Butlin's Secret Weapon

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Receiving the invitation to become Butlin's Ambassadors was a dream come true. We'd been on a weekend Christmas break in December 2011 to the Bognor Regis resort, and pretty much fell in love with the hotel and all the facilities. It was around the time that I was chosen to become an Ambassador that I'd been thinking of booking another holiday there anyway, so the timing was perfect. We went for our five-day break in March and had such a magical time, that in the car on the way home I whipped out my phone and booked us on the special Ambassadors' weekend that was due to take place three weeks later.

That was last weekend, and if possible we had an even better time in three days than we did on our week-long break. There are two reasons for this.

  1. Laura from 'Tired Mummy of Two';
  2. The Skyline Gang.

When we went on our break in March, we had been so overwhelmed with all the outdoor and indoor activities in the very full programme that we didn't even contemplate booking in for activity sessions or trying to squash in the evening performances. This was a huge mistake, but easy to do. Laura took us under her very experienced Butlin's wing and booked us in to activity and craft sessions over the weekend, not a vast selection but enough to show us the plethora available. Everyone should have a Laura when they go on their Butlin's break.

For those not in the know (and if you've never been to Butlin's you'd be forgiven for not having a clue what I'm going on about), The Skyline Gang are a group of six performers (three women, three men) who make up the resident Butlin's own performance team; you'll only find them in Butlin's resorts (unlike external shows). Bud, Sprout, Pip, Candi, Mimi and Dude all have their own rainbow colour, and a very distintive personality. And they are magical.

On the Saturday evening we nipped into the Skyline Pavilion and assumed our position to watch the half-hour long performance of The Skyline Gang. The Boy was captivated, and to be fair he wasn't the only one. All six of the characters can sing, act and dance, and they did so without stopping for the entire performance. In this show, Candi loses her colour and her friends set out to ensure she returns to her characteristic pink. The Boy hasn't stopped talking about it all week.

After the show, we stayed around for a few minutes to meet the gang and this is where we realised their worth. All six stayed in character throughout the meet and greet session, and they were amazing. They quickly picked up on the children's names, sized up their confidence and approached them accordingly. There wasn't someone ushering them along, they didn't try and escape; The Skyline Gang stayed and engaged with the children until it was the infants who'd had enough. The Boy met everyone of the group and he fell in love with them there and then. His first ever hero-worship.

Meeting The Skyline Gang

The next morning we went to our first activity; Circus Skills with The Skyline Gang. The Boy settled down in the centre of the room with the other thirty or so children and they all held onto the parachute while being assigned a Skyline Gang member's name. And then I saw his little lip going. He glanced around and a frantic 'mummy' was issued. Before I could get to him, Sprout was up and there, trying to reassure him that everything was ok. And he remembered his name from the night before. Out of all those children that he met that weekend, he remembered one three year old little boy's name. And he wasn't the only one. Because actually, all of The Skyline Gang tried to engage him and reassure him that he'd have fun. (I don't know what it was that upset him, I suspect he became confused about being given a different name, not realising what it meant). He soon settled down into rotating around the carousel of activities learning how to hula-hoop with Pip, juggle scarves with Candi, use a diablo with Dude and bounce a yo-yo with Bud. His favourite activities were walking on 'stilts' with Sprout and spinning plates with Mimi (mainly because he could do both of these easily).

Circus skills with The Skyline Gang

The most amazing thing to me was how patient The Skyline Gang were with him, and how genuinely attentive. They were very tolerant of the three year old child who'd sneaked into a session intended for children over five, and they really helped him to complete the tasks.

It is little wonder that these are the former Redcoats who often progress onto the West End stage having been spotted by talent scouts; the way that they constantly stay in character and bounce around the stage for thirty minutes astounds me. Well done Butlin's on persevering with a good old-fashioned variety act with added caring and enthusiasm.

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Days 111-117 of Project 365

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117-123 of 365

111. Too busy! (Today was a stay-at-home day and The Boy's cousins came over to play in the morning and stayed for lunch. We spent hours in the garden, them playing, mum supervising and us gardening. The day was so busy that I forgot to take any photos until the evening when we were playing a calming Orchard Toys game before bed.)

