ENGLISH MUM

I’m almost loathe to type this, as some of the country is still swathed in snow.   I do wonder if people will throw things if I suggest getting out and about with the kids?! Still, Lands’ End have challenged me to seek out a few days out for Easter, so let’s be positive and hope that this wintry weather will soon be behind us and we can finally get to experience a bit of spring!   If not, I can recommend...

Exploring the empty park in the dark It’s my birthday shortly (not a hint, I promise) and although I can remember sunny days, cloudy days and rainy days, I’m pretty sure it’s never snowed before at this time of year. Yesterday we drove down to Surrey to visit Thorpe Park for the opening party for their new hotel, The Crash Pad, and to experience the new backward twist to The Swarm, their amazing...

I live quite near to Leavesden Studios and can’t believe that I haven’t been there yet.  I was invited to a press thing there, but it was cancelled and I’ve never managed to get there under my own steam.  I’m delighted, though, that the lovely chaps at My Voucher Codes have given me a fabulous family ticket for the studio tour to give away.  Several friends have visited and said that...

  Living, as we do, just a 45 minute train ride away from London, you’d think we’d be popping to the capital all the time. In fact, we very rarely do, so an invitation to come and spend the weekend in London at the Thistle Hotel, Marble Arch was the cause of much excitement here at English Towers.  It was also, I have to say, a rare pleasure to spend an entire weekend together, blighted (or...

Back, then, from our wonderful weekend, we’ve had time to reflect upon Guernsey, and what it can offer the traveller – be they family, couple, group or solo. The first thing that struck us both, having enjoyed each other’s company, sans children, for the first time in a good few years, is that it’s a wonderful place for a weekend getaway.  But then, it’s good for everyone.  Before I explain why,...

My loving relationship with my big, red Mondeo is, I’ll admit, on the rocks.  It’s costing me an absolute fortune, and while I love the massive boot, electric everything and spacious interior, I’m looking to change.  My main problem is the fuel economy.  I do loads of small journeys into town every day: school runs, after school activities, social stuff and the Death Wish Dude’s twice weekly...

So last night, we met up with the Foxys and Glam C and their families for a very special evening.  The Paralympic Torch was due to come through our local town at about 11pm (inconvenient time – why couldn’t they travel during the day?), so we met in the pub, then wandered into town to soak up the atmosphere and drink gin sneakily out of jam jars. As you do… After all that, the torch convoy...

I’ve been going to Champneys since I was a kid.  No, I didn’t live one of those ‘Richie Rich’ lifestyles where my parents whooshed me around by private jet, I just had a school friend whose Mum and Dad owned Champneys.  It didn’t seem at all weird to me at the time.  We used to run around the lawns, play hide and seek between the trees and generally behave like loons.  I’ve...

When we were discussing the Olympics Games at the last Gatwick Passenger Panel meeting, one of the things that came up a lot was how helpful technology can be when you’re visiting a new place.  With London (and the UK generally) set to see a huge increase in visitors for the Olympic Games, and hopefully continuing afterwards, and English Dad brandishing his brand new iPhone 4S I thought the following...

So you’ll remember, I’m sure, that the lovely chaps from Ice, a new and exciting loyalty scheme, challenged you all to show us your fave holiday snaps and grab the chance to win a family Eurostar ticket to the destination of your choice.  Well here are the entries.  And very nice they all are too.  They’ve been making me go ‘oooh’ and ‘awwww’ all week.  So now it’s...

  What do you do at the weekends?  After our lie in (that bit’s non-negotiable – I usually have to start crashing about or hoovering at about 11am or they’d sleep all day), we generally head out.  We’re big on brunch and have tried most of the establishments in the area.  Other than that, the Death Wish Dude is often at a skate park, near or far, the Mad Professor likes to socialise,...

First up, Hotel Chocolat sent us one of their new, and rather heavyweight, Extra Thick Easter Eggs to try.  The packaging is really glossy and attractive (it looks a little like a hatbox, decorated with ribbon) and the egg inside doesn’t disappoint either – we tried the Rocky Road to Caramel egg which had two really chunky halves of chocolate: one side was embedded with all sort of goodies like...

WHAT a weekend.  There were so many great (and funny) moments I hardly know where to start. First up, the the lovely chaps at Hertz UK offered to lend me one of their new Family Collection cars to go to the opening of the new Legoland...

