It's back for Christmas 2019 - my massive round up of festive theatre. Picking my faves is very hard, all the options for under 6's are excellent and you won't be disappointed by Citz, Tron, Cumbernauld or Scottish Youth Theatre. My boys are mad for Fun Box at the moment, so I'm sure we'll catch that. We'll try and go to a proper panto too with Grandma, probably something cheap and cheerful, it's always good to support the amateur dramatic groups or smaller theatre companies.
Christmas Shows for Under 6's
The Lost Elves - Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Citizens Theatre at Tramway - 13-29 Dec - £9 plus family deals
Ali the Magic Elf - Tron Theatre - 29 Nov-31 Dec - £6-£9 plus family deals
There's a Mouse in the House - Cumbernauld Theatre - 5-22 Dec - £6
Christmas Shows for Older Children
Pinocchio - Citizens Theatre at the Tramway - 7 Dec-4 Jan - £12.50-£28
Cinderella - Cumbernauld Theatre - 29 Nov-24 Dec - £13.95/£11.95/£8.50
Cinderella - Royal Conservatoire of Scotland - 7-13 Dec - £5-£22.50
Panto
Cinderfella - Tron Theatre - 27 Nov-5 Jan - £9-£23 plus family deals
Mother Goose - Eastwood Entertainers (amateur dramatic group) at Eastwood Park Theatre - 25-30 Nov - £12-£16
Sleeping Beauty - Runway Theatre Company (amateur dramatic group) at Eastwood Park Theatre - 2-7 Dec - £14-£17
Cinderella - Eastwood Park Theatre - 11-30 Dec - £15/£12 plus £45 family deal
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves - Greenock Players at the Beacon Arts Centre - 28-30 Dec - £12 plus £42 family deal
Jack and the Beanstalk - Beacon Arts Centre - 6-31 Dec - £12
Jack and the Beanstalk - King's Theatre - 30 Nov-5 Jan - from £12
Aladdin - 30 Nov-8 Dec at Town House Hamilton and 11-23 Dec at Rutherglen Town Hall - £15.50/£13.50 plus £47 family deal
Jackie and the Baked Bean Stock - 7-8 Dec at Lanark Memorial Hall and 19-29 Dec at East Kilbride Village Theatre - £12/£10.50 plus £40 family deal
The Snow Queen - PACE at Paisley Arts Centre - 27 Nov-31 Dec - from £10
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves - SEC - 14-31 Dec - £18.75-£33.50
Pinocchio - Pavilion - 28 Nov-12 Jan - from £19.50
Beauty & the Beast - touring community venues in Glasgow - £5/£2.50
Mother Goose Fae Easterhoose - Platform - 10-23 Dec - £9.50/£6
A Lad in Maryhill - Maryhill Community Central Halls - 5-30 Dec - £10-£13
The Pure Amazing Wiz of Oz - Websters Theatre - 30 Nov-4 Jan - £8.50-£17.50
Sleeping Beauty - Fizzgig Theatre at Mugdock Country Park - 30 Nov-30 Dec - £11/£7
Sleeping Beauty - Panopticon Music Hall - 12-21 Dec - £9-£11
Other festive options!
The McDougalls New Year Party - Eastwood Park Theatre - 3 Jan - £9/£6 plus £25 family deal
The McDougalls - touring venues around Scotland
Fun Box presents Christmas in Toy Town or Trouble in Toy Town - touring to venues all over Scotland
The Snow Queen - Scottish Ballet at Theatre Royal Glasgow - 3-18 Jan - from £13.50
Santa's Workshop - Children's Classical Concerts with RSNO at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall - 7 Dec - £12.10-£17.60
Letter to Santa - Scottish Youth Theatre - 14-15 Dec - £8
Various shows at Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre
Thursday, 21 November 2019
Tuesday, 30 July 2019
Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life
Summerlee is one of our favourite days out. You can make it a fun half day or really string it out with lots of time in the play park and a picnic. It would be great coupled with a trip to the Time Capsule.
When you arrive, you enter through the reception/gift shop (well-stocked...). Beyond that is the vast exhibition hall, filled with things like this:
Some of it is very dry but equally there are lots of interactive elements including a train table, building bricks, a shop, dance hall. Sometimes there are craft activities but sometimes there is a charge for these. There is lots to investigate for little people. The temporary exhibition upstairs is always well worth checking out too. It's like the Riverside Museum but focusing on industry.
At reception, you buy your ticket for the tram, about £1.75 for an adult and free for under fives. The ticket lets you ride all day. Mostly, the tram is an 1980s model but sometimes you can ride on a proper vintage one, upstairs! The tram travels on demand from the park entrance to the mining village, about 5 minutes away. The volunteers often help load your buggy on if you're by yourself but it's an easy walk with a buggy too. It's the highlight of any visit.
Each of the cottages is decorated in the style of a different era from the 1800s onwards. We particularly like the 1980s cottage!
The last cottage is an old-fashioned sweetie shop, which is both lovely and a nightmare if you don't want to buy your children sweets. There are some gardens and also the old coal mine (I think, you can pay to take a tour, we never have, maybe when the boys are older). Often, after taking the tram back, it is time for lunch. The cafe is at the side of the exhibition hall.
Whilst the setting of the cafe is bright and airy, the food is a little lacklustre. The lentil soup is always good but I feel the sandwiches are poor quality for the price and the kids lunch box is full of junk (I have battled to get a piece of fruit before). I prefer to take a picnic but stop for traybake and a coffee break.
Walking downhill from the exhibition hall, you come to the end of the canal. On your left is the Vulcan, an iron boat, which you can go inside to see a little exhibition about nature on the canal and the boat. Walking up the canal, you reach the mining village.
