Mummy & Moose
clapping, napping and yapping our way through the day

What to do in Portsmouth for the weekend

We absolutely love the south coast. When we aren’t stuck indoors during the holidays we like nothing more than taking a trip to the coast! Where better than the historic city of Portsmouth! Here are a few ideas for anyone wanting to fill a weekend.

What to do in Portsmouth for the weekend

Situated on the south coast, Portsmouth is one of the UK’s oldest harbour city. With a proud naval history, it’s home to the wooden warship HMS Victory, upon which Nelson died in the Battle of Trafalgar, as well as being the port from which the Mayflower set sail for the New World back in 1620.

It’s fair to say we all need a weekend away, and what better way to enjoy a weekend in Portsmouth than hopping on the train. With 37% of people of looking forward to exploring the UK and 31% enjoying travelling by train thanks to the beautiful views on offer, it’s time you planned your trip.

Whether you’re travelling by train to Portsmouth from London or Leeds, there’s no shortage of things to see and do in the pretty maritime city.

PORTSMOUTH

Emirates Spinnaker Tower

Standing proud on the entrance to Portsmouth harbour is the impressive Emirates Spinnaker Tower. Modelled to reflect the city’s maritime history, it’s the perfect observation tower to explore the landscape of the city.

Standing two and a half times the size of Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square it’s the tallest climbable structure outside the capital.

Canoe Lake

For a spot of old world glamour head to the Canoe Lake. With swan-shaped pedalos, Art Deco angel statue it’s the epitome of a Victorian seaside postcard picture.

For some good old fashioned fun, grab a bucket and fishing line and spend the morning catching crabs in the lake.

Gunwharf Quays

Shop ’til you drop in the designer outlet on the waterfront. Enjoy some al fresco dining by the sea and watch the glamorous yachts in the marina. With big names at small prices, it’s the perfect place to spend a few hours come rain or shine.

WOMAN SHOPPING

D-Day Museum

Discover the personal stories behind the Allied Invasion at the moving D-Day Museum. Telling the story from both a civilian and military point of view. It’s a moving museum that all the family will find interesting.

Recently enjoying a £5 million revamp, there are an additional three exhibition galleries, a café, and of course a gift shop.

Clarence Pier Amusement Park

One of the largest amusement parks on the south coast and boasting rides and amusements of all shapes and sizes the whole family can enjoy.

With traditional Arcades and a Pirate and Princesses Indoor Adventure Playground. As well as aerial high ropes, and spinning roller coasters, and of course plenty of places to eat and drink, it’s a great way to spend the day.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

A weekend in Portsmouth wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard. A visit to the dockyard takes you on a journey through time, allowing you to step on board some of the most world-famous ships.

There are multiple things to see and do so there’s something to suit the whole family.

Our stay at the Peninsula Hotel Guernsey

We were gifted our accomodation for the weekend in exchange for our review. All opinions are honest and our own. 

After crossing the channel on the Condor Liberation we found our home for the weekend on the North side of Guernsey at the Peninsula Hotel.

The Peninsula Hotel

With Moose leading the way, room key in hand, we soon found our room. Our generous family room had plenty of space. As well as 2 single beds for the children, there was a comfy double bed for MrG and I. It didn’t take long for us to settle in.

The Peninsula Hotel has plenty of facilities. As well as a laundry service, there is a self serve laundry room – useful if your children are as grubby as mine. Outside is a mini golf course and there is the option to hire bicycles, a great way to explore the island.

We absolutely loved the Peninsula Hotels outdoor swimming pool.

Moose and Bess are both total water babies so they were overjoyed to have the opportunity to take a dip. The pool isn’t massive but there is a shallow children’s section which was great for Moose.

The area around the pool is decked out with some tables and chairs and plenty of sun loungers. There is also a changing area which was useful and we found to be very clean.

The Peninsula Hotel has plenty of parking but is also really accessible by bus from St Peter Port. Set within 5 acres of gardens, the Peninsula hotel overlooks Grand Havre Bay on the north-west coast of the island.  The bay is just a short stroll over the sandy dunes and is well worth a visit for rock pooling or sandcastle building fun.

As well as the bay, the Peninsula Hotel is also a short walk from Rousse Tower.  One of 15 loophole towers built on Guernsey in the 1700’s, Rousse Tower 11 makes for an interesting point of interest close to the Peninsula Hotel. Both Moose and Bess enjoyed looking at the tower and the cannons on display. It made for an interesting after dinner adventure!

rousse tower

Eating at The Peninsula Hotel

We thought that the dining and bar areas of the hotel were beautifully styled. They were really relaxed environments and although I was a bit anxious about whether it would be child friendly. I needn’t have worried. All of the staff were excellent -especially with the children.

