NHM Readers Recommend: Where to go to Pick Pumpkins

Last year, an NHM Reader asked the following question, which I thought would be useful to post now: “Do you know anywhere (doesn’t have to be local, hour or so drive away) where you can pick pumpkins?”

Many thanks to the NHM Community for your responses, listed below in no particular order. 

Thank you also to Juliet for putting this post together!!

NHM Readers recommend where to go to pick pumpkins

Wendy said:

“Seen lots of people go here http://bournevalleypyo.co.uk/

This place still has some https://www.facebook.com/rogatepumpkinpatch/

“And this place still has loads https://www.facebook.com/HollamNurseries/

Kathryn said:

“Bourne valley pyo, went there Friday but they are going fast!”

Siobhan said:

Farm near Crofton Equestrian at Fareham”

Amy said:

“Pickwell Farm, Netley”

Amanda said:

I was on the road from Petersfield to Rogate on A272 today .. there are 2 farms along that road that are selling PYO pumpkins”

Sarah said:

There is somewhere in romsey near the swimming pool”

Yvette said:

Secretts garden centre near Godalming is a great pick your own place. You even get to go on a tractor to the field!”

Laura said:

Here might have some. We went in the summer for other crops and it was so quiet but good produce. http://www.durleighmarshfarmshop.co.uk/

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A week of “free” Activities – Autumn

If money was a bit tight and I wanted to be careful but still entertain my family, I would probably do the following:

  • Find a woodland trail and print off this seasons Nature Detectives pack
  • Attend a Rhymetime or Story time session at my local library
  • Find the nearest big puddle and do some puddle jumping
  • Go to the beach. We love West Wittering, especially when it’s windy and wet! 😀
  • Picnic breakfast at Basing lime pits (any kind of breakfast tastes better outside!)
  • Make some Halloween decorations or Christmas cards
  • Find the nearest museum and see what activities they have available for my little one/s. The Willis Museum in Town is free
  • Run through the Woods or o on a bear hunt in your nearest woods. We love Alice Holt and Farleigh Mount.
  • Find out when the cheap showing at the Vue or Odeon are and book them up early!
  • Make a trip to the library and see what activities are available for my little one
  • Indulge in some messy play. See Coloured Spaghetti or Making Gloop for some suggestions.

I would probably also cash in some points on my Nectar card and Tesco’s clubcard as you can get some real bargain days out if you do your research.

Date Night Ideas for Autumn

Do you have Date Nights with your partner?

We started going on Date Nights about a year ago. My little one was old enough to be babysat by a grandparent or trusted babysitter, so we thought we ought to make some specific time to spend together. Otherwise, the evenings just tended to roll into one another.

Date Nights have become even more important now my husband works shifts, as our evenings together are even more limited.

Date Night/Afternoon is a big thing in our house. I really look forward to Date Nights. It’s fun to plan what we are going to do and how we are going to spend this precious time together, out of the house, just the two of us, not as parents or as employee’s, but as a couple.

I’m putting together a list of Date Afternoon ideas too, so look out for that over the next few weeks.

If you always go out to dinner together – this list is a little bit more than that…

Some Date Night Ideas

Go Ice Skating

Party Night at Planet Ice, Leisure Park

Yes, this is pitched at people half my age and younger, but we went recently and had such a giggle.

Be warned that Planet Ice have changed the hire skates ice hockey skates, so I’m not as good as I used to be! Plus, after half an hour, we were toast! lol.

We did have a lot of fun though.

Go to a dancing session

There are lots and lots of dance classes for adults. These are just a selection of some I’ve found or been too over the years:

Jive Dancing Clubs – Basingstoke

Salsa – Basingstoke

Ballroom and Latin American – Basingstoke and Camberley

Go to an Ice Hockey match

Basingstoke Bison have an ice hockey match nearly every weekend at Planet Ice, in the Leisure Park. For more details, click HERE.

Go on an Owl Walk

The Hawk Conservancy is doing some “Owl by Moonlight” Walk in the evening times. For more details click HERE.

This looks really romantic and I’m hoping Mr NHM reads this post and takes the hint! :-D.

Go for a Spa evening

This doesn’t have to be just for girlies! lol

Below are just a few of the local Spa’s. I’m hoping to do a post on local Spa’s very soon…

Nirvana Spa – Wokingham

Hampshire Centre court Hotel – Basingstoke

Donnington Valley Spa – Newbury (I went here recently and it was FAB! Totally recommend the Afternoon tea package)

Go to a Roller Disco!

There is a Roller Disco in Newbury every Saturday evening at Northcroft Leisure Centre.

I’m itching to go to one of these events. We have some friends who go nearly every weekend to the Roller Disco. I remember fondly, the Roller Disco that used to be at the Sports Centre in town. Again, I realise I’m showing my age! lol :-D.

Go to the Planetarium

Intech Science Centre in Winchester hosts “Adults only” evenings.

What could be more romantic than watching the stars together :-D.

Go Sky Diving

I couldn’t really not mention the new Sky Diving facilities in the Leisure Park. This looks AWESOME and I’m hoping that I’m not too much of a woos to try it out! lol.

I hope some of these suggestions give you some inspiration. If you have any other ideas, please let me know as I’m always looking for something a bit different to do on our nights out together. Thanks!

Blackberry Picking in North Hampshire

Today’s post was supposed to be about good blackberry picking spots in the area. Unfortunately I haven’t had much time to research this or to get out and about to find some new spots.

The blackberries are quiet late this year which is probably because of the wet summer that we had. Blackberry picking is a great family activity and can save quite a bit of money if you have the ability to freeze your berries after you have picked them. I like to stick them in a bowl covered in water with some salt, then rinse them off, bag them up and put them in the freezer for the winter months. It can save a fortune when you compare the cost of buying frozen or fresh berries. We use ours in porridge for breakfast (great for weaning as the frozen berries makes the porridge cold and is another dose of fruit for the day) or I use them to make smoothies or a crumble.

These are the places that I do know which have good Blackberry picking spots. I am going to put out a request on the NorthHants Mum friend and the FB Page to see if anyone else can recommend any good spots and will update this post as I receive them. If you do know of any good blackberry spots please add a comment to this post. Thank you!

Carpenters Down/Basing Wood

There are lots of Blackberry Bushes at Carpenters Down and the further you go into the Woods, the more likely you are to find some good bushes. If you follow the path out to Bramley, there are some bushes there too.

Chineham Business Park

A new path has been put into Chineham Business Park and there are a lot of bushes around this area, towards the back of the Business Park.

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