08 January 2022

London With so many child friendly activities on offer why not enjoy your own city! I would recommend staying a couple of nights, seeing something in the West End, Matilda, Lion King and Mary Poppins are all favourites of my family’s and then during the day visiting Tower of London, London Dungeons, Sea Life and taking a ride on the London Eye. There are so many great family friendly restaurants to enjoy as well as hotels that do special offers including kids stay free. You don’t have to spend a fortune to stay in your own city! If you would prefer to stay West then you can visit all of the famous museums or depending what your children are interested in why not visit the Royal Palaces and gardens. Or if you prefer to see everything from up high then head to the Shard or the Sky Garden. Dorset Dorset’s coast is often overlooked because of neighbouring Devon but the beaches here are just stunning and lots of fun for the children to explore and search for fossils. Lyme Regis is a firm favourite of my family’s. I would also recommend heading into the Dinosaur Museum in town! There are lots of new restaurants along the seafront in Lyme Regis and the boardwalk is very family friendly. Lyme Regis also hosts some quaint artisanal outlets including a micro-brewery and jewellery makers just next to the old mill which are not to be missed. The Jurassic coastline is incredibly scenic to walk along if you’ve got tiny babes to wrap up or older ones willing to walk a bit further! Kent From quaint fishing villages like Whitstable to quirky seaside retro towns like Margate, Kent has so much to offer families. By staying somewhere like Margate you can enjoy the vintage arcades, the Turner contemporary for any art enthusiasts and some vintage shopping as well as a cold morning dip in the sea and oysters along the sea front. There are also the Victorian tourist attraction of the caves which are perfect for children wanting to explore. Devon North Devon is one of my absolute favourites in the Winter, the South west coastal path is perfect when it is not too hot and will take you all the way from the beautiful Heddon’s mouth opening onto a quiet beach down to Clovelly with its traditional architecture and steep hills. As a treat for the children after all that walking why not head to Big Sheep near Bideford, voted the best family day out in North Devon you can see the new baby lambs as well as enjoy a huge indoor soft play! One of my favourite things about North Devon is visiting the huge expanse that is Saunton Sands Beach backed by the UNESCO Braunton Burrows site. This beautiful section of the water is perfect for swimmers and surfers but in the winter the beach is just stunning to walk along, play with a football and fly a kite! Cotswolds The Cotswolds spans such a huge area with many different hotels and homes and lots of different family friendly activities. One of my favourite things to do with children is head to the Farm Park which is run by Adam Henson of Countryfile fame. This farm specialises in looking after rare breed animals and it is a real hit with little ones. February half term coincides with the lambing season so hopefully they will be able to see some new little lambs. If you’re staying near Broadway then this is a great day out for all of the family, with beautiful independent shops along this quaint high street as well as plenty of pubs and restaurants you can spend many a day meandering the streets. There is also a gorgeous hilly walk up to Broadway tower which I recommend and if the children still need to burn some energy then there is a top playground just in Broadway village.

11 February 2022

More and more people are asking me for Italy at the moment. It’s no surprise when this enticing country has so much history, culture and incredible food to offer. If you’ve only got a few days then stick to 1 city, if you’ve got longer then you can do a couple of cities and some countryside. Most peoples first stop in Italy is Rome - a visit to the colosseum, the Spanish Steps, Trevi fountain and a pizza is a gorgeous city weekend break and perfect for a romantic weekend or a group of mates celebrating something special. If you can tag on longer you can get a train and whizz up to Florence in an hour and a half or Venice in 4 hours and combine a couple of cities and is also a great way to travel and to see some gorgeous Tuscan hills. Venice needs no introduction, the floating city is a must see for art enthusiasts. With over 400 bridges and 150 canals you’re sure to get lost but that’s part of the charm. It is a great time to visit as tourism is generally a little lower at the moment and the crowds are staying away. Florence is the home of the renaissance and another must visit for museum, art and history buffs but it also offers so many cool restaurants and quirky shops as well as a gorgeous skyline wherever you look. It is a fantasist place to base yourself for a longer period to then do day trips out to Pisa, Chianti, Siena and Luca to name a few. Even better and hole up in a Tuscan farmhouse for two weeks so you can see it all! I once stayed in a very authentic Italian gite which came with an even more authentic nonna to cook the most gorgeous food for us. Heading down south to the alluring Amalfi coast which has been popular since the 1960s with the wealthy flocking to this unique coastline with towns towering on the edge all in beautiful colours. The coastal towns of Positano, Amalfi and Ravello are the real hotspots but most itineraries do involve Naples at least for a day trip. Of course the ruins of Pompeii are another fascinating day trip and can be done in a group or private tour. Heading to Milan is a fantastic idea for a quick break with friends as there are too many places to grab a cocktail and this city houses so much great shopping, probably the best in the country! It does still have the older parts with museums and art galleries so is a great place to see how the modern meets the old. From Milan you can get to Lake Como in about an hour - this is where the rich and famous hang out in their boats and huge villas, so it’s great for people watching and of course the lake views!! The lesser known Lake Maggiore has just as fantastic views but isn’t quite as busy or expensive and stretches out towards Switzerland. This is a great spot for a summer break but if you can head out here into the warm autumn months it will be a less busy, less expensive experience. Puglia is to me, the most authentic, Unfussy part of Italy, it is on the boot of the heel and along this rugged part of coastline there have cropped up many Masserias over the years, mostly family run and all fantastic. If you like eating olives the size of your head swilled down with a chilled glass of red wine then this place is for you. Just over the Adriatic Sea from Croatia, you can actually combine it with Split or Dubrovnik by hopping on a ferry. For the best beaches in Italy I would recommend Sardinia, the white Sandy coastline is hugely appealing to families and couples throughout the season, many returning year on year. The charm of this island is the ancient culture with Roman ruins and churches but of course being an Italian island the food is second to none.