Review 2017: Cookery Doodle Doo North Hants – Pop-up Tot’s Cooking Session

Thank you very much to today’s NHM Secret Reviewer who has done a FAB job!!!

About

Katie’s Facebook page can be found here Cookery Doodle Doo North Hants
Cookery Doodle Doo North Hants is run by Katie from her home in Whitchurch. I can’t really phrase it better than her website, so in her own words:

“In my cooking classes the children can relax and get messy, learn important skills, try new flavours and chat about where ingredients come from. It’s a brilliant way for kids to learn about real, home-cooked food. As a mum myself, I place great importance on the adults being able to enjoy it too, so there’s proper coffee and lots of opportunity to chat at my preschool classes; and my pudding club was designed to give you 2 hours off on a Sunday morning, whilst one course of the family dinner is sorted for you!” (from Katie’s website page, Cookery Doodle Doo website)

She offers Pre-School Classes, Sunday Morning Pudding Club (for 5-10 year olds), private parties, nursery visits, pop-up classes and more.

We joined Katie for one of her Pop-up Tot’s cooking sessions which was based in Overton Coffee Shop rather than at her home in Whitchurch. I’d never been to Overton before and Katie was kind enough to give me the low-down on parking which helped enormously with a toddler in tow.

Overton Coffee Shop is a lovely place, and it is definitely on my list of places to visit again. When we arrived we went through to the back and the tables were set out ready, with aprons on chairs and colourful utensils on the table. It was all beautifully prepared and nicely intriguing for little hands. Katie was great throughout, giving clear and simple instructions and working her way around to help where needed.

We made orange and chocolate bread and butter pudding, which really did impress me, especially as all the toddlers came away with a complete tray ready for baking and made safe for travel. I have to say, after baking it at home, it tasted incredible! Rather handily, we were given a recipe which I am very much looking forward to making use of. My toddler thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and was so proud when I showed him the cooked result. Needless to say, we devoured the lot between us! All in all it was a great and special experience which I would definitely do again.

Tips

Like anything with toddlers, be prepared to get a little messy.

Food and Facilities (Overton Coffee Shop)

Whilst we didn’t stay on, the food on offer looked lovely. It certainly was the sort of place I’d happily frequent.

Toilets, baby change facilities and highchairs available. There was also a very small area of toddler toys (always a bonus in a coffee shop!)

Please note, these would be different to the courses run at Katie’s home which I’ve yet to try.

Parking (Overton)

There are two free car parks in Overton, there is also free on-road parking for up to two hours.

Prices

Please see Katie’s website for details, https://north-hampshire.cookerydoodledoo.com/

Rating out of 5

5/5

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Review 2017: Little Street – a unique play opportunity for little people

Thank you VERY much to the NHM Secret Reviewer who wrote today’s post and to Little Street for inviting us along to their re-launch event!

https://www.little-street.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/littlestreet.co.uk/

About

Little Street in Frimley is a role play centre for young children. It is a miniature version of a town, giving little ones the perfect opportunity to try out lots of different experience and careers!

Open 7 days a week, Little Street offer four 90 minute play sessions a day for little people to explore their little world. Pre-booking is recommended as numbers are limited to ensure the best experience for everyone attending. Little Street is suitable for children up to 7 and even has a play pen for young babies as well as bumbo seats available for use.

My daughter (19 months) and I were lucky enough to attend the re-launch event after a recent refurbishment which has made way for a brand new vets and an air ambulance. As well as the new areas children can take a visit to Chicco’s cafe or Belle & Beau Beauty Salon. They can do their weekly shop at the (very well stocked!) supermarket.

There is also a construction site, complete with rocks, bricks and diggers and the Starlets Theatre, which has an Ice Cream stall, stage, musical instruments and many fancy dress costumes. In addition to this there are a variety of ride on toys which can be driven around the road. The attention to detail in each room is amazing, with appropriate wall stickers and fantastic props including animals in the vets, make up and hair products in the salon and many familiar items in the supermarket!

