My favourite short walks in the North East

I have been walking every day for 20 minutes in my lunch hour for a few weeks now as part of Westfield Health's Walking Lunch challenge and have really noticed a difference. A few of the benefits I have noticed are:-

*Weight loss (head over to Life As Mrs R to find out how much)
*Increased fitness
*More mindful of my surroundings
*More energy
*A better working routine

I work from home and usually sit at my desk for long periods of time (yes I even eat my lunch here) and fitting in a lunch time walk has really set structure to my day and allowed me to be more focused. Sometimes if I am busy I will just walk around my neighbourhood, other times I have walked to my mum's who lives 8 minutes away (we've timed it) and take her dog out for 10 minutes but on days when my husband is at home I have taken a 'proper lunch hour' and we've driven somewhere locally with the purpose of taking a more strenuous walk. If you include driving time, this only takes 40 minutes out of my day and it's lovely to see the local beauty spots on my doorstep, spend time together and improve our health. So here are my favourite local walks so far:-

Plessey Woods




Ponteland Park



Finding a local park to walk through really lifts your spirits. Ponteland Park is full of flowers in bloom and a home to lots of wildlife. Walking along the riverbank is beautiful. We walked around the park and covered one mile in 20 minutes last week burning 162 calories and walking 2200 steps along the way.

Northumberlandia


Northumberlandia is a fab place to walk for people of all abilities. You can climb the peaks or just walk around the flat surface. We climbed right to the top and back in just under 20 minutes and were rewarded with spectacular views of the surrounding quarries. 

Newcastle Monument to Quayside



I quite often have meetings in Newcastle City Centre. Rather than just sitting in a coffee shop and heading home I have switched my habits and made sure that I include a lunchtime walk into my routine. The walk from Grey's monument down to the Quayside and back is exactly one mile (if you stop at The Vermont Hotel) and takes just over 20 minutes. It's lovely to take in the beautiful architecture, I only wish it was downhill on the way back!

If you are feeling inspired to check out some of the local short walks in your area, why not sign up to take part in Westfield Health's Walking lunch next month. It is FREE to take part, motivates you and you might be surprised with the benefits of adding a 20 minute walk into your lunch hour. 










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Tattershall Castle in Lincolnshire - A review

Tattershall Castle is an excellent example of a 15th Century red brick castle. Owned and managed by the National Trust it is definitely worth a visit if you are in the Lincolnshire area. We visited during our stay at Tattershall Lakes which is just next door.

Tattershall Castle in Lincolnshire - A review

Entry is £15.90 per family or FREE if you are National Trust pass holders as we are. We were lucky enough to visit on a lovely clear and sunny day. The staff at the gate were very welcoming and we spent some time reading about the castle before heading inside. 

Tattershall Castle in Lincolnshire - A review

Tattershall Castle in Lincolnshire - A review

Tattershall Castle in Lincolnshire - A review

First up was the cellar which was dark and creepy, just as a cellar should be! We hunted for a dragon but think he must have been sleeping :-) 

Tattershall Castle in Lincolnshire - A review


There were traditional games and an educational movie available on the ground floor which kept our children entertained.

Tattershall Castle in Lincolnshire - A review

Tattershall Castle in Lincolnshire - A review

The Castle is in very good condition and as it is split over a few levels you don't have to climb all the way to the top in one go which is great news if you are unfit like me!

Tattershall Castle in Lincolnshire - A review

Some of the rooms truly are magnificent and our three enjoyed running around pretending they were master of the manor.

Tattershall Castle in Lincolnshire - A review

Tattershall Castle in Lincolnshire - A review


The real highlight of Tattershall Castle however is the stunning views of the Lincolnshire countryside from the top. We could even spot our accommodation where we were staying at Tattershall Lakes.

Tattershall Castle in Lincolnshire - A review

Tattershall Castle in Lincolnshire - A review

Tattershall Castle in Lincolnshire - A review


There is an RAF airbase right next to the castle/Tattershall Lakes and we were lucky enough to watch a fighter jet perform stunts as we watched from the prime location of the castle rooftop.

Tattershall Castle in Lincolnshire - A review


Tattershall Castle is in our eyes, an unmissable place to visit if you are staying nearby. There isn't a tearoom/cafe but I do think the grounds would make a wonderful place to stop for a picnic if the weather's on your side.