112. Bubble Jedi (At 9.05am The Boy requested we go in the garden. And because I wasn't at all awake (although I was dressed, I agreed. I know. We then proceeded to spend two and a half hours in the garden; me pegging out the washing and pottering about with titbits of gardening, him making up games, blowing bubbles and making dams in the water 'future' (feature). We only went in to decide on what to eat for lunch, which was enjoyed al fresco! I love Spring.)

113. #30 (After a very good day together; playing in the garden, making cakes and chilling out nicely, we had a gargantuam parenting fail/threenager situation in the evening. Basically, The Boy took ages to eat his dinner and we both got cross because we were waiting to take him to the park to feed the swans and have a run around before bed. After a temper tantrum from him when he had the audacity to say I was taking ages (!), I put my foot down and said he could feel the swans (I needed the fresh air) but would not be allowed to go to the park. Being a parent is tough sometimes!)

114. Bottoms Up! (A play in the garden after I'd finished school and The Boy has found a new use for the non-slidey slide; it's a part climbing frame and then head first down after the rolling hoops!)

115. Flying Boy (This is his new way of going on the swing, he likes the way it makes him feel like he's flying! We took mum down the beach for an ice-cream after school but she was feeling her age today and didn't want to go for a walk and so we nipped to the park instead.)

116. Back Again! (I know this is a very similar photograph to one I recently had up but there are subtle differences; mainly the lack of coat and a great deal more sunshine. We've come back to Butlin's for the Butlin's Ambassadors weekend with many of the other ambassadors. Keeping my fingers crossed for dry weather and sunshine.)

117. Even Higher! (That was what he called to the attendant on the bungee trampoline he tried out earlier today! He screamed that he didn't want to go on it, and then I couldn't get him off.)

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The Ocean Hotel, Butlin's in Bognor Regis (Review)

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A few weeks ago we stayed at The Ocean Hotel in the Butlin's resort in Bognor Regis. This four night mid-week break was courtesy of Butlin's as a result of our role as Ambassadors for them this year, where we were invited to review the hotel and resort's facilities. There is so much to write about that I can't do it all in one post, and so I will review several aspects; The Ocean Hotel, the entertainment, and the restaurants.

First up:

The Ocean Hotel, Butlin's

We'd stayed in The Ocean Hotel before and so I knew what to expect upon arrival. There is a car park attached to the hotel with easy access to the ground floor of the hotel, an additional car park is situated on the other side of the hotel and to the left. As we arrived nice and early on the Monday, we were able to park in the main hotel car park. There are two lifts inside the hotel opposite the entrance which run throughout the top of the hotel, Reception is on the first floor along with the Kaleidoscope restaurant and the Ocean Spa; the accommodation is on the second floor to fifth floor.

Check in was easy because of the time that we arrived (1pm). The Reception staff were friendly and helpful, something that goes for every Butlin's staff member we encountered throughout our entire stay. We went up to the room to settle in, while Mr. TBaM was sent down for our luggage.

There are four styles of rooms in The Ocean Hotel; Compass, Atlantis, Mariner and Neptune rooms. We stayed in a Neptune room which has a twin room and king-size bed, like the Atlantis and Mariner, therefore sleeping four people (the Compass has no twin room, ideal for couples sharing). The Atlantis room has a sea-view, the Mariner overlooks the town and South Downs. The main difference between these two rooms and the type we were in, is that the Neptune has a sofabed (creating sleeping space for up to five people) and it overlooks the resort with sea views.

Neptune Room, The Ocean Hotel, Butlin's

The twin room was on the left as we went in, followed by the bathroom and then the main room which has a king-size bed, sofabed and a chair. On the left of the bed is a tall wardrobe with an ironing board and iron in it, along with approximately ten hangers. The unit on the right has shelves and contains a safe which is large enough to take a laptop! There is a desk unit with a kettle and various hot drinks sachets, and a hairdryer and small fridge underneath, perfect for whole milk and a bottle of wine. Opposite the bed is a wall-mounted television with a small chest of drawers underneath.

We've stayed in other family friendly hotels before and have always had The Boy sleeping on a single bed in the corner of the room. I like the way that Butlin's has designed the rooms in The Ocean Hotel as there is a separate twin-bedded sleeping area for children, it doesn't have a door on it which wasn't a problem for us (the Wave and Shoreline both have bunk beds in the children's bedrooms, The Wave has a closing door) as it made it easier to check on The Boy. The fact that the children's bedroom is separate does mean you can have a bit more privacy and watch television in the evenings without disturbing exhausted children.

