Celebrate Roald Dahl Day in Manchester this Weekend

'A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.' Roald Dahl

I loved reading as a child, and although he wasn't my favourite author, Roald Dahl was definitely in my top five. His books filled part of my childhood bookshelves and have always stayed with me. My favourites were George's Marvelous Medicine and Danny, Champion of the World!

2016 marks 100 years since the birth of one of the greatest Children's authors and 13th September was his birthday. There are events happening all over the world to celebrate and plenty happening in Manchester over the weekend. My children will be dressing up as their favourite characters for school on Tuesday to mark the occasion (Fantastic Mr Fox and either Matilda or a witch - she's not decided yet!) before before that we'll be heading in to Manchester City Centre on Sunday to have some fantastic fun!

Glittering Eyes pop up cinema

On Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th there will be a fantastical  Glittering Eyes pop up cinema at New Bailey near Spinningfields. There will be showings of James and the Giant Peach,  Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,  Matilda and The Witches. It's not just about the movie showings though as there will be a wonderland of Dahl themed activities from a walk through Willy Wonka's garden to a giant peach pop-up library and loads of Children’s entertainment as well as lots of tasty street food traders to tempt your tastebuds! 
New Bailey Street, Salford, M3 5AX (tickets from £7.50 available at www.eventbrite.co.uk).  

Roald Dahl Big Picnic Day at Tatton Park

To celebrate this special birthday Tatton Park are opening their Gardens to picnickers for the first time on Sunday 11th September 2016, so you can bring a picnic and settle down in their gorgeous formal Gardens! And what's more, they will be free to enter for everyone! During your picnic enjoy exploring the 50-acre garden. There’s a fabulous Danny the Champion of the World Trail to follow full-of-fun obstacles. James and the Giant Peach and the Twits provide further fun! A great afternoon entertainment programme includes a mini disco, Roald Dahl inspired performances and the young ones can settle down and listen in to storytelling. On the day you’ll be able to give a little by treating yourself to a slice of the most humungous, yummy birthday cake baked by our very own baker …..the proceeds go to Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity caring for seriously ill children. Go dressed up as your favourite Roald Dahl character and you could win a superlicious surprise! Gardens open from 10am. Activities take place between 12pm and 3pm. Ice cream, beers and hot and cold refreshments are available to purchase. Car parking is £6 per car. Find out more here

Autumn Family Fun and Food at Brewers Fayre

I love Autumn, the colours, the pleasant walks through the park searching for conkers and  the evenings snuggled up together on the couch, oh and definitely the food...

We were delighted to be invited to our local Brewers Fayre to enjoy a family meal from their new Autumn menu. Our nearest Brewers Fayre restaurant is the Coach House, in the grounds of the Trafford Centre, it's an ideal location and an ideal family treat after a morning of shopping.

The large family friendly restaurant also offers a special Dennis the Menace themed, supervised play area with everything from toddler zones to tree house play and more. This does incur an extra charge of £3 for 90 minutes play. Both our 4 and 8 year olds thoroughly enjoyed this area and would happily have missed out on pudding to have a few minutes more play!

Much to the children's delight we were seated within the Play Zone on this occasion, the benefits of this were that we could watch the children enjoying the soft play environment while sat at our table enjoying our own food and they were free to run in and out between courses. However I couldn't help but feel that this area didn't offer the relaxed comfort of the rest of the restaurant and on future visits I think I'd opt to eat in the main restaurant and bring the children in to play separately, but that's just my personal choice.

The new menu offers a wide variety of mouthwatering options from grills and burgers to classics, pasta and more, all at really reasonable prices. We visited on a Sunday so also had the option of the two course carvery that included a choice of meats or a vegetarian option of vegetable wellington with plenty of vegetables and potatoes and a delicious tomato soup with a roll to start. All for just £9.95!

The value for money increases even more if you visit on a weekday with a great selection of mains being offered at 2 for £10.99, Monday to Friday, 12 noon – 6pm: Excludes Bank Holidays

The children's menu stayed with the Beano and Dennis the Menace  theme of the play area and offered one, two or three course options priced between £3.99 and £4.99. Drinks were an additional cost but started at just 80p. There was also the option to swap any on of the sides that came with the main meals which is perfect if you have a fussy eater!

There were clean plates all round so we decided to treat ourselves to dessert, Daddy and I couldn't resist trying the Sharing Fondue which  left us drooling when it arrived! A giant plate filled with everything from mini doughnuts to chocolate brownies, waffles, strawberries and marshmallows, served with pots of chocolate fudge and caramel sauces for dipping, we couldn't wait to dig in!

Ben decided on a delicious looking ice cream Sundae and Elizabeth chose Minnie's tricky doughnuts which came with chocolate sauce and sprinkles!

 We enjoyed a lovely family meal in a comfortable setting and the service was attentive and friendly. I'd certainly recommend a visit to your local Brewers Fayre to try out the new menu.

Disclaimer: We were kindly invited to enjoy complimentary meals and play sessions in exchange for an honest review.

