Keeper's Cafe - Dipton

We are always on the look out for new places to visit when out and about with the family. A friend recommended we try Keeper's Cafe in the small village of Dipton in Durham. Located near Tanfield Railway and Gibside it is a lovely place to visit for a bite to eat when in the area (there's also plenty of free parking).

Play area

We chose to sit at a table towards the rear of the building next to a lovely children's play area. I was really impressed with the quality (and cleanliness) of the toys available - lots of wooden toys, books and play food. Our children happily played together whilst we enjoyed a cup of Pumphery's coffee in peace.

Food

The menu is fairly extensive with platters, jacket potatoes, paninis, salad bowls and homemade soups and daily specials available alongside homemade scones, cakes and bakes. I love how locally sourced products feature - you will find delicious wheelbirks ice cream, coffee from pumphreys and bacon and sausage from Knitsley Farm Shop. Gluten free bread is also available on request.

The children's options were very good value with a freshly made sandwich, apple slices, yoghurt and a fruit shoot costing only £3.50.

I decided to go for a sausage sandwich (£3.75) - What can I say, I just can't resist a farm shop sausage! Steve opted for a Goats cheese and beetroot panini (£5.75 including salad, crisps and coleslaw).

My sausage sandwich was possibly the best I've ever eaten and I can't believe it was less than £4. Steve's panini was also perfect and everyone had clean plates all round.

We could not resist popping to the cake counter and were impressed with the selection available. The Turkish Delight Chocolate Brownies caught our eye and after sampling a taster from the counter we decided to order three between the five of us.

Mmmm it's been a while since I've eaten a homemade brownie - they are certainly 100% better than anything shop bought! These were still a bit gooey inside and not too rich either.

Local Gifts

You will find lots of gorgeous local gifts around the counter - in fact I would describe this place as an Aladdin's cave. If I didn't have three rather crazy children with me I could have browsed for hours. It is really important to me to shop local where possible and I fell in love with most of the gorgeous gifts on display - I will certainly be back to make a purchase soon!

Keeper's Cafe is clearly keen to integrate into the local community. The staff were wonderful and ever so friendly, stopping to chat and check everything was ok for all of the customers in the cafe. The place was bustling on a Saturday lunchtime which is certainly a good sign. The cafe has also hosts several events from family story telling to jewellery making. Check out their facebook page for details.

We thoroughly enjoyed our family lunch at Keeper's Cafe and will be back when we are next in the area. If you are looking for inexpensive, homemade, locally sourced food with a play area to keep children entertained, I would recommend a trip.

Opening times and directions available here:-  http://www.keeperscafe.co.uk/

I hope you have found this post interesting. If you have we would really appreciate it if you could spare 20 seconds to vote for North East Family Fun in the Best Family Fun category of the MAD Blog Awards. We are one of six finalists in our category and every vote counts! Voting closes 26th June. You can vote using the link below. Thank you!

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I'm a travel blogger and I have a problem.........

I have been blogging for over two years now and over that time our niche has turned out to be travel blogging. Our family is always ready for an adventure and it is lovely that our suitcases no longer live in the loft and are only brought out once a year. In comparison, it now feels like I spend most of our life living from a suitcase (not that I'm not complaining). We have one suitcase that permanently lives at the bottom of our bed and a travel case always stands at the bottom of our stairs 'just in case'.

In the last few months we've enjoyed a couple's break in a swanky hotel, a family trip to Amsterdam with DFDS Seaways, a few nights in a cottage, a glamping trip and a long weekend in Kielder alongside numerous day trips and days out. All of these trips require luggage of some description. Yes, I know I could use the same case for every trip but this would be boring and it would appear that I have developed a slight obsession with luggage! I now seem to have the ideal bag or case for every type of trip.

In the last few weeks alone I have purchased new luggage from Tesco, bought new luggage tags for us all and picked up a new rucksack for day trips (despite us owning a substantial rucksack collection already - see below for just a snapshot of those we own).

Some women have a weakness for shoes, some for make up and some for homeware. It appears I have developed a weakness for buying luggage. Surely I'm not alone in this? I'd love to hear if anyone else just can't help themselves when they see a new suitcase or carry on bag?? Don't tell anyone, but I have my eyes on these adorable bags for the kids next.

The Penguin Parade, Pandas and Dinosaur Fun at Edinburgh zoo

Last weekend when Steve was at work I took the kids on a road trip to Edinburgh Zoo. The Zoo is very easy to get to from the North East - pretty much straight up the A1. We left at 8am and arrived at the zoo for 10:15am. We had a lovely day and didn't leave until 5pm. A trip is definitely achievable in a day.

The Pandas

You need to pre-book to see the Pandas  and are given a separate ticket (no additional cost). We decided on the 11 am slot and headed to see the Pandas first (they are fairly close to the entrance). Unfortunately the Pandas were sleeping during our visit (I am told this is their favourite hobby) however it was still lovely to see them and there was a guide there who provided lots of information.

A trip to Edinburgh Zoo is very educational and as we left the Panda enclosure we learned all about their habitat and the bamboo that they eat.

Dinosaurs Return

My four year old is not keen on walking up hills so we caught the courtesy bus from the main reception up to Dinosaurs Return.  My children are dinosaur mad and were thrilled with this exhibition - walking amongst moving dinosaurs that towered above them was certainly memorable! We loved the fact boards too.

