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

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