What's On for Kids - October Half Term | North East England

Advert - Some of this article has been sponsored & I have worked with most of the attractions mentioned in the past. I have editorial control and have picked all of these events for inclusion.

Just to be awkward, all of the schools in North East England aren't off at the same time this year so my October Half Term guide runs from Friday 18th October - Sunday 3rd November. Please check your individual school holidays before booking anything.

If you're looking for more ideas for days out, why not join our FREE days out Facebook group here. 

Ready Camp Horsley Review : Glamping near LEGOLAND and Chessington World of Adventures

I booked a short break for us at the Camping and Caravanning Club site in Horsley, Surrey this summer. It cost £350 for 5 of us to stay in the 6-berth glamping tent from Monday-Friday. We picked this site as we wanted somewhere cheap to stay whilst visiting nearby Chessington, Thorpe Park and LEGOLAND. You can also bring your own tent, caravan or campervan here and electric hook-up is available. During the summer holidays, it was only £70 more for us to stay in a pre-pitched safari tent than bringing our own with electric hook up so for convenience, we went with the Ready Camp option. You can book online for Monday-Friday, Friday-Monday or Friday-Friday/Monday-Monday breaks. You pay £100 on booking and the balance six weeks before your trip.

Where to go Blackberry Picking in North East England

Blackberry picking is one of Jack's favourite pastimes - he loves it and asks continuously if we can go as soon as he spots the first green berries on the bushes during our walk home from school. It's something that our grandparents and parents did and a tradition I'm keen to pass on and keep alive.

Theatre with Teens : The Hound of the Baskervilles Tour Review

We were invited along to press night.  Photography Credit : Topher McGrillis

Welcome to the second instalment of 'Theatre with Teens'. Harry turns 13 next week (eeek!) and as we both love theatre, we slipped off to enjoy a mother-son evening at Northern Stage this week to celebrate a little early. 

How to Explore Durham's Dark Skies with Kids this Autumn

This is an advertisement feature

Did you know, the North Pennines Area Of Outstanding National Beauty, part of the Durham Dales, has more recognised Dark Sky Discovery Sites than any other part of the UK? If you've not managed to see a truly dark sky yet, you really are missing a treat and it's a wonderful, magical and exciting thing to see for all ages and something you could never get bored of. Autumn is a perfect time to experience Durham's Dark Skies and there are lots of events taking place across the region for you to get involved with:

Shepherd's Retreats Review - Dog-friendly Glamping in Northumberland

Post features a press stay with Shepherd's Retreats. I have not been paid to write this & Sheperd's Retreats had no control.

Shepherd's Retreats are two Shepherd's Huts in Northumberland. Situated within walking distance of Beadnell (home to a lovely pub, glorious dog-friendly beach with plenty of watersports, restaurant and shop) and a short drive from Bamburgh and Seahouses, they're an ideal base for exploring some of the best parts of the Northumberland coast. 

The Best Hotel Suite in Newcastle?

We're the kind of people who are happy to splash out on a super luxury hotel for a special occasion yet equally as likely to bunk up in a Travelodge. When looking for places to stay, it's all about value for money for us.

20+ Halloween Events in North East England

I won't be publishing my October Half Term guide until the first week in October but lots of you have been asking for Halloween Event Ideas and are looking to book something now so I thought I'd put together a quick guide to some of the region's best events. Please note I may have worked with some of the attractions mentioned in this post in the past but nobody has asked or paid to be included in this guide.

I'll try and add to this guide as I spot new events and look out for my full guide to October Half Term which will be published during the first week of October. If you'd like more ideas for events taking place or would like to post your own recommendations, why not join my North East Days Out Facebook Group? It's free and a lovely community of over 4000.

You can join here.  (you can also advertise your own events in this group every Friday)

10 Reasons to Book a Festive Film Experience at Tyneside Cinema this Christmas

Advertisement 

1 - You're Supporting an Important North East Charity 

Tyneside Cinema is the North East's leading specialised cinema and digital arts venue with an interesting history. It's been an institution in Newcastle City Centre since 1937 and has been going for a lot longer than Fenwick's Window. As a registered charity and independent arts venue, I would like  Tyneside Cinema to be enjoyed for generations to come and always feel that Christmas is a time where I want to give my money to charities and independent businesses when I can. Booking a festive experience at Tyneside Cinema does just that and gives you all the festive feels.

