Marsh Farm, Essex

Last weekend, as part of Beatrice's second birthday celebrations, we headed to nearby Marsh Farm, in South Woodham Ferrers, Essex to join them for one of their character days. The day in question was Peppa Pig aka Beatrice's bestie.

Having never ventured here before, we were greatly impressed by the value for money presented here; unfortunately it was bitter cold (sorry Beatrice for your winter birthday) so we only stayed for a few hours but we packed plenty in. In fact we never even made it to a few of the included activities.

Set over a huge piece of land, Marsh Farm has something for all children under ten and mine were enthralled despite the cold weather.

First up we enjoyed the Peppa Pig meet and greet - the staff and Peppa herself, were very friendly and happy for the children to have a photo alone with Peppa and then one with all the family. They even had a member of staff designated to take family snaps, which I thought was a nice touch. Beatrice was utterly delighted meeting her hero, and whilst Bridget is four and considers herself a little too grown up for Peppa Pig, she was excited too.

Bridget and Beatrice meeting Peppa Pig at Marsh Farm

Peppa Pig at Marsh Farm

Bridget and Beatrice waiting to see Peppa Pig at Marsh Farm

Straight from here we went to the fairground rides, of which there was a just a couple geared towards small children; the classic cups and saucers ride and a carousel. Both Bridget and Beatrice love the rides and so were very happy as you can see. I thought it was great that these were inclusive of the entrance price too - not like some other places I've visited, such as The Hop Farm in Kent, where everything is an additional cost.

My baby Beatrice enjoying her 2nd birthday at Marsh Farm

Bridget at Marsh Farm

Next on our agenda was a visit to the indoor barn animals and we were thrilled to see some baby lambs and piglets cuddled up to their mummas. Super cute. 

Piglets at Marsh Farm

Baby lamb at Marsh Farm

There was also some interestingly attired Shetland ponies with multi-coloured hair - Bridget was impressed and said it reminded her of Shimmer & Shine. Indoors there were also ferrets, guinea pigs and some rabbits. Each keeping the girls more than interested.

Shetland pony, Sparkle at Marsh Farm

The adventure playground is of excellent quality and there really is a section for all ages covered, it's set over a wide area with lots of different climbing apparatus and slides etc. 

By the time we'd done all of this, we were freezing and so headed to the Indoor Soft Play Barn which handily has a restaurant and coffee shop attached. This was a great opportunity for the girls to run around and warm up, with Glen following hot on their heels, whilst I enjoyed a lovely hot chocolate.

We went for the tractor ride next; which seems to be a standard at these types of places, and whilst it was good, it was a very short ride compared to Barleylands (also in Essex) or Willows Activity Farm (in nearby Hertfordshire) which we visited at Christmas time. We did get to ride swiftly through muddy puddles, spot some interesting birds and look out for other wildlife whilst waving at various dog-walkers but we we just on the tractor ride for less than five minutes.

We then had a walk around the Animal Trail spotting some giant rabbits, a number of birds, poultry and ducks and even alpacas and llamas. Apparently in the summer you can do llama walking which sounds fun (although not for me!). It did mention on the website about an Animal Trail book where you collect stickers throughout the trail, but we never got given one, so maybe this is just in the summer too. Nevertheless the girls really enjoyed spotting all of the animals.

The girls had a go on the mini tractor park and the bouncy pillows - massive bouncy castle-esque creations and were just delighted with everything. 

We also enjoyed the jewel hunting which we did on the way out. It's a huge sandy area with colourful glass jewels which the children collect. Equipped with buckets and spades, I can imagine spending hours here with my two as they love any kind of treasure hunt, but by this point we really were freezing and so it was a quick ten minute dash.

Beatrice Jewel Hunting at Marsh Farm

Bridget Jewel Hunting at March Farm

Unfortunately, the cold prevented us having a game of crazy golf, or attempting the huge chicken and egg maze and we didn't even find the aviary or the den-building area. Again, it looks like in the summer months there is a huge array of additional activities, from goat-racing, educational pet shows and interactive entertainment; so we'll definitely be looking to do a return visit in the summer months - we had a great time with what was available anyway. Family time is so precious and especially celebrating Beatrice's birthday just the four of us.