A Family Stay at the Keswick Country House Hotel

At the end of the Summer we had some big occasions to celebrate, within the space of a week we had our eldest son's seventh birthday and my thirtieth. So we were thrilled when the lovely folks at Choice Hotels invited us to spend a weekend at the Keswick Country House Hotel in the Lake District to celebrate in style.

I have been spending family holidays in the Lake District for as long as I remember and it is a place that is very dear to me and is full of happy memories. Over the last few years we have taken the children on a few camping trips near Lake Windermere but I was excited to be able to show them another part of the beautiful Cumbrian countryside.

Before our stay we went online to plan our adventures and I was pleased to find the hotel website had a really useful page all about the local attractions and activities available in the area.

As the children love boats and water we knew we had to take a trip on the Keswick Launch on Derwentwater and we couldn't possibly be as close as we were to Whinlatter Forest without going on a Gruffalo hunt!

As well as handy tips on things to do in the area the website also gives a peek into the interesting history of the hotel. Since it's construction in the 1860's to coincide with the opening of the railway, it has built up a reputation as one of the most prestigious hotels in the Lake District and has played host to some rather significant guests, most notably Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany in 1895 with Lord and Lady Churchill and later Queen Elizabeth II in 1965. Being the history nerd that I am, I of course sought out the evidence of these visits during our own stay.

A list of the visitors to the hotel in 1895 including Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, displayed in the hotel bar.

We arrived in Keswick in the late afternoon, the hotel was easy to find and had plenty of parking for hotel guests. As we traveled up the extended driveway it felt like we were being transported back in time, the grand Victorian architecture of the hotel enticed me before we'd even stepped inside.

The staff were friendly and helpful and even with two excited young children the check in process was quick and easy. As there were four of us (Two adults and two children) we were booked into one of the family rooms on the second floor of the hotel, a small lift just to the left of the reception desk allowed us to get ourselves and our luggage to the room with ease.

I was really surprised by the generous size of the room, despite having a double and two single beds, there was still plenty of extra space in the room. Large windows gave spectacular views of the grounds and the surrounding area and brought lots of natural light into the room. A door led off to the ensuite bathroom which housed a modern bathroom suite including bath and shower.

The room offered all the comforts of home including a large flatscreen TV with freeview, tea, coffee and hot chocolate making facilities and comfortable chairs to sit in whilst we perused leaflets of local places to visit.

Dinner each evening was served in the impressive Lonsdale Restaurant, which overlooked the beautiful gardens. The dining room itself was very grand and I felt it had a 'Downton' feel to it!  At first I was worried that such a 'grown up' looking restaurant wouldn't cater to seven and three year olds but I had no need to have been concerned, as well as offering smaller portions of the daily specials there was a separate children's menu with favorites such as pasta, burgers and mild curries. I was also delighted to find varied vegetarian options including some of my favourite dishes. An extensive wine list was also offered to complement the freshly cooked food.

Breakfast was a buffet style affair served in the same room as dinner and cooked to the same high standards. The selection was varied with cereal and fruit to please our daughter, a cooked breakfast for Daddy and our eldest and delicious poached eggs cooked to order for me. A great morning feast to set us up for exploring the local countryside.

During Dinner on the first evening the local area was affected by a power cut meaning we were left in the dark. Rather than this turning into an uncomfortable and upsetting experience for our children, the staff immediately brought candles to the table and chatted to the children, keeping us informed and turning an event that could have upset our meal into an exciting adventure! The quick and thoughtful actions of the hotel staff meant we enjoyed a atmospheric candlelit dinner and the lights came back on just in time for dessert!

After dinner we were encouraged to take an evening walk around the grounds to see the infamous wild rabbits who run around the lawns and are enticed by the attraction of the floodlights, this delighted the children who tried to name them all!

The staff were chatty and approachable throughout our stay talking to the children about their adventures and offering tips and personal experience about places to visit.

On Saturday morning we took a walk through the town and up to Derwentwaters. The discovery of some fabulous shops in Packhouse Court just off the market square took us on a little detour, where we picked up a few mementos of our break.

Our Afternoon was spent enjoying a boat trip across Derwentwater and exploring the Lodore Waterfalls, Daddy and Ben were even brave enough to climb to the top!

After checking out on Sunday we took the short drive over to Whinlatter forest and spent a fun day exploring the forest and of course going on a Gruffalo hunt!

We had a wonderful weekend at the Keswick Country House Hotel which was enhanced by the friendly and helpful staff. I've always been unsure about staying in hotels with young children and we have often opted for self catering alternatives instead, Choice hotels really do know how to cater for families but also make you feel you are enjoying a grown up break at the same time! It was the perfect way to celebrate our birthdays and I would recommend the Keswick to any families wanting to experience a few days of luxury. The location is perfect for discovering the the hidden delights of the Lake District and there is a wide variety of year round activities in the area.

Check out the website for the latest prices and Christmas and New Year stays.

You can also follow Choice Hotels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest offers and news and the Keswick Country House Hotel has it's own facebook page where you can enter to win a two night break for two at the hotel (ends 4/11/2014) and check it out for yourself!