Days Out - Nine to Three Thirty

Seeing the Apes at Twycross Zoo

We last went to Twycross Zoo when H was still a toddler and I’m not sure why we hadn’t been back since because it was a good day out. So when we were invited along to review the zoo, we jumped at the chance because we were overdue a return visit. Twycross Zoo have a lot more apes and other primates than any other zoo we’ve been to and we have been to several around the country. So the Gibbon Forest seemed like a good place to start. We got to see quite a few different types of gibbon and learn more about these fascinating creatures and their habitat.

The only time I’ve seen Orang Utans is at Twycross Zoo. They are fascinating creatures to watch: H and I found it quite hypnotic to watch them move around and we got there just as they were being fed too, so we got to watch them gathering up their food and settling down somewhere comfortable to eat. In fact, Twycross Zoo is the only place in the UK where you can see all the different types of great ape, so it’s a great place to compare the different species.

We certainly learnt a lot about monkeys and apes as there were all sorts of different ways to learn. There are lots of fun exhibits and educational displays. The primates are in large enclosures and it’s easy to watch them moving around. You can even get up very close to the lemurs by taking a visit to the Walking with Lemurs enclosure.

We enjoyed trying to spot the various zoo babies and there were helpful signs so we knew which enclosures had them. The monkey babies were usually easy to spot as they were hanging onto their mothers.

Other highlights of our trip included visiting the beautiful rainbow lorikeets and like the lemurs, you can get up close to them. This picture was taken without any fancy zoom lens, so you can see we were able to get a really good view.

There’s plenty of other animals apart from the apes, monkeys and lorikeets. We saw meerkats, zebras, giant tortoises and much more.

A big highlight for us was visiting the alpaca in the Explorer Zone – we have been fans of alpaca since our visit last year to the Scottish Alpaca Championships.

We had a great day out and I think we’d like to go back again on a warmer drier day to try out the Wet n’Wild area which looked a lot of fun, but H wasn’t quite brave enough to get wet on a day that wasn’t the warmest.

Magical Lantern Festival, Birmingham

Magic Lantern Festival Kings Heath Park Birmingham

At the weekend we went to the Magical Lantern Festival that this year is being held in Kings Heath Park in Birmingham. It’s timed entry and you can park in a nearby school car park, so it doesn’t get too difficult logistically. If you are on public transport the number 11 bus goes right past and that goes just about everywhere in Birmingham, plus there are buses from the city centre going up nearby Kings Heath high street. The timed entry means that the lantern trail isn’t overcrowded and you can get to fully enjoy the lights.

two boys with santa

The boys (H and his cousin) had a lot of fun picking out the lights as we turned the corners of the route through the park. There were some lights that you could get a little closer to and take some pictures like this one, but you aren’t supposed to touch any of the light installations. The Magical Lantern Festival is open until 1st January 2018. There’s loads to see including a representation of Birmingham’s Central Library building. I think my favourite were the flamingos, but the polar bears came a close second.

flamingo lights

Around the trail there are various stopping off points where you can get something to eat or drink, or maybe go on a fairground ride or two (mostly geared to little ones). There was also a Santa’s Grotto (for which there’s an extra charge) and you can either book in advance or queue up on the night.

At the end there’s a tent where you can go to eat your food if you have purchased from one of the stalls. This was great for us as we hadn’t eaten before we went, so we were able to get some food and sit down to eat it inside (there are outside benches too, but it was a bit damp).

A Day Trip To Liverpool With London Midland

Traveling by train has been part of H’s life since quite early on. I’m not sure when his first train journey was, but when he was a year old, my sister moved to Perthshire in Scotland. Luckily her village had a train station and so began the first of many trips up to visit her. In those days it was quite an expedition for us and entertainment was key. It isn’t so long ago in years, but we didn’t have a tablet then, so I had to take things to do. We evolved a train bag full of colouring sheets, stickers, crayons and small toys, plus some books. As we travelled along we’d rotate through the stock of supplies and hope that he wouldn’t get bored. Sometimes it was touch and go.