Happy family time for Beatrice's second birthday at Marsh Farm

The price of tickets if you purchase in advance of visiting is £12.50 for the character event, and everything mentioned is included in that price, which I think is excellent value for money. Under two's go free but we just missed out on that. 

Marsh Farm is an ideal day out with toddlers and pre-schoolers as there is so much to do and I'd advise bringing a picnic once the weather warms up if you're planning a visit and making a real day of it. We'll definitely be back soon.

Northern Sardinia on an Agritusimo – a different type of family holiday

Bridget in the vineyard at Agriturismo I Vignetti

THE ACCOMMODATION

In August we enjoyed a fantastic family holiday to Olbia in Sardinia to celebrate my brother Dan, turning 30 and for Glen and I, it really opened our eyes to a different style of family holiday.

Dan and his partner had stayed on an ‘agriturismo’ - a working farm with accommodation - the previous year in Sicily and they absolutely raved about it. Dan booked this holiday as a treat for us all, and we were originally staying in a villa in Olbia, the other side of Northern Sardinia, which annoyingly got cancelled by the owner just a few weeks before we were due to go. After some frantic research we found the Agriturismo I Vignetti in Olmedo, just a fifteen minute drive from Alghero and what a beautiful base it proved to be.

Agriturismo I Vignetti is set in stunningly well-kept grounds in the countryside, and the accommodation amounted to comfortable and spotlessly clean stone apartments. Our room, a family room, had a separate bedroom, en suite and a living area with an extra bed, as well as a travel cot for Beatrice. The living area had a bed that doubled as a sofa for Bridget, a coffee table and a kitchen area, with a fridge, and tea and coffee making facilities. Everything was well presented, fresh and clean. 

Accommodation at Agriturismo I Vignetti

With beautiful flowers and greenery dotted around, and being in the countryside and a little off the beaten track, it was a very peaceful base, which made for a welcome change from our usual style of holiday. 

Restaurant area at Agriturismo I Vignetti

The working farm had an array of chickens, goats and a few horses; and the children loved visiting them each day and offering food. The huge area for growing vegetables was fantastic and the owners were happy for you to wander through taking an interest and we certainly did. It was great to show the girls where all of the vegetables we eat of an evening were coming from – Bridget was fascinated by how many different types of tomatoes they were growing – I was quite enthralled myself. Opposite the sprawling vegetable patch was a vineyard growing both red and white grapes, which was beautiful. We enjoyed some fantastic nature walks daily - it felt like we had got back to nature, but in very comfortable lodgings.

Feeding the chickens at Agriturismo I Vignetti

The vegetable gardens at Agritusimo I Vignetti

Agriturismo I Vignetti had a lovely swimming pool area with plenty of sun loungers, and it being August and stiflingly hot, we all took full advantage of it. There were a number of other guests of varying ages and a couple of families we overlapped with, but the pool was generally quite quiet during the day, until we arrived with Bridget and Beatrice of course. 

Pool area at Agriturismo I Vignette

Beatrice enjoying the pool at Agriturismo I Vignetti

The dining area was stunningly rustic; open air, with flowers and greenery dangling down, it was very pretty. Breakfast which was included was a very-much continental affair, with pastries, cured meats and cheeses, breads and yoghurts and a few cereals as well as boiled eggs. It was fairly basic, but plentiful and we enjoyed a lighter start to the day – it made room for the many delicious things we would encounter daily in Sardinia. Their version of a type or Grana Padana which they made on the farm was really delicious, much creamier and nuttier than those I’ve had before and their cured meats, which I would never normally have around breakfast time were lovely too, especially the saucisson.

Over breakfast, the charming host, Gianfranca, would inform of us of that evening’s dinner menu; with everything prepared coming from the land of the agriturismo. We enjoyed two excellent meals here during our week long stay. One, a lasagne – an absolute triumph, and one a ‘meat in the oven’ dish – which turned out to be roast suckling pig with village potatoes and roasted vegetables – absolutely divine. So fresh, so simple but so, so good.