Bedroom and Bathrooms, Neptune Room, Butlin's

In the children's sleeping area is a wall-mounted television, a shallow shelf (wide enough for a cuddly toy), a 'stuff box' under each bed with space for their suitcases, and a shelf above the head of each bed. They were able to provide us with a safety rail for The Boy with no extra cost. The Boy adored his bedroom, and when he woke up in the morning (later than he ever has before), Mr. TBaM and he would snuggle down for some cuddles while watching a little CBeebies magic. Unfortunately there is no storage for clothes in the children's bedroom, so we ended up putting his luggage in our wardrobe and drawers which was already minimal.

The bathroom is in between the children's room and the main room. This is the only thing that niggled me about the layout of the room; I would have preferred the bathroom to come first as it puts more distance between the children's room and the front door. However that's a personal thing, and we could have chosen the Wave which does have that layout. As the front door is a heavy fire door with the standard hotel room safety lock on it, it would have to be a pretty strong child who could escape without being noticed. The Ocean Hotel is also designed for teenagers, while The Shoreline is for younger children with added safety features, and The Wave is for 5-11 years olds.

Daily housekeeping is one of the features of the hotel, and the staff are excellent and efficient. A new towel sculpture was left everyday, which amused The Boy immensely, and beds were always freshly made. Often his cuddly toys could be found tucked into his bed, having a sneaky forty winks. The cleanliness throughout the stay was excellent; I know from past experiences that if I had felt something was insufficient that housekeeping would have been sent up pronto. We actually returned to our room early one day and disturbed the housekeeper, we waited on the balcony while she finished and less than five minutes later a supervisor had knocked at the door to check the standard.

Other points to note:

  • really thick floor to ceiling curtains which are virtually black out and excellent double-glazed doors mean a very sound night's sleep.
  • During the 'Winter' months (although it was technically Spring when we were there) the air-con is set to heating; it's very warm indeed even on the lowest setting. We nipped down to Reception and they changed it to air-con for us with no quibble. It is so quiet and regular that we slept with it on and weren't disturbed once (Premier Inn, take note!)

Breakfast was included in our stay (with the 'hotel dining' package) and was available at the Kaleidoscope restaurant, on the first floor of the hotel. Each of the hotels has a different restaurant assigned for breakfasts and that's the only place you can eat it, unlike the dinner package. If you stay in The Ocean then you eat breakfast in the Kaleidoscope, in The Shoreline you eat in the South Coast restaurant, and for The Wave the restaurant is The Deck which is not within the hotel.

There is a guide in the rooms indicating the best times to eat breakfast in the restaurant based around the busy times. We did try and avoid the peak time on the first morning, but even at the 8.30-9.30 slot the wait was only usually five minutes. Once seated at a table in the busy restaurant, I was impressed that butters and preserves were already on the table which is laid with plenty of crockery, cutlery and the thickest disposable napkins I've ever seen; perfect for mucky three year old children! Waiters and waitresses attend the table within a couple of minutes to pour coffee and ask if pancakes or toast are required. I heartily recommend trying the pancakes! They also readily accommodated the request for a few slices of plain bread to make The Boy his sausage sandwich; nothing was too much bother for them.

Aside from this initial greeting, breakfast is entirely self-service. And there's a plethora of options, enough to accommodate all tastes:

  • whole fruit (aside from bananas which I found strange. No bananas in a family resort? Bananas are the staple fruit of all children);
  • breakfast meats and cheeses;
  • cereals;
  • semi-skimmed milk (no full-fat is available which again surprised me) and juices;
  • fruit pots (grapefruit, prunes, melon, mango, pineapple, plums, pears);
  • Müller yoghurts;
  • baby food jars and a microwave for warming;
  • pain au chocolat, croissants and muffins;
  • cooked breakfast including scrambled eggs, fried eggs, sauteed potatoes, sausages, bacon, black pudding, beans, mushrooms and tomatoes. Items were frequently replenished (vegetarian sausages were available upon request);
  • an omlette station – prepared fresh with a variety of fillings. (As a vegetarian I had reservations about having one as the same pan seemed to be used for all omlettes, and I couldn't risk being ill from cross-contamination from the meat.)