I won’t list everything we consumed during our stay at the Peninsula Hotel, I think that with food a photo is worth a thousand words (and with the amount of pics I take of my meals, that’s a truckload of words)

We were very kindly treated to half board dining during our stay. It was great to see that families were well catered for here.

The breakfast was a buffet. As well as a lovely selection of cereals, fresh fruit and pastries, there was also a delicious range of hot food available. It’s rare that such a breakfast comes with great coffee but the coffee at the Peninsula is spot on!

As we were half board we had a restricted menu to choose from. I say restricted but we were very happy with what we had to choose from. As you can see, both adults and children’s menus were varied.

Here is a selection of the adults dishes we tucked into during our stay

The children’s meals were great portion sizes and even the fussy 4 yr old enjoyed them!

Would we come back?

I would definitely stay at the Peninsula Hotel again. With spacious rooms for families, a great location being practically on the beach and plenty to do it’s a great choice for those travelling with or without little ones.

 

 

 

Our trip to Guernsey with Condor Ferries -No passports required

We were given ferry crossing and accomodation in return for writing this post. All opinions are honest and our own

Guernsey is somewhere that up until this year lived in my childhood memories. My maternal Grandad took me on holidays to the channel island every year until he sadly passed away when I was 8. This photo is one of the only ones I have from those Channel Island holidays.

Guernsey

It’s a photo of my Grandad and it was taken by me when I was about 5 years old. 1 photo and a million memories. We usually used to stay in the St Martin area of Guernsey at a hotel called Greenwoods which, I believe, is now a residential care home.

The hotel was white with green shutters.

It had a bar area with a cockatoo which occasionally spoke and a sitting room with board games. It was at Greenwoods that I learned to listen to my Grandads advice (there was an incident with a créme caramel).

Every holiday we would drive to the ferry port or the airport in his blue vauxhall cavalier called Vicky. The Everly Brothers would be playing loudly while we sang along. My Grandad would pack a box of sugarcubes which was a treat for me and any horses we would encounter. We would spend the week having cake and milkshakes in the cafes of St Peter Port and playing on the beautiful beaches. I would write postcards and always visit a nursery so I could send carnations home to my Mum.

I have a lot of wonderful memories of Guernsey

So, when I was asked if I would like to return to the island with my own family, I jumped at the chance. It was really easy to organise because you don’t even need a passport to travel to the Channel Islands from the Uk.

On our way

We were all really excited about sailing to Guernsey on the Condor Liberation. So excited in fact that it didn’t even cross my mind that we might not be great on boats. We were assigned what must have been the best seats onboard. Right at the front with stunning panoramic views.

 

Of course when it came to it we were all (except MrG) really quite seasick. It was such a rookie mistake not to have picked up sickness tablets – especially on such a rough crossing. Luckily because the crossing was so rough it appeared that most of the other passengers on the Liberation had the same sea sickness problem so we all chucked up together. Nothing much bonds a group of strangers as well as an experience such as this.

What an ice breaker..

Our seats were generous and as you can see we had lots of space to stretch our legs. We were seated in the Horizon Lounge section of the Liberation, right at the front of the vessel. The Horizon Lounge has a secure key code entry and lovely recliner seats. Each seat has a power supply and high speed wifi is available to purchase. The Horizon Lounge has superb views and it’s own bar. There was a great selection of food available on the Liberation but to be honest none of us could face it!

The crossing from Poole to Guernsey was around 3 and a half hours long and I had worried about how I would keep a 4 year old entertained for such a long time. I needn’t have stressed though, the children have a little area just for them with a television showing children’s movies. Moose made good use of this area as did many of the little ones onboard! As well as the children’s area we also explored the 2 outdoor decks and of course the duty free shop.

Back on dry land

Once we arrived at St Peter Port it was nice and easy to get off the liberation. We were all impressed with how quiet the Liberation was during the crossing and even more so with the staff. They looked after us all really well and made the whole journey an enjoyable (if not wobbly) experience.

We later learned that there was an issue with the stabilisers and one of the engines on the Liberation so I am sure that usually the crossing is a lot smoother.

During our stay we were being hosted at The Peninsula Hotel which had everything we could need for our 2 day stay including a fabulous dining room and bar and an outdoor swimming pool.

There is so much to do on Guernsey. We were pleased then that Visit Guernsey had provided us with a pass for some of the local attractions.

A weekend is not long but I knew I wanted us to visit the Little Chapel and to explore St Peter Port during our stay. We were lucky to be able to visit Fort Gray as well as a couple of the beautiful beaches over the course of our weekend too!

Would we do it again?

The answer here is an easy yes. Guernsey and the rest of the Channel Islands have tons to offer families. It was so lovely to be able to revisit places I had only seen as a child and experience them as a parent this time. It was nice to see my children getting so much enjoyment from simple pleasures. Over the 29 years since I last visited I was expecting a lot to have changed. Some has, of course. But much is just as it was when I was there with my Grandad. Except of course that now I have a LOT more photos.

