Days Out

Best Child Friendly Farms Around London

visiting a farm horses A farm can be such a great place to take your children on a day out, it is a great experience for all the family and you are guaranteed to have lots of fun with your kids. Teaching a child about nature, animals and more, farms are a fun, but educational experience. Even if you live in a big city, there are plenty of places that you can visit either in the city itself or just beyond. These are the best child friendly farms to take your children to surrounding the London area.

Standalone Farm has lots of animals and you will be able to meet cows, sheep, chickens and ducks. There are a few more unusual ones too with alpacas having a place in this farmyard. Kids are encouraged to get up close and say hello, or stroke a few fluffy heads. They can even take part in pony grooming and regular feeding, or watch and learn with a milking demonstration. It’s a great way to get hands on and hopping on the train from Biggleswade to Kings Cross is easy.

Mudchute Park and Farm has a reputation as one of the best farms in London and it is one of Europe’s largest city farms at over 32 acres. Originally a piece of derelict land created during the last century from the spoil of construction from dredging Millwall Dock, it was due to be redeveloped in the 1970s, but a successful local campaign secured it as the “People’s Park”. With more than 100 animals including cows, pigs, sheep, goats, llamas and alpacas, there’s a lot to see and do. There’s also a petting zoo, so you can get up close to the animals, and a duck pond. The farm is free to enter (although a donation is always welcome) and it has a lovely on-site café, so it’s easy to make a day trip of it.

Newham City Farm is run by the local authority and is one of London’s longest established city farms. The farm provides the local community with free access to animals, in a countryside oasis which offers a unique learning experience. There’s an opportunity to meet many rare breeds and learn about all kinds of farm animal. It’s home to a large collection of farmyard favourites like cows, horses and sheep, as well as some less familiar alpacas, birds of prey and turkeys. Children can also enjoy getting up close and personal to smaller animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs and ferrets. There’s an orchard, a children’s play area, a play barn and picnic benches. You can support the farm by buying some of its produce like freshly laid eggs, honey from their bees and you can even buy manure for the garden.

Mead Open Farm is a great place to meet furry friends and join in with daily animal activities including bottle feeding lambs, pony grooming, and stroking rabbits and guinea pigs. Outside, children will enjoy the the High Ropes Course and Rock Climbing. There’s plenty more outdoor fun including Crazy Golf, Jumping Pillows, Go-Karts and Tractor Rides. For rainy days, the farm has Shaggy’s huge Indoor PlayWorld. There’s a onsite cafe too, so you can get some refreshments.

London’s Coolest Independent Cinemas

red cinema seat — Photo by Kilyan Sockalingum on Unsplash

There’s something special and different about visiting an independent cinema as opposed to going to a branch of a big chain cinema. Often they are in unusual or historic buildings and there’s usually a community behind them that makes going along to see a film a much more satisfying experience. The choice of films is often a bit different too. There’s more likely to be something a bit arty, or niche, or just a film created on a lower budget, but who knows it might be the first film of next big director or an early chance to see an actor that is going on to greater things. You can even get the chance to suggest films or types of film and have an influence on future programming. All in all a visit to an independent cinema is a great experience, and London is a good place to dip your toe into a new world of film. You could even make a day out of it by combining a cinema trip with a indulgent foodie treat like the Montcalm London afternoon tea.

Crouch End’s Art House cinema opened in 2014 in a former Salvation Army Hall and is now established on the London arts scene. More than just a cinema though, the Arthouse is a mix of the worlds of film, art, live music, theatre, dance, workshops, comedy, and more. It’s inclusive too as there are sessions for parents with babes in arms; sensory impaired screenings; and special deals for the over 60s.

Portbello Road’s Electric Cinema is one of the oldest working cinemas in the country dating back to February 1911. The Electric has long been at creative hotspot. Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, cinema enthusiasts turned it into art-house cinema. Today, viewers can enjoy leather armchairs with footstools or two-seater sofas or even one of the six double beds in the front row. The cosiness continues with snuggly cashmere blankets and there’s a choice of snacks and drinks from the fully-licensed bars.

The Lexi Cinema in Kensal Green is a boutique, independent cinema that’s housed inside a renovated Edwardian theatre. As a charitable social enterprise it donates all its profits to charity, but the other great thing about it is that its community run and many of the friendly staff are volunteers. That doesn’t mean it is short on comfort though as there’s comfy seating, a stunning sound-system and a cosy bar.

For me when I think of a cinema that Art Deco look that springs to mind. Art Deco was at its height at the time of a great expansion for cinemas and many cinemas boast Art Deco features. The Rio Cinema in east London opened in 1915. It now has Grade II-listed status having been designed by George Coles, the architect who would become a prolific creator of Art Deco cinemas and the Rio gained its Art Deco good looks when it was refurbished in 1937.