Also each meal came with some small plates of appetisers – a fragrant little open tart of dressed tomatoes with basil leaves running through. Everyone knows how good tomatoes taste in the Med and these were no exception! We had the most delightful little stuffed aubergines topped with cheese; as well as more plates of cheese and cured meats. Desserts included a lemon ricotta concoction – which was like a sweet stuffed and fried pasta dish, and my favourite – tiramisu. Really great food. There was also pasta courses which was always gnocchetti – tiny little shells with a grooved edge in a simple but stunning tomato sauce and topped with lashings of cheese. Gnocchetti is the pasta of choice for children it seemed in Sardinia as the girls enjoyed it all over the place. 

Tomato Tart at Agriturismo I Vignetti

Roast suckling pig at Agriturismo I Vignetti

Incredible lasagne at Agriturismo I Vignetti

Gnocchetti at Agriturismo I Vignetti

Enjoying a meal at Agriturismo I Vignetti

The rest of the gang

Whilst we had a couple of days of just relaxing around the agriturismo and then heading into Alghero, we found that we’d go out most days, and then return late afternoon to Agriturismo I Vignetti and enjoy the last hour or so of sunshine around the pool.

Our apartments each had a little table outside to enjoy a morning coffee or an evening beverage and were our meeting spot each night before heading out into Alghero or over to our own restaurant.

Happy 30th memories Dan!

Having a car is a necessity here, as you really are off of the beaten track and it gives you the access to discover some of the delightful wonders of north Sardinia.

BEACHES

There are absolutely tons of beaches and coves in this area of Sardinia, and we visited a fair few. Each have their own individual character and charm; and are ensconced by the crystal clear, bluey green waters which are hugely welcoming in the summer heat.

Most are incredibly busy in August but of the bunch we managed to visit, our favourites were Mugoni – slightly more commercialised, with a huge stretch of sandy beach, completely covered by revellers, families, couples, and solo sun worshippers and Porto Palmas which was much smaller, but perfectly formed.

The locals have the right idea, bringing with them everything you could want at the beach; their own umbrellas, pop up sun-loungers or chairs, blankets and towels, plus a cool bag filled with delicious looking picnic fodder and beverages. Much as we would do in the UK, but if I’m honest, slightly better.

Mugoni stretches for nearly 2km and has a pine forest behind – offering a welcome retreat from the sun. We visited in Italian holiday time in August, so it was particularly busy, in fact every beach was packed solid, so it’s actually worth arriving early or booking ahead if you want sun loungers – which incidentally are priced between 20-30 Euros for a pair with an umbrella so be sure to bring cash, or be prepared to bed down on your towel in the sand. Mugoni has a selection of cafes, restaurants and bars along the whole stretch so is great for a full day. 

Mugoni Beach, Sardinia

Beatrice enjoying the beach at Mugoni, Sardinia

We absolutely loved the Porto Palmas beach; it’s an absolute gem, a small sandy cove surrounded by rocks and caves and completely uncommercialized, with just a tiny drinks shack. As you walked into the crystal blue waters, it become quite deep, quite quickly and I had a delightful time cooling down with my two girls here, as well as a swim over to the caves. It was idyllic here – still busy, but less so than others. My type of picturesque beach and less crowded. 

Me, Bridget and Beatrice enjoying the cooling water at Porto Palmas Beach, Sardinia

We also visited the likes of Lido, Porto Ferro and La Bombarde on the Algero side and had a peek at the Pittulongo beach on the Olbia side on our way to the airport..

FOOD

Italian food is an all round favourite for our family – pizza and pasta feature in my children’s top five foods for sure, and Glen and I are very partial to them too, but Sardinia has so much more to offer than this.

I didn’t mark down the names of every restaurants particularly as we didn’t really have a bad bite to eat anywhere – food is just done so well across Italy and Sardinia is no exception.

