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.

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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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Applying for a school place…again

It’s been a little while since we’ve written about school. But applying for POD’s junior school place is already filling me with dread and that’s without the months of waiting. You may remember POD didn’t get offered a place at the local school when she was four (in 2015). She ended up starting reception at another school, which was a faff to get to, and she didn’t know anyone. That said, after a bumpy start, POD ended up making lots of friends and finished her reception year with a glowing report. We decided to stay on the waiting list for the local school “just in case” although we did question whether we’d move her if she was offered a place.

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The majestic Loseley Park, Surrey

Loseley Park is one of those places that just makes you take a deep intake of breath. The house has been a family home for some five hundred years and four generations of the More-Molyneux family live there today. Built in the reign of Elizabeth I, Loseley Park is situated in the North Downs in Surrey and surrounded by ancient parkland.

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An Isle of Wight adventure with Red Funnel

We absolutely loved our first time on the Isle of Wight and we’ve been itching to return ever since. It’s taken a little longer than we anticipated but we ventured back recently. We were kicking ourselves when we did as the Isle of Wight is SO easy to get to on the Red Funnel ferry from Southampton. It literally took an hour and we had seating on the ferry despite it being peak season. Our trip, albeit unintentionally, coincided with Cowes so it was awesome to see an abundance of boats as we approached East Cowes.

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A magical day at Whipsnade Zoo

We always have a great time at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo which is located near Dunstable in Buckinghamshire. Little did we know what an amazing experience we’d have when we made an impromptu visit earlier this week. POD had two inset days before the autumn term began and while we did consider going further afield, we’d only returned home from Asturias a couple of days earlier.

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#UKexplore in August 2017

Wowsers! There were SO many photos shared on the #UKexplore hashtag in August. We’ve now exceeded the 20,000 mark which is quite incredible. We really love seeing all your photographs and it’s such a great community.

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Back to school essentials

The summer holidays seem to have flown by this year. The combination of our kitchen renovation (we re-located our kitchen to our dining space) and a holiday in Asturias has certainly helped with that. Either way we’re fast approaching September and the start of a new term. Hard to believe POD will be in Year 2, it really doesn’t seem five minutes since she began reception.

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Exploring Crealy Adventure Park, Devon

We recently spent the weekend at Crealy Adventure Park and Resort near Exeter. Nestled in 100 acres of countryside, and with 60 rides and attractions on offer, it’s often referred to as Devon’s Biggest Day Out. We were glamping at Crealy Meadows so we got an initial taste of the park on the Friday evening. Looking round out of hours pleased six year old POD no end, you can just imagine how excited she was. We grabbed a bite to eat, checked out the evening entertainment and visited a few of the park’s animals as the sun set too.

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Preparing for Year 2 with Marks and Spencer

It’s hard to believe POD starts Year 2 in September. In some ways I wonder where the time has gone as it doesn’t seem five minutes since she joined reception. But so much has happened in that time. She’s grown ALOT for starters, not just in height but in character too.

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