Breakfast in The Ocean Hotel, Butlin's

Breakfast everyday was a real joy to eat, and we spent a decent amount of time enjoying our start to the day without feeling rushed or unaccommodated. It is definitely one of the bonuses from staying in the hotels as opposed to the self-catering apartments. We also found that we only needed a light snack at lunchtime as we were still full from the breakfast. Good quality items, well cooked and well planned for.

The 'Hotel Dining' package that we had allowed for us to eat in one of five different restaurants around the resort. More on that in another post!

Overall, was I happy with our stay?

  • YES! We had a brilliant stay in the hotel, the facilities are excellent, the room is spotless, staff are friendly, and we all had the best sleep we'd had for months! We all enjoyed every moment of our holiday, even though it was freezing on the coastline and snowed a few times, it is difficult not be infected with the cheerfulness of Butlin's.

Would I pay £809 (accommodation and dining package) of my own money to stay in Butlin's?

  • YES! There is an Ambassador's weekend soon which we have a discount for. I had decided before our stay that we wouldn't be going as it would be too much too soon after. The Boy cried as we left, both Mr. TBaM and I glanced at the hotel and sighed. Once in the car, I phoned up the Butlin's team and booked us in to stay again. Yes it's another discounted stay, but the Christmas breaks I've been looking up aren't.

I received a holiday in Butlin's as a member of the Butlin's Ambassadors programme. This included accommodation, dining packages, leisure passes and a character lunch. My opinion is honest and unbiased, as always.

Days 83-89 of Project 365

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83-89 of 365

30th march 2013

83. Look Mummy! (We left for our Butlin's Ambassadors' holidays a day early to break up the journey, and called into Westonbirt Arboretum on the way – more on that in another post. It's an amazing Forestry Commission site, but dear God it was cold. We braved -3°C to explore the play area and some of the old arboretum, and The Boy really showed his growing ability and confidence at tree climbing!)

84. View (Checking into our hotel room in The Ocean Hotel, we discovered that we had a gorgeous view from the fourth floor over the resort. The Boy has been out on the balcony at any and every opportunity this week to catch a glimpse of his beloved helter-skelter.)

85. Plopping (A day trip to Brighton, which was an opportunity that I couldn't let pass when down this way. I've wanted to visit the West Pier for a long time and I find the condition of it so very sad. How it's been allowed to lapse into such a terrible state of disrepair over the past thirty years, is beyond me. Our seaside heritage is one of the things that makes Britain special, to see such a beautiful example of Victorian architecture destroyed is shocking. The remaining pier was a let-down, and so we spent a good amount of time 'plopping' on the beach, having already enjoyed the wonders of the Royal Pavilion.)

86. Round and round (We had passed a walled park several times this week, peeking over the top was a zip-wire and wooden climbing frame. A quick Google showed it to be Hotham Park, which we visited on Wednesday afternoon. The park was amazing, and for most of the hour or so we were there, we had it to ourselves. I even had a go on the zip-wire myself; a first! The Boy found a very different swing to those we are used to, and really enjoyed spinning around watching the sky swirling.)

87. I Can Cook! (This is one of the shows that we've been looking forward to all week. The Boy is completely captivated by Katy's antics on CBeebies and, even though this show wasn't presented by her, he couldn't wait to see today's show. I had to sit him at the front with all the other children, and then join the adults at the back. That was until I heard a frantic 'mummy!' being screamed from the front when the character 'Naughty Salt' was being chased by 'Lucy' around the audience. The Boy hates naughtiness of any description, and it really upset him. Another frantic 'MUMMY!!!' and I'd managed to scoop up his little sobbing body. Apologies to the three parents whose fingers I stood on en route.)

88. By the seaside (Today's photo had to be one that summed up our Butlins Ambassadors break in Bognor Regis; sunshine, deckchairs, cheerful smiles but biting winds. Hats and gloves, long johns and rosy cheeks were the order of the week, but dear God we had fun!)

89. Which ride first? (I won a competition for us to visit Legoland for the launch of the Lego Hero Factory, Build and Test Area. We've never been there with The Boy before, the only other time was actually ten years ago, well before children were thought of, and we commented on the time that it was a pointless place without them. Today we got to try many of the rides that we'd seen then, and how they had expanded the park. Freezing conditions meant that we lasted from 9.30-4.00 but gave up early to head home after a tiring week. The Boy adored the park and the rides were a good length for him to enjoy them, he loved looking over the park map to see where he'd been or which he was going on.)