For a trip back into film history, try the Regent Street Cinema which is the birthplace of British cinema. This is the location where in 1896, the Lumière brothers’ Cinématographe was first shown to a paying audience. In the interim it spent many years being used as a student lecture hall, but more recently it was restored into a working cinema featuring a state-of-the-art auditorium. The cinema is one of the few in the country to show 16mm and 35mm film, as well as the latest in 4K digital film, so you will be able to see something different here.

Haunted Castle Halloween event at Warwick Castle #Ad

Haunted Castle Halloween event at Warwick Castle

The Haunted Castle Halloween event at Warwick Castle is running from now until 3rd November, which makes it a perfect half term dayout. Many of the events are aimed at younger visitors, but there’s plenty for adults too, so it’s a good trip for all ages. With eerie experiences around every corner, Warwick Castle at Halloween is an unmissable experience as the Castle bristles with the energy of those who’ve lived – and died – at the Castle over the centuries.

bride and groom Three new spook-tacular attractions are being launched for Halloween 2019. Whilst youngsters will enjoy convincing the snooty butler in the Spooky Mansion that he’s not alone, fans of Most Haunted can experience the spine-tingling thrill of joining the Haunted Warwick – Live! team as they film a live ghost hunt in the depths of the Castle. Meanwhile, the bravest can head out to The Haunted Castle after dark to pit your survival skills against the terrifying army of the dead. Travel through the Castle to make your escape and (hopefully!) live until sunrise in the Dead of Knight scare maze.

We did the Haunted Hallows trail which starts next to the Horrible Histories Maze. It takes you through a series of spooky settings with lots of skeletons, ghosts and mummies. There are sound effects to add to the atmosphere and along the way there are actors to bring it all to life. A favourite for us was the chance to take some spooky selfies.

Dead Centre Stage

There are lots of special shows to see many of which take place on the Dead Centre Stage in the castle courtyard itself. We saw The Wizard’s Apprentice which was great fun and suitable for all the family.

Of course, you can still see all the usual Warwick Castle attractions too. A real highlight for us was the The Falconer’s Quest which is new to Warwick Castle this year. We’ve always enjoyed the birds of prey displays, but this is something really quite special and unlike any other display I’ve seen. The birds fly so close to the audience, it’s breathtaking. It’s amazing to see the birds catch pieces of meat in the air and the finale is really worth seeing as there are so many birds of prey in the air together. A real must-see.

Disclosure: I was given tickets to enable me to review the event, but my opinions are my own.

What Art or Museum Should You Visit In London?

In London you are spoilt for choice for museums and art galleries, so I’ve picked out some of my favourite must sees. It’s good to seek out a well placed hotel like The Montcalm London Marble Arch so that you are well located for all your museum visits.

A trip to London would not be complete without a visit to the National Gallery. It’s an outstanding museum with a huge selection of wonderful art that features just about all the great names of art and you can trace the development of European art picture by picture. There are so many highlights to pick out, it’s almost impossible. For me though the stand out pictures include the many Titians, especially the vibrantly coloured Bacchus and Ariadne and the more subdued, but moving Diana and Actaeon. For earlier art enthusiasts there’s the jewel like Wilton Diptych which is a masterpiece of its age. Later favourites include Stubbs’ sublime Whistlejacket, which forcefully brings the great horse to life and an iconic Sunflowers painting by Van Gogh. As the gallery is free to visit, you can easily pop in for half an hour to see your favourites or look for inspiration.

Whilst you are in the area, it’s worth popping around the corner to the National Portrait Gallery. The Gallery holds the most extensive collection of portraits in the world. It’s spans the ages with images of medieval royalty, through the Tudor dynasty, right up until the present day. Again this museum is free to visit so you can just go for a quick visit if you have a small amount time available.

A fabulous smaller art collection to visit is the Wallace Collection. Despite its smaller size it still packs a punch in terms of the range of its exhibits and the quality. The Wallace Collection displays the works of art collected in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the first four Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, the son of the 4th Marquess. It was bequeathed to the British nation by Sir Richard’s widow, Lady Wallace, in 1897. As all the pieces come from one private collection there is a coherence about it and a more domestic scale than a larger gallery. The highlight for me is Franz Hals’ sumptuous Laughing Cavalier, but there’s also a charming portrait by Rembrandt of his son and a number of Murillos.

Another must see on the museums list is the British Museum. There is so much to see here and you could easily spend the whole day here as the collection is vast. I find the Rosetta Stone fascinating and the marbles from the Parthenon in Athenes are unmissable. There’s also an Easter Island statue and more from ancient civilisations like the Assryian Lion Hunt reliefs and Tang Dynasty figures. It’s not all from far flung parts of the world and one of my personal highlights are the Isle of Lewis chessmen, which is probably the most famous chess set in the world. I also love the Portland Vase which proved to be be Wedgewood’s inspiration.