My daughter was a big fan of the new air ambulance and was fascinated by the rotors on top. She also loved the supermarket and kept taking any trolleys that she’d found outside the shop back to it!

The staff at Little Street were very welcoming and did a fantastic job of keeping the place tidy (and as much as possible items in the right rooms!) without disrupting the children’s play. It is very clean and everything is in great condition, you can tell it is very well looked after.

Food

The venue has a small café where you can purchase hot or cold drinks, cakes and healthy snacks.

Parking

There is some parking on site at the station for a small charge, or there is a car park a short walk away where you can park for free for 2 hours – ideal as the sessions you can book are 90 minutes.

Tips

Remember you and your little one will need to wear socks. Don’t worry if you forget as they do have some you can purchase when you get there!

It also has a handy buggy park – if you ask at reception they can give you a lock to secure your buggy in the shelter outside.

Rating out of 5

After wanting to visit Little Street for ages, we were so pleased that it lived up to and exceeded our expectations and we will certainly be going back in the future! It gets a fantastic 5 out of 5 from us!!

Disclaimer: This post is a review of Little Street. The NHM Secret Reviewers experience was supplied free of charge for the purposes of the review. She was not expected to write a positive review and any opinions expressed are her own.

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Review 2017: Thrive Massage Therapy

 

A few months ago I noticed a sign on the side of a car about a local massage business and thought, ooh, I really must check that out. About two weeks later Nicola messaged me asking if I would like to review her massage business – Thrive Massage Therapy. Turns out it was her!!  I thought for less than a second before accepting her lovely offer!

Initially Nicola had a Guest post on NorthHanstMum because I wasn’t available for the first month after she contacted me. These days I’m really busy in the evening as well as the day times and Nicola was very accommodating of my schedule. Nicola takes bookings via her website, phone, text or email. We arranged a date and she sent me instructions of how to get to hers.

I found Nicola’s house really easily, she has a Thrive Massage picture in the window and her house number sign is lit up, so it’s obvious which is her house.

My first impressions were, WOW! How TIDY is her downstairs! lol. Nicola welcomed me and led me into her massage room. I was (and still am!) sooo impressed!!! Her massage room is AMAZING! It’s a purpose built room, built just for Nicola’s massage business. It’s the space that would be a garage so it’s quite large and she has lots of lovely storage and a large massage couch with lots of space around it. I’ve had massages at many other places over the years and the rooms are always TINY, many with not enough space for the masseuse to comfortably walk around. Nicola’s massage room has lots of space and such a lovely ambience. She even has the plug sockets built in so that they are under her massage table, so she doesn’t have to walk over cables!

One of the things I was most impressed with is all of the marketing that Nicola has, it’s so professional. It’s obvious that a LOT of thought has gone into Nicola’s business and how she markets her services. Even the towels she uses match her theme colour!!!! These little details are so important and really helped me to feel like I was dealing with someone who really cares about her business.

I also really liked that all of her qualification certificates are up on one wall, behind the door, which gave me a nice warm feeling that she knows what she’s doing!!!

The massage room is very welcoming and exactly what you would want in a massage room.

The Massage

We had a chat before the massage started, so Nicola could check whether I had any health issues that she needed to be aware of. The room was soo relaxing, I nearly fell asleep then! Dimmed lights, candles, lovely smells and music that’s actually soothing during a massage.
The room was the perfect heat too.

I had a massage a few years ago, at a local spa, where the massuese was pregnant so she had a dehumidifier in the room which kept the heat down to 17 degrees ( I knew this because I could see the red screen telling me it was 17 degrees all through my massage). As she was heavily pregnant I didn’t feel I could ask her to turn the heat up but I was FREEZING which ruined the whole experience. Nicola’s room temperature is just perfect.

Nicola’s massage couch can be heated, which was wonderful. The towels were lovely and soft and I could have happily gone to sleep there with or without a massage! lol.