At the top of the hill we enjoyed the view and spotted zebras, lions and tigers. Although they were mostly sleeping it was still an amazing experience to see them in real life. We also got to see the cutest koalas which I believe are the only ones in the UK.

There are a few experiences that we could walk through and really get close to the animals including the wallabies, pelicans (although closed for maintenance on our visit) and some of the monkeys. Yes we are the family that had to hop past the wallabies and pretend we were one of them!

Another real highlight for us was the Budongo Trail. The chimps were captivating to watch and there was so much information to read and learn and compare how human-like they actually are.

The Penguin Parade

The Penguin Parade was the highlight of our day. I loved how the Penguin Parade is completely voluntary. The keepers explained that they would never coerce or entice the penguins out with food and it is 100% their choice if they would like to take part. There is currently one parade per day so make sure you head down to Penguin Rocks early to get a good vantage point. We loved watching the penguins toddle past.

After the parade we decided to explore Penguin Rocks a little further. The Penguins at Edinburgh Zoo are housed in Europe's largest outdoor penguin pool and there were plenty of spots to watch the penguins and learn about their behaviour.

Lunch Time

There are a fair few dining choices  at the zoo including picnic areas if you wish to bring your own food as we did (you can hire a locker for £1 deposit at reception if you don't want to carry it around with you). There are also a few play parks dotted about which are perfect when the grown ups need to stop for coffee.

For the rest of our day we enjoyed watching baby Rhea's, the Capuchins, Drill, Meerkats, Lemur, Reptile House and Birds of Prey to name but a few.

You can check out more of the fun we had in our short video highlights below:-

Need to Know

*On site Car parking is charged at £4 per day.

*Tickets are priced at £17 per adult, £12.50 per child and under 3's are free. Family discounts are available (click here for details)

*The Zoo is open daily from 9am-6pm throughout the Summer (times here)

*Make sure you check out the daily keeper talks 

*Pick up a zoo map from the Zoo reception as the signage can be confusing at times

We loved our day at Edinburgh Zoo and hope you enjoyed this post. As you may be aware we are one of six blogs to make the finals of this years MAD Blog Awards in the BEST FAMILY FUN category. We would really appreciate your vote if you can spare 20 seconds - 

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A short break at Waterside View Cottage - Alnmouth, Northumberland

Alnmouth is a picture perfect village on the Northumberland coast where you will find the most beautiful dog friendly beach which just goes for miles and miles. During our stay at Waterside View Cottage in June, the beach was mostly deserted and we had the place to ourselves which was simply glorious.

Waterside View Cottage

Waterside View Cottage is one of a handful of properties on a private estate overlooking Alnmouth. With two spacious bedrooms and lounge, the property can comfortably sleep 6 people and is dog friendly too.

Designed to be a comfortable home from home, Waterside View Cottage has been furnished with carefully sourced antiques from the neighbouring town of Alnwick with style and comfort being of the highest priorities. We loved the old record player with a wicker basket full of records, the antiques chest in the heart of the living room which was home to the a traditional backgammon set, a distressed side table which was home to a selection of vintage binoculars and the gorgeous reading chair perfectly situated looking out of the lounge window.

Although the outdoor space isn't enclosed, it is very private and there is so much space for BBQ's or your children to run around. There are deckchairs, outdoor seating and BBQ's provided and I could not resist working outside for the day with a view like this!

View of Alnmouth from just outside cottage

My outdoor office 

Absolutely everything is provided for your stay from a modern kitchen with dishwasher and washing machine, to comfortable beds and two wonderfully clean bathrooms with miniature toiletries. You can even order home-cooked local food to be delivered straight to your door or arrange a private chef during your stay via Taste of Northumberland. 

One of the features we adored about Waterside View Cottage was the fact that the outside could be brought inside with a sliding door that you could fully open onto the outdoor terrace which was the perfect place to enjoy morning coffee in the sunshine.

Out and about

Alnmouth is a short 15 minute walk away or 2 minutes in the car. Here you will find a few friendly pubs, a nice selection of restaurants, tearooms and independent shops. We stopped for tea and cake at The Village Tearoom which is highly recommended. Lovely friendly service and delicious home cooked food.

The market town of Alnwick is less than 5 miles away where you will find some of the Country's top family attractions - Alnwick Castle, Alnwick Garden and Barter Books to name a few.

The fishing village of Amble is just a few miles South of Alnmouth and a lovely place to spend a few hours. A visit to their craft shops around the harbour and fish and chips are a must.

Finally, the chocolate box village of Warkworth is only 4 miles from Waterside View Cottage. Warkworth Castle is one of our favourites in the region - the views out to sea are impressive and there is always lots to explore.

We loved our stay at Waterside View Cottage and think it is a perfect base for a Northumberland break for families with school-aged children. Our top five highlights were:-

*Stunning sea views

*An abundance of space both inside and out in a private, quiet location

*Easy access to the beach, Alnmouth and Northumberland
*A home from home atmosphere with everything provided

*Quirky antiques and talking points such as record players, chess sets and vintage sewing machines

If you would like more information or to book, please contact Simone via Owners Direct. You can also like Sefton House (a sister property in Alnmouth) on facebook here - Sefton House. 

One Final Note, North East Family Fun are finalists in the National MAD blog awards. If you have enjoyed this post, please spare 20 seconds to select NE Family Fun in the Best Family Fun category here:- http://www.tots100.co.uk/vote    Thank you :D xxxx