Tattershall Castle in Lincolnshire - A review









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Family Dining at Fratello's, Jesmond - A review

It's Heidi's birthday this week so when we were invited along to Fratello's in Jesmond to celebrate of course we said yes. Italian food is Heidi's absolute favourite and she was really looking forward to a special trip out after school. I will start by saying that I normally avoid Jesmond like the plague as I am scared of parking there - I can never seem to find a parking space!! Luckily, customers of Fratello's can use the complimentary parking at the Holiday Inn which is set back just off to coast road and joined onto the restaurant. Phew! You just need to inform reception that you're there and it's all good.

Family Dining at Fratello's, Jesmond - A review - Fratello's interior

Family Dining at Fratello's, Jesmond - A review - Fratello's interior

Fratello's is warm and inviting with some of the friendliest staff we have met. They couldn't do enough for us and we were looked after very well. They started with the essentials - colouring sheets and crayons for the kids. 

Family Dining at Fratello's, Jesmond - A review - kids menu

As much as I would have loved to order a three course extraveganza, it's pretty well documented now that I am counting my calories. I was momentarily tempted by shallow fried mozzarella to start (yum!) but stayed strong. I even declined the complimentary home-baked bread for our table. We headed straight for mains and I was pleased to see you could order a half portion of stonebaked pizza (the dough is made in house) with a side salad and opted for that where as Steve ordered a portion of Arrabiatta Pasta and he couldn't resist some sweet potato fries too. 

Family Dining at Fratello's, Jesmond - A review - Light option half pizza and salad

Family Dining at Fratello's, Jesmond - A review - Light option half pizza and salad

Family Dining at Fratello's, Jesmond - A review - Penne Arrabiatta

Our food was delicious - Steve's pasta sauce deserves a special mention. You can definitely tell the pasta sauce is homemade and he immediately regretted declining the bread to mop up the extra sauce. Although my pizza was a half portion it was still very satisfying, especially when paired with a side salad which was nicely dressed. I am slowly learning that you can choose lighter options when dining out and still have a very nice evening.

The Children's Menu


The children's menu is £6.50 for two courses and I am pleased to see they offered more than the usual chicken nuggets/sausages and chips. Jack went for his own pizza, Heidi decided on Penne Napoli and Harry ordered his favourite Pasta and Meatballs. The portions were huge, flavoursome and the same care had gone into preparing these dishes as the adult dishes which I am always pleased to see.

Family Dining at Fratello's, Jesmond - A review - Kids Pizza

Family Dining at Fratello's, Jesmond - A review - Kids Pasta
Child's pasta and meatballs

Family Dining at Fratello's, Jesmond - A review - Kids Pasta
Heidi couldn't wait to devour her pasta dish

Steve and I resisted dessert (well, I ordered coffee but that's allowed) but the kids ordered ice cream which was included in their meal deal. The scoops were huge and Heidi was delighted there were a few hidden raspberries in hers too. 

Family Dining at Fratello's, Jesmond - A review - Kids Ice Cream

Family Dining at Fratello's, Jesmond - A review - Kids Ice Cream

Family Dining at Fratello's, Jesmond - A review - Kids Ice Cream

We were highly impressed with Fratello's. I can see it as the sort of place I would visit on the way to/from Newcastle or as a lovely venue for a nice family get together or special meal where you don't want the hassle of driving into the city centre. Our food was fresh, flavoursome and authentic and as a family we were made to feel very welcome. 

Make sure you follow Fratello's on Facebook to keep up to date with offers and events. 

We were provided with a complimentary meal in return for an honest review.  Thank you to the staff who looked after us - we will be back soon. 



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A letter to Heidi on your 7th birthday

Wow I can't believe 7 years have passed since your dramatic entry into this world (check out this post if you'd like to know the details). What a beautiful young lady you are turning out to be both inside and out.

You have always been a fussy eater but in the last few months you have shown great maturity and will now try pretty much anything that has been put in front of you. You have such a caring nature and will be the first to put an arm around one of your brothers if they fall or are upset and do such a good job of looking after your own 'babies'.


You are a very girly girl and love dressing up. Your favourite thing is when I curl or straighten your hair or let you wear make up for a special occasion. You love shopping for clothes and listening to music with Justin Bieber, Little Mix and One Direction being current favourites. It's so sweet listening to you sing along in the car.

