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Adventures

Exploring the New Forest

The weekends can get busy if POD has classes or parties but we love to explore the great outdoors whenever we can. More often than not deciding where we go at short notice and just going with the flow. One such occasion was a recent visit to the New Forest – somewhere we’ve often talked about going but never quite made it to. It’s a beautiful part of the country and luckily for us, located just an hour away from Surrey. The magnificent New Forest National Park in Hampshire is 571 km² (over 200 miles) making it the perfect area for a day out. It’s a haven for walking, horse riding, cycling and there are a number of watersports on offer too.

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Photographs from East Head, West Sussex

Having recently spent time on the West Sussex coast at surfers favourite Blacklesham Bay and the stunning West Wittering, another local gem we discovered is the wonderful East Head. Managed by the National Trust, it’s a fast moving natural sand and shingle spit set amongst a rare and fragile sand-dune habitat. At low tide you might even find fossilised shells dating back 53 million years. Situated a stones throw away from West Wittering (at the far end of the beach car park), East Head’s distinct habitat provides a home for a huge range of unusual plants and wildlife. It’s also been used as a film location for the likes of ‘The Eagle Has Landed’, ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ and ‘Waking the Dead’.

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Meeting the New Forest ponies

We’re always talking about going to the New Forest although it’s only recently we’ve paid the area a visit. In doing so we discovered we’re only an hour away so we’re kind of kicking ourselves now. What fools! One of the things I love about the New Forest are the ponies that roam freely amid this stunning landscape. It’s quite a sight especially if you’re in the car and spot them sitting under a tree having a rest as we did. There was nowhere to stop at that point but we hoped to find more elsewhere.

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The Stepping Stones Walk at Box Hill

Box Hill in the North Downs is renowned for its panoramic views and for cyclists, its iconic climbs. Owned and managed by the National Trust, the popular beauty spot lies within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There are several walks you can undertake at Box Hill and we’ve mostly gone for the Nature Play Trail which POD loves as it’s a lot of fun. As she’s got older we’ve been able to explore a bit more with the circular hilltop stroll another favourite. There are several other trails available (from the gentle to the strenuous) but one walk in particular has eluded us thus far – the stepping stone walk. I’ve been itching to do it for ages but with 275 steps to get to the stones, we figured it would be too much for five year old POD.

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Looking for fossils at the beach

Having recently visited West Wittering beach in Sussex, which even in Winter looks utterly stunning, we headed to Blacklesham Bay on the hunt for fossils. There are 8 miles of continuous beach from East Head (owned by the National Trust) to Selsey. Blacklesham Bay is a popular spot for surfers, due to the strong winds, and families alike.

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A serene Frensham Little Pond

It doesn’t seem that long ago since we were at Frensham Little Pond. Managed by the National Trust, this stunning spot is a Site of Special Specific Interest, a Special Protection Area and a Special Area of Conservation. Frensham Little Pond, and the Great Pond, were originally created in the 13th century to supply fish to the Bishop of Winchester while he was visiting Farnham Castle. These days the area provides a sanctuary for wildlife with rare birds, damselflies and dragonflies. There are many footpaths to explore and a heathland of heather, gorse and bracken.

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Roald Dahl’s Tremendous Adventures at Tatton Park

Roald Dahl (1916–1990) was one of the world’s most imaginative, successful and well-loved storytellers. He has sold over 200 million books which are currently available in 59 languages. That’s some legacy. I have fond memories of Roald Dahl’s tales from my childhood with favourites like James and the Giant Peach (his first children’s story), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Magic Finger published before I was even born. Classics that followed included Fantastic Mr Fox, Charlie and The Glass Elevator and Danny the Champion of the World followed along with The BFG, George’s Marvellous Medicine and Matilda.

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What makes LEGOLAND® a great day out?

The Doves have visited LEGOLAND® Windsor quite a few times since we relocated from the big smoke to Surrey. We last headed there just before POD started school in September. We had such a great time we returned the following day for more of the same. It worked out brilliantly as it meant we were able to enjoy more of the 55 attractions and we got to see two shows in Heartlake City. With a couple of friends and their children joining us, POD’s excitement levels were at fever pitch before we’d even left the car park. It’s hardly surprising, she’s inherited her parents love for LEGO® so she enjoys saying hello to all the characters. She’s always been an adventurer so the rides are always appealing and having a Q-Bot means we skip a lot of the queues to maximise our time on resort.

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The highlights of 2015: July to December

Having looked at the highlights from January to June, we’re back to have a nose at July to December 2015. The month kicked off with POD learning to swim by herself for the very first time. She loved the water when she was a baby but got the fear after a break. It’s taken a while to build her confidence up again and seeing her swim by herself in armbands was pretty special. I love this photograph which perfectly captures that moment.

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The highlights of 2015: January to June

When looking back at photographs from last year, most noticeable is how much POD’s grown and not just in height terms. She’s independent and confident with the best sense of humour. Of course we’re biased but she’s awesome even if she doesn’t always like doing what’s she’s told. As working parents, we do our best to ensure the time we have as a three involves adventures both near and far. Last year was certainly the year she got to experience a lot more. She loves the outdoors and she relishes in everything that comes her way.

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