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Our Easter Holiday Destination!

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easter breaks

When the above guide plopped through our letterbox a few weeks ago, I actually squealed with delight.

More ridiculously excited than is decent for a grown woman to be, I've been looking forward to our forthcoming holiday for a very long time now. We booked it back in September, shortly after discovering that we'd been chosen to be Butlin's Ambassadors, and after a very long and extremely cold Winter, a week's break on the south coast is just what the doctor ordered! It helps that we'll be going with another Ambassador family (and very good friends) with whom we can enjoy what Butlin's has to offer.

I'm the type of person who works best in short bursts and with something to look forward to; I need to know that in a few months time I'm going to have this reward for our hard work, or that weekend break to look forward to. As The Boy is getting older, and therefore more physically capable, there were many options for Easter breaks this year, however we decided to book an Easter Butlin's stay for various reasons. One of which was the weather (Easter has been beautifully sunny for the past few years, and I'm still hopeful of a fair weather stay), and the other was the range of activities available, both indoors and outdoors.

New this Spring is the outdoor traditional funfair with a helter-skelter, carousel and flying chairs (there is an indoor funfair for younger children); The Boy is going to be in his element! It's just as well these are included in the price because I know we're going to be spending a great deal of time up in the air if he has anything to do with it. Other outdoor activities that we're looking forward to are children's play area, driving school, and adventure golf, and as the resort is right on the beach we can't wait to go and 'plop' some stones in the waves! Indoor fun is going to include bowling,  indoor funfair rides and softplay centre, and the numerous shows (I Can Cook and Mike The Knight live shows, puppets in the Castle Courtyard, shows on the Skyline Stage, etc).

One of the reasons that I'm really looking forward to next week though is because I do want to show Butlin's off to people. Before I went to Bognor Regis for the first time in December 2011 I was under a misguided memory from my ten year old self of my year six trip to Pwllheli where we stayed in stereotypical terrached chalets. But that was in 1988 and times have changed (as much as I might not want them to have), Butlin's with it. The Bognor Regis resort now has three hotels alongside the traditional apartment or chalet accommodation, and offers a wide range of family weekend breaks which cater for all.

We'll be staying in the Ocean Hotel, which has a boutique hotel feel to it, in a Neptune room.

Ocean hotel, Butlins

As you can see the 'room' (feel more like a mini-suite) had a main bedroom with a seating area, and this leads around to the twin bedroom, neither have doors but they do have enough privacy to watch television in an evening and not disturb The Boy while he is sleeping. The Ocean also overlooks the coastline (and therefore resort) and is a wonderful hotel to stay in.

There'll be plenty more detailed information from me in the next few weeks about the resort. I'm so excited!

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Flashback Friday: The One About Friends

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This time last year I was preparing to reveal myself to a bunch of people that I'd never met before.

I'll be honest, I was wetting myself with nerves.

Last Autumn, Tots100 announced that they were going to be holding a bloggers' party down in Butlins in Bognor Regis. Very quickly Multiple Mummy, The Crazy Kitchen, Mummy Mishaps and I decided that we had to go and booked our places. We started making plans to have a fantastic family weekend; celebrating Christmas with a bunch of like-minded people and meeting new friends.

Messages to the aforementioned ladies let them know how worried I was about 'coming out', especially as I'd only met The Crazy Kitchen beforehand. Kerry and Jenny reassured me that everything would be ok and they'd hold my hand, metaphorically and literally. Mobile numbers were exchanged and I looked forward to meeting them both.

The weekend arrived and I really need not have worried at all. All of the bloggers I met were friendly, genuine and warm. Meeting Jenny that weekend ensured the start of a real-life friendship that has seen us get together several times over the past year, on our own and with our families.

However, I want to focus on Kerry here. Meeting Kerry was a joy. From the moment I rang her mobile in the hotel foyer to find out where she was, it felt like I'd known her for years. Blogging is a bizarre world; we read about each other's lives, we see photos of our family and we natter away. By the time we meet in person, the inital small-talk is out of the way. Kerry and I had been chatting since she first started blogging and had asked for some advice from me; we also have similar age boys and we both live in the world of education.