On the other hand though you still love adventure and will be the first to climb trees (or anything that is around that you can climb on) when we are out and about. Playing outside on your bike makes you happy. You also have a stubborn streak just like your mam and I really wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of you.


I know you are a bit of a dreamer and your teachers tell me you are often in your own world at school. I don't mind this though as I know you try very hard when it comes down to it and you scored the highest mark in your class during a mock SAT test this month - well done!


Everyone comments how beautiful you are in the photographs I take and you love posing in front of the camera (and are a natural at it too) but I really try and drum it into you that it's what inside that matters and I hope we can inspire you to travel the world and then find a career you love and deserve when you are older.



This year you haven't really asked for much for your birthday - you would love some roller boots and more Bratz dolls. You are also very much into Shopkins which is a new craze of over-priced tat if you ask me! I hope you receive everything you've asked for and more because you deserve it. You asked to go 'somewhere that serves pasta' for your birthday tea so we are off to Hinnies in Whitley Bay tonight. You are very excited to make your own ice cream. Then we are hopefully organising a 'clip and climb' party with a few of your friends next week.

Happy 7th Birthday Heidi, we couldn't be more proud.  x


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Saturday nights - Is staying in the new going out?

Isn't it funny how as you get older your priorities seem to change. In my twenties I would think nothing about the kids sleeping at Grandma's almost every weekend and hitting the town. I am lucky our parents were able (and happy) to do this for us and have so many memories of girls nights out a plenty and weekends 'clubbing' with Steve.

Lots of nights out in our twenties

Life seems to have slowed down a lot more now though and I don't know if it's my age or the fact that I now have three children now (which is exhausting) but I can honestly think of nothing worse than staying up past my bed time in a noisy night club.

Saturday nights in my twenties

I remember when I was growing up that Saturday night's would always be sacred family time. We would all gather around our TV and watch classics such as Blind Date, Gladiators and Challenge Anneka. The memories of sitting by the fire and watching these shows together as a family will always stick with me and are the types of memories I really want to create for my own children. It was always a real treat being allowed up past bed time to watch grown up tv.


Steve's new role at work means that he is always at home on a Saturday night now and we have started letting Harry and Heidi stay up late with us to watch Britain's Got Talent together. We started this little tradition whilst staying at Tattershall Lakes over Easter and even if we were hiding behind our cushions during that sword swallowing routine, our Saturday nights together are something we all look forward to now.

Hiding behind the cushion on holiday

Saturday nights in front of the TV and takeaways go hand in hand. Steve and I are trying to watch what we eat and count our calories (follow our progress here) but our Saturday night treat is something we really look forward to all week. We usually order through Just Eat but instead of ordering a whole pizza to ourself like we used to, we now split one pizza or a couple of dishes between the four of us which we enjoy before all snuggling up together on our comfy leather sofas

Our Saturday night takeaway has arrived!



So Saturday nights may look different now and I've swapped revolving dance floors for PJs and Pizzas but you know what, I wouldn't change it for the world. 

Do you let your children stay up and watch Britain's Got Talent or do you have any other Saturday night routines? 

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Top 5 tips for adding walking into your daily routine

You may remember that last week I posted about how I was joining in with Westfield Health's Walking Lunch Campaign. A week has passed now and I am pleased to say I have managed to keep up the routine of walking for 20 minutes in my lunch hour so I thought I'd update you with how it's been going and give you a few tips too.

1 - Make sure the footwear is right!


Top 5 tips for adding walking into your daily routine

I headed to Hotter shoes to pick up some super comfortable shoes that I can wear every day. It's not always practical to wear trainers and I can't walk around the house in heels never mind for 20 minutes in my lunch hour. The last thing you want is blisters so your footwear is very important. If you aren't in a position to buy any new shoes just yet, you can always take your trainers to work with you. Being unprepared is not an option :-)


2 - Take the time to notice nature


One way in which walking has really increased my happiness this week is opening my eyes and taking in the signs of spring. It is lovely to just notice the small things like Queen bee's searching for a new home (I've spotted three this week), blossom appearing on the trees and the beautiful blue skies. Taking time to notice nature is one of the aspects of mindfulness that I enjoy practising and it really lifts your spirits.