NCS

Last year Col was finishing year 11 and looking for something to do for the summer. I happened across a post on social media showing teens getting stuck in to some outdoorsy activities. In the post, the teens were smiling. Actually smiling! Teens!

As any parent of teens can confirm, this is most unusual and as such it caught my eye. I read on. The post was an ad for a scheme called NCS and as it turned out, that post was about to become a big deal for our family.

The National Citizen Service (NCS)

In a time when a lot of what we see in the news are stories of division and intolerance and violence between people, bringing together young people from different backgrounds for a unique shared experience has never been more important. NCS was established in 2011 to help build a more cohesive, mobile and engaged society

This year more than 100,000 teenagers from different backgrounds will come together in common purpose on NCS. The two to four week programme which takes place during the summer holidays includes a week of outdoor team building exercises, a residential week at a university where teens can learn life skills, a community based project to encourage our young people to be more active within their local area and an end of programme celebration event.

 ncs celebration

In a nutshell, the programme:

  • Puts young people through a series of challenging activities to take them out of their comfort zones and develop their strength of character
  • Provides a progressive journey that hands over more responsibility to young people as the programme progresses and develops leadership skills necessary to succeed in the workplace
  • Enables young people to connect with their communities through social action. 

teambuilding

What’s the catch?

So as I was reading through the list of what was included and all of the benefits I had this niggle that it was going to cost an arm and a leg. I was wrong. 

NCS is amazing value for money. The whole experience including food, accommodation and travel costs just £50 and bursaries are available on a case by case basis. Support is also provided for young people with additional needs.

If you have family time planned already over the summer then worry not! NCS is nationwide so there are many dates to choose from. It’s easy to register your interest online and NCS will be able to find a time to suit your family. 

ncs

Our experience

Col got so much out of joining the 400,000 young people who have already taken part in the NCS programme. He was incredibly anxious about the first day but by the end of the first week he was really into it. 

Time spent with his peers, concentrating on upping his self esteem and getting to know not only many new friends but to get to know himself too was so important for him.

As a parent I think it is one of the best things Col has ever done. I saw a change in him right away and it was definitely a change for the better! I would urge other Mums and Dads to consider registering their child – I wish we could do it again but this is a one time only deal.

ncs first aid

Even though NCS can only be completed once, they are really focused on providing a way for previous participants to keep that mindset of social action. There is a section on their website dedicated to this and they even have an Action Day on March 17th where “Grads” can come together to bring social change to their local communities. 

I believe that encouraging our young people to consider their responsibilities to their local community is massively important and the NCS programme mentality will ultimately lead to a better country for all of us. This is an important initiative and anything that gets our teens out of their bedrooms and off their consoles has to be a good thing, right?

 REGISTER

 

nc yes

 

B&B La Dimora Degli Angeli Florence

Buzzoole

Travel has long been something which captures my interest and imagination.

We probably won’t have a ‘proper’ family holiday this year – but that doesn’t stop me thinking about and planning for the future! Sometimes far into the future, when the children have flown the nest and MrG and I are planning escapes on our own.

La Dimora Degli Angeli is a B&B situated in the heart of Florence which instantly catches the eye. Rooms here are all located on the fourth floor and lend themselves to a great view of the Duomo. The name of this boutique style accommodation is aptly translated into English as The Mansion Of Angels.

DOUBLE ROOM

The Decor

As you can see the stunning decor gives a definite boutique feel to the La Dimora Degli Angeli but all of the air conditioned double rooms come with an en suite bathroom and free wifi as standard making them as comfortable as they are stylish.

Owner Claudio has another equally stylish B&B, La Dimora del Centro, just around the corner overlooking Piazza della Repubblica

ROOM

Italy is such a beautiful country and Florence is no exception. With several outdoor pools to enjoy and history abound there are plenty of things to do. I love exploring old buildings so I think the duomo (Italian term for a cathedral) would definitely be on my must see list but for MrG it would be all about the food! Luckily Florence would not disappoint I am sure, I could imagine us dining al fresco or visiting one of the many gelato bars. 

We wouldn’t have far to go either because La Dimora Degli Angeli really is right in the heart of the action. Breakfast is not served at La Dimora Degli Angeli but rather you will be given vouchers to take to a choice of 2 local cafes. I quite like this idea – I would imagine it’s a great way for independent hoteliers and restaurateurs to support one and other while simultaneously introducing tourists to somewhere they may otherwise have missed!

 

La Dimora Degli Angeli does however have a tea room which is open to guests 24/7 giving access to coffee, tea and biscotti galore.

LAMP

I love the idea of stealing away to the heart of Italy’s Tuscany region but there is no way I would entertain the idea until the children have left home – this one would definitely be adults only! 

love 

Mummy & Moose

 

Collaborative post with La Dimora Degli Angeli