Date Night at Cote Brasserie Newcastle (with kids in tow)

Advertisement

If we're not travelling, Saturday nights are pretty much always the same for us. We'll order a takeaway or cook a family meal and relax in front of the TV. It's very rare that I'd make plans to head out on a Saturday night these days. But as the summer holidays were drawing to an end, I realised that I'd resorted to popping my hair in a 'mum bun', not wearing any make-up and wearing my 'comfy' clothes for the last few weeks. Not that there's anything wrong with this of course but I was craving an excuse to dress up. 

2019 - A Summer Holiday to Remember

I set up my blog to help families enjoy days out together and record our own memories and experiences. We've had such a busy summer this year and I know I'll want to look back on the fun we had in years to come so apologies that this post is a bit of an indulgent post. This is the 4th summer I've been a work-at-home parent with the kids full time in the summer holidays and the first time I feel like I've finally got the juggle of work and fun just right. There's been a perfect mix of childcare sessions, family time and days out home too.

We have worked with some of the attractions and brands mentioned in this post but nobody has paid or asked to be included in this post. 

A Weekend Exploring Seaham Beach & Durham's Heritage Coast

This post features a press stay at the Seaton Inn Lane. All other costs were covered by ourselves. I have not been paid to write this post and the Inn Collection have had no editorial control.

It's no secret that I love our beaches here in Northumberland. They go on forever, are beautiful and sandy and are always so quiet and peaceful. Because of this, I've never really had any inclination to explore any of the other beaches in our region and just preferred to visit my same old favourites again and again.

Air Trail Tees Barrage Review

During our stay at The King's Head Inn, I was looking for things to do in the Teesside/Stockton-On-Tees area before climbing Roseberry Topping. We ended up visiting Guisborough Forest Walk, RSPB Saltholme and the Air Trail at Tees Barrage. All of these attractions are fairly close together and it's a good idea to combine a couple of attractions and make a day of visiting the area. The Tees Valley really impressed me with how many low-cost 'outdoorsy' experiences they have available to families and I'd definitely say that Air Trail deserves its place in my list of 'Best Family Days Out in North East England'.

A Low-Key (ish) Hen Party in Marbella

We spent three nights in Marbella (well it was actually Puerto Banus but I'm not going to split hairs) for Katie Jane Online's hen party at the end of June. Katie has had a house in the area for as long as she can remember, has lots of happy memories and friends here and couldn't wait to show us around.

13 Reasons to Visit Windermere Jetty with Kids

Windermere Jetty covered our expenses but have not paid/asked for this post and have had no editorial control. 

I am always saying we need to visit the lakes more often - it's only a couple of hours drive from where we live in Newcastle and such a gorgeous part of the world. This year I promised we'd make at least one trip over there and on an overcast and windy day in the summer holidays, we travelled across the Pennines to explore Windermere Jetty.

Can You Guess Britain's Favourite Florida Holiday?

This is an advertisement feature

Our trip to Florida in 2017 was one of the best holidays of our lives and something which we still regularly talk about. We LOVE a bit of Florida chat in our house so when Ocean Florida asked me to take and share their quiz to try and guess Britain's Favourite Florida Holiday, I did not need to be asked twice. The quiz is based on actual customer data from bookings made with Ocean Florida over the past 5 years.

8 Reasons Les Misérables At Newcastle Theatre Royal Is Not To Be Missed

We were invited along to press night.

Throwback to 2012 - I was a parent to three children aged 2,3 and 6 and nights out with the girls were few and far between. One such night out vividly sticks in my head and that's when I escaped to the cinema with my friends to see Les Miserables. At this point, I had no idea about the story or what to expect and was just happy to get out of the house (my friend was a huge fan and begged us all to go with her). 

10 Reasons to Visit Woodhorn Museum (A Review)

Woodhorn is a former coal mine, museum and heritage centre near Ashington in Northumberland. It's super easy to get to (just off A189), especially if you are travelling along the Northumberland coast. Parking is free and an annual pass is just £7 for adults (£6.50 if buying multiple at the same time) or £6 for OAPs and students. Under 16s are admitted free of charge. We're annual pass holders and have probably visited Woodhorn 20+ times over the years. We love it and think it provides excellent value for local families. Here's why we recommend a trip:

Top Tips for Surviving Year 6 at School (& Smiggle giveaway)

This post features a mix of product placement with Smiggle and products we bought ourselves.

Year Six is a big year for many children. In Northumberland's two-tier system, you are the oldest children in the school which comes with added responsibilities, it's the final year of Primary school and you may be saying goodbye to some of your closest friends if they're off to a different Secondary School, there's the anxious wait to see if you've been accepted to your first choice Secondary School, transition days to survive and that's before we even mention Key Stage 2 SATs. I've been through all of this with Harry a few years ago and now it's Heidi's turn to face the challenge that is year 6.

