Visiting Mayfield Lavender Field, Banstead

Created by Brendan Maye in 2002, Mayfield Lavender Field is a 25-acre organic lavender farm with a café and shop situated near Banstead in Surrey. The lavender is grown on one of the same fields it was originally grown in the 18th and 19th centuries, at that time supplying the likes of Yardley. Mayfield Lavender Farm has been open since 2006 so it can get busy at peak times, such as weekends in July/August, so it’s worth heading there during the week if at all possible. The lavender is typically in bloom from the middle to end of June until the end of August and it’s fantastic for photographs.

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A wander at Frensham Little Pond, Surrey

If you’re looking for somewhere peaceful to take a walk, Frensham Little Pond near Churt in Surrey is always well worth a visit. Originally created in the 11th century to supply the Bishop of Winchester with fish, the pond is a sanctuary for wildlife surrounded by a mosaic of purple heathers, fragrant yellow gorse and rich green bracken.

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Summer activities at Barracudas

POD loved the summer activities at Barracudas activity day camp – yet again we were blown away by all the activities on offer. We’ve been advocates of Barracudas activities camps for many years they were much missed last summer. Barracudas thankfully returned during the Easter holidays and POD once again had the best time. Barracudas has up to 80 activities on offer but she was particularly looking forward to summer camp as it’s warm enough for watersports and she’s outdoors more.

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7 reasons to love Barracudas camps

There are many reasons to love Barracudas, the UK’s leading multi-activity camp for children aged 4½ to 14. We were delighted to see Barracudas re-open again earlier this year after being closed in 2020 due to the pandemic. You can read what it was like to return after lockdown 3.0 in this post. Barracudas activity day camps operate at Ofsted registered schools in locations across the UK, all staff DBS checked and children well looked after by a dedicated key worker. Here are just some of the reasons we love Barracudas including all the incredible activities on offer. POD cannot wait to return in August.

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Photos from Thursley Nature Reserve

One of the great things about the period immediately after the lockdown was being able to explore again. Much as we were incredibly grateful for our garden, there came a point when it just became necessary to get out of the house and have a change of scene. At the time, National Trust places like Hatchlands Park, Winkworth Arboretum, Claremont Landscape Garden and Polesden Lacey were all closed. Instead, I took a solo trip to Thursley Nature Reserve which is around a10 minute drive away and remarkably somewhere we’d not visited before. Thursley Nature Reserve is a truly special place, JD and POD would have loved it too. Sadly, they didn’t get to experience it as three days after I’d captured it in all its beauty, a wildfire tore through the reserve devastating some 470 acres including an estimated 200-300 animal and plant species.

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Non-stop fun at Barracudas

One of the things ten-year-old POD loves about the Easter and Summer holidays is the non-stop fun she has at Barracudas activity day camps. Barracudas had to remain closed in 2020 but their superb activity day camps have returned for the 2021 season. POD has been going for several years now and enjoys it so much, she refuses to go anywhere else! It’s hardly surprising with so many excellent activities on offer, outstanding facilities and brilliant staff.

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Marvel Studios’ iconic shield lands in London

Marvel Studios’ iconic shield landed in London to mark the launch of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, exclusively available on Disney+. Through the power of projection mapping, Captain America’s legendary shield appeared on The London Eye in the UK, the Singapore Flyer, the Melbourne Star, the Luneur 1953 Flywheel in Rome, La Grande Roue de Marseille, MAAG Hall in Zurich, the Torre Latino in Mexico City and the Planetario in Buenos Aires.

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40 things to stream on Star from Disney+

Star from Disney+ launched recently bringing with it over 75 TV series, 280 movies and a slate of four exclusive Star Originals. Fully integrated into the Disney+ platform, Star joins movies, shows, shorts and originals from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic.

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Barracudas activity day camps are back!

POD has thoroughly enjoyed the past week being back at school and playing with her friends again. I think all parents collectively breathed a sigh of relief when the schools re-opened on the 8th of March! That combination of online learning and working was a tough juggle at times. We’ve settled back into a new routine again now although the Easter holidays are less than 3 weeks away! POD is super excited though as she’s heading to one of the Barracudas activity day camps. She’s enjoyed part of the Easter and summer holidays at Barracudas for a few years now and always has the best time.

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Learn with Carol Vorderman: The Maths Factor

The Maths Factor enables children aged 4-12 to learn with Carol Vorderman. It was one of the great successes of last year’s lockdown, supporting half a million children worldwide, and the shift in POD’s maths confidence was remarkable. Just a few short sessions each day made all the difference and POD enjoyed it so much, she continued with The Maths Factor right up to the summer term. She’s found Year 5 maths hard at times, not helped by the current lockdown, so we recently returned to The Maths Factor. We know from our months of experience it will help improve her understanding and in turn provide her with a much-needed boost.

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