We enjoyed melt-in-the-mouth tagliata (beautiful steak cooked in a dressing of lemon and garlic and topped with grated Grana Padana and sea salt), roast suckling pig that was to die for, a seafood stew so exquisite in flavour I wanted to bottle it up forever, and of course a whole load of different pastas and pizzas which were all exceptional.

A particular highlight for me was a Linguine Vongole at Al Refettorio in Alghero and the pizzas and pastas at Restaurante Il Pagura in the little town of Fertilia; the only place we couldn’t resist returning to. 

Linguine Vongole at El Refettoria, Alghero, Sardinia

That sumptuous seafood stew, Alghero, Sardinia

Beautiful pizza at Il Pagura, Fertilia, Sardinia

Also the food at the Agriturismo I Vignetti needs special mention here too as was also excellent and felt very traditional – for a family with two small children too, the hosts were very accommodating, and it’s great to holiday knowing you can have an informal and relaxed evening with the kids, not going further than a couple of hundred yards from your door, but still enjoying exceptional food. 

Also wine is particularly good in Sardinia and it's fairly cheap too - we enjoyed plenty, and were always pretty happy with the house dry white.

Enjoying some Sardinian wine in the sunshine at Porto Torres

CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES

Butterfly House

We visited the Butterfly House which was only a fifteen minute drive away from Agriturismo I Vignetti. As well as playing host to an abundance of unusual butterflies, Butterfly House is also home to a number of tropical birds, insects and other wildlife and for 10 Euros per person, it was well worth the trip. Under 3’s are free of charge too – so it’s well worth it if you have small children.

What’s more, and what we didn’t know until we arrived, the Butterfly House also has a lovely swimming pool and jacuzzi area, a spa and a fantastic wooden play area for children. It’s a great choice for a full day’s outing and as we were nearing lunchtime but the adults weren’t quite ready to eat, we picked up a homemade margherita pizza for the girls to share which was freshly made, utterly delicious (as we couldn’t resist trying) and cost €5! 

Beatrice having a play at Butterfly House, Sardinia

Bridget looking rightfully smug at her delicious 5 euro pizza

The Alghero Funfair

Each time we ventured into Alghero by night, we let the girls enjoy an hour on the fun fair at the port. Bustling full of families with young children up to teenagers, and in typically Mediterranean fashion this was jam packed way into the night in August. Each ride was priced between 2-3 Euros and the kindly staff were happy for the parents to join the little ones free of charge – the Sardinians are very sweet towards the bambinos.

One evening we had a nightmare parking (over two hours to find a spot – the less said about it the better) and had promised the girls a go on the fun fair, but were more concerned about getting some dinner into them, so said we’d take them afterwards – expecting it to be shut, but no, even at midnight it was absolutely packed.

Horse and Cart Ride Around Alghero

A little tourist activity to take you round the bigger tourist spots of the city – from the Cathedral, to the port. Priced at 10 euros per person and free for the baby. 

Bridget with Uncle Dan, enjoying the trip around Alghero by horse and cart

The Beach

Honestly for my children – enjoying a day on the beach is such an adventure – whether it’s building sand castles or creations, paddling in the sea, digging a big hole or seeing what ‘treasure’ they can find from a crab, a pretty shell, or even seaweed. This continues to be an important factor in almost all of our summer holidays.

The Pool

Equally a day at the pool at Agriturismo I Vignetti with a lunchtime picnic was as enjoyable for Bridget and Beatrice as it was for us. We ventured to the supermarket in nearby Sassari where we were able to pick up lovely salad items and some freshly cooked porchetta – unlike anything you could pick up in a UK supermarket, as well as fresh cream cakes. Bliss.


ALGHERO

By day, Alghero is an interesting city - we found an amazing fresh fish market, plenty of cafe culture, and an amazing restaurant scene not to mention some incredible architecture and some cute shops. In August though, it was a little unbearable to walk the hills and cobbled streets, in the heat if I’m honest, especially with the children.

By night, Alghero is an electric place to be. Row upon row of shops adorn the streets, which are lit by pretty lanterns, and around every corner is a little trattoria, bar or restaurant with the welcome sight of tons of guests sipping their Aperol Spritz or other trendy beverage, watching the world go by.

