Cuisine & Culture the Chinese Family Way
Let the Christmas magic begin! Last week, it was my son’s birthday and we decided to treat Mr K to a posh steak house restaurant in Birmingham before heading to the largest authentic German Christmas market outside of Germany and Austria – Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market! If you are planning to visit the market or shop around Bullring and you are looking for places to stay, why not check out Birmingham airport hotel.
If you are looking to do something fun this summer with children in the East Midlands, then you must visit Wicksteed Park which is located in Kettering! Wicksteed Park is not only a fun amusement park, but they also offer caravan and camping facilities on 16 acres (6.5 ha) of land right in the heart of the park. This park is packed with a mixture of traditional attractions and modern-day play equipment!
When you visit Blackpool, one of the most unmissable and must-visit places with children has got to be Coral Island! Coral Island is Blackpool’s largest indoor free-admission family-friendly attraction located at a prime area. It is directly opposite the beautiful Blackpool seafront, between Madame Tussauds and Sealife Blackpool by the Central Pier and right outside a massive car park! It is hard to miss, especially with its signature skull and crossbones! We love the place, especially my children. They could both camp there for the whole day if they were allowed!
This week, we saw the two new additions at the National Sea Life Centre Birmingham, friends Miley and Boo. These two fostered seals have just taken up residency in a specially engineered environment. We can watch them up close as they swim and play in their new home and discover more about how they take care of these amazing creatures from their Sea Life experts.
Stargazing Pods is Alton Towers Resort’s brand new accommodation that had just opened to the public on the 12th April 2019! These unique and cosy pods are set around a picturesque village where guests can embrace the outdoors and use the telescopes to look at the night sky with easy access to the theme park.
This Easter school holiday period, if you are heading towards Leicester with your family, then do check out this brand new CAPCOM GO! show at the National Space Centre’s planetarium! Last week, we were invited to experience CAPCOM GO! The Apollo Story which was produced by one of the world’s leading planetarium-specialist production companies NSC Creative, at the UK’s largest planetarium!
Ho! Ho! Ho! Let’s go to Drayton Manor, home of Europe’s only Thomas Land™, to experience its award-winning Magical Christmas with the Imagination Parade and fireworks until 31st December 2018 to really get into the spirit of Christmas!
Drayton Manor Park is a short car hop for us and we have become quite a regular visitor! Throughout the years, we have seen so many changes and improvements in the park which keeps us going back again and again.
From now until 7th January 2019, visitors at Twycross Zoo will have the chance to explore the world-famous Great Brick Safari with over 70 life-sized LEGO brick animals, showcasing 27 different species across the zoo. Twycross Zoo is set in an 80-acre site, caring for around 500 animals from over 125 species, located amongst the rural countryside in the heart of England, Leicestershire and it is easily accessed from major roads and motorways.
They are home to one of the largest primate collections in Europe and the only place in the UK, and one of four worldwide, where visitors can see all four types of Great Ape (gorilla, orangutan, chimpanzee and bonobo) as well as a wide collection of gibbons.
Experience our breathtaking universe documented in UK’s largest planetarium and explore this vast resource covering the fields of space science and astronomy at the award-winning National Space Centre! It is indeed a real eye opener for first-timers like my family and me.
Inflata Nation Birmingham has now opened their doors to the public! This £500,000 inflatable indoor theme park is located in Stechford Retail Park, which includes everything from a dedicated arena with its own slide and ball pool for under four year olds, to giant inflatable slides and an awesome two-lane assault course.
This place is great for family days out and can be enjoyed by all ages, shapes and physical ability. They also offer a variety of classes, such as fitness classes, disability friendly sessions, grown-ups only sessions, Inflata Tots sessions (just for pre-schoolers) and parties.
Things to do in Coventry for free! School holidays can be very expensive, especially with the amount of money you spend just on entrance tickets. So one of the things we always look out for is free events around the Midlands and one of the top things to do is to visit Coventry Transport Museum.
If you are looking for things to do in the Midlands this summer, then you must not miss out visiting Conkers! Conkers is a great family attraction at the heart of The National Forest, with indoor and outdoor play areas, interactive discovery zones, 4D cinema and an amphitheatre. Also not forgetting the Vertigo Adventures which was opened three years ago! Note that some activities will require booking at the Discovery Reception and extra fees may apply.
Last weekend, we were delighted to be part of the 10th Anniversary of Thomas Land press celebration which has been open at the popular Drayton Manor Theme Park since 2008! Did you know that since its installation, the Thomas engine, which journeys from Knapford Station to Tidmouth Hault, has travelled an incredible 13,799 miles in total? This is the equivalent to travelling from Scotland to London and back nearly 15 times!
Where would be the best place to learn about the history of brewing and what does Burtonisation mean? The answers can be found at the National Brewery Centre Museum! Not only can you learn about the history of brewing but you can also sample some of the best local ales on your way out. The National Brewery Centre also hosts a variety of live music and other events, including weddings throughout the year. Do check out their website for more details.
This Easter, Warwick Castle is celebrating their 950th anniversary and they had asked their visitors to send in their pictures of visits to the castle. Using all these images, they turned it into a mosaic of the castle’s founder, William the Conqueror. This special artwork installation is currently on display in their State Dining Room over the Easter holidays along with a host of other celebrations. This is a very beautiful mosaic indeed and there are so many photos that we didn’t manage to spot ours!