Top 5 tips for adding walking into your daily routine


3 - Get to know your local area


This week I have walked around parts of my home town I have never set eyes on before. It's like I have been a tourist in my own home. There is a lovely park right next door to where we do our food shopping. As we visited over lunch time instead of just heading straight home like we normally would we decided to walk around the park and do you know what it was beautiful. Why had we never visited before I do not know. Probably because we were too busy. When your 20 minute lunch time walk is a priority, it forces you to get out, explore and find a few hidden gems. 

Top 5 tips for adding walking into your daily routine


4 - Use Map My Walk for motivation


Using Map My Walk (a free app) really motivates me to get out there and hit the streets over lunch time. It measures how far I've walked, at what pace and how many calories I've burned. It links directly to My Fitness Pal (which I use to count calories) so if I burn an extra 200 calories during my lunch time walk, I know this gives me a few extra calories to put towards a treat later and I don't feel guilty as I've 'earned' them.

5 - Join in with the fitness community


I love sharing my experience with others, being inspired by other people's achievements and learning about what they've been doing too and the health and fitness community is fantastic for this. I have been searching #WHwalkinglunch on twitter to read about how others are squeezing in a 20 minute walk into their lunch hour and have started a new blog linky where other bloggers can link up their health and fitness posts. Reading posts like this and the achievements of others really helps me to stay inspired and keep going. 

Top 5 tips for adding walking into your daily routine

I would love to hear if you have any tips for adding walking to your daily routine or how you stay inspired. The weather has been lovely this week and I do worry if I'll be so positive if it was raining outside. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it though. I have my first weigh in and measurements on Tuesday so pop over to my Life As Mrs R Facebook Page then if you are interested to hear the results. Eeeeek! 






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A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish

Beamish is considered by most to be one of the top attractions in the North East and I have been super excited to read about the £17m expansion plans to create a 1950's village and an 1820's coaching inn where people can stay over night! Eeeek! How exciting! We usually visit Beamish a couple of times per year - most recently was last September when we combined a trip with a stay at the Marriott in Sunderland. Our annual pass has expired though and as I am always looking at ways to save money I was intrigued to learn that you can receive 25% off your annual pass or day ticket if you travel to Beamish via a Go North East bus. Simply present your bus ticket at the admission desk on arrival (full details here) and you'll receive 25% off your ticket. This sounded like a good deal to me so we took the Waggonway service from Newcastle which is every 30 minutes.There are also buses available from Durham, Gateshead, Chester-le-Street and Sunderland (timetables here).

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - Beamish Bus Stop
Go North East stop right at the museum entrance

The Beamish annual pass is honestly superb value for money. I think we've visited Beamish maybe 10 times now and every time we visit there is something new to explore and discover. I have never visited during an 'event' as always suspected they would be very busy. Perhaps we were lucky but that was absolutely not the case during the 'Horses of War' event. We could still see and join in with everything without it being too crowded. The weather on our visit was C-R-A-Z-Y. I was planning on creating a video but it was freezing cold and there were periods of rain, hail, snow and sun! Vlogging just wasn't practical. The nice thing about Beamish though is that you are never far from a cosy house with a warm fire so there were plenty of places to shelter when things took a turn for the worse.

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - rainy fairground

We usually catch the free tram to travel around the various areas of Beamish however as we are trying to lead a healthier lifestyle we decided to walk it. Although the trams are very exciting and tempting, if you've been to Beamish a few times I would highly recommend giving this a try. It was lovely to see Beamish from a different perspective and the paths are accessible and in good condition. Dogs are welcome too if you'd like to bring your four-legged friend. We measured we'd walked 5 miles on our iPhone which is pretty good going!

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - walk around beamish
Walking around Beamish

Every time we visit Beamish we try something different and during our most recent visit we maybe took in around 1/4 of everything there is to do and see. We will be back with our annual pass a few times across summer to explore some of the other areas in greater detail. 

1900's Town


We started our day at the bandstand in the town square to enjoy our picnic under cover. It started to hail just as we were biting into our sandwiches! Best of British and all that! We didn't actually get too wet and the bandstand provided cover but in hindsight I think we should have headed to the Tearooms or Tavern in the town for lunch.

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - 1900's town

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - Horse parade in town

We loved watching the cavalry marching past just as we were finishing lunch and this gave us a flavour of things to come. It was still raining at this point so we decided to pop into Florence Smith's house. We found a lovely warm fire in her kitchen and listened to the tales told by the live actors about Florence's life as we warmed our hands and shared some of the scones the ladies had made in her kitchen.