To your right is the play park and it's one of the best I know. There are plenty of picnic tables and space to put out a blanket. The first section of the play park is all set in sand. Make sure to pack your own bucket and spade. A lot of the equipment is themed around the topic of the museum. The next section has equipment for slightly older children, climbing frames etc. Lastly, is a zip wire and more interesting frames.
Summerlee hosts lots of events and it's well worth following them on Twitter as the activities can really enhance the day.
Entry to the museum is free and it's about a 30 minute drive from Glasgow to Coatbridge. The car park is smallish so if you are arriving later in the day (at a weekend or school holiday), definitely just park immediately in the overflow, which is the Time Capsule car park. The toilets are clean and well-equipped but there is only one set, in the exhibition hall. I probably wouldn't visit if I was toilet training.
Friday, 26 July 2019
Pizza Punks
Another day, another pizza restaurant for us... Pizza Punks, on St Vincent Street in Glasgow city centre, was an impulse eating choice when we were in town hunting Oor Wullies on the Big Bucket Trail. Pizza is always a sure-fire hit with our boys.
The seating is fairly comfy but not perfect. The music was our-kind-of-thing but not too loud. The staff were attentive. The boys enjoyed it.
Foodwise, the USP is that for £11 you create your own pizza with as many toppings as you want. We both chose House Specials though that are both interesting flavour combinations and cheaper. The sourdough base is delicious and we both had great pizzas. The kids menu is a whopping £7 for a drink, pizza and ice-cream (with as many toppings as you want, both on the pizza and the ice-cream). Again, Angus enjoyed his meal very much. I'm sure I saw an offer on a poster in the toilet for £5 pizza delivered in 5 minutes Monday - Thursday lunchtimes. I can't see this on their website, Twitter or Facebook though. I would return for this deal but I'm not sure it's special enough to warrant choosing it over other pizza options.
The baby change was fine and there are a couple of steps to bump up into the restaurant (although I think there's a ramp if you ask).
Tuesday, 16 July 2019
Let's go on holiday...to Edinburgh
We've been away to Edinburgh as a family twice: once when Angus was 14 months and about to start walking and more recently when the boys were 2 and 5 years old.
Edinburgh with a One Year Old
I'll start off with the first holiday, as my memories of it are more sketchy! We stayed in a self-catering apartment in Leith: two bed new-build with car parking and a lift. This was before we started Air BnBing and we booked through a different, local website and with most you can choose to filter through those that provide a high chair and cot.
There were a few highlights but we mostly walked about, stopping at coffee shops. We ate lunches out everyday but had dinners in (far more choice these days with Uber Eats, Deliveroo etc.!) We took Angus to his first art class at Joy Tots cafe around the corner on Ferry Road. The cafe is perfect for toddlers and under and the class was perfect messy, arty fun.
We were still at that stage of getting up early and being ready to get out the house by 9am and then getting a nap in. We used Edinburgh Council's website directory of play parks to find little local places to burn off the last of his energy. Our big ticket play park trips were to Leith Links, the Meadows and Princes Street Gardens. Leith Links is an open green space with a lovely little play park. The Meadows is the same but with two great play areas. Princes Street Gardens has a castle themed play park, see below.
We had a really great visit to the National Museum of Scotland. His favourite bit then was the Adventure Planet hands-on area and the animals.
The stand out part of the holiday was our trip to Portobello beach. It was Angus's first real play in the sand. It is lovely to walk along the promenade and there was a great...you guessed it...play park there too. I hadn't been to Portobello before but had heard it was like a mini Brighton - it's not. More like a mini Southwold. There aren't as many cafes and shops as I had thought there would be but still a really lovely destination.
Let's fastforward four years...
Edinburgh with a Two and Five Year Old
This holiday we stayed in an Air BNB house just off Leith Walk. We parked the car in the drive and got around by bus, which is so easy in Edinburgh (just be aware you need the exact change). We got a Family Day Ticket and never had to fold up the buggy luckily.
On the way over, we went straight to Edinburgh Zoo and had an amazing day in the sun. Then checked in.
The next three days were rainy with the odd sunny spell. The Oor Wullie Big Bucket Trail was on and we spent a lot of our time, finding and collecting the sculptures. These kind of trails make for an excellent way to explore a city.
Day 2 started with a tram ride out to the Gyle Centre. Both boys loved the tram ride. It was definitely more about the travel than the destination! Coming back we got off at the West End and walked along past Haymarket and down Princes Street. That evening, I went out with Grandma to the Vue cinema at the Omni Centre, every film, any time is £5.99. This would have been a good wet weather option for Angus too.
On Day 3, we planned a visit to the National Museum of Scotland. We started by rushing to the booking place for Wee Mornings as soon as the Museum opened at 10. The sessions start at 10.30 and it was fully booked by quarter past. The workshop was great with friendly leaders, bubbles, colouring, songs and lots of sensory activities. It was perfectly pitched to the 8 month old babies and our whopping 5 year old. We enjoyed visiting lots of different exhibitions and barely scratched the surface. The brasserie looked expensive and uninviting so we left the Museum for lunch. We went to the Elephant House, which is one of my old favourites. The food is tasty, not too expensive and they cater well for children.
We walked back around via the Royal Mile, via the Museum of Childhood (well worth a visit but lots of steps) and into the Museum to see a little more and stop at the cafe. The cafe is very expensive.
That night, Gareth and I were lucky enough to get a date night and went for a walk on the South Side, stopping at dinner at Ransacked Black Oven, which was delicious.
On our last day, we found somewhere local to park the car for the day, packed up with our suitcases. We decided to go to Princes Street Gardens and the boys loved the play park there. We walked down Lothian Road to find lunch and found a delicious one at Innes and Gunn. There were still some Wullies to collect, so we went to Waverley Station and then got the bus to the car and drove home.