Ok, so I know I’m always positive on reviews but the massage with Nicola was AMAZING!!! Definitely one of the best massages I’ve ever had. I was convinced that she used hot stones, but it’s just her hands and arms that she uses. It never felt like she was going through the motions either. I’ve had massages before where the masseuse clearly doesn’t want to be there and it feels like they are doing the “dot to dot” massage on your back. Nicola’s style wasn’t like this at all. It was very fluid and didn’t feel stilted.

Before the hour long massage started Nicola had asked me if there were any specific areas that I wanted her to focus on. I’ve had persistent shoulder pain for the past 6 months and despite having physio and acupuncture it’s still not properly fixed. I was a little apprehensive that she would “go to town” on my shoulder, like I’ve had other masseuse’s do and has meant that I’ve been in agony for weeks after. Nicola used EXACTLY the right pressure. Sometimes when you come out of a massage you feel a bit bruised and battered but I felt exactly as I wanted to feel when the massage was finished. She even found bits of me that I didn’t know were tense!! I came out of my massage feeling really relaxed and “flexible”.

One of my favourite bits was at the end of the massage. Nicola has an tea caddy filled with lots and lots of herbal teas and she lets you take one home with you. Such a lovely and thoughtful idea. Nicola also reminded me to drink lots of water and take it easy for the rest of the evening. She also gave me an aftercare leaflet with advice about what to do after a massage to make the most of it and a stamped addressed envelope which had a feedback form in, which if I completed and sent back to Nicola, meant that I would be entered in to her draw to win a free massage!!!

Rating out of 5

Definitely 5 out of 5!!

I felt really pampered and it’s definitely one of the best massages I’ve ever had. My skin felt amazing afterwards and my shoulder has felt much better since my massage with Nicola.

I used to get my massages done at my local spa/gym but having had two massages with Nicola (I went back as a paying customer and my massage was just as good!), I won’t be going back to the spa at the gym. The quality of service that you get from Nicola is far above what you get from an impersonal service like a massage at a gym.

I HIGHLY recommend Nicola’s personally tailored massages.  Thrive Massage: www.thrivemassage.co.uk

Disclaimer: This post is a review of Thrive Message therapy. My massage 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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Review 2017: Kitty’s Tilted Teacup Tea Room

 Thank you very much to the NHM secret Reviewer who wrote this post!

Review 2017: Kitty’s Tilted Teacup Tea Room

I’m currently very excited about our upcoming family camping trip, but have been wondering how to keep small J warm as he wriggles free from sleeping bags and blankets quicker than I can replace them. I enlisted Grandma to knit some knee length woolly socks ready for our trip and found myself taking her to Pack Lane wool shop in Kempshott. Imagine our delight to not only discover a treasure trove of all things sparkly and crafty but a lovely little tea room out the back.

Kitty’s Tilted Teacup Tea room is a hidden delight, that I almost want to keep to myself. We treated ourselves to afternoon tea, hot chocolate and cake – which is all made by the team that run the tea room. Small J was delighted with his gingerbread man and hot chocolate and happily for the grownups they were served in child friendly plastic mugs and plates so we didn’t need to worry about accidental breakage of the beautiful crockery.

My cream egg cheesecake was moreishly smooth, even Grandma decided to taste and then had to be fended off so she didn’t finish it!  Dangerously they also provide a take away cake service, so Mr J was lucky enough to sample the Crunchie cheesecake cake after his dinner that night, which went down very very well with him. They also serve gluten free cake options. The service was quick and friendly and the tearoom had a lovely family vibe about it.

We’ve already planned a return trip when I shall be to trying out the lunch menu (and more cake of course!)

The tearoom also serves breakfast and makes cakes and cupcakes for birthdays and other occasions to order. Children can celebrate their birthday with an afternoon tea party, during which they also get to decorate a cupcake to take home.