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - Florence Smith's House

Florence was a music teacher and was left her home on Ravensworth Terrace. There is no way a lady would have been able to buy a house by herself in that era. Her house is the most Edwardian-like in the terrace which explains the dark colours and highly patterned wallpaper. We learned that her front room would be kept for absolute best and most of her time would be spent in the kitchen where there was a fire. Everything had to be on display in this era as the more 'things you had', the more wealthy you seemed. Thank you so much to the actors in this house who really brought Florence's story to life. 

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - Florence Smith's House
Florence's front room - kept for best

There is a lot more to explore in the town such as the bakery, sweet shop, co-op store, dentist and garage but the rain was clearing so we headed over to spot the train that was just departing from the station. Train rides are included in admission and are definitely worth taking during your visit. 

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - Steam train

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - Steam train

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - horse and cart

We walked past the station and fairground up to the Beamish stores which is a place we didn't know existed before.

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - fairground

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - carousel ride


Beamish Stores


The Beamish Stores are a really interesting place to have a nosy around. Here you will find artefacts and collections that are being stored from previous and future exhibitions. I loved the already growing selection of 1950's memorabilia and Heidi couldn't wait to have a turn in the vintage hairdressers.

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - Beamish stores

Walking around we spotted lots of horses pulling carts and ploughing fields. It was really interesting watching them all work and seeing their role in the war brought to life.

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - horse and cart


1940's Farm


The farm is one of our favourite areas of Beamish. The kids love seeing the animals and I love the warmth and comfort of the Farmhouse. 

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - chickens at the farm

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - Sheep and lamb

As our visit was in spring there were lots of lovely lambs to admire - they really are the cutest! We had to say hello to the farm's resident pigs, geese and chickens too. 


I love all of the quirky and unique details at Beamish, the attention to detail really is fab! During our trip to the farm we stumbled upon this air raid shelter for the first time. The kids couldn't wait to get a closer look and it really brings to life the reality of war when you can actually see it in front of your eyes. 

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - air raid shelter

1900's Pit Village


I love wandering around the pit village as I like to think of it as how my home town of Cramlington would once have been.

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - 1900's pit village

The Pit Village is where the majority of the 'Horses at War' event was being held and we could say hello to lots of horses who would have had various roles in the war including this friendly fella:-

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - white horse

There was a special re-enactment of a military hospital and base area which we could wander around. All of the actors were in uniform and really brought the war to life. Some were even cooking sausages just as they would have back in the day. The event was very well organised and worth the extra trip to Beamish just to see I think. 

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - vintage military ambulance

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - military camp

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - vintage military ambulance

There were two lovely ladies in the village who were spreading the word about 'The Brooke' which is a registered charity who help alleviate the suffering of millions of horses, donkeys and mules overseas. It was really interesting to learn of their work and we happily donated our spare change which the charity were really grateful for. The ladies gave the kids some stickers and told them that our help would buy some hay for poorly horses to help them get better. 

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - military camp

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - military camp

A trip to the village always includes a trip to school and H, H and J love going back in time and comparing school then to school now.

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - village school

We had lots of fun in the school playground playing with traditional outdoor toys.

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - village school traditional playground games

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - village school traditional playground games

If we weren't watching our weight we would have definitely popped into Davy's Fish and Chip Shop where the Fish and Chips are made using traditional methods and beef dripping! Oh my word the smell was amazing. We'll save this for a summer treat though I think.

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - Fish and chips at Davy's Fried Fish

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - Fish and chips at Davy's Fried Fish

1900's Colliery


Our final stop of the day was the 1900's Colliery. We didn't head down the mine this time but loved watching some of the horses in the yard at work for the special event.

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - Horses at the Colliery

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - Horses at the Colliery

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - Shire Horse at the Colliery

We spent around 3.5 hours at Beamish - we could have spent soooo much longer however the weather just wasn't on our side. Day time events are included with an annual pass and provide extra value and a reason to return to Beamish time and time again. There are lots of events throughout the year and I have my eye on the Georgian Fair (2nd-5th June), Festival of the Fifties (14th-17th July) and the Beamish Leek Show (10th & 11th September).

A Bus Trip to the Horses at War Event at Beamish - Go North East Bus Home
Time to wait for our bus home



I'd love to hear if you've been to Beamish and which areas and events are your favourite. 










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