There were some places we really wanted to take the boys but the weather didn't let us: East Links Family Park, Gorgie City Farm and back to Portobello beach.
I hope this post gives you some ideas for a fab local holiday. Any ideas for improvements, please leave the in the comments.
Tuesday, 9 July 2019
Barshaw Park
Barshaw Park is a local park in Paisley, which we love. Firstly, it has a really good play park. There are two play parks next to each other. This is the newer one and more suitable for older children.
Adjacent is an older park, with equipment suitable for younger and older children including lots of baby swings, a zipwire, train and boat themed climbing frames. There's lots to keep children occupied. Next to the parks are two areas for bicycles (although we've been known to use a scooter!). One is road-themed with a long track, road signs etc.
There is also a little BMX, track with lots of hills. Teenagers would be disappointed with this but mini daredevils would love it.
In the background of this photo you can also see the fitness trail, there's kind of two of them and there is always more children on the equipment than grown-ups.
We have recently discovered there is a walled garden and beyond that, at the top of the hill, is an pen with two donkeys, Buddy and Paisley. The park is much bigger than you first see.
The car park is a decent size but does fill up on sunny weekend days. There is plenty of roadside parking available too. The toilets are in the car park. There is also a cafe with take away kiosk. The cafe is fairly basic and not our favourite. There are lots of benches for picnics and lots of green, open spaces.
Wednesday, 3 July 2019
The Sparkle Horse Baby Disco
This event is becoming a mini Glasgow Families Institution. I feel like everyone I know has been once. The Sparkle Horse pub runs a baby disco on the last Sunday of every month. There's no entry fee but the set up is fairly basic.
First let me describe the venue: the pub is the old Dowanhill but with a much-changed clientele. The interior is shabby chic with the emphasis on shabby. There are some fairy lights and lots of toy horses scattered about. The seating is black wooden chairs, wooden tables and booths. It's not a huge establishment and the area at the back is raised up some stairs. It's not dark and gloomy with big (ish) windows at the front. There is a long bar along the side. The staff are young and friendly and were up for the challenge of mini-patrons.
The pub is open from 12pm with the disco running from 1-3pm. We arrived about 12.30pm to bag a table and have some lunch. It is typical pub fare: macaroni cheese, burgers etc. There was a special baby disco menu which was mostly small portions of the main menu around £4.50 a go. Angus enjoyed his chicken goujons, Mr GFM's beef burger was huge and my Cajun chicken burger was delicious. A note for picky eaters, the chips are the skin-on wedge sort (and covered in salt grrrrr).
On to the disco itself. There was a disco light revolving but the house lights stay up. In one corner was a reputable Glasgow DJ playing very enjoyable music. In the other corner was a face painter charging £4 a go. There is a small space for dancing, which we did. Angus made friends with other children too. The tunes are a mix of pre-schooler hits, Motown, indie...
We had a good afternoon out and will definitely be back when the Sundays become rainy and cold. We will definitely be bringing toys along and friends for a more relaxed time. If you're looking for more entertainment for the children, then you should try the more organised, ticketed events.
The toilets are easily accessible and there was a nice baby change set up in the Ladies. There was a small buggy park and guests are invited to fold up buggies. There is metered parking available but we walked round the corner from Kelvinhall.
First let me describe the venue: the pub is the old Dowanhill but with a much-changed clientele. The interior is shabby chic with the emphasis on shabby. There are some fairy lights and lots of toy horses scattered about. The seating is black wooden chairs, wooden tables and booths. It's not a huge establishment and the area at the back is raised up some stairs. It's not dark and gloomy with big (ish) windows at the front. There is a long bar along the side. The staff are young and friendly and were up for the challenge of mini-patrons.
The pub is open from 12pm with the disco running from 1-3pm. We arrived about 12.30pm to bag a table and have some lunch. It is typical pub fare: macaroni cheese, burgers etc. There was a special baby disco menu which was mostly small portions of the main menu around £4.50 a go. Angus enjoyed his chicken goujons, Mr GFM's beef burger was huge and my Cajun chicken burger was delicious. A note for picky eaters, the chips are the skin-on wedge sort (and covered in salt grrrrr).
On to the disco itself. There was a disco light revolving but the house lights stay up. In one corner was a reputable Glasgow DJ playing very enjoyable music. In the other corner was a face painter charging £4 a go. There is a small space for dancing, which we did. Angus made friends with other children too. The tunes are a mix of pre-schooler hits, Motown, indie...
We had a good afternoon out and will definitely be back when the Sundays become rainy and cold. We will definitely be bringing toys along and friends for a more relaxed time. If you're looking for more entertainment for the children, then you should try the more organised, ticketed events.
The toilets are easily accessible and there was a nice baby change set up in the Ladies. There was a small buggy park and guests are invited to fold up buggies. There is metered parking available but we walked round the corner from Kelvinhall.
Tuesday, 25 June 2019
Tollcross Children's Farm
Tollcross Children's Farm defines "hidden gem". We revisited the farm recently on a sunny January day having not been impressed fourish years ago when we last went. I think there are more animals now. One of the reasons this is a gem, is that you can visit on a dry, cold day and still have fun. It's not a muddy farm but very urban. Located in Tollcross Park, right next door to Tollcross Leisure Centre, it's easily accessible. When you go through the gates, there is a visitor centre to your left. This has lots of different exhibits, African land snails, a snake, jigsaws and colouring in and farm toys too.
Outside the visitor centre is the main courtyard with toilets and an enclosure with chickens. Down the path from this are pens and stables for the goats, sheep and Shetland ponies.
