College Lake Wildlife Reserve

While camping at the weekend we stumbled across College Lake Wildlife Reserve. Located just outside Tring in Buckinghamshire it was such a fabulous discovery, an oasis of calm on the surface but teeming with activity and wildlife.

Operated by the Wildlife Trust, the lake is a former chalk quarry pit, now an outstanding centre for wetland birds, insects and wild flowers.

We strolled around the idyllic lake, stopping at the numerous bird hides along the way.  There are various different marked walks depending on the time you have available and year-round there's always something to see.

The noticeboards tell you some of the birds you might be lucky enough to spot - a chiffchaff, a skylark, peregrine, lapwing and cuckoos had all been seen recently.  We didn't have binoculars with us so bird spotting was a little difficult, but given that Ruby's Year 2 topic has been 'mini beasts' we decided to concentrate on looking out for them.  We weren't disappointed.

The lakeside is blessed with an abundance of beautiful metallic dragonflies and damselflies flitting about.  There are bees busy collecting pollen from the rare chalkland wild flowers, and it's a butterfly spotters dream.

There were plenty of staff and volunteers around to advise us what to look out for and help identify creatures we'd seen and the local regular visitors were more than happy to stop and chat, showing us their captures on their cameras.

The centre is free to visit (although they do welcome donations) and it costs £3 to park.  They ask you not to take scooters or bikes on site and no dogs because of the delicate wildlife.  It's a perfect place for a weekend stroll and if you check ahead there's often organised family activities or exhibitions on in the visitor centre.

It was the perfect place to instill a love of wildlife into children, and rekindle ours too.

You can have a pitstop in the cafe which served hot and cold drinks, ice creams and snacks although the sandwiches weren't much to write home about - I think we'd take a picnic next time!

Have you visited a Wildlife Trust site before?

Linking up with Animal Tales.

Town Farm Camp Site - A Peaceful Family Getaway

Sometimes you need to just get away from it all so camping close to home is ideal for a budget getaway, spending some time together, unwinding and getting back to nature.

Friday after school we headed off to Town Farm Camp Site for the weekend.  We'd tried to book in last summer but it's pretty popular in June and July, especially since featuring in the Cool Camping guide so if you fancy going do book up early.

If I'm honest, the main reason we wanted to stay here was because I'd heard you could walk to an amazing Pick Your Own farm from there and I loved the idea of spending the afternoon picking your own food then taking it back to camp and cooking it over the fire - the most minimal of food miles possible and as fresh as you can get.

We've actually been to Grove Farm Pick Your Own before and it's fabulous - it's not just strawberry picking. Grab a fork and a spade and dig your own spuds, pull your own carrots, snap your own rhubarb and pick your own spinach.

Sadly, the appalling spring weather meant it wasn't open yet (it's likely to open end of June now) and it turns out you can't actually walk there across the fields, although it is just a few minutes drive.

Still, we made the most of the weekend anyway and completely loved the campsite.

Set in the foot of the chalky Chiltern hills, this is the closest bit of 'mountainous' scenery to where we live.  Nestled just at the foot of Ivinghoe Beacon there's loads to explore on foot.

Despite the ominous looking clouds to start, it soon brightened up so we headed off five miles across fields and through forest to Ashridge National Trust Estate which is stunning to explore.  There's a visitor centre, shop and cafe there, and brilliant walks to be had through the forest.  Most weekends the memorial tower is open and for a fee of £2 per adult and £1 per child you can climb the spiral staircase to the top.  They'll lend you binoculars and a guide and on a clear day you can see The Shard and Wembley Stadium.

We discovered College Lake, a fabulous nature reserve just a few miles up the road from the campsite and well worth a visit.

There's so much to do nearby from exploring the windmill; the pretty villages of Ivinghoe and Pitstone; the canal; the fascinating zoological museum at Tring; Whipsnade Zoo and Wendover Woods.

On the campsite itself there's a well equipped children's playground, table tennis table and hard tennis court.  There's acres of space to run around and play ball games, fly kites and play tag.  There's always new friends to be made on camping trips.

Us grown-ups were happy to sit and relax, watching the swallows skit and swoop by, with the sound of lambs in the background from nearby fields.