We sat next to each other during the Tots100 meal and had a good giggle and very indepth conversation. We may have also both partaken of numerous glasses of Tia Maria and cokes…

Due to our geographical locations Kerry and I couldn't meet up many times, but we did see each other at Britmums in June. I might have been utterly bored rigid during one of the sessions in the main hall and was openly tweeting so (sorry Britmums!). At one point when I hoped the session was ending, the speaker opened up the floor to questions and I might have sighed a little loudly. I realised I'd been audible when I heard a few giggles from my left. I glanced up and was greeted by the sight of Kerry laughing her head off at me .

That image is the one that has stayed in my head since the beautiful and joyful Kerry suffered a brain aneurysm in August. I had just finished reading about her day out to Peppa Pig World with her gorgeous family when I received a message to tell me about the terrible news.

Kerry is battling valiantly to recover, but is suffering setback after setback on the road to returning to her family. On Saturday 24th November 2012 at 10pm, the blogging world will unite to think about Kerry and send her positive healing thoughts to aide her recovery.

Thing is, I haven't stopped thinking of her every day.

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Linking up to Flashback Friday at Mummy Mishaps and The Real Housewife of Suffolk County

With thanks to Tots100 for two of the photos above

Sadly, the beautiful Kerry died on 14th December 2012. She fought so valiantly for so long, but the infections kept on coming and in the end she couldn't fight anymore. Ever since I heard, I had felt so inordinately sad about the loss of such a fantastic mother to her children, especially as they are so young, and that her soulmate no longer has her to cherish. The memories I've described above have stayed with me and I know that all of her friends and her family have a multitude of happy memories of such a special person.

I'm A Butlins Ambassador!

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When we went to Butlins for the Tots100 Christmas Party back in December of last year, I was pleasantly surprised at how it broke all my misconceptions of the famous holiday camp. Imagine Hi-de-Hi, big groups of lads or lasses on the razz, and redcoats with bobby socks. Well that's nothing like Butlins of 2012 (or 2011 as it was at the time) at all! The Bognor Regis resort had two hotels along with the normal self-catering accommodation and I didn't see a group of drunken adults there (apart from the Tots100 bloggers that is!).

As a result of our fabulous trip, I've had it in my mind quite a lot when thinking about British holidays, I enjoyed the entire trip and as it was cut short I felt short-changed in my experience. I wanted to go back! Which is why I filled in the application form at the Britmums Live! blogging conference in June to see if I could be selected as an ambassador for the brand.

Yesterday they announced the selected bloggers, and instead of the intended 20 they chose 40! And yes, I was one of them!

Hurrah!

So for the next year you will see a lovely bright red Butlins heart in my sidebar pointing you in the direction of the Butlins website. If you're considering a British holiday I cannot recommend them highly enough; the hotels are excellent and there is a range from family to boutique, there are activities for everyone (bowling, cinema, mini-golf, funfair, soft-play, swimming, adventure) including action activities or spa treatments, there is a range of resturants (pizza, pub, classic British restaurant) and they are always in the best of the British locations.

I'll be visiting them at Easter time next year and we can't wait to share all the fabulous family fun we'll have. Until then, thank you Billy Butlin!

Butlins Official Ambassador

A Weekend Full of Tots: Both Big and Small

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I intended to write just one post about the TOTS100 Christmas Party but I got carried away talking about the Butlins resort at Bognor Regis so decided to split them into two posts.

When I heard about the event, I immediately checked with a couple of others to see if they were going and signed up. I was nervous as hell about going to the event because I felt like I was surrendering my anonymity, however at the same time I was desperate to meet some other bloggers (I rarely get invited to events) and meet up with Jenny and Helen who I'd previously met. The three of us were pretty much desperate for a break away from it all and we willingly jumped in the car on Friday evening to drive the three and half hours down to the South coast.

We were quite lazy on Saturday morning but eventually got ready to leave our cocoon of a hotel room and venture over to find out what Butlins had in store for us. In the foyer I noticed a couple of other mummies and deduced that they were Mummy and The Beastie and Mummy, Daddy and Me Makes Three. We chatted briefly to them, admired the decorations and Christmas tree and played jumping while waiting for Mummy Mishaps to come and rescue my poor, neglected son (I'd forgotten to bring a coat for him, that's what comes of leaving the house with him in his pyjamas and sleeping bag!). Thanks Burton for lending him a coat for the weekend!