When you move further along, there is a figure of eight loop around some further enclosures. These have two huge Tamworth pigs, a small herd of alpacas, ducks, more chickens...
and an aviary with lots of gorgeous birds and some bunnies too.
There are peacocks wandering about and we have been lucky enough to see the male display his tail feathers. All in all, there is a good variety of animals however, it does feel they're kept in fairly austere concrete enclosures. The path is clean so easy for toddlers to navigate and the boys enjoy seeing everything. If you leave the farm and walk round the back there are fields of sheep. A visit lasts 45-60 minutes.
The farm is in Tollcross Park, which is a lovely park with a burn, rose garden and a play park. The play park is not worth visiting, very small and unloved. The park is attractive but hilly and not too suitable for scooting and would be a hefty push with a heavy buggy.
The toilets in the farm are good and there is a baby change. If you want more luxurious facilities, you can use the leisure centre's. There is also a sunny cafe too. If you want to extend the day, you could add on a swim. The leisure centre also has a play park, which is much better and has a wide range of different equipment. The leisure centre is also the place to park; turn left when you enter and curve round to the side of the centre to be closest to the gate through the farm. There have always been lots of spaces when I've visited and both parking and the farm are free to visit.
Sunday, 14 October 2018
Baby Discos...
Today I went to our first Mini Manouvres, so I thought it would be apposite to review the three different baby discos I have attended. They seem to be a booming industry and justly so.
Firstly, two disclaimers: I used to host the discos for East Renfrewshire and the Mini Manouvres we attended wasn't in their usual venue but commissioned as part of The Spree (and may I also say how magnificent Paisley's The Spree is).
Let's start with East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure. Details about these, usually seasonal, discos can be found on the Eastwood Park Theatre website. They take place either in the theatre or in the large community halls that are Carmichael Hall or Clarkston Halls. The halls are huge and the capacity is limited so the children get a lot of room to run around but it also feels like they are rattling around. These discos are more like a very old-fashioned children's party. There are balloons and lots of games and songs including things like Sleeping Bunnies and Heads Shoulders Knees and Toes as well as Musical Bumps etc. The toilet and baby change facilities are good and there is copious parking. Overall, I feel this disco is best if you are attending with lots of friends.
New to the scene is Be Bop Bairns. We attended this at Platform at the Arches, which is a fantastic, nostalgic venue. There is a street food market in the first few arches and then the back two are closed off for private events. So there was a great choice of very tasty food, which you can take in to the disco (also a bar and coffee vendor). The furthest arch was used as a disco space and the first had face painting, crafts and soft play blocks. There were lots of balloons but also a few naughty children popping them, which really scares Angus. The DJ hosting was excellent, there were so many different games including a lot of singing along to Greatest Showman. Angus thought the games were excellent and joined in, even though he didn't know any of the other children. He especially enjoyed keeping the giant Wubble in the air with the other children. There was definitely a community spirit. This one is a little more grown up than East Ren's and I just loved the vibe.
Finally on to Mini Manouvres, this is usually held at SW3G, which I have never been to. The commissioned event was in the Spiegeltent. The USP of this disco is that it accommodates parents and their musical tastes too.
Mr GFN and I are not so into the dance/house scene, so the middle third of the party (which is the longest disco of the three reviewed) didn't appeal so much, as it's music time for the grown ups. I suspect in it's ordinary home, this is a big hit and there is a bit more drinking and dancing involved. There were a few games at the start and end but this disco had the most alternative activities: soft play blocks, Duplo table, craft, bubbles, face painting. If this was a 90s indie disco, we would be there every time.
If you have any questions, please comment below. We love a baby disco and I think they'll continue to be part of our social lives for a long time.
Firstly, two disclaimers: I used to host the discos for East Renfrewshire and the Mini Manouvres we attended wasn't in their usual venue but commissioned as part of The Spree (and may I also say how magnificent Paisley's The Spree is).
Let's start with East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure. Details about these, usually seasonal, discos can be found on the Eastwood Park Theatre website. They take place either in the theatre or in the large community halls that are Carmichael Hall or Clarkston Halls. The halls are huge and the capacity is limited so the children get a lot of room to run around but it also feels like they are rattling around. These discos are more like a very old-fashioned children's party. There are balloons and lots of games and songs including things like Sleeping Bunnies and Heads Shoulders Knees and Toes as well as Musical Bumps etc. The toilet and baby change facilities are good and there is copious parking. Overall, I feel this disco is best if you are attending with lots of friends.
New to the scene is Be Bop Bairns. We attended this at Platform at the Arches, which is a fantastic, nostalgic venue. There is a street food market in the first few arches and then the back two are closed off for private events. So there was a great choice of very tasty food, which you can take in to the disco (also a bar and coffee vendor). The furthest arch was used as a disco space and the first had face painting, crafts and soft play blocks. There were lots of balloons but also a few naughty children popping them, which really scares Angus. The DJ hosting was excellent, there were so many different games including a lot of singing along to Greatest Showman. Angus thought the games were excellent and joined in, even though he didn't know any of the other children. He especially enjoyed keeping the giant Wubble in the air with the other children. There was definitely a community spirit. This one is a little more grown up than East Ren's and I just loved the vibe.
Finally on to Mini Manouvres, this is usually held at SW3G, which I have never been to. The commissioned event was in the Spiegeltent. The USP of this disco is that it accommodates parents and their musical tastes too.
Mr GFN and I are not so into the dance/house scene, so the middle third of the party (which is the longest disco of the three reviewed) didn't appeal so much, as it's music time for the grown ups. I suspect in it's ordinary home, this is a big hit and there is a bit more drinking and dancing involved. There were a few games at the start and end but this disco had the most alternative activities: soft play blocks, Duplo table, craft, bubbles, face painting. If this was a 90s indie disco, we would be there every time.
