted my hair to be coloured but I didn’t want her to be anymore out of pocket, especially as she’d been so generous with her raffle donation.
I explained that I just wanted a trim and colour and we agreed that I would cover the cost of the colouring and she would cut my hair in exchange for this review.
About
Aideen decided on her career path when she was traveling around Australia for a year after studying at college and university. She’s always loved playing with hair but at the time she thought that she would end up in a different career. Then she saw that lots of fellow travellers cutting hair and making money flexibly and it confirmed her career decision.
Once back from Australia she worked and trained at Arc in Basingstoke town centre and then progressed to a salon in Odiham where she was assistant manager and senior stylist. Then a couple of years ago, after her son was born, she decided to convert a room in her house to her salon and she hasn’t looked back!
We had a chat when I arrived and Aideen chose the best colour for me based on what I’d told her.
Aideen then applied the foils to my hair whilst we continued chatting.
Once the foils came out, Aideen washing my hair in her fancy hair sink and gave me a lovely mini head massage.
Then Aideen cut my hair and layered it a bit. I didn’t realise how long my hair was as she cut off about 4 inches and it was still really long! lol.
We basically didn’t stop talking for the whole two hours!!! It was really lovely to chat to her and she’s a great listener.
She did a fantastic job with my hair and blow dried it straight as my hair normally has a bit of a kink about it.
I came out of Aideen’s salon literally bouncing. There is literally nothing like having 1.5 hours of being pampered and coming out with a fab new hair colour and hairstyle!
When I got home Mr NHM said “something’s different…” which is high praise in our household! lol.
Miss NHM kept telling me how beautiful I looked. She’s not used to me having my hair down.
I felt amazing for the rest of the weekend with my fab new hair!
Tips
Aideen normally works only on Saturdays but if you are desperate, she can fit you in at other times.
Facilities
Aideen’s studio is attached to her house but it’s fab because you literally have it ALL TO YOURSELF!!! She only has one to two people at a time so you have her full concentration.
Baby Facilities
Babies are very welcome at Aideen’s studio.
The perk of Aideen only having one client at a time means that you can take your baby along as there is room for a baby car seat.
If you let her know in advance that you are taking a baby with you, she said she will allow extra time in case you need to focus on your baby at any point. How fab is that!
Aideen is very understanding as she has two small children of her own.
Parking
Is free and on the drive and streets near Aideen’s house.
Prices
Prices are what you would expect for an independent hairstylist with her own studio.
For example, a cut, style and finish is £35.
Rating out of 5
Aideen did SUCH an AWESOME job! I absolutely love it!!! My hair looked amazing.
I will easily give her 5 out of 5 because she made me feel so welcome and really looked after me.
I love the colour and the cut was a really good cut. It was such a luxury to have my hair washed AND dried.
If you need a new haircut and are looking for some pampering at the same time, I highly recommend visiting Aideen’s salon!
Aideen is also very kindly offering NHM Readers a first time discount £5 off cut and £15 off colour and cut booked together.
Thank you Aideen!!!!!!
Disclaimer: This post is a review of HairAffair Hairdressing. My experience was supplied free of charge for the purposes of the review. I was not expected to write a positive review and any opinions expressed are my own.
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I visited FlipOut last Saturday( just before the half-term) as part of NHM community. I was there with my 3 year old son and husband for 1 hour between 11am and 12pm. It was quite easy to buy tickets once you are there, they also offer online pre-booking which has a separate queue. However the entrance is quite narrow which can make it busy during peak time, so be prepared well in advance.
All sessions are timed and they start every half hour. Once you bought the tickets you are then asked to go to the briefing room where they show a 5 mins safety video of do’s and dont’s.
I really liked the graffiti artwork. It was beautifully used throughout the whole of Flip Out which made the place very colourful. My first reaction once I got into the park was “It was enormous”, they have over 50 trampolines of different sizes. They have lots of different areas to cater all age groups.
The park has :
Main trampoline jumping area
28 ft Ninja slide ( for teens/adults)
Foam pit.
Total wipeout( Kids loved it )
Climbing walls
And lots more ( I didn’t get to go into the teens/adults area )
The main park is for all age group but a few areas are height restricted which means under 6s weren’t allowed. They have a special trampoline area with FlipOut’s signature car in the middle. Kids loved jumping from and on to the car. Foam pit and total wipeout was my son’s favourite of the day. Unfortunately we didn’t use much of the teen/adults section but by the look of it I was sure they were all having lots of fun. It was a busy day with lots of toddlers, kids, teens and adults thought it didn’t look over-crowded.
Safety team: They had a good number of safety team staff members spread all over the park. They had a keen eye on the jumping area to avoid double jumping. They are also very interactive and lively.
Baby Softplay area: They also have a separate baby soft play area on the other side of the cafe which is small but good size for 1 and 2 year old babies when you have other kids to jumping on the trampolines.
