Each egg was quite spaced out with bunny footprints to follow leading us to the next spot. They were all different. Giant wooden eggs, some covered with feathers, others flowers and picnic scenes from the story. It was really creative and fun for the children to look at and enjoy. They loved running off to see where the next egg was.
Even though it was a pretty grey day Kingston Lacy still looked beautiful. Thank you for all your hard work Kingston Lacy - we had a muddy ball!
Caroline very kindly invited us for Easter Sunday lunch and cooked a delicious meal with, of course,
lamb. Chloe and Jamie spent some time searching in the garden for the hidden treats and then after lunch they enjoyed a hunt indoors:-
Off you go, Zoom, |Zoom, Zoom,
Search around the Dining Room.
Your pillows where you rest your head,
Why don't you look on your ..........?
I can take you to places you've never seen,
but first type your password in on my screen.
If you're in a hungry mood,
Go here first to find some food.
I have four legs to keep me stable,
Look for your next clue under the .......?
The next hiding place rhymes with chairs,
Why don't you look under the .......?
Chloe very quickly found all the clues but had a little difficulty finding the actual Easter treat. What rhymes with chairs and the answer was pears - bears - and it was only when she was climbing the stairs that she suddenly got it!!!!
On the Tuesday following Easter it was far colder than wind in April ought to be. If it wasn't for the primroses in the hedgerows it could have been February. So we decided to use a voucher Caroline had given us for Christmas at The Mill in Gordleton.
The Mill is situated on The Avon river about ten minutes drive from us. The creeper-covered old mill is attractive and cosy, but its chief draw, even on a cold, damp April day is its rambling and delightful riverside garden complete with sculptures by local and national artists.
Thank you, Caroline. Delicious food in beautiful surroundings. We hope to return when the sun does!!!!!
On the Wednesday, to give Mummy a break, we took Chloe and Jamie to Dorcester. April is the cruellest month sometimes and today was no exception. The wind blew and the rain lashed down.
We had booked previously to see Dippy the Diplodocus at 3 p.m. so decided to spend our day in museums. We purchased the golden ticket deal which allows you to visit five exhibitions. To get 5 museums for the price of 2 we thought was good value. The first museum we visited was the Teddy Bear Museum.
This tiny museum is jam packed with the history of teddy bears. Sooty and Sweep, Rupert Bear, Winnie the Pooh. I don't know who enjoyed it more Nanna or the Grandchildren! It certainly brought back happy memories of special toys that were a part of my own childhood.
And, for a complete contrast, the Terracotta Warriors Exhibition was in the same building
I have been fascinated by the story of the warriors for many years so this was a real find. It is fairly small but plenty to see and learn about. How they were found and put back together, with different warriors on display. We all enjoyed it.
After a picnic IN THE CAR we headed for the Dinosaur Museum. From the outside you can see its not a vast place so we knew we had to take our time and engage to help us all get the most out of it. So we encouraged the grandchildren to stop and look at the various fossils and we also did the dinosaur egg quiz. We all learned a lot and probably only read 30% of the information but we did most of the interactive elements on the way round and they were really good. Sandbrushing for dinosaur bones was good, smelling and feeling boxes, large puzzle and we also sat in the cinema room watching a good dinosaur documentary for at least 20 minutes and we did not watch the whole programme. Jamie loved the models too. OK they are fibreglass - there's no big skeletons, etc., but the children really enjoyed the museum.
Our next museum was the Tutenkhamun exhibition, which Chloe thought was wonderful with all the shiny gold treasure. Her favourite. It was informative and told the story really well and it was great to move around the exhibit as if you were in the different chambers of the tomb. Good for the children to follow. We didn't do the Mummies exhibition in the same building because we thought it might be scary and anyway it was time to head over to The Dorset County Museum to see Dippy.
Dippy the Diplodocus has a special place in the hearts of so many, probably because it was the first thing they saw as a child when they entered the Natural History Museum in London.
It's one of those wow moments that stays with you all your life. But Dippy has since been replaced by a blue whale skeleton.
But the Diplodocus is now at the Dorset County Museum in Dorchester. The Victorian hall being used as the exhibition space is tight. This makes Dippy look very, very big. And Chloe and Jamie both said WOW when they saw it.