If you have any questions, please comment below. We love a baby disco and I think they'll continue to be part of our social lives for a long time.
Wednesday, 3 October 2018
Almond Valley
Farm/park/activity centre places are invisible to you until you have children. Then they pop up all over the place. Almond Valley is one such of these and is a gem. The USP is that it is a heritage centre with information about the history of farming and mining in the area, I have yet to look at anything about this!
We have been twice, both sunny days in September. The first visit was a Wednesday during term time and it didn't get busy at all. We went more recently on Saturday and it still wasn't very busy. There were very few children over the age of Primary 1; it is a haven for pre-schoolers.
It's not too expensive but they do ask for top-ups, for example a charge for the soft play, £1 per person to ride the train (a 20 minute trip)...
...and 50p per person for a tractor trailer ride.
A couple of them are indoors but overall this is a dry day venue. There are two areas to the centre. The area nearest the reception has museum exhibits and most of the animals. Walk around the field and you can get up close.
Around the Mill Pond there are smaller animals and more farmyard animals.
Some of our favourites are the pigmy goats...
...and Smokey the colossal pig.
Over the other side of a bridge is Charlesfield. This has lots to try including trampolines, a bouncy pillow, indoor sandpit, more play areas, pedal karts...
...and round the back a few more animals and dry sledging.
There is so much to do that you can easily fill a whole day and it is suitable for both new walkers and older children. There are two sets of toilets but none at Charlesfield, so it wouldn't be the best day out if you are toilet training but they are well equipped for baby changing.
The cafe is fairly reasonably priced and has a glorious selection of traybakes.
The whole centre is easy to get around with a buggy and doesn't get very muddy.
It is around a 45 minute drive from Glasgow. If it was a bit closer I would consider an annual pass but I don't think we would make it four times a year.
Monday, 23 October 2017
Finsbay, Milngavie
Finsbay, in Milngavie, was a spontaneous choice for lunch before visiting Kilmardinny Loch (or the Gruffalo Trail, review here). It was Saturday lunchtime and seemed popular as it was fairly busy.
They were able to accommodate the buggy at our table. The decor is young, trendy and fun (a bit mid-century modern, I'd say). There was an aquarium at the back, on the way to the toilet, which we went up to have a look at a few times. The staff were welcoming to Angus but there's no children's menu; which is odd as there are toys for children to play with.
Angus had soup; he loves soup and our food was tasty too. The drinks selection was good too. I can't quite put my finger on it but I don't think I'd go back though. Perhaps the service was a little slow, despite being friendly. Perhaps it felt a little stuffy. I just didn't feel that relaxed. I think that, despite some toys and books, really it's a grown ups venue and best to leave it to them.
The toilets and baby change were fine. We parked in the Marks and Spencer's car park for free. The cafe is close to the town centre.
Tuesday, 17 October 2017
Paradise Island Golf
Whilst Gran cuddled Douglas, we went for it one rainy Wednesday afternoon (term time). It was very quiet, there were perhaps two or three other groups on our course (which meant that Angus could have several goes on the exciting holes and not hold anyone up or get in the way). There are two courses to choose from: the Tiki Hut Trail (I've done this one a few times before) or Maggie McCaw's Challenge. I don't think there's any difference in difficulty or interest and Angus chose the latter.
Overall it was really good fun and brilliant for a rainy day. We had a great, relaxed time together with lots of laughs. This session cost £8 as under 5s are free between 12-5pm, weekdays during term-time. There is also a VoucherCloud offer of two play for £10 any time except all day Saturday and before 5pm Sunday. So it's not the cheapest activity but not bad for a treat.
We didn't use the toilets, so I can't comment on them or the baby change. You definitely couldn't take a buggy around. I think the youngest age for this activity would be two and a half but that might be stretching it. He got more out of it because it wasn't beyond his capabilities (at three years and five months).
Obviously the free car parking at Soar is plentiful and easy. We had lunch beforehand at Wetherspoons which was cheap and cheerful and quite healthy as Angus had cheesy pasta with veg, apple slices and a glass of milk (don't forget they do bottomless coffee too!).
Sunday, 15 October 2017
Big Music for Minis 2017
This is our third time attending this amazing festival of music for under 7s (and we have a three year old!). Young families take over the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall one weekend every October and the organisers drip information out over a long period of time. I think concert tickets went on sale in March this year but the details of the whole programme came much later.
I plan meticulously, you can get the programme leaflet ahead of time at libraries or Glasgow Life venues. We only had the Saturday free this year, so we arrived for 12pm for Toddler Tales (well, earlier to queue, you need to queue for the free events), then had lunch. After that we went to our ticketed concert, which was Melody Quest - a trip around the world with Owen and Olly from Children's Classic Concerts and the NYOS Camerata. All of whom played a great variety of short pieces magnificently. Tickets were £5 each, an absolute bargain (Fun Box the next day were also a steal). After that we stopped for another free event, Creative Martyrs' Kids Cabaret. Angus laughed and laughed.
I think you could spend the day just at the free events but the tickets are subsidised, so why not?
This year for lunch we went to the Encore Cafe in the Concert Hall and it was £21 for three sandwiches, two drinks and two cakes. They were okay. Last year we went to the John Lewis Cafe, which was a bit nicer. Lots of people take a picnic though and I think I might next year.
Overall, the atmosphere is great. Loads of music of all different genres, all of which Angus has really enjoyed. It's a great introduction to concert-going. I can see us going for many years to come. Bravo Glasgow Life.