Climbing Roseberry Topping with Kids

*This post includes accommodation and meals provided by The King's Head Inn. I have not been paid to write this post and The King's Head have had no editorial control.

Steve and I are both overweight and definitely not the fittest of people but we try not to let that get in the way of our adventures and really enjoy exploring the great outdoors with the kids. A few weeks ago, our sense of adventure took us to Newton-Under-Roseberry and the Tees Valley and if you followed our weekend on Social Media, you'll know we packed loads in. I was really impressed with just how much this area has to offer adventure-loving families and if you like to keep active with the kids in tow, I'd recommend planning a similar trip. You can watch highlights from our trip over on my Instagram stories here. 

One Last Winter of School Runs

(Ad - this post includes a collaborative giveaway with Treads)

Where does the time go? Seriously where does it go? The last 10 years of my life have involved factoring the school run into my daily routine. From driving Harry to his nursery class on his first day of school from our flat in Wallsend and later struggling on crutches whilst pregnant (with Jack) with a baby Heidi in tow to drop Harry at reception and then later moving to Cramlington and learning to survive the 1 hour round trip (walking) in all weathers, I feel like I've more than done my time.

Exploring the Southern Merlin Theme Parks with Tweens

We bought Merlin Annual Passes this year which allow us access to over 30 UK Merlin Attractions across the year free of charge. We have two premium and three standard passes and pay around £50 per month. I intend on making the most of them and getting our money's worth (we've already saved £900) so planned a trip down south for us to visit the Southern theme parks this summer. You can read more about paying monthly for a Merlin Annual Pass here.

11 Top Tips for Visiting Brighton with Kids

Brighton is somewhere I have always wanted to visit (I blame watching too many Location, Location, Locations in my early 20s). I am so pleased that we finally made a trip in July 2019 with our children aged 8,10 and 12. It's a place that really lived up to my expectations and somewhere we will definitely return to at some point. I just wish it wasn't so far away from us here in Northumberland. Today I am sharing 11 top tips which I hope will help you to plan a trip of your own.

9 Reasons To Visit The Sill in Northumberland National Park

The Sill is the 'National Landscape Discovery Centre'. Situated in Northumberland National Park next to Twice Brewed Inn and close to Sycamore Gap, the Sill is a perfect spot to visit as part of a wider day out exploring Hadrian's Wall (Vindolanda, Chester's Roman Fort and Housesteads are all within 10 miles). Probably not a contender for the best family days out in North East England, but still definitely worth a visit. I'd recommend planning to spend around an hour here with children, perhaps a little longer if you tend to read every single exhibit/take your time or plan on enjoying a bite to eat.

Elmer's Great North Parade App, Trail & What's On

This post will be updated across the year as we complete parts of the parade. This first update (at the beginning of August) is designed for information only.

A Short Break at Cameron Lodges, Loch Lomond

Ad - This post features a press trip with Cameron Lodges

11 of the Best Hotels in (or near) County Durham

I'm a #Durham19 regional ambassador this year and I'm really enjoying spending more time exploring the region. I have not been paid/compensated to write this post (although I have worked with some of the hotels in mentioned in the past) but I really wanted to share some of the wonderful places you can stay when visiting the region.

20 Features All Hotel Rooms Should Have

I've stayed in lots of hotel rooms over the years yet I'm still to find a room which ticks every single box for me. Here's a quick run-down of the 20 features I think all hotel rooms should have.....

Seaton Delaval Hall is Open for Business

This is an advertisement feature

Seaton Delaval Hall is one of our favourite days out across North East England. Times are changing though and thanks to a £3.7 million injection of cash from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the estate is now entering a new chapter of its life. The fund is bringing new life to Seaton Delaval Hall with lots of exciting plans including a brand new play area and cafe as well as ensuring important restoration and repair work can take place so that the Hall can be enjoyed for generations to come.

Elevate your next BBQ with these simple recipes

This is an advertisement feature 

We're well into BBQ season now and if you fancy a change from burgers or sausage sandwiches, I'm sharing a couple of ideas which will elevate your next BBQ into something pretty special with minimal fuss.

I'm working with Scotty Brand on this post who are celebrating their nationwide listing with Asda for their farmed Ayrshire potatoes, joining their strawberries and raspberries which launched earlier in the summer. More about Scotty Brand and why they are so special below but first, here are a couple of recipes to try at your next BBQ. They are both simple to make yet look super impressive and taste delicious too.