Prices and Sessions: All sessions are on hourly basis. You can either buy 1 hour session or add another hour for half price. Standard jump ( 1hr) : £9.95 (2hr): £14.95 Under 6: £5.95
You can buy FlipOut socks for £2 or they allow other parks socks as well.
Facilities and Activities
Lockers: They have a huge locker area which works with a pound coin. The locker sizes are quite small so I had a tough time shoving my big bag into it. They are good size for shoes and coats though!
Cafe and viewing area: There is a cafe in the mezzanine floor above to the main jumping floor with seating area. It is gallery styled and got a view to the jumping area, it allows parents to enjoy a coffee while keeping an eye on their kids. The menu is a standard one which caters for all ages. The cafe seating area seemed to be always full and was quite a task to get a seat.
Toilets with baby changing area
Toddler Time: Every weekday between 9am-11am there is a dedicated toddler session in the park. Parents with under 5s can find this time appropriate as you don’t want older kids to run around at the same time.
Fit Classes :
They offer a structured Flip Fit class led by qualified fitness instructors on Wednesday 7pm. It is a pay as you go class and also you can buy 6 session for the price of 5.
Kids and adults party:
They offer different party packages according to your need which also includes exclusive room and arena hire
It looks awesome and is an excellent place for a trampoline park. Fun place and lots to do for all age group. 3 and above would enjoy their time in FlipOut. If you have only small babies then I would ask you to get an idea of what FlipOut is as it could be disappointing for a few who expected it to have big soft play areas. I really liked FlipOut and would go again.
Disclaimer: This post is a review of Flipout Basingstoke. The session was supplied free of charge for the purposes of the review. S was not expected to write a positive review and any opinions expressed are her own.
Don’t miss out on future posts like this – you can receive updates directly to your inbox by email by adding your email address to the box on the top right of this page and hitting subscribe. You can also follow NorthHantsMum onTwitter,Facebook Page, Facebook Profile, LinkedIn and Feedly. I hope to see you there!
You may have seen their Lemon Face promotion (which will be starting again in April 2018) on Facebook, which has been hugely popular.
I LOVED the pictures that they did for our family in 2016. Absolutely loved them. You can even see one of them at the top of my “Louise nhm Smith” profile on Facebook. So when Wayne invited me back to review the studio, to see what had changed, I LEAPED at the chance.
Wayne and Lucy are also very kindly offering a Special Offer just for NHM Readers, which is listed at the bottom of this post.
About
The team at Studio 1314 believe in the personal touch, not just in their pictures, but also in the way that they conduct their business.
Once you have made a booking you receive a very professional confirmation email which confirms your booking and provides a link to a slideshow of some of their pictures, a link to a Pinterest board which is a great source of inspiration.
The email also has a really useful section about what to bring to the photo shoot and which clothes would work best.
I really love that they encourage accessorising and personal items as these make the photos even more meaningful.
A few weeks before our photo shoot, Wayne phoned me and we had a really good chat about what to expect and what to bring for the photo shoot. I love that Wayne was interested in what I wanted to get from the photo shoot as well and that he had some great ideas of what to bring along.
The photoshoot
Having been to several family photo shoots since Miss NHM was born(which I am extremely grateful for!) we kind of know what to expect.
However, it’s always a NIGHTMARE the morning of the photo shoot. Trying to get everyone mobilised and in the car and not forget any of our outfits. Mr NHM nearly forgot his outfit this time (facepalm).
When we arrived at the studio (about 15 minutes drive from Hatch Warren) we were all quite harassed as there had been a couple of “discussions” in the car on the way there.
It was sooooo nice to just arrive at the studio and plonk ourselves on the lovely squishy sofa’s.
Wayne was very welcoming and let us catch our breath before looking through the outfits that we had brought with us. He gave us advice on which outfits he thought would photograph the best.
The photoshoot lasted 90 minutes and that time just FLEW by. Miss NHM absolutely loved being the centre of attention (no comment) when Wayne took lots of pictures of her. We also had several family photo’s taken which are just awesome.
I really loved that when Miss NHM was “doing her thing” (total poser. I blame her father!!!) we could just sit and watch on the lovely sofa. It was so nice to see someone else entertaining Miss NHM and to be able to just sit back and enjoy it.
Wayne was very patient with Miss NHM and he made her giggle lots. She’s very photogenic (yes, I am a bit biased) but she can also be VERY stubborn if she doesn’t want to do anything but Wayne had no problem at all with getting her to do the things he needed too, to ensure that the pictures are perfect.
(No, that isn’t Miss NHM. Lol!)
It’s brilliant that the studio is split into several areas. Miss NHM is getting to that age where she’s conscious about her body and doesn’t want to undress in front of someone else, so it was really useful having the dressing area to change in but still be able to talk to Wayne and Mr NHM.