There is a buggy park and the changing facilities are okay. Entering the venue is difficult with a buggy as the front has lots of steps and there are two lifts at the back, which get queued up. Go buggy-free if you can. On the Sunday you can park for free north of the city centre, where the meters are off. Or you can park for £3 all day in Buchanan Galleries or Cambridge Street car park. Parking on the Saturday is much more expensive. You can pay a lot to park in a car park. The meters aren't really an option as you will probably stay for more than three hours. We park and ride on the Subway.
I plan meticulously, you can get the programme leaflet ahead of time at libraries or Glasgow Life venues. We only had the Saturday free this year, so we arrived for 12pm for Toddler Tales (well, earlier to queue, you need to queue for the free events), then had lunch. After that we went to our ticketed concert, which was Melody Quest - a trip around the world with Owen and Olly from Children's Classic Concerts and the NYOS Camerata. All of whom played a great variety of short pieces magnificently. Tickets were £5 each, an absolute bargain (Fun Box the next day were also a steal). After that we stopped for another free event, Creative Martyrs' Kids Cabaret. Angus laughed and laughed.
I think you could spend the day just at the free events but the tickets are subsidised, so why not?
This year for lunch we went to the Encore Cafe in the Concert Hall and it was £21 for three sandwiches, two drinks and two cakes. They were okay. Last year we went to the John Lewis Cafe, which was a bit nicer. Lots of people take a picnic though and I think I might next year.
Overall, the atmosphere is great. Loads of music of all different genres, all of which Angus has really enjoyed. It's a great introduction to concert-going. I can see us going for many years to come. Bravo Glasgow Life.
There is a buggy park and the changing facilities are okay. Entering the venue is difficult with a buggy as the front has lots of steps and there are two lifts at the back, which get queued up. Go buggy-free if you can. On the Sunday you can park for free north of the city centre, where the meters are off. Or you can park for £3 all day in Buchanan Galleries or Cambridge Street car park. Parking on the Saturday is much more expensive. You can pay a lot to park in a car park. The meters aren't really an option as you will probably stay for more than three hours. We park and ride on the Subway.
Tuesday, 10 October 2017
Baby 'n' You Beginners Baby Yoga
Organised fun for babies starts early...with Douglas (baby #2), I enjoyed this block of classes so much I did it twice!
Baby 'n' You is an independent business run by Suzy out of the Scout Hall in Dowanhill. With Angus, I did Baby Massage and Baby Calm, followed by Beginners Baby Yoga, all of which I recommend.
I was worried that I wouldn't be able to manage Baby Yoga as I have problems with my back, but the focus is mainly on the baby. Both my babies loved it and I'm trying my best to keep up bits at home with Douglas; although it's mainly the bits for assisting windy tummies I practice! The difficulty of the moves build up over the four weeks.
Suzy is very welcoming; I find the fact she's a paediatric nurse very reassuring and useful when I've had questions about the boys. The classes as a whole are warm and friendly, through the time for tea at the end of each session, I've made good friends as well as starting my journey into Mum Life as I bump into these mums around and about. I think this is a unique aspect to these classes and a great touch.
The sessions are quite fast-paced, which seems daunting at first but I picked up the moves and the songs quickly. There's a good balance of simple moves, more complicated ones, quiet time, props and songs.
With Angus I remember sitting out in the garden, drinking tea and chatting in the sun...no luck with this maternity leave.
Since then parking restrictions have come in, which means you can't pop down to Byres Road and continue the party in a cafe or nip to the shops as easily. You can still park for free nearby. Obviously there's a baby change! The price for the block seems quite high at first but it keeps the class sizes smaller which I prefer.
Baby 'n' You is an independent business run by Suzy out of the Scout Hall in Dowanhill. With Angus, I did Baby Massage and Baby Calm, followed by Beginners Baby Yoga, all of which I recommend.
I was worried that I wouldn't be able to manage Baby Yoga as I have problems with my back, but the focus is mainly on the baby. Both my babies loved it and I'm trying my best to keep up bits at home with Douglas; although it's mainly the bits for assisting windy tummies I practice! The difficulty of the moves build up over the four weeks.
Suzy is very welcoming; I find the fact she's a paediatric nurse very reassuring and useful when I've had questions about the boys. The classes as a whole are warm and friendly, through the time for tea at the end of each session, I've made good friends as well as starting my journey into Mum Life as I bump into these mums around and about. I think this is a unique aspect to these classes and a great touch.
The sessions are quite fast-paced, which seems daunting at first but I picked up the moves and the songs quickly. There's a good balance of simple moves, more complicated ones, quiet time, props and songs.
With Angus I remember sitting out in the garden, drinking tea and chatting in the sun...no luck with this maternity leave.
Since then parking restrictions have come in, which means you can't pop down to Byres Road and continue the party in a cafe or nip to the shops as easily. You can still park for free nearby. Obviously there's a baby change! The price for the block seems quite high at first but it keeps the class sizes smaller which I prefer.
Monday, 9 October 2017
Wild Adventure
The need to visit this soft play, Wild Adventure, came about after so many different people suggested we check it out. It's in Drumchapel and feels a little out of the way but was worth the journey.
It's a fairly standard soft play but the place feels easy. We visited on a Monday morning and it was very quiet, just us and may be two or three other families.
This first photo is of the main frame. It's got lots of explore but is still suitable for preschool age. I think older children would have fun in there too. At the back is a football pitch area, which is Angus's favourite part of any soft play frame.
On the other side is the babies and toddlers section, which had plenty to keep wee ones entertained. Behind a screen to one side is a learning area, this has various activities and there is a theme each fortnight, which is listed on their Facebook page. It's planned out nursery-style.
The cafe fare isn't very inspiring; the usual nuggets, baked beans, pizza... I had a Mexican chicken panini but the chicken was reformed. For the children's lunch deal, they can pick and mix from a selection, which led to Angus selecting a hot dog and garlic bread for his lunch. Milk was included though. The coffee is good.