Over half term, the Death Wish Child and I popped to the Rainforest Café in London to meet up with the lovely team from Thomson and First Choice for their family blogger event. They’ve got some fab stuff going on at the moment, what with First Choice’s move to all inclusive from summer 2012, and loads of new family initiatives. Here’s the stuff that took our fancy: Holiday Villages Each...

As you know, we recently visited the site of the impending London 2012 Olympics.  It’s going to be an amazing time for London, and we mustn’t forget that the Paralympics are on their way as well.  (I live quite near Stoke Mandeville, the ‘home’ of the Paralympics, so I’m a massive fan – I think it’s completely inspiring and amazing. ) The lovely chaps at Channel 4...

So yesterday, Mr English and I embarked on a little trip. I made the fatal mistake of putting on my new Monsoon shoes (generally, I’m a bit of a slob, but y’know, thought I should dress up for Seb Coe…), which were, in fact, already causing blisters of epic proportions by the time we got to Euston. The walk from Euston to St Pancras International was enough to completely remove all the skin...

So last weekend, we were lucky enough to be offered a hotel room in London for Cybermummy weekend.  The hubby and I, after several long months apart, decided to have a quiet night on the first night, and headed to our hotel, the Thistle in Kensington Gardens, early on the Friday afternoon. First impressions, I have to say, were slightly disappointing.  The hotel is on Bayswater Road (an easy walk from Queensway...

So Saturday saw me up really bright and early driving two very grogging teenagers down to Goodwood (we were up at 6am – alien territory for a teen). We pinched English Grandma’s satnav and got down there really easily.  As we wandered down from the car park, a golf buggy ambled past us.  I looked up to find myself face to face with Lewis Hamilton.  He smiled at me and I smiled back, not really...

The Death Wish Dude is MAD about motorbikes. It must be something about the danger, I would wager. He’s one of those bike nerds who can tell you the make of each motorbike as it whizzes past you on the motorway. He was reeeeally disappointed, then, when he learned that our lovely friend Lu over at Family Affairs was giving away tickets for the AirAsia MotoGP 2011 at Silverstone this weekend. ‘Why...

So after a very silly evening spent avoiding the wrath of the scary landlady, sniggering and drinking gin in a tin, fellow blogging buddy Laura and I were collected by lovely A from Yeo Valley and transported in the Landrover of Death to the gorgeous Organic Gardens at Holt Farm, well, the tea room, to be more precise. I LOVE the tea room at Holt Farm.  I big puffy heart it.  It’s just so deliciously...

Oh we’re having such a fun time at English Grandma’s.  I’m slightly worried, though, because I’ve done nothing but eat so far – they might have to roll me into the cargo section of the aircraft to get me home… On Saturday, while the newly-hatched teenager was trying to mangle himself at Bay Sixty6, we decided to head off into the local area and walk around a bit (four hours...

There’s a new film out this week called Despicable Me.  I’ve seen the trailers and it looks really cute (and it’s from the people who made Ice Age, which I adore). And finally, finally, I’ve got something lubly especially for my wondrous Irish readers.  Just tell me what made the Panda sneeze and you can win  two tickets to see Despicable Me at any cinema of your choice.  (Of course...

I”m absolutely delighted to see that English Mum has been included on Have a Lovely Time’s list of family and activity sites ‘packed with summer fun’. If you’re having trouble entertaining the kids over the holidays, or you’re looking for inspiration for days out, do check out this fabulous website (and no I’m not just saying that because they’re nice about me...

So yesterday we took a very exciting trip up to London’s Haymarket to see a preview of the new Disney film, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. My children aren’t city-dwellers by heart, and the moaning started almost as soon as we got on the train: ‘Dude, turn that crap down, I can hear it through your headphones’ ‘It’s better than what you’re listening to, douche’ Ad...

Soooo the Super Soaraway Sun (is it still called that?) are doing another of their 2 for 1 days out offers for this summer.  Basically you just pick up a copy of The Sun (from this Saturday until Friday 30th), and you’ll find 2-4-1 vouchers for 800 of the UK’s best attractions to keep you busy over that long, long slog that is the school holidays. There’s more information (and bonus vouchers)...