Town Farm allows camp fires which is always a big bonus on a camping trip - it's just not the same without toasted marshmallows, and it keeps the chill off while sipping G&T in the evening.  They hire out fire pits which double up as BBQs and which you can book in advance and sell kindling, starter packs and sacks of logs.  The service was excellent and a jeep would come round each evening delivering wood to your tent.

I have to say, the facilities on site were probably the best I have seen in a UK campsite.  Not only were the toilets, showers and washing up facilities always spotlessly fresh and clean, but they were really thoughtfully put together too.  How many times have you had to balance on one foot to get dressed in the shower because the floor is soaking?  Or find you have nowhere to hang up your towel or clothes when you take them off?

The shower cubicles were large enough so if you have young children they'd be able to come in there with you.  There was plenty of space, well fitting shower curtains, rubber matted floor to prevent your feet from getting soaked, a handy chair to place your wash bag on and hooks on the door.  The toilets had soap and mirrors and in the main toilet block, electric hand driers.

There's even outdoor showers for the brave (or exhibitionist?!), although in all seriousness they are ideal for washing grubby, muddy little feet and perfect on boiling hot days to cool off.

There are washing machines and driers on site and communal fridges and freezers handy for re-freezing your cool packs if you don't make use of the electric hook-up.

But by far the nicest part of the washing up facilities was watching the nesting swallows flit in and out above your head while they feed their young. We were actually in a different area to this wash-station, and although ours was clean, new and warm, I actually preferred to walk down to the open sinks in the old barn just to watch the birds in the rafters!

The camp site has two main fields as well as hard-standing areas for caravans and trailers.  They thoughtfully put large groups together in the front field, and those wanting a quieter experience like couples and small families can opt for the back field away from the road and the noisier groups - although they do have a no-noise after 11pm policy.

There is a little noise from Luton airport, but not enough to disturb and I have to say, even though it was a busy weekend this is one of the most peaceful campsites we've stayed on.  Even the birds delivered only a gentle chirrup in the mooring instead of a deafening dawn chorus!

This area around the Dunstable Downs can be windy (as was evident by the amount of people who'd brought kites along!).  It's popular with hangliders and it was quite breezy on the Saturday - a windbreak would have come in useful.  However, on the Sunday we were blessed with glorious sunshine and not a hint of wind or cloud.

All the staff we came into contact with were extremely helpful and there was always someone around if you had any problem at all.  We had a really great weekend and we'll definitely be back again.

Details:

Town Farm Camp Site
Ivinghoe, Bedfordshire

Facilities: Pitches for tents and caravans, electric hook ups available, male and female toilets, showers, disabled shower and toilet, washing-up stations, washing machine and tumble drier, chemical waste disposal, play area, fridges and freezers, tennis court, local information maps, open fires and BBQs allowed, dogs on lead permitted.

Linking up with Time Travellers.

Breaking Bad inspired DIY Father's Day Gift Idea

Inspired by Breaking Bad, the most brilliant TV show ever made, we've come up with this fun, simple and low-cost DIY Father's Day gift idea.

Given that Dad here is very sporty and can often be found wallowing in a borax bath to ease his aches and pains, I hope that this will not just be a funny gift, but practical too.

I've used herbal muscle therapy soak which I bought online to make this bath salt gift,  but you can pick up a box of Radox muscle soak salts for around £1 in supermarkets and pound shops.

You'll also need a colour printer, some light card, a cellophane bag and a stapler or glue stick and sticky tape.

You can print out the printable label here.

Fill your cellophane bag with the blue bath salts, fold over the top and secure with tape to prevent the contents leaking.

Then cut out your bag topper, fold and secure with glue or staples.

Simple.  Now he can make like Walter (although I'd prefer Jesse).

Apply to be Britain's Brightest Street

Solar energy is something we've discussed as a family many times. Now we've decided we'll be staying here for the long run - at least until our daughter has gone through school here, we're in a better position to make a decision on it but we have always been put off by the upfront cost.  We have had some big household expenses over the past 12 months, with a new kitchen, new bathroom planned and a garage conversion so the purse simply couldn't stretch to solar panel installation too.  Or so we thought.

SunEdison offer a program with no upfront costs, making it affordable to all. You'll start saving around 15% on your electricity bills right away so as long as your home is eligible, there's nothing to lose.  It's definitely worth another look for us and it seems silly not to harness the power of our greatest resource.