A Short Break in North East England with Parkdean Resorts #BestOfBritain

This is an advertisement feature

If you're looking for inspiration for your next family holiday, Northumberland is a brilliant option. I have partnered with Parkdean Resorts for their #BestOfBritain campaign which aims to promote all of the wonderful days out and experiences you can enjoy across Britain. Why not follow the hashtag for more inspiration and share your own photos featuring days out and adventures to help inspire others too? 

Harestanes Park & Cafe, Jedburgh

I've been wanting to visit Harestanes Park since it's grand re-opening earlier this year and our drive home from Scotland provided the perfect opportunity. Located just outside of Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders, Harestanes is only 60 miles from Newcastle and should take around 90 minutes to drive. The route along the A696 and A68 is lovely and scenic and I'd recommend Harestanes as a place to spend a day out on its own or as an ideal stop off on the way to or from Scotland.

For more ideas for days out, please join my Facebook group here: UK Days Out Reviews & Recommendations

5 Outdoor Swimming Pools within a 2 Hour Drive of Newcastle

I asked over on my Facebook page if Haltwhistle Outdoor Pool was worth a visit and it was a resounding yes (click here to read the responses). A few people mentioned cheaper alternatives though so I decided to put them together in one handy post. Let's hope we have the weather for it this summer! Let me know in the comments if you have any outdoor pool recommendations too. 

An A-Z Guide to Coral Island, Blackpool

This is an advertisement feature

Coral Island is Blackpool's largest free admission indoor attraction. There is loads of pirate-themed fun to enjoy for all ages. From traditional 2p machines and Bingo to the latest VR games and Camel Derby, there's plenty to keep you entertained & Kids Eat Free at all of Coral Island's restaurants too. Conveniently located on Blackpool Seafront just by the tower, it's a brilliant destination to head to for a bite to eat and some family fun.

As there's just so much to do here, I have decided to put together a handy A-Z guide featuring just some of the fun you can have at Coral Island Blackpool. You can find out more over on their website here:  https://www.coralisland.co.uk/

A Short Break in Leeds with Holidays by National Express

This is an advertisement feature

At the start of July, we spent the weekend in Leeds and had such a lovely time. We booked through Holidays by National Express who offer fantastic value short breaks around the UK. We decided to visit Leeds.

The Ultimate Guide to What's On in the North East for Kids | Summer Holidays 2019

Welcome to my guide to what's on in North East England over the school holidays this summer. If you're looking for more ideas or visit somewhere and would like to share with others, please join and post in my UK Days Out Facebook group here. We'll be out and about most days and the best place to see what we're up to is over on Instagram Stories here.

Falling Foss Tea Garden (near Whitby)

I'm not sure where I first read about Falling Foss Tea Rooms but it's been on my list of places to visit in North Yorkshire for what feels like forever. I'm so pleased we made the trip recently as it is such a natural beauty spot and a real hidden gem.

Kynren 2019 & A Summer of Historic Events | #Durham19

This is an advertisement feature.

I'm delighted to announce that I've been asked to be a regional ambassador for #Durham19 this year - an unmissable year in Durham packed with festivals, events, exhibitions, performances and openings. There is a packed programme of events taking part across the region and I am so excited to be part of it. Across the year, I'll be sharing some of Durham's top family days out and activities and I kicked things off in style with a trip to watch a rehearsal of Kynren, An Epic Tale of England and take a peek at their plans for this year's shows ahead of their season launch on 29 June.

Driving An Electric Car - #WhyNot Give It A Try?

This is an advertisement feature

We were recently given the opportunity to drive an Ultra Low Emissions Electric Vehicle and share our experience with you all. Our vehicle of choice was the super stylish Audi e-tron which was kindly provided by Lookers for the weekend. If you're interested in what it's really like driving an electric vehicle, read on. I'm sharing the ups and downs and lessons learned in this post. #WhyNot try an electric vehicle yourself? I'm almost certain you'll be pleasantly surprised.

11 Top Tips for taking the Newcastle-Holland DFDS Ferry with Kids

I've taken two return ferry trips to Holland from Newcastle with the kids in tow and a handful of shorter trips (eg Sunderland Airshow) with DFDS Seaways over the years and thought it might be helpful to share a couple of tips I've picked up along the way.

A Weekend Break at Bosrijk Village, Efteling

Efteling is Holland's largest theme park. This fantasy-themed theme park is filled with magic and features elements around myths, legends, fairytales and magic. Efteling is super popular and the third-most visited theme park in the world. I can certainly see why. We absolutely LOVED our visit and would highly recommend to everyone who still believes in magic.