The seating area is particularly well thought out: it goes right across the width of the soft play. This makes it very easy to see your child all the time.
Toddler time is £3 but I can't find other prices, suffice to say, it's very reasonable. There is no car park so you need to park on the street. This wasn't a problem on a Monday morning. The toilets were plentiful and basic.
Monday, 2 October 2017
Finlaystone Country Park
Finlaystone Country Park is an easy drive from Glasgow and we were looking forward to a day out in the countryside with added extras.
There is a small visitor centre and shop at the car park. Sometimes there is an attendant taking the admission fee and sometimes you have to go into the centre. Inside is a little boat to play on.
Our party for this visit was myself, Mr GFN, Angus (3), Douglas (2 months and in the buggy), Gran and Papa. All were needed. Angus needed someone to play with (Daddy or Papa preferably) and someone needed to push Douglas or stand with the pram.
We went down to the adventure playground area first. There are lots of different areas throughout a woodland. Here are some planks to balance on, which are close to a train.
Most of the play "equipment" is handmade, which is very charming. There is lots of opportunity for creative and imaginative play.
As you make your way around, you stumble across different areas. Here is something for tinies:
The only problem was, despite visiting in August, most of the woodland was boggy and muddy. Wellies were essential and a lot of the time the buggy couldn't go close to the play areas, just wait on the path. Below is the only slide (inside a hand crafted, full size wooden tram), Angus could go on, as all the others ended in a muddy bog.
There was quite a bit that was accessible but for a three year old, you want the slides. It had been a rainy summer but I would expect the area for playing to be built on a site with better drainage. I think Angus would have had a lot more fun playing with his friends or will have much more fun with friends when he is older and can be given a large area to roam free in.
We spent about an hour playing then went to the cafe for lunch.
Everyone was very impressed with the cafe. I was surprised that it wasn't much busier but I suppose as you can't access it without paying admission that limits numbers. The Tearoom had a great menu and wasn't too pricey. Everyone enjoyed their food and the space is light and airy.
We finished our trip by taking a stroll around the ornate gardens. This took about half an hour.
There are woodland paths to explore, which we didn't as they didn't look accessible with the buggy. You can also pay to enter a bird centre. There was a witches and wizards event on, with a treasure trail and costume competition. This was just a little too old for us on this occasion but other children appeared to be having a great time.
At the time of our visit, admission was £3.50 for children and concessions and £5 for adults. We spent about three hours there and were quite disappointed with our visit, given the cost and how much people rave about the place.
In different circumstances, perhaps in sunnier weather with a BBQ table booked or with a large group of older children, I imagine it's a brilliant place but for toddlers it's a poor man's Kelburn Castle.
Parking was quite easy but it did get busier towards the end of our visit. There are lots of areas to have a picnic. The toilets have been judged "like a park but slightly cleaner".
Monday, 25 September 2017
Summerlee, Museum of Scottish Industrial Life
This place is a sure fire hit with our family. There's a working tram.
We have visited Summerlee several times now and is a good choice when the weather looks changable (your fairly typical Scottish day). If it's sunny when we arrive, we head straight for the brilliant play park.
This photo shows the start of the play park, which is brilliant for little ones. Further back there are things for bigger kids including a flying fox. Don't forget to bring your bucket and spade as the floor of the start is all sand (and quite clean at that).
Following that we step aboard the Vulcan, a canal barge, which has a small exhibition inside.
There are two main areas to the museum, the exhibition hall and the miners' cottages and mine. These are connected by a tram.
Usually this is a mid-century German tram but we have been lucky enough to ride this one before.
The miners' cottages have been furnished to show life at different time periods, from 1840s to 1980s. See if you can spot the 1990s artifacts in the 1980s cottage! One of the cottages is an old-fashioned sweetie shop - a word of warning if you don't want your child consuming sweeties, you will need good excuses up your sleeve. We've always got away with it. We haven't been down the mine yet; that's really more suitable for much older children and grown ups.
Inside the exhibition hall there is a lot to see and it's got lots of interactive stations. There is a train table, a dance hall, a pretend grocers and much more. Quite often there are craft activities on; we haven't tried these yet and I think there might be a small charge. Upstairs is a small, changing exhibition space, we have seen themes such as the 1980s and weddings. I imagine they're designed as social history exhibitions suitable for primary school visits. Again, they are curated to be interactive. Watch out as the lift can be tricky.
Sometimes, we will go back and ride the tram again or back to the play park before ending our visit. We spend about half an hour in the playground and half an hour at the miners' cottages, around an hour in the exhibition hall plus lunch and tram rides. If you lived locally, you could easily pop in for a short visit but for us it's a day out. They have lots of events on and are worth following on Twitter. We have been known to stop at the Fort on the way back if we have things to pick up or fancy lunch there (Wagamama anyone?).
There are lots of spots to enjoy a picnic, including two indoor spaces. The cafe is quite average for lunch. When we have had lunch there, we have always had soup, it has always been lentil and it has always been quite salty. Usually, we aim for a picnic lunch and stop for coffee and cake mid-morning or mid-afternoon. Their cake is good: lots of traybakes, empire biscuits etc.
The museum is free to visit. There is a charge for tram tickets though. On our last visit adults were £1.60 and under 5's are free (there are other fares). A ticket lasts all day, so you can ride as much as you want. The staff will happily help you load your (folded) buggy onto the tram.
The toilets and baby change are clean and copious, although the nappy bin was overflowing on my last visit.
The museum is in Coatbridge and easy to access. It has a small free car park directly in front and another small free car park next door. Even though there is not much parking, I have always found a space easily. It is also close to the train stations as it is close to the town centre.