I now appreciate the true scale of this animal that lived roughly 155 million years ago. There is a balcony that brings you up to a level where you could almost imagine riding the dinosaur. And, at the front end, it means you look directly into Dippy's face. A Perspex screen stops you touching the skull, but the position makes for the absolute best selfie you'll take this year!!!
And, for our last adventure this Easter week, we headed off for a Day Out with Thomas the Tank Engine at the Watercress Line. Peep, Peep! All aboard for a day of family fun with Thomas.
Jamie spends hours on end playing with Thomas and his friends, reading his books and watching him on television. Thomas the Tank Engine, a Really Useful Engine, and his Island of Sodor friends have chugged their way into the heart of Jamie. Both Chloe and Jamie loved seeing all the engines and riding on the trains. They also enjoyed the Magic Show and the activities and old fashioned funfair rides. Everything was extremely well run, the sun shone, for a change, and the atmosphere was great. Thank you Ann and Chris for a fabulous day out - you engineered miles of smiles.
For me the train rides are a great hark back with all the sounds, smells and sights of travel. It makes me sad to read the following:-
A row has erupted after it emerged the United Nations has been called in to advise how to update the image of Thomas & Friends. The changes by US toy maker Mattel, which owns the show, will mean the end of Henry and Edward, two of Thomas's friends who appeared in the original books by the Rev. Wilbert Awdry.
They are being replaced in the Tidmouth Sheds by two female engines including Nia - the first African engine, developed with the help of the UN.
Thomas will leave his home on the Island of Sodor for the first time for adventures abroad, in episodes that support the United Nations "sustainable development goals".
I cannot imagine why the United Nations should be consulted on the above. Surely the world has enough problems for them to sort out. Thomas was written in the age of steam. They should not try to rewrite history and my grandchildren, I am sure, are not interested in these sorts of issues
Children's TV shows come and go, but the one about the tank engine that wants to do the right thing is still leading the way. For those of us who've grown up with Thomas and Friends and raised our children and grandchildren watching the talking locomotives from the Island of Sodor in action, the affinity we have for the characters in Thomas' world is similar to how we feel towards a family member: trustworthy, always loving and, above all, fun to be around. The biggest appeal of the show is that parents can relax in the knowledge that the show keeps children entertained while watching something that's engaging and enjoyable, as well as sharing a few life lessons along the way!
Thomas came to being after the vicar Rev. Wilbert Awdry took his son Christopher's love of steam engine trains to concoct a story to keep him amused while he was sick with the measles. In the subsequent 26 Railway books that followed, all the way to being televised in 1984 to become the Thomas and Friends we know and love today, the stories never diverted from the central theme - that of the fatherly figure guiding the confused child towards the right path. It's unashamedly traditional. The plot lines of Thomas and Friends are based around concepts of valuing loved ones, respecting rules and understanding boundaries - lessons the children watching the show are coming to terms with in their own lives. Parents love the gentle way the message is put across. After all, who doesn't want their toddlers to walk away from a TV show thinking it's a good idea to behave?
The Island of Sodor is like every parent's dream set-up for the home. You feel secure, loved, supported, with everyone working together to keep chaos and disorder at bay. Plus, the show takes a lot of family issues into account that other overtly PC shows perhaps gloss over - rivalry, competitiveness, justice and punishment. The beauty of Thomas and Friends is that these are dealt with in a loving manner in a familiar and comfortable setting.
Every cartoon you flick through on the box seems to be the visual equivalent of fizzy pop and sweets - sped up, noisy and chaotic. Thomas and Friends keeps the story line simple and the narration soothing, meaning the viewing experience is aligned to our little viewer's attention span (not to mention guaranteeing a calmer frame of mind all round).
But with competition from US cartoons, the story has to evolve. The new episodes later this year will be faster-paced and feature fantasy sequences. Thomas will "break the fourth wall" to narrate the series himself and speak directly to viewers. Half of the 26 episodes in the new series will take place abroad. The others will be based at Tidmouth Sheds, where Henry and Edward will move out to make way for Ria an orange engine from Africa, and Rebecca, a bright yellow engine from closer to home.
Replacing the theme tune is likely to upset Jamie. The Fat Controller will remain, but is becoming less gruff and "more endearing".
Its a big risk for the franchise. I think the new engines are being created to boost toy sales with a jolt of girl power. Apparently in its evolution the cartoon will tackle and teach children about quality education, gender equality, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, and life on land. Its tough being a toddler these days!!!!!!!