11 of the Best Train Trips from Newcastle with Kids

We love travelling by train and I've lost count of the number of train trips I've taken with the kids over the years. Travel by train is often faster, is definitely less hassle and offers benefits such as 2 for 1 entry to certain attractions when you travel by train (see one of my previous posts linked at the bottom of this post for details). We wouldn't be without our friends and family railcard and for just a small fee, you can save 1/3 off adult rail fares and 60% off kids tickets throughout the year. Find out more about friends and family railcards here (affiliate link).

Affordable Electric Motoring with the New MG Electric Car

This is an advertisement feature. Please note this article was written prior to us test driving another electric vehicle. 

Like many people my age, I don't know much about driving electric cars. I've researched them a little bit but there are still so many questions I'd like to know the answer to. Can I fit an electric charging point to my garage? How many miles can I drive before I run out of battery? Am I likely to run out of battery and what happens if I do? How many charging points are there around the county? What about driving abroad?  How much money will I save by using an electric car? Are electric cars just as powerful as traditional cars? Will driving an electric car really make a difference to the environment? How long do electric cars take to charge? So many questions!

How to spend an evening in St Ives with kids

During our February Half Term trip to Cornwall this year, so many of you recommended a trip to St Ives so I planned an evening here with the family. Although our visit was short and the weather was very overcast, I am so pleased we made time to pop by as I fell in love with the place. Next time we visit Cornwall I'll be planning an extended stay in this area. I'd love longer to enjoy the beautiful beach, spot seals by the harbour, explore the cobbled streets, independent boutiques and cute restaurants. We spent a couple of hours in St Ives, here's what we got up to.......

The Ultimate Guide to Staying at Duinrell with Eurocamp

This is an advertisement feature. Eurocamp provided our accommodation, we paid for everything else mentioned. The post also contains affiliate links.

Duinrell is a theme park and waterpark with over 40 attractions near Amsterdam and The Hague in Holland. You can stay on-site and one of the companies providing accommodation here is Eurocamp. If you stay on-site, you are provided with unlimited access to the theme park which is fantastic for families. The location is also perfect for exploring the Netherlands. We stayed during May Half Term 2019 and had such a wonderful time. I'd highly recommend Duinrell to families looking for a good value holiday with plenty to do and staying here is a fantastic alternative to a traditional beach holiday if you fancy something a little different. Today's post is a long one but I hope it answers all of the questions we had during our trip. You can find out more about Duinrell, check prices and book online here. 

The Best Family Days Out in North Yorkshire

We love North Yorkshire and I reckon I've probably visited over 100 times throughout my life. It's not too far from where we live in Northumberland so achievable as a day trip yet it feels far enough away to be an adventure and full day out. In this post, I've put together some of our favourite days out in North Yorkshire over the years and added a few recommendations from other bloggers too. Let me know if you have any to add to the list.

Solve your Phone Memory Problems with SanDisk

This is an advertisement feature 

I love my Google Pixel 2 (android) phone and I'm upgrading it to the Pixel 3 this week (yeah) but despite my phone offering unlimited cloud storage for photos I've taken, I still find myself running out of actual phone storage on a regular basis. It always happens at the worst moments too like when I'm just about to capture a perfect action shot, go to take the photo only for my phone to flash up that I've run out of internal memory and I have to sit down and sulk while I delete some photos from my phone to free up some space, knowing that I've already missed the perfect shot.

Driving Our Car in the Netherlands | Our Experience & Tips

This is an advertisement feature 

I never thought we'd be the kind of family who drives abroad. We never did this kind of holiday as kids and the whole concept just seemed a little scary and alien to us. Then a few years ago, we were offered a job in Florida and one of the stipulations from the brand was that we had to be able to drive whilst over there. It was too good of an opportunity to miss so Steve stepped up. We hired a car and it was all good. 

Photos from the Fairytale Forest at Efteling

The Fairytale Forest at Efteling in the Netherlands is said to be the world's largest living picture book. Efteling is such a magical place and you can't help but be immersed in the magic of fairytales when you visit. I thought that my three children (aged 8, 10 and 12) may be a little too old to visit the Fairytale Forest but it turns out you're never too old for fairytales and we all had a magical time and really enjoyed this part of the park.

Super Hero Science & Marvel Universe LIVE! Selfie Competition at Life

This is an advertisement feature (photo credits : Tony Hall) 

Marvel Universe LIVE! is heading to Newcastle's Utilita Arena for the first time this November. Expect Spider-Man, The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange & more as they race against time to recover the Wand of Watoomb before Loki gains control. You can find out more about Marvel Univers LIVE! and book tickets here.