On site there are toilet and baby changing facilities, a small car park, and beware – a tempting Pick and Mix selection that takes up most of a wall! (I’m thinking of putting blinkers on Mr J when I take him)

Booking is essential for busy times. Check out their Facebook page for more https://www.facebook.com/kittyscakebakerybasingstoke/ or call them on 01256 321166.

Unit 2, 171 Pack Lane, Kempshott, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG22 5HN

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Review 2016: The Science Museum

Thank you very much to one of the NHM Secret Reviewers for this review of the Science Museum!

About

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I loved the science museum as a child and was very excited to take Small J and his Cousin (both 2) there for the day along with Nanny J.

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The museum is free to attend although they welcome donations and some attractions occur an additional cost but you can have a full day without the extras. You can visit 7 day a week between 10:00-18:00.

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http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk

We had a fantastic day, my hightlight was seeing the piece of the moon! The boys loved the garden, a sensory area in the basement for little ones including puppets, interactive lights and sounds, a construction site complete with pully system and their favourite a cascade of water with all kinds of obstacles they could put in its way.

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They floated boats down it, created dams and worked locks, squirted the boats (and us) and enjoyed every moment. (The museum even provide waterproof aprons for them). Other favourites inclused the top foor which was full of helicopters and airplanes and the agricultural area with lots of tractors and machinery.

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Food

We had a picnic with us and in the basement there is a large area with low steps for you to sit and eat, there was a few school groups but plenty of room for everyone. The museum also has plenty of cafes and a restaurant and 2 more picnic areas.

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Facilities and baby changing

The museum has plenty of baby changing facilities (including wheelchair friendly ones) and we found the free buggy park in the basement useful. I fed Small J in the picnic area and there’s plenty of seating around the museum for a rest and a feed. There’s also a cloakroom where Items can be left (including buggys) for a charge.

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Tips

I would recommend a carrier for a baby (or a tired toddler) as due to maintenance and new exhibitions being created not all the lifts stop at all the floors meaning we found ourselves having to walk the length of the museum with the buggy to find a lift stopping at the right floor. Next time I’d leave it in the buggy park and use the stairs.

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The cafe in the basement provide a jug of water so bring bottles for everyone.

Parking

Due to its central London location there is only disabled parking (which is still very limited), so if you drive to the museum be prepared to park quite far away. The area is served very well by public transport, the nearest underground station is South Kensington only a 5 minute walk away and there are plenty of bus stops near by.

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Rating

Overall we had a great day out and would give the Science museum a 5/5

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List of “Reviews” on NorthHantsMum

There are three types of Reviews on NHM: Days Out; Places to Eat, Things to do. You can find all of these below, sorted by category. Hope it helps!

Reviews: Days Out

Review 2019: Stonehenge

Review 2018: Basingstoke Canal Santa Cruise 

Review 2018: Stonor Park, Henley on Thames

Review 2018: FlipOut Basingstoke

Review 2018: Riverside Bowl, Andover

Review 2018: Pop Up Play Village UK (Basingstoke)

Review 2018: West Green Fruits

Review 2017: Little Play Town

Review 2017: Farnham Park and Castle – FREE and good for walks

Review 2017: Beale Park

Review 2017: Thatcham Discovery Centre

Review 2017: Little Street

Review 2016: Danebury Hillfort – FREE and good for walks

Review 2016: Beggarwood – FREE and good for walks

Review 2016: The Science Museum

Review 2016: Chineham Splash Park – FREE

Review 2016: Whitchurch Silk Mill

Review 2016: Museum of Army Flying

Review 2015: Bucklebury Farm Park

Review 2015: Frensham Common – FREE and good for walks

Review 2015: Centreparc’s – Sherwood Forest

Review 2015: Sir Harald Hillier Gardens

Review 2014: The Natural History Museum

Review 2014: Moors Valley Country Park – Parking cost but good for walks, including pushchairs