Are you Britain's Brightest Street?

Are you and your neighbours interested in saving cash, reducing your energy bills and helping do your bit towards the planet too?  If  you can get together with 5 - 20 other householders in your street you can apply to SunEdison to become #BritainsBrightestStreet.

Rally your local friends and you could be crowned Britain's Brightest Street and each received 10 year's worth of SunEdison's Energy Saver Plan at no charge, giving you savings of around 45% on your electricity bill for the next decade.

Sound good? 

Well, not only that but the winning street will also be able to nominate a local school or community project to receive free solar panels too.

There are a few criteria, you need to own your own property, it must be a house or a bungalow and the houses must have pitched roofs which face south, south-east or south-west.  Check out the website for the full details and how to apply and you, your neighbours, the community and the planet  as a whole could all benefit.

Get out and talk to the people who live on your street, it's a great way to bring your community together.

BLOGGER DISCLOSURE STATEMENT:

I'm working with BritMums and SunEdison talking about the #BritainsBrightestStreet search campaign. I have been compensated for my time. All editorial and opinions are my own. Visit http://bit.ly/1ID0enl for more information about #BritainsBrightestStreet search.

Yorkshire Tea - One Million Trees Program

Yorkshire tea is my tea of choice.  I've drunk it for years and when I gave up caffeine 18 months ago I tried many different brands but Yorkshire decaf was the one I settled on, giving the roundest, fullest flavour.

Now there's another reason to love Yorkshire Tea as well as the taste.  They have teamed up with The Woodland Trust (and enlisted the help of The Gruffalo) and committed to plant 1 million trees both here in the UK and in Kenya where they source their tea.

The people at Yorkshire Tea have always had a passion for trees - it's such a key part of what they do - and have already planted 3 million trees over the years and been instrumental in saving large areas of rainforest too.  Now, they pledge to plant 500, 000 trees in the UK with the help of the Woodland Trust's schools network, and 500, 000 trees in Kenya over the next 5 years.  It's part of their big aim to become carbon neutral by 2020.

Image: Yorkshire Tea

100, 000 trees have already been planted at schools across the UK fuelling children's love of the great outdoors.  Tom Blair, Brand Manager at Yorkshire Tea says:

"With the help of The Woodland Trust's school network and the popular Gruffalo brand, we're hoping to encourage the next generation to think about the importance of trees..."

Look out for the special promotional packs of Yorkshire Tree in store now. Specially designed by Axel Scheffler, The Gruffalo replaces the traditional Yorkshire landscape on the new boxes.  Author Julia Donaldson has also penned a special rhyming couplet to support the campaign and features on the reverse of the box.  This is the first new Gruffalo copy Julia has written in over a decade.

Follow the news on the website, play interactive games and print out activity sheets, and keep up to date on social media using #yorkshiretree

Disclosure: We were sent a hamper of tea products and a Gruffalo mug to help spread the word.

Putting colour into your music with View Quest

There used to be a time when you had to compromise on aesthetics when it came to having audio equipment in your home.  Sticking out like a sore thumb, your stereo or radio was something you'd rather hide away.

Now, thanks to View Quest, your home can be full of your favourite sounds and still look amazing.

Classic designs and a huge range of colour ways combine with cutting edge technology to give you DAB radios you'll want to show off.

Take this Christie DAB radio, with bluetooth compatibility it has the smart function of a rotating display screen meaning you can choose to display it either portrait or landscape depending on your preferred look and space available, with no reduction in quality of sound.

With a premium real enamel finish and high quality leatherette  surround in a choice of 11 vibrant colours, the Christie is one of the most beautiful and tactile radio’s around blending in perfectly with your decor.

It's so easy to control, even a technophobe like me can easily work it and it has a useful alarm feature and countdown function making it ideal for use in the bedroom or kitchen.  It even has the option to program more than one alarm time and differing times for weekdays and weekends making this a perfect bedside clock.

Hook up your smartphone wirelessly through the bluetooth function and you can play your music through it with perfect sound quality from the ultra-wide speaker driver and innovative digital sound processing technology.

It comes with a mains cable (my only slight grumble is that the lead is black, a white one would have been more compatible) and it does have the option of battery operation although you'll need to purchase the battery separately. 

Competitively priced at £99.99 it's a winner in our house and is rarely off!