London Midland Motion In more recent years it’s got easier, but there were still issues. There’s a limit to have much watching material a tablet can store and at the rate that H gets through books, it’s difficult to carry enough without weighing you down (he’s not keen on a kindle). So when London Midland offered us the chance to try a day out on their rail network, we jumped at the chance. We put their newish (launched in April) on-board entertainment scheme, Motion, to the test on the journey from Birmingham to Liverpool. It’s about a one and a half hour trip, so it’s long enough for a 10-year-old to get bored if there isn’t sufficient entertainment.

Motion Motion is a free service accessible via London Midland’s free on-board Wi-Fi. H packed his phone as his entertainment device as it has a reasonably big screen and it’s smaller/lighter than a tablet. The variety of content on Motion is brilliant with Hollywood Movies (such as The Kings Speech and The Girl on the Train), Kids Entertainment includes Ben 10 and Peppa Pig, for grown-ups there’s Now TV with entertainment, drama and comedy to watch, books, magazines (such as Horrible Histories, Olive, Top Gear, Cosmo and Hello), news and a range of games to choose from, there really is something for everyone.

It’s really quick and easy to get set up with Motion once you’re on the train, you just have to find the London Midland free Wi-Fi network on your tablet or phone and join the network. Once joined, you need to log on to www.londonmidlandwifi.com and register your email address and you’ll get access to the on-board entertainment service (the instructions were on the back of the seat). I liked that joining the network was very easy and didn’t require a password and whilst you use your email to register, you don’t need to do any more (no clicking of links from emails, etc.). You’re quickly able to sit back, relax and enjoy the train ride whilst enjoying some brilliant entertainment. H settled down to watch some Ben 10 and before we knew it we were in Liverpool.

liverpool waterfront We got off the train in the heart of the city and got to work seeing the sights. H had asked to visit the Museum of Liverpool, so that was our first spot. We found it really fun and interesting, learning lots about the history of the city, its docks, its football and its music. It’s a free museum with lots of interactive features and a rather nice café where we stopped for lunch.

looking up the periscope On the spur of the moment we decided to go onto the Merseyside Maritime Museum, another free museum, which was very close by. This was perfect for H as he was fascinated by the Customs and Excise exhibits which showed what lengths people will go to in the cause of smuggling goods into the country with hollowed out crutches and the like. Upstairs there was lots about the sinking of the Titanic and the Lusitania which captured H’s imagination.

anchor and boy A wander around Liverpool finished the day off before heading back to catch our train at Lime Street station. The journey back whizzed by as H caught up with some Dexter’s Lab and I read Olive, both via Motion.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by London Midland.

Explore The Deep at The National Sea Life Centre, Birmingham

the deep at sea life When H was younger he was a massive Octonauts fan (in fact, he still likes to check if they have a new series out to watch). He’s always been interested in the ocean and he has a lot of books about sea creatures. Not long ago we watched a documentary together about the giant squid and he found it fascinating. So it was no surprise when he started watching The Deep on CBBC. The Deep follows the adventures of the Nekton family: a brilliant team of underwater explorers. With state-of-the-art technology and a thirst for discovery, the Nektons explore the mysterious depths of the ocean. The deep is a place where leviathans swim through sunken cities, pirates lurk amid floating black markets, and a mysterious group of Guardians hide long-lost secrets.

nekton activity sheet sea life As H is more than a bit of a fan of the TV series he was very keen to go along to one of his favourite places to have a go at being a Nekton himself. He went around the Sea Life Centre solving the clues, using the decoders and learning a few facts about the sea or the creatures that live in it. Of course, he got to visit all his favourite fish and other sea animals while he was there too. He always learns something new when he’s going round. At the end he got a badge and a sticker sheet for his efforts in correctly solving the puzzle.

the deep at sea life centre For further information on this event which runs to 17 September or to pre-book tickets online before your visit please go to www.SEALIFE.co.uk/birmingham/. Reduced prices are available for tickets booked in advance. Children under 3 go free.