Review 2014: Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre

Review 2014: Queen Elizabeth Country Park – FREE and good for walks

Review 2014: Dinton Pastures Country Park, Berkshire – FREE and good for walks

Review 2014: Marwell Wildlife

Review 2014: Micheldever Wood – FREE and good for walks

Review 2014: California Country Park, Finchampstead – FREE and good for walks

Review 2014: Exbury Gardens & Steam Railway

Review 2014: Legoland

Review 2014: The Vyne

Review 2014: Swanage

Review 2014: Miller’s Ark, Nr Hook

Review 2013: Lakeside Country Park – Parking cost but good for walks, including pushchairs

Review 2013: Paulton’s Park/Peppa Pig World

Review 2013: Farleigh Mount – FREE and good for walks

Review 2013: Birdworld

Review 2013: The Hawk Conservancy

Review 2013: Basing Lime Pits – FREE and good for walks

Review 2013: Basing Wood – FREE and good for walks

Review 2013: Finkley Down Farm

Review 2013: Wellington Country Park

Review 2013: Basingstoke Aquadrome

Review 2013: Alice Holt, Farnham – Parking cost but good for walks, including pushchairs

Review 2013: Kids ‘n’ Action, Soft Play Centre, Winersh Triangle nr Reading

Review 2013: The Living Rainforest, nr Newbury, Berkshire

Reviews: Places to Eat

Review 2018: Cupper Joe – Pop-up Coffee Shop

Review 2018: Hart House Gastropub & Coffee Shop

Review 2018: Giraffe, Festival Place

Review 2018: Cafe in the Park, Beggarwood

Review 2017: Kitty’s Tilted Teacup Tea Room

Review 2016: Nelson’s Diner: A Taste of the USA

Review 2015: Sundaes Gelato Basingstoke

Review: The Parlour Tearoom

Review 2015: The Cafe Project, Brighton Hill

Review 2014: Wagamama’s Basingstoke

Review 2014: Giraffe Restaurant in Basingstoke

Review 2013: NorthDown Orchard Deliveries

Reviews: Things to Do

Review 2019: Thula Mama, Relax and sing whilst enjoying the soothing therapy of salt!

Review 2019: Happy Faces Easter Egg Hunt

Review 2019: Proteus Creation Space – Christmas Toy Shop

Review 2018: Oh no you didn’t!!!! A Review of “Snow White & the Seven Dwarves” at The Anvil

Review 2018: Muddy Fingers

Review 2018: Gymfinity

Review 2018: CarFest South

Review 2018: TNT Family Fitness

Review 2018: The Fairy ClothesMother

Review 2018: The Sleepee Teepee Party

Review 2018: HAIRaffair Basingstoke

Review 2018: Bunnings Warehouse – D.I.Y Workshop with Upcycling Expert Mac McMurdo

Review 2018: Cupper Joe – Coffee Brewing Workshop

Review 2018: Good For Mums – Fit-Tums course

Review 2018: Family Bootcamp

Review 2018: Poundfit with Vicky

Review 2018: Prosecco-Dough workshop – Messy play fun for adults!

Review 2018: Studio 1314

Review 2017: Relax Kids

Review 2017: Cookery Doodle Doo North Hants – Pop-up Tot’s Cooking Session

Review 2017: Thrive Massage Therapy

Review 2017: MummaBfit Post Natal Fitness Classes

Review 2017: Messy Play

Review 2016: How do reindeer fly?

Review 2016: YouDeserveThis!

Review 2016: Brrrrr!!! at Proteus Creation Space

Review 2016: The Rattler at The Anvil

Review 2016: Story time with Paw Patrol at Festival Place

Review 2016: Cornish Yurts

Review 2016: The English Charm Company – 3d Casting

Review 2016: Dinky Disco

Review 2016: Jo Plackett Hairdressing

Review 2016: Track Party

Review 2016: FitMama book

Jump Factory – First Look!!!!

Review: Pots2Paint Basingstoke

Review 2014: Airkix in Basingstoke

Review 2014: Dinosaur Crazy Golf at the Oracle

Review 2016: The Rattler at The Anvil

Thank you very much to Rebecca, one of the NHM writers, for her Review today.