We are not great planners when on holiday, preferring to be spontaneous, but unfortunately in Sardinia, or at least Alghero, in August, not booking a table when there are eight guests including two small children, can prove problematic. We learnt from our mistake the first night and booked ahead in advance.

We didn’t indulge in the nightlife in Alghero – having the children with us and it being a much more laid back holiday, but were told it was there for the taking for sure. 

Alghero by day

The Port of Alghero, Sardinia

This really was a completely different type of holiday to what we’re used to with the children and we thoroughly enjoyed and would be open to another stay on an agriturismo elsewhere in the future. The cost per night differs in the different rooms, but for ours in August 2019 it is priced from £141.00 including breakfast for the four of us.

We loved Sardinia – it was a great family holiday full of fabulous memories and is well worth considering as a summer holiday destination with children.

Chessington World of Adventures for Toddlers and Pre-Schoolers

Bridget and Beatrice at Chessington World of Adventures

For Bridget's fourth birthday in September the four of us enjoyed one of Chessington World of Adventure's short breaks with two days in the park and an overnight stay in the Safari Hotel.

It was the girls' first time and a trip down memory lane back to our respective teenage years for Glen and I; and despite the first day coinciding with the wettest day of the year so far, we had a great time in both the park and the hotel. 

Chessington Safari Hotel 

We stayed in one of Wayanama Rooms and I urge you to take the many negative reviews of these rooms with a pinch of salt; ours was fab. It was spacious, comfortable, immaculately clean and the reason we particularly chose this room, for the views over the Wayanama Nature Reserve was absolutely wonderful. We were delighted to spot the zebras and ostrich roaming around from the comfort of our rooms, especially first thing in the morning. There were also other unidentified animals, which we later found out were ankole and sitatungas, during our night-time wander around the edge of the reserve, something exclusive to hotel guests.

The Safari Hotel for me was an absolute triumph, I was charmed on arrival by the animal print decor, but the little touches for children throughout were what really won us over. 
They had a children's film area complete with chairs and bean bags, an armadillo enclosure, an in-hotel swimming pool and a range of payable amusements too; plenty to keep the children entertained, as well as a lovely zebra themed bar area for the grown ups.

Bridget & Beatrice at the Wayanama seating area overlooking the nature reserve

Impressive welcoming giraffe at the Safari Hotel, Chessington World of Adventures

Wayanama Room at the Safari Hotel, Chessington World of Adventures

Bridget and Beatrice loving their animal themed bunk beds at Safari Hotel, Chessington World of Adventures

The hotel restaurant offers a variety of food; it didn't really appeal to us, so we took a short drive down the road and enjoyed a low key Sunday dinner at The Star; but if you didn't want to venture out once checked in, I'm sure you could find something on the menu.

The only downside for me with the hotel was the breakfast, which was included with the deal. On this particular morning, for some reason they combined the two hotels, and bunged us all into the same restaurant in the Azteca Hotel, which would be find except it was unorganised chaos. You have to book a time slot in advance for breakfast, but we still queued for quite some time, and once in it was a bit of a free for all. Dirty plates were left laying around and packed high on neighbouring tables and it was just a bit shambolic to be honest. The selection of breakfast, particularly the continental was good, branded cereals, pastries, muffins, yoghurts, granola as well as hams, cheeses and bread with preserves. Again for the cooked breakfast option, the variety was huge, but it was not laid out appealingly, the scrambled egg literally looked like a mountain of rubber and it was just a bit poor in terms of presentation. That being said, there was a huge variety, including a vegetarian station, and we all managed to eat something. A shame really as it was the only negative to our stay.

Chessington World of Adventures - Rides

We arrived on the Sunday which was Bridget's actual birthday, and as I mentioned it was the first day for months of real heavy rain; we were prepared though and had waterproofs at the ready, and didn't let it dampen (see what I did there) our visit at all. It stopped around 2pm too and the Monday was dry and warm.

