Surrey Archives - Page 4 of 19

The British Wildlife Centre, Surrey

Isn’t it wonderful when you’ve lived somewhere for a few years and still make new discoveries? The Sculpture Park near Farnham in Surrey is one with another the brilliant British Wildlife Centre. Based in Newchapel near Lingfield, the centre is designed to educate the public about different species living in the wild. The British Wildlife Centre has been open since 2000 with the founder’s inspiration for the centre coming from pioneering conservationists like Gerald Durrell, Sir Peter Scott and John Aspinal.

Photos from Frensham Little Pond

It’s said Frensham Little Pond in Surrey hasn’t changed much since the 13th century although it’s had many different owners and inhabitants since. It was originally created as the Bishop of Winchester wanted a fish supply for when he visited Farnham Castle – some of the original stonework is still visible by the sluice gate. These days the beautiful Frensham Little Pond and surrounding area is an idyllic spot for a wander and a sanctuary for wildlife. Continue Reading…

Cycling with The Gruffalo

POD used to enjoy riding her bike but when the stabilisers came off she refused to get back on it. While the bike has made it into the great outdoors several times, its largely remained in the boot of the car. Scooting has been POD’s preference over the past year and having perfected her skills to and from school over recent months, cycling just hasn’t appealed to her.

When you meet a real-life superhero

Six year old POD has seen videos of Jonnie Peacock MBE win Gold in the T44 Men’s 100 metres at London 2012 and again in the 2016 Rio Paralympics Games. She knows he got poorly and lost his leg below the knee when he was five but went on to be one of the fastest athletes on the planet. His time on Strictly meant she got to see him learn a new dance every week and with that came a new line of questioning. We talked about Jonnie Peacock a lot over those eight weeks, not just when Strictly was on, and we continue to do so. It’s unlikely we would have had the same in depth discussions about amputees had he not been on the programme.

Giving back to the community at Christmas

In the midst of settling into a new routine, we were asked to get involved in the Co-Op’s #DoorstepChallenge. It’s a great way to give back to the community and saw us fill a stocking shaped carried bag with Christmas goodies. We’d received a voucher from the Co-Op, which we added to, along with a musical card which six year old POD absolutely adored. Although there are a number of great charities in our area, we wanted to visit somewhere we had a personal connection with.

An autumn wander at Winkworth Arboretum

The picturesque landscape at Winkworth Arboretum near Hascombe in Surrey is a draw any time of year but especially in autumn. Maintained by the National Trust for 60 years, this hillside arboretum has a significant collection of shrubs and trees making it an ideal place to admire those magnificent autumnal hues. So much so we like to sneak in a couple of visits if we can. As luck would have it, POD and I ventured there just over a week ago when she had a rather well-timed inset day.

Inside the world’s largest sculpture park

We upped sticks from London and moved to Surrey seven years ago now so there aren’t many places we haven’t visited. Or at least have on our (ever expanding!) list. Somewhere that has completely passed us by however is The Sculpture Park which we only discovered this summer.

Gin Festival: A gin lover’s dream

Did you know I’m a gin convert? Having mistakenly sampled a G&T as a child (I thought it was lemonade!), I didn’t try gin properly until two years ago. And you know what, the gin cocktail I had then was absolutely delicious. There are so many gin varieties available these days too, many of which paired with a complementary garnish and mixer. What’s more if you’re new to gin, or indeed a lifelong gin enthusiast, the Gin Festival is the ideal place to experiment.

A first experience of Zippos Circus

We were ridiculously excited when we heard Zippos Circus was coming to Guildford. Six year old POD has never been to the circus before and I’ve not been for many years. The 2017 production from Zippos Circus, which has been touring the UK since May, is entitled ‘Jigit!’. It refers to Jigitovka – a specific type of trick riding which is popular with Cossack riders and acrobats. We were intrigued to see what it would be like but hoped the show would provide edge of our seat excitement. Minus any scary clowns of course.

A half marathon at Denbies Wine Estate

You can imagine how the conversation went when my husband aka ‘The POD Father’ said he’d signed up for a half marathon. It was a few months back now but I remember wondering why he’d decided to run 13.1 miles when it had never taken his fancy before. Aside from which, the friends running in the half marathon with him did them all the time – one completed the London Marathon two years ago in under 3 hours!

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Surrey

The British Wildlife Centre, Surrey

Photos from Frensham Little Pond

Cycling with The Gruffalo

When you meet a real-life superhero

Giving back to the community at Christmas

An autumn wander at Winkworth Arboretum

Inside the world’s largest sculpture park

Gin Festival: A gin lover’s dream

A first experience of Zippos Circus

A half marathon at Denbies Wine Estate

Adventures

Visiting Mayfield Lavender Field, Banstead

A wander at Frensham Little Pond, Surrey

7 reasons to love Barracudas camps

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