On our way home, I asked Mr NHM if he enjoyed the photo shoot and he said that he did because it was very relaxed and fun. (I often drag him along to these kinds of things and he’s not often that enthusiastic but that previous sentence is high praise from him!!)
Miss NHM talked for the WHOLE 20 minutes that it took us to get home, about how she liked “the man who was really funny” and she liked having her picture taken. So high praise from her too! Lol.
A couple of weeks later we went back to the studio to see the final pictures in the viewing room. This is a lovely big room with a large TV screen, another fab sofa and an area with toys for little ones to play with. It was awesome to see the pictures on a big screen and we are soooo pleased with them!!!
Special Offer for NHM Readers
Wayne and Lucy are also very kindly offering a very special offer for NHM Readers. (Thank you very much!!!)
The first 10 people to contact the team at Studio 1314 and book before May 2018 will receive a Free family photoshoot, a mounted 7×5 inch prints of their choice and a digital file of the same image.
This would normally have a value of £150.
This offer is ONLY open to the first 10 people who book and ONLY available to NorthHantsMum Readers. Yay!
Tips
Make sure you read through the confirmation email and have a look at the pinterest board and the video.
Plan the outfits that you are going to take with you at least a few days before.
Make sure you have everything ready to go the night before your photo shoot so you don’t have a frantic morning like we did!!!!
Food
Wayne has a lovely stash of biscuits and a very wide range of drinks, including tango orange!!
They even had gluten free biscuits available for Miss NHM, which I thought was such a lovely touch!
Facilities
I think Studio 1314 are the only family photography studio in Basingstoke.
The studio itself has a large area where pictures are taken with a couple of sofa’s on where you can sit and watch what’s happening.
There is a separate viewing room which has a very large flat screen TV where you can review pictures and has an area for toys for toddlers and little ones. The sofa is fab in here too! lol.
There is a toilet within the studio and changing area.
Baby Facilities
The team at Studio 1314 are parents so they TOTALLY get what it’s like having children. They even have a baby changing mat available for you to use!
Parking
Is free, ample and next to the studio.
Prices
Please see the website for more details.
Rating out of 5
Definitely 5 out of 5. It’s clear that Wayne is very passionate about what he’s does and ensuring that the customer gets what they want.
Final Thoughts
We LOVE the photo’s that Wayne and Lucy take. Absolutely love them and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to have another photoshoot with them.
Disclaimer: This post is a review of Studio1314. The photoshoot was supplied free of charge for the purposes of the review. I was not expected to write a positive review and any opinions expressed are my own.
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Thank you very much to today’s NHM Secret Writer for today’s post and to Juliet for formatting this on wordpress!
Riverside Bowl, Andover
Riverside bowl is a bowling alley, arcade and glow in the dark golf centre.
They have 8 lanes of ten pin bowling, various arcade games and 10 crazy golf holes based around the world (London, New York, China etc).
They also have function rooms and a bar/diner.
Tips
Riverside bowl is on the high street in Andover, next to Wilko. You have to go up 3-4 flights of stairs but there is a lift if you struggle with stairs (wheelchair/pushchair etc).
Food
There is a 90’s style diner and bar serving freshly prepared burgers/hot dogs and chips.
Food was as you’d expect in this sort of venue; not haute cuisine but edible and presented in a fun way (in baskets).
They also have an extensive milkshake menu (chocolate, butterscotch, jelly baby and caramel to name a few). I’ve given up chocolate for Lent so I went for butterscotch and it was very nice
Facilities
Male/female and disabled toilets available. Clean and perfectly usable. I didn’t use them but hubby did and said they had hot and cold running water and were perfectly adequate.
Parking
There is no specific parking for Riverside. We parked in the Chantry Shopping centre as we had a meander through Andover before going to the venue as we were early.
Parking is charged Mon-Sat up to 4pm and is free on a Sunday. This is probably the next place to park for Riverside as it is a 3 minute walk from the car park.
Prices
We paid £15.50 for three of us (2 adults, one child) to play golf. We paid £25 to eat burger and chips each (child meal was £5.50 and included a drink). My milkshake was £3.20 and probably about same size as a cooler drink from Costa/Starbucks).
We also paid £17 for a game of bowling – we haven’t done this for a long time so not sure if this is average price or not.
Rating out of 5
I would give it 3.5 out of 5. It was nice enough but for what it is I thought the price was a little bit steep.
The bowling lane broke down while we were on it and we had to be moved. The golf I was a little disappointed in as the way the holes are set up, it’s pretty impossible to get a hole in one. You have to get the ball through a structure and it has quite a slope to get up.
I think the next hole we played was done in four or five shots and this was hubby who is a dab hand compared to me and LO.
We also had a family behind us in the golf who let their son start playing while we were still on the hole.
There is no staff actively monitoring this section (there are CCTV cameras).
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