RSPB Big Garden Watch

The RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch is the world's biggest bird survey and regularly attracts nearly half a million participants. The records from people counting birds in their gardens provides a vital snapshot of the UK's birds each winter. The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2018 took place over this weekend (27th to 29th January 2018). To take part, you simply spend an hour watching the birds in your garden or local park over the weekend.   This is what we saw:

  And not a bird but enjoying the seeds all the same:

Bucket list 2018

Here is our bucket list for family days out 2018:

• Walk up Snowdon
• Walk up Box Hill
• Holiday on Angelsey and see some puffins, visit Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch and the copper mines
• Go to Alton Towers
• Visit Monkey World
•  Have an underground train ride at the Postal Museum, London.
• Rib ride on the Thames
• Visit the historic Coffin Works, Birmingham.
• Ride on the beach
• Wild camp at Wicken Fen
• Do a 'Big Camp Out' at a National Trust property
• Re-visit the National Space Centre
• Enjoy the science festival
• Go star gazing on a Wednesday evening at the Astronomy department
• Visit the Forbidden Corner
  

  
  

Beamish museum

On our drive home we stopped at the Beamish museum.  Beamish is a world famous open air museum, telling the story of life in the North East of England  from a Georgian Manor House to Pit Village, and Edwardian town to a WW2 era Land Girls farm. They are undertaking building work at the moment as they expend to include a 1950s town. The whole venue is connected by transport from the era, with trams and buses all free to board, though it can be quicker to walk from place to place!

The girls and the husband enjoyed traditionally fried fish and chips cooked in beef dripping over coal fires.

 
We then enjoyed looking round the pit villiage, seeing the pit ponies and visitingthe coal seam itself - a short walk through tunnels where we had to bend down.

We also liked the Edwardian town where the girls enjoyed buying sweets and cakes. We also went on the (short) steam train ride and enjoyed seeing the animals at the farm! 

This really has a lot to offer the whole family - the smaller girls enjoyed buying sweets and seeing the animals and I loved the houses and the Co-op shop as well as being amazed at how dark the 1820s Pockerley manor house was!

New Year in the lakes

Over New Year we stayed in a beautiful house near Bassenthwaite - I got to live out my country fantasies with cooking in an aga, sleeping in a four poster bed and playing board games by a log fire.
We also did some great walks round the area. The first few days were snowy and icy and the last few days were wet and windy!