This photo shows the start of the play park, which is brilliant for little ones. Further back there are things for bigger kids including a flying fox. Don't forget to bring your bucket and spade as the floor of the start is all sand (and quite clean at that).
Following that we step aboard the Vulcan, a canal barge, which has a small exhibition inside.
There are two main areas to the museum, the exhibition hall and the miners' cottages and mine. These are connected by a tram.
Usually this is a mid-century German tram but we have been lucky enough to ride this one before.
Inside the exhibition hall there is a lot to see and it's got lots of interactive stations. There is a train table, a dance hall, a pretend grocers and much more. Quite often there are craft activities on; we haven't tried these yet and I think there might be a small charge. Upstairs is a small, changing exhibition space, we have seen themes such as the 1980s and weddings. I imagine they're designed as social history exhibitions suitable for primary school visits. Again, they are curated to be interactive. Watch out as the lift can be tricky.
Sometimes, we will go back and ride the tram again or back to the play park before ending our visit. We spend about half an hour in the playground and half an hour at the miners' cottages, around an hour in the exhibition hall plus lunch and tram rides. If you lived locally, you could easily pop in for a short visit but for us it's a day out. They have lots of events on and are worth following on Twitter. We have been known to stop at the Fort on the way back if we have things to pick up or fancy lunch there (Wagamama anyone?).
There are lots of spots to enjoy a picnic, including two indoor spaces. The cafe is quite average for lunch. When we have had lunch there, we have always had soup, it has always been lentil and it has always been quite salty. Usually, we aim for a picnic lunch and stop for coffee and cake mid-morning or mid-afternoon. Their cake is good: lots of traybakes, empire biscuits etc.
The museum is free to visit. There is a charge for tram tickets though. On our last visit adults were £1.60 and under 5's are free (there are other fares). A ticket lasts all day, so you can ride as much as you want. The staff will happily help you load your (folded) buggy onto the tram.
The toilets and baby change are clean and copious, although the nappy bin was overflowing on my last visit.
The museum is in Coatbridge and easy to access. It has a small free car park directly in front and another small free car park next door. Even though there is not much parking, I have always found a space easily. It is also close to the train stations as it is close to the town centre.
Monday, 18 September 2017
Lunderston Bay
Lunderston Bay claims to be the nearest sandy beach to Glasgow and it's in between Gourock and Inverkip. One sunny Wednesday, I took a trip (during the school holidays) with just the two boys (3 years and 3 months).
The bay is very scenic with views across the firth of Clyde. The beach is sandy but with lots of shingle too. I think the southern end of the beach may have been sandier than the spot where we were as I could see lots of castles being built. If you want fine, golden sand, this isn't it.
It's a small stretch, may be 200 metres at the most. In between the car park and the beach is a small area of grass with some picnic benches. There are also toilets.
We threw stones in the water, spotted crabs and shells (I think the rockpooling there might be good), built a sandcastle, had a picnic and a paddled. The water was very clear and waves gentle. The beach was very clean with no litter. Our fellow seasiders were friendly. We also walked along a short section of the coastal path.
After all this, we went across the (fast) road to Cardwell Garden Centre, which has a large cafeteria, for ice-cream and a go in their sandy play area. The road was quite hairy to cross with the pram and a three year old, especially as everyone had parked clear across the pavement. The Garden Centre seems to be in a 70s time warp and the service wasn't too good but the homebaking was excellent and they had good range of ice cream. Angus could have spent a long time in the play area.
We arrived at 10.45 and left about 3, so it was a full day out. There was lots of parking early on but very busy when we left, so my tip would be to get there early, play and then have your picnic. It was a very easy drive from Glasgow and took 45 minutes. You go straight along the M8/A8 and then it is residential roads and my sat nav was definitely needed.
You can get lunch in the garden centre and there was an ice-cream van in the car park but no other catering. The toilets were terrific, very clean with hot water. Logistically, I found the trip tricky as my travel system couldn't negotiate the beach. It would have been much easier with friends. There were lots of dog walkers, so if your child is worried about dogs, it's not the best beach for them.
The bay is very scenic with views across the firth of Clyde. The beach is sandy but with lots of shingle too. I think the southern end of the beach may have been sandier than the spot where we were as I could see lots of castles being built. If you want fine, golden sand, this isn't it.
It's a small stretch, may be 200 metres at the most. In between the car park and the beach is a small area of grass with some picnic benches. There are also toilets.
We threw stones in the water, spotted crabs and shells (I think the rockpooling there might be good), built a sandcastle, had a picnic and a paddled. The water was very clear and waves gentle. The beach was very clean with no litter. Our fellow seasiders were friendly. We also walked along a short section of the coastal path.
After all this, we went across the (fast) road to Cardwell Garden Centre, which has a large cafeteria, for ice-cream and a go in their sandy play area. The road was quite hairy to cross with the pram and a three year old, especially as everyone had parked clear across the pavement. The Garden Centre seems to be in a 70s time warp and the service wasn't too good but the homebaking was excellent and they had good range of ice cream. Angus could have spent a long time in the play area.
We arrived at 10.45 and left about 3, so it was a full day out. There was lots of parking early on but very busy when we left, so my tip would be to get there early, play and then have your picnic. It was a very easy drive from Glasgow and took 45 minutes. You go straight along the M8/A8 and then it is residential roads and my sat nav was definitely needed.
You can get lunch in the garden centre and there was an ice-cream van in the car park but no other catering. The toilets were terrific, very clean with hot water. Logistically, I found the trip tricky as my travel system couldn't negotiate the beach. It would have been much easier with friends. There were lots of dog walkers, so if your child is worried about dogs, it's not the best beach for them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)