UK festival of rescue

 Hi Everyone,

The UK Festival of Rescue kicks and it looks awesome. This is a free event that runs from 8am -5pm on the Newcastle and Gateshead Quaysides today and tomorrow (17th and 18th Sept).

The event is hosted by Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service and is being held in partnership with all five local authorities of Tyne and Wear with each authority supporting one of the UKRO challenges.  

There will be over 300 competitors from 25 UK fire services battling it out across 5 exciting disciplines:

• Vehicle Extrication (in partnership with Newcastle City Council)  

• Trauma Care (in partnership with Gateshead Council)

• Urban Search and Rescue (in partnership with Sunderland, UK)

• Rope Rescue (in partnership with South Tyneside Council)

• Water Rescue (in partnership with North Tyneside Council)

The various sites will be open from 8am until 5pm with the activities taking place in areas including Newcastle Quayside; Spillers Wharf; Baltic Square; and Baltic Mill BALTIC Centre For Contemporary Art).

 

Big Kid Circus 2021

 Hi everyone,

We were lucky enough to go to the opening night of @bigkidcircusuk in Whitburn last night. 

Wow what a show! They have introduced tons of new content from the previous year including bmx and trial biking, knife throwing and stilt juggling. 

Of course, your favourites are back including the loveable clown Pepeluxo! who entertains the crowd throughout the night. We have to say our kids love Pepeluxo.

 

You can buy food including hotdogs, burgers, chips, popcorn and candyfloss. Along with the usual circus souvenirs, of flashy lights and balloons.

If you are looking for a fun night out with the family, look no further than Big Kid Circus which is in town until Sunday 19th September.

Puttstars York

 Hi everyone,

Whilst we were in York on Monday, we decided to go to the very impressive Puttstars York. This was such a fantastic place we decided to give it its own post. 

It is located right next to the York park and ride service so perfect for on the way there or back. This indoor mini-golf centre offers 3 fantastic courses under one roof called ZigZag, Slingshot and Pinball which sits above a huge bowling alley and arcade. The courses all have iPads at the beginning of each hole. These add a new spin to the traditional golf game. On these iPads you record the score from the previous turn which turns the score to points. You also get 2 "Jokers" to play before your turn on each course which doubles your points. Great for the competitive individuals, you know who you are! 👉🏆

Throughout the courses you'll find a huge range of obstacles including a maze, double loop-de-loops, a Rube Goldberg machine and a multi-choice track to name a few.

The centre is well suited to both adults and families offering a range of offers including meal deals, Rounds & Drinks etc. They also have Gluten free options which is a huge plus in our eyes.  

We had such a great time here we will definitely be going back! Words cant truly do this business justice so take a look at these photos 😁

York

 Hi Everyone,

We visited York for the first time on bank holiday Monday and genuinely can't believe we haven't been before!

We drove down about an hour and half from South Shields then took advantage of the park and ride service which cost £5.50 for a family ticket and managed to secure those upstairs window from seats 😃.

As it was our first visit we stuck to the very touristy points of interest. York Minister which is absolutely massive and just breathtakingly impressive. It's definitely somewhere you have to visit to appreciate the grandure.

Next we headed toThe Shambles it is exactly like stepping into Diagon Alley from Harry Potter with some amazing shops. The Shop That Must Not Be Named is awesome and filled with Harry Potter goodies our daughters also enjoyed Enchanted Galaxy which was also filled with Harry Potter along with other fan favourite merchandise.

We walked along the York city walls that are so well preserved, they have fact boards along the route which really added to the experience and the views especially of York Minister are fantastic.

We wanted to give a massive shout out to York for just had good it is for gluten free food. Having a coeliac in the family can make finding somewhere to eat very tricky but we were actually spoilt for choice. We went to The York Roast Co. and Double Dutch Pancake House which were awesome but we did spot a few other places to.

We can't wait to visit again very soon!

Housesteads Roman Fort

 Hi Everyone,  

We've had a great time today at Housesteads Roman Fort  and Hadrian's Wall in Hexham.

 You can walk along Hadrian's wall for free but entry to the Fort and museum is chargable. However both National Trust and English Heritage members can visit for free.

 We did need to pre book to visit but there was plenty of availability so not a problem for our last minute adventure.  

When we arrived a tour of the fort had just started so we joined in and we were so pleased we did. Paul our guide was so informative and we learned so much about the fort and  Roman history in general. It was tailored very well to both children and adults. Our daughters really enjoyed it, especially learning about the Roman toilets!  

We took a walk along Hadrian's Wall after exploring the fort and enjoyed the stunning views. It is very picturesque and just amazing to think about how it was built.

We then visited the museum. It is quite small but that had lots of interesting artefacts and you could also purchase gifts and refreshments from inside.

 The walk to the fort and the wall is quite steep but not to taxing. We were told at the start that they do offer assistance to people who may struggle with the incline.  

Housesteads has a lovely cafe, a little play area, gift shop and toilets. We were even lucky enough to see some chicks nesting near the cafe. They do have a car park which is chargeable at £3 for the first 3 hours then £2 an hour there after with a max charge of £10.

#housesteadsromanfort #hadrianswall #hexham #romans #familywalks #history #nationaltrust #englishheritage

Alton Towers

 Hi Everyone,

We had an amazing time at Alton Towers  yesterday. We particularly enjoyed the new World of David Walliams zone, we would definitely recommend a visit to any fans of his out there.

Our youngest was able to ride Thirteen for the first time which she absolutely loved and we managed to ride most of the rides on our visit and have a trip to the dungeons so happy kids and adults at the end of the day. 

There are a few new retro rides at the park this year which were alot of fun, and the 80s rock tunes went down a treat.

The park was very busy so please do bare this mind if you plan a visit and are worried about covid. We managed to avoid most of the big crowds using the app but there are some points where this isn't possible.

#altontowers #familyfun #choochoo #screamifyouwanttogofaster #davidwalliams #theworldofdavidwalliams

Twycross Zoo

 Hi Everyone,

We've had a lovely day at Twycross Zoo . We were lucky enough to see many animals playing and having fun including orangutans, gorillas, chimps and giraffes to name a few.

As well as animals there are also play parks including a splash zone, food out let's, soft play and gift shop. Parking is onsite and free.

Twycross is also free for children who have a Blue Peter badge so definitely work checking that out if you plan a visit:

https://www.notboredoutdoors.co.uk/2020/04/blue-peter-badge.html

Richardson Dee's Park

 Hi Everyone,

We enjoyed a lovely day at Richardson Dee's Park today. We love how vast the park is with so much space to explore. There is a fabulous play area, skate park, cafe, toilets, gym, ponds, and tennis courts to enjoy also. This park is very easy to get to by car or metro (kids currently travel free on the metro) and ideal for a fun free family day out.

There is also a wonderful gluten free bakery close by #thelilytreebakery which we definitely recommend. It's about a 5 minute drive from the park.

You can read our full review from a previous visit here:

https://www.notboredoutdoors.co.uk/2020/06/richardson-dees-park.html

#richardsondeespark #northtyneside #freefamilyfun #kidsfreeonthemetro #parkdays #notboredoutdoors

St Mary's Lighthouse Rock Pools

 Hi Everyone,

We had a lovely morning exploring the rock pools and watching the many seals at St Mary's Island today. 

It's a gorgeous place to visit with plenty to keep you entertained for a good few hours at least. Nets and buckets can be purchased at the light house (£2 large net upto £2 for a bucket) or there are vans in the car park selling them to if you don't have your own. All day parking was only £3 so it really is a very cheap day out. There are toilets in the car park and plenty of food vans dotted about also.