I was nineteen the last time I visited Chessington, back in 2003 and I have to say it hasn’t changed as much as you might think. The park is still split out into 'lands' such as 'Wild Woods' and 'The Pirates Cove' and some of the old favourites are still around; such as The Vampire Ride. 

Bridget enjoying one of the rides at Chessington with Glen

Tiny Truckers ride at Chessington

One of my old childhood favourites, the Bubbleworks has been re-dressed as The Gruffalo River Ride and is just as magical now as when I was a child, especially as we love the Gruffalo. There are plenty of more tame rides for children and toddlers which was perfect for Beatrice who was only 19 months at the time. The Adventure Tree, a merry-go-round with animal theme, Tiny Truckers,Flying Jumbo's and Toddler's Crazy Cars plus several more that we could all go on as a family; great fun. 

Bridget enjoyed some of the bigger rides such as the Treetop Hoppers, Jungle Bus and Sea Dragons and was eyeing some of the rides aimed at taller, and older children, and angling for us to come back soon.

Chessington World of Adventures - The Zoo 

Combining the fairground rides with the fantasically varied zoo makes Chessington such a winner for families as there is something for everyone, regardless of age.

Bridget really loved coming on the Zufari off-road bus ride through the nature reserve seeing some of the bigger animals, such as the giraffes, elephants, rhinos, and zebras up close. 

Everything you would expect in a zoo such as lions, tigers, monkeys and gorillas are there as well a plenty of more unusual wildlife. Binturong, otters and meerkats as well as a penguin and sea lion area made the zoo a never-ending joy for the children. As with many zoos, there was invites for guests to come along at designated times to watch feeding times and see shows with various animals which was fun too. 

Bridget at the penguin enclosure at Chessington World of Adventures

Whilst watching the lions pacing, we saw one jump up and roar at a shocked guest gawping at one of the viewing points who promptly jumped out of his skin - it may be my sense of humour but it tickled me and I bet that man won't forget it in a hurry.

Chessington World of Adventures - Children's Petting Zoo

In addition to the bigger zoo animals, the park has the children;s zoo and a chance for the kids to go into a petting zoo, and walk around with the likes of sheep and goats as well as stroking them etc. Bridget and Beatrice were elated and it was actually a struggle to entice them away. There were also rabbits, pigs and guinea pigs in this area.

In the children's petting zoo at Chessington World of Adventures

Chessington World of Adventures - Sealife Centre

There is also a fairly large Sealife Centre inside of Chessington, which was a great place for us to start during the heavier rain on the Sunday. They had a little treasure hunt for children, an excellent way of engaging the children, Bridget certainly enjoyed it.

Fun in the Sealife Centre at Chessington World of Adventures

Chessington World of Adventures - Shows

The other must-do activity at Chessington if you're there with under 10's, is a visit to The Gruffalo Arena for the show; it's fun, cheesy, interactive with the chance for the children to clap and dance along and shout out etc. I have to say my girls absolutely loved it and Bridget was even more thrilled to do the meet and greet with the Gruffalo. There are other shows on throughout the day which we sadly missed, but these are a real draw, especially with toddlers and pre-schoolers.

At the Gruffalo Arena, Chessington World of Adventures

Bridget delighted to meet the Gruffalo at Chessington World of Adventures

Food wise there are a few options dotted around such as a pizza/pasta buffet restaurant, fried chicken and a burger joint with various food carts throughout and Costa outlets (but only the ones with a machines, no barrstas sadly) with pre-made sandwiches. We took our own picnic for the Sunday and headed off at lunchtime on the Monday so avoided the food outlets; I did venture into one to grab some drinks, and as always with these types of places, they are quite over-priced for what they are, so I'd consider a picnic, especially if you have a few children in tow as it can become expensive.

We paid just under £200 for the four of us for this break at Chessington, which included x2 days in the park for the four of us, including early access on the second day and an overnight's stay at the Safari Hotel with breakfast. 

The website is packed with various themed events and stays so I will be keeping my eye out for any great offers.

We had an utterly brilliant family adventure at Chessington, and will be sure to return again once Beatrice is old enough to enjoy a few more rides.