Review 2016: The Rattler, Saturday 24th September, Haymarket theatre, Basingstoke.

After enjoying my last trip to the theatre a few months back (my first in over 10 years!) I decided to take the brave decision to drag the entire family along to see The Rattler, a family friendly operatic retelling of Rumpelstiltskin by the Mahogany Opera Group. After a few hiccups (namely getting the time and location wrong) we arrived in a rather stressed out state seconds before the performance began.

Normally in this situation one would be embarrassingly squeezing past rows of people uttering a plenitude of apologies, only heightening the already climatic stress level. (Did I mention my 3 children are all 5 and under!) However, our arrival could not have been further from that reality.

We were greeted by the cast themselves, and invited to join in to what soon became apparent was a parade of children, complete with musical instruments and decorated sticks that had been made in a craft workshop before the show started. They immediately put us at ease, and the energy and enthusiasm of the cast captivated my three boys from the start. It was this energy, along with the clear passion that the cast had in the story, that kept their attention throughout the majority of the Opera.

Even my 5-year-old, who is notoriously hyperactive (he rarely sits still for longer than 10 minutes at a time) managed to stay engaged. In fact, towards the end he was transfixed. It was an easy to follow storyline for the younger audience with interactive singing, an amazingly talented cast and overall a great introduction to Opera.

And it wasn’t just the children who were captivated. I literally could not take my eyes off the puppet ‘The Rattler’. I am in total awe of not only the design of such a puppet that actually gave me nightmares that night!

But I was also blown away by the way that the incredibly talented cast moved him, such that I had to keep reminding myself that he wasn’t real. For me he really did steal the show and hats off to all who were involved in his creation and movement. In the words of my 4-year-old ‘I loved the dinosaur!’

AS I’ve said in previous reviews, live theatre, opera especially is not for everybody. Their aim is not to be universally appealing to the masses. They take risks and sometimes this means alienating some.

I am in no doubt that the risk they took by making the Rattler so eerie will put a few people off. (Although I should mention at this point that the recommended age is 7 and above.)

However, it is when we take risks that remarkable things are achieved and I can wholeheartedly say that The Rattler is nothing short of remarkable. I can’t wait to see what they do next!

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Review 2016: Danebury Hillfort

Last weekend we went to Danebury Hillfort for a walk and a picnic with friends.

My family used to walk the dogs at Danebury Hillfort when I was growing up, a loooong time ago, but I didn’t remember the site when we got there.

Danebury Hillfort is about 30 minutes drive from Basingstoke, just past Andover.

About

We had a BRILLIANT time exploring Danebury Hillfort.

It looks like there’s not much there but we had a great time with Miss NHM, running up the hill (her, not us!) and walking around the ramparts.

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There’s a lot to see and do:

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Miss NHM had fun exploring the wooden bivouac:

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The views were absolutely spectacular, even on the cloudy day that we visited:

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You can find out more about Danebury at the following link: http://www3.hants.gov.uk/danebury/

Tips

There are Exmoor Ponies roaming around but do not touch or feed them as they are wild ponies.

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Take a picnic blanket as there is only one picnic table (used to be more but they’ve disappeared) so if another family is using the table you will either need to walk to the bench at the top of the hill opposite the car park or sit on the floor.

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If it’s windy, take a kite as it’s a brilliant place to fly kites.

Food

There is no food available so you need to take your own.

Baby Facilities

Most of the paths looked ok for an off-road buggy but it would probably be better to take a sling with your little ones when walking around the ramparts.

Facilities

There are toilets in the car park at the top of the hill.

There are lots of signs up around Danebury Hillfort, explaining the historical significance of the site:

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Parking

When you arrive at Danebury Hillfort, don’t park in the car park at the bottom of the hill. Keep driving up the hill and there is a much larger car park at the top. It also has public toilets.

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Prices

FREE!!!

Even the parking is Free!!!

Rating out of 5

We give Danebury Hillfort 5 out of 5 because we LOVED the place.