We headed over to the Skyline Pavillion for lunch, had a mooch around and had a good run around on the chaotic soft-play. We enjoyed a puppet show which had some fabulous puppetry and dancing courtesy of the Red Coats, those ladies earn their bobby-socks and blazers!

In the afternoon, while The Boy had his sleep and Mr. TheBoyandMe rested his eyelids, I met up with the other 34 bloggers for the afternoon reception that Sally had arranged for us. Having already seen a tweet from her a few days before about boxes from Hallmark, I suspected that something was on the cards for us and she didn't disappoint. We were split into four groups for the purpose of socialisation and given an hour to decorate an empty Christmas tree using the contents of the middle table.

A few of our team raced for a tree, while a couple of others grabbed baubles. Unfortunately, one of the other groups doubled up on the lights, sellotape and scissors leaving us without any and we managed to wrap a large selection of objects without either sellotape or scissors. What Mellow Mummy, All About The Boys and I can't do with ribbons isn't worth mentioning!

Ably assisted by one of the lovely twins from Here Come The Girls 'helping' with the baubles, and Bloggomy doing her twirly things with ribbons (and a kind Butlins staff member who found us some lights), we managed to get a very sophisticated tree done with time to spare. Just enough time to steal borrow some additional decor from the Butlins reception to boost the silver and red theme before judging. Unfortunately we didn't win the hampers from Aldi but it was the perfect activity to get everyone chatting and mixing together.

After this, I popped back to the hotel and picked up Mr. TheBoyandMe and The Boy so that we could go and get them something to eat before our evening meal. We nipped into Papa Johns for the pizza buffet and managed to join the table already occupied by fifteen other people: Multiple Mummy, The Crazy Kitchen and MummyMummyMum and their gorgeous children. After we had our fill, we went back to prepare for our big night out. All the lovely, glamorous ladies met in the foyer of the hotel and we all froze our arses bottoms off as we nipped over to Bar Rosso for complimentary cocktails: cranberry and vodka = fruity and strong and yummy!

Turner's is a very nice restaurant that was designed by Brian Turner and the chef there used to be the head-chef of The Ivy. That's the closest I'm going to get to posh London dining, and to be honest if that's the best they can do for a vegetarian at Christmas time, then I'll stick to Pizza Express in Cardiff Bay! Wild mushroom risotto is great for a Summer evening meal, not for a warming Winter and Christmas meal when the meat alternative was a full Christmas dinner.

I didn't take a photo of the pudding: figs and apricots do not inspire me, although the cinnamon ice-cream and poached pear was nice. No replacement for a sumptuous cheesecake or the traditional Christmas pudding though.

However, a meal like this is all about the company and the presence of Mummy, Daddy and Me, Multiple Mummy, Dear Beautiful Boy made the evening fly by! I forgot to take a photo of them but did manage one of Jenny and Helen!

We dutifully meandered over to the resort's club afterwards, but decided we just wanted a quite chat in the hotel bar instead, leaving the more hardcore MammaSaurus and TiredMummy of Two to party with NewMumOnline and the glamorous Actually Mummy.

After a tipple or two and having the lights turned out on us in the bar, we retired to bed!

To cut a long story short (too late I hear you cry!), the Sunday saw us have lunch with Mummy Mishaps and her lovely family (in Papa John's), playing with some more rides in the Skyline Pavillion, all of us falling asleep for an afternoon nap, seeing Bjorn's snowstorm and then having an evening meal with Mummy Mishaps again (this time in the Sun and Moon pub). The Boy and Burton started to have a good old natter about this and that, until Burton fell asleep following his mammoth two hours in the swimming pool! Just before we had to do, The Crazy Kitchen turned up to join us, and the littlies set about making a bus to drive us home.

Unfortunately we had to leave on the Sunday night as The Boy had developed croup and I wanted to get him to a doctor, but I shall leave you with some images of the Sunday.

I thoroughly enjoyed our weekend there and found that Multiple Mummy is just as funny and friendly as I suspected and I wish we lived closer because we got on well! It was brilliant to meet up with the others and find that they are just as lovely (and glamorous) as I'd imagined. I wish I'd had more time to speak to others including Kate from I Am Wit Woo and Jen from Mum In The Madhouse, amongst others.

Never mind, there's always next time!

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