Many thanks for View Quest for gifting this to me.

Colour a child's life

If the recent political debates have shown anything, it's the stark contrast in this country between the haves and the have-nots.  The economic divide is getting wider and whilst there are many in the UK who are thriving and living comfortable lives, there are also many who are not.

Often it's the children who suffer the most, forced to live in squalid conditions, sometimes even dangerous conditions.

What kind of a childhood would it be to live here?  Bare floorboards, a dirty mattress for a bed, no bed covers, a dirty sheet nailed to the window for a curtain, no natural light...

I've been called to action.  It's no use just moaning about these injustices, it's time to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.  Kiddicare has joined forces with the charity Kids Company to make a real and practical difference to families lives with the Colour a Child's Life campaign.  They have invited me along as a volunteer for a day with one of their families, to help renovate 2 children's rooms.

It's not just about having a nicely decorated home to live in.  This kind of fresh start can be a real catalyst for change.  Often the poor living conditions can exacerbate health problems, impact on self-esteem and confidence, impact on school attendance and performance and a whole host of other knock-on effects.

Children are reliant on those who care for them to create a safe, clean and nurturing home environment. Sadly, lots of parents are unable to sustain an appropriate standard of care due to poverty, mental health difficulties or substance misuse. 

These children and their families are living in local authority accommodation where social work departments are at breaking point and demand outweighs resources, leaving children in chronic poverty and neglect. Often young people leaving the care system are given their own flat, only to find that it is barely habitable.

Kids Company's Colour a Child's Life campaign has worked with many families such as the Barton family.

When Kids Company staff first visited the Barton family’s flat they were unable to see the floor underneath a mass of clutter. Each room was dirty and disorganised. Paul, who had just turned eight, rarely left his bedroom. He spent most of his time lying on a thin, battered mattress watching TV.

The light was permanently shut out by an old duvet cover that was nailed over the window frame.  The walls in his room were saturated in damp and mould due to an external leak – the probable cause for his asthma.  His sister Veronica, who was eleven, had a slightly better bedroom, yet it had not been decorated during her lifetime and was covered in woodchip wallpaper which had yellowed. Veronica had written her name in thick marker pen next to a small love heart she’d drawn. A series of fist marks were indented into her bedroom door.

During the Colour a Child’s Life intervention it became known that Paul had less than a 30 per cent school attendance. Both he and his sister survived almost exclusively on high sugar snacks including Coke Cola, biscuits and chocolate bars. The children’s mother, Sue, suffered with learning difficulties and struggled to offer the care her children required. Nether child had ever met their father. When a CaCL was suggested to the family, they became slightly unsettled. They’d become used to their chaotic environment.

In just two days, volunteers and Kids Company staff were able to perform a total transformation. With careful consideration, the clutter was sent to the skip. The damp and mould was treated, the leak repaired and the broken door replaced. Each room was decorated with a colour scheme chosen by the family. Flat-pack furniture was assembled including new beds and chests of drawers. Carpets were installed and soft furnishings put in place.

During the renovation reveal, Veronica screamed and ran into her bedroom. Paul didn’t say anything, but walked over to the window and drew the curtains a few times. Sue was delighted and thanked each volunteer for “the kindest thing to ever happen.”

Kids Company’s support to the Barton family is ongoing. Both Paul and Veronica take part in art therapy and attend their Arches II centre in Camberwell.

With corporate partner Kiddicare, Kids Company will assess the needs of the family, and staff who specialise in cleaning, decorating and carpentry are assisted in renovating the home by volunteers.  New furniture and soft furnishing is provided, damp issues addressed, decorating completed and a safe, vibrant environment is delivered to the family, with their input on what they'd like.

Thousands of children, young people and their families have benefited from Kids Company’s Colour a Child’s Life program, gaining confidence, self-esteem and a greater sense of stability. The effect on their daily lives is never short of remarkable.

Kids Company’s Colour a Child’s life project is uniquely effective in its service delivery. The team is innovative and flexible in their approach, and each project is tailor made to meet the needs of the family or young person involved.

So, in a couple of weeks time, I'll be donning overalls and rolling up my sleeves in the hope that my small part will help make a difference to a child's life.  Hopefully we'll see some amazing transformations like this.

Check back in a few weeks time for a progress update.  

Thanks to Kiddicare for inviting me.