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Review 2016: Chineham Splash Park

Thank you very much to one of the NHM Writers, Karen, for this fab review!

Thank you also to Michelle for the pictures!

About

Chineham Splash Park is a new, free water activity open between 10:00 and 19:00 until september. It is situated in Chineham park and also boasts a large field with a half pipe and outdoor trail gym.

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When we attended we arrived before 10:00 and the park was already filling up with excited children and parents with picnic blankets.

Once 10:00 finally came around someone pressed the activation button and it was only moments before all the shrieking children were soaking wet and running around in the water jets.

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Facilities and Food

There has also been a portacabin toilet that was added to the splash park in the past week. However, the park unfortunately lacks any other facilities but the Popley Spotlight centre are happy for people to pop in and use the toilets and they also sell refreshments.  Bare in mind that is a 5 minute walk away so if there’s only one adult in your group you’ll probably end up packing away your things.

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You might want flipflops or sandals for wet children to wear as well as extra towels or clothes to put on over wet swimming costumes for the trips to the toilets. Don’t forget your swimming costumes, towels and swim nappies as well as sun protection.

The area has several picnic benches but they are unshaded in the morning so bring a picnic rug or blanket and head under the trees.

Parking

There are around 20 parking spaces at the park and others in residential streets a bit further away

Tips

Our top tips are to consider bringing the buggy (or a shopping trolley) to load everything in for trips to the toilet, don’t forget your own potty to avoid a few and arrive early before it fills up.

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Older excited children might be a bit daunting for the little ones so bring a towel for yourself so you can encourage them in (and cool off) and a carrier if you have a baby.

If the water isn’t working, don’t leave, the council advise that if its been on constantly for a long time sometimes the reservoir will need 30 minutes to refill.

Rating

We enjoyed the splash park so it scores a 5/5 from the Johnson family.

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Review 2016: Cornish Yurts

Cornish Yurts

I’ve blogged about Our Yurt before on NorthHantsMum but I thought it was time I did a Review about it. Although I’m only publishing this review because Polly, who runs the place, has agreed that we can have “our” Yurt for every May half term for the next 10 years :-D.

About

We have been visiting Cornish Yurts for the past 4 years. I always said I wouldn’t be one of those people who went back to the same place every year, but when you find your little piece of heaven, it’s hard not to keep going back!

The sense of excitement of our impending Yurt holiday starts about three weeks before in our house. I’m excited about relaxing, Mr NHM is excited about cooking over an open fire and Miss NHM is excited about the beaches!

It takes about 5 hours to drive from Basingstoke to Cornwall and we always try to go early to avoid the traffic. We used to stop at Exeter Services on the way down but we’ve found a new place to stop now which is almost half way.

When you arrive at the Yurt you can drive your car up to unload but then the rest of the holiday your car needs to remain in the car park. You also get a lovely welcome from the farm dogs. Sprocket is definitely our favourite.

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When you arrive you get a “welcome pack” which includes local scones (normally still warm!!), Cornish fairings, a pot of locally made jam, the local paper (perfect for making fires with! Lol) and a pot of Cornish cream in your fridge.

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Outside

There are two yurts in an acre of land.

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As you can see there is LOADS of space to run around and play

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Each yurt has a picnic table and chairs outside the yurt and has a place for a fire

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Mr NHM with “Derek” his Dutch Oven

The kitchen hut is a shared space with the other yurt but each yurt has its own fridge. There is also a washing machine, kettle, toaster and every piece of kitchen equipment you would need whilst camping including a sieve and two huge hugs that would be great for squash or cocktails.

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There are platters in the kitchens so you can prepare your food in the kitchen and easily carry it back to the yurt.

Each yurt also has it’s own private bathroom with sink, toilet and shower.

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The yurts are on a working dairy farm and if you are very lucky one of Polly’s girls will give you a tour of the farm. We STILL haven’t had one BUT Miss NHM (5 years old) did get to go out hay bailing with AJ, the farmer, and is still going on and on about it. If you ask her what she wants to be when she gets older, she says “be a farmer on the cornwall farm”!!

Inside

Each yurt sleeps six people and has two double sofa beds and two single sofa beds.

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Each yurt also has a wood burner that is made out of an old oil drum and tyre and has a fire guard

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The Yurts have a wooden floor throughout and a wooden porch. There is a covered porch at the entrance where we store wood.

Each yurt also comes with its own wood. There is extra cost for this and Polly requests that you don’t waste the wood by leaving the fire going indoors or outside unnecessarily.

There is also an outdoor cooking area and each yurt has its own BBQ.

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There is an outside chess set, swing ball, a set of swings and a fairy table.

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Tips

Love that there is a washing machine in the kitchen hut.

Love that if it rains it makes absolutely no difference as you are still camping but there’s no risk of everything getting wet.

Love having private shower and toilet, so we can leave our stuff there.

Love that there’s only two yurts and so much space that Miss NHM becomes feral!!!

Food

We use “Derek” Mr NHM’s Dutch Oven, my small slow cooker and occasionally the BBQ on site.

Facilities

Fire extinguisher in the yurt

Private bathroom – toilet, sink and shower

Chest with a file with suggestions if things to do in the area

Games set with lots of different types of games like chess and backgammon in each yurt.

There is also a large chest of drawers for storing items with a couple of rugs in, just in case it gets cold, a small table and a large rug on the floor so you don’t get cold feet.

Each yurt has electric and our yurt has a lamp in it.

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Each yurt has its own rotary line.

The kitchen area also has tea lights, books of relevance like “Cornwall with kids”, a Dutch oven cooking book (Mr NHM is now in love with his Dutch oven after he got one for Father’s Day last year. The yurts used to have one but it wasn’t looked after properly by people staying here :-()

A 4 slice toaster and kettle in the kitchen

Washing baskets

Outdoor games like jeronimo

Baby Facilities

Very amenable to babies however you do need to be careful with toddlers near the fire. We took Miss NHM for the first time when she was 2.5 years old and it was fine because she learnt pretty quickly that the fire was hot and she needed to stay away from it.

You also need someone who can build a fire to be there, otherwise it will get cold pretty quickly in the evening times.

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Places we love to visit whilst here

Rosskillys. Fantastic ice cream and grounds you can visit for free. They also have farm animals you can buy food for. The pigs are very vocal!! Also do wood fire pizzas on Wed evening.

Poldhu beach – a short drive from the yurts. On Friday night they do wood fire pizza’s from 5pm to 7.30pm.

Kynance cove –  check the tides though as we had to wait for the tide to go out for two hours last year. Had a fab time playing on the rocks though. Also, not a great place for pushchairs as it’s a 15 minute walk if you don’t walk down the cliff face and then you have to carry your pushchair over some of the rocks. People do it though!

Kennack sands – this can become filled with chav’s as its very close to a caravan site.

We always ask Polly for her recommendations on places to go. She’s a font of local knowledge.

Parking

When you first arrive you can drive up to the yurt to unload but your car must remain in the car park until it’s time to pack up.

Prices

Extremely reasonable.

Rating out of 5

10 out of 5!!!

We absolutely LOVE staying here. It’s all the little details that make it so awesome, from the moment we arrive and Sprocket comes to greet us at the door and then Polly comes out to give us massive hugs. It really is our home from home!

Although, this time we didn’t get any scones because Polly was off to china for her birthday, and knew that it was “us” and we wouldn’t mind. I did mind as I was looking forward to those scones for weeks before!! Sorry Polly, I lied!!! lol.

You may think I’m crazy for sharing this with you, as there’s a risk it might become so busy that we can’t get in, but don’t worry, I’ve done a deal with Polly that we can always have “our” yurt during May half term. Whoop!!!!

If you do decide to book, make sure you tell Polly that you are booking via NorthHantsMum.

Hope you